Tips & Tricks: the art of the daily commute

Los Angeles has ridiculous traffic. It's taken time for me to accept this fact, but I think I've finally mastered the art of the daily commute. Here are some tips and tricks I've learned along the way that I hope will help you come to terms with your commutes too:

1) Books on tape are your friend. This is my number one favorite things about commuting (did I just say that?). I get to listen to books in peace. My favorite app right now is audiobooks.com. You can sign up for the paid service or just listen to the freebies like me. So far my favorites have been Sherlock Holmes and White Fang. It's become my daily ritual to listen to a story on the drive to and from work, and I find that I actually look forward to story time when I get in my car. I limit it to commute hours- so I don't listen to a book from home to the grocery store, for example. It's more special that way and cultivates happy driving memories that are specifically related to my commute.

2) Find your radio station jam. If I listen to AMP radio too many days in a row I start to doubt the existence of more than 5 pop songs in the universe. The radio isn't really my thing right now, but some people need to get their daily dose of world news or celebrity gossip before they can really start their morning. If you can stand the adds, go for it.

3) Pack snacks. Bars are easily stored in the glove compartment and aren't particularly sensitive to temperatures, for example.  You never know when you might get a case of low blood sugar in a traffic jam. Crisis averted.

4) Cozy up to a warm comfort beverage like tea or coffee on your morning drive.

5)  Turn up those bun warmers. Nothing says comfort like warmth under your buns on the drive to work.

All Black & a Hat

 

 Happy November, everybody! SH and I visited the Bay Area to celebrate his and my dad's birthdays and stopped at Santa Clara to look at the beautiful campus and take some photos. It was warm and sunny- too warm to be walking around in an all black ensemble with boots and a fuzzy hat, but I have too few opportunities in LA to wear fall attire, so I have to take what I can get. My mom made the hat (too cute, right?!) and the dress is one of my favorites to wear in fall and winter. It's made out of a super soft t-shirt material and because it's so light, it's great for layering. I love this time of year and I can't wait until the holidays are just around the corner.

Dress: H&M | Leggings: Gap | Boots: Miz Mooz via Nordstrom | 

Jacket: Rubbish via Nordstrom | Hat: hand-made by Mom | Bag: Longchamp