TRAVEL WITH SERENA - PICKPOCKETS

Last week Tessa had a great fashion tip regarding static cling. Her solution? The common safety pin. Today’s tip also features safety pins.

Whether you’re traveling abroad or just spending the day at a fall bazaar, you need to make sure you’re not an easy mark for pickpockets. These thieves are devious. They’ve mastered the art of removing your valuables without you even realizing you’ve been victimized until they're long gone.

The easiest way to deter pickpockets is to make sure they can’t dip their hands into your pockets or your tote bag. And the easiest way to do that is to use safety pins to secure your pockets and tote bag whenever you’re in crowded places.

TRAVEL WITH SERENA -- TIP OF THE DAY

Here’s a handy little tip from travel editor Serena Brower that could save you a huge headache at some point. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia! This actually happened to someone I know. He’d just purchased a $40 BART card. After swiping the card to go through the turnstile, he stuck it in his pocket -- the same pocket that held his digital camera. For those of you not familiar with the California Bay area metro system, you need to swipe your card before going through the turnstile to board the train and again to leave the station once you arrive at your destination. The cost of the trip is automatically deducted from your card.

When my friend went to use his card to leave the station after he exited the train, the turnstile refused to open. The read-out screen said his card was invalid. Unbeknownst to him, his camera had demagnetized the strip on his card.

The same can happen with credit cards, ATM cards, or any other cards that contains a magnetic strip. You also want to keep your credit cards, ATM cards, and transit cards away from your smart phone, and never place any cards with magnetic strips back-to-back so that the magnetic strips touch each other.

Good to know, Serena! Thanks for the Tip of the Day. -- AP

TRAVEL WITH SERENA -- BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE

Ever go on a trip and come home to dead houseplants? Serena is here today with an easy tip to prevent this from happening. -- AP

I learned this one the hard way, Anastasia. I was gone for two weeks and came home to the dried out carcass of what used to be a healthy philodendron.

You’re about to leave on a trip. You’ve stopped the mail and newspaper delivery and boarded the pets. Have you thought about your houseplants? Some of them can go without watering for a week or two, but what about the ones that drink up water on an almost daily basis? Sometimes leaving them outside is an option, but often it’s not. Either the weather is too hot or too cold, or the neighborhood alley cat will use your planters as a litter box.

If you don’t want to come home to dead houseplants, try this trick: Braid some strips of cotton fabric. Make sure you’re using cotton, not blends or synthetics and that the fabric is free of sizing or starch. Put one end of the braid in a container of water and the other end into your planter. The water from the container will “climb” up the braid and into your plant.

If you have many plants, use a large container or bucket for the water and arrange the plants around the water bucket.

Great tip, Serena! Readers, do you have other houseplant tips you’d like to share? Let’s hear from you. Post a comment to be entered in the drawing for a free book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

TRAVEL WITH SERENA--A CARRY-ON TIP

Marlys Vandenburg, American Woman’s fashion editor, was scheduled to blog today, but Marlys has informed me she has better things to do and has left me in the lurch at the last minute.  This is so typical of la prima donna Marlys.  You’ll see what I mean once Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun by author Lois Winston is released in January.  For now, you’ll just have to take my word for it.  Luckily travel editor Serena Brower has another travel tip handy and agreed to step in as a last minute replacement. -- AP

Benvenuto! Willkomen! Beinvenue! Welcome!  Serena Brower here again.  That Marlys is a real piece of work.  As Anastasia said, you’ll just have to wait until January to get the full effect of what the rest of us put up with on a daily basis.  For now, I’m here to offer another travel tip.

Ever notice how guys have an edge when it comes to that 1 carry-on/1 personal item rule imposed by most of the airlines?  Guys don’t carry purses (well, most guys don’t.)  So in essence, they get to bring TWO carry-on pieces of luggage onto the plane, whereas we women are limited to one plus a purse.  Totally unfair, right?

Well, here’s how you get even.  Buy yourself one of those oversized handbags, the ones big enough to hold everything, including the kitchen sink.  Trust me, it will fit under the seat in front of you.  Besides what you normally carry in your purse, you’ll be able to store your laptop, all your make-up and toiletries, a book or two, even a change of clothes.

Don’t want to lug a mini-suitcase under your arm once you arrive at your destination?  No problem.  Pack a small purse in your other carry-on.  Switch to that one once you arrive.

Another great idea, Serena!  And thanks for coming to my rescue today.  I’ll bet our readers have had travel nightmares with all the various rules and restrictions we now have to deal with when we fly.  Want to share any?  Remember, anyone who posts a comment this week is entered in the book giveaway for Photo, Snap, Shot by Joanna Campbell Slan. -- AP