Before your next vacation be sure to back up your phone before leaving town. You never know when you may loose or damage your phone. Its good to back it up often but especially when heading to unfamiliar surroundings. Leaving your phone in a hotel room or jumping in the pool with your phone in your pocket can often be overlooked.

In an effort to travel light, my goal is to bring as little luggage as possible. Be an organized traveler by calling ahead to your hotel to find out what they provide in your room. Do I need shampoo, lotion, mouthwash or a heavy hairdryer? Some hotels have just about everything including a toothbrush. So dont worry about filling your little shampoo bottles and winding up that old hair dryer. Travel light, call ahead and loose the baggage!

Do you get stuck in traffic while trying to run errands? Well stop spending all that extra time and money by organizing your errands like the UPS drivers! UPS routes their deliveries making very few left turns which helps them save time, gas money and wear and tear on their vehicles. Create your own routes is my using mapquest. It allows you to select several destinations.

Diaper emergencies happen so having a stocked and organized diaper bag is essential. Be sure you never leave home without diapers or wipes. Those days can happen though when your system fails. You run out of supplies like diapers or wipes and you are no where near home or a drugstore...oh no! While at the zoo today with my husband and 2 year son old I spotted the ultimate diaper emergency kit. It was a very small package containing a couple of diapers and wipes sold in the gift shop. I would not have expected to see something like this. So parents next time you are out and this happens to you always check the gift shop!

Image from Wikimedia

Using public transportation used to be a real bummer. But Chicago's system, is getting better and better and probably one of the best public transportation experiences I have had in the US. I believe their embrace of new technologies is part of what is improving their rider experience.

The CTA has created CTABUSTRACKER.com that provides trip planning assistance. It also provides a low bandwidth site that makes it easy to see when the next few buses are coming. And it is pretty darn accurate! If it says your bus is going to be there in 2 minutes it will be within a minute or two doe to the fact that the buses are using GPS locators to constantly update their position and progress. For those always glaring at a computer screen, the site provides a live map of the city and bus routes. Little markers on the map move in real time to show where all the bus are and how fast they are moving through the city. Finally you can also sign up for scheduled email or text alerts which comes in handy for routine commutes.

I've become addicted to the low bandwidth site. Wherever I am I can check and see if i have time to grab a coffee before the next bus. Or if I see an approaching bus is crowded, but there is another two minutes later, I decide to wait for the next one and take a chance it will have some empty seats for me.

If you live in Chicago or are coming for a visit, check out ctabustracker.com.

Spending time outdoors is a great way to enjoy the summer. Pulling together a picnic when the weather is perfect is even better. Keep your supplies like cooler, utensils and plates organized and easily accessible. Keep your ice packs frozen in the freezer and store your plates and utensils in a plastic bag in the cooler. Use the bag to contain trash at the picnic.

Have you ever rented a car and filled up the gas tank? As your pulling up to the gas tank you wonder "what side is the gas tank on"? It could be on the passenger side and could be on the driver side. Heres a quick tip on figuring it out. Look at the gas gauge! Many new model cars have an arrow on the gas gauge pointing to the side the gas tank is on. Great idea!

Is your cars glove box packed with napkins, ketchup, gum and 10 years worth of expired registration forms? Having these items around are helpful if your dining in the car but you dont have a lot of extra space for these non essential items. Make sure your glove box is organized with the following items so you are ready when you need them.

Car Registration
Insurance card
Emission form
Disposable camera
Flashlight
Notepad and pen
Cell phone charger
Phone number of insurance agent
Phone number of mechanic
Phone number of towing service
Help sign

Did you ever forget something in a taxi cab? A pair of gloves, your briefcase or even your phone? Every time I ride in a taxi cab, I get a printed copy of the receipt from the driver. This is the receipt from the meter. It shows the date, time, taxi cab company, driver number and phone number. This tiny receipt can come in handy if you ever have to contact the cab company.