My 2010 Top 10 Lists for Travel and Fashion

Hello my lovely readers:

I know it has been over a week since I have posted and to be honest it has been one of the most hectic weeks of my life. These last few months I have been vigorously working on house renovations from furniture shopping to picking lighting and so on. Luckily I have quite the handy husband who is super efficient when it comes to that stuff. Anyways, so with renos, my new blog, and NOW packing for India it has been a crazy week!

I am however very excited about my trip to India. When we arrive we are heading straight to Agra to see a world wonder the Taj Mahal - I am looking forward to taking pictures as I have decided that I will be making a collage of travel photos in black and white to put up in our dining room. Stay tuned for that review.

Anyways, I thought my final post for 2010 I should share some of my favourite sites in relation to Travel and Fashion. Everyone seems to spend the last month of December sharing their Favourite videos, websites, influential people and so on for 2010 - so I thought I would do the same! Check out below:

My Favourite Travel sites of 2010

10. Travelocity.ca - only because they had a super cool contest on social forums the "roaming gnome" contest which gave you the chance to win all kinds of travel vacations - From mexico to las vegas and many more.

9. LonelyPlanet.com - This is a great site that provides travel advice for almost any location around the world. Great links for offers as well.

8. SPG.com - Starwood Hotel properties are the best out there. You can always find some of the best rates on their site directly. I booked my stay at the W Chicago City Centre and when booking 2 nights I got the 3rd night free. Loved it!

7. Hotwire.com - Another form of priceline I have used it when I stayed in Miami for a night before our cruise. It was super easy and the surprise of what you are going to get is quite the thrill.

6. Kayak.com - An easy way to compare multiple travel sites pricing.

5. TravelZoo.com - These deals get picked up fast, but I look forward to the newsletter they send out that has so many possibilities. It is hard to search the web for all the promos that are going on, and this site does it for you.

4. TripAdvisor.com - If it weren't for this site I would not know a 5 star from a 2 star disguised as a 5 star. The community built content allows you to understand the demographics, physical condition, and perks of almost any property in the world.

3. AirCanada.com - I was able to get two tickets to LA for $650 - they had a promo at the perfect time. There are always great deals throughout the year on Air Canada.

2. Expedia.ca - I can't even name how many hotels and flights I have booked through this site. I always find the best deals on Expedia. It is easy to navigate through and search for exactly what you want even in the most foreign locations. I have booked my hotel in Agra through Expedia.

1. Priceline.com - I was able to get the Hyatt Hotel in Century City - LA for $92 a night

My Favourite Fashion shopping sites of 2010

10. Jcrew.com - only on my list this year because I can only purchase stuff online as there is NO STORE in Canada yet. That will change shortly...

9. ASOS.com - UK online retailer that ALWAYS has a fully stocked clearance section. Downside - the customs fees!

8. Net-a-porter.com - Luxury Designer fashion, I love looking at this site for trends. A great ongoing sale section that makes some of these top shelf items reachable.

7. Shopnastygal.com - I enjoy this website because it has a great selection of both new and vintage items that are all very reasonably priced.

6. Gilt Group/Beyond the Rack - Two fairly similar sites that regularly post sales from todays top designers. You must stay on top of these or you will likely not get the item you are waiting for. Sign up and wait for your dream purchase to be showcased here at a reduced price.

5. Nordstrom.com - This is probably one of my favourite big retailers online, lots of great sales online and much better prices even when compared to some of the smaller discount online retailers. They ship to Canada and include customs pricing from the get go so you are not surprised at the door!

4. Modcloth.com - I love love love this site. It always has over 300 dresses to browse through at a time. We all know my obsession with dresses and this site definitely fulfills. Aside from the great selection the best part about this site is how actively involved the visitors are. Each dress has a post from those that purchased and received and you get authentic reviews from fits too big or looks cheapy. I love that I have raw info on how buyers felt about an item.

3.Etsy.com - It is a mini ebay for small business sellers across all categories. I believe you can get lost in this site for hours on end. I think it should be called the unique gift giving site because some of the things you find on here will likely not be seen anywhere else!

2.Shopittome.com - twice a week I receive a newsletter from shopittome with sales across all of my fave websites. It is quick and easy you sign up, pick all the brands you love, and wait in your inbox for a summary of all the sales online across your favourite brands and retailers.

1.Shopstyle.com - this is a fabulous site instead of just showcasing sales like shopittome it helps you browse for the item you are looking for. For example, in their search tool you type in "red dress" and it will aggregate a list across all top retailers online a list of red dresses. This is super great when looking for a specific item, you can search by color, price, store, size, sale and brand!