I’m betting that a lot of people out there barely remember what an airmail envelope looks like – it’s practically a sure thing that your kid never knew in the first place.  Why airmail when you can email?  Still,  this wallet does bring back some memories for those of us old enough to recall the onion-thin paper and the nifty red-white-and-blue envelopes.  Made of tear- and water-resistant Tyvek, the cash stasher is retro in a most funky way – and it boasts 25% post-consumer recycled content.

Ever-Together Tyvek Wallet, greener grass design, $15

Can we tell you how many times we’ve arrived at the airport all gleeful about our vacation, only to be slapped with a fee for extra weight?  It seems the hubby’s ability to pack a zillion items efficiently is actually a bad thing- who knew?  And we thought we’d wised up when we started putting the luggage on the scale at home, except that didn’t really help at the tail end of the trip after a few purchases…

That said, we love this new digital luggage scale from Balanzza, due out in May 2009.  You strap the handle onto your luggage, lift, and voila!  Instant weight.  Of course, the key is to do this at home while you can still remove various items without pressure and prying eyes (do you really need 5 bathing suits for a 5-night vacation?)   Don’t forget to take it with you; it runs on 2 AAA batteries and is both small and light enough to be squirreled away in your carry-on after it’s done its job.  This version upgrades the current model with a handy flashlight and timer alarm.  (Still not convinced? Check out this handy airline baggage fee chart that the folks at Balanzza conveniently have on their site.)

Balanzza TOO, available May 2009, MSRP $32.99

Looking for great travel gifts for the upcoming holiday season? Look no further: we’ve dedicated this week’s roundup to gifts for travelers young and well, not so young:

• Over at Mighty Goods they scoped out a cool Nap Sac Travel Blanket, a travel blanket and inflatable pillow that come in a nifty sac – which then doubles as the pillow case. $28
  
• This funky iPod case at Horchow (right) comes with built-in speakers, making it great for trips. $95
• Busy travelers may find MobiMate’s WorldMate useful: software that goes on your phone and syncs up with your Outlook to organize your travel itinerary. It also gives you hotel listings, flight info, currency conversions and other travel-related information; there are several editions, each with varied features. Professional edition, $74.95
• Travel books for little ones abound: two good choices are Going on a Plane, which tells little travelers what to expect when they’re airbound, and Lisa’s Airplane Ride, the adventures of a stuffed dog traveling solo from Paris to New York. $4.95/$9.95 at Amazon
  

• Tech-savvy kids can create their own vacation memories with this camcorder from Hammacher Schlemmer (left), which includes cool editing features and TV and iPod cables to view your budding director’s work. $159.95