Do you ever feel like a pack of traveling gypsies? Sometimes I do. We travel quite a bit- usually with the dogs in tow- so it can begin to feel like a traveling parade very quickly! Don't get me wrong- our dogs are fantastic travelers. However, by the time we pack up all our stuff to head out of town, I feel like the car is packed to the gills. I know what your all thinking.. wait until there are kids involved one day, right?! Bring on the conversion van, I guess!
We've had a nice, but BUSY August. We traveled home to Hillsborough the first fews days in August for a weekend of joint birthday celebrations and Meredith's baby shower! We had a lot of fun and Meredith had a terrific shower. She got so many important things... as well as lots of books. I LOVE kids books. Especially the classics. Lucky for me, most of the kids I have nannied for have loved to read because I love to read also. Sometimes we spend all day just reading new books we've checked out from the library.. and its glorious :) (nerd alert)
The following weekend, we went down to Myrtle Beach to visit with my family. We have a beach house down there that we've had since I was young. Clara is at a very fun age right now so we had a great time burying Uncle Thomas in the sand and also catching fish and crabs in a bucket at the inlet. She's also in a stage where she repeats whatever anyone says. A lot of her fun phrases include "Whoopseedaisies!", "Aye Aye Captain!" and "too much on my docket today". Overall, we had a great time. We've been going to that beach for so long, it always brings back good memories for me.
Between those two weekends, we spent a total of about 24 hours in the car. Yeah. Remember that gypsy comment? It's totally relevant. Lucky for us, we're staying put for awhile. We dont have any major plans over the next few weekends and that's always a good feeling. Now if it would just stop RAINING, that would help with the whole staycation idea.....
Until next time!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Entering a new realm of possibilities...
Typically when Thomas travels, I'm extremely productive. I think it's out of boredom. None the less, I'm able to get a lot of things done!
My mom was here visiting while he was gone (he was in Vegas for 9 days at a trade show, by the way) and having her here definitely increased that productivity. The lady does not SIT. I love her. But there's no relaxing with the Bonster. All joking aside, we had a really great week together and she was able to help me get a lot of things checked off the ol' "to do list".
My friend Bonnie posted a website on her facebook the other day, and it's gotten me really intrigued! I started eyeballing it a little while mom was still here, but after she left on Sunday, I really started diving into it. And then I proceeded to look up other similar blogs/websites. They are all based around making chemical free health products (sunscreen, deodorant, cleaners, detergents, etc.). Thomas thinks I've flown the chickens coop (I'm from the south people.. don't act like that phrase surprises you)- but I think it's a really interesting idea! We obviously all worry about what types of food we intake and whether it's good for us. It seems like it should be just as important to worry about what chemicals you slather on your body, right? And not only that- but it can be a much cheaper option.
Case in point- I made my first homemade product on Sunday. Deodorant. There is a lot of talk about certain chemicals in deodorant- Aluminum, to be exact- that are linked to Breast Cancer. So I figured trying to make that would be a good start (not to mention that my own Dove deodorant is almost gone). The ingredients are very simple- baking soda, cornstarch, and coconut oil. My coconut oil already has a fragrance to it, but if you have one that does not, you can also add a little essential oil (lavender, geranium, etc.) or shea butter.
I'm going to list some links/blogs below but here is the recipe I used-
5 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup cornstarch (I added about a tablespoon more)
1/4 baking soda
Mix thoroughly and store in a jar. It's too runny to go in a standard deodorant container- don't even give that a try. You'll have a mess on your hands! I have mine in a little container by the sink and I just apply a small dab with a Q-tip.
I've only been using it for three days- and I was a little hesitant after reading a few woman's reviews (some woman have issues with the rough abrasion of the baking soda) but I haven't had any issues and I'm really pleased with it so far! Just to be sure, I started out by using a very small amount and not slathering it on. Along with that- something to consider is not using too much because the baking soda may leave residue on your clothes (temporarily until washed).
My next venture is sunscreen! I have very fair skin and not only do I easily burn, but I also easily get sun poisoning. It's really not a fun trait to have. But I've learned to make the best of it over the years!
After doing a little research, I've found out that there are certain essential oils that contain SPF- and not only that, but a lot of other elements that are great for your skin. Buying these oils is probably not going to be cheap but I'll keep you posted on that (and any other concoctions that I undertake)!
Check out these blogs if your interested!
http://almostexactlyblog.wordpress.com/
http://www.biteablebeauty.com/
http://wellnessmama.com/
My mom was here visiting while he was gone (he was in Vegas for 9 days at a trade show, by the way) and having her here definitely increased that productivity. The lady does not SIT. I love her. But there's no relaxing with the Bonster. All joking aside, we had a really great week together and she was able to help me get a lot of things checked off the ol' "to do list".
My friend Bonnie posted a website on her facebook the other day, and it's gotten me really intrigued! I started eyeballing it a little while mom was still here, but after she left on Sunday, I really started diving into it. And then I proceeded to look up other similar blogs/websites. They are all based around making chemical free health products (sunscreen, deodorant, cleaners, detergents, etc.). Thomas thinks I've flown the chickens coop (I'm from the south people.. don't act like that phrase surprises you)- but I think it's a really interesting idea! We obviously all worry about what types of food we intake and whether it's good for us. It seems like it should be just as important to worry about what chemicals you slather on your body, right? And not only that- but it can be a much cheaper option.
Case in point- I made my first homemade product on Sunday. Deodorant. There is a lot of talk about certain chemicals in deodorant- Aluminum, to be exact- that are linked to Breast Cancer. So I figured trying to make that would be a good start (not to mention that my own Dove deodorant is almost gone). The ingredients are very simple- baking soda, cornstarch, and coconut oil. My coconut oil already has a fragrance to it, but if you have one that does not, you can also add a little essential oil (lavender, geranium, etc.) or shea butter.
I'm going to list some links/blogs below but here is the recipe I used-
5 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup cornstarch (I added about a tablespoon more)
1/4 baking soda
Mix thoroughly and store in a jar. It's too runny to go in a standard deodorant container- don't even give that a try. You'll have a mess on your hands! I have mine in a little container by the sink and I just apply a small dab with a Q-tip.
I've only been using it for three days- and I was a little hesitant after reading a few woman's reviews (some woman have issues with the rough abrasion of the baking soda) but I haven't had any issues and I'm really pleased with it so far! Just to be sure, I started out by using a very small amount and not slathering it on. Along with that- something to consider is not using too much because the baking soda may leave residue on your clothes (temporarily until washed).
My next venture is sunscreen! I have very fair skin and not only do I easily burn, but I also easily get sun poisoning. It's really not a fun trait to have. But I've learned to make the best of it over the years!
After doing a little research, I've found out that there are certain essential oils that contain SPF- and not only that, but a lot of other elements that are great for your skin. Buying these oils is probably not going to be cheap but I'll keep you posted on that (and any other concoctions that I undertake)!
Check out these blogs if your interested!
http://almostexactlyblog.wordpress.com/
http://www.biteablebeauty.com/
http://wellnessmama.com/
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Hawaii- Part 3
After we finally made it to the airport on Tuesday, we were surprised to see that we weren't being taken to the regular terminal. We figured our flight to Maui would be a small plane but this was DEFINITELY a small plane. No TSA! And not only did they weigh your bags but they also weighed YOU on the scales to keep track of the weight total for the plane. Scary? Ah huh.
9 passenger plane
Until next time, Big Island!
Hello Maui!
So we get to the rental car place at the Maui airport- and apparently Thomas was trying to surprise me by renting more of a "luxury" car. So we walk out to the parking lot and all that sits in the "luxury" car section is 3 Lincoln Towncars. Really? Are we 80? Needless to say, Thomas let them know that wasn't acceptable and that we wouldn't be paying for a luxury upgrade if it included those cars. After a few minutes, they came back and let us know that they had a Camaro we could take if that would help. And we promptly let them know that that would do the trick :) Thomas was THRILLED to be driving a Camaro- and not a Lincoln.
We checked into our B&B around 5:00 and then headed into downtown Lahaina for dinner at Cheeseburgers in Paradise. We LOVED our B&B. It was definitely our most expensive stay in Hawaii but it was really nice and quiet, which is what we were looking for. It was located up on a mountain and had a great view of the ocean. It had an outdoor shower that was awesome and a private outdoor seating area. Again, I got big props from the husband for making this find :)
Thomas and the Camaro
view from our outdoor sitting area
This B&B is called Ho'olio House and is located in Lahaina- if anyone is ever looking for a recommendation. The breakfast spread was awesome (homemade muffins daily, fruit salad, cereals and granolas) and the owners were nice also.
I had arranged for a beer growler and local snacks to be waiting for us when we arrived. So that was a nice treat. It was an IPA from the Maui Brewing Company and all snacks that were made in Maui- including Marlin Jerky- this was the only one we REALLY didn't care for :). A nice little unexpected perk was that we got to bring home the growler as a souvenir.. and also two etched beer glasses.
On our first full day in Maui, we decided to go to the beach and also go to a blowhole that I had researched. We stayed at the beach for a few- but then decided we'd rather rent snorkel gear and come back the next day with that. So we traveled towards the blow hole- which was a 30 minute drive North. It was very cool- much different than the one that Thomas jumped into. This one was an active blowhole and much much smaller. But neat to watch as big swells came in.
Again, pictures don't ever seem to do any justice, but it was really quite cool.
After going to the blowhole, we decided to head back and just relax by our pool at the B&B. We had the pool to ourselves and it was definitely nice to take it easy for a few.
For dinner that night (Wednesday) we booked a Luau! It came highly recommended from a friend and we really enjoyed it (The Old Lahaina Luau). Besides having a drink spilled on my dress within the first 5 minutes of being there, it was great. The food was good, the entertainment was awesome, and the sunset was beautiful. I wasn't interested in eating any pork after the unveiling of the pig- but it was cool to see. And we met a nice couple from Savannah who not only got engaged on their trip but also married! So they had a lot to celebrate. Also, we had booked our dinner early on, so we had a great seat up front.
On our last full day in Hawaii, we decided to spend it snorkeling. We had scouted out a place while driving the day before. And it turned out great. It was the best snorkeling we've ever done. The water was FREEZING- therefore I had to get out twice to warm up- but it was still a really neat experience. There were more coral reefs and colorful fish than I've ever seen.
Birds Eye View of our snorkeling spot
Again, pictures don't do it justice, but this was a great snorkeling spot! It was called Honolua Bay. And if your ever interested, make sure you get there early because parking was limited!
This was not only our last day in Hawaii, but it was also the 4th of July. So after snorkeling, we grabbed lunch at a food truck that we had been eyeing for a few days and then we headed back to our B&B again to relax by the pool. It seemed too nice not to take advantage of it for a little while longer. For the night, even though it was the 4th, we decided to just go and pick up a pizza and watch the fireworks from our B&B. It ended up being just what we needed in order to gear up for the long journey home on Friday.
We stopped for one last picture before heading to the airport. Im so thankful we got to take this trip! Hopefully we can save our pennies and make a journey back there one day!
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