Product Review: Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
What would it take to get you to try a shampoo or conditioner bar? Finding a good shampoo can be a dirty job. I had never even heard of a shampoo bar until I started researching round the world travel and packing light. I was leery and intrigued by shampoo bars. Through trials (some with the shampoo tests and some with my luggage sufferings) I have found a few shampoo and conditioner bars that are great for travel! It was not until I stumbled upon one at Trader Joe’s that I decided to try it out. The price was right for the Trader Joe’s Shampoo Bar and the peppermint/tea tree scent was not overwhelming. I tried it a few times before determining it would work for travel and then I cut the bar in half so it would fit in a small plastic container in my travel bag. It met my needs for a shampoo but I really needed a conditioner too. Know what I mean about the harsh effects of hotel water?! For the most part, conditioner bars have complicated storage or usage directions. That’s not what I needed and Trader Joe’s does not make a conditioner bar. I…
Bathroom Bags for Travel
What are the advantages of having a bathroom bag that is just for travel? Having a travel bathroom bag has been a big help at our house. Ever since the kids were big enough to have their own travel bags, they have had their own bathroom bags. There are so many advantages to this. When traveling, we have a packing list and instead of listing all the toiletries, it just says “bathroom bag” because we keep packed bags ready to go. We have our favorite toiletries in travel sizes, travel toothbrushes, make up, and so much more. The advantages of having a travel bathroom bag are many. It saves time when packing and unpacking and you are less likely to forget essential items. I typically restock mine when I return home from a trip, so its ready go the next time. Time savers can be bar soap that also doubles as shampoo and clothes wash, such as Dr Bonner’s Magic Soap. We buy small waterproof soap containers and cut a large bar of soap in half. There have been times I have had to pack an overnight bag in a hurry, such as heading to the hospital with a family…
Travel Review: Ultra Minimalist Travel
What products would you hate to be without if you lost your luggage? If you have been following me for some time, you know I’m a huge fan of travel and carry on bags. I have mastered the art of of packing light for a long adventure. My items multi task, and I like to think I’m a minimalist, but I see no need to try ultra minimalist travel. Turns out the airlines wanted to test that theory this summer. I had crafted my packing list and prioritized what I could fit into my backpack (weighing 18 lbs or less) and a laptop bag for a 3 week European adventure. Saving my crazy travel story of cancelled flights for another time, let’s just say “I saw Europe, I saw France, and the airlines kept my underpants!” I truly became an ultra minimalist when I had to survive with one pair of underwear, a change of clothes, and just my liquids bag when my carry on bag, checked at a destination, got lost. Of course there is travel insurance to cover lost things, but what about when you hit the ground running and don’t have time to shop for basics or…
Travel Review: Food Tours
What is the best way to get to know a new town? Food tours are a great way to get to know a new town. Want to get the lay of the land, a quick history lesson, and some restaurant suggestions? Take a food tour on your first day of vacation. Want to see your hometown in a new light? Take a food tour. Want a fun date night with friends? Take a food tour. Our first food tour was a free food tour by foot in Washington DC on a family vacation years ago. We were hooked! Since then we have gone on food tours on vacations across the globe, always delighted with the tours and the tourists. On a typical tour, you will meet at a designated spot to start and end your tour. Your tour guide will give a brief welcome and let the guests introduce themselves. It’s fun to hear whether people are local or just visiting. Usually, the tour is a leisurely walking tour of the town, visiting 4-6 restaurants within a few hours and a mile or two of distance in total with some history of the town or restaurants thrown in. Some restaurants…
Work From Home
What are your best reasons to work from home? Freedom to travel and flexibility in my daily schedule are the two biggest benefits of working from home. While I loved being a teacher, I love being a private tutor, business owner, and resource creator even more! Working from home has been a life-changer for me! We each have reasons and roadblocks when it comes to working from home or changing careers. Not everyone can or would benefit from working at home. But have you ever considered the possibility? Or have you ever considered working for yourself? Have you ever wished you could do your job a little differently but your boss isn’t on the same page? Working for myself and working from home has allowed me the freedom to individualize instruction for my tutoring clients. I get a chance to tailor a session to the needs of my client. I love it when I can see the lightbulb come on for a student, where learning and confidence meet. These are things that were possibly inside the classroom but not as individualized or as often as I wanted them to be. The health needs of my aging parents and grandfather ultimately…
Book Review: Road Trip Book Lists
Where will you go this summer? Bethany House Publishers produced an annual “Road Trip Guide” for seven years where they suggested books to read based on the settings. It’s such a clever idea! Summer beach reads abound, but what about those who vacation in Montana or India? There’s a book for them too! Grab a book set in your vacation destination, childhood home state, or bucket list destination and take a book vacation. The blog post has links to past road trip lists as well. While everyone is waiting in line to get the newest books, grab copies of these books online or at your local library and take a road trip to a new or favorite place! Where will you go this summer? Want other book reviews? Check out these posts. Got some book suggestions for summer travel? Post in the comments below! Table Talk: What was the destination of your favorite childhood vacation? What destination is on your wish list? Like this post? Share it with a friend! Share on facebook Facebook Share on email Email Share on pinterest Pinterest Share on print Print
Happy 50th Birthday
Is it nifty to be fifty? 1971 was a good year! Happy 50th birthday to my handsome husband and quite a few other amazing icons that have helped shape the American culture of the last half century! Starbucks Email Amtrak FedEx Nike Swoosh Soft Contact Lenses Disney World Fruity Pebbles Floppy Discs Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (movie) NASDAQ Laffy Taffy The Oregon Trail Game Liberty University Southwest Airlines (and $20 flights!) Uno Apollo 14 Mission (golf on the moon!) Arcade Games Turning 50 is a milestone and an opportunity to celebrate! Both my husband and I chose spending time with family and friends as our celebrations this year. No need for anything fancy, just time together. With the uncertainty in the pandemic the past 2 years, time together seems like an amazing gift. Happy 50th birthday! Travel+Leisure magazine also turns 50 and shares 50 best places in the US to travel this year. Guess what? The Triangle made it on the list! Come visit us! We can grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks and catch up or play a game of Uno! Table Talk: What’s a creative way to celebrate a milestone birthday? Who else is turning…
Carry-On Bag Adventures
Are you more like a carry-on bag or a checked bag? Traveling the world with just a carry-on bag, collecting sim cards as souvenirs, is one of my life goals that I’m slowly fulfilling one adventure at a time. It IS possible to live several weeks out of a carry-on bag and a personal item like a purse or backpack. Smart packing on my recent trip to Bulgaria and Albania proved it true once again. Most airlines have a size or weight limit to the carry-on bags so check before you go. Use a capsule wardrobe; take multi-tasking items; and take a few thank you gifts which will leave room for a souvenir or two. Add my bathroom bag, my tablet or laptop, and my coffee thermos, and I’m ready for my next adventure! Capsule wardrobes are a small collection of essential items and accessories that can mix and match and allow you to pack less clothes overall. For most trips I try to take 4 or 5 tops, 3 bottoms, 2 shoes, 1coat/sweater, and 1 accessory like a necklace or scarf. All of the tops and bottoms should be able to be worn together so choose a color palate…
Waiting Games
What game can you easily play while waiting in line? Waiting games are invaluable resources for every parent and teacher! Waiting is part of everyday life. We wait in lines at amusement parks, at vaccine clinics, and in traffic jams. We wait for events like ball games, symphonies, and movies to start. My list was curated when I was a 4th grade teacher and we went every year to the North Carolina Symphony. Our students had to dress up, ride the bus, and sit quietly waiting on the performance to start. Kids get restless! And unless you give them resources, restlessness can easily turn into ruckus! I created a list of ideas my students could quietly use with their seatmate. Soon other teachers wanted to know my secret! Why were my students pleasantly occupied without me having to fuss at them? High expectations and tools they could use. This also became helpful when I took high school students on service trips around the world. They could entertain themselves in airports and vans. They could also entertain younger children waiting for Vacation Bible School to begin or parents to pick them up at the end. Most of the games require little…
