Every year the calendar changes to October and I am craving cooler weather, fall leaves and fun times around the fire pit. Being a Floridian, I really miss the change of the seasons and all the fall feels. So this year we road tripped to North Carolina with some friends and enjoyed a great weekend in the Smoky Mountains. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GMSNP) straddles the borders of North Carolina and Tennessee and is the most visited national park…
Denver is a great city and even better at the holidays. Since I am a December baby I got to celebrate my birthday as well as enjoy all the city has to offer for Christmas. Double bonus! The Art Hotel Our home away from home for one day in Denver was The Art Hotel. Since it’s opening, The Art Hotel has been consistently ranked as one of the best hotels in Denver. Centrally located in the downtown art district, the…
One question I get asked all the time is — What should I pack??? It’s tough to figure out what to bring – so many things factor into your decision. Where are you going? Is it a city destination or is it a more active weekend? Are you planning on lots of tourist type of things to do? Do you have kids with you? No need to worry – I’m going to break it down for you below. And make…
When You Study Abroad Can You Keep a Journal, PLEASE ?! I asked my daughter to write down her daily thoughts during her journey to Australia. I wanted to buy her a nice journal to write in with a leather cover. You know, something fancy. But no, she had other ideas and said she would put it down in her Notes app on her iPhone. That didn’t seem like that great of an idea to me, but you know, she’s…
There are a lot of things to think about before you head out of town on your well-deserved vacation. Whether you’ll be gone for one weekend or one month there are a number of things you need to do before you go. I created this vacation checklist so you won’t forget anything. Do This A Week Before You Go Vacation: Stop the mail. You do not want to come home to an overflowing mailbox! Go to the USPS website to create a…
Renewing our Vows June is our anniversary month and I keep thinking about our vow renewal. It’s one of those special trips that always remains in my memory. I just love looking at the photos and seeing Joe and I and our kids and remember how special and how sweet this time was. A lot of planning went into our vow renewal in Tuscany but not as much as you would imagine. As a matter of fact, the staff…
A Fun Weekend Getaway to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Me and my honey, Joe, had a chance to slip away for one night away recently. Isn’t just great when all the planets align and you get some time for just the two of you? I made a New Year’s resolution to plan something fun for us to do at least one time per month and I am really trying to keep up with that. And let me tell you,…
Gator Weekend – College Basics Chances are if you have a child in college you know a few things: they are tired, they are hungry, they are broke and they need their laundry washed. We also know that they miss their parents and siblings dearly. Umm, maybe? Well I hope my daughter misses me, I mean misses us. So when my daughter could not make it home for Easter because of assignments, papers and tests, I thought, let’s bring Easter…
Museum of Ice Cream – Miami What a cool place! The Museum of Ice Cream – Miami is a sweet treat! We really had a sweet time! No puns were intended in the previous remarks – they are as corny as hell – but it’s all true! The Museum of Ice Cream – Miami is a temporary pop-up “museum” but could be better described as in interactive experience. First launched in New York and then Los Angeles and Miami by…
My First Wolf Kiss at Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center The wolf kisses weren’t really kisses. Although they were super sweet, they could better be described as a very, very large puppy kissing and licking my face. Well, not really. Not so much a puppy, really more like a very large dog. And not exactly licking my face, but more like a very large, but very gentle, dog gnawing along my jaw with their very large wolf puppy teeth. …