50 days until my trip. 50 days until I take my first - longer than 6 hour - flight. 50 days until I cross something off my bucket list.
I've never had a "written down" bucket list. Just items in my mind that are part of my bucket list. One of those items was to travel to the Australian Continent - whether it be to Australia itself, New Zealand, or Tasmania. I wanted to go. The more I heard, the more I looked and researched, I determined that it was New Zealand that I wanted to visit. Don't get me wrong - Australia would be amazing. But, New Zealand's culture, beauty and people are what have been drawing me to it. Tasmania would be amazing - I follow a Tasmanian Farmer on Instagram. She is amazing. She has beautiful crops, beautiful pictures, and a beautiful life - which I am sure is not always picture perfect.
My New Zealand adventure is not far off. I wish I could spend a few weeks there. I wish I had more time. But sadly, the standard in America is 2 weeks vacation. 2 MEASLY weeks. I left a job where I was given 3 weeks, to better my career. Sometimes I do regret that, but ONLY because of vacation. I made the best career choice.
Anyways - I'm off subject. My flights have changed. I now have a 11 hour layover in San Francisco. I've been given a bonus vacation day! Go me! Having never been to San Francisco, I am PUMPED. Hopefully, granted all goes well, my cousin will have the opportunity to have a meal or get together while I'm there. I've never met said cousin - believe it or not! How exciting if this works out!
There is a travel blog I've been viewing - Smarter Travel. If your a traveler - check it out. It's kind of great and has fantastic suggestions. One of their suggestions was - always purchase a ticket 54 days in advance. No earlier, no later. and purchasing ticket 54 days in advance. My plane ticket was purchased far more than 54 days in advance. But, my ticket is more than $400 more than when I purchased it. So, buying 54 days in advance? Do your research - check it out.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
The new BOX delivery fad...
There has been a fad lately of box deliveries. First - I saw the barkbox. I don't have a dog, but it looked fun! Then, the Nature Box began showing up. So I gave into the fad... I have alot of subscriptions - Hulu, Netflix, and Audible. None of those are "boxes" but they are subscriptions that I benefit from monthly. I - LOVE - Hulu. I do not have cable. I got rid of it 2 years ago, and got a Roku. Best.Decision.of.my.life. I figured it out budget wise - I am saving $75/month. $75! I decided to join Netflix these past couple months. I will cancel it again soon, but it's nice to watch some shows that aren't available on Hulu (or amazon prime.) Once I get my binge watching over, I'll cancel it :) Audible is - awesome. I drive/travel A LOT. It's hard to find a decent radio station playing sometimes. So, Audible always gives me a GREAT book to listen to.
But now, I've joined the fad. I have tried 3 different box subscriptions.
My first "box" was with Graze. They had a deal come along that you could get a box (w/4 snacks) for $1. I figured - what the heck. I didn't really like any of the four snacks I received. But, I tried them. Since then, I have received 2 additional deliveries. My third box, which I received yesterday - was great. I have not eaten all four snacks (Only 1) but they are more appealing than any delivery I have received. The cost I now pay is $6. You can cancel at any time. You can increase your deliveries or decrease them. They also have calorie counter boxes or the nibble box (I get this one). Check it out. I have enjoyed it! They are great snacks to throw in your bag - especially when you travel - that aren't terrible for you!
My second "box" was with Plated. I got - yet another - deal with plated. They sent out an email offering 2 free meals, 3 month membership and free shipping. So you only pay for 2 meals. Plated is best described (in my opinion) as someone who wants to cook and make great meals, but doesn't have the time to go to the grocery store or the idea to put together meals. Plated has 6 meals you can chose from a week. You must pick a minimum of 4 servings (whether it is 1 meal w/4 servings or 2 meals w/2 servings each). They also have a membership - $10/month which discounts the meals. Without a membership the cost/serving is $15, but with a membership the cost is $12. If you order quite a few meals - then the membership is worth it!
When I received my first delivery from Plated I was excited to get home and cook! I ordered Pistachio Crusted Tofu and Tomato Gnocchi with a spring mix salad. Every.single.possible.item that i needed - was included. I LOVED the cards with the instructions! The only ingredients for both meals that I had to provide was - olive oil and egg whites. These meals were GREAT! Since I had to order 2 servings of each - I was able to have my lunch for the next day. So, my honest opinion about Plated - I love it. I probably won't order it often, as it's expensive. But, when I am dogsitting and would like to not use whomever's home I am in's food - this is a great alternative. Definately check it out!
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The most recent box I received was from Travel Box. I was most excited about this delivery. With my love to travel and the other reviews I had read - I was pumped. This is a brand new company - just started in November 2013, so they are still hammering out their details. The cost for this company is $26 ($19.95 and $6 shipping) per month.
My first box came last week. I received 5 different items. The box is a little large for the items you receive - but maybe in future months (if I stay subscribed) items will be larger. But it was packaged beautifully! Their is a great card within that tells you the origianl cost of the items enclosed and gives you a brief description. Below are the items I received:
But now, I've joined the fad. I have tried 3 different box subscriptions.
My first "box" was with Graze. They had a deal come along that you could get a box (w/4 snacks) for $1. I figured - what the heck. I didn't really like any of the four snacks I received. But, I tried them. Since then, I have received 2 additional deliveries. My third box, which I received yesterday - was great. I have not eaten all four snacks (Only 1) but they are more appealing than any delivery I have received. The cost I now pay is $6. You can cancel at any time. You can increase your deliveries or decrease them. They also have calorie counter boxes or the nibble box (I get this one). Check it out. I have enjoyed it! They are great snacks to throw in your bag - especially when you travel - that aren't terrible for you!
My second "box" was with Plated. I got - yet another - deal with plated. They sent out an email offering 2 free meals, 3 month membership and free shipping. So you only pay for 2 meals. Plated is best described (in my opinion) as someone who wants to cook and make great meals, but doesn't have the time to go to the grocery store or the idea to put together meals. Plated has 6 meals you can chose from a week. You must pick a minimum of 4 servings (whether it is 1 meal w/4 servings or 2 meals w/2 servings each). They also have a membership - $10/month which discounts the meals. Without a membership the cost/serving is $15, but with a membership the cost is $12. If you order quite a few meals - then the membership is worth it!
When I received my first delivery from Plated I was excited to get home and cook! I ordered Pistachio Crusted Tofu and Tomato Gnocchi with a spring mix salad. Every.single.possible.item that i needed - was included. I LOVED the cards with the instructions! The only ingredients for both meals that I had to provide was - olive oil and egg whites. These meals were GREAT! Since I had to order 2 servings of each - I was able to have my lunch for the next day. So, my honest opinion about Plated - I love it. I probably won't order it often, as it's expensive. But, when I am dogsitting and would like to not use whomever's home I am in's food - this is a great alternative. Definately check it out!
Pistachio crusted Tofu with a Frisee salad
Baked Tomato Gnocchi with a spring mix
The most recent box I received was from Travel Box. I was most excited about this delivery. With my love to travel and the other reviews I had read - I was pumped. This is a brand new company - just started in November 2013, so they are still hammering out their details. The cost for this company is $26 ($19.95 and $6 shipping) per month.
My first box came last week. I received 5 different items. The box is a little large for the items you receive - but maybe in future months (if I stay subscribed) items will be larger. But it was packaged beautifully! Their is a great card within that tells you the origianl cost of the items enclosed and gives you a brief description. Below are the items I received:
- Trace Me Luggage Tracker. This is pretty cool and I look forward to using it on my trip to New Zealand. You can register this online and baggage handlers can scan the tag if your bag goes missing and it will automatically email/text message you to let you know the location of the lost piece of luggage. The retail price is: $20.85
- Lux City Guide - This is a pocket guide to Rome. I don't have immediate plans to go to Rome, but I am sure I will someday! Retail price is: $9.99
- Vapur Reflex Anti-Bottle. I look forward to using this on my trip. I am a huge fan of reusable bottles. I have, however, found a love of glass bottles. However, this will be GREAT for when space is limited. Retail price is: $7.99
- Shea Terra Organics Rose Hips Black Soap. I have never heard of this soap. But I am more than willing to try! It comes in a perfect travel size (1 oz) bottle. Retail price is: $4.00
- Two Larabar Uber. I love these bars. I intend to buy a box to put in my bag for my New Zealand trip (along with a snack or 2 from Graze!)
I saved $20.86 from buying all these items out of pocket. Will I use everything? Eh, probably not. But - I am excited to see what I get in the mail in April! If you have the extra $26/month - try it out! I will probably continue it for a couple months to see how it pans out. If you google coupon codes for the site - they do have a 10% coupon floating around. I will update the post with a picture of my products!
Please note: I was not paid or encouraged to write any of these reviews. I paid - out of pocket - for these items myself and was not reimbursed.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
It's been awhile...lets catch up!
It's been awhile. Quite a while. I have lame excuses. Many times I started to blog and then quit. So...it's catch up time. What has been happening since February. Has it really been a month since I blogged!?! Eek.
My apologies for a potentially long post....
Many adventures have been had in March. A month that I thought would be burdened with loads of snow and no travel. But, it turned into a month of loads of snow with lots of travel. First - is anyone else as sick of the snow as I am? Seriously! And, per the weather forcast we are getting more tonight. Such is life, but the city has no clue how to take care of the roads. I wouldn't have as big of an issue with the snow - if the roads were maintained.
So onto the weekends of travel. The end of February was a VERY important young lady's 13th Birthday. I was lucky enough to head to York, PA to get to spend time with her and her siblings. The trip was sadly cut short, due to.....weather. BUT it was great. I can't believe that my niece is 13 years old! I can't believe I was only 20 when she was born! We got to take her brothers out to lunch with us...with Ms. T picking the location. Noodles and Company for that noodle lover! All of those kids can down their noodles!
To continue the fun I went to Ohio for the following two weekends, but they were both cut short due to...you guessed it - WEATHER.
I was lucky enough to see a couple movies over this past month. Typically I goto a movie every few months.. However, two great movies have premeired this month - Veronica Mars and Divergent.
My interest in Veronica Mars didn't peak until January 2014, when the TV series became available on Amazon Prime. The movie answered many questions, but left some questions open for another movie. Will their be an interest for another movie? Probably not. One of the greatest parts of the making of Veronica Mars - it was funded by the fans in a Kickstarter campaign. How amazing is that? Fans donated money to create this movie.
Divergent on the otherhand has been an interest of mine for MONTHS. I listened to the trilogy via Audible. Many reviews of the movie I read say "The problem with Divergent is the 3rd book - Alligant." I could not agree more. The movie was great. It didn't have the same hype as Hunger Games or the other books. The gal who played "Tres" was too pretty for who I saw as Tres. BUT, she did a great job. Four...was one mighty hot, sexy man. But he was too old for Four. The biggest frustration during the movie, however, was the two teenage girls that continuanlly whispered through the movie. Doug, turned around and starred them down (they were also kicking his seat.) It wasn't until I turned around and LOUDLY said "Please be quiet, you are ruining the movie for us and those around you." When other folks around them said "Finally! THANK YOU" they finally were quiet. Folks - if you aren't going to a movie with your teenagers or children in general. At least teach them common courtesy. Talk when the movie is OVER or before it begins. If you have the chance to read the Divergent books - READ THEM. After you read them, then decide if you want to watch the movie :)
This past weekend the family (with the exception of my brother David) got to spend the weekend in Deep Creek Maryland. What a great weekend! We got to go Geocaching. We didn't have the time to do ALOT of caches, but we looked. Micah (my 5 yr old nephew) was SO excited to go on a treasure hunt. The group of 11 of us dwindled down to 4 of us after our 2nd cache. We found 1 cache , searched for 3 more, then found a 2nd one. It was quite fun! I look forward to doing it more!
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My apologies for a potentially long post....
Many adventures have been had in March. A month that I thought would be burdened with loads of snow and no travel. But, it turned into a month of loads of snow with lots of travel. First - is anyone else as sick of the snow as I am? Seriously! And, per the weather forcast we are getting more tonight. Such is life, but the city has no clue how to take care of the roads. I wouldn't have as big of an issue with the snow - if the roads were maintained.
So onto the weekends of travel. The end of February was a VERY important young lady's 13th Birthday. I was lucky enough to head to York, PA to get to spend time with her and her siblings. The trip was sadly cut short, due to.....weather. BUT it was great. I can't believe that my niece is 13 years old! I can't believe I was only 20 when she was born! We got to take her brothers out to lunch with us...with Ms. T picking the location. Noodles and Company for that noodle lover! All of those kids can down their noodles!
To continue the fun I went to Ohio for the following two weekends, but they were both cut short due to...you guessed it - WEATHER.
I was lucky enough to see a couple movies over this past month. Typically I goto a movie every few months.. However, two great movies have premeired this month - Veronica Mars and Divergent.
My interest in Veronica Mars didn't peak until January 2014, when the TV series became available on Amazon Prime. The movie answered many questions, but left some questions open for another movie. Will their be an interest for another movie? Probably not. One of the greatest parts of the making of Veronica Mars - it was funded by the fans in a Kickstarter campaign. How amazing is that? Fans donated money to create this movie.
Divergent on the otherhand has been an interest of mine for MONTHS. I listened to the trilogy via Audible. Many reviews of the movie I read say "The problem with Divergent is the 3rd book - Alligant." I could not agree more. The movie was great. It didn't have the same hype as Hunger Games or the other books. The gal who played "Tres" was too pretty for who I saw as Tres. BUT, she did a great job. Four...was one mighty hot, sexy man. But he was too old for Four. The biggest frustration during the movie, however, was the two teenage girls that continuanlly whispered through the movie. Doug, turned around and starred them down (they were also kicking his seat.) It wasn't until I turned around and LOUDLY said "Please be quiet, you are ruining the movie for us and those around you." When other folks around them said "Finally! THANK YOU" they finally were quiet. Folks - if you aren't going to a movie with your teenagers or children in general. At least teach them common courtesy. Talk when the movie is OVER or before it begins. If you have the chance to read the Divergent books - READ THEM. After you read them, then decide if you want to watch the movie :)
This past weekend the family (with the exception of my brother David) got to spend the weekend in Deep Creek Maryland. What a great weekend! We got to go Geocaching. We didn't have the time to do ALOT of caches, but we looked. Micah (my 5 yr old nephew) was SO excited to go on a treasure hunt. The group of 11 of us dwindled down to 4 of us after our 2nd cache. We found 1 cache , searched for 3 more, then found a 2nd one. It was quite fun! I look forward to doing it more!
Our first find - off the sensory trail near the Discovery Center.
Our second find - and the only ones that made it, near a Beaver Dam. Sadly the cache was SOAKED, but it was still fun to find!
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