Test #2

There's a busy summer ahead, so I'm checking to make sure my posts are still forwarding as they should.

Stay tuned!

Rain, Rain Go Away

Today is our last full day in Jamaica, and even Jamaica is crying! It's been raining pretty steadily since about 8:00 this morning, right after Dave took towels out to beach chairs to claim or spots for the day 😣. So, since I'm stuck inside, I'll take this opportunity to review the last couple of days. 

On Monday, I posted a couple of shots from our room, and a bright, sunny shot of the beach. Not long after that, afternoon showers rolled in.

This forced us off the beach and back to the patio, and it put a bit of a kink into Monday night's plans. The scheduled beach party and entertainment had to be moved inside, too.

Tuesday was a different story. Dave went in search of towels early to stake out some chairs for after breakfast, and there were no towels to be had! Everyone was ready for an early beach day after the rain, apparently. After breakfast at Cucina Romana (yummy waffles and an omelet), we did manage to find a couple of unoccupied chairs, and my shoulders can attest that the sun did, in fact, come out.

After lunch at the Bayside buffet, we visited the more shaded main pool for a bit before getting ready for photos on the beach. We were also invited to the Sandals Select Guests cocktail party and dinner, an evening with members of management for returning guests. Steak, lobster tail, wine, and pistachio mousse were served. Some guests who have stayed many more paid nights than we have earned free weeks, and every couple took home a bottle of Appleton Estate rum.

Wednesday would prove to be a sunny day, as well. Dave wanted to try the kayaks, so after a quick trip to the breakfast buffet, we headed over to the water sports desk and got equipment.

This lasted about seven minutes. The kayaks were extremely shallow and very uncomfortable. I think we were expecting the kayaks we've used on the river float that have you sitting down in the kayak, with higher sides and a seat back. These had no back support, so we were both hurting pretty quickly (and I don't have a bad back). No worries! We just headed back to the beach!

We hung out here until it was time to catch the 11:45 shuttle to Sandals Royal Caribbean.

There are three Sandals resorts in Montego Bay, and there is a 3-in-1 aspect since you can shuttle to the other two during your stay. We stayed at the Royal for our honeymoon almost three years ago, and we loved the cabana on the private island, so we knew we wanted to revisit during this trip. The cabanas at our current resort are out in the middle of everything, but the cabanas on Royal's island are more isolated, and they can be rented for smaller increments of time. No need to rent for 8 or 12 hours. We booked ours from 1-5pm. Plus, the island has an amazing jerk chicken lunch shack!

After a lovely afternoon, we shuttled back to our resort for dinner at Cucina Romana - so good! If you're planning a visit, you need a reservation for this dinner.

And now, here's the current situation.

The sun is trying to peak through, so we're going to make the best of our last day!

Ya, Mon!

My travel blog was so lonely in 2016, but 2017 will be a different story! Dave and I arrived at Sandals Montego Bay yesterday. We previously stayed just down the road at Sandals Royal Caribbean, so we thought we'd try the sister (and original) Sandals this time. We booked a walk-out beachfront room in the Palms building, room 503. This is club level room with a patio (stocked liquor cabinet, free wifi, concierge help with reservations, but no butler). We are feet from the beach bar, and just a bit farther from beach loungers. Ahhhh! 

We were super tired last night after an early flight (even earlier due to Daylight Savings Time), and it was a bit rainy when we checked in, so we had drinks at the beach bar and ate dinner at the casual restaurant Stew Fish. We both had steak and lobster - yummy! 

Pictures are struggling to post. I'll try to edit them in later.

Welcome, 2017!

Happy New Year! Many of you might think that your Christmas cards got lost in the mail, but that wouldn't be true.  As with most of 2016, life happened and the cards didn't get made, let alone mailed. This is probably the first time in 20 years that I haven't mailed cards.  2016 was really just that kind of year, one where nothing went quite as expected.  I can't say I'm sad to see it go. Here's a recap since my last post - foundation repair in March, National Board renewal portfolio completed in May, 20 year high school reunion in May (yay!), dad's medical emergency in June (boo!), Guns N Roses in Kansas City for Dave's birthday, new carpet for the house scheduled, annual River Trip weekend with friends in Tahlequah, new carpet delayed, annual classroom unpacking and meeting new teammate, resignation from Sylvan Learning Center, new carpet finally installed - the day I returned to work full-time, living in boxes for weeks because carpet was installed at the start of a school year (i.e. CRAZY timing), supervising my first student teacher, Cowboy football most Saturdays, a short road trip with Diana to Paris, Texas, over Fall Break, then the holiday season. Dave completed his first year with Wilson Chevrolet following the merging of Ron Shirley GMC and the Wilson lot, and we've adjusted to his new schedule.  I did manage to do a little Young Living business, too, but "adulting" definitely had to take precedence over travel.

2017 already looks quite different.  I'm happy to say we have several things on the calendar for the next few months.  Dave and I will return to Montego Bay, Jamaica, in March.  We enjoyed Sandals Royal Caribbean for our honeymoon, but we decided to try the sister resort and original Sandals, Sandals Montego Bay, this time.  I'm looking forward to beach time!

In June, I will be traveling with colleagues to Europe with EF Tours. This has been planned for over a year now, and I'm excited that we are now within the correct departure year!  During the two week tour, I will get to return to some of my favorite spots in Germany, see some new sites in Munich and Dachau, and make new stops in Lucerne, Venice, and Paris.  While I've visited Paris before, I'm hopeful for a different experience this time around, and I am excited to visit Versailles, a stop I missed back in 2011. Disneyland Paris does not look promising at this time, but there's still time!  If the schedule allows, I would certainly take a train out to the park for a few hours.  It is the prettiest "Magic Kingdom" in my opinion.  Dave can't make this trip with me, so I'm excited to meet some new friends in our travel group!

2016 posed a lot of challenges, but one annoying bit is that I didn't get a chance to visit a Disney park during the year.  I told Dave many years ago that I need to be on Disney property at least once a year to be happy, and while that is a joke (somewhat), I really was disappointed that 2016 broke the Disney streak I had had going since 2007.  Knowing this, Dave gifted a summer trip to me for Christmas!  We've only begun to plan for the beginning of August, but it will be a great trip to take just before school starts back up. We've booked the Boardwalk Villas, so we get to try a new resort, and I know new attractions have opened since my last visit.  It's a good thing my husband understands my addiction!

Here's to a happy 2017!

Spring Break Stay-Cation, Stitch Fix, and Young Living

Happy Spring Break!

Since the travel budget went to this

I'll be having a stay-cation this week. I know the foundation had to be repaired, but if I'm honest, I'd rather be in a Disney park right now. It's just as well. I have a bunch of National Board writing to accomplish this week, anyway. Boo to being an adult!

Friday did bring some happiness, though. (I mean, aside from when the bell rang at 3:20). I received my monthly Young Living Essential Rewards order AND Stitch Fix #2! It was a little like Christmas!

Essential Rewards is Young Living's way of rewarding regular purchases. For the first six months of monthly shipments of at least $50, you receive 10% of your total order back in ER points. The points can accumulate and be used like cash to make future purchases. As you continue to use ER, the percent you earn back works up to 20%. If you're using essential oils, signing up to receive wholesale pricing is the first way to save (24%). Essential Rewards is the other. Plus, they send freebies for ER orders of a certain total each month. Young Living also offers more than just oils. This month, I purchased some new-to-me items: Thieves Mouthwash, Thieves Household Cleaner, Ortho Ease massage oil, and Lemongrass Essential Oil. The Lemon EO on the left isn't new, but it does also help with cleaning tasks. 

Thieves Fresh Essence Mouthwash uses Thieves oil, Peppermint, and Spearmint, but no alcohol. I have a small spot on my upper gum (where a metal plate is located due to surgery) that gets irritated from time to time. I'm anxious to see if this will help that area heal. 

Thieves Household Cleaner is an all-purpose cleaner. It can be added to water or vinegar for a host of cleaning jobs. One capful goes a long way. This arrived just in time due to all that dirt pictured up above!

Ortho Ease was on my list this month due to some calf and heel pain I've been experiencing. I've mixed 2 oz of Ortho Ease with 10 drops of Panaway and 10 drops of Copaiba in a small bottle to see if that will help relax the muscles in my lower leg. (I'm sure a week of not standing all day will help, too, so it may be a couple of weeks before I know if the massage oil is really helping. Fingers crossed!) Lemongrass is also included in the Ortho Ease blend, so I purchased a separate bottle in case I wanted to add a little more. It is also reportedly good for cholesterol maintenance. *(See disclaimer below)

If you live nearby and would like to sample an oil or oily product, just let me know! If you're ready to sign up for your own Young Living account, I can help with that, too!  Sign up as a distributor by clicking HERE.  The Premium Starter Kit is a great way to get started.  It comes with a diffuser, 11 oils, and some other goodies plus wholesale pricing on future orders.  Not interested in signing up as a distributor but still want to try Young Living?  You can also sign up as a retail customer at this LINK, but be aware that you will be paying the higher retail price with this option.

Now that I've discussed products that can help me feel better on the inside, let's look at some items for the outside! 

The Stitch Fix Keepers:

I had pinned the jacket, so I was excited to see my stylist had included the gray anorak jacket. It has a detachable hood and is lightweight for Spring or travel. I had also asked for jeans, and I'm pretty happy with the Dear John straight leg jeans I received. They can be cuffed or rolled down, but I'm pretty sure anyone taller than 5'3" would only have a cuffed option. 

The other three items are going back. They just didn't fit as well as I would like for the cost. 

These were called dark gray. They looked brown in person and black in the photo. I like the print and the concept, but I've tried the Emers twice, and I just can't bring myself to love them like so many other reviewers do. They bunch up at my calf, so I know they'd drive me crazy all day. And, they are expensive. I can't spend $98 on pants I don't LOVE. 

This shirt was too long and awkward. The teal hem didn't stretch at all, yet the striped part was VERY stretchy. Not at all flattering. 

I liked the color of this, but it was very thin. I just didn't feel it was worth $58. 

I'm happy with my two keepers for this shipment. I think Stitch Fix is fun, and I get to try on things in my home with other items I already own. I've had two good stylists who are checking my Pinterest board and really trying to pick things I might like.  I also like that I'm not locked into monthly shipments. I get to choose the frequency.  I don't have another shipment scheduled until May, and I likely will skip summer months until I'm ready to shop for back-to-school items, so it's pretty flexible.  If you think you may want to try Stitch Fix, use my referral link to get started. https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/6791440

Traveling with Oils

I recently began using Young Living Essential Oils.  My original purpose for trying essential oils was to find something to help me sleep better, to be less restless at night, so I began diffusing Young Living Lavender while I slept. I wear a Fitbit while I sleep, and it monitors my movements.  The first graph shows a typical night before I began diffusing.

 

The pale blue lines show that I was moving a lot while sleeping, although not always consciously.  I would get up after a night like this and feel like I didn't really sleep at all.

The second graph is more recently, with the diffuser running at night.

This is typically what I see now, with my diffuser running for four hours (it has an automatic shutoff) and oils on my feet.  I am able to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for bigger chunks without flopping all over the place.  Even though I "slept" for 38 minutes longer in the top graph, I certainly feel more rested on nights that are like the bottom graph, even when I go to bed too late.

In the past few months, I've played with different combinations of oils, and I've discovered a few favorites: Lavender, Peace & Calming, Valor, Cedarwood, and Vetiver to name a few.  Between diffusing and applying these oils in different combinations to the bottoms of my feet, I have noticed a difference in the quality of sleep I get, though I could still work on getting into bed earlier on school nights!  

So, what does this have to do with a travel blog?  Well, if I ever want to travel with my wonderful sleep aides, I need a plan for liquid limits on airplanes.  I don't have a flight scheduled right now, but it will inevitably happen, and I can't possibly take my whole oil collection in my carry-on when my liquids bag is already pretty full with other necessities.

The Young Living website has some cases available, and they look nice, but I didn't see anything available right now that would be small enough to fit inside my current liquids bag.  I did receive an Amazon gift card for Christmas, and while searching for glass spray bottles, I stumbled upon a good option.  I normally would not buy Young Living merchandise through a third-party, but these bags are no longer on the official website, and well, the gift card meant I wasn't really spending my money!

My order came with two bags, one that will hold up to ten 5ml or 15ml bottles, and another smaller option with a key chain that holds eight 1/4  or 5/8 dram bottles.  The bags were available in black or purple at the time I ordered.  They were also available to purchase individually instead of as a pair.  I liked that the key chain case was smaller than my hand - it will also easily fit into a purse or school bag while offering protection to the little bottles inside.

The smaller bag will easily fit across the top of my liquids bag.  It came with 5/8 dram bottles, but I used the sample vials that arrived with my Premium Starter Kit, and I used labels I had previously purchased with a different order. The larger bag would be great for longer trips when checked bags are necessary.  The bag is sturdy, and the individual pockets protect the bottles from clanging each other, so I would feel comfortable putting this one in a checked bag.

The bags I purchased are available HERE. 

If you are interested in Young Living Essential Oils, you can get wholesale pricing on future orders by signing up as a distributor.  That's a a 24% savings off the retail prices.  I would be happy to help you if you're interested, or you can sign up by clicking HERE.  The Premium Starter Kit is a great way to get started.  It comes with a diffuser, 11 oils, and some other goodies!

Not interested in signing up as a distributor but still want to try Young Living?  You can also sign up as a retail customer at this LINK, but be aware that you will be paying the higher retail price with this option.

Stitch Fix #1

I may not be traveling anytime soon, but that isn't stopping me from shopping for versatile clothes! I like clothes that can be used for many occasions - work, travel, weekends, whatever. I tend to buy some of the same kinds of clothes over and over, so I decided to give Stitch Fix a try. I thought someone else might pick out something I like that I wouldn't normally pick for myself. I created an account on www.stitchfix.com and answered a number of questions about my budget preferences, sizes, and what I like style- and color-wise (NO pink!). I then scheduled my first delivery. Once my Fix was styled, I was charged a $20 fee. This fee is not-refundable, but if you buy even one item from your shipment, the $20 is applied to your purchase. You only lose the $20 if you decide to return all five items. Shipping is not a separate charge, and a prepaid return envelope is included in the box, so you don't pay extra shipping on the return, either. My box arrived two days after it shipped and included a sleeveless print v-neck blouse, a striped 3/4 sleeve top, a plum/blue (depending on the light) asymmetrical cardigan with zipper, a pair of slimming, high-waisted black pants, and a long silver necklace. After trying everything on and (unsuccessfully) trying to get selfies of whole outfits, I decided to keep two of the five items:

The cardigan is priced at $68. It will be great to wear on a plane or to throw in a bag. Nicer looking than a hoodie, I can also dress it up a bit for work or a nice dinner, too.

I love stripes and 3/4 quarter sleeves, so the gray striped top with orange accents at the neck and elbow is perfect for me. Comfortable (so soft) and cute with work pants or jeans. It is priced at $58. Stitch Fix encourages customers to create a Pinterest board and connect it to their Stitch Fix account so the stylists can see what you like. I had pinned this top to my board, so I was happy to see it in my box even though it isn't really all that different from other items I've picked for myself in the past.

I almost decided to keep the black pants. They fit well and would be useful for work, but they were the priciest item in the box at $98, and I already have black pants. I did think they were slimming, and I really did like the fit.

The v-neck shell was orange, black and blue, all colors I like but something about it was off. Great length, great hemline, but the print just didn't work for me. The material didn't move with my body as well, and it probably would have needed ironing (or wrinkle releaser for those of us who don't iron). It would have been $48, which was a bit pricy, too.

The silver necklace would have been $38. I didn't really need it, so back it goes.

My total came to $126, and I got to subtract my initial $20 stylist fee, so I paid $106. Not too bad. I may go in and adjust my budget options a bit. I did allow for a higher budget on pants/jeans when completing my profile, and if those black pants had been denim, I probably would have kept them. I do wish "pants" and "jeans" were viewed differently on the options because I'll pay for a pair of jeans that fits well and looks good. Work pants? I'm not as excited to pay a lot for those.

Had I decided to keep all five items, I would have received a 25% discount on the total. So, my total would have been $310 - $77.50 (25%) - 20.00 (stylist fee) = $212.50. If I had decided to keep the black pants, it actually would have been more cost effective to keep the whole box rather than pay for the three items I really liked because of the 25% off.

If you think you may want to try Stitch Fix, use my referral link to get started. https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/6791440