Favorites on the First

My nails (on both feet and hands) are a disaster.
This cuticle cream helps more than anything else. And, it smells like dessert!

I thought about featuring one oil or oil blend, but it was too hard to choose!
I love all my oils, but right now I'm especially loving Breathe oil and drops,
OnGuard oil, drops and toothpaste, Frankincense oil, Correct X ointment,
Lemon oil, and Serenity blend. Click the link to find out more about essential oils.

Most cleaners overwhelm me and some even give me a headache,
but this one smells heavenly and actually makes cleaning enjoyable. 

We absolutely love our 2016 Honda Pilot,
which is the first truly new car we've bought since we've had kids.! 

I thought it was a little ridiculous when we jumped on the Instant Pot
bandwagon on Black Friday, but I have to tell you, this little piece of
equipment is pretty awesome. In fact, it's kind of a game-changer. 

This is one of the things keeping my brain from turning to mush right now.
Es muy bueno.

At almost any time of the day, you can find myself or one of my family
members plopped down in the Seat of Happiness. 

These flip-flops are super comfortable, and the two-pack means instant variety.

Music: getting me through the endless meal prep that goes on around here.

Max and Clay are thoroughly enjoying the Around the World Stories.
They eagerly wait for new ones and sit entranced through each episode.
These stories are a good way to travel the world when you can't travel the world. 

Things we love about America

There are plenty of things to love about America. And, when you've been away for a while, you realize how much you appreciate things you once took for granted. Here are some things we love about this great country, without getting into anything too metaphysical:

• Internet!!!--We have been thoroughly enjoying consistent, unlimited, high-speed internet since we've been back in the States. That's definitely not the norm overseas, even in places you might think it would be. 
• Decent sized trash cans--I realize that we are an exceptionally trashy family, but many of the places we stayed overseas had household trash cans no bigger than a 2-quart pitcher.
• Amazon Prime videos and music--We were unable to access our Prime perks overseas, and we have been so happy to have that back in our lives.
• Not having to chase down someone to pay the check at a restaurant--Some might consider it a good thing to be left alone by the waiter, and to a certain extent that's true. But there were so many times when we had been finished with our meal for a very long time and could not find anyone to take our money so we could leave. In fact, many waiters seemed to avoid us completely when it was time for the check. We would literally have to hunt someone down and practically force them to take our money.
• Roomy showers with reasonably high water pressure and plenty of hot water--This needs no explanation. 
• Dishwashers and dryers are standard in most places--We do not consider either of these things necessities, but they are so nice to have and definitely make life a little easier. 
• Iced drinks--I'm not sure why ice hasn't really caught on overseas, but we like our drinks cold and appreciate the abundance of iced drinks here in the good ol' U.S.A.
• Large drinking cups--I don't know if we're just abnormally thirsty or if we just need more room for ice, but we like larger cups and glasses for drinking. For some reason, most of the cups and glasses overseas seem better suited for a doll's tea party. 
• Drip coffee makers--I guess the rest of the world just doesn't drink as much coffee as Americans do, but the one-cup stovetop percolators and French presses are just not very convenient or expedient for brewing multiple cups. Plus, they are messy and hard to use and don't make great coffee in my opinion. 
• Sturdy eggs--This seems like a funny one, but there was truly a difference in the quality of eggs overseas, whether store-bought or farm fresh. The shells and yolks in many of the places we visited were super fragile and really hard to work with. 
• Top sheets--To me, a bed just feels cozier with a top sheet between the covers and me. Plus, if it happens to be hot, you can be covered up without the bulk and heat of a blanket, comforter, or duvet. Most of the rest of the world does not see a need for the top sheet, which is just sad. 
• Window screens--It's so nice to let in a cooling breeze without sending out an open invitation for every bug within a 10-mile radius.

Monday Favorites

I haven't done a favorites post in a while, and since it's a cold, wet Monday and the first day of school for us in over a week, it seems like the right time to focus on some things that make us happy.

I have long been a fan of Baileys, but it seemed especially important
to feature an Irish product since we're here in Ireland.

These Icebreaker Merino glove liners are perfect
for adding another layer of warmth, which I am always in need of.
But they also work well as stand-alone gloves when it's not quite as cold.
And, I love that they are thin enough that I can operate my camera with them on.

I was so sad when I lost an earring in South Africa.
But, I ordered these as replacements, and I really love them!
They are a great weight and just the right mix of fancy and casual.

We've stayed at a few places that haven't had coffee pots,
and after seeing me struggle to improvise, Jeff bought me this.
It folds completely flat when not in use, and it makes a mighty fine cuppa joe.

The whole family is engaged in this fun series. Ruth just re-read all the books,
Weston is almost finished reading them, and the rest of us are listening to the audio version.
We have also watched the first movie together and have been to a couple of tourist locations
that had to do with either the books or movies. 

My FitBit fell apart on me a few months ago,
so I decided to upgrade to the Moto smartwatch.
I love the look and the many cool features!

I recently came across this video, and I think T.D. Jakes eloquently and
accurately describes the true path to happiness in just five steps.
I think everyone should internalize this message!

I had a zipper break off of my original toiletry bag,
so I picked up this replacement, which I love.
It has pockets of all sizes, a detachable mirror,
a removeable waterproof pouch, a hook for hanging,
 and it folds up to about the size of a hardback book. 

Since we've been in the UK, we have been gobbling this stuff up.
It is absolutely delicious, and we put it on/in everything!

And, speaking of delicious, we became addicted to sticky toffee pudding
while we were in Scotland. I haven't tried making it myself,
but I'm linking to the recipe, so I can find it easily in the future.
Who knew dates could be so amazing?!

 *The final photo is mine. The others were borrowed from the Internet. I in no way receive compensation for endorsing these products. I'm simply sharing things my family and I enjoy. I'd love it if you'd share some of your favorites with us, too!

A month on the road

Unbelievably, we have been traveling a month now! We made it to Greece today--to a little beach town not far from Mt. Olympus, appropriately named Olympic Beach. It's been raining and cool, so we haven't spent much time on the beach, but it does my heart good just to know the beach and the sea are within reach.

Since I don't have much for the tourism report, I thought I'd share, for those of you that are curious, how we are faring with our gear and which items (aside from clothes) we have found to be absolutely indispensable after a month of travel.

First, let me say, we are generally VERY happy with the things we brought with us. The clothes are performing well and none of us have died from outfit boredom yet. Some of the boys have a sock or two with holes in them (which is not really a change from our pre-travel days) and a few items have been accidentally left behind here or there, but, for the most part, the clothes are holding up well and serving our needs nicely. Clothes are pretty much just clothes, though, so what I'd really like to share with you are our top ten non-clothing items (in no particular order).

Top Ten Non-Clothing Items

1. Cocoon Silk Travel Sheet--These seemed a little like an unnecessary extravagance way back when we bought them--when we lived in a house and had enough bed linens to comfortably outfit a small country. But now that we've been on the road for a month, I would say this item is more necessary than not. We've stayed in a few places with no sheets, almost none with top sheets, and some where we needed all the layers we could get just to stay warm--and we aren't even roughin' it! Each of us have a Cocoon silk sheet, and we are so glad we do.
2. Maps Me App--Our car has a built-in GPS, which has absolutely been a godsend. As Clay says, "She knows how to get everywhere!" But sometimes, we are not in the car but still need to get from Point A to Point B, or find a grocery store or a park, and occasionally we want to confirm what the GPS says or just see another view. This offline maps app is wonderful! And, since it's offline, we can access it even when we aren't connected to wifi. The maps do have to be downloaded ahead of time, but this hasn't been a problem. 
3. One SIM Card--We don't have to buy country specific cards and have had great service in every country in which we've traveled. 
4. Daypacks--Everyone has a day pack, and we use them almost daily for carrying a wide variety of things like picnic items, water bottles, car accessible entertainment, typical purse items, jackets, cameras, groceries, small souvenirs, and everything else you can think of. We could not get by without them! (When you click on the word "Daypacks," you will see only my daypack. We do not all carry the same one.)
5. Audible.com--In our old life, we had DVD players in our vehicles and whenever we took a roadtrip, we popped a movie in for the kids. Our Eurocar has no DVD player, and we wouldn't have any DVDs to play, even if it did. Instead, we've been filling our hours in the car listening to all kinds of wonderful books, many of them set in the countries we are visiting (Dracula and The Iliad, for example), which has enriched our travel experience. Not only does it pass the time and stretch our brains, it also spurs some fantastic conversations (in the car and out), which draws us closer. I wish we had been doing this all along and skipped the DVDs altogether!
6. Vapur Water Bottles--Each person has his/her own water bottle, and they go everywhere with us--from the car, to hiking excursions, to restaurants (since there is no such thing as a free refill around here). They can be clipped to belt loops or backpacks or car headrests, or looped over a finger for easy transport. And when they are not in use, they fold up to almost nothing. 
7. Facetime/Skype--We use both services to stay connected to our family back home, and we love them. We can use them any time we have a decent wifi connection, which we very often do. 
8. Travel Clothesline--We absolutely could not do without our clotheslines! Many of the places we've stayed have had washers, but only the Eurocamp had a dryer, and that was for pay. We have three travel clotheslines (all different brands), and they see a tremendous amount of action. 
9. USB Charging Station/International Power Strip--We have a multitude of power hungry devices, which demand to be charged often. These two devices (times two), which make up our charging station, come out of our bags every single night and allow us to charge everything that needs to be charged all in one fell swoop.
10. Playing Cards--We brought many games with us, but, by far, the cards have been our favorite, and we have spent many hours together playing games we already loved and learning to play new ones. Like listening to audiobooks, playing games together has drawn us closer as a family.

First Favorites of the New Year

Form and function meet in this hard shell case with bonus keyboard cover.
Taking care of business is much more fun when everything is covered in a splash of color!

I have struggled with hormonal acne most of my adult life.
This is the first face wash I've used that really seems to keep it at bay.

Weston received this kit for Christmas,
and we have been having a blast conducting the edible experiments. 

I received the Fitbit Charge as a gift, and I absolutely love it!
It actually makes choosing a healthy lifestyle fun!

These three sites (booking.com, airbnb.com and vrbo.com) are our go-tos
for finding and booking places to stay overseas. We have gotten many good deals, on personality-filled
accommodations, for our exceptionally large (by European hotel standards) family. 

I have been looking for months for a comfortable pair of flats that would work with pants or a skirt.
These Merrell Mary Janes are the perfect solution.

This is my current coffee obsession. 

We have been Starfall fans since Ruth was little.
Now we are introducing Clay to it, to teach some basic reading and math skills.
It's not as flashy as some programs, but the kids (even the older ones) love it.

On our practice trip to Canada,
we decided we really needed some collapsable water bottles
to make getting through airports easier and less expensive.
These fit the bill perfectly, and now we have a family set.  

I love the flavor and the moisture of this doTerra lip balm,
 but I especially love the fact that passes the kiss test with my hubby!

RTW Packing Favorites

Even though our RTW trip is still months away, we have already started packing. You see, we are trying to do this trip with just a carry-on sized bag apiece, and that takes some planning--and a little practice. Jeff and I pretty much have our bags packed, though we continue to tweak the contents and make adjustments. We won't pack the kids bags until closer to go-time, since they are still growing, but we are already starting to figure out bags and toiletries and other things that don't depend on growth spurts. It's an interesting and, at times, maddening challenge. I will admit that I have shed real tears over things as silly as which toiletries to bring and which to leave behind. But, I have also discovered some really cool products that I might not have otherwise been introduced to. Here are some of my RTW packing favorites. If you have any tried-and-true travel must-haves or packing strategies that make your travel life easier (or more beautiful, comfortable, etc.), please feel free to share them. I am more than willing to learn from the experience of others. 

The pack. It's nice because it converts from backpack to handheld carry-on.
It has a laptop sleeve, which is accessible without getting into the main packing compartment.
And, it has tons of pockets. I'm seriously amazed at how much stuff fits in here.

Jeff got me a set of these Eagle Creek compression bags for my birthday,
and I loved them so much I bought myself another set.
They're like dresser drawers for your suitcase, and they make me happy,
in a place-for-everything, everything-in-it's place kind of way.
Plus, mine are semi see-through, so I can just go straight for what I need. 

Convertible dress/skirts. Cute and comfortable, and just plain fun.
Not to mention quick-drying and relatively wrinkle free.
I have the one from Exofficio, on the left.
Ruth has the Mountain Hardwear one, on the right.

I was skeptical about this powered toothpaste, at first.
But, I really and truly love it, and might even use it if I wasn't traveling.
There are a bunch of variations, and I haven't tried all of them,
but this fluoride-free cinnamon one is wonderful.

Convertible pants are pretty much a requirement for a trip like the one we are taking,
but I knew upfront that I didn't want zip-off pants. That led me down the path of roll-up pants.
I love these from Eddie Bauer. They are stylish, comfortable, quick-drying
and have zippered pockets to deter pickpockets.

This actually took some getting used to. The first few times I used it, I didn't like it at all.
But, the more I used it, the more I liked it, and now here it is listed among my favorites.
It lasts a surprisingly long time, smells nice, leaves my hair feeling clean and not tangly,
and can also be used in place of shave gel, as well. So far, I have only tried the original,
but there are a ton of other formulas, which I'm looking forward to trying.

These are seriously the most comfortable shorts I have ever worn!
I loved them so much, I bought the skort, too. I want to wear them every single day!

The Nano Puff not only has a cool name, it also looks good,
is quite warm, and folds up into it's own pocket to make it super packable.

I liked the concept from the get-go but must admit that
this has required practice and patience and being comfortable with my body.
I am still learning but am overall very pleased with this little device.

It's a long-sleeved shirt. It's a ¾ length shirt. It's a jacket. It has a hidden pocket.
And, it is incredibly comfortable. The Shirtigan is one of my favorite travel pieces. 

Another multi-tasker. This turkish towel can be used as a towel, beach blanket, shawl, scarf or whatever.
Plus, it's soft, quick-drying, looks cute hanging up and takes up very little space in the suitcase. 

It seemed that taking a diffuser on our trip
was going to be out of the question, which made me sad.
But Jeff found this one and gave it to me for my birthday,
and it may be my very favorite thing on the list!
Now, I just have to prioritize which oils to take with me,
because a quart-size bag of liquids isn't all that much!

Favorite Things--North Carolina

Unfortunately, our time in North Carolina is just about to come to an end. And, frankly, if we didn't have another month of beach fun to look forward to in Florida, I would probably cry. We have had such a wonderful time here, and we have discovered a few new favorites. Not all of these things are specific to North Carolina, but this is where our love for them began.

Based on the name of this place (The Beach Shop and Grill) and a few online descriptions,
we thought it would be good, but maybe not exceptional. We were pleasantly surprised.  

Though we have Soma stores near where we live in Texas,
I had never been in one until we went shopping in Wilmington,
and I didn't even realize they had actual clothes. I saw this dress and instantly loved it,
but when I realized it felt like the softest pajamas, I was completely sold!
(And, speaking of pajamas, I also brought home these super cozy ones--
but with the crop pants, instead of shorts!)

Every kid in our family has enjoyed digging in the sand with these awesome Handtrux backhoe diggers.

Jeff and the kids gave me this delightful little journal for Mother's Day, and I am enjoying it so much!

Clay got this Mickey "weegle woggle" for his birthday,
but all the kids have had fun playing with it in the pool.

We've been to all kinds of museums, all over the place, and this was, by far, one of our favorites!

The Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at UNC was so much fun!

I have always been skeptical of water wings and have never really trusted them,
but the Puddle Jumper is a game changer and has made both Clay's and my
pool experience so much more enjoyable.

Not all Sheratons are created equal, of course, but this one in Chapel Hill
had the perfect suite for all of us and was very nice.

It's not so much Food Lion grocery stores that we love,
but the store brand hearty grain bread (which I couldn't find a picture of)
has been a huge it with the whole family, even my normal white-bread-only lovers.

Inspired by our Science weekend in Raleigh/Chapel Hill,
we have been watching TED talks in the evenings.
The kids (and adults) are completely enthralled.

 I LOVE the flavor and fragrance of the doTerra toothpaste!