Christmas markets are festive traditions that span centuries and were precursors for today’s festivals and laser light shows. The first mentioned Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, was Striezelmarkt in the German Saxony city Dresden in 1434. Christkind is literally translated as Christchild and is generally depicted in angel form with locks of curly blond hair,…
Category: Empty Nest Lounge
Christmas Masterpiece: Transform Your Entryway In A Weekend
Christmas Entryway Decorating Ideas Do you have what could be an amazing entry to your house and have been wondering what you could do with it? Check this idea out! This Christmas decorating idea will work for any entry large or small that has an overhang of some kind to hang the wireframe from….
Christmas Traditions: 21 Incredible Ideas For The Holiday
Christmas is a season of happiness and joy, steeped in traditions. Every family has their own set of traditions that they celebrate every year. Here is a list of traditions that your family may already participate in or some new activities that you want to start participating in.
Travel Insurance: 6 Reasons Trip Protection Is Good Planning
Travel insurance. You have saved and planned for this vacation. Nothing is going to happen. Right? Seriously, what are the odds of something going wrong with your carefully planned trip? Usually, those odds are low. I am sure that the travelers who booked (some of them a year ago) through the recently defunct Thomas Cook…
Empty Nest: What to do
What to do and Expect with your empty nest The time is coming – you know it – the empty nest. You are so engrossed with preparing for senior year – there are scholarship applications to fill out, colleges to decide on, financial planning, gowns, caps, yearbooks – the list feels endless and overwhelming at…
Best Travel Gear: 11 must haves not on other lists
My uncle would always say, “having the right tool for the job, makes all the difference in the world”. That is so true! As an avid traveler, this is a list of some of the best travel gear that I have found and are my favorite go-to items I always keep in my carry-on.
An Unexpected Adventure In Quebec City
It was a beautiful sunny day in Quebec City, finally, after several days of grey, cold rain the sun was a welcome change on my
Space Camp and the Empty Nest
Space Camp – An Empty Nest Journey 3, 2, 1, mark. Pilot, you are a go to start auxiliary
Once you visit Puerto Vallarta, can you forget?
Puerto Vallarta As my last night in Puerto Vallarta comes to a close my mind I find myself thinking of things that I have seen, learned, and experienced.
Vacation Rental Tips
Do you have a vacation rental? Do you want to know how to attract renters and acquire return customers? Check out my interview with Kigo to get tips on what travelers and empty nesters are looking for when they rent a vacation home. I detail what renters are looking for. What they don’t want. Ways to…
Empty Nest Emotions
Empty Nest – not quite as ready as we thought I thought I was ready. My husband thought he was ready. We were both wrong. We were surprised and caught off guard by the strong emotions we were feeling – the hollow pit in our stomachs, the
An Evening With Manta Rays Video
Moonlight Snorkeling with Manta Rays Manta rays have been a source of legends and myths for hundreds of years. Sailors at one time believed that they would attack and sink boats by grabbing the anchors to pull them
Nap time in Alaska Video
Alaska Nap Time With those long Alaska summer days you need to sleep when and where you can. Work a little, sleep a little. Zzz… Teens, you gotta love ’em! Share your favorite teen story.
Virgin America raises the bar
VIRGIN AMERICA OFFERS CLASSY CHECK-IN KIOSKS VIRGIN AMERICA NOTICES DETAILS Most check-in kiosks at the airports are pretty much the same – no frills, functional, and utilitarian. Not much to write about, until I passed the Virgin America desk. Wow! I was so surprised by
WITS – Women in Travel Summit
On the road to WITS16 WITS16, here I come! I am on my way to my first travel writer and blogger conference. WITS16 – Women in Travel Summit 2016- is being held in fabulous Irvine, California near Newport Beach. I am so excited to network with
What’s in your bag?
What should you pack? Everyone has rituals or particular ways they do things to stay organized and keep the chaos of life at bay. One thing I like to keep organized and ready to use – whenever I can – is my
A Travel App Worth Talking About
There Is An App For That There are so many apps these days for all of our gadgets. Some very helpful such as those that help you keep track of your daily life, pictures, passwords, accounts, inventory and such. Then there are those that
What not to do with your gator in Louisiana
Just in case you did not think Louisiana was eclectic enough – here are some truly unique, informative, interesting, and down right weird tidbits about Louisiana and one of its largest cities, New Orleans. Louisiana’s strange laws Louisiana was first successfully settled in 1718 after the French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier had claimed it for France…
Empty nester dinner
An empty nester dinner One of the things that I like about being an empty nester is the option to choose not to make full dinner, if I don’t want to. And sometimes, that is exactly what I choose to do! Especially when I have a not so simple day, all I want is a really simple dinner. Tonight’s menu…
Happy National Toilet Paper Day
Toilet Paper What is August 26th? Among many things, it is national toilet paper day. I know, seriously, right! Who thought of this?? Maybe the makers of Charmin? Hats off (or should I say, pants down) to those little rolls of paper that we all hold dear in that particular time of need. Heaven forbid a…