Preparing for Travel

About eight years ago, I figured out the best way for me to prepare for a trip, was to make a check-list.  Since the check list was almost always the same, I saved it as a document and would print it a new copy while packing for a trip.

My Packing List

I do keep a lot of these things in a travel cosmetic bag packed all the time to make packing a little easier.  Most things are travel size that I refill or replace as necessary.  My make-up I keep in a bag all the time so when it's time I just zip it up and toss it in my bag.  And I love Vera Bradley for my travel accessories.  And the people at Vera Bradley have no idea I'm such a huge fan of their products, but if they do find this post and want to give me some free stuff I wouldn't object!

Okay, so this post is getting much longer than I anticipated, so I think I'll break it up a little.  I'll be later with packing clothes.

Enjoy!  And I hope your travels take you somewhere amazing and you bring home very special memories!

May in a Nutshell

Seeing as I was MIA for most of April here are a few pictures to recap the month.

We went back to my hometown for Mother's Day and my Little Sisters graduation.
  I know you've heard before, but my sorority experience was completely and 100% worth every penny.

We went on an official date night

Which included painting ceramics 

Husband painted a cross and I painted a mug.

And dinner at Dave & Busters.

We also volunteered at Special Olympics.  What a great experience!

We spent the last week of the month on a cruise with my parents in Alaska.  Simply awesome!
We left from Seattle

 And stopped in Ketchikan

Made some new friends,

We visited Juneau,

Where we saw the Mendenhall Glacier,

 But not Russia,

 And our last Alaska stop was Skagway,

 Where we went to the summit of the Klondike

 Mommy and I even did a 5K, On Deck for the Cure, for breast cancer.

  

Before our final stop in Victoria, BC, Canada

 I had a great time spending time with some of my favorites and seeing more of this beautiful planet God entrusted to us.

April in a Nutshell

Seeing as I was MIA for most of April here are a few pictures to recap the month.

A quick trip to San Diego

Where we discovered these yummy cupcakes,

 Walked around Seaport Village

 Toured the Star of India,

 And a Soviet submarine,

  

Took a boat tour of the bay,

  

  And had a night out with friends,

 

We bought an iPad and iPhone, and officially got hooked on Angry Birds

We spent a long weekend at my parents house for Easter

 And I cut off about six inches of my hair!

We'll do a little May recap tomorrow. 

Leaving on a Jet Plane

  Yesterday afternoon I left on a very exciting trip.  Here's a teaser for you...

Who wants to guess where I am?  I promise to tell you when I get back plus share lots of pictures with you!  Hopefully I'll have fabulous ones!! 

A Little Visit

Last weekend I was super blessed to go to Denver to visit my wonderful friend A.  We've been friends since high school and in an unexpected turn of events, on the 26th of September, I married in to her family.  So now not only is she one of my dearest and longest friends, but she is now a cousin my marriage.  So blessed am I!!!

The same weekend her sister, her niece, and her little brother were also in town visiting.  Here are some pictures from our weekend, but I didn't take all that many.

 From the Denver Children's Museum

 At the Mall

 Picture Time

 At Ceramics in the City

Thanks A for a super wonderful visit.  I love you, friend!

Lesson 128- Hakuna Matata

Last weekend Husband and I went to Las Vegas, which you may remember was my anniversary present.  We got it late-ish Friday night.  Saturday morning we headed to "The Strip" first visiting Caeser's Palace where I finally found the Ugg boots I've been craving for about a year.

We feasted at the Paris Hotel's buffet--after waiting in line for about 2 hours.  Silly, I know, but I really wanted to eat there.  And I'm blessed enough to have a husband who will indulge me. 

We had fun taking silly pictures with people on the The Strip.

That night it was time to go see "Lion King" at Mandalay Bay.  It was phenomenal!  Amazing!  I loved every second and look forward to when I get to see it again (for a third time!).

The next morning we packed up and headed out.  And oh my gosh!  It took us forever to get home.  There was major traffic getting across the Hoover Dam and what should have taken us about 4 hours took us closer to 7.5.  It was brutal!  But we saw a pretty rainbow!

What a super anniversary present I got!!!  And what a super husband I have!!!