Review: Glamping at Gold River Camp
What is your definition of glamping? Glamping is defined by the Oxford Languages website as “a form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.” Whether your style of camping involves cottages, cabins, RV’s, tiny rooms, fully equipped tents, primitive tents or hammocks, you can certainly find it at Gold River Camp and Cabins! This spring my daughter planned an overnight getaway in the mountains during her grad school break and invited her sister. Her sister loved it and planned an anniversary getaway with her husband. I loved the stories and pictures my girls shared. When my bestie who lives on another continent came to visit me, I booked us a night at Gold River Camp. It did not disappoint! If you know me, you know that camping is not my usual style but most of my besties love it. I’m not ready for tent camping, but a rustic tiny cabin with a shared open pavilion kitchen facility and a bathhouse was just fine with me. I loved the riverfront area where we made a fire and roasted s’mores. Breakfast on our tiny private balcony was a nice start to the morning. We did…
Top 5 things for booking a multigenerational vacation home
What is your top thing to consider when booking a beach rental? Booking a beach rental for one family is complicated enough but add several families or generations and things get even trickier. Knowing the top 5 things to consider when booking a multigenerational vacation home will help you narrow your options within your price range fairly quickly. We are heading to the beach this summer with our grown kids, a baby, a great grandma and a great aunt. These tips helped me narrow the search pretty fast and the added amenities such as linens and beach bikes sealed the deal. 1. How close do you want to be to the beach? Toddlers require naps and frequent bathroom breaks as do some grandparents. Choosing a beachfront home can make those trips quicker or allow people at the house to watch the beach fun. Those with older kids or just adults can usually save money by choosing second row houses. 2. Next, consider thmobility of guests. Do need a house without steps or something with an elevator? Check out the house layout of mobility is a concern. 3. The number of bedrooms and bathrooms can make a big difference when hosting…
Before, During, and After Travel Tips
What should you do before, during, and after your travels besides pack your bags? Recently I posted about international travel niceties and necessities so I wanted to expand on those travel tips to include things you can do before, during, and after your trip to save time and help your travels go smoothly. Having recently traveled to the countries of Georgia and Turkey, I tried out my own tips before, during, and after traveling. With each international trip we take, I try to evaluate my packing and see what I would do differently the next time or what one investment I might make to my capsule wardrobe. Before my next winter trip I want to add a black crew neck merino wool sweater, otherwise I was pretty happy with my minimalist packing. Below are my travel tips for saving time and avoiding travel stress on your next international trip. Ahead of time: Lots of packing lists abound: here’s mine Pack your bag 90% full or less so you have room for souvenirs (or consider bringing a foldable duffle bag if you need an extra bag on the way home) Never pack a bag heavier than you can carry. Often you…
10 Things To Do With Kids During School Breaks
What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids over school breaks? Some parents love school breaks and some dread them. Most of those feelings revolve around what to do with the kids over school breaks. Here are 10 things to do with kids during school breaks, perfect for parents, nannies, or grandparents regardless of location or budget. Libraries are a treasure trove of free education and educational activities. Whether you are at home or on a trip, check out the public libraries. Many have story times or activities for kids. City parks, local playgrounds, and national parks dot most any map and many offer programs or activities. I remember one year when we tried to see how many parks we could visit once before repeating any. We were also new to town so this gave us insight into different parts of town and the kids could rank their favorites. If being indoors is a better option, drag out all the blankets and pillows and construct blanket forts or make mazes out of large cardboard boxes and packing tape. Research local museums for inexpensive options or free days. We once planned a whole spring break trip around free museums in…
Create Your Own Internship
Have you ever dreamed of learning something new or living overseas? Creating your own internship is a great way to try something new, live overseas, or gain experience. I used to think that internships were just for college grads as a stepping stone to the job world. Now I know that they can happen at any stage of life, paid or unpaid, and for any length of time. Here are a few scenarios to get you thinking. Many high schools offer an internship course where students can gain valuable hours of experience in fields of interest well before they have to settle on a college major. My youngest daughter sought out occupational therapy offices to intern at while in high school. They were reluctant at first because she was not the typical college intern, but by the end of the school year, they had her training their college intern. She choose several different practices to shadow so she could have a variety of experiences. When it came time to apply to grad school, her shadowing hours were well over the minimum and the experiences she gained were invaluable to helping her choose a career. Many students choose to get a…
Multigenerational Travel
Planning a multigenerational family reunion this summer? Multigenerational travel is not as difficult as it sounds if you remember a few tips beyond just agreeing on the budget and location. The rewards of multigenerational travel far outweigh the planning. We are just returning from a week at the beach with multigenerational family and friends. Most of us love the beach. The rest enjoy getting away, being with family, and swimming at the pool. This beach house had something for everyone, plus lots of bedrooms and bathrooms and two main gathering spaces. My best friend and I brought our families plus our moms. Choose a location that has lots of bedrooms so everyone will have a quiet place of their own. Sometimes bunking a single grandparent and a child in a room with twin beds is quite a good arrangement. You know what works for your family. Asking the grandparent first is a good idea. Consider stairs and elevators when you are taking older generations or those with wheelchairs and baby strollers. Many things are doable for a night or two, but longer stays need more thought for mobility issues. Most rental houses now have detailed floorplans available so you can…
Going Gray Gracefully
Is going gray GRATE or GREAT for you? While some people find themselves on clear ends of the going gray spectrum, I’m kind of in the cloudy middle. I’m not offended by grays but I’m not rushing to get there. The gray highlights that are now framing my face are natural. This unicorn glitter just seems to sprout up on its own! I’d like to think it’s a badge of honor! I’m going gray gracefully. For a few years, I found excitement in a bottle. At the drugstore, I could scan the hair dye bottles until I found a coffee name that sounded exciting. I sampled espresso, cappuccino, and hazelnut. I was not really trying to hide my grays as there were just a couple then. I was really just being adventurous on a limited budget. After a few years, I noticed more grays. I asked a hairdresser how long I should keep dying my hair. She said forever! I stopped the next year. So many friends complain about the grays. It grates on them so much! Gray fills them with shame and regret as it spreads across their heads. Yet younger friends look forward to the grays so much…
Carry-On Bag Adventures
Are you more like a carry-on bag or a checked bag? Traveling the world with just a carry-on bag and collecting sim cards as souvenirs is one of my life goals that I’m slowly fulfilling one adventure at a time. It IS possible to live several weeks out of a carry-on bag and a personal item like a purse or backpack. Smart packing on my recent trip to Bulgaria and Albania proved it true once again. Most airlines have a size or weight limit to the carry-on bags so check before you go. Use a capsule wardrobe; take multi-tasking items; and take a few thank you gifts which will leave room for a souvenir or two. Add my bathroom bag, my tablet or laptop, and my coffee thermos, and I’m ready for my next adventure! Capsule wardrobes are a small collection of essential items and accessories that can mix and match and allow you to pack less clothes overall. For most trips, I try to take 4 or 5 tops, 3 bottoms, 2 shoes, 1coat/sweater, and 1 accessory like a necklace or scarf. All of the tops and bottoms should be able to be worn together so choose a…
End of Summer Fiesta
What’s your end of summer tradition? Summer fiesta. For many years, we marked the end of summer in late August with an annual Family Fiesta involving friends, food, and fun. It gave us one last excuse to hang out with neighborhood friends and energized our entrance into a new school year. If you know me you know I make a tradition of NOT doing things the same way each time which keeps everyone from being disappointed if you make changes but also keeps them in suspense about how you will actually pull things off. My Family Fiestas ran that very same way. Many years involved an assortment of tacos or enchiladas with a side of guacamole and jalapeno poppers (if my neighbor brought them). Activities ranged from piñatas (some more successful than others!), to tie dye t-shirts, to scavenger hunts, to the “never do this again” leather coin purse sewing craft completed by grumbling parents when the kids abandoned the activity. But memories were made, t-shirts were crafted, pictures were taken, and bellies were full. As I flip through the scrapbooks, the memories jump off the page! The kids were so little! The parents so young! The crafts and piñatas…
The Magic of Bug Stick
What’s your placebo method of dealing with little boo boo’s or mosquito bites? We have a magic placebo called “the bug stick.” It’s been in our family for years, possibly the same few green containers have been around until they literally dried out from years of sitting in the glove box, bathroom bags, or first aid kits. This waxy tube, slightly larger than chapstick, with its mild ingredients, allows for repeated self-application. The smell reminds me of a citronella candle, so I’m pretty sure it not only calms the minor itch of a bug bite but also wards off the cousins of that bug from returning to the site. While some moms liberally dole out band-aids, I uncapped the bug stick. The camphor, tea tree oil, menthol, and lavender provide pain relief and reduce discomfort. After years of using this homeopathic remedy, we moved on to a roll-on herbal blemish stick that provided similar treatment for pimples, skin bumps, and teenage angst. Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic and skin care solution. The magic of bug stick and blemish stick was as real as we believed it to be! Isn’t that what magic is all about? As a mom, I…