Saturday, April 28, 2012

Cruise stuff - Part Two

We did have one big bummer on the cruise. We were supposed to have a day in Grand Turk, but the weather was bad. It was sunny and pretty, but there were severe winds. The captain tried 3 times to bring the ship in, but he couldn't get it in there safely. We understood that they have to do what's safe and apparently, Turks is the hardest port to get into, but we were SO disappointed. That was the one we were looking forward to the most because the reefs and the snorkeling there is supposed to be so pretty. We were going to take a champagne catamaran tour. Oh well....

Welcome to St. Maarten

We found this beautiful little church in St, Maarten

We liked it a lot less after Tony decided to check out the balcony and took a fall down some stairs - ugh! Oh well, one of our friends drank some water there and was horribly sick for days. At least we didn't do that!

Waiting for the water taxi down to the ship. Look at how blue that water was.

In St. Maarten, I had my first snorkel experience. Well, my first successful snorkeling experience. I tried it last time but I'm scared of water, so I was pretty freaked out and just barely managed to get my head in the water before it was time to go. This time, I had my nephew give me a private snorkel lesson before I went and it helped a lot. I got right in the water and just did it and it was SO pretty. The water was crystal clear and there were quite a few fish swimming around.

We also did a helmet dive after the snorkeling. It's great for people who wear glasses, or don't like to get their faces wet. They just put this helmet over your head and shoulders and pump air into it. Then you climb down a ladder and walk along a little path about 15 feet underwater. There are handrails and you have guides helping you the whole way. It's perfect for beginners like us. We got to hold a sea anemone right in our hand and feed the fish and one of them bit me! It was so cool, but we don't have our underwater pictures developed yet.

This was the view from the water taxi. I wish we'd had more time there, it was so pretty.

Welcome to St. Thomas! The forecast was for rain in some of the ports, but we lucked out and the weather was gorgeous. Not terribly hot and it was only humid in San Juan, although I did sunburn my tushie from the snorkeling. When you are laying flat in the water like that, it exposes areas that don't get a lot of sun normally - oops! Made sitting down a little uncomfortable for a day or so...

Shopping and snorkeling was pretty much our St. Thomas experience. Got some cool shirts, some seashell necklaces, color-changing nail polish for son's girlie, and some goodies for our friends who were keeping an eye on the kids. Yes, they were pretty annoyed that we didn't bring them, but we were cruising on a shoestring even with just the two of us.

However, the snorkeling in St Thomas was even better than in St Maarten. They took us out to a special island where there were tons of sea turtles, sting rays, and squid. Tony had one bump into him when it surfaced and I had one a couple of feet away giving me the evil eye for a few minutes. One of the ladies even saw a small shark. I was glad it wasn't me because I would have FREAKED out! But if you'd told me a month ago, I'd be snorkeling all by myself in 25 feet of water in open ocean with nothing but my mask and swim fins to keep me afloat, I'd have said you were crazy. And I am so proud of myself that I did it. It's probably the most adventurous thing I've ever done!

The fabulous ship on a stick. They give out these trophies for the trivia contests. We had won one on our last cruise, so the pressure was on. Having a head full of useless knowledge is my one redeeming quality, so we entered every trivia contest on the ship and finally I won one for us in the advertising jingle contest - whew!

Sadly, they make you get OFF the ship at some point, so we very reluctantly left behind all our new friends, and the Carnival staff, who were really awesome by the way, even nicer than our previous cruise with them four years ago. However, our travel agent ran the numbers and found out it was about the same price to stay over an extra day in Miami so we could fly in an off-peak time, so she found this stunning hotel for us over on the South Beach. Right on the beach and just about the most gorgeous setting ever. What a treat!

Look at these cool cabanas. There were a bunch of different ones that you could rent. This was the hotel next door, but ours had TV's and little mini fridges. Wouldn't that be so cool to get in there with your sweetie and just hang out and enjoy the cool breezes without that boiling hot sun on you? You don't even have to get in the sand. Of course, you have to mortgage one of your children, but what the heck?

Look at this gorgeous art deco mirror at the hotel. Some of the decor
was a little puzzling, but it was certainly high style and very unique.

I thought this was such a clever idea. It's like a Red Box, but for bikes. You put in a credit card, check out a bike, and then ride it around the beach for as long as you want. Then when you're done, you just find another station and check it back in. How cool is that?

Did we do it? Heck no. We were a couple of fat, white people stuffed with cruise ship
cuisine, and I wasn't about to come home with a face full of sand and gravel if I biffed it on a silly bike!

Miami weather is bizarre. We saw three different monsoon-like storms like these, but in between, the sun would come out and it would be just gorgeous and sunny! 15 minutes after this downpour, we were sitting out on this patio eating our lunch. Go figure.

This is Big Pink. I guess it's a Miami icon. All I know is that it was the most crowded place I've ever been in and had the largest menu I've ever seen. But the food was terrific.

What a fitting end to our story. This is the view from our balcony and I actually woke up early enough to catch this gorgeous sunrise before we had to pack up our bags and catch the plane for home. Til next time....

By TwitterButtons.com

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Friday, April 27, 2012

Cruises are AWESOME!

Just got home from our cruise a couple of days ago. Oh man, what a blast! I think that is the most fun week we've ever had!

Formal night in the ship's Ivanhoe theater

My husband doing Karaoke with a friend we met on the ship. Pretty awesome!

Ironically, I'm the more musical one. I sing in a gospel choir and I was the real-life Glee kid in school, but I've never sung anything solo, so I was too chicken to go up there! So I give him full props for doing it and they actually sounded pretty good. Oh well, maybe I'll do it next time!

Food was fabulous, but I was too busy eating it to take pics of it! I gained 5 lbs - yikes!

This man is dangerous at a buffet. At breakfast, he thought he'd found the fountain of bacon!

Rainforest tour in Puerto Rico - Look at these gorgeous orchids

We stopped by this amazing waterfall

True cruising style - hey, that sun is FIERCE down there! Hats, sunscreen, and light shirts are a must, especially for lily white types like us.

Lots of plants and it's gorgeous, but very few animals, birds, or even insects. It's very quiet and peaceful, just miles and miles of plants

Here's our ship docked in Puerto Rico. Looks great on the inside, but I thought the decor was really ucky. Wish I'd taken more inside pics.

More friends we met on the cruise. This couple was SO much fun!

See what I mean about the decor! The ship was the Valor, so it was all American hero stuff.
Doesn't this look like a John Travolta-style disco-eagle?

Well, this is getting a bit too long, so I'm going to hold over some of this for another post tomorrow. Then I can tell you all about our excursions and all the adventures we had with sharks and sea turtles, and lots of other stuff, so come back again tomorrow for some more cruise info.
.

By TwitterButtons.com

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Monday, April 9, 2012

Clutterbugs: 10 Fabulous Travel Tips

Travel is on my mind these days, mainly because I'm leaving on a cruise in a couple of weeks. I'm like to think that I'm pretty good at packing, so I thought I'd share some of my tips with you.

1. Teach your kids how to pack. My kids have been packing for themselves since they were about seven years old. Which means, they should probably have the hang of it by now! However, I still end up having to supervise to some degree or other. What I do is to have them lay out a "clothes kid" on the floor. A clothes kid is like the Flat Stanley version of a kids outfit, all the way from the shoes clear up to the shirt, including the underthings. So if we are going for a 5 day trip, they make 5 clothes kids. Then I inspect them for appropriateness for the weather and the occasion. Once they pass muster, we roll each one up and secure it with a rubber band. Instant outfit for each day! Then they just add in a bathing suit, a jacket, something to sleep in, and a toothbrush and they are travel ready.

2. Coordinate and multi-purpose your outfits. For simplicity of packing, stick with a color theme, such as black and white with grey. That way you can pack fewer clothes and pair them up in different ways. I have several lightweight cardigans that I can wear for warmth, or to dress up an outfit and also some lightweight cotton shirts that I can wear over a tee for extra sun protection, or dress up with an embellished tank or T-shirt for dinner. I try to make my shoes do double duty also - I like fancy ballet flats that can go with jeans or a shirt and are comfortable enough if I'm doing some walking.

3. Simplify your toiletries. I keep my toiletries bag permanently packed with a lot of the items I know I will need for a trip - comb, extra toothbrush & toothpaste, 3 oz. bottles filled with my preferred brand of shampoo and body wash. Then I can mostly grab and go and just add in some jewelry and a few other odds and ends at the last minute.

Photo credit: Stock.xchg by PurdyWurdy

4. Plan for the unexpected. I throw together a little mini medical kit with a variety of common over the counter remedies - Tylenol, Imodium, Tylenol PM, bandaids for blisters, Neosporin, some anti-itch cream, etc. I put them in Tic-Tac containers (labeled), or their own blister pack, or cello-wrap and fit them into a ziplock bag.

Photo credit: Stock.xhcg by lcs9

5. Properly label your bags. Be sure your address and cell phone number (your home phone isn't as helpful in this case) is both inside and outside your suitcase. If you have the stereotypical black bag that looks like every other black bag, you'll want to add a bright ribbon or something to help you find it instantly on the baggage carousel. Then snap a picture of it with your cell phone camera. If your bag is misplaced, you can show the baggage claim people exactly what it looks like.

6. Manage your weight. No, not that weight, the weight of your luggage. In this day of luggage charges, you've got to pay attention to how you pack your suitcases. If you're traveling with a spouse, you want to balance your items between the two suitcases. If necessary, you can wear some of your heavier things, such as your coat, and your bulkier shoes, like tennis shoes, even though it's a nuisance during the security screen.

7. Speaking of the security screen (assuming you're flying - it's not as big a problem when you are driving!), we all have our own strategies for that. I wear minimal jewelry, double check my purse for no-no items, like embroidery scissors, or my son's Scout knife. I don't usually carry much in the way of lotions or liquids, but once in a while, I forget. One important tip - double check the dates on your driver's license or passport. My husband had an accident the day after my birthday, and I went to the airport to rent a car. Guess what - my license had just expired. I ended up spending the day at DMV instead - ugh. My son did that the last time we were on vacation for his birthday. We realized his license had just expired. Fortunately, we were driving, or we would have been stranded in California.

8. Pre-plan and pre-pack. I learned this lesson on my last trip. I messed up on setting my cell phone alarm and woke up an hour later than I expected. Fortunately, I had every single item packed up and waiting by the front door, including my laptop, cords, and toiletries, and I had already laid out my outfit for the plane. I still completely missed my plane, but I was dressed and out the front door in ten minutes flat without overlooking a single item!

9. Also in the pre-planning area, print copies of your itinerary and hotel confirmation, Mapquest your route from the airport to your hotel and anywhere else you plan to go. Leave emergency contact info with your neighbors and pet sitters, and make sure you have phone numbers and addresses for anyone you might want to visit, or might need to call in an emergency. You never know when you might have an accident, or when a natural disaster might occur. If someone is watching your kids, make sure they have a medical release for in case of an unexpected injury or illness.

10. Have fun. Just enjoy yourself. Don't worry about getting the perfect picture, or having the perfectly planned and arranged vacation, just let the fun happen. And if something bad happens, shrug it off if you can. If your vacation is 90% good, and 10% bad, it can still be a pretty good vacation if you keep a positive attitude and do your part to keep things upbeat.

Bonus tip: Grab one of those large recyclable grocery bags. The kind that fold flat, so it won't take up any room. Toss it in your suitcase or carry-on. It can be used as a dirty clothes bag, a beach bag, or as an extra carry on, if you overdo it on the souvenirs (as I've been known to do on occasion!)

PS: I got on YouTube last night and learned how to "ranger roll" my T-shirts. It's supposed to take a lot less room and leave them without wrinkles. Go look it up!

By TwitterButtons.com

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Friday, April 6, 2012

I went CAMPING - no, really!

I have to admit, I am the indoor-est of indoor girls. On the average day, I probably spend less than 3 minutes in the out of doors. Just enough time to get from the car to the door of my heated and air-conditioned office, and get right back to my headed and air-conditioned house. And my car, obviously, is heated and air-conditioned.

To me, that's the big drawback of the great outdoors that everyone else seems to be so enamored with. It's almost always too hot, too cold, too windy, or too something. For most girls, it's the bugs, snakes, and lizards and stuff. I'm just fine with all that stuff, even mice. My husband is terrified of them, so I have to catch them and get rid of them whenever the cat brings them in. But my biggest fear is being uncomfortable. Well that, and having to pee outside. Those are both pretty equally horrifying to me.

But this time, I actually did go camping. For a whole weekend. Yeah, me! And, surprisingly, I had a pretty good time. You see, I've been the camping coordinator for my son's Scout troop this year. They have around 50 boys and they camp 11 months out of the year, so that's no small job.

After planning so many campouts, I got kind of curious about what all the fuss was about and why everyone seemed to have such a good time. So, I decided to give it a try. Once a year, we do have one campout where we actually have cabins. And indoor toilets. And even a mess hall with an actual stove. Although this time of year, there is one rather important thing they don't have - running water.

I lost all my pictures when I baptized my brand new iPhone in the washing machine (sigh), but I'll paint you a picture instead. Me, one other Mom, and 50 Scouts, dads, and leaders. The weather was fairly decent. It was supposed to snow like crazy all weekend, but we only got a dusting of it on Sunday and it was actually nice and sunny on Saturday. The food was pretty good - one of the Scout leaders cooked all the meals, not me, though I took my turn as kitchen help. And we not only had a space heater in our cabin, but I brought along a small electric throw, so I was snug as a bug. I even got used to flushing the toilets with buckets of river water - oh joy!

Of course, I still spent about 90% of my time indoors, but I got to pretend I was camping, and I did have a pretty good time. And the 50 to 2 ratio, that was kind of nice. I'm kind of used to being around guys, they're so much easier to deal with than women. They are much more relaxed and easy-going, although they're much different to communicate with. I love it when I send them a well thought-out Email of several different paragraphs covering a variety of topics and suggestions and I either get back the virtual equivalent of "grunt" or nothing at all.

Maybe I'll even try it again, but on a summer campout this time. They're on their own for snow caves and ice games!

By TwitterButtons.com

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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Guest Posting over at InBeTWEEN Mom's

I am the featured guest poster today over at InBeTWEEN Mom's. This is a post I've been planning for months and I think it is one every parent of a teen or tween should read.

I get sad when I hear people bashing teens all the time. Yes, raising teens isn't a picnic by any means, but it is important - so important, that you think well of them. Kids live up (or down) to our expectations because even when they think they don't like us, our opinions matter to them. Like, a lot! Pop over to the site to have a read and see if you agree.

By TwitterButtons.com

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