New Look for the New Year

You may notice things look a little different around here. It wasn't really a New Year's resolution. Actually, I just up and decided yesterday that it must be done before I went to bed. I'm going to blame it on nesting, which I'm pretty sure is the reason I've been on a rampage against clutter and excess. I want everything around me to be clean and simple and fresh. Is that too much to ask? (Yes, it is. Which is just a little depressing)

This week I've been attacking the nursery and the girls' clothes. I have a big black trash bag for Goodwill and I'm not done. I found a home in the nursery for the new baby's clothes, which wasn't easy since I also wanted to keep Cetty's clothes in the nursery to save trips upstairs to the room that she will (hopefully) soon be sharing with Poppy.

Have you seen this book around?…

Well, it's on my night-stand now. I haven't started reading it yet, but its presence and title alone have been quite motivating already. I have high hopes.

So, my goals for the blog re-vamp:

1. Simplicity

2. Larger photos

3. Inspiration -- I've added a revised blog list (that actually updates with new posts!) of people I know and love and things that are beautiful...lifestyle, travel, food, photos, family, etc. 

Here's to tidying up!

Tips for the Reluctant Traveler

Hello. Bry and I are back from Grenada and are very cold. We went to visit my brave sister who is there for school (a good reason to sneak off for a babymoon/winter-survival getaway). Grenada is a beautiful island and we loved it, which brings me to some important and exciting news…

After two successful trips together, it seems that Bry has actually started to enjoy traveling! 

This is big. I wasn't sure we would ever see this day, but it turns out the problem was that the trips he had been on before weren't very much fun. Fair enough. But that's something that can be fixed.

I recently came across a list that we jotted in our notebook while we were in Greece last summer. It made me smile and I thought I would pass it on in case anyone else is married to a reluctant traveler…or is one themselves. Just some ideas that we think make a trip a lot more fun. Sorry, there are kind of a lot of them. (also, I need to post the rest of my Greece photos!)

"Things We've Learned About Traveling"

• We only need one backpack each…anything more is unnecessary. (Well, plus my huge purse)
• 3 nights is the magic number...try to stay at least 3 nights in one place before moving on.
• Exception to previous note: 1 night in big cities is enough.
• We love nature and peaceful, quiet places so plan that in when choosing the destination.
• Splurge on nice accommodations (just know your budget) and leave enough time to enjoy them.
• Travel off-season and to less touristy areas.
• No need for a tour guide unless absolutely necessary, and then do a private tour.
• Try to connect with people where you're traveling.
• Limit yourself to one country if possible.
• Getting cash in the correct currency ahead of time from your bank is worth the small fee.
• Paying for an international plan on our phones is worth it (ATT Passport is pretty cheap).
• Having all info (itinerary, transportation details, hotel information, etc.) printed out on one spreadsheet is helpful (with a backup sent to your email account).
• Having an actual folder to hold all travel docs is good.
• Pack a stash of protein bars.
• No matter how hot the country, bring one sweater.
• Delete camera card prior to leaving (or you'll start taking new photos and be stuck deleting each old photo manually when your card fills up…not fun).
• Allow yourself time to sleep in.
• Be adventurous (try new things!) and active (rock-climbing, kayaking, hiking, etc).
• Have one goal to focus on during the trip (good for the high-achiever types).
• Pick a topic or book of the Bible to study together during the trip.
• Pray out loud together…plan it in so you don't forget when you get busy and out of routine.
• Do NOT criticize your travel partner's plans when they don't work out so well (because something will always go wrong).
• Stay relaxed. You don't need to get anywhere at a certain time and you really can miss that bus.
• Decide to love the country for what it is...and then get to know it.

So there you go. Bon Voyage!