And we are back for more fun down South! We left you in our last post with some very yummy bbq. Next day we took a day trip down to San Antonio to see the Alamo.
A model I am not. Lol
This was arguably our favorite part of the trip. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I mean it was crowded and there were people everywhere but the whole mood around the church was so respectful. It reminded me a lot of our visit to Westminster Abbey.
Then we strolled along the River Walk and had some lunch!
After that we booked it back up to Fort Worth and crashed in our hotel.
The next day brought an early morning trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. Guys this zoo was fantastic! If you even remotely have the chance to visit you should totally do it. The animals were so well cared for and the zoo was well maintained.
Tay was so happy!
After lunch we headed north of the city to the Stockyards.
John was everywhere at the stalk yards.
We ended the night with a steak dinner and another movie and crash at the hotel. The next day we flew home. It was a great trip!
Happy Labor Day! (Or by the time you are reading this post-Labor Day) My sister and I had the day off, which since we both work for the same family does not happen often. And with adventure calling we headed north to Door County.
Us early in the morning(after snagging coffee) ready for the 2 1/2 hour drive north.
Our main goal for the day was to explore Cave Point County Park(a County park inside of a State Park) and paddle board up the coast of Lake Michigan.
We accomplished our goal! It was an absolutely gorgeous day with a warm sun and cool breeze. The water wasn’t freezing, which it normally is and it was crystal clear.
I’m Queen of the Rock!
After our paddle board adventure we are our packed lunch(Swedish leftovers of course) and then hiked the park.
By 2pm or so we were headed north for coffee and some shopping in Sister’s Bay.
We enjoyed our visit immensely. And after some our light shopping we continued northward for some Ice-cream!!
The pumpkin ice cream and homemade waffle cone was amazing!Tay enjoyed her cookies n’ Cream as well.
We kept heading north all the way to Gills Rock. Before we turned around for the long trek home. We stopped in Egg Harbor at Shipwrecked Brew Pub for some much needed supper and we were home by 10 pm.
If you stop at the Shipwreck Brew Pub I highly recommend the Clam Chowder- Delicious!Lots of love guys!
No I didn’t move, get fired or in anyway change lifestyles; unless you call living in a small trailer on my boss’s lake house property for the next six months a change in lifestyle… Which maybe it is come to think of it. (Lol) Anyhoo yes I am officially trailer trash! My parents are so proud. No but seriously I am actually super excited to show off my new lake hideaway.
Complete with my own outdoor(if still potted) garden!!Okay enough pictures of the garden already!
As you can tell we are all fully moved in and organized. The trailer provides my sister and I just a little more privacy than we had last year at the lake, which so far I am loving! And even though the bathroom is unusable the house is less than five feet away and so far it hasn’t been an issue. (Besides the bathroom got beautifully repurposed as a green house/George’s own private jungle)
Are you catching on the beach theme?
Though it is small it mighty! And has a crap ton of storage for all our stuff. The real test will come this week, when I start cooking. Things might get interesting. On kind of a related note here is my apartment tour I did not too long ago.
I’m finally on the move again. Traveling- ah how I have missed you! So every year my sister and I try to plan a fun get away for the two of us(though others have been dragged along with us) and this year was supposed to be a driving tour of Iceland. However due to COVID this trip has been postponed to maybe next year. Instead we decided to plan a trip to New Orleans(which was to be last year’s trip-) Though we might shuffle it for a different trip… still deciding.
So when my Mom suggested a quick trip to Tampa over Mother’s Day I was ready to sign up! Here’s just a quick recap of our adventures in the sun…
Madeira Beach, FL.
So we stayed at an Airbnb rental across the street from the fabulous white sands of Madeira Beach. Neither of us had been to this particular beach before and kinda went in blind. And we were in love- Like we’re already planning next years trip!
The view from our door.The rental’s pool- which we spent a lot of time beside and in.
Day #1
Was the dreaded(just because it’s exhausting) flight from O’Hara Airport to Tampa. We got into our rental at like 7:30pm and decided just to stay in and order delivery from Glory Days Grill. Which was very yummy. The main reason we ordered from them is we wanted a gallon of ice tea to keep at our room and which lasted our whole trip.
Day #2
Our second day was gorgeous! (In fact weather for the whole trip was fabulous! Upper 80’s no humidity and a very pleasant breeze) We started our day by walking down the street to Sweet Brewnette Coffee Shop for coffee(obviously) and breakfast.
Highly- highly recommend Sweet Brewnette. We came here every morning and enjoyed everything we tried. Plus the ladies here are super sweet.
After breakfast was a walk down the beach…
Then we dashed back to the room, threw on our swimsuits and packed a cold lunch for a day on the sand and in the water.
I got my Mom and me matching swimsuits from Albion Fit. We rocked it! #twinning #winning
So we may have gotten a little too much sun but after a brief nap and pool swim back at the room; we walked down toward’s John’s PassBoardwalk. Basically a super cool village of shops and restaurants. We popped into a few shops, but then headed to Mad Beach Bar and Grille for supper.
Our table overlooking the waterfront.If you go there we highly recommend the Beach Girl drink(we got ours nonalcoholic) So good!And the fish feast! Crab, mussels, shrimp and clams. Plus corn on the cob, potatoes, and sausage!Save room for a piece of Key Lime pie. Our tummies were very happy that night.
Day #3
The next morning we once again headed for Sweet Brewnette where we got their Tropical Smoothies for breakfast and then trolled the beach.
Bridge from Madeira to Treasure Island.
After our beach walk we went shopping!!
Tea and Spice Shop… may have spent too much money here.Also spent a bit here, but I mean it’s gourmet popcorn and they give you free samples… which cause you to buy a little of everything. (Though Birthday Cake and Strawberry were my favs)
For a lunch break we head to Pirate’s Pub for some gator bites.
We loved the gator by the way.
Then we headed back to our room for a swim and a nap. With plenty of leftovers for dinner we did walk down the street to The Candy Kitchen for something sweet.
A Lemon Italian Ice. So refreshing.
To end our day we headed back to the beach to watch the sunset.
Day #4
Keeping with tradition we once again made our way to Sweet Brewnette.
And then back to the beach for some sun time. And a few surprises!
When you see it… Yeah not a shark, but dolphins! They swam right up to the beach chasing fish. It was sooo cool!!
After the dolphins we did some last shopping and then headed to the Friendly Fisherman on the broad walk for lunch.
Tropical LemonadeFried Calamari… umm amazing!Corn fritters, coleslaw, scallops, shrimp and gouber over a bed of rice. So good! Like crazy good.
Then it was pool and nap time. Before we headed down to the Candy Kitchen for ice cream and the beach for the sunset.
Day #5
We had a mid morning flight home, which allowed one more trip to Sweet Brewnette and a stroll on the beach.
And now we’re home and I miss the sun and the sand, but it’s nice to be back. This trip was absolutely perfect. Everything from the flights to the stay to the food; was just what we had imagined(even better) And I can’t wait for the next adventure!
Hello all my wonderful readers! As I write this post(which you will get next week as perusal) I am laying in my bed on my yearly work trip to Pittsburg, PA.
We usually visit the Steel City in the summer, but because of the crappy year formally known as 2020 it got pushed back all the way to 2021… yay…
Being a live-in can require traveling with the family you work for, which I have covered here. As well as a bonus post about being a nanny when just the parents travel(here) This is probably one of my favorite things about nanny hood. I have always been up for adventures and exploring new places and to do that for free? And to get paid to boot!(not that there’s not work involved- there is) Such a cool and rewarding experience.
So without further ado here are some of the picks from the trip. Hope you enjoy!
We brought the snow with us from WI.Macaroons from Oakmont Bakery… to die for!When in Rome late night snacks are allowed.More baked goodies from Oakmont Bakery.
Not a lot of pics mainly because the family I work for just visited family and everything else was pretty much on lock down. But it was a really nice trip.
Also guys be sure to check out my “Nannyhood” section on the website for even more info on my dream job. Or if traveling is more your thing(wanderluster over here) then check-out all my many travel blogs and look books.
Valentines night 2020I’m such a rebel.Get ready for Yellowstone pictures!Okay moving on…I look fabulous!So moody 🙄
And that’s it folks! So long 2020 with your ups and downs. It’s been a crazy year and it’ll be an even crazier one tomorrow. Wishing you and yours all the best this coming new year…
Here we go again! If this post(and last week’s doesn’t make you want to visit the West nothing will)
The Gibbon River and waterfall.Mammoth Springs… it’s other worldly isn’t it?The mini the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
And then my Mom and sister drove up and down the Teton Pass just because it was there.
The view from the top of the pass,which did I mention include 10% grades. I’m a flatland girl born and raised, so that’s a big deal to me and was also slightly nerve racking.Just a few last minute shots.
And that’s a wrap! It was a much needed vacation and was probably the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
You guys ready to be absolutely blown away??? Good!
(But first I would like to apologize to whoever left a comment on my last Yellowstone post– I was going to respond and then the comment was gone. Like no where to be found. So please know I didn’t ignore you! I believe you asked what was the most important thing I packed for the trip? And the answer is definitely layers! I’d start in the morning with a shirt, sweater and heavy jacket but by the afternoon would have striped to just my t-shirt. So if you go on a trip to Wyoming in October or late fall pack layers. Again I apologize for not responding sooner)
The drive out…
We took three days to drive out west in my parents’ RV. Which meant camping stops and bonfires.
Jackson, WY.
The Tetons… couldn’t you just die?We thought the log looked like a horse. The antler arches of Jackson’s downtown.For my food lovers out there you must try an elk burger and sweet potato fries at Jackson Hole Drug Store. It’s kinda a thing. A delicious thing.And my big purchase of the trip was this Stetson. #bringbackhats
Yellowstone+Grand Teton National Park
I think another must is visiting the Tetons early in the morning… I could have stood there all day.
Okay, okay let’s move to the next location…
Tetons were by far my favorite thing about our trip. Ya know if you couldn’t tell.
Let’s get into Yellowstone itself, shall we?A bison and Old Faithful… exactly what you picture in your mind isn’t it?Old Faithful faithfully blew her top… Wow.
I could go on and on in this post, but I am going to stop here for now. All I can say God’s creation is absolutely breath taking. Another Yellowstone Trip photo dump will be coming!
Did you just read that right? Did I really write packing list? It feels like forever(and frankly it has been forever) since I have been on vacation. And man do I need it.
This was supposed to be a family vacation, but of course life gets in the way so it ended up just being my parents, my younger sister and myself, who braved Yellowstone in October. Look out next week(or the week after) for a trip round-up post or two. But for now here is what I packed for Yellowstone…
Four ultra warm knits. I think it goes without saying that unexpected snows can happen unexpectedly up against the Rockies, so packing warm apparel is just common sense. Plus I love a good knit as you well know.This was an 11 day trip, so I packed four pairs of pants to be worn on rotation. Again I went for durable and warm.Next are just a couple of nice tops. That can easily be worn causally or be dressed up if we went out for the night. The all importance of outerwear cannot be over stated. I packed both of my warmer fall coats(plus my light jean jacket not shown here) to protect against the chills.And finally foot wear. Right up there with coats in importance. From a nice pair of loafers for loading through the shops of Jacksonhole, WY. to my Hunter boots in case it snows and/or floods. I think I am well covered.
Well that’s it! I can’t wait to show you guys the pictures from this much needed get away. Until next time,
For the next two months the family I work for will be beside a lake, enjoying the sun and the wildlife. It’s a new experience for us all and has been a bit stressful. But now that we have been here a week I’m praying things will settle down.
In approaching this new experience as a nanny I thought I should shed some light on what(if you’re a nanny yourself or considering becoming one) a two month stay at a summer house could look like. I say could since obviously each situation is different. My two month stay in the Wisconsin lake country may look totally different to your four month stay in Europe. But extended vacations like the one I am currently on are often apart of the nanny experience in some way or another. And therefore need to be considered.
A few tips…
Okay let’s just jump into it, shall we? I think if there’s one piece of advise I could offer up for any situation/change in nannyhood it would be this: Go with the flow and don’t feel like you have to do it all!
I am so guilty of this it isn’t even funny. For some reason I think it’s my mission in life to make sure everybody gets from point A to point B all by myself. While I am certainly expected to help(with packing, planning and often driving one of the vehicles) that in no way means I am expected to do it all. It’s my employers vacation after all and not mine. If we’re late and/or forget something(as long as I wasn’t in charge of packing it) that’s not on my shoulders. Does that make sense?
Tip #2 would have to be: Show grace. Everybody is stressed. As I mentioned before this is not only a new experience for me but for my employers as well. So guess what? We have no idea what we’re doing! As I have said in previous posts, normally(not all the time mind you) the stress you are feeling your boss is feeling as well. Not only them but your chargers might be out of sorts too. They’re excited to be on vacation and might be a little high strung and moody until things settle back down. So let’s be patient with one another.
Tip #3: enjoy the adventure! Let’s face it going to a lake house free of charge and being paid to swim and boat and spend all day outside is the equivalent of a dream job. (Though as discussed in this post nannying is not a walk in the park) So let go of the things you can’t control, try your best to be patient with those around you and enjoy the work vacation. Yes it’s stressful, but in the end if it’s your calling count your blessings instead of naming your grievances.
I hope this was informative. As always if you have any questions about nannying leave a comment below or on any of my social accounts. Also for a look at “nannying on vacation” click here.
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