The Sprinkle on Top

While living in Charlottesville, Virginia for over two years, I worked at WorldStrides - an educational travel company that runs international study abroad programs for universities across the globe. Although I have not traveled extensively overseas, I learned a lot of tips and tricks to help the inexperienced traveler have a smooth and amazing experience in their chosen country of travel. Most of these may be common sense to the well-seasoned traveler, but for those who are just stepping into the world of travel, don't forget these 8 things to know before you head out. 1. Arrive at the Airport on Time You can really start a trip on the wrong foot by missing your flight and having to be rerouted, taking any available flight and any available seat to get you to your final destination. Travel professionals recommend arriving at the airport two (2) hours in advance for domestic flights and three (3) hours in advance for international flights . This gives your schedule a bu...

33 Weeks on Bridge at Dry Fork Flume Interpretive Trail When talking with other mom's-to-be, more often than not I hear the complaint that time just is not going fast enough. The days drag on, the months linger, and why are they so far away from their due date? Not once during this pregnancy have I had that feeling. Maybe it was the chaos of moving cross-country the day I found out I was pregnant, maybe it was all the past experience I've had with time always passing no matter how anticipated or dreaded a certain day may be, or maybe I'm just content with the limited time I have left to focus on my husband & me. Regardless of the reason WHY? I have felt like my feet are strapped to a high speed train hurtling towards July 31. Days pass by in a blur, busy weekends fly by, and suddenly here we are in July with only a few weeks to go. As our last adult only summer for possibly a few decades, we wanted to really make the most of all our time. After all, wha...

"We would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most." - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Do you ever find yourself bogged down by the never-ending to-do list of your life? I do. Laundry, grocery shopping, taking Lucy on walks, putting in time working, cleaning, reading, writing, repeating... If not careful, life can easily get stuck in an endless time loop of doing the same thing day after day, week after week until suddenly you wonder, "Where did all my time go?"  Justin and I had deliberated a lot about when the right time was for us to get a dog and when the right time was for us to start having babies. We'd been trying to get pregnant for a few months, but in November 2016 decided that nothing was guaranteed with a baby so we were going to get a dog. Surprise! We ended up getting to have both! Many people told me how difficult it was going to be having a puppy and a baby...