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You Might Be A Teacher If…

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As I was planning my upcoming spring break(3 weeks from now), I noticed some very unusual things on my Spring Break Bucket List. That made me begin thinking about how teachers are definitely a breed of our own for so many reasons.  Today, I think I will share my quirky teacher habits in Jeff Foxworthy fashion.

You Might Be Teacher If:

  1. You get excited when you can go to the bathroom any time you want!  Let’s face it, teachers are on a bathroom schedule. Those students of our cannot be left alone, so we get to go to the bathroom on a schedule. For me, those times are 7:45 a.m., 11:20 a.m., and 2:40 p.m.  If I ever have to go to the bathroom in between times, forget about it. I can’t.

 

 

  • One day of your spring break is filled with all the doctors’ appointments that you cannot fit in during regular school weeks. We teachers keep crazy hours and have so many meetings after school that we often cannot get in to see a doctor. If you plan well, you can probably see 4 doctors in one day over spring break!

 

 

 

  • You plan at least one lunch with your teacher friends at a real restaurant during vacation from school. During school, teachers are lucky to get 20 minutes to eat. Sometimes teachers have to supervise children with disgusting eating habits while trying to consume their own lunch. Eating out with our friends over spring break makes us feel human! We can eat slowly, talk lots, and ignore everyone else around us. Ah, the bliss!!

 

 

 

  • You get excited to read a book just for fun…and not a children’s book. Oh, it’s so nice to meet you, Beth Moore and Ted Dekker! Oh look….there’s James Patterson, too! I’ve missed you all so much!

 

 

 

  • You avoid Wal-Mart and Target in July because you might see school supplies WAY TOO SOON!!! Enough said.

 

 

 

  • You geek out over fun office supplies such as colorful pens, cute post-it note holders, and Post-It filing tabs! I personally have enough colored pens to last a lifetime…but that won’t stop me from buying more!

 

 

 

  • You have one wardrobe that you don’t mind getting paint, chalk, or slightly snotty fingerprints on….and another wardrobe that you wear out with “grown ups.” Let’s face it, there are lots of gooey things involved in teaching elementary students. Dress for success.

 

 

 

  • You view every empty jar or plastic container as a future art project or storage solution. I can’t throw away a nice plastic lunch meat container or those cool plastic containers that Crystal Lite comes in! Oh, and don’t get me started on those large cool whip containers! I love those!

 

 

 

  • You can tell the moon phase just by people watching. People act and drive the worst during a full moon.  Ugh.

 

 

 

  • You cheer like you just won a huge lottery jackpot  when you hear the announcement, “The faculty meeting for today has been postponed/cancelled.” We dearly love our administrators, but please put it in an email. We’re exhausted. If you ever want to hear a collective cheer, be in a school when that announcement is made. We really do sound like we just won the super lotto jackpot!

 

 

Now that’s just a hand full of the endearing little quirks that we teachers possess! If you know a teacher or are related to a teacher, I think you’ll see some familiar things on this list. If you happen to be a teacher, embrace your quirks because that’s what makes us a special breed! We are wildly wonderful wizards of wisdom and whimsy! We make the world go around a lot better than it would without us! I am thankful for all you teachers out there! Happy Spring Break!

Things That Make Me Thankful

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Gratefulness is not just for the month of November. Actually, gratefulness should be part of our daily lives. It is said that if a person learns to be grateful for what they have, they will eventually remove all traces of entitlement, greed, and jealousy from their lives. The spirit of gratitude is best friends with the spirit of joy, and if you happen to be a Christian, gratitude pleases God immensely! I Thessalonians 5 15-18 even say thankfulness is God’s will! “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Do you want to be in God’s will? Be thankful!

 

After you read this post, I’m going to need everyone to get a small notebook or a fancy journal and begin listing what you are grateful for.  If you are artistic…draw it! If you are poetic…write a poem about it! If you love photography…take a picture, print it out and paste it in your journal. Don’t just read this! Do something to make yourself dwell on the gifts you have around you every day!  Since you know I love lists so much, it should be no surprise that I’m leaving my partial list of things that make me feel grateful!

 

  1. My husband. After my first marriage ended 15 years in, I was sure that God would never give me a second chance at love. I was wrong. He gave me Scott and I am forever grateful.

 

  1. My Son. I have a talented, intelligent, funny, independent, cheerful, kind hearted, and God-honoring son. I am truly blessed.

 

  1. My Church. My current church has done more to challenge me to be a better Christ-follower than any past church I’ve attended. I am grateful.

 

  1. My friends, Teresa, Dawn, Ann, Stefanie, and Cortney. I hate to name names and forget someone or hurt someone’s feelings, but these 5 ladies have been my closest friends, my biggest cheerleaders, my attitude adjusters, and my sounding board for years. They are my 2:00 a.m. friends….who would take my call at that hour if I needed them. They know some of my worst character traits and love me anyway. They know my biggest fears and failures and they still stick to my side. They even put up with my weird sense of humor.  I am so thankful for them and blessed!  This is not to say I’m not grateful for my other friends. I am so lucky to have many great friends in my life! They each mean so much to me! They make my heart bubble over with gratitude.

 

  1. My Job. I love my job. I am thankful that I get to do something amazing to earn an income which helps keep my family supplied with food, clothing, and shelter.

 

  1. My medical benefits. I have amazing health insurance. I can go to the doctor when I need to go and yes, I’ll have to pay my share, but I never worry that I’ll run out of money and never be able to pay for my care.

 

  1. White Chocolate. Okay….I had to get something quirky on this list. I LOVE white chocolate and when I eat it I’m even more grateful for my taste buds.

 

  1. Dogs. Dogs are a gift, straight from Jesus to humankind. Dogs make me so happy. I am grateful for all the cute ears and happy little faces!

 

  1. iPhones. I don’t even know how I survived with a phone attached to a wall or to a phone that only makes calls.  I love this little miracle called a smartphone!

 

  1. Cameras. I love taking pictures. I love the creativity. I love the memories. I love capturing beautiful moments and keeping them forever. I am thankful to have some great camera equipment.

 

Folks, I could literally go on all day. When I first jotted this list in my journal, I was able to write down these 10 things in just minutes. If you really train yourself to look for things to be thankful for you will find it becoming easier and easier. How about that close parking spot at the grocery store when you’re feeling exhausted? How about that cool morning that makes you feel awake and alive? How about those gorgeous trees and flowers in your neighborhood? How about when your spouse or friend takes you out to dinner and you were dreading having to cook that night? How about when a friend calls you on your way to work just to chat? Here’s a great one for Charleston SC…how about those mornings you leave at just the right minute and traffic is moving smoothly? Even the little things are huge blessing for which to be thankful!!!  Now, go out there and keep a list of all the little and big things that make you feel grateful and develop your attitude of gratitude!

 

Listfully yours,

 

Vicki

Things I Don’t Understand

/ theraisleyrundown / 3 Comments

Think about how much knowledge there is in the world. Really think about every possible profession that you know of and think about the specialized knowledge that those professions have. Think about how your own body is a miraculous creation of cells, organs, bones, synapses, electrical impulses, and DNA coding that makes us each a unique individual. Now, have I made you think enough to realize how much you DON’T actually know. It can be terrifying to feel so small and insignificant, right!?! Well, today I’m going to share a dozen of my favorite mysteries of the universe. Here goes.

  1. Why is there Braille on a drive up ATM?  If you need Braille, you shouldn’t be driving.
  2. Why does Amazon send small items that you purchase in gigantic boxes? I recently ordered two high-speed memory cards for my camera that fit in the palm of my hand and Amazon shipped them in a shoe-box sized box. Yesterday we received two desktop organizing trays in a box that would hold two office-sized microwaves. It seems a little extreme.
  3. Why do we think criminals will obey MORE gun laws when they break the ones we currently have? All joking aside, I think we need more Jesus changing people’s lives.
  4. Why can’t directions for assembling things have words AND pictures? “Back in the day” when I had to assemble something that I purchased I would read written words and see diagrams for putting these items together. Now, we have switched over to directions with only pictures and obnoxious arrows pointing to things on the picture that don’t even exist on the item being assembled. I just want my words back. I’m not a caveman with no language skills.
  5. Why am I called intolerant when I don’t agree with your opinion…but when you don’t listen to my opinion you somehow are NOT being intolerant? Just think about it.
  6. Why do people loot and trash their own cities when their sports team wins a big championship? What kind of message are they trying to send? Is that some kind of reward for winning? I just don’t get it.
  7. Why am I so tempted to touch the surface that has a “Wet Paint” sign? Do I really think in my heart of hearts that someone would lie to me about that?
  8. Why do I get slightly annoyed when someone calls me when they could have easily texted me? When did I quit loving to talk out loud? That’s totally not me!
  9. How is it that the first 50 years of my life just flew by so quickly and the past week has felt like a century is passing ever-so-slowly? My time sensor must be off! Someone, please rescue me from this long week!
    Why are the pockets on ladies shorts, pants, and skirts so tiny? I love pockets. I need room for my keys, a lip gloss, and maybe even my iPhone 6. Is that too much to ask. Stop giving me these tiny, shallow pockets that won’t hold anything and incidentally, will dump out the contents whenever I sit down. That is all.
  10. Why are ladies’ belts so cheaply made? Men get these gorgeous leather belts to hold up their pants and shorts. What do women get? We get these flimsy belts that are NOT made of leather but have price tags that are only appropriate on leather belts. I need a belt to not only hold up my pants but to also hold my holster at my side when I conceal carry. Will someone please tell the fashion industry that it is possible to make sturdy, leather belts for women that are also pretty? Thank you.
  11. Why does my kid laugh at me when I use the “talk to text” feature on my phone? Is that an old person feature on a phone? I feel certain that everyone is allowed to talk to text if their phone is capable of this magical feat! Or was this feature indeed created for the older person who can’t type that fast on that a small phone keyboard?
  12. Why are the pockets on ladies shorts, pants, and skirts so tiny? I love pockets. I need room for my keys, a lip gloss, and maybe even my iPhone 6.  Is that too much to ask. Stop giving me these tiny, shallow pockets that won’t hold anything and incidentally, will dump out the contents whenever I sit down. That is all.

There are literally thousands of things that I do not understand. This list could go on and on for weeks and weeks of this blog. In fact, the rest of my career could be spent on this topic. However, I’m going to leave you with these mysteries to contemplate and if you happen to have any answers to these, feel free to drop that information in the comments!!!
Thanks for reading!

Listfully yours!
Vicki

You Can’t Fix Stupid: Advice for the Tide Pod Generation

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This is just unbelievable, folks. There are actually people eating Tide detergent pods and dying from it. When I first heard about this I was speechless. When I heard it happened to more than one person I wondered why people could be that stupid. When I was younger, I never looked at powdered detergent and thought, “Gee, I bet with an egg and some vanilla extract that would make some pretty awesome cookies!!!” Then I began to hear that some government officials wanted to make a law that these Tide Pods be made less attractive so people won’t eat them. Really???? Are you kidding me right now???? How stupid have our society and our leaders become?! So, here’s my advice for the Tide Pod Eaters who seem to love eating pretty things….eat something off my “Pretty Things That Are Actually Edible” list.

Pretty Things That Are Actually Edible:

Soda. It comes in such fun colors and has fizzy little bubbles for that extra sparkle.

Ice. Those clear little cubes of ice are so pretty to look at and if you add some food coloring you can make some amazing colors.

Jello. What can be prettier and more fun than colorful, jiggly, sweet stuff that you can also slurp!!!!

Lollipops. The fun color, the awesome flavors, the interesting shapes, and the fun formats (such as ring, pacifiers, and gum centers) make lollipops a way better option than Tide Pods.

Strawberries. I just love those cone-shaped, red beauties. They are also sweet alone or dipped in chocolate.

Whipped Cream. If you are a really crazy person, you can even spray this pretty stuff straight out of the can and into your mouth.

Fun-fetti Cake. Hey, Tide Pod kids….they make a cake that looks like there is colorful confetti inside AND they make a matching icing!!!

Minion Ice Cream Treats. Run after the ice cream truck one day and you will find a super pretty, minion-shaped, ice cream treat! The eyeball is even a piece of black bubble gum. It’s so fun to eat!

M & M Candies. Okay, there is NO excuse to eat a detergent pod when you can get absolutely any color you want in a pack of M & M candies.

Corn on the Cob. Who hasn’t marvelled at the beautiful rows of yellow corn kernels, all lined up on the cob and dripping with butter?! It’s such a beautiful sight and it tastes so sweet. You adventurous detergent-pod-eaters should love the extra thrill of ripping from the cob with your teeth!

I could literally go on all day naming beautiful AND edible things that you could put in your mouth. So the next time you feel tempted to eat a pretty detergent pod, refer to my list and be rescued! Why not grab your notebook and make a list of your own favorite, edible beauties!

Listfully yours,

Vicki

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Musical Wisdom: Lessons From Children’s Songs

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Everyone seeks out wisdom from many different sources during a lifetime. Sometimes we get wisdom from our parents, our teachers, our Bibles, our friends, a minister, a therapist, or even self help books. Over my past 30 years as a music teacher, I have gained a lot of wisdom from the sources listed in the previous sentence, but I’ve also learned a lot from children’s songs!  Here’s the list!

 

 

  • If You’re Happy and You Know It.  You’ve known this song since preschool, but do you really get the message?  It says, “If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.” Did you catch that? YOUR FACE WILL SURELY SHOW IT!!! People, please, please, please put a smile on your faces once in a while. I can’t tell you how tired I am of seeing grouchy people walking around. I know everyone is NOT miserable, but nobody is telling their face that they are happy! When I make eye contact with someone, I smile….. even when I feel grumpy. I know this sounds crazy, but I even pass people at church and work, who know me well, and they don’t make eye contact and they don’t smile. Let’s change that. If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.  SMILE!!!!

 

 

 

  • The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Everyone knows the Itsy Bitsy Spider. He’s the guy that was climbing up the waterspout and a poorly timed rain storm came through and washed him to the bottom.  Do you remember what he did after the storm? Yes! He went up the spout again!  The lesson? Life is going to bring you many rain storms that will set you back a mile. Don’t quit. When the storm is over, get up and get going up the spout again. That spider didn’t curse the storm. He didn’t blame the spout for his problems. He didn’t say, “I cam from a bad water spout environment and I can’t climb out.” He simply got up and got his eight little legs walking again. Have the perseverance of the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

 

 

  1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. That star sure looks like a diamond up there! How I wonder what you are! The message of this song is to slow down long enough to look up or to look around and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation around you. Check out the next full moon.  Teachers hate full moons because they make the students go crazy, but if you gaze up in the sky at one of those things, you will be in awe of how gorgeous the moon is and it is simply reflecting the sun’s light! It’s amazing! Look at your mountains. Look at your snow. Look at your sandy beaches. Be in awe of that massively strong ocean that throws its waves at the shore. Take time to admire the world around you. It will lift your spirits and help you feel more gratitude and joy!

 

 

  • I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.  The lady in this song is a maniac. She begins by swallowing a fly. Then she says, “Why did I eat that thing? Now I need to swallow a spider to get it.” But after the spider is swallowed, the lady has more regrets and swallows a bird to get it. It doesn’t end there, you know. She has to swallow a cat, a dog, a cow, and a horse….and then BOOM….she explodes and dies.  Wait, what?! That’s crazy. There’s a couple lessons her. Number one, don’t eat food until you explode. I can’t even imagine how many weight watchers points she consumed in that song. Food won’t fix your problems, so don’t eat until you explode. Lesson two, don’t bite off more than you can chew. When your life is busy and you are feeling frantic trying to keep up, make sure you are strong enough to say NO to people who come to pile jobs on your plate. Look out for yourself and your family. You don’t have to take on every volunteer opportunity that comes your way. You don’t have to be on every committee at work. You don’t have to fill every waking moment of your day with tasks. The Old Lady shows us that taking on too much will cause us to explode emotionally, mentally, or even physically.  Slow down and enjoy some quiet times.

 

 

 

  • The Farmer In the Dell. Do you remember singing about the old farmer? He is a very smart guy. He chose to take his wife in the song. Then, in turn, the wife took the nurse, the nurse chose the child, the child grabbed the dog, the dog wanted the cat and the cat chose the rat. At the end of this old song we find the cheese standing alone. (It must have been some kind of stinky cheese.) Are you wondering what gem we can learn from this song? Here it is….choose the people that you keep in your life carefully. Decide who you will keep close to you and decide who the stinky cheese people are in your life! I’ll go a step further. Keep those special people close to you and SPEND TIME WITH THEM. Those great people in your life are the ones that bring you joy and love doing life with you, so make time for them and keep them close. Be sure that you are aware of the stinky cheese people in your life, too. Keep their drama and their negativity at arms length. Know when to cut ties completely, too. I believe we are called to serve one another and to comfort and encourage one another, but we’ve all had extreme cases where a person was just too toxic to stay around. Be aware and be wise about it. Keeping loved ones close and “stinky cheeses” far, will keep you healthy and happy, just like the Farmer in the Dell.

 

 

There you have it. Wisdom from children’s songs and a 30 year veteran music teacher. I hope at least one of these songs made you stop and think today! If nothing else, I hope something made you laugh! Maybe I’ll even get to see a few more smiles out in public!

 

Listfully yours,

 

Vicki

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Romantic Gestures: Why My Husband is the Coolest

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Hello! Valentine’s Day is upon us and I just couldn’t resist taking this opportunity to make a fun list of some of the cool things that my husband does regularly to show his love! Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Oh, my, this lady is gonna brag about her husband. Big deal.”  But, read on!  Maybe you will find inspiration in these ideas! Maybe you will use a few of these things to surprise your own spouse. Maybe this will cause you to think about how awesome your spouse or significant other is! That’s the point! When we count our blessings, we automatically feel more joy in our lives. Read on, my friends!

  1. The “Vicki Playlist.”  My husband has a playlist on his iPod with my name on it. This list is full of all of my favorite songs and artists. When we ride in his truck, he pulls the Vicki Playlist up and we jam out to the music I love.  It’s such a thoughtful gesture and makes me feel special!

2. Mystery Dates. Every couple of months, my husband plans a mystery date. That means I have no ideas where we are eating and what we are doing. All he tells me is what type of clothing best suits the trip. For example, one time Scott told me to be ready for a 7:00 p.m. dinner, to wear warm-ish clothes because we’d be outside, and to bring my camera along.  We ended up eating at one of my favorite creekside diners and then visiting a local tourist spot after dark. It turns out that a traveling company was putting on a light show on the side of an aircraft carrier that is on display in Charleston’s Harbor. I love photography, so Scott figured that I’d love the light show and want to take pictures. It was a super fun night and not knowing what was going to happen was half of the fun.

3. Just Because Gifts.  My husband is super sneaky. He is good at keeping secrets which is one of the things at which I am most terrible. He listens to things I talk about, secretly shops on Amazon or local business, and then surprises me when I least expect it at random times throughout the year. I’ve received shoes, purses, watches, bracelets and many other things simply because he took the time to listen…and then be sneaky!

4. Cards on the Dash.  I get up for work at 5:00 a.m. I have to admit that I am usually grumpy in the mornings. I hate getting up alone when most people are sleeping. Since Scott leaves before I do, I don’t even have him to chat with as I get ready to improve my mood. So, again, on random occasions, I find little cards resting over my speedometer when I hop in the car to leave for work. Sometimes, there’s even a little chocolate to go with it!

5. Breakfast. While I normally do all the cooking in my house (and I use the term “Cooking” loosely,) on weekends and Wednesdays when my husband is off work, he is always careful to get up before I do and go make us breakfast! On work days it is such a blessing that I don’t have to cook for myself and I get a delicious breakfast. On weekends, it’s just plain thoughtful and fun! The extra effort that Scott puts into cooking and cleaning up puts a smile on my face and joy in my heart!

6. Support. One of the best romantic gestures of all is support. My husband is a great listener and gives terrific advice and then supports me. He’s supported my desire to start up a direct sales jewelry business. He’s cheered me on with my photography endeavors, too. He is totally understanding of my desire to retire from teaching and pursue another avenue of work.  This support means a lot to me. After all, who doesn’t love having someone in your corner?!

Now, there are so many other things that I could add to this list, but I’m pretty sure people wouldn’t keep on reading forever. So, in conclusion, I want to give you an assignment. Make a list of things your spouse or significant other does for you. Counting your blessings is a great way to lift your spirits!  Then make a list of things that you could do for someone else! I guarantee it will do your heart good! I hope you all have a very happy Valentine’s Day!

Listfully yours,

Vicki

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A Scent-sational Encounter: A Newbie’s List of Essential Oil Encounters

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I did it. I joined the rapidly growing number of people who use essential oils. I didn’t want to succumb to the peer pressure, but six months ago I caved right in and started my journey with Young Living. Don’t quit reading….this is NOT a plea to get you to join my team. I don’t want you to join anything. I just want you to hear from a skeptic on the subject and share in my limited number of successes so far!

When I started using oils I knew absolutely nothing about them. I had just heard some friends and co-workers talking about how awesome they are. One of my closest friends had actually joined Young Living ( https://www.youngliving.com/en_US)  and was raving about the benefits. She was generous enough to share some samples with me. Some worked and some didn’t. The ones that worked got me hooked and extremely interested. So, as a clumsy newbie to essential oils, here is a list of some oils with which I’ve had success.

  1. Stress Away. This is the one my friend first gave me in a roller bottle. I used to get so worked up over things that I felt like I had to throw up. I began rolling this on wrists and temples and within 10 minutes found myself calmer with no sick feeling. That’s an affordable victory.

 

  1. Purification.  I had a small cyst that kept appearing on my chin, staying a couple of weeks, and then disappearing. It would return about every other month and annoyed me to death. I applied a drop or two of Purification on that thing 3 times each day and in just four days it was gone and never came back. Success!

 

  1. Purification, again. I have two large stinky dogs in my house. They get bathed and groomed, but they still bring in that “outdoorsy” smell every time they play outside. This time, I diffused a few drops of Purification and the pet odors were totally gone! Wow! This is a must for pet owners!

 

  1. Homemade Poo-Pourri. Yes, I’ll say it. Poop stinks. We discovered the official Poo-Pourri product several years ago and that stuff is awesome. It comes with a pretty hefty price tag, so I set out looking for a recipe that I could make at home. Here’s the one that I found to be the best.
  • Get a 4-ounce glass spray bottle.
  • Pour 1/3 cup of witch hazel into it
  • Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable glycerin
  • Add 30 drops of essential oil (your choice of scents)
  • Shake well to mix
  • Spray 3 to 5 sprays on top of the toilet water before each visit!

5. R.C.  R.C. is an oil that is often used for respiratory issues, such as congestion, allergies, colds, and sinus pressure. I did not personally try this, but my 23-year-old son came home one day with severe congestion and definitely sounded as though a full-fledged common cold was taking over his head. I had no over the counter cold remedies in the house, so to avoid looking like the worst mom ever, I offered him some R.C. After mixing a few drops in a carrier oil, he rolled it over his face in the sinus areas and along the sides of his nose. Within 10 minutes, he returned to the kitchen to tell me that he was already feeling relief from the sinus pressure and congestion. The next day he took the roller bottle to work with him and continued applying it as needed. In 3 days he was no longer sick. I’d like to call this a win as well.

Now, I think this is a pretty good list in just the 3 months I’ve been trying essential oils. I have a great Pinterest board started with recipes that others have shared and I look forward to more and more successes. If you have any great tips, drop me a comment! I’d love to learn from your success!

Listfully yours,

Vicki

Unconventional Travel Advice or What Should I Bring on This Trip?

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Are you headed out of town soon for a long trip or even just a long weekend? Well, I have created a list of things that you MUST take on your next adventure! My list is rather unconventional, but I am positive that you know to bring your toiletries and extra underwear. I won’t insult your intelligence by reciting a list of what you always take. No…my list is so much better. Read on and see!

  1. Take a sense of humor.  You all know good and well that every family vacation in some way resembles the Chevy Chase Vacation movies.  You get lost. You deal with other horrible drivers. You get delayed from your well-planned itinerary with extra bathroom stops, flat tires, engine trouble, your wife wanting to stop at a “cute shop,” or a slow server during your lunch stop. If you are flying, there are even more delightful things to delay your trip or frustrate you!  Let’s face it, the number of things that can go wrong on a trip is ENDLESS! But, if you have a sense of humor, your trip will be much more enjoyable.  If you encounter that rude drive, put some distance between yourselves and calm down. If traffic is moving slowly in general, there is no way you can actually go faster than the crowd, so put on some music, belt out your favorite songs and enjoy the scenery, your family, and your music. Getting angry when things go wrong upsets everyone involved and accomplishes nothing. Two years ago, I took a trip with some colleagues of mine and on the long drive home we got a flat tire and had no tools with which to change it. While we waited forever for AAA to send a tow truck, we pulled out our ukuleles and had a uke jam well off the side of the road. Time flew by and we were happy!

2. Take an adventurous spirit. Since you are going somewhere new, make it a point to be willing to do, see, learn and eat something new. You should not try to play it “safe” during your entire trip. I love to use the example of food. My family has a rule that when we are on vacation, we never eat at a chain restaurant. (Well, when we pull off the interstate for a quick lunch, sometimes there isn’t a choice, but once at our destination, the rule is in play!)  We have eaten in some really ugly local places that have AMAZING food! Be adventurous with what you eat! While you are out and about on your trip try an activity that you can’t or haven’t experienced at home. For example, hit up a new theme park, visit a museum, attend a performance happening in the town you are in, hike the trails to see the waterfalls/mountains/etc., or take the jeep tour/segway tour/carriage tour. Do something that you would not normally do! Use your imagination and find something new!

3. Take a nap.  I know this sounds ridiculous, but hear me out. How many times have you come home from a trip and you are so exhausted that you wished you had two days off to rest before returning to work?  I know I heard you say, “EVERY time!” Your vacation will not be ruined if you take a an hour nap. In fact, a short nap will give you the energy to go explore even more. Sleep drives the “grumpies” out of you and your family so that you can avoid snapping at one another because you are tired. Trust me. Do as I say. Take a short nap!

4. Take a break from social media. Gasp! I said it. I said to stay off social media. I have seen people on social media posting millions of pictures while on vacation. Oh, guess what? I’ve been one of those people. But, here’s what I found out. When my nose is in the phone, I miss so much of what’s around me at this awesome location. Here’s what to do instead. Take all the pictures and selfies that you want, then put your phone back in your pocket. If you must post often, do it after your family is in bed for the night. Post every other night. Here’s an idea….post when you get back home.  Live in the moment with your family and have FUN being fully attentive to your family and location! Enough said.

5. Take a journal.  You knew that as much as I like lists, that I’d have to include a notebook for lists in some way!!! Go ahead and buy a Composition Notebook for less than a dollar and take it on your trip. Use a Sharpie to write the location and date of the trip on the front cover. Every day, at dinner or bedtime, encourage each member of the family to list what they most liked doing, seeing, or eating during that day. Younger children can draw a picture. Older (possibly uncooperative teens) can make a list, draw, or even just write one word to show what they liked. This activity will help bring your family together, wind down for the evening, and create a great way to remember your trip. You may even pull the notebook out several years later when you return to that location and decide to visit that quaint little restaurant that someone wrote about!

 

Well, I believe all this sparkling wisdom will help you enjoy your trip more! Give it a try and enjoy that next vacation!

Listfully yours,

Vicki

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