Fancy That!

Bonus #0. Something I’ve long known was especially important during the John Muir Trail adventure that became my memoir, Force of Nature. Plan ahead thoroughly, but be ready to adjust and embrace surprises . I’m a planner. I like to do all the organizing early—creating Plans A, B, and C—so I can relax and enjoy the trip. For example, I had to organize my meals for a month, break food up into packages for each day, and then send boxes ahead to food caching sites to be picked up. One box was even delivered to the trail by packhorse. Out in the wilderness, I was confident my supplies would be waiting for me at the next stop. 1.  Have patience with myself that I will rise to the occasion—I will get stronger or I’ll adjust. I am brave (even when I’m scared).  Early in our adventure, I was terrified of walking across logs over rivers. I felt top-heavy with forty pounds on my back and didn’t trust my feet on rough curved logs. I pictured myself falling headlong into the river below! But I kep

Thank you Rebecca for joining in today! She's doing a blog tour with WOW! Women on Writing about her book " When Mama Grows With Me " My preschooler loves to ask: “What’s your favorite fill-in-the-blank?”. And I love that he asks these questions, because he’s probing for what the other person appreciates and not what they hate! Though when my son asks the bug question, the other person’s immediate response tends to be a narrowing of the eyes and scrunching of the nose. Currently, my son’s favorite bug is a grasshopper. Consider this: when the adult cringes in response to a question that has no wrong answer, what message is that sending to the child? Many people would not place the words appreciation and bugs in the same sentence. Bottom line, bugs keep our ecosystem in balance. Without bugs, human existence couldn’t thrive. According to BBC Science Focus , if all bugs suddenly disappeared, we would have complete ecological collapse and global famine. That is enough to con

How many of you are huge fans of Disney's  Encanto ? If so, you are going to love this giveaway I have for you! In this sing along film concert, you'll have a chance to watch the entire feature-length film and an on-stage band celebrating all the record-breaking hit songs from the beloved soundtrack. The entire band will lead the audience in performing all of the hit songs in sync with the film! I don't know about you but that sounds amazing. Find out more information on their website . Just watch this video below: And I get to giveaway four tickets to one lucky winner! Giveaway is for a US only winner. It ends on 10/13/2023. And you'll be choosing from one of these dates/locations: ***Tickets available for only the dates below 10/17/2023 Toledo, OH Stranahan Theater 10/21/2023 Schenectady, NY Proctors Theatre 10/24/2023 Wheeling, WV The Capitol Theatre - WV 11/2/2023 Roanoke, VA Berglund Performing Arts Theatre 11/3/2023 Richmond, KY EKU Center for the Arts 11/5/2023 S

This post contains an affiliate link for which I will receive small compensation if you purchase through my link. Have you been looking for a new solar starter kit, only to find yourself feeling unsure of where to begin? If this is the case for you, the Renogy 100W solar starter kit might just be everything you need to begin harnessing solar energy for small loads. Key Features  As far as solar starter kits go, the Renogy 100W Solar Starter Kit undoubtedly provides a great range of products, all bundled into a single cost-saving package. The key includes a 100W 12V monocrystalline solar panel, a BT-1 Bluetooth Model, and a 1000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter. Together, these allow you to create your own small-scale solar starter kit, ideal for many applications.  The maximum cell efficiency of the panel is 22%, which helps produce around 500Wh of solar-powered energy daily. The system is also designed to work with several different battery types, giving greater freedom for users.  Pros

This post contains affiliate links. Have you ever wanted to indulge in a wine experience that goes beyond just a shipment of bottles? Well, get your palate ready, because I'm about to introduce you to the ultimate wine lover's haven: the California Wine Club . Discover all the benefits of joining a wine club that cares just as much as about its recipients as it does its wineries:  1. Educate Yourself  In every shipment, you'll receive their exclusive wine club magazine, Uncorked . It is like a treasure of wine knowledge. You'll find fascinating wine facts, winery tales, tasting notes, and food pairing tips. It's like having an experienced sommelier right in your home. 2. Customized Your Wine Choices Red, white, or perhaps both? The California Wine Club lets you call the shots. Mix and match club levels, change up bottle quantities, and decide how often your wines arrive. Your wine journey, your rules.  3. You Choose Your Flavor Why stick to one flavor when you can

This post may contain affiliate links where I'll receive a small amount of compensation if you purchase through my link. I'm a huge fan of grocery shopping online. It's convenient, especially since I don't have a car. I also love having one convenient app where I can virtually shop at multiple stores for groceries (and other non-grocery items) that my household needs. My preferred online grocery store service is Instacart (second to that, Vitacost). It comes with major benefits you don't see elsewhere. You can chat with your shopper, easily add last-minute items, choose fast shopping times, and be very specific about your expectations (by adding a note on your product choice and by selecting replacement item preferences).  However, I'm not always a fan of the price. Sometimes Instacart can be costly. Their prices can be higher than if you shopped in the store and many customers have complained about grocery items being swapped for more expensive options.  Today