Christmas Traditions: Tree Raising

I know I'm early based on conventional traditions, but when have I ever been conventional??? The holiday spirit hit me quick this year, so yesterday I decided to put up my tree.

My neighbor helps with the tree

If you know me at all, then know this... I am not mechanically inclined. Like, at all. So when my tree came up with missing parts, I wasn't well equipped to handle it. That's why I called in reinforcements.

What was the problem, you wonder? Well, I bought my pre-lit tree used this year from someone moving back to the States. The 220V plug is handy to have. But when I opened the box, I realized there were no directions or diagrams or anything.

I can hear you laughing, you know.

With only 4 parts in total, you would think I could do it without directions. I thought I could. Then, I couldn't figure out which piece was the bottom tier. Then I realized the base was obviously missing a few screws. Then I finally figured out the bottom tier, but it immediately fell over due to the lack of parts.

Help!! Lucky me, my neighbor came over to laugh at me.

I mean, she came over to help me. And she did. But we pretty much redneck-ified my tree (this is an official word now).

Tree base, plus zip ties

We searched my tool box for screws that would fit the tree base. No luck. However, I did have quite a few zip ties! These are like duct tape, they fix all sorts of ills. As you can see from the pic above, I zip-tied the first tier of branches to the base.

Problem solved.

All of this took several hours of thought, a few trips back and forth to my basement and the neighbors house, 1 cup of coffee, 2 bags worth of zip ties, and a lot of laughter. But in the end...

Eureka! Let there be light... which is a whole other story and took another 30 minutes of plugging in, unplugging, and rearranging of cables. Not to mention the time it took to move all my living room furniture and find the perfect spot for my zip-tied Christmas tree.

Needless to say, I didn't get around to actually trimming the tree. That comes this weekend! Wish me luck, fingers crossed that my jerry-rigged stand holds, kay? Until next time, my friends...

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Christmas Traditions: Advent Calendars

I'll just put this out there while I can, and get it said... I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I probably inherited this from my mom, who is an absolute Christmas nut. Our home was always decorated to the max. We had several trees (all with different themes), garland everywhere, plus lights, candles, candy dishes, little Christmas villages... and that's just the first floor!

Living in Germany is a Christmas fantasy come true. Not only are the Christmas markets absolutely fantastic, but many of our Christmas traditions originated here. For example, the advent calendar...

My advent calendar (a gift from grandma)

This is such a fun tradition! I mean, who doesn't like getting a surprise everyday for the 24 days before Christmas??

There are so many styles of these calendars. Some are cardboard and contain chocolates or prizes. Some are paper and each window opens to a bible verse. Some are little bags that can be filled with whatever you want. I've even seen people purchase tiny, wrapped chocolate boxes that hang on the tree. Personally, I've always wanted one of the wooden calendars. And this year I got one!

You see, whilst my grandma was visiting I took her to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (I take everyone here, it's a beautiful German town!). In the town center is one of the world-renowned Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shops.

Outside Käthe Wohlfahrt

Inside Käthe Wohlfahrt

Inside Käthe Wohlfahrt

During our shopping spree, my Nana managed to buy me the wooden calendar you see above and sneak it home, all without my knowledge. She presented it to me before she left, as a present. Isn't she the sweetest??!! So this year, the Hubs and I are continuing the tradition of Christmas advent calendars in style.

And though I was the one who filled the wooden drawers with sweets, I'm guessing the Hubs will eat most of the prizes... anyone else want to take that bet? I didn't think so. Total sucker bet, ha.

Do you use an advent calendar? What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? Comment below, peeps! Until next time...

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Pinterest Tested: Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs

Oh boy, I was so excited to try out this recipe!! The original link had amazing photos, and the recipe looked fairly simple. And the flavor combination was definitely intriguing.

I mean, come on... tater tots topped with cheese then wrapped in brown sugar bacon?? HECK YES!

However (insert sad face here)... I don't think I'll ever be making this particular recipe again. Total Pinterest fail.

Tater tots before going in oven

To start, the tater tots are messy to put together, so be prepared for sticky fingers. The cheese square also tends to pop out from its bacon wrapper. Once the tots are placed on the cookie sheet, they look a bit neater and I had higher hopes that despite the long prep process, this dish would be worth it.

Tater tots after cooking

I was so, so wrong. Totally not worth it.

The cheese melted and oozed out from the bacon wrapper. So not only was there no cheese, but it melted across my pan and burned. The brown sugar combined with the bacon fat created a sticky, caramel-like substance that also melted and oozed across my pan and burned. When attempting to remove the tater tots, most of them crumbled into pieces. Only a few came off the pan looking even remotely like the original picture I saw.

Never, ever again. I actually had to throw my cookie sheet away, it was such a mess. And while I really love the idea of this flavor combination, I think the recipe would be much better served nacho-style. Perhaps cooking the tots, then topping with cheddar cheese, a bit of maple bacon, maybe even a drizzle of bbq sauce.

Hey, maybe I'll try it sometime!

But for now, test this recipe at your own risk. If you do try it yourself, let me know in the comments how it went for you. Until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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10 Stages of Being Sick

Nobody likes to be sick, am I right? But it happens to the best of us. Being sick is a battle. My autoimmune system is already compromised because of MS, and I often take a lot longer than normal to recover from even a basic cold.

It's so dang annoying!!!

I was sick pretty recently, and it totally knocked me for a loop. Hence why there haven't been any new posts from me for a while. Sorry about that, peeps. I have a ton of fun ideas lined up though, so don't despair. While ill I started thinking about all the stages of being sick, and I began to wonder if it's the same for all of us. So this is me!

Stage 1 (Denial) - I'm not sick, I'm not sick, I'm not sick...  the weather is changing, I have allergies, something. But I am not sick.

Meanwhile, my fever spikes, I lose my voice, and my nose might as well be a running faucet. But I'm totally not sick.



Stage 2 (Power Through ) - This stage usually goes a bit like this...

Hubs: "Honey, you should lie down and get some rest"

Me: "Are you mad? I'm fine! I need to cook dinner"

Hubs: "Honey, no one wants to eat anything you're cooking. It could be contaminated"

Me: "I'm not that sick! I have things to do. Go away!"

At this point, the Hubs usually lets me fall on my face from sheer exhaustion because I am completely delirious. Not to mention unreasonable. I can't say I blame him.




Stage 3 (Acceptance) - OH MY GOD, I'M REALLY SICK!




Stage 4 (Panic, with a dose of self pity thrown in) - At this point, hypochondria sets in. I could have typhoid fever! I need juice, I need vitamins, I need to binge watch Dance Moms. Bring me my favorite blanket, I want to cuddle with the dog, do we have Nyquil?

The fun never ends, people. Poor Hubs deserves better.




Stage 5 (Coma of Indifference) - I want to be unconscious, but I'm not. I want to watch random, trashy TV shows... but I can focus on nothing. Rather, I stare at the wall for hours at a time, bundled a foot deep in blankets, and bemoan my existence. More self pity ensues.




Stage 6 (Denial. Again.) - I'm better, I'm better, I'm better!

Or not.

I discover this by attempting to walk downstairs on my own, and then realize I am too weak to walk back up. Cue the whining and sniveling.




Stage 7 (Relapse) - Due to the second bout of denial, repeat stages 3 - 5.




Stage 8 (Shower Time) - I've been wearing the same pajamas for days on end. My hair is a bad imitation of Johnny Depp's in Edward Scissorhands. Professional help may be needed. A shower is all I accomplish at this phase before I fall back into the coma of indifference.




Stage 9 (Finally! Recovery) - Recovery for me doesn't mean I'm ready to dive back into work or anything. It means I can actually dress myself and walk down the stairs. I may be capable of cooking my own breakfast. This lasts for several days while my body finds its rhythm again. I spend most of this phase profusely apologizing to the Hubs for being a general pain in the you-know-what.




Stage 10 (The After Party) - Oh, if only this was an actual party! That would be way better than the grueling reality of Stage 10. Ya see, this phase involves lots and lots of laundry. And grocery shopping. Disinfecting the sick room comes into play.

It's not fun, my friends. Not fun at all. But the end of this stage marks the end of illness. Of course, that's until the Hubs starts sniffling as he's come down with whatever I've just recovered from. Repeat stages 1 - 10, only louder and with more whining involved (if that's even possible).

Sigh.


So, what are your stages of being ill? Do you recover quick, or are you more like me? I'm happy to be back in the saddle again, blogging away and getting back to what qualifies as 'normal' around here. Stay tuned, there are lots of new recipes coming and all sorts of other fun things.

Until next time!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Recipes on the Brain

As a food blogger and cooking enthusiast, I often get asked how I 'come up with' my recipes. This is sort of like asking a writer where their ideas come from. There is just no good answer.

But an awesome friend of mine (you know who you are!) mentioned that her husband had asked her this same question about me… just how do I come up with these recipes?? So I actually sat down and thought about it. And today you're going to get a peak into my twisted, recipe-creating brain.

Remember, I warned you.

The picture above is what my Kürbiscremesuppe recipe looked like before I blogged it for you. There are even more scribbles on the back of the page, but you get the idea. This is the God's honest truth:

I am a messy recipe creator.

Sometimes I cross out so many items, and add new ones in, that I have to re-write the recipe just to read my own handwriting. I begin by picking out what new taste I really want to try. Sometimes I choose a dish because it's a favorite of the Hubs, like Zuppa Toscana. I'm also into learning how to make things from scratch so I don't need to buy convenience items anymore, like my taco seasoning. Pumpkin cream soup came about because I've eaten it here in Bavaria at so many restaurants, and I totally fell in love with it.

DIY taco seasoning

I understand the basic mechanics of cooking. I've followed enough recipes, and watched enough YouTube. I've even taken a few classes. If there is a technique I don't understand, then I look it up. Makes sense, yes? Google is my friend. So I start by picking out what main ingredients I think should go in the recipe. For pumpkin soup? Um, hello… it's gotta have pumpkin in it. Probably some onion too, maybe some carrot. Definitely need broth of some type to make it soup. Could use water too. Maybe a combination??

What kind of seasonings do I feel like? Do I want to mix the cream in, or whip it and serve on top? I like the melty goodness of the cream on top, and I've seen several restaurants serve it that way as well. Yep, definitely need cream on top. And pumpkin oil. Gotta have the pumpkin oil.

This is seriously the type of stuff that goes through my brain. And I write it all down. The 'recipe' starts out all neat and tidy, a list of basic ingredients and a quick directional guide.

Somehow, from that comes this:

As I start cooking, I'm scratching out amounts. Sometimes I scratch out whole ingredients that I decide not to use. I'm drawing arrows between various steps, re-arranging as I go. I search through my spice cabinet and pull out new things.

I'm a mad scientist. Love it!

By the time it's all said and done, I still don't have a recipe. What I have is a tangled mess of scribbles that I then have to translate into a working recipe. If the flavor is off, even just a little, I start over again. I re-write the 'recipe' so I can actually read it. And then I get to work again making changes, taking out things that didn't work, and adding in things I think will.

I'm really lucky when I get it right the first time. Heck, when I get it right the second time! Sometimes it takes 5 or 6 tries before I'm really happy with the final product. Even with my tried and true recipes I make changes over the years as I learn more. This is an addiction, and a never-ending process.

So.

Did you survive your walk through my recipe-crazed brain?? I hope so! There are several new recipes on the horizon, including one to make your own caramel sauce at home. I've already tested it twice, and I think the third time will be the charm! It makes a great Christmas gift…

Until next time my friends, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Back in the Saddle (Again)…

HI!!!!

I've really missed you guys! The past few months have been quite stressful around here, with me running here and there and everywhere. Hubs and I had more company than we knew what to do with. We've travelled to so many new places, and seen a lot of things, but I've had no time to tell you about them. 

That makes me super sad, seriously. 

But no worries, I'm back! And I plan to be blogging again regularly. I've learned a lot about having company, and what changes the Hubs and I need to make in our life so we're not consumed with this seemingly constant "vacation". Naturally I'll be making a helpful list for you soon! 

I've also created some new recipes that I can't wait to share with you. And I have several others lined up to test out, yum. Plus DIY Christmas gifts and much, much more! I'm ready to kick off fall and get this holiday season started. How about you, are you ready?? 

Comment below with your favorite fall traditions, peeps! And keep your eyes open this week for my kürbiscremesuppe recipe (a.k.a. pumpkin cream soup). This is one of my favorite new German recipes. It's so delicious, the Hubs ate the whole pot by himself and I was forced to make it again. And again. And I'm making it again this week just so I can freeze some for later. 

Obsession! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Visitors En Route

Good morning, my friends! The next few weeks in my life are going to be pretty busy. The Hubs and I have more company arriving, for a several week visit. I know what you're thinking, 'Didn't you just have company?' Yep, we did…  but everyone wants to visit now that we're living in beautiful Germany. The B&B that is my house is fully booked all the way through 2015!

This means that our regular schedule has been tossed out the window. We're now in a cycle of prepare for visitors, have visitors, take a few days off, then start preparing for visitors again. Rinse and repeat. 

This time, my grandma and my aunt are coming to tour around the country a bit. We'll mostly be staying within Germany, but I have hopes we'll also visit Salzburg and Prague. I'll try to keep up as best I can with new posts and travel pics.

But don't get mad if I take a few days off, ok? 

Of course, if anyone wants to volunteer to clean my house and cook our meals, I'd have a lot more time for blogging. Any takers??? I didn't think so, but it never hurts to ask, ha. 

I'll be back soon, peeps. Until next time! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Happy 7th Anniversary!

Whew, the Hubs and I have made it through 7 years of married life! Like, without killing each other. Lucky number seven…

We've certainly come a long way from where we started. We've got a deployment, several moves, and basic army life junk under our belts now. We made it through infertility, health issues, and a whole host of other things. So after seven years I gotta say, I'm so happy I married this man!

Our wedding day :)

Sure, marriage is a lot of work. Yep, it's not always wonderful. And yes, occasionally I want to hog tie and gag my husband just to get five minutes of peace.

And I know he has all those same feelings too. But we're still there for each other. We're a team, and we promised to be one until one of us croaks. That is serious business, peeps.

So today I want to celebrate some of those things that make the Hubs, the Hubs. What do you think? Let's do this!



1. For the past couple of months, the Hubs has been trying really hard learning to cook. It's actually pretty funny, and he does some wild stuff (like boiling frozen chicken), but he's actually getting better now.

2. He always supports what I'm excited about (like blogging!), even if it makes no sense to him whatsoever. I'm pretty positive he only reads this blog once every six months. But he supports it anyway. All the new recipes don't hurt anything either, ha!

3. Hubs has an amazing sense of adventure, so we're always trying out new things… like swimming with sharks, on purpose!

Swimming with sharks, Virgin Islands

4. He takes care of me when I'm sick. He brings me juice, sets up the tv, and doesn't get annoyed when I call him up three flights of stairs to help me find the remote... usually this is what happens. But sometimes he yells that I'm sick and need to sleep, and why can't I just listen to sense?? But mostly it's the other thing.

5. Hubs bought me football paraphernalia for the first birthday we celebrated together… it was so lame, I couldn't help but love it.

6. Hubs is almost always willing to work at our relationship. This is HUGE, and probably the reason we're still married. Of course, I practically have to bash him on the head sometimes to get a point across, and sometimes we "work" on our relationship at the top of our lungs… but nobody's perfect.

7. He tries to listen, even though he's totally ADHD. Like, I'll be asking what he wants for dinner and he'll answer me with, "I don't know, what color is it?". What??? Makes no sense whatsoever, I know. I should record him one of these days, just so people will believe me.

8. Hubs got a wee bit tipsy this one time and sang me Christmas carols while I drove him home. His rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was particularly inspiring.

9.  Once, I finally got fed up with the Hubs leaving his stuff all over the house. So I packed up everything that was in the wrong place (in big black trash bags) and set it on the stairs to our attic. I thought he would eventually ask where his stuff was, and I could tell him (in a very superior way) where it all was.  INSTEAD, the Hubs decided to be proactive, and took all the trash bags in the house to the dump.

Without looking inside of them.

This is now a family legend.

10. Hubs can be silly. This might not seem like a big deal, but it's so important to me. You've really got to be able to laugh at yourself, have a good time, and not worry what other people think of you.

Even when your wife takes a picture of you with pink hair. This also requires enormous amounts of patience on his part.



So, those are just ten of the things that I love about my Hubs! I figure I better save some for next year, right? So happy anniversary to the best guy I know… I love you more today than I did when we were first married, and I am confident that trend will continue. Kisses!

Until next time, my friends…

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Man Crates: What's in Your Box?

I was contacted recently with an intriguing proposition. A company called Man Crates wanted to know what my top five, must-have, do or die items are…. interesting, yes? The name captured me right away. What exactly is a man crate? I was intrigued enough to find out.

Peeps, you have no idea how cool these are.

The bacon crate

Not only are these boy-friendly, but they come with a personalized crowbar for breaking into the crate. You heard me! A crowbar… because, and I quote, "unwrapping gifts is half the fun".

The Hubs would go nuts over this. Especially the Bacon Crate. And the NFL Barware Crate. And the Golfer's Crate… and don't forget the Snack Pack Crate! Since the company also ships to APO, I am totally sold. I love supporting companies that support our soldiers (at this point I should probably add that I'm not getting paid or compensated for this review, haha. These opinions are all my own. I hope you check out the website and decide for yourself what you think).

So, the big question is… what would be my essentials? What could I not survive without? What makes my heart flutter?

That is not as easy to answer as you think. But I've thought it over, and I think I know. I'm totally discounting the basic essentials like food and water, because what fun would that be?! Let's do this.

1. My Camera - Anyone who knows me well, knows that I hardly go anywhere without my camera. I document everything. I doubt being stuck on a stranded island would stop me!

2. Books, books, and more books - You can have your TV and reality shows. What I need in life are books! Everything from Shakespeare to Harry Potter, I want it all. So load me up an iPad with all my favorites, and I'll be happy.

Well, except for the whole I'd be stuck on an island thing.

3. I really wanted to say coconut oil, but I'm hoping my island comes equipped with coconuts. So instead, I'm gonna go with my vitamins! I totally feel the difference when I don't get my daily dose. A definite must-have.

4. My Food Processor - Yep. I'll def need this for whatever random food I find on my island. Could you maybe include the electricity to run it too? Awesome, thanks. Since I'm asking, maybe we could just move my whole kitchen. Yes, that's a better idea. I promise to cook for anyone else stranded with me!

5. The Hubs - Or maybe the dog. Or the Hubs. Or my Lucy dog…

Agh, decisions, decisions!!

Yes, I know this is not a material object. But I never want to do without my Hubs! Or my Lucy dog. If I'm gonna be stranded, then he is dang well going to be stranded with me. And so is the dog.

You feel what I'm saying here? I'll give them some air holes in the crate until I can open it…

So, what is your top five? What would be in your crate? Comment below, my friends! This was fun, I might need to do a top five more often. Until next time, happy shopping (you know you're gonna be checking out Man Crates now)!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Living Overseas: The Little Things

Sometimes living overseas can make normal things seem much more difficult. And yes, you may have to take an extra step or two to accomplish some tasks. For example, this morning I wanted to re-order a few boxes of contacts from 1800Contacts. Back in the States, I just hit "re-order". You know? But now that we've moved, my doctor is different. And they aren't in the massive database of 1800Contacts.

Uh oh. No need to panic!

My face when I couldn't order my contacts!
(Pay no attention to my morning hair, ha)

I know these little inconveniences can feel like a massive pain in the behind. You just want life to be simple. You really want to feel like you know what you're doing. You don't wanna take all these extra steps when it used to be so simple.

I know. I really, really do. But it can't be helped. Living overseas adds complications. BUT, it also adds so much more to your life! Take these little inconveniences in stride, and keep on swimming (anyone else out there a Nemo fan??). Here's my tip for your contact lens ordering: Call. The help line is conveniently open 24 hours. The nice lady who answered was extremely helpful and friendly. All I need to do is email them my prescription, and I'll be good to go for the rest of our stay here in Germany.  See, easy peasy.

And if that doesn't work, you can always go to my fall back method: ice cream.

Happy Monday, my friends! I hope your week is starting off right, and you don't let those little things drag you down. I'll be back later with some more great posts, full of travel, and fun, and food.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Doggie Days

It's a beautiful Saturday in Bavaria… the Hubs and I decided we should get outside today and enjoy the weather! We thought about taking a hike with our pup Lucy, but then we saw a flyer on post for a Pet Show.

Sure, why not?

So off we went! We've entered Lucy in fun contests before, like swimming races, when we were stationed at Fort Bliss.

Lucy takes 1st place in the
doggie paddle swim race! 

It's always a good time. You get to meet other pet owners, hang out, and let the puppies play. Today, our PX had a contest for smartest and cutest pets. Keep an eye out for these events at your base. This particular contest was announced on the radio, on the garrison Facebook page, and there were fliers posted around base. Kinda hard to miss.

Lucy takes 1st place in the smartest dog category!! 

Lots of people came with their pets, both cats and dogs alike. They were all so completely cute, and way smart! Everyone performed their tricks, and showcased their obedience. There was cake and coffee to be had, and great conversation. We were so excited for Lucy to win first place in the Smartest Dog category! I feel like a proud mama today.

I'll add her certificate to her trophies, and keep the gift card for myself, ha.

Just kidding, just kidding!! We'll be using our gift card for some new dog toys and treats. Lucy is super excited about it, can't you tell?

Relaxing after the win… 

So, how are you spending your Saturday? I hope it' beautiful and you're having fun. Until next time, my friends!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Back In The Swing…

It's been a long and wonderful summer! I know there are a few weeks left for most of you, but I'm getting back into the swing of life again after 6 weeks of family fun…

That isn't as easy as it sounds.

I'm really missing all the hustle and bustle of having visitors. We were on the go so much, flitting off to Paris, and Rome, and Venice, and so many exotic places. Now the house seems empty and boring. Part of me wants to breathe a big sigh of relief, and the other part of me is demanding more adventure.

Do you know what I mean? I really hope I'm not the only one who's felt this way. I miss cooking meals with The Kid. I miss going on long walks with the dog, and actually having company. I miss the train rides through the beautiful countryside. And snuggling on the couch. And giggling over silly jokes.

I miss this face.

Cute, isn't she?

Instead of all that fun stuff, I'm looking around my house and thinking, 'Man, I've been slacking'. There are acres of laundry, people. Seriously. It's going to take me a week just to wash all the sheets and towels that have piled up while I was gallivanting around.

Plus, my pantry is practically empty. The junk left in it is all the bits you forget about over the years… like random cans of pineapple rings (no idea how those even got there!).  I made one giant grocery trip yesterday, and I still didn't get everything we need. My cart was overflowing with toilet paper, a gigantic tower of it. Who knew that out of town guests would use twice as much toilet paper as normal human beings??

So I'm starting a new list. New goals. I gotta get back in the swing of my life, before I go crazy. Today, I am blogging. And thinking about what direction this blog will head in for the next month or so.

Then this week, I'm taking care of all those pesky household chore. Like laundry, ugh. I might take a break to hang with the Hubs and visit something beautiful if the weather is nice this weekend. Next week, I'm fulfilling all the appointments I've put off. Well, some of them anyway. And the week after that, I hope to sort the thousands of photos I took on vacation.

That probably won't all happen the way I expect, but I can hope.

How do you get back in the swing of life after a long vacation? All tips are appreciated, so comment below peeps! Until next time…

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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