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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Welcome Basket for Guests

Next week, my mum and littlest sis are visiting me from the States… I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! 

Can you tell?

This is the first time out of the country for both of them. They visit me every summer, and we always find the best stuff to do. We've been parasailing and indoor skydiving. We've walked the Grand Canyon, and played at Legoland. We watch movies, and snuggle, and order take-out, and generally have an awesome time.

And now I get to show them Europe. How cool is that?

We have a long list of destinations this summer, including stops in Germany, Italy, and France. I'll keep you up as best I can while we're traveling, of course. In the meantime, I want to share some idea with you for when you have guests visit at your overseas duty station. I think a welcome basket is such a great idea, and I was determined to make one for my family. But what to include?

Naturally, I asked for your suggestions, added some of my own, and created a handy, dandy list for you. Check it out:

1. Toiletries - Especially for an extended visit, these items take up unnecessary room and add weight in suitcases. Ask your guest what products they use, then provide them on their arrival. Common items are: shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, hairspray and other hair products, hairbrushes, baby powder, sunscreen, toothpaste and toothbrushes, dental floss, razors, face wash, loofahs, lotions, body wash. If you're especially ambitious, you can provide them with their own, handmade Brown Sugar Scrub. I love that stuff!

2. Small Appliances - This sounds weird, but think about it. You are living overseas. The electric is definitely not the same. No adapter in the world is going to help an American blow dryer in a European outlet. Keeping a few of these extra items around for guests is a great idea, don't you think? Have a spare hair dryer, straightener, curling iron, etc.

3. Adapters - while smaller appliances are unable to convert the electricity, some devices can. For example, most smartphones, tablets, and laptops are capable of converting the energy. Keep extra adapter plugs handy in your guest room so they can charge their electronic devices.

4. First Aid and Medication - Hopefully you won't need these things, but stock your guests' bathroom with basic first aid supplies, like bandaids. Also include a small bottle of pain reliever, allergy medication, tissues, etc. It's better to be prepared than searching for these items while you're on vacation.

5.  Bottled Water - I know not everyone likes to buy bottles, but it's very convenient for your guests to have some in their room. I purchased both the flat and the fizzy kind, so my Fam could get a taste of what is commonly served here in Europe before being surprised by it at a meal.

6. Snacks - Some small snacks are a great idea. Jet leg will likely hit your visitors, and they may wake up at 3am a little hungry. With snacks in their basket, they won't need to wander around an unfamiliar house in the middle of the night to search out food.

My complete welcome basket

7. Local candy or treats - Being that we're in Germany, I filled my family's basket with lots of Kinder chocolate! I mean, it is the best. I also included a small bag of wafer cookies and a bag of Haribo gummies (another German specialty).

8. Entertainment - in the age of electronic devices, people seem to have less need of books and magazines. But these are still a great idea to include in the basket. I suggest purchasing some travel magazines, or putting a Rick Steves travel guide in the basket. This is something they likely wouldn't have purchased for themselves, but also something they would love to look at.

9. Comfort Items - There are some items I use at home everyday, but wouldn't pack to take with me on a long trip because of suitcase space. Consider having an extra bathrobe for guests, or house slippers. Fuzzy house socks.  Maybe even an eye mask. These are small comforts that can make a big difference.

10. House Keys - I don't know about the rest of you, but our door automatically locks behind us. If your guests will be traveling alone at any time, or in your home by themselves, I suggest having a spare house key for them. Perhaps put it on a keychain that includes the ever-useful, fake Euro for shopping carts. Like this:

11. Local Information - I included a recycling guide in my basket, along with a local map and a small phrasebook. Add a list with emergency phone numbers (911 is not the same here), your wifi password, and any other pertinent information. We still had our welcome packet from when we arrived, so I added that as well.

12. Gift - a small gift is a nice way to commemorate a trip, and a fun way to say 'welcome'. Think about magnets, Christmas ornaments, or bottles of wine. Be creative!

13. Re-Useable Bag - This are oh so handy to have around! I like to purchase the small bags that fold up right into your purse. These are great for your guests as they purchase souvenirs on their trip. So many places don't offer a bag at all, and others only have them available for purchase. Take the guess work out of it, and let your guests keep one handy! I found some for less than a euro at Ikea, totally perfect.  


So, what would you put in a welcome basket for your guests? Feel free to comment below, and I'll add your ideas to the post. Until next time, my friends!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Catching Up: Natural Bridge & Other Fun Stuff

Before our PCS to Germany, the Hubs and I spent several weeks visiting with family and friends across the country. With this move, we knew the visits home would be few and far between, so we needed to take advantage of the time we had before leaving the States.

That was such a busy time, I'm just now getting around to telling you about it! (Yes, I also know that I haven't finished telling you about Ireland, or that trip to the Caribbean either. I promise I'll get it all done, someday!).

We started this journey in Dallas, where we attended the Giants vs. Cowboys football game! As you know, I'm a huge Giants fan, but this game (heck, this season) didn't go very well for me or my team.

Almost game time! 

I was pretty excited, until…

Well, let's not talk about that. Let's just say the game didn't go as I'd hoped. Despite that, I had a great time. And, football wasn't the only thing Dallas had to offer. We also managed to sneak in a visit to one of my favorite places, C.A.R.E.

A refuge for exotic animals, the staff here is so friendly and informative. The tour really offers you an opportunity to get to know these beautiful animals. You can even "adopt" one of them if you choose!

One of C.A.R.E.'s residents 

After our family visit, we continued the journey across the country to Virginia. Whilst here, I was determined to fulfill a Bucket List item of mine. And I wanted to take my kid sister with me.

Have you ever ridden an elephant? No?? You must do it! Such a cool adventure, and if you try it out at the Natural Bridge Zoo, it's also super inexpensive. Seriously, peeps, it was $5 per person! You can't miss out on a ride.

Elephant ride! 

The zoo also offers you the chance to hold and feed a baby tiger. Naturally, we did this too! I was soaking up the fun with the Fam before we headed out on our European adventure.

Just down the road from the zoo is Natural Bridge itself. The "bridge" is a natural arch, 215 feet high, with George Washington's supposed initials carved into the rock. There is plenty to see and do in the area, so I highly recommend checking it out. If you'd like a cool little lunch spot, diner-style, be sure to check out the Pink Cadillac.

Natural Bridge

From Virginia, Hubs and I took off again, and spent an excellent weekend in one of my favorite places, the Outer Banks. Fresh seafood, fishing off the pier, walking the beach… LOVE IT! Me and my Dad have travelled here so many times together as I was growing up. I'm so glad we could enjoy the tradition one more time before we moved again.

Sunrise in the Outer Banks

Gorgeous, isn't it? If you've never been, you should go. The beautiful stretches of beach offer commercialized areas, as well as more naturally preserved spots. The best of both worlds!

After nearly 4 weeks of travel, the Hubs and I were pretty pooped. One long plane ride (and bus ride!) later, and we found ourselves suddenly living in Germany. The adventure has been great so far, but I'm especially happy we reserved some time with family prior to our departure.

Do you visit with your family in between PCS moves? What were some of your Bucket List items?

Ciao for now, peeps!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Guest Blog: "The Kid's" World View

For the past several weeks I've been lucky enough to have my mom and youngest sister visiting with me. Being married to the military means the Hubs and I move often, with no idea how close we might be to family at any given moment. When opportunities arise for an actual face-to-face visit, we definitely take advantage!  

Currently, we're about 1900 miles apart from my youngest sis and a large chunk of the Fam. This week, that distance shortened to about 50 feet (the distance from my master bedroom to my guest bedroom!) 

Whenever my littlest sis visits (let's call her The Kid, kay?), we like to test out new things, whether that be food or experiences, or... well.... whatever. Annnnnnddddddd, despite the fact she is glaring at me right this very instant, one new experience I thought she should try is blogging! 

So, here goes! Insight via The Kid is now at your disposal. I'm sure she'll be enlightening. Or possibly annoying. Maybe even perspicacious (look it up, people!). Whatever she is, I know it will be great entertainment. Enjoy! 

Okay well, despite popular belief, I'm not THAT annoying. Actually the only person I attempt to annoy as much as possible is The Freak, a.k.a. the chick who usually writes these things. But now I'm taking over, mwhahaha. Prepare yourselves.

So uh...I'm guess I'm just gonna tell you about random food I have obtained from World Market.

First off...PINK HOT CHOCOLATEE! Okay, well...it was supposed to be pink.

By the way, when I was warming up the milk, I did in fact manage to get it on the cabinets... BUT DON'T TELL MY SISTER! And don't ask how it happened, just...don't. Anyways, once all the milk was removed from the cabinets and placed appropriately into the mug, we kinda discovered that it was more white than pink. Stupidly deceiving labels on random foreign food...ANY WHO! In an attempt to make it more beautiful, I delicately placed whipped cream and sprinkles on it. Quite gorgeous I must say.

Unfortunately, this gloriousness didn't last very long. In an attempt to get a better picture of the finished product my darling older sister took this cup of magic out onto the balcony and guess what happened?

She murdered it.

BAM! All my hard work spilled onto the concrete.

I know this gruesome scene may be hard to look at... I apologize.  I almost cried myself, and you know what? I think The Freak planned this. Have me make a stunning *coughcough*ugly*coughcough* hot chocolate and then terminate it in front of me. Heartbreaking, isn't it? Oh well, c'est la vie. 

Even though it was ruined, The Freak and I tried to take one last picture to show off the drink. Very Vouge, isn't it?

Buuuut, I still drank it... I just couldn't resist. I must say it tasted very odd. Definitely not like normal hot chocolate. It tasted more like milk with some sort of mysterious substance in it. I'm not sure if it's suppose to taste like this, OR if during our balcony adventure some deadly toxin creeped its way in. If so... well, my sister drank it to so you're going to have to find some entertainment other than her ramblings.

Some of the other random, foreign foods we tested? Here you go:

 

Possibly more coming soon... if you're lucky. Anyways, I guess it's time for me to go. Bye bye strangers of the unknown! I return you to The Freak...


Ahem... the Freak? Well, KID... I'm going to remember that at Christmas. And I'm going to inspect those cabinets!!

I hope you've all enjoyed the entertainment stylings of my littlest sis... she's something else, isn't she? Hopefully, we'll be hearing from her on occasion in the near future.  I love that snarky attitude and random insightful musings. Until then, I'll keep you posted!