Chronicling Europe & The Baltics 2018 - Helsinki Modern Diversity

Modern Families

I’ve been down this emotional road before and I don’t like it. The last destination or port before returning where we started is always bittersweet. Everyone knows that this is one of the last hurrahs of a week filled with amazing music, friends, and exploration. We’d just arrived in Helsinki, Finland and the morning was brisk.

This was the first day in this region that I actually needed a jacket. The sun, however, did not fail us with its presence. It was a great day to ride through the country’s southern capital and learn about its history. One of the things that struck me right away was the activities of families. Early morning responsibilities like getting kids off to school or daycare were being performed by both moms and dads.

Like many countries in the region, green functions are important in Finland. It was common to see commuters on bikes here just as residents of Copenhagen had done. Modern families interacting at work and play were visible from the tour bus. Those hopping on and off of the city’s tram systems looked like residents from any location around the world.

Helsinki Cathedral and the Market Square were memorable attractions that provided a different way to experience this area. Here we met an American working for the tour company, who had chosen this for his retirement spot. International travel is just another way to learn about people and what they are interested in. 

We all want happiness, health, and genuine connections with family and friends.

Highlights from Hawaii - Foodie Dreams

Eggs ‘n Things

2464 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu

I am not normally a breakfast eater! I know, I know about the most important meal stuff and I agree, it just not my thing. This time around though, I am in Hawaii, it’s a beautiful morning, and apparently SPAM and eggs are somethings that I simply MUST try while here.

The long line of hungry people waiting told me a couple of things. One of which was that this meal would definitely be worth the wait. The efficient drill here is to pick out what you want before you get your table, pay first, and within a few minutes the meal is ready.

I opted for the Minced Egg Scramble with green onion, SPAM, and cheddar cheese. This came with a side of the largest buttermilk pancakes I’ve seen. There were 3 syrups to choose from, maple, coconut, and papaya. Let’s just say I made delicious choices all around. Yum!



Chronicling Europe & The Baltics 2018 – The Views of Tallinn

The theme for this year’s cruise was Scandinavia and The Baltic because of the ports of call we would be traveling to. Many of us, who have cruised with Dave Koz and Friends at Sea before, joke that this is more than a terrific way to travel. It is a process from beginning to end that makes dreams come true. I’d never heard of the city of Tallinn but was familiar with the country of Estonia.

Situated along the coast of the Baltic Sea, Estonia is one of three countries that had at one time been a part of the Soviet Union. Today, it is an independent nation which is also a part of the European Union. One of the first things that I noticed, on the chilly morning of our arrival, was the combination of historical and modern structures.

Established as the capital city in medieval times, Estonia is beautiful. Quick commutes to virtually any part of the city makes it convenient for tourists with strict schedules. We visited some of the important attractions and landmarks in the area. These included Old Town, Pirita, and Viimsi. Imagine my surprise when we went in search of a cappuccino and found a fully functional and expansive shopping mall.

The Strawberry Crème Cappuccino was absolutely delicious but it was soon time to return to the ship. Norman Brown, Jonathan Fritzen, and Marcus Anderson were on the lineup for the selection of jazz venues on board and we were ready to enjoy them!

Chronicling Europe 2018 - Reconnecting in Sweden

It’s always nice to be able to reconnect with friends and family members. This is even nicer when the place that you get to do this is in Sweden. One of the unique things about this portion of the cruise with Dave Koz and Friends was that we had family in this part of the world.

I can’t help but repeat that the weather was amazing and warm enough for light clothing. Traveling around the world can make things a bit confusing and challenging. Things like meeting people in a public place with signage in another language. Fortunately this time around, it was quite easy to get together with our family members.

This gave us an opportunity to also see the city through their eyes. Sightseeing with them included off-the-beaten path stops like a royal cathedral and a place for espresso. Shopping and taking home souvenirs for many tourists involves traversing to some of the best streets in the city. We got the chance to visit the Drottninggatan, as well as, Gotgatan areas.

It was possible to buy high-end items and those that were budget-friendly. Walking in Stockholm was nice, easy, and enjoyable with family as the guides.



Chronicling Europe 2018 - Travel through My Eyes

I don’t do a lot of promos for airlines or many brands in general. It’s hard to say anything bad about an airline, however, which spoils you rotten as you travel. British Airlines has safely transported us from the US to destinations around the world.

There are some folks out there who are like me in that they LOVE to travel and they HATE to travel. I’m always excited to get to the final destination, which for me has included stops like Rome, Venice, and Copenhagen. It’s the hustle and bustle of getting there, journeying through airports, and constantly running that I HATE.

I’m not sure if it’s My Journey to 50…or a saucy attitude, but there are parts of the process that make me grumble. This is one of the many reasons why this airline was made for me! Comfortable seating, tasty beverages, yummy meals, music, and movies make me settle in and rest.

I  did anticipate traveling to this portion of the world for many years, even before my husband booked this trip. Now the only thing I needed to do was nap, write, eat, drink, and REPEAT! British Airlines did the rest.

Dietary Changes – Find Comfort & Fitness

According to Food Revolution, veganism and plant-based eating is at an all-time high. Some people make this choice because they can’t bear to eat anything from animals. Others are moved to change their diets because of existing health problems.

It’s no secret that removing certain things from the diet has fitness and health benefits. Vegans and vegetarians can see improvements as it relates to overall health, blood pressure and weight loss. There is no one approach to eating this way, however.

Sass Magazine presents an article that highlights how you can make this a personal journey. Long-term dietary changes should be seen as lifestyle changes. Planning for the process is the best way to be certain that it will work for you.

• Experiment with New Foods
• Transform Old Favorites
• Visit Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants
• Plan Inclusive Meals

What’s your approach to making dietary changes?

My Journey to 50! - Changing Looks

If you’re like me, you’re features make you an enigma. People are always questioning my age, which is a compliment. However, I know the truth because I’ve seen me from the beginning to now.

Another key thing to consider on My Journey to 50 is the expectation of changing looks. Women, especially have a challenge in this area because we hear it more so than men. Who cares what other people think about your maturing looks?

Embrace who you are today and find ways to appeal to YOURSELF. I’m finding my way now just like I did as a teen. Peer pressure, trends and outside influences are always coming! I’m preparing by feeling good in my own skin, such as it is. Lol.

Let’s embrace this Speed of Life thing together!

True beauty is only possible when the inside is healthy, intact and positive…

Taking Advantage of Local Offerings – Summer Field Trips

There are many things for couples and families to consider during the summer. Once the Speed of Life slows a bit, travel is usually on the agenda. Globetrotting can be a lot of fun but certainly requires a bit of planning and budgeting.

Getting away from the stresses of life is possible by exploring the things that are available locally. These may include local day trips to parks, lakes and museums. Most cities, however, have activities and attractions that can be interesting to see.

Even planning a trip to landmarks, such as state and national parks is a nice way to learn and getaway. Visit their websites that display tourist details that travelers look for. Many of these trips are budget-friendly and can be done within a day or two.

• Walking Trails – Plan for the difficulty level and take a lot of pictures.

• Historic Sites – Look for site requirements and if tickets are necessary.

• Tour Brochures – Many cities with popular landmarks and attractions have brochures online.

• Weekend Getaway – Find scenic locations within an hour or two to relax and explore.

My Journey to 50

Yes, I’m Excited to Turn 50

I’ve had friends who practically lost it when they turned 30. I guess every milestone comes with a bit of trepidation. Embracing where you are in life and being truly thankful is important. This sets the theme for the rest of life.

Aging is a privilege to those who actually understand it. Make no mistake, I’m not saying sit back and knit…unless you know how. Lol. Who says you cannot embark on this phase of life with expectation?

Travel, learn, write, explore and whatever else helps you to grow! Getting older offers us all the opportunity to tackle life in a new way. The Speed of Life doesn’t slow down for any of us so finding a pattern and rhythm is crucial.

Fortunately for me, I’ve been an outside-the-box kind of girl from the start. My plan is to take the next 2 and a half years and get prepared. The embrace, may take a little bit of work. I’ll get there though.

How about you joining me on My Journey to 50? It’s going to be AMAZING!

Freelance in Your Lane – Utilize All Your Skills

There are many different ways to pursue career goals. Some will find work in their areas of expertise or field of interest. Others will discover the opportunities that freelance work provides. This is work that is available through companies and industries around the world.

In most instances, these employers are in need of short-term relationships to achieve specific objectives. Hiring freelance workers is a good way to get the work done at a reasonable cost. The options for freelance professionals are vast.

Those with diverse skills have the opportunity to earn in that number of ways. For example, if you are speedy at typing information, you can work for clients needing data entry services. It may also be possible to secure projects that involve document creation.

The key to pursuing these opportunities is to fully utilize your skill sets. Those with technical knowledge can find clients in IT or administrative fields. Writers, discover that there are many companies requiring articles, blog posts and marketing materials.

Freelancing in your lane requires being strategic about what you offer and consistently increasing your experience levels.



Preparing for an Empty Nest – Home and Life Plans

There is not just one example of empty nesters these days. Some of these couples have just sent the last of their children off to college. Others are seeing older children finally move away on their own.

Having your home to yourself presents an array of opportunities. This is a time to not only develop your home but to transform your life, as well. Couples often define themselves over the years as parents.

They sometimes forget that they are individuals and spouses. Preparing to be an empty nest involves evaluating where you are currently. It is also about making plans for the future.

Thinking about this time in advance makes it easier to adjust. Instead of going into a panic from the quiet, prepare for it and make a serene space for your lifestyle.

Redesign Projects

Now that the house is empty, why not redesign specific rooms. Setting up a budget for incremental changes is a good idea. New kitchen appliances or flooring will improve the look and functionality of this space.

Bedrooms, living rooms and even basements can be targets for change. This may also be an opportunity to develop more areas for entertaining.

Create Personal Space

Depending on how many children are vacating the nest, there may now be a lot of extra space. This is finally the time for husbands and wives to create their own personal living areas. You can transform a bedroom into an office.

Moving furnishings around or changing the décor will help with these projects. Couples should adopt rooms for themselves and to use together. This can be a fun adventure.

Build Professional Skills – Test Prep Opportunities

If you’re pursuing a new career or field of interest, testing may be necessary. In some instances this is a matter of obtaining a certification. Those who need a particular license in order to practice in your area of expertise should consider testing.

Preparation for these tests is important for a number of reasons. The cost associated with taking a test one time could be high, not to mention re-taking a test. Being able to pass this type of test in one try is the best case scenario.

Just as with any other thing that interests you, practice is key. Companies that offer diverse exams for test preparation are beneficial to many students. They have the opportunity to prepare in advance for the final test, as well as, get a feel for what exams will be like.

It is possible to get practice tests for 350 specialties, which accommodate 60+ certifying bodies. This includes opportunities to prepare for ANCC, AANP and DANB testing.

Check Out Our Prep Ads!

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Setting Good Examples for Kids – Inspire the Future

There’s no rule stating that you have to be a perfect example as a parent. In fact, it’s virtually impossible to do so. Your goal, however, should be setting an example that inspires your kids’ future choices.

This could involve sharing your mistakes and successes. Children of different ages have the capacity to understand a great deal. It’s up to us to find easy applications and lessons that relate to daily life.

Young kids can learn from your suggestion to not run without looking. This is a simple lesson that makes sense right where they are. Older kids are sponges for good examples, too.

Sharing why it’s important to stand up for your beliefs may be a broad stance. Inserting lessons specific to you can be truly helpful.

Adopting a Healthy Diet

Kids watch what you do! If you tell them to eat healthy, you’d better be a good example for this, as well. it doesn’t matter whether you are choosing veggies sticks over chips or a salad over a burger.

Parents who adopt healthy diets are setting an example to their kids. Discussions about reasonable choices are good methods for starting the conversation.

Budgeting for Purchases

Relaying the importance of living on a budget to your children could be challenging. A 5-year old understands the correlation between good behavior and getting a sought after toy.

This same child can also learn how to reserve something now for a later date. Tweens and teens are ready for budgeting on a large or small scale. Start with tracking where their allowance goes each month.

Being a Good Friend

Many of our grandparents encouraged us to be a good friend, if we were looking for a good friend. This isn’t a dated message. Showing this through real life examples, parents can explain the efforts they take as a friend.

Sharing these experiences and motivations, at your child’s learning level can help. This like all important things will take time, but can impact the future. Sites, such as Cleverly Changing offer parents an opportunity to not only learn from previous mistakes.

It is possible to visit this site and gain budgeting, parenting, product selections and healthy living tips. These areas are terrific considerations for adopting good examples.

Remember that these are not simply individual lifestyle choices, but ways to model and inspire how our kids may live in the future.

Vegan Tips – A New Lifestyle

Recent statistics have shown that veganism is on the rise. In fact, popular food delivery services have found that vegan options are some of the most popular. Different from vegetarian diets, vegans choose to only eat plant-based foods.


This means eliminating dairy, meat and things derived from animal products. There are a number of ways to achieve this sort of lifestyle change.Those who are heavy meat-eaters may have a challenge ahead of them.


It is possible to take a step-by-step approach to this new lifestyle. Find a few items in your diet to replace by vegan options and products. Consider this a fun and exciting journey to better health, fitness and the achieving of a set goal. Here are some easy tips:

1 – Swap veggie sticks and humus for potato chips and dip

2 – Create a go-to salad with your favorite veggies

3 – Experiment with vegan substitutions like Seitan and crumbles

4 – Explore your market for tasty alternatives

Work Outside of the Box

In recent years there have been millions of job seekers deposited into the unemployment arena. Many of these people are those who have worked in the same industry for decades. Things were very different when they last had to look for work. Technology, for example, did not present so many options.

The internet itself is not simply a way to look for employment. It has become, in many instances, an employer for those ready for unique work opportunities. There are many different types of job options that are available online. It does take a bit of research to find out what’s out there. You will also need to apply flexibility to what you consider work to be. Let’s take a look at some of the earning options the internet presents.

Article Writing


Freelance writing is definitely one of the hidden opportunities that are available. There are many sites that connect writers with clients. Elance and oDesk are two examples in this category. Some clients are affiliated with magazines, websites and blogs. They are looking for someone to provide web content for their niche industry. Articles are used to steer traffic to sites or to sell products.

Blog Writing

There are a variety of different blogs on the internet. Some of these are related to companies, organizations and institutions. Blog owners don’t often have the time to produce current content. Blog writers come in and answer this particular need. Blogs are generally shorter than articles and tend to require posts of 350 to 400 words each.

Resume Writing

There are general freelance sites that provide resume writing services. You will also discover through searches specific sites only for resumes. These sites pay writers per resume and cover letter provides. This type of work is done based upon your own schedule and availability. The average fee for a resume is $20-$25 for the writer.

Customer Service

Small businesses often look for help as it relates to customer service. They are unable to pay a full-time salary but will outsource services. These jobs may require answering calls (routed to home phones), taking orders, making appointments and other clerical tasks. Some of the projects in this category are issued per contract. Contracts can last weekly, monthly or even longer.

 

 

 

Read to Communicate

We all remember being assigned a questionable book in school. There were times when we were surprised to find out that the book was exceptional. I can think back to certain titles that served to introduce a whole new world to me. Today, reading is a debated topic to many people. Because we’ve taken so many shortcuts in communications, reading has fallen by the wayside in some minds.

The things that we read are instrumental to how we communicate. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a song writer or a delivery person. Verbal and written communication intrudes into most peoples’ lives. Our ability to solve problems, think critically, or relate to others has to do with our experiences. Physical experiences travel and materials that we’ve read enhance how effectively we communicate to others.

Speech Patterns


The way that we use speech can be related to what we’ve read. Those who love the news and read it daily are capable to discuss it. This doesn’t mean that their opinions are unique or correct. It simply means that these individuals utilize what goes into their consciousness. The patterns of speech used by anyone can show their interests and understanding.

Empathize

Reading diverse materials about different topics can broaden your ability to empathize with others. You don’t literally have to travel across the globe to learn about people living in remote places. The more that you learn through reading, the easier it is to understand who these people are and how they live.

Connect

There are millions of pieces of material on the internet at any given time. Reading things that interest you can serve to connect you to other people. Examining topics, issues and history is an effective way to relate to the world. Connecting shows a desire to expand both knowledge and understanding.

Start Planning Your Cruise Vacation

I know that it's only the beginning of the year! It is never too early to start planning for your cruise vacation. This is the perfect time to look at the destinations that interest you. It is also a time to bargain shop for the best deals. There are a number of things that will factor into your cruise selection.

The size of your party is definitely one of these considerations. This will determine the number of cabins that you need. Airfare, ports of call, excursions and various other things will be important to your trip. Cruises usually include many of the top details that concern travelers. Let's take a look at some of these details.

Dining

A part of your cruise components will be complimentary dining. There will be a number of dining options included in the cost of the cruise. Along with these you will discover luxury dining locations onboard that require an additional cost.

Entertainment

Most large ships these days have staff that provide a wide array of entertainment shows. These may be musical performances or variety shows. You will find something entertaining onboard for everyone in your party.

Activity

Every ship, no matter the size offers activity choices. These take place both indoors and outdoors. Sports offerings, swimming pools and spas are generally onboard. Passengers can select from free activities and those that cost.

Booking sites like Cruise Voyant offer you the option to select cruises by many criteria. You can choose based upon price, destination, packaging or theme cruises.

Embrace 2014 - Get a New Perspective

Every year has something new to offer us. Embracing 2014 is all about getting a new perspective on life. This is a time to pursue goals that have long since disappeared. This is also a time to make changes towards happiness and away from negativity.

There are many steps that can be taken to grab onto a different perspective. Taking these steps is the best way to move ahead into the future. When we do things the same old way, we get the same old results. Let's take a look at some of things that can help us journey through a better and more positive year.

Consider Our Connections

The people around you have a direct impact on you and your perspective. If there's only a negative group in your circle, you need a new one. Moving towards your goals takes support and commitment.

Invest In Yourself

What investments have you made in yourself? This type of investment can be seen in time and resources. Achievements cannot be actualized without drawing a line in the sand. Research, reading and networking are useful tools for getting the perspective you desire!

New Year, New Opportunities!

Well, 2014 is finally here. Some people look at another year as a reminder of age or things not accomplished. I don't agree with that outlook at all. Every New Year brings with it new opportunities!

These are opportunities to achieve, accomplish, endeavor, invest and to love. There are always going to be things that didn't happen in the previous year. Some of those were simply not meant to be anyway. There are other things that didn't happen because we didn't put in the time and resources it required.

Here is another beautiful year and opportunity to make it happen. Most of our goals, need more than us to come into fruition. Our loved ones and circle-of-friends often factor into the process because support in important.

Along with those around us, goals are accomplished when we make up our minds to get moving. The Speed of Life keeps us active no matter what. Why not let that speed steer us towards our goals for the year?

Living Outside the Box!

I've always had a love for travel. I think it's the writer in me that wants to make a verbal image for what I see. As a family we've taken some pretty amazing trips both in the states and outside them. My most recent trip, however, was nothing less than a life-changer.

I spent 10 days in Europe with my husband, alone. We ventured to Rome to catch our cruise ship, Navigator of the Seas. This Mediterranean cruise was a jazz adventure via Dave Koz. The music was tremendous throughout our 8 days at sail. The talent of the artists was well worth travelling around the world to experience.

But I must say that living outside the box with my husband on our own Amazing Race was the best part. Running from airport to airport and stumbling over the languages was a lot of fun. Once onboard we were still on a terrific adventure. The music, the events and the excursions of the ports.

The beautiful cities of Messina, Mykonos, Athens, Naples and Rome gave us new experiences. For me it was a time to expand my mind and my impression of the world. As a couple it was time to enjoy not having any schedules to meet. Romance and all that jazz! I think that every couple needs to find their own adventure and get-away from it all. It doesn't have to be on the other side of the globe.

It just needs to be meaningful and outside the box!