We're typically low-key travelers who prefer affordable places to stay that are easy to get to and conveniently located near the activities we enjoy. However, the booking of our Hawaii trip was a bit last minute because we had to cancel our Puerto Rico plans. That meant that almost all the Big Island hotels in the Kailua-Kona area were near capacity and we had to book whatever was left. We decided ... Read more
Family-Friendly Snorkeling at Kahaluu Beach Park
When we decided to visit the Big Island again, I wondered if the beaches would be suitable for a toddler. Many of the beaches we had visited during our Hawaii honeymoon in 2014 were rocky and the waves were sometimes rough. We were pleasantly surprised by how family-friendly Kahaluu Beach Park, a popular snorkeling beach in Hawaii, turned out to be. The park doesn't have a huge chunk of sand, ... Read more
Becoming a Mermaid With AquaMermaid Chicago
** Thank you AquaMermaid Chicago for hosting me for a mermaid class. All thoughts are always my own. Photo taken with a GoPro, so quality of image differs from my other posts. Note: Airbnb did a feature on the class I attended. Read it here. I've always been a mermaid at heart. Haven't we all dreamed of being a mermaid? AquaMermaid helped me make that ... Read more
Half-Marathon Training, Week 1
** This post contains affiliate links to some of my favorite products of the week. I am compensated for purchases made through these links.I finally started my training for the Chicago Fall Half Marathon last week! I was scheduled to begin the previous week, but I had a work trip to Phoenix that prevented me from joining my group and coaches as planned. I am so excited to start over after failing ... Read more
Best Pool Floats for Summer
** This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through these links. If I could change one thing about my home in Chicago, it'd be that it would have a swimming pool. If you have a pool, do you know just how lucky you are? No, really, do you? The lake isn't exactly conducive to floating on a large tube sometimes, and in fact floats aren't allowed. ... Read more