I just returned from a 14 day Norwegian Pearl British Isles cruise and used the thermal spa almost every day to recover from our intense schedule of ports of call. I have used thermal spas on Disney ships in the past more for general relaxation but my purpose this time in buying the pass was because I knew I would be tired and exhausted each night and would need a way to recover to start the next day. The Norwegian Pearl thermal suite pass was $249 per person purchased ahead of sailing. Price varies according to length of cruise. Check out this post for a full review of the Norwegian Pearl. Overall Impressions The thermal suite was by far my favorite part of the ship and I often spent hours rotating between the hot tub, Thalassotherapy pool and the heated stone loungers. The large spouting fountains in the Thalassotherapy pool were perfect to work out knots in your shoulders and the bubble loungers in the pool helped my sore legs get back to all that walking the next morning. The views from the regular loungers can't be beat while pulling out of port. How It All Works There was a slight discount to buy the pass prior to the cruise for the entire length. They ...
What To Pack for a British Isles Cruise
A few days ago I returned from a 14 day British Isles cruise on the Norwegian Pearl. I fretted for months about what to pack for a British Isles cruise because you have so many variables to think about. The weather can change from cold and rainy to hot and humid daily. With the itinerary so spread out you may hike, city tour and just kick back in pubs-all within a few days. I thought I would do the round up of what worked and what didn’t to help any of you out there considering a similar cruise. Our British Isles Cruise Itinerary: 3 stops in the Norwegian Fjords (Flam, Geiranger, Haugesund)EdinburghScottish Highlands (Inverness)DublinBelfastParis (Le Havre)LondonBrugge Amsterdam We sailed mid June. 75% of the time it was cold and rainy. The 25% like London and Paris and Brugge were hot and humid. We only saw the sun one day on the ship. The ship had freestyle casual dining and no formal nights. There were only 3 at sea days. I used the thermal spa every day of the trip so the two suits were absolutely necessary for drying. We hiked in 4 of the spots. I had a bag of laundry sent out on day 7 to be done by the ship. A picture of what to pack for a British Isles ...
How To KonMari Your Tea Bags
Are you in love with Marie Kondo and Tidying Up on Netflix? Me too. I have been KonMari'ing for quite some time. It started a few years ago when I first bought the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. These days I still have areas that fall out of disarray and no longer spark joy and I need to do regular maintenance. Which brings me to today's project...how to Konmari your tea bags. I wish I had taken a before photo but imagine a bunch of half used, ripped open, some expired boxes of tea bags shoved in a cabinet shelf. That did not spark joy for me AND I kept buying more tea because I never knew how much was in those cardboard boxes. I came across this great tea organizer on Amazon and I knew I had my answer. I quickly counted how many boxes of tea I had and knew I probably needed two to organize my tea bags. In true KonMari fashion I reused one of my Teavana boxes to organize my collection of strainers, including the cute little sloth that makes me laugh every time I open that cabinet. You should always strive to use the boxes you have around the house before buying something new. I felt good that this was a mix of both. Do you love making your cabinets ...
Spring Roller with Stress Away and Lavender Essential Oil
Looking to make a beautiful roller bottle blend for Mothers Day, Valentines Day or just any Spring day? This Spring roller with Stress Away and Lavender essential oil is beautiful, easy to make and cost effective. Under $2 a piece if you are making more than 25. Spring Roller Materials: This list contains Amazon affiliate links Pink Organza Bag (make sure and select PINK if you are going for the same look as mine) Glass essential oil roller bottle with gold cap Dried rose petals Pink shredded crinkle cut paper Pink bubble mailers (if mailing) Stress Away Essential Oil Lavender Essential Oil Tiny Funnel and some tooth picks Fractionated coconut oil Spring Roller How-To: Remove the gold cap and roller ball top from glass roller bottle Use a small funnel like shown in the picture to force rose petals into bottle. A toothpick is handy with this. Add 5 drops each of Stress Away and Lavender essential oils. Fill remaining with your coconut oil Replace roller top and then cap on the glass bottle. Place a small amount of pink crinkle paper in bottom of organza bag. Place bottle in bag and close and tie in a bow. The Finished Spring Roller ...
Time to Register for the SAT
Now that we have discussed why you should have your student take the SAT and how to prepare for the SAT, the next step is to REGISTER FOR THE SAT. The next opportunity to take the SAT is March 10, 2018. The regular registration deadline is February 9 which means you need to get registered right now. Some Common Questions/Concerns From Parents When Registering Their Students for the SAT How many times should my teen take the SAT? We recommend students test at least twice, once in the spring of their junior year and once in the fall of their senior year, and no more than four times. 67% of students who test again improve their score the second time. I have heard my student shouldn’t take the test twice in case they don’t do as well. 2 out of 3 students improve their scores when they retake the SAT. And here's more good news: Research shows that students who spend 20 hours on Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy gain an average of 115 points from the PSAT/NMSQT to the SAT. I have heard the SAT is harder if you take it later in the year. The College Board makes sure every version of the SAT is the same level of difficulty. I have heard the SAT is only ...