Blogtember : Back Down Under

Today's prompt from Jenni asks the question 'if you could take off from life for 3 months and go anywhere, where would you go?'

This is a no brainer for me and if you have been reading my blog for any amount of time I bet you can guess my answer.

If not...it is, without a doubt, 100%, no questions asked, AUSTRALIA.

We traveled there this past April and fell absolutely in love.

Well, Mister had been there before and was already in love and it took all about 5 seconds for me to fall in love, but regardless, we LOVE it there.

Barring any sort of logisitcs, we would move there in heartbeat.

The people, the culture, the views, the beaches are all just out of this world and like nothing you've ever seen.

Everyone in Australia is so happy and it's extremely contagious.

If we could easily ship Floyd and all of our friends and family there we would do it in .2 seconds.

Seriously.

We are already counting the days until our next trip.

I always knew that Australia would be great, but I never could have imagined how quickly I would have fall in love with such a place.

I want everyone I meet to experience the greatness that is that country.
The entire time we were there we were so happy, relaxed and at ease (maybe because we weren't working for two weeks ;) ) and just peaceful.  The pace of life is slower, easier and calmer and that really rubs off on you and quickly.

We tell people this all the time, but if you ever have the chance, Australia is 10000% worth it. The 16 hour flight and all, I promise.

I think if I really did have 3 months there I would want to split my time up between a few areas.  

We really loved Cairns/Mission Beach and I would want to make sure we spent a lot of time there. I would also want to check out every single beach on the Gold Coast...one to three days at each would probably be a good start ;)

I also loved the little towns that we visited along the coast- so charming and carefree.

 I would also start stocking up on Tim Tams as soon as I got there.

Sooo, when do my three months start?
I plan on spending the rest of today's #humpday dreaming of our next trip.

Linking up with Shanna too!

SPD: Sand Memory Jar

When we were on our trip, I collected sand from each of the beaches we went to in hopes of creating a memory jar of some sort.

After some Pinterest searching, I came across a few ideas I liked and decided to put my own twist on them. 

I ended up with a combination of this pin and this one.

  

This DIY could not be more straight forward.

I gathered my materials (mason jar from my grandparents) and bags of sand.

I had originally considered using smaller vials or jars but couldn't not find any that were just what I wanted.  I already had the mason jar and knew it would work just as well!
I also a mason jar to corral and display all of the shells and rocks we brought home with us.

It's also important to make sure you have a trusty, alert and helpful assistant near by.

I layered my sand in order of where we traveled with the first place we went, Rainbow Bay, at the bottom.

Ta da!

Instead of labels, I just wrote the order of the sand and taped it to the bottom of the jar.

I love how the sands from each area are so different and create a nice contrast between one another.

I am very pleased with how it turned out and love that we have such a fun keepsake from our travels.

Do you have any unique travel keepsakes?

Linking up Katie and Steph!

P.s. if you are in Cincinnati, Maddie On Things is going to be town tonight! I can't go but if you can, you should go for Floyd and I!

Tips for Traveling

Before Australia I had never traveled abroad before.

Because of that, I did my fair share of research, emailing and consulting everyone I knew in order to be prepared.

One of my biggest fears to be unprepared in any situation (hence the reason I always have snacks and/or a diet coke in my purse).  If I am scrambling around looking for something I need or didn't bring, it just really seams to ruin everything and I can't enjoy my time.

That being said, I really like to have all the answers before I get somewhere.  

So with summer just right around the corner I thought I would share some of the bits of knowledge I gathered for our trip to hopefully help you with any you have coming up!

1.  Scoop out your shopping:  I began thinking about what we would need for our trip way back in January and started making my lists then.  I also started part of my shopping in January.  I wanted to spread out our expenses for the trip over the course of a few months so they didn't all hit at once.  Thankfully a lot of stores had Spring stuff out fairly early.  Every time I was in Target I would pick up a few things, travel size bottles, etc so that by the time the end of March came I wasn't panic shopping and wasting money that could be spent on our trip (or more realistically, Tim Tams).

2.  Pack early and pack smart:  I began 'mentally packing' way before we left and gathering like things in my closet.  Then about 4 days before we left I laid every single thing that I wanted to take out on my bed.  I figured I would start with everything I wanted to take and then eliminate if I was over the weight limit. (Remember to leave room for souvenirs!)  I did my best to pack clothes that would go with a few different pieces.  I wasn't sure what each day would hold so I couldn't exactly pack outfits but I wanted to make sure I had items that was interchangeable.  

Katie saved our lives and let us borrow their packing cubes.  If you are going to invest in one item for traveling, I would make it these cubes.  I know they don't look like they would help much but boy do they!  I was skeptical too but as soon as I started packing with them I was converted.  It was so nice to be able to organize like items together and know that my shirts/shorts were in one, dresses in another, etc.  These were also very convenient for our day trips.  I could pack all the clothes I needed in one cube and significantly reduce the amount of luggage we were dragging around.

(It's important to have a very helpful packing buddy)

3. Gather your gadgets: I am always terrified I'm going to forget my phone or camera chargers.  I normally pack those first or right in my purse so they are less likely to forget.  If traveling abroad, make sure to research if you need to take additional adapters or converters.  We ended up taking both (adapter and converter-thanks to Katie!) to Australia.  We didn't want to risk blowing up any of electronic items (we only lost one gadget so I consider that a success). 
Also if you plan on using your phone, make sure you check (and double check) your carriers policies and what will work and what won't.  We have Sprint and were told repeatedly that if we kept our phones on airplane mode and only used wifi we were clear to iMessage and FaceTime at no charge. That worked great for us (where wifi was available)! We didn't use one either a ton but enough to get by and be in contact with our families.  Annnnd maybe I checked Instagram a couple times. But just a couple I swear!

4.  Know your tools: I made it a point to research and brush up on my camera skills and settings before we went on our trip.  I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing (somewhat) when the time arose to take pictures rather than fumbling with settings.  I am NOT an expert by any means but wanted our pictures to be the best that they could be with my knowledge.
Along the lines of photography, Katie let us borrow their gorillapod.  This gadget was great for getting pictures of us and not having to bother someone to take one or explaining our camera to them.  Selfies made even easier!  

5. List it out: Mister thought I was crazy but I made a list for just about everything before we left.  And you know what, everything got done and nothing was forgotten- so there Mister!  I started these lists a few weeks before we left and kept adding to (and crossing off) items as the trip got closer.
I made a: to do, to pack and to buy list.
To do: Because we were going to be gone for such a long time I made sure to hold our mail and papers and also install timers on some of the lights in our house.
I also had to make sure Floyd was packed, organized and all of his belongings together before we left! Can't forget about our children!
I sat up someone to keep an eye on the house as well.  And it's a good thing I did because our mailbox fell over while we were gone (and we came back to a leak and hail damage yay! - more on that later).
To pack: I listed out every single item I could think of that I would need, as to not forget anything for packing.  I also tried to think through our days and what I would need for certain things (special shoes, jackets, extra items) I knew we were doing. 
To buy: Besides fun vacation clothes, early on I started going through my clothes and shoes from last summer and deciding what would work and what needed replaced.  I also stocked up on travel size toiletries, books and snacks.  We also purchased a few Cincinnati items to take to our guests as a thank you.  I also ALWAYS travel with thank you notes and make sure to write and leave one with our hosts.

Whew, I think that wraps it up!
I'm sure there are more tips but we will save those for another day.
If anyone has any questions, leave them in the comments and I'll get back to you! 

Linking up with Helene

Recipe: Bushwalkers Slice

Are you ready for an Australian recipe?

One of the many delicious things we had in Australia were Bushwalkers Slice bars that Jane's mom made.  Mister and I thought they were similar to a granola bar or our energy balls.  Oh my were we wrong.  These were WAY better.
Think energy ball meets granola bar meets a chocolate chip cookie.

Helen sent these with us out on the boat one day and I think we ate the entire container of them.  Not only are they filling, but they are delicious. 
Mister wouldn't stop eating or raving about these so I knew I had to get the recipe from Helen and try them myself.

Helen has been making these for years and has definitely perfected this recipe.

 The original recipe

The beauty of this recipe is the ability to adapt it up to your taste preference or what is in your pantry.  I'm pretty sure every time I make these they will turn out slightly differently.

But, hopefully, still delicious.

Now it may seem like a lot of ingredients but I'm guessing you have most of these in your pantry.  The ingredients listed as optional are, obviously, optional but you do need a few similar items that are crunchy.  Saltines, nuts, sesame seeds are all good options as well.

Bushwalker's Slice

c/o Helen

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp water

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp corn syrup

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)

1 cup muesli (or granola)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 cup corn flakes

1/2 cup rice krispies (optional)

1/2 cup flax seeds (optional)

1/2 cup grape nuts (optional)

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips

*not pictured: sugar, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder

*Preheat oven to 375

1. Mix butter and egg until smooth

2. Add in egg, vanilla, syrup and water

3. Add remaining ingredients.  Mixture will be quite stiff.

 4. Spread mixture into a 9x13 pan and bake for 24-26 minutes
5. Once top is golden brown, take bars out of the oven.  Cut while warm but leave in pan until the bars are cool.

Take my word for it, these are SO good and very filling!  Perfect for a morning snack.  Or an afternoon one. Or after dinner...you catch my drift.

I have had to restrain myself from eating the entire batch.

Some variations for the mix ins: any type of nuts, honey, almond or peanut butter, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, dried blueberries, Chex cereal.

Let me know if you try these, I'd love to hear what you put in them!

*Don't forget to enter the Zero Grain dog food giveaway here! 

Down Under: Part 5, our last days

And now we've come to some of the best and worst parts of the trip.

Best being the company and scenery and worst being that it was the end of the trip.

If we had unlimited funds and Floyd (and lots of miles to fly our friend and family back and forth), I'm not sure we would have ever made it back home.

And as far as paying for food goes, I'm pretty sure I could survive on their produce, Tim Tams, coffee and gelato.  If that's not a balanced diet, I don't know what is.

Moving on to the end of our adventures... :(

We once again 'hired' a car and by now, Mister really had it down pat.  He was whipping around those roundabouts like a veteran. 

We spent our last two days in an adorable beach town called Noosa Heads.

The drive up to Noosa was about 2 hours and I was on kangroo/koala look out duty the whole time.  They have signs on the side of the road to watch for them like we do deer.

Sadly, we didn't see any on the drive.

 We choose Noosa because Jane's dad and husband were participating in a bike ride there later that weekend and we wanted to soak up as much time with them as we could.  And we had heard it was an adorable place, and it was.

To save a little bit of money (and to remind us of what college was like) we spent the first night at Halse Lodge, a 'backpackers' or hostel.  The Lodge was an old house with an adorable patio/wrap around porch, coffee area and bar.

The accommodations were just like college- a bed in a room and communal bathrooms.

I.e. I wore my flips in the shower and didn't have access to a hair dryer.  

But, it really wasn't all that bad.

There is not a shortage of cute shops in Noosa and we spent a large part of our day browsing those and picking up our final souvenirs. 

I finally found my Australian flag togs (swimsuit) I had been searching the whole trip for.

Bet your bottom dollar those will be making an appearance for 4th of July, if not sooner.

We also picked up an awesome Noosa Heads road sign tea towel that we are planning on stapling to a canvas and hanging in the house. 

That evening we went to a little 'meet and greet' at the lodge (i.e. they were giving out free wine) and followed that up with more drinks on their patio.

That was by far the cheapest we found beer the whole trip.  (Food and drinks are SO expensive all around, but that's a separate post.) 

We had dinner down by the beach then sat out on the boardwalk for a long time just taking in the sounds of the ocean and the scenery. 

The next day we were up bright and early-thank you to no air con (AC).  We had heard amazing things about the Noosa National Park and that there were often koala sitings there.  We headed off on a mission to get some exercise and find a koala to take home.

 Well, we got our exercise (walked a couple miles) but continued to bat 0 on the koala sitings. 

We spent most of the rest of the day working on our tans, and then FINALLY saw a koala in the tree on the street. Thank goodness.  That night we had a wonderful farewell dinner with Jane and her family. 

And what's dinner on vacation if it's not followed by ice cream?
Jane raved about the ice cream from Massimos and we knew it was a must try.
Their ice cream is SO good that they will not even give out samples.

 And good it was.
I had cinnamon and white chocolate and it was unlike any ice cream I'd had before.
Oh. My. Lanta.

And thats a wrap!
We had the most amazing time and can not wait to go back one day.
Thank you for letting us share it with you- it has been wonderful to go back through the picture, memories and details of our time in Australia.

Have a fabulous Spring weekend my lovies.
We will be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week.
And more Floyd.

And Floyd and I would like to wish Mr. Henry a very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

P.s. go visit Erin to enter this giveaway....it's one you want to win, trust me.

Down Under: Part 4

For our second day at Mission Beach, we were fortunate enough to be able to go snorkeling out on the reef again.  Jane's dad took us all out in his boat and we went to all of their favorite reefs.

 In a way, this reef adventure was better than the guided trip because you knew that not everyone had been to those reefs and it was fun seeing which ones were their favorites.  Jane's dad is also an extraordinary spear fisherman and him and Jane's husband speared our dinner for the night.  It was amazing to see them dive down, spear the fish and come back up again.

 Talk about really fresh fish for dinner. 

As the day before, we saw crazy, colorful fish, another turtle and another shark.  This time the shark scared Mister and I a lot more.  I was snorkeling and saw some big fish, came up to tap Mister to show him and when we went back under we saw the shark swim by a bit away from us.  We both immediately started booking it back to the boat.  Most likely it was the 100% wrong thing to do to call so much attention to ourselves BUT is was a SHARK!  They told us it wasn't the type that would harm us but nonetheless, it is quite terrifying to see one so close.

Our last stop of the day was our most favorite of the whole trip.  They took us to their favorite spot in the Reef, Taylor Sand Cay.  It is basically a deserted island/sand bar with the prettiest, clear, turquoise water.   

It was beyond beautiful and amazing to be in such a deserted place.  You know those beach screen savers on a Mac? Yeah, it looked just like that. Or paradise, you know whichever.  I think we could have stayed there all day.  This is where I picked up most of my shells, they were everywhere!

That night we had the most delicious dinner of fresh caught fish and wine. 
 But first our evening started with appetizers and champagne.  You know, the only way evenings at the beach should start.

 Our fabulous hosts

The next morning we headed back out in the boat to an island across the way. 

And then things got interesting with the wallabies.

 (Wally the wallaby)

The boys went back out in the boat to do some more fishing and us girls stayed at the house to relax and play with Sam- he's far too cute not to hang out with.
 

There was an injured wallaby hiding out in their garden and we ended up having to call a wallaby/wildlife person to take it to the vet.  Well the man came and Jane was holding Sam and Helen (Jane's mom) was cornering and shooing the wallaby towards the wallaby man so he could capture it.
 It finally hopped to the man, the man yanked it up by the tail, (because apparently that's how you catch a wallaby, if you ever find yourself in that situation), and it started hissing like crazy!!  I guess I would hiss too if you yanked me up by my tail.
Because it was so mad and injured, it was flailing all around and the man was trying unsuccessfully to get it into a burlap sack.  Because it was so hard to calm it down, yours truly had to step up and help.  I was instructed to help open the bag, all the while dodging the flailing wallaby.  Talk about slightly terrifying.  Not only was it still hissing, but it had claws the size of Texas.  We were finally able to get it in the bag and the man took it away to the vet.  It was quite the Australian experience.  And if you ask me, slightly cooler than Mister holding a koala...

Dinner that night was full of more fresh fish and great wine...I could really get used to that menu and the company.
But a beach photo shoot was in order first.  Because it's basically a crime to be at the beach at sunset and not have a photo shoot.

We didn't get the chance to see any, but apparently there are these huge Australian birds called cassowaries all around Mission Beach.  These crazy road signs are everywhere warning you not to hit them.  And apparently wreck your car in the process.  

Mister and I spent the rest of the day laying out at the Lagoon in Cairns and out to a fabulous dinner that night with Mark and Jane.

Mister had the most delicious and interesting meal of meat and potates. The meat was presented on a metal hook hanging over a decadent bowl of mashed potatoes.  The meat was covered in sauce that dripped it's juices onto the potatoes...drooool.

If you missed the other recaps, check them out here
.

Coming up on tomorrow's recap- my first time staying in a backpackers and the end of our trip.

Down Under: Part 3

And on to our next adventure and possibly our favorite and the most beautiful days of our trip!

We woke up super early (like 3:30am - shoot me) to catch an early flight to Cairns in order to make the most of our day.  Who else hates wasting half their day traveling?!

Jane's mom was kind enough to pick us up from the airport and transported us to our first adventure of the day, the Kuranda Skyrail.

 Skyrail ready!

We had really been looking forward to do the Skyrail because we had heard so many great things about it.  It's a gondola type ride through the mountains and the rainforest.

 There are a few stops along the way where you can get out and walk around.  At the ride drops you in the little town of Kuranda.  Kuranda is full of cute little shops and a small zoo.  

The small zoo was Mister's favorite part because he was able to fulfill his biggest request of the trip...

to hold a koala.

 But first, look how cute these guys are!!

And now for quiet possibly the happiest moment in Mister's life...sans our wedding, or so he says ;)

Her name was Princess and she was adorable. And super sleepy.  

After shopping around Kuranda and picking up a few souvenirs, we headed back down the other side of the mountain on the Kuranda Scenic Railway train.

 The views from the train were incredible and it was thrilling to ride the train so close to the side of the mountain.

The next day was one we had been waiting for for awhile.

We took a boat out to the Great Barrier Reef to go snorkeling all day.

The ship, accommodations and crew were super nice.

 We were outfitted with stinger suits, snorkels and flippers, the whole nine yards.  

 I had never been snorkeling before and our guide was extremely patient and great at explaining the process.

To be honest, at first I hated not being able to breathe out of my nose and it TOTALLY freaked me out (i.e. I had a small panic attack).  But after some coaxing and coaching I got the hang of it.  And once I did, we were off to explore.  We were able to snorkel at 3 different spots along the Reef and they were all beyond amazing.  Unfortunately we didn't have an underwater camera and don't have too many pictures :(  Just take my word for it, the prettiest fishes you've ever seen in your life.

The colors and formations of the reefs were incredible and the fish were out of this world.  Everywhere you looked there were new fish with new colors.  I have so many new ideas for design projects and outfits just based on the color of the fish.  

Along with amazing fish we saw a turtle, a shark(!) and the boats resident dog like fish, Nigel a maori wrasse.  He was seriously the cutest fish and would swim up and everyone was able to pet him.  

And then we had a little bit of a tragic episode.

Mister and I were snorkeling our hearts away and came back to the boat to rest and were just sitting on the back of the boat watching everyone snorkel.  Mister looked down at his left hand and realized his wedding ring was gone :( We both looked at each other in shock and then knew it was a lost cause.  And then we just had to chuckle* because at least it's a good story to say you lost your ring in the Great Barrier Reef.  We decided he is forever married to the Reef and so we must go back soon!    

I think that because it's such a unique story our jeweler should just give us a new one for free.  Right?!

[*Mister's note: this isn't exactly a total summary. I don't think I "chuckled," per se. At least not at first. In fact, I think my thought process was more like 1) mouth-gaping, 2) profanity, 3) double-checking, 4) disbelief, 5) profanity, 6) looking around hurriedly and side to side, like that was going to make it magically appear. "oh hey, maybe I just sat it down over here... that thing I never take off. yeah, maybe I took it off and just don't remember. Silly me. I bet that's what it was. maybe it's under these flippers? definitely under these flippers." idiot. 7) dedicating ten to fifteen seconds to honestly thinking "I wonder if Nigel has it... like as some type of prank or joke or something," 8) I know this is covered under our homeowner's, 9) stupid deductible, 10) wait... it had diamonds in it, didn't it?  yeah... LOTS of dia--" (interrupted by flopping tourists, snaps back to reality)

 That evening we were zonked from swimming and being in the sun all day. We decided to just pick up a few Australian beers and a 'takeaway' (carry out) pizza and enjoyed a quiet evening dinner on the porch.  Later we headed up to Jane's parents beach house in Mission Beach.

As we got closer and closer to Mission Beach we saw tons and tons of wallabies (smaller than a kangaroo but looks similar).  At one point we passed a field with probably 50 standing around in a circle and 2 in the middle were fighting. Mister screamed "Wallaby Fight Club!" repeatedly. It was almost sad how excited he was about this.  Anyhow, next time you see a fictional picture of boxing kangaroos, you'll know it actually happens. 

Coming up tomorrow: how to catch a wallaby and spear fishing- not your normal Saturday activities.  

Linking up with Shanna!