General

Maine is often referred to as Vacationland, and there’s a reason for this. This state has a wide range of activities and experiences to offer. Between the rocky shores, forestry wilderness, and clear coastal waters, you truly have the best of every world when you visit the state of Maine. Today I’m going to share a few reasons why Maine is a great state to visit. Perhaps this will entice you to take a trip to this beautiful state sometime soon.

Moose Watching Tours

Maine has a large population of moose that can weigh over 1,000 pounds each and stand over seven feet tall at their shoulders. While these mammals are rather large in size, it’s not always easy to find them. Take a tour with Northeast Whitewater’s Maine Moose Watching Tours. They will show you the ropes in how to find Maine’s beautiful moose population.

Lobster Anywhere

The first thing I think of when I think of Maine is lobster! While you may think that Maine is a great state to visit because of the fresh lobster from their ocean coastline, but you actually can enjoy fresh Maine lobster just about anywhere in the state. Choose to sit by the ocean, enjoying the sweet smell of the salt water while enjoying Maine lobster or travel to the inner parts of the state and enjoy the wilderness while eating a lobster or two.

Forest, Mountain, or Ocean

The beautiful part of the state of Maine, as I mentioned, is that this state offers you a chance to set your own scene. While traveling and staying in Maine you can opt to have a forest view camping site, a mountain view cabin, or a cottage next to the ocean to soak up the sunrays. Maine offers everyone a chance to stay in their comfort zone within the same state.

Island Hopping

Another reason why Maine is a great state to visit is the chance to go island hopping. There are a few islands off the coast of Maine that allow you to experience a completely different culture, view and experience than you can on land.

When you look at the geographical size of the state of Maine, you’ll quickly notice that it’s one of the biggest New England states to visit. Having this large of a state to experience during your travel expeditions makes for a lot of memory making moments by yourself or with loved ones. Consider adding Maine to your travel bucket list now that you’ve learned more about why Maine is such a great state to visit.

 

Bringing your dog on vacation is such a great way to experience the world with your furry child. Dogs are such loyal pets and they enjoy seeing new places with their owner. If you’re someone who owns a dog and is thinking about traveling with him, then continue reading for some fabulous tips that will help you survive traveling with your dog.

Take a Test Drive

If you’re planning to travel with your dog in a vehicle for a long period of time, then you’ll want to first take a test drive. It’s important to find out how your furry child handles being in a vehicle for long stretches of time. This will allow you to prepare any necessary travel items for car sickness, should your dog show signs of car sickness during this test drive.

Pack Proper Necessities

Create a checklist of items that your dog will need when traveling. This could be their food and water dishes, medications, treats and obviously actual food. Pick up a gallon-sized water jug so that your dog will have ample supply for hydration. These jugs can easily be refilled at a freshwater lake or roadside well accesses that some states have along the roadway. Bring an extra leash just in case something happens to the one you are using. Don’t forget to bring poop bags for cleaning up after your pet when you walk her.

Get Some Accessories

Think about all the adventures you’ll be going on when traveling with your dog. If there will be hiking adventures, then grab some products that will make the hiking trip more comfortable for your furry child. They make booties for dogs as well as backpacks for hiking dogs. Be sure to make a list and purchase any accessories prior to your departure date.

Wellness Check

A dog owner should always get a wellness check for their dog before traveling. Make an appointment for a well doggy visit for your pooch before you travel. This will also let you share your travel plans with your veterinarian and let them answer any outstanding questions you have about traveling with your dog. It’s important your dog is deemed healthy enough for traveling.

Check With The Hotel To Make Sure Pets Are Welcome

There are many hotels these days that accept pets, but you should never just assume that the hotel you reserved does. Be sure to ask if they do so you won’t be disappointed when you arrive.

These simple tips will help you and your furry child travel in comfort and style when you attempt to hit the open road on a new adventure together. The most important part of traveling with your dog is that they are just as happy as you are to be on this adventure.

Traveling alone can be rather fun. You get to enjoy whatever you want, whenever you want. There’s no other person there to share the itinerary planning. There’s no one else there to have their own places on the list of sights to see. Traveling alone is fabulous because you get to see everything that’s on your sightseeing list, visit every location that you want to visit and sleep in should you desire to do so when traveling alone. While traveling alone is fun, there are some tips for traveling alone that you should know. Today I’m sharing those tips for traveling alone with you so that you can enjoy your next solo trip.

Have Your Car Serviced Before You Go

If you are headed out on a solo road trip, be sure to take your vehicle by the dealership for a checkup before you leave. The service department will change the oil, rotate the tires, check the transmission fluid and the hoses. After a thorough vehicle checkup you can drive away with confidence that your car will make it all the way there and back. 

Know your Strengths

As a solo traveler, it’s important to know what your strengths are. Understanding your comfort level with being social, going into crowded places or being stuck in a small space with strangers is important. This will help you best plan your solo travel itinerary to suit your personality strengths.

Learn No, Thank You

This is a very important skill to learn when you’re traveling in a region that speaks another language. Many cultures are very welcoming to travelers and may offer a friendly hello or a gift. Learn how to say, “No, thank you” in the region’s language before traveling there alone.

Check the Ratings

Be sure to check ratings and the reviews for any location that you’re staying at. When traveling solo you’ll want to stay at 4-5 stars rated location. Be sure to read through all of the reviews, because sometimes a 4-5 star rating may actually have horrible reviews.

Get Free Wi-Fi

When traveling alone you’ll want to make sure that you have a way to communicate with the outside world for most of your travel time. Try to book your accommodations in an area that has free Wi-Fi. While most places offer this, it’s still something to check before booking your travel accommodations.

Take your Time Eating

When dining on food during your solo travel adventures, be sure to take your time eating. This downtime allows you to recoup, relax and reflect on all that you’ve experienced so far. It’s a great time to think about your travels and what you want to do next.

Know your Budget

You’ll want to make sure that you have your budget set before leaving on any solo travel adventure. This will keep you held responsible for not spending too much money and always having a little extra on hand in case of an emergency.

Tell Someone Where You Are Going

While planning the itinerary and choosing all the things you want to do is up to you alone, it is always the safe thing to do to tell someone where you are going and when you will be back. If you should happen to run into trouble while on your trip your friend or family member will know when to start worrying if you are not back by the stated time. 

There you have it a few tips for traveling alone. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings and to travel in a way that encourages you to enjoy this time alone out in the big, big world.

It really doesn’t matter if you’re traveling by car, by plane or by boat the reality is that travelers enjoy making their vacation easier. Traveling is certainly a fun way to experience different cultures, lifestyles, and events. Over the years I’ve learned some pretty good travel hacks to make traveling easier and save money along the way. Today I’m going to share the best travel hacks with you so that the next time you pack up to go on vacation, you get to have more fun enjoying your time away from home.

Use your Flat Iron

If you have a flat iron packed away to get your hair all fancy while traveling, then it comes in pretty handy when you need to iron your clothes. A flat iron can work just like a regular iron for a quick fix to any clothing that got slightly wrinkled while being packed in a suitcase.

Google Hangouts or Skype

When you’re traveling aboard making phone calls can be quite expensive. If you’re looking for an easier way to communicate with your family while you’re traveling then download Google Hangouts or Skype beforehand so that you can communicate for free using Wi-Fi.

Use Hotel Washer

Call your hotel ahead of time to find out if there are is a washer and dryer on site. This will help you pack less clothing because you’ll be able to wash and dry the clothes that you travel with. Booking a hotel that has a washer and dryer on site will surely make traveling easier.

Use SeatGuru

This app allows you to get the perfect seat every time you’re traveling by plane. You can easily find out if you’ll be seated near a bathroom, if there are power outlets nearby and what pitch the seat is at. SeatGuru makes traveling easier and more comfortable.

Eat Free Breakfast

Breakfast is the best part of the day and you’ll regret not eating it. Be sure to take advantage of free breakfast that’s usually served at most events and hotels where travelers stay. This is an easy way to get your belly full and save money on eating expenses while traveling. There is usually toast, bagels, eggs, bacon sausage, oatmeal, and dry cereals, so you will be sure to find something you like. 

Bring Peppermint Oil

There’s nothing worse than having allergies or bad breath during your travel excursions. Having a small container of peppermint oil on you at all times will serve you quite well in making traveling easier. You can dab some on a napkin and sniff to ward off allergies or sprinkle some in your mouth for fresh breath.

Pack A Snack Basket

If you are traveling by car, you can save a ton of money by buying your favorite snacks in large packages. Make up several single serving bags using plastic re-closeable sandwich size bags. Store them in a box or basket in your car. This way you can avoid paying convenience store prices for those pit stops along the way. I like to pack fruit, trail mix, pretzels, peanut butter crackers, and egg salad sandwiches. 

There you have some of the best travel hacks to make traveling easier. Traveling can be quite a fun time but there’s sometimes so much involved in the process that knowing some of the hacks to make it easier will surely alleviate stress and allow you to have a great time!

While I have written about simple auto maintenance jobs you can do yourself to save money, there have been a few times in my life where those DIY jobs have backfired on me. And when they backfire, they cost more than double what I would have paid a dealership to do them for me. 

For instance, when my son was about 12 years old, I had a Chevrolet Cavalier Station Wagon. It was a really cute, small station wagon, that got very good gas mileage. One time I needed to change a windshield wiper, but my son begged me to let him do it. Although I had never let him do anything other than wash the car, he stated his case that  he knew how to do it. So, I gave in, and let him. 

Seth got to work, and had the windshield wiper changed in no time. I was so proud of him, and praised him so much for helping me and saving me the money of paying someone to do it for me. The next time I needed to use my windshield wipers, though, they did about three swipes of the windshield and just died. Stopped working altogether. I wound up taking the car to the dealership, where they discovered the OLD windshield wiper, entangled in the windshield wiper motor. 

Another time, I needed to have the oil changed in an old car that I owned. I let a friend do it for me. It only cost me the price of the oil and filter, and a six pack of beer. On my way home from the friend’s house, the motor ran hot, and the car stopped running. I had to have a tow truck come and haul it to the dealership to find out what was wrong with it. It turns out, that to reach the oil filter in that particular car, you had to remove the hose to the radiator. (it wasn’t a Chevrolet). When my friend put the car back together after changing the oil, he put the hose on backwards, which allowed the fan to cut through the hose. This car could not be revived. Lesson learned! 

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on the link, then make a purchase, I will receive a commission for the sale. Thank you. 

Can you believe that Flirty Aprons is having a sale with up to 86% savings on their products? Yes, it’s their spring cleaning sale. Get your aprons now while they are on sale!

Spring Cleaning Sale at Flirty Aprons, Up to 86% off, Shipping $2.50, no code, exp 3/28

They are really doing some spring cleaning. Here are a couple of the items they have on sale right now through March 28:

This amazingly cute apron is on sale for an unbelievable price of only $4.00!

Women’s Marilyn Mint-a-liscious Apron – $4.00
from: Flirty Home

Be ready for your Easter Dinner with this floral apron. It would be great for all your spring cookouts, too. 

Women’s Kenzie Coral Floral Apron – $4.00
from: Flirty Home

Flirty Aprons aren’t just aprons, either. They also carry cooking utensils, baby bibs, organic kitchen and bath products. Oh! They have men’s aprongs, too. I’ve see so many things I want to get during this sale! I know I’m going to get one of these silicone baking mats. What a great price!

Silicone Baking Mat
from: Flirty Home

Get over there now, before this sale ends on 3/28!

Does eating at night make you fat? Is light food more expensive? Do I have to kill myself in the gym to lose weight? Let’s demystify popular beliefs about dieting that do not help to burn calories. Get the correct answers here!

What is the right way to diet?

Far from any myth or popular belief, the best way to lose weight or maintain the right weight is to learn to live with food and our environment. For those who have struggled against extra pounds for years, a new diet that promises to be revolutionary or a miraculous nutritional supplement may appear as a light of hope.

But not everything that shines is gold. Fasting, impossible diets, or a single food, do not favor lasting weight loss, and are only a variant of the salad which our grandmothers ate when on a diet. The secret is a true change of habits: good nutrition habits and healthy habits must be maintained throughout life and are the only safe ways to achieve and maintain the desired weight.

Myths about diets

* To lose pounds it is necessary to go hungry.

* Avoiding breakfast makes you consume fewer calories in a day.

* Skipping meals helps to lose weight.

* The best way to lose weight is to eat only one meal a day.

* Dieting is eating everything boiled, like boiled vegetables and boiled fish.

* Eating pasta is incompatible with losing weight.

* You have to eat only fruit to lose weight.

* You can eat everything you want and still lost weight if you do not mix foods.

* Eating at night makes you fat.

* A fasting grapefruit or lemon juice diet burns fats.

* Diet meals are complicated and laborious.

* Eating healthy is more expensive.

* Taking natural supplements lets you lose weight without dieting.

* To lose weight you have to kill yourself exercising.

Tips For Eating Well

* Dieting is compatible with the enjoyment of food. Cooking in the oven, roast or microwave are tasty and help in weight loss.

* You can lose weight without giving up basic foods such as bread, pasta and legumes. It’s better for you to consume organic foods even though they’re sometimes expensive. LOL you can get a loans to buy them. If you have bad credit history, you can still get a loan using loans for bad credit.

* For maintaining weight loss it is important to make your diet as varied as possible, so that the appetite is appeased.

* Make a weekly shopping list, and go to the supermarket with a full stomach. You will buy better food choices that way.

* Eating several times a day will help you lose weight effectively and without going hungry.