Some of our Travel "Hacks"

We've gone on a lot of road trips as a family, and I always enjoy the organization and planning part of those trips. I like to try new things - "travel hacks," if you will - to make things go smoothly. Road trips have changed a lot for us as our family has aged. I remember the days of having two kids in diapers at a time and having to stop every two hours to change bottoms, make bottles, rotate toys, restart the portable DVD players, and wrangle everyone back into car seats. I've had to wash puke out of car seats on the sides of gas stations and blow dry them with the hand dryer in the bathroom. I've held up blankets while kids poop in a little, green IKEA potty on the side of the road. I've contorted myself over the seats of the car to move into the back to break up fights. Road tripping is always an adventure! 

It's gotten a little easier, though. Now our kids have tablets, and they are only allowed to use them on road trips, so that keeps them busy and entertained, and the van stays a lot cleaner without all the toys, crayons, and stickers of yesteryear. Our kids don't need as many potty breaks (thank heavens), so on our most recent trip to Disneyland, we only had to stop twice on the way home! We don't have car seats or diapers anymore, and right before this trip, I decided to get rid of the green IKEA potty we stored in the stow-n-go for years and years. That felt like a big step. 

Since we've been on a lot of road trips, we've also stayed in a lot of hotels, and that brings more opportunities to pack and travel creatively. Today I thought I'd share just a few things we've done for travel that have made things go a little smoother for us. These hacks might not work for everyone, but there might be something useful for someone here:

1. Bring (or buy) hangers

Hotel rooms tend to only have about 5 hangers on a good day, so I sometimes bring (or buy) a package of hangers so we can hang up more clothes. At the end of the trip, I just leave them. 

2. Bring garbage bags

For some reason, hotel rooms have the tiniest garbage cans on the face of the planet. Even when we get a suite with a kitchenette, they still somehow expect us to only produce one square foot of garbage during our stay. It’s especially annoying now that most hotels don’t do daily room cleaning anymore, so I bring big garbage bags so we have somewhere to put our garbage. 

3. Bring a toaster

We usually stay places that have a continental breakfast, but a lot of the hotels around Disneyland don’t do that (and I can understand why - would you want to feed hundreds of people headed to Disneyland every morning? Can you imagine how much free food they try and stuff in their pockets? Am I speaking from experience? I’ll never tell). On our recent trip, I decided to find a toaster at the thrift store to bring with us to our hotel. It was worth the four bucks. We had all sorts of toasted breakfast items in the mornings, and at the end of the trip, I left the toaster behind.

Why, you may ask, did I not just bring my toaster from home? Because ours is a double toaster, so I was keeping things on the smaller side, and this way I didn’t have to haul it there and back. I always like bringing less stuff home than I take (I'll discuss this more in a minute).

4. Bring frozen meals

Eating out on vacation with a family of six is very expensive (thank you, Captain Obvious), so when possible, we try to bring our own food. We still enjoy a few meals out, but we don’t want to go out for every meal, so we typically make a meal plan and bring our own food. Sometimes we will grocery shop at our destination, but I always prefer to bring all of our food, when possible, for a few reasons:

1). Going grocery shopping with the whole family in an unfamiliar grocery store is something I don’t want to do unless I absolutely have to (going to the grocery store without kids in a road trip/vacation hasn’t really been feasible thus far in our experience) 

2). It helps me keep the budget in check. I know how much everything costs at home, but when traveling to other areas, prices are sometimes much higher. 

3). If something is out of stock or hard to find, I have it taken care of before our vacation. 

I tried doing grocery pickup once and pre-ordered all of our groceries in Lake Tahoe so we could just swing by the store and pick it up before we headed to our condo. Our grocery order was missing so many things that we ended up having to drive back to the store anyway, so I haven't done it again. 

Bringing food on a trip is always a little different depending on the accommodations. Pretty much anywhere we stay at least has a tiny fridge and microwave. 

I bring veggies and dip on every road trip

There are some obvious downsides to bringing our food - it takes up extra space, and there are items we have to keep cold. It also requires a bit of pre-planning, but it works for us. 

For our trip to Disneyland, our hotel room had the traditional itty bitty fridge and a microwave. I prepared a bunch of freezer meals for us to eat in our hotel room - things that could thaw easily and be microwaved. We had tacos, pot roast, chicken noodle soup, sloppy joes, and lasagna. I froze the meals in bags and then put them in a disposable cooler (another thing we could ditch at the end of our trip, and since so much of the food was frozen, I didn't have to worry about ice). 

Hotel tacos

I wasn’t sure if this would be worth the work or not for a Disneyland trip - enjoying a homemade dinner via microwave in a hotel room only works if you go back to the hotel during dinner time (which we don’t). In the end, it was about 50% successful. Every night, Zoe had to be taken back to the hotel around 5:00 because she was DONE for the day, so Zoe and I were always there for dinner. No one else really was, and they didn’t really eat after they got back. We had a little too much food for this particular kind of trip. On trips with more downtime to enjoy dinner, this works much better. 

5. Have a gas station box

This is something new we did on our trip to Disneyland. We were really trying to keep things cheap on this trip (it turns out - buying a new van and planning a Disneyland trip at Christmastime is not the most financially responsible thing to do). We usually buy snacks at the gas station whenever we stop, and Zoe and Eva always beg for the stupid novelty candies, and we let them have them because we need world peace for the drive, and it shuts them up for a while. They’re super expensive, though, so for this trip, we bought a bunch of the dumb candies from Sam’s Club and NPS and put them in a box, then instead of buying treats at the gas station, we would let the kids pick a treat from the box whenever we stopped anywhere. 

We still have a lot leftover

I have to admit, I was surprised it actually worked! I thought they’d still beg for something at the gas station, but they didn’t. 

6. Pack things you're soon to get rid of

Sometimes when we travel (depending on what we are doing), we use things that we will be getting rid of soon. I pack shoes and clothes that are on their last straw so we don't have to bring them home. This is especially nice when we fly (which is rare) because we don't check luggage (Scotty has had his luggage lost twice, so it's a risk we don't take anymore, plus it saves time and money if we don't have to wait or pay for luggage). To free up space for souvenirs or other things we might bring back with us, we get rid of some stuff along the way. For example, a few years ago we flew our family to Disneyland, and we all took our oldest, most worn out shoes. We ditched about half of them for the flight home. We also packed some of our kids' oldest, worn out clothes for their "final wear" and ditched those, too. Then, Scotty and I packed our oldest garments that needed to be disposed of, and every night when we came back from the parks, we cut them up* and threw them away (you can take scissors on a plane if the blade is less than 4"). Thus, we had plenty of luggage space to bring home our Lego Store purchases. 

On our recent trip to California, we took some old beach towels that were fraying so we didn't have to haul sandy beach towels around in our car for a week. We ended up bringing them home after all, but we at least had the option to throw them away at the beach if needed. 

7. Bag the dirty clothes

Whenever we travel, I designate a suitcase or bag for dirty clothes (unless we are staying somewhere with a washer and dryer, like an Air Bnb or condo). I have everyone pack their dirty clothes in there. We don't separate whose is whose - it's just the "dirty" or "I will not be wearing this again" designated spot. When the bag/suitcase is full, we close it up and start filling another one. That way, as time goes on, we are actually packing to go home. At the end of the trip, we pack anything "unworn" together so when we get home, the clean clothes and dirty clothes are already separated. The "dirty" bags go straight to the laundry room and then everyone puts their clean clothes away. 

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So those are just a few things we've had success with when we have traveled. Every trip is a little different depending on what we are doing, but we try to make things easy and comfortable for everyone. It's always a lot of work, no matter what approach we take, but we've had a lot of fun on our family trips and hope to head out again soon! (No plans until summer thus far). 

A lot of you have been asking about Disneyland since our last trip and why we weren't happy with it, so I will write a post soon. I feel like I can handle it now. I needed some time to mourn. 

I've also been asked by a few people about taking food into the parks, so I will do a post about that, too, sometime soon. 

In the meantime, for those planning a trip, here is a post I wrote several years ago and have provided updates on. You can also check out this post for information that might be helpful, especially if you are taking kids. 

 

*Since these are religious clothing pieces, we are asked to cut them up before disposing of them.

Twenty Years Home

February 1, 2004.

Super Bowl Sunday.

That was the day we got the keys to our house. 

I was 20 years old when we bought our home. I thought it was our five-year house. I wasn’t planning on staying here long. I thought we’d be rich soon and buy a really nice, fancy house. Now I look back at some of my ideals from my early twenties and laugh. I have a completely different perspective on most things now. For example, I feel rich. It doesn’t manifest itself the form of a big, new house or fancy things, but whenever we have what we need, I feel rich. Whenever we have a little extra, I feel even more rich. 

I feel especially fortunate to own a home right now when housing costs have gotten so high. Our house is on the smaller side, it’s outdated, and it’s not very showy, but I am so thankful for it! It’s ours, and I’ve grown to appreciate it so much!

To celebrate twenty years in our home, here are 20 things I love about my house: 

1. The size of the lot (just under 1/4 acre) is perfect for us.

2. The front door (currently light blue).

3. Our family room.

4. It’s old and imperfect enough that I’m not worried about damage (every time Nicky puts his head through a wall, I just shrug and go “Eh. I’ll fix it when he moves out”).

5. I can see the front yard and driveway really well.

6. There is only one door that goes directly outside (this may seem inconvenient, but I like the security of it).

7. Our garden.

8. Our sheds.

9. We have a fenced backyard.

10. Our two-car garage was upgraded so it’s a little wider than the standard ones in our neighborhood.

11. Our street is wide enough to accommodate parking on both sides of the street without causing major bottlenecking (okay, this isn’t the house, per se, but it’s still something that matters about the location). 

12. It’s close to everything - freeway, stores, schools, etc. 

13. Our storage room (which we built).

14. Our storage closet (which we built).

15. Our soffit lighting (which Scotty installed). 

16. Our curbing (which we had installed).

17. We still have our original fridge and dryer (but I dare not speak of that lest I should jinx them, so keep this info between us, mmmkay?)

18. The ceilings are low, which makes the walls easy to paint. 

19. We have lots of fun refurbished furniture.

20. It’s almost paid off (right now we are on track for August 2025, but we’re trying to make it happen sooner).

40 Things I Like to Do

1. Read
2. Dance
3. Plan the budget
4. Meal plan
5. Go grocery shopping
6. Create
7. Lay on my couch in the coveted “best” spot
8. Make bracelets
9. Boondoggle
10. Fidget
11. Stretch my nostrils
12. Repurpose things
13. Decorate for holidays
14. Feed people
15. Laugh
16. Play (strategy) board games
17. Make jam
18. Surprise my kids
19. Freeze food
20. Sit in my garage recliner 
21. Blog
22. Take pictures
23. Bounce my leg
24. Go to the thrift store
25. Eat
26. Paddle around a lake in a kayak 
27. Get rid of stuff
28. Listen to music
29. Sneak food into movie theaters 
30. Load my dishwasher
31. Hold newborns 
32. Play word games
33. Do puzzles
34. Identify birds with my bird app
35. Go on trips with my family
36. Text my peeps
37. Sit with my feet up on stuff
38. Sing
39. Try new recipes
40. Make lists

Forty Interesting Topics

I still have a series of “forty” posts in my draft folder. This one is a list of 40 topics I’m interested in. A lot of them, I have studied in some way - some in my formal education and some of my own accord. Others, I don’t know as much about but really enjoy learning about. 

Unfortunately, I don’t have my superpower of choice: perfect recall, and that is one of my biggest frustrations in life! I want to remember everything I learn! But, as proven yesterday, I can’t even manage to remember to put in my second earring (I wore a single gold hoop in public for an entire day - like a stinkin’ pirate) (it’s fine - I’ve done worse).

How I absorb knowledge before forgetting it

Anyway, here are 40 topics I am fascinated by: 

1. Behavior
2. Families and family theory
3. The psychological effects of fame
4. Sociopathy/psychopathy
5. How people use their money and resources
6. Serial killers
7. Chernobyl
8. Historical eugenics/forced sterilization
9. Disney theme park deaths and law suits
10. Neuroscience and brain development 
11. Gardening
12. Communication and interpersonal relationships
13. Therapy practices
14. Grammar
15. True crime
16. Leadership
17. Parenting
18. Teaching
19. Abuse
20. The pyramids
21. Orthodox Judaism 
22. Polygamy
23. Cults 
24. Habits
25. Life after death
26. Creation
27. The Thai cave rescue of 2018
28. The Titanic
29. Feral children
30. Lobotomies 
31. What to do if you cut off a finger
32. Utopian ideals 
33. Mental illness and personality disorders
34. Suicide and assisted suicide
35. Religion
36. The Romanovs
37. School shootings 
38. Organ donation
39. Münchausen syndrome and Münchausen by proxy
40. Loneliness 

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

This post is brought to you by being wide awake at 4:00 in the morning.

I saw this little writing prompt on Pinterest and thought it might be fun (I eliminated the question “are you a virgin” because I like to be mysterious and keep people guessing).

Skin

Do you tan easily?

No, and it’s a bummer because my mom is very tan (as is my youngest brother). my other brother and I didn’t get the genes. Nicky tans very easily and quickly. He gets quite fair during the winter months, but then if he spends ten minutes in the sun, he bronzes up nicely. 

Eyes

What is your favorite show to watch?

Lost is probably my all time favorite and the show I have rewatched the most. But this is a hard question to answer. 

Nose

What are your favorite scents?

I love fall and Christmas scents. Pumpkin, pine, cinnamon, etc. I also really like honeysuckle. I enjoy smelling herbs - mint, basil, etc - but I don’t want to smell like them. 

Mouth

Do you like to sing?

Yes.

Tongue

What was your last meal?

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

(This is a great way to use leftover baked potatoes. I usually bake extras and use them for potato salad in summer and this soup in winter).

Ears

How many piercings do you have?

I have double piercings in my ears, but one of my second holes closed up. So I can wear three earrings should I choose to have unbalanced lobes. 

Neck

Do you wear necklaces?

Sometimes. I'm allergic to a lot of them, so I have to be careful, or I'll claw at my neck until it bleeds.

Cheeks

Do you blush easily?

I really don’t know! 

Wrists

Have you ever broken a bone?

I can’t say because I believe in jinxes.

Hands

Are you an artist/writer?

I’ve written a thing or two.

Fingers

Do you play any instruments?

Sadly, no. If I could choose, I would go with piano first and foremost followed by fiddle and harmonica. 

Heart

Are you in love?

Yes, indeed.

Lungs

Do you smoke?

No

Chest

Are your maternal instincts strong?

Uh… maybe? How does one know?

Stomach

Do you feel confident with your body image?

Sometimes but mostly no.

Hips

Do you like to dance?

Yes

Thighs

Has anyone ever called you fat or ugly?

Not in those words. No one has called me ugly (thank goodness), but I have a friend who comments on my weight a lot. 

Ankles

Have you ever been arrested?

No

Feet

What’s your favorite pair of shoes?

Shoe selfie

I love these shoes, but I don’t wear them very often, and ohmygosh why do they look so huge?

Brain

Do you enjoy learning?

Definitely! In fact, one of my upcoming 40 lists is "Topics I am Interested In." Stay tuned!

It’s the 45th Day of January (and ten other random facts)

Fact #1: Pinterest is always trying to get me to do wall Pilates. I don't even have a wall with which to do wall Pilates! So thanks, but no thanks. 

Fact #2: Over the weekend we went and saw Six. It was such a fun show! 

Fact #3: My watch kept giving me the loud environment warning during the show. It was exciting to get in trouble with my watch for something other than blow drying my hair. 

Fact #4: I discovered via selfie afterward that I have developed jowls. 

Fact #5: Forty is hitting me hard. I kind of thought that if I embraced forty and moved into it with excitement that I would somehow turn back the clock and age backwards. 

Not so, friends. Not so.

Fact #6: I am a frozen fruit hoarder under the guise that I intend to make a smoothie. When it comes down to it, I don’t actually want to make a smoothie for several reasons:

1). I don’t want to get out the blender

2). I don’t want to hear the blender

3). I don’t want to wash the blender

4). I don’t want to put the blender away

5). I want actual food

So the rate at which I consume smoothies does not match the rate at which I stow fruit away in the freezer (it’s usually fruit we aren’t able to eat before it goes bad - lots of bananas, berries from the garden, fruit picked from neighbors’ trees, or stuff we buy on sale and end up with too much of) (I also throw spinach in the freezer for smoothies whenever we have some we can’t use fast enough). Thus, I have an abundance of frozen fruit in my freezers that I really need to use up, so this week’s menu will include many, many smoothies. 

Fact #7: I’m drinking a smoothie right now, which is what has inspired this commentary. 

Fact #8: I planted some pots of cilantro, chives, and green onions in my kitchen, and the plants just started popping out of the dirt on Saturday! I’m excited because they’re holding me over until gardening season. I always forget that I can plant stuff inside my house. When we had a cat, I could never have plants in the house because he would eat them. I keep forgetting that’s not a problem anymore (eight years later).

Fact #9: I find the weirdest things around my house.

Fact #10: This post took me three days to write because my life is that uninteresting right now. 

Things the Kids Say: Episode 29

“Ah, smells like wood and men!”

-Zoe walking into Lowe’s

—————

“Ah, smells like wet men!”

-Zoe walking into Pirates of the Caribbean 

—————

“I’m not on the naughty list, but I might be on the so/so list.”

-Zoe

—————

Ricky Martin: Shake your bon bon, shake your bon bon, shake your bon bon…

Kids: Mom, you need to change the song. It’s Sunday.

Me: Am I not allowed to shake my bon bon on Sunday?

Eva: You can only shake the front, not the back.

—————

“I know where babies come from. Jesus comes into your room at night and stuffs little body parts inside you to make a baby. At least I think that’s how it works.”

-Eva

—————

“Life is confusing with you as a mom.”

-Eva

—————

Eva: Mom, who’s your favorite kid?

Me: You know I don’t have a favorite kid. I love you all the same.

Eva: Am I a miracle?

Me: Yes

Eva: Are all your kids miracles?

Me: Yes

Eva: So who’s your favorite miracle, then?

Forty Things I’m Bad At

In the last few days leading up to my birthday, I started thinking about fun things I could post on my blog to celebrate. I decided I was going to post a “forty list” each day for a week (or something like that), and I even started making the lists. Then I went to Disneyland, and I just wasn’t feeling it, so I didn’t do it, and now I have these weird lists in my draft folder that I need to either post or delete. 

I figure I might as well post them even though they are no longer relevant to my 40th birthday. It came. It conquered. It left me old.

(Tell me, do you take a shot every time I mention my 40th birthday?)

Anyway, here is my first list. I thought this one was timely after yesterday’s post. It’s like my anti-resume. Please know that I’m not trying to be mean to myself. There are some things I’m just not great at, and that’s okay. I figure I’m doing the world a favor by providing balance. 

 

40 Things I’m Bad At

1. Spelling aloud
2. Cleaning the shower
3. Parallel parking
4. Playing with kids
5. Sight reading (music)
6. Returning library books on time
7. Golf
8. Washing my face 
9. Giving up soda
10. Reading to my kids
11. Following through with discipline
12. Keeping up with my ministering sisters
13. Putting things back where they go
14. Filling up before the gas light turns on
15. Sticking to the budget I elaborately plan
16. Refraining from using swear words
17. Keeping my kids tech time in check
18. Dusting the ceiling fans
19. Makeup
20. Words of affection 
21. Attending large gatherings
22. Closing cupboard doors
23. Keeping up on dishes
24. Exercising
25. Axe throwing
26. Asking for help
27. Accurately doubling recipes
28. Listening
29. Bowling
30. Making my bed
31. Putting my shoes away
32. Hearing 
33. Finishing antibiotics
34. Picking up my prescriptions on time
35. Loading PEZ dispensers
36. Eating healthy
37. Connecting with teens 
38. Patience
39. Yoga
40. Sewing

Welcome to my Unofficial Resume

I mention every now and then here on the blog that I often wrestle with whether it’s time to go back to work. As I contemplate my phase of life and consider reentering the workforce someday, I can’t help but wonder if I have any marketable skills. When it’s time to refresh my resume, there’s going to be quite a gap. The entire world has changed since I last had a job. The iPhone hadn’t even come out yet when I left work! 

Anyway, another thing I wrestle with is whether I’m too old to have a blog. I mean, I’m about to turn 40, and my hobby is basically keeping an online journal. Is that weird? Is it??? 

Sigh.

I’m not stopping, though. I love having a (small, quiet, unknown) blog. I really do. I love that I can go back and read memories from years and years ago. Sometimes I’m so impressed with my former self and wonder how I used to be so wise (and what happened?) Other times I’m super embarrassed by my old self and think, “I can’t believe she said that!” 

The other day I found a photo on my phone of a can of paint spilled in my storage room. I had forgotten all about that incident and couldn’t remember how it happened. The next photo was of the soles of a pair of Daisy’s shoes covered in paint. 

Did Daisy spill the paint? 

First I checked Instagram to see if I could find an explanation. I didn’t find anything, so I tried looking for the story on my blog. I didn’t find it! So I still don’t know how the paint ended up on my storage room floor! The answer has to be out there somewhere. I had to have snuck it into my blog or social media. I just haven’t found the right search terms yet. But that is one of the perks of blogging and social media. I will solve this mystery!

I always enjoy looking back through my archives to see how we spent Christmas or what we did on a long past vacation. Sometimes my blog helps answer questions like when did our cat die? or when did we buy our first van?

I’ve also found that my blog has become my unofficial resume, which brings me back to my first paragraph and wondering if I have any marketable skills.

I don’t know if I have anything an employer would be looking for. I haven’t worked in years. I’m the boss everywhere I go, so I no longer know how to be managed or supervised (did I ever, though?) I don’t have the latest computer or technology skills. I rarely get ready for the day, and I don’t like to wear anything that doesn’t have a stretchy waistband, so you definitely don’t want me to be the first thing someone sees when they walk into your company!

Every time I post something on my blog or on social media that might seem a little “braggy” or “look-what-I-did-ish” I wonder if maybe I shouldn’t. For example, I just redecorated my Christmas tree, and I wanted to write a blog post about it, but is it boastful or pompous to post pictures of my Christmas tree? Will it make other people feel… I don’t want to say “bad”… but maybe…pressure? That’s not what I want. I really don’t like that aspect of our online culture - people making other people feel inferior or insulted or like what you have or what you do isn’t good enough (even very well-meaning content generators have this effect). So I often hesitate to share things like look at the jell-o I made!  or here are the photos from my 57th trip to Disneyland or check out my amazing produce because I worry that I’m showing off or flaunting something. 

But recently I’ve realized that posting things online has given me some opportunities I might not otherwise have because it shows people what I’m like and some of the things I can do, and that’s why I say that my online content is like an unofficial resume. 

For example, I know an elderly lady who needed some help with her Christmas tree a couple of years ago. She was worried that because of some health things she was going through that she might not be able to get her Christmas tree up and decorated for the season. I offered to help her, but she apologetically told me that she’s incredibly picky about her Christmas tree, and that she would rather not have one at all than have it decorated below her standards. I was torn between thinking that was silly and understanding perfectly, because I’m kind of the same way. So I told her that I would be on call if she needed me, and I didn’t press her further. A few days later, she called me and said she might take me up on my offer, because she saw my Christmas tree in the background of a photo on Facebook, and she liked it, so she felt like she might be able to trust me to help her with her tree. In the end, she didn’t request my help, but it made me aware that a random Facebook photo had become a showcase for my taste in tree decor, and it suited her, so she felt more comfortable about my offer to help.

I had a similar experience with helping out with the musical at the high school this year. Some of the tasks I took on were entrusted to me because the people in charge had seen some photos of some projects I’ve done in the past as well as some of my thrift store finds, so they knew they could ask me to help locate and revamp some things they needed. 

I’m not saying I have all these amazing skills that everyone should request because I’m extensively gifted or anything like that. What I mean is that people can have a sneak peak of  my habits, hobbies, and style (and my attitude), and if it’s acceptable to them, they know they can call upon me to help them out. 

So if you’re looking for someone to teach a dance class, decorate a Christmas party, bake muffins, glue sequins on a costume, paint a scene, teach a workshop, feed 100 people, or color your sidewalk, I might be your gal. What I can offer is here on display. 

Unfortunately, I haven’t made a dime doing any of those things, so that still leaves me unemployed with no marketable skills, but maybe someday I’ll be able to fulfill my dream of being a licensed family therapist/cosmetologist*/author/sketch comedian/choreographer like I’ve always hoped. In the meantime, I’ll keep using blogging and social media as my unofficial resume for things I don’t get paid to do.

Just keep in mind that I make big messes, sit on paint can lids, and throw away important documents, so if I ever seem braggy, just remember that I balance it out with my idiocy (future employers beware). 

*I actually don’t want to be a cosmetologist, but I think the world needs licensed therapists who can do hair because how great would it be to have therapy and get your hair done at the same time? So I’m willing to become a cosmetologist just to provide this service. Then I’ll write a book about it. 

20 Questions

1. If you could have a theme song play any time you entered a room, what would it be?

The Jock Jams Megamix occasionally supplemented with Soul Bossa Nova (I’m going to need some variety). 

2. What's the most embarrassing thing you've done in public without realizing it?

Don't you have to realize you're doing something embarrassing in order to feel embarrassed?

Probably one of the most embarrassing things I've experienced is having underwear fall out of my pant leg at school. It has happened to me twice. You can read about both incidents here. 

3. What's the weirdest combination of foods you've eaten and enjoyed?

I haven't eaten a lot of weird combinations, so I don't know if this really fits the bill, but first and foremost I'm a fan of dipping Wendy's fries in my frosty. Another interesting combo I've enjoyed is the "PBB & JJ" at the Steamie Weenie in Henderson, Nevada. It's a bacon-wrapped hot dog with peanut butter and pepper jelly. If you can get past the fact that the peanut butter looks like baby diarrhea, it's actually really good!

Also, I don't mind peanut butter on hamburgers. I don't order it (there are other burgers I prefer), but I think it tastes okay. I can see why people like it. 

4. What's the funniest childhood story your family tells about you?

I don't think my family tells stories about me. Do they? I guess I’ll find out at my funeral.

5. What's the most hilarious prank you've ever pulled off?

One time my friend Lynsie and I borrowed a truck and went to the Christmas tree drop-off location for our city and filled it up with Christmas trees then put them on our friend, Mark's, lawn. We laughed hysterically the entire time. We also lost a tree on the highway, which we thought was hilarious, but in hindsight, was actually very dangerous. It just sort of bounced out while we were driving. 

6. What's the most unusual talent you have that not many people know about?

Pinning boutonnières. 

7. If you could be any animal for a day, which one would you choose?

A gorilla. 

8. What's the quirkiest habit you have that you've managed to hide until now?

I like to stretch my nostrils both through flaring my nostrils and through pushing my nose up into pig position. It’s yoga for the nose. Sometimes you just gotta get a good stretch!

9. If you had to survive a zombie apocalypse, what three items would you take with you?

I’ve made the decision to surrender in a zombie apocalypse. Why fight it? I know the “Thriller” choreography. I’m ready to join the zombies.

10. What's the most ridiculous fashion trend you've ever followed?

I’ve never really been trendy, so I can’t really think of any trends I’ve followed that were “ridiculous.” Everything I’ve done has suited the era and been on the more conservative side of fashion. And yeah, there are some dated trends I’ve participated in, but nothing I would consider ridiculous. 

That’s a boring answer, isn’t it?

11. What's a funny scene from a movie or TV show that always makes you laugh?

Anything that involves Jack Black dancing. 

12. What's a cheesy pickup line you've heard or used that actually worked?

None. I didn’t play the field enough to exercise pickup lines. 

13. What's the weirdest dream you've ever had that you can remember?

All of my dreams are weird. I can’t crown the Weirdest! My brain goes a million miles an hour all night long, and I have several dreams per night. In fact, I started keeping a dream journal where I write a single sentence about my dreams (when I remember to) just because they’re so bizarre.  These are some my recent entries:

1. We went to visit our friend in Florida, and he sat on the couch smoking a bong and singing “A Child’s Prayer.”

2. I microwaved a kitchen chair because I wanted to soften the wood.

3. I was in a horse field, and the horses had bunk beds, and I was confused as to how the horses could get on the bunk beds. 

14. What's the most hilarious text message you've sent to the wrong person?

One time I intended to send a text complaining about my husband to my sister-in-law, but I sent it to Scotty instead. I can’t remember what I was complaining about, though.

Another time I invited the wrong family over for a BBQ. Luckily they couldn’t come.

15. What's the weirdest thing you've ever collected or wanted to collect?

Ten years ago when I was pretending to be a runner, I lost quite a few toenails. Part of me wanted to proudly string them from a necklace. I would never do that, but I can’t say I didn’t think about it. 

16. What's your most embarrassing dance move?

I can’t twerk. My kids make fun of me any time I try. Nicky went through a phase where he twerked all the time, so I made a rule that you can’t do any dance moves that you don’t want to see your mom do. So his punishment for twerking was that I would twerk. If you’re going to twerk in the middle of the aerospace museum, guess what! I am too! Use good judgment, my little ones!

I guess I do it wrong, so my kids just laugh at me. But all the more to embarrass them with!

17. What's your go-to karaoke song even if you're not a good singer?

This is the question of my life! I don’t have an answer, but it’s something I’ve thought about for my entire existence! What is my song? I hope I figure it out before I die.

18. What's a joke that's so bad it's actually good?

Why can’t Brigham Young clap?

Because he is dead.

That’s what I told all my trek kids. They didn’t think I was funny, but they were wrong.

19. If you could swap places with your pet for a day, would you?

That would mean I’d have to be a chicken, and I’d like to think I’m open minded enough to be a chicken for a day. If nothing else, it would at least give me something exciting to blog about. 

20. What's the funniest autocorrect fail you've experienced?

My autocorrect is pretty boring, but there have been a few accidental sh*ts here and there which are not to be confused with my intentional ones.

The Foods

After my post about board games, my sister-in-law, who shall remain nameless, informed me that she wasn't impressed by my list of board games, and she would rather know what food we eat at Game Night. 

Oh, I'll tell you about food!

First let me tell you about how Game Night works. We usually start at 4:00 on Saturdays (not all Saturdays, but probably once or twice a month. Occasionally we have to miss a month... because life... but we get together as often as our schedules allow). We take turns hosting. The host decides what's for dinner (sometimes we counsel) and lets the non-host know what to bring for the meal. 

Some of our most common foods at Game Night include pizza, hamburgers, chips, Cretor's popcorn, veggies and dip, Oreos, and "refreshing beverages" (I'm currently 15 hours soda sober - MLK Day was my last hurrah... unless I change my mind and move to Chinese New Year... or Presidents Day).

(Side note: Did you know that there are Chinese New Year Legos?)

One option for the host is to declare a smorgasbord. That's when you bring whatever you're craving or whatever you need to use up from your house with no consideration of whether the foods go together. We started off 2023 with a smorgasbord of clam chowder and breakfast casserole. 

We also have Dip Night which is when our meal consists entirely of dips. 

Here are the other meals we had last year (unfortunately I didn't keep adequate track of sides, snack foods, and desserts. I commit to better record keeping in 2024).

Sloppy joes, carrot cake

Chicken Philly cheese steak sandwiches (for the record, I don't like these)

Roast beef sandwiches

Hamburgers

Tacos and Tres Leches

Hawaiian Haystacks

Pulled Pork

Ribs

Carne Asada

Philly cheese steak sandwiches (beef) and pasta salad

Green bean and potato casserole

Sliders, corn dip, and chips and salsa

Zucchini chicken casserole

Chicken nachos

Enchiladas (honey lime and Scotty's favorite)

Chicken pot pie crumble

Chili mac

Pizza (Papa Murphy's)

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Now, tell me that's not the most fascinating thing you've read today!

2023 Games in Review

Every year I like to do a re-cap of the games we played. Scotty and I enjoy strategy board games, and we have gotten together with our friends Chad and Carlie for regular game nights for over 15 years. We’ve been keeping a Game Night Ledger since 2018 documenting what games we played each night, who won, and what we had for dinner. 

It’s very fancy and scientific.

The ledger comes in handy in dealing with arguments regarding who “always” wins and who “never” wins. We’ve solved many a dispute by checking the records. 

The ledger also allows us to go back through the year and declare our top board games (FYI - we use the term “board games” but some are card games or dice games). 

On game night, we usually start off with the more complicated strategy games and play until our brains are fried or a member of our party is ready to kill another member of our party (usually it’s Carlie wanting Scotty dead), and then we switch to the lower brain power games or cooperative games to promote friendliness. 

I usually make a list of our top ten games for the year, but there are usually a lot of ties, so this time, I’m going to do runners up and our top five. 

Let’s start with second runners up:

Cartographers, Splendor, Hacienda, Savannah Park, Take 5, Wingspan, 7 Wonders, TransAmerica, and Five Crowns tie for second runners up (second runners up didn’t earn a photo on the blog his year).

This is the first time that 7 Wonders and Wingspan have been this far down the list. I, personally, have kind of tired of 7 Wonders, but it reigned supreme for many years. It’s fitting that it has moved down the list as we have taken interest in other things. I still absolutely LOVE Wingspan and consider it my (probably) favorite game, but we have gotten lazy and rarely want to get out the actual board game since we can play it on our phones. I play it on my phone everyday. They just released the Oceania expansion in November, so that was a big day in the Brittish household.

Here are our first runners up:

Quiddler, Ticket to Ride: Europe, and Azul

And now our top five:

5. Risk

We play two different editions of Risk. One of them (Scotty’s copy) is single-mission, but Chad’s edition is four missions. Risk is an old classic, and we love it, but there are some holes in the rules, and they are always changing the rules in new editions, so playing Risk outside of our game circle requires a formal meeting to discuss rules. 

4. Quixx

Quixx is one of our powered down games that we play when our brains are fried. We also love Bloom which is made by the company and is just darn cute!

3. Bohnanza

Bohnanza has been one of our favorite games for many years! This is another end of game night selection that we bring out when we need a brain break. 

(I never win Bohnanza. Check the ledger).

About two weeks ago, we discovered a rule that we haven’t been following. This is always a shaming experience for us. Who are we, as gamers, to not live up to the rules? We are embarrassed and sad. 

But that’s a reminder that you need to revisit the rules occasionally because, after years of playing a game, you develop habits and forget things. 

2. Love Letter

Love Letter is an old favorite that makes our list every year. It’s nice and simple - another great game to end the night with. We prefer the original edition which is no longer on the market. They’ve made some updates that we don’t like as much, but we had to upgrade our game because our old one was so worn out that we could tell which cards were which based on their wear and tear. The new edition has instructions on what to remove if you want the “original” variation. 

And our NUMBER ONE game from 2023 is… Ark Nova!

I bought Ark Nova for my birthday last year, and we spent a lot of time and brain power on this game in 2023. It took a while to learn, and we are still constantly referring to the rule book. This game is so easy to botch because there is so much going on, but we love it!

They released a marine expansion in October, so we’ve added that to the mix.

It took us a few hours to make all the changes and learn the rules for the expansion. Talk about a commitment! 

Can’t wait to see what Gaming 2024 looks like (it better be good)!

The Collection

Nicky has always had a knack for finding “stuff.” We have thousands of golf balls in our garage because Nicky (and Scotty) finds them everywhere. And I’m not talking 2-3 golf balls at a time. He will bring home a hundred after one day on a golf course. I’m not exaggerating! 

When Nicky was younger, and we would go to lakes, he would come out of the water with all sorts of random objects. We would always have a pile of treasures by the end of the day - goggles, action figures, sand toys, sunglasses… 

Some findings from 2018

(Note that even in a lake, he finds golf balls)

One time at Willard Bay, our friend Chad’s wedding ring fell off while he was in the lake. We sent Nicky in to look for it, and it took him all of 30 seconds to dig it out of the lake with his feet (we really didn’t think he would find it - I mean… it was a wedding ring in a lake, for crying out loud!)

At Disneyland, people stash things in the line queues. For many years, Scotty and Nicky have hidden coins all over the place, and whenever we go, they see if they can find any of their coins (if you ever find a coin at Disneyland with CK written on it - those are Nicky’s, but you’ll have to be at least 6’2” to reach them).

We joke that the only souvenirs we get from Disneyland are the things that Nicky is able to find. Here’s what he brought home from our recent trip:

Whoever was hiding the jungle animals around the park was doing it while we were there. 

There were some Nicky could see but not get to because they were in the single rider line or lightning lane. 

There was a Minecraft figurine in the Matterhorn line that he couldn’t get to, so the last night in Disneyland, he stayed late by himself and worked his way backward through the queue to get it. 

His favorite find was a 3D printed Mickey skull.

It’s pretty funny to watch Nicky and Scotty search for treasures in Disneyland. 

Thank you, random strangers, for helping keep our souvenirs affordable!

Disneyland Memories

After Christmas, we abandoned real life and went on a trip to Disneyland. Scotty and I went to Disneyland for our anniversary last May, but our kids hadn’t been since December of 2019 (with the exception of Nicky who went for theatre last year). We were excited to go again as a family.  

Real Quick

When we first walked into Disneyland, I told my kids to stand in front of the big Christmas tree “real quick” for a photo. I always say “real quick,” and then it’s never real quick because Eva always puts up a stink and either refuses to be in the photo altogether or won’t cooperate with her face (see exhibits A & B below).

This time, for what might be the first time ever, all four kids gathered, posed, and smiled, and we did “real quick” for real! They can do it! It is possible!

Exhibit A: Eva refuses to smile

Exhibit B: Eva refuses to get in photo

Side note: Zoe was absolutely in love with this new fountain in Toon Town especially when it lit up at night

The Nap

Scotty can sleep anywhere, so he gets his fair share of naps when we go to Disneyland. He was sleeping in the middle of Toon Town on the first day, when a curious two-year-old came and hovered over him looking at him like “What on earth is this man doing?”

The wee lad ended up laying down, too! It seems he thought a nap was a good idea. We watched him and laughed hysterically at his intrigue for over ten minutes. He ended up becoming our little buddy. Then when we had to leave, he started crying. He didn’t want us to go! 

Ho, ho, ho! Ho, ho, ho! Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

On the first day in Disneyland we got stuck on the Haunted Mansion for a really long time listening to the same chaotic measures of song over... and over... and over... When the ride finally started again, I'm pretty sure we were all insane and possibly murderous. 

The week we were there was the last week of Christmas at Disneyland, so the Haunted Mansion was still Nightmare Before Christmas, and it truly was a nightmare. 

Birthday Churros

Please note my photogenic 8-year-old

Our friend Mark sponsored churros for my birthday. Thanks, Mark! That was fun and thoughtful.

Feed Bags

I tried to change up our food routine by bringing some new food into the park. You can only eat so many sandwiches… so one day I brought chicken pasta salad, and another day I brought spaghetti noodles with parmesan, which we ate out of Ziploc bags while waiting in line. It gave us a good laugh, especially since the kids kept dropping spaghetti noodles all over the ground, so we left a pasta trail throughout the entire Matterhorn queue.

Matterhorn

Scotty and I often joke that we planned our family so we could fill a whole Matterhorn train or an entire car on Radiator Springs

Park Food

Christmas ice cream from the Cozy Cone

We take a ton of food into the park, but we also buy some goodies there. We share a lot of park snacks. This time we had churros, ice cream, sourdough bread, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, breakfast chimichangas, regular chimichangas, Tigger tails, beignets, and a lot of Coke.

These two were rather difficult on this trip (especially Zoe), so we started throwing anything at them to keep them pleasant. 32 oz Coke? Sure. Just stop fighting!

Chimichanga

Buy Your Own

We’ve purchased souvenirs for the kids in the past, but this time we told them we weren’t sponsoring any, so if they wanted something, they had to buy it themselves. Nicky bought an Indiana Jones sweatshirt. Zoe bought two little stuffed animals - a Mickey and a Pooh. Eva bought a little Stitch and a Groot toy. Daisy didn’t buy anything. 

Most of our “souvenirs” came in the form of random things we found around the parks. People hide stuff in the ride queues, and Scotty and Nicky have a knack for finding things. Nicky came home with a huge collection of stuff including three legit Disney pins and tons of plastic jungle animals. 

The Win

Zoe & me on Midway Mania

None of us have ever been able to beat Scotty at Midway Mania, but this time, Nicky finally got him! Here is a photo of Nicky and Daisy when they found out Nicky won:

We Didn’t Know

…that there are possums in Disneyland, but I overheard someone talking about possums, and that same night, lo and behold, a possum!

Firsts

Besides seeing our first possum in Disneyland, we hit a few other milestones this trip. Eva was able to ride Indiana Jones and Incredicoaster for the first time. She and Zoe both steered the cars on Autopia, but they weren’t very good with the gas pedal.

I was so happy that Eva liked Incredicoaster. 

She rode it several times. 

The Monks Unite

On our last night in California, we came back to the hotel to find it full of Buddhist monks. Hundreds of them! They were attending a World Peace Gathering at the nearby convention center. It was quite a sight to see!

The Birthday

I'm out of order here because now I'm going back to my birthday, which was day two of our trip. We left home on New Year's Eve and stayed the night in Saint George. 

Don't be fooled - Saint George was actually freezing, so they're suffering in the pool

Playing Bohnanza at the hotel with Nicky wearing Eva's comfi

Sitting outside by the fire watching fireworks

(again... freezing... don't let those t-shirts fool you!)

Early the next morning (my birthday), we left Saint George (trying to beat the New Year Vegas traffic - we mostly succeeded but had a stop and go session for a while). Things to note: the Luxor is currently a Dorito.

We stopped at the the World's Largest Chevron (Terrible's Road House) about 30 miles outside of Vegas), and I got a Coke. There was straw drama (the straw options were too long or too short), and the Coke tasted awful. 

The straw situation is pathetic

The Coke at Terrible's was terrible!

(Last time we stopped at that gas station, the power went out. I think we need to quit going there).

Upon arrival, we hung out at the beach for a while before checking into our hotel. 

Nicky on the rocks

Then we took turns microwaving plates of my birthday dinner. I made and packed pot roast with carrots, mashed potatoes, and gravy. I also brought two red velvet bundtlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes, so... birthday cake! 

Birthday dinner

And that was my 40th birthday. 

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Even though this wasn't our best trip, we still have a lot of good memories. Hopefully we make good memories somewhere else for a while.