Why pay for a harbor tour when you can get it for free? Overlooking the stunning blue 
waters of the breathtaking harbor, The Fairmont Hamilton Princess and Fairmont Southampton hotels offer everything you could possibly need to make your vacation a truly memorable experience including a complimentary ferry. Hop on and off as many times as you’d like and enjoy the beautiful Bermuda waters for free. Continue reading
Since moving to North Carolina 5 months ago, we spent so much time searching for the 
best location to build a house that we neglected the natural parks and beauty that surround us. Today, we found Jetton Park in Lake Norman and it was the perfect place to get back to nature. A stunning beach, lush trails, and quiet picnic sites filled the 106 acre lakefront park.
We strolled through the park slowly and relaxed as we took it all in. The trails were paved with leaves freshly fallen from the surrounding trees. Families, joggers, and people walking their dogs littered the path as much as the fallen leaves. With each friendly “hello” and “how are you”, we felt more and more at home. The people of North Carolina were the biggest draw to the area and we are constantly reminded that we made a great decision for our family. Continue reading
Where should it be located? How many bedrooms do we need? What towns should we 
consider? Do we want brick, or maybe siding, or even yet… HardiePlank? Should the master bedroom be on the main floor or upstairs? What lot should we choose? Building a house can be taxing… oh yeah, we need to consider the community tax as well. AHHHHHHH! After months of searching, Darren and I might have found the house for us. The community, the neighbors, the amenities, and the house design all bring a smile to our faces and a “home” feeling to our hearts. Continue reading
It seems like just yesterday I found out that I was pregnant with Athena. Now, she’s four 
months old! How did that happen? I felt so prepared for her arrival. We had everything that we needed to take her home and comfortably welcome her into this world, but she is growing so quickly and she learns something new every day. She laughs; with the cutest little giggle, she can melt my heart. She recognizes my voice; when I sing, she is instantly soothed. She looks intently at me; when she watches my every move, I know that I’m the most important person in her world. She’s actually growing out of her clothes and tummy time gets longer almost daily. The time had come to put away the 0-3 month clothes and think about crawling, walking, and eating solids. For a few of our most important baby product needs, we chose Joovy. They recently introduced a new line-up including a walker, a potty, and a step stool. Things change so quickly, I figured I would get all three and be prepared for the next few “steps”. After all, the last four months went by in the blink of an eye. Continue reading
Flying a jetpack, seeing a wonder of the world, sleeping on the beach, taking a helicopter
flight lesson, giving birth, finding the best Italian restaurant, volunteering for a new organization, and seeing immediate family may seem like an odd grouping, but it’s just part of my 2012 Bucket List. It wasn’t until this month that I’ve been able to accomplish one of the most important items (Obviously under delivering my baby girl). On July 7th, 2012, I returned to eastern Canada so Athena could meet her family. The complete happiness that filled my grandfather as he held her in his arms for the first time was one of the most memorable moments of my life; the look on my mother’s face when she gazed into Athena’s eyes warmed my heart; and watching my little sister, Gabriella, play with Athena like I played with her made me feel like I was in the Lion King and listening to Mufasa talk about the circle of life. Although only number 7 on my 2012 Bucket List, seeing all of my immediate family was one of the greatest highlights of the year. Continue reading
The bustling and popular Five Fishermen Restaurant in Halifax, Nova Scotia has an 
unsinkable history; it was once Snow’s Funeral Home and housed bodies recovered from the Titanic. The reviews for the restaurant are equally unsinkable, though, so I thought I would give it a try. On my last night in Canada, accompanied by my sister and her boyfriend, I reeled in a delicious dinner at Five Fishermen. Conveniently located next to the World Trade and Convention Centre, The Five Fishermen Restaurant & Grill is recognized as Halifax’s finest seafood restaurant. Known world wide for its fantastic cuisine, friendly staff and rich history, they provided exceptional quality, a downtown view, unparalleled service, and a memorable evening. Continue reading
Since having our beautiful baby girl three and a half months ago, our movie theater nights 
have become non-existent. We thoroughly enjoyed sitting at the theater, watching a blockbuster hit, and eating hot, buttery, fresh popcorn that made us lick our fingers for more. The more I think about it, though, we were attending crowded movies while sitting in an uncomfortable theater surrounded by people we didn’t know, eating over-priced popcorn and drinking over-priced soda. A night at the movies for two was about $40 and forget about the cost of a babysitter. Enter the Waring Pro WPM40 Popcorn Maker and bring the movies home, literally. Continue reading
We’ve decided to purchase a house in Charlotte, North Carolina and make it our home. With the help of my readers, I’ve created a North Carolina Bucket List. Unlike my yearly bucket list, I didn’t put a time frame on completing this adventures, but if you know me at all, I’ll most likely complete the list within the year anyway. Once I get an idea in my mind, there’s no stopping me! I figure out how to make it happen, and I go for it. I will create a post and add a link each time I complete one of the items.
If there’s something you think I really should add, I’m still open to suggestions and I will adjust the list if needed. Continue reading
I saw this quote today and felt like it was the perfect fit!
I want to look back on my life and know that I lived it to the fullest. Sharing time with my family, experiencing new countries and cultures, continuously learning and teaching, and finding the joy in everyday life should all be part of those 86,400 seconds. Every day with my family is a success; every day that I learn something new is a success; every day is a success.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
What will you do with your more than 80,000 seconds today? I’m going to try and make the most of every second. If you do the same, let me know how it goes. I’ll happily include part of your day with a link to your blog if you come up with some great things to do today. Let’s see what readers can come up with. Have a great day!
California was a bucket list seekers dream. While there, I experienced piloting a helicopter, piloting an airplane, piloting an open-cockpit biplane, Flying a jetpack, piloting a glider, bungee jumping, skydiving, paragliding, watching musicals, dinner theaters, and ballets, swimming with beluga whales, driving through the most beautiful scenery, kayaking, boating with dolphins, meeting exotic animals at the zoo… and the list goes on.
Now that I live in North Carolina, I’m seeking new adventures, locations, and experiences. So far, I’ve come up with 13 things I definitely want to experience in North Carolina: Continue reading
