Five on Friday and Planner Finds for 2021

 Happy Friday!

I missed this month's Currently Linkup with Anne, so I decided to jump on for a little 5 on Friday catch up. We have had a lot going on, but I didn't want to miss finishing up the end of 2020. Here's a little peek at life as we wrap up the year to end all years to prioritize what truly matter and figure all our ish out! 

{ONE: LIFE} Life has thrown us one curve ball after another these last few months. Babe's mom passed away right before Thanksgiving, my family has been a bit of a circus these days and we are making a lot of big life changes. We've been trying to be there for each other and we are thankful to at least have each other's backs as we navigate everything. The holidays seem to become more bittersweet the older we get, but we are trying to find the silver linings through all of it. We are ending our time in NSB (for now) having made the decision to step away from the wine bar we helped open and have been managing for the last two years. It wasn't an easy decision, but we know it's the right move for us. We love NSB and plan to make this home base once things settle down, until then we are planning to hit the road again for awhile. The virus has a lot of downsides, but one silver lining for us is the freedom Babe working remotely give us. We plan to head to Louisiana for a month in January and then from there, I guess we shall see... 

{TWO: NEW OPPORTUNITIES} I have been looking for remote work for a while. I do plan to get back to more regular posting here and get more videos up on YouTube, continuing to grow this space as a potential side hustle at some point. God answered my prayer in the sweetest way and I also just got hired as a Social Media Marketer with Social Creative. I have been working it part time the last two months, as I phase out at the wine bar and am excited to go full steam ahead soon! I am now working alongside my cousin and sister and am excited for the new challenge. The chance for a changing office view is not lost on me and I am so grateful!

{THREE: A WEEK AWAY} The freedom my new job gives us now allows me to pick up and go. Babe made the decision to use his bereavement time, so we loaded up the camper and headed north for a week of decompressing. It was nice to get back into cooler temps and really helped us secure our decision to hit the road again temporarily.

Black Friday Deals on Amazon

 The Amazon Black Friday Deals are already rolling out!

I figured I would keep a running list of some of my favorite finds or things I love that are currently on sale. I will continue adding things here throughout the week as I Amazon updates their Black Friday Deals all week long! 

Big Ticket Items (Electronics, Amazon Big Deals, etc)

6 Qt Instant Pot- currently $69.95
Echo Dot (4th Gen)- currently $28.99
Insignia Fire TVs- currently up to 47% off depending on size

Keurig K-Cafe Specialty Coffee Maker- Currently $189.99

Stocking Stuffer Finds

Exploding Kittens- currently $9.99 

- our new favorite game find; think a strange version of Uno (the goal is not to lose your cards, instead the goal is not to explode) *The expansion packs also add a lot of fun, but not currently on sale

Portable Bluetooth Speaker- currently $21.98

Fairywill Electric Toothbrush- currently $23.99 (keep an eye on this one, as the sets have been changing as to which ones have the deal. I had grabbed one of these for myself when it was an Amazon Deal of the Day and Babe has been super jealous of it)

For the RV

TOMTOM Navigation System- Currently $164.74

Camco Heated Hose- Currently $58.25

Sewer Hose Kit- Currently $26.35

RV Mattress Short Queen- Currently $174.99

November Currently

 Last month was the first time in a long time that I missed a Currently link up with Anne; 

so I was determined to make do November's. Here's a little peek at life currently...

{Appreciating} the "cooler" weather we have finally had here in Florida. It may not have lasted too long, but the nights are at least starting to be breezy and enjoyable. 

{Ordering} I just got a new electric toothbrush when it was an Amazon Deal of the Day and I LOVE this thing! I guess this is life in your 30s; getting excited by electric toothbrushes! The Fairywill toothbrushes are great. There is currently a $3 off coupon for the one I got, but Babe got jealous so I am going to grab one for him and may go with the upgraded version of mine (currently has a $5 off coupon). It has 5 modes instead of 4 and is a little easier to switch between modes. Also grabbing a restock of the Deep Greens that I use in my morning smoothie bowls, because they are currently selling for $27. Usually I can't find them under $40.

{Wearing} This leopard print shirt A LOT! I used it to make a quick and easy costume on Halloween (added cat ears, bow tie and tail set $5 at Dollar General- half-off now if they aren't sold out), but this leopard print cat set on Amazon would have been even better and it's under $5. The shirt is also just super comfy and perfect for fall! There are different print options also available (fits true to size).

Grand Canyon RV Tips for Booking Trailer Village RV Park Last Minute

Another post a few years in the making, but I'm going to stop calling myself a broken record and say that's just life this days, so here we go. When we were on the road we mostly flew by the seat of our pants, which is how we liked it, but there are a few places where it is hard to do that and the Grand Canyon is one of them! We did know this, but unfortunately did not know the exact dates for when we would be hitting the Grand Canyon until maybe a month before we hit it. That really didn't give us a lot of time to plan our stay at Trailer Village, but we did learn a few tips for booking Trailer Village RV park last minute.  We knew we were going to take 3 full days off of teaching, because we weren't sure what the wifi situation would be like when we got to the park and knew we wouldn't be able to find other accommodations as Trailer Village RV Park is the only full-hookup RV park within Grand Canyon National Park. We almost didn't score the days we wanted with such last a minute booking window, but we made it work and here's how: 

Tips for Booking Grand Canyon RV Spots Last Minute

 

Stalk the Website! 

Once we found our dates we knew when we would hit the Grand Canyon area I basically lived on the Trailer Village RV Park website. At first there was nothing, a downside to trying to book any RV site last minute, but especially true for Trailer Village.

September Currently Amazon Finds of the Month

Well, hello there September!

Another new month means another Currently link up with the wonderful Anne. I really love these as a way to look back on our life moments throughout the year. Here's what has been going on around these parts recently... 

{Anticipating} Another trip to Tennessee to get in some mountain air before we reopen Crimson House! I'm also planning to see a friend in Birmingham and another in Asheville and I'm excited to see their faces!

{Collecting} Basically all of Amazon it seems! I never bought anything online pre-COVID. Now I can't seem to stop. I got some good finds this month though that I am loving (totally using that to justify it), but I think my old lady heart is most excited about my puzzle board. 

Greens || Milk Frother || Soap || Puzzle Board

Deep Greens- I actually got mine at our local health food store, but found them on Amazon as well. I have been making some delicious smoothie bowls in the morning by blending this in with frozen fruit, vanilla protein and collagen. I then top with frozen blueberries, crushed walnuts and a drizzle of local honey. These actually keep me going a lot longer than my bowl of Mini Wheats was and I feel energized, healthy and regular (yes, you catch my drift). 

Tour Antelope Canyon Free by Water in Page Arizona

Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona is a beautiful spot to explore!

These slot canyons will make you feel like you have walked onto another planet, however, the tours into lower Antelope Canyon can be expensive, are hard to get last minute and are usually very crowded. We opted for an alternate route into Antelope Canyon. We were able to tour Antelope Canyon for free, by accessing it from Lake Powell with the help of our inflatable stand-ups!

Our Antelope Canyon Tour via Lake Powell

You can see a more detailed view of the route we took into Antelope Canyon in the video above, but the easiest way to get there from the water is to head to Antelope Point Launch Ramp off of Lake Powell. This is a public boat launch, however, there is a gate fee to access the area. The cost for that is $30 per vehicle. From there you head straight to go to the Antelope Point Launch Ramp. Turning off to the right would take you to the marina.

RV DIY Projects to Save Time and Money

We are heading out for our first weekend in the camper in what feels like years! It's only been 6 months, but after living in Delilah the Dream Machine for almost two years, 6 months without her moving feels like forever. We are mostly taking her out to let her breathe a bit, because if you have an RV you know that having them sit in storage for that long leaves them a little musty. It will mostly be a weekend filled with small projects to get her ready for more travels in the future hopefully. 

We are all about the DIY projects around here and while most of the ones this weekend will be smaller, there are other RV DIY projects that I am glad are already behind us. Especially considering how hot it is in Florida right now two of these RV DIY projects will be put to good use! While it can take a good bit of elbow grease, doing your RV projects on your own can help save both time and money. Here are a few of the bigger RV DIY projects we've done: 

Replacing our RV AC Unit 

Detailed instructions in video or this post: Replacing a Dometic RV AC Unit

August Currently Amazon Finds for Eliminating Single Use Plastics

A new month, another link up with Anne! 

Here's what August is looking like currently... 

{Choosing} To be more mindful about what I am putting in my body and on my skin! I have slowly started to incorporate more organic skin care products into my mostly non-existent routine. I don't do much, but have started using an organic Argon oil as an evening moisturizer and just picked up some organic mascara from our health food store. I am also trying to cut back on processed foods. I had been doing this a little bit before we went on our annual Aunt Mel and Uncle Andrew trip with the kiddos and fell WAY OFF the wagon by just consuming all the foods we were giving the kids. I felt so sluggish, my body wasn't functioning as well as it had been (if you catch my drift) and it only stirred my desire to try harder now that were back. 

{Consuming} Right now mostly fruits and veggies. Trying to have a protein shake for breakfast and a chicken wrap for lunch. We also stocked up on salad kits and I am trying to only drink on the weekends. We're two days in folks, send all the vibes! I can always convince myself that wine is just fermented fruit... haha

{Ordering} Finds for helping us lessen our usage of single use plastics! I have slowly been trying to find things that help us use less single use plastics like sandwich bags (which we use a lot of for some reason!). I have been a metal straw user for a long time, but with July being designated Plastic Free Month I tried to make an effort to start working on replacing more items to lower our single use plastic pile even more. Here are a few of the items I have gotten and loved: 

Tomato Saver | Beeswax Wrap | Metal Straws | Reusable Sandwich Bags | Avocado Keeper

Tomato Saver {$6.28}- I bought this for our tomatoes and am actually going to buy a second, because it's big enough to fit onions too! BPA-free and dishwasher safe!

Beeswax Wrap {$9.99}- I have actually been using bee's wrap for a while, but had left ours in the camper and forgot to grab it. Ordered some for the condo! I love all things bee and someday want to have my own hive, so this makes my heart happy. Plus, how cute is that print?! 

Metal Mermaid Straws {$3.99}- Also been using metal straws for a while now too, but loved these fun colored ones. It took my a little while to get used to, because I'm a straw chewer. I originally started with the ones with nibs, but the nibs kept sliding off because I would chew them and stretch them out. Now I'm purely metal only. Saving both my teeth and the plastic one nib at a time- haha! 

Great Rv Movies to Watch When it's Raining

We have enjoyed a good many movie nights in our home-on-wheels camper, but to be honest we loved our RV related movie nights even more when were listening to the rain ping on the tin in our smaller weekend warrior. There was something so comfy and cozy when we were cuddled up in 22ft with a Jiffy Pop and the sound of the rain in the background. We watched some of the well known RV movies and the there are some that slide under the radar. We all know the National Lampoon's classic (which to be honest, I am not partial to; I know, I know RV sacrilege), but there are so many other great options out there! Here is my list of great RV movies to watch when it's raining... 

RV related movies to watch when it's raining 

(or any time you need some RV inspiration)...

Adults Only RV Movies

We're The Millers (DVD/Prime)- This is definitely not a movie for the little ears (or eyes), but definitely has it's pretty funny moments for an adults only movie night. Combining Rachel Green with RV life, it's a solid win in my book. 

July Currently and Amazon Finds of the Month

Happy July 1st! 

We are officially in the 7th month of the year, which means I hope 2020 is on the upswing! Fingers crossed, right?! This year has definitely already felt like the whole this next decade all got crammed into the first leg of it. Anyways... a new month means a new Currently Linkup with Anne, so here's what things are looking like around here lately.

{Cooking} Not alotta! We've been doing salads more often than not when we eat in. We had been eating terribly and trying to up our healthy greens intake. When we are going for a big meal we are trying to grab to-go from local businesses. Though we did just celebrate my SIL's birthday with a lovely meal of steaks and chicken on the grill. We had gotten a Kansas City Steaks box sent to my FIL for Father's Day and he wanted to share it, so we went over and the boys grilled them up. The seasoning provided was bomb! Sooo good and highly recommend as a gift for the guy in your life! 

{Photographing} Again not alotta! I'm usually taking pictures of one thing or another for social media, but I did an unplanned digital detox for a few weeks which also meant I was picking up my phone a whole lot less and it was actually really, really nice!

{Sharing} A new YouTube video FINALLY! I had big goals to get a video a week up this month, buuuutttt that went to the wayside with my digital detox. I finally got another RV DIY finished just a few days ago and it's now up. Replacing the anode rod for the hot water heated was definitely our easiest RV DIY project to date, as well as the cheapest! Our water had been coming out fizzy (picture shaking up a bottle of seltzer water and then trying to sniff it) and tasting/smelling like metal. The anode rod replacement was a simple fix and made a world of difference! 

June Currently: Books I Am Reading to Listen, Learn and Grow

It's a new month, which means it's time for my favorite linkup with Anne...

To be honest I almost skipped this month. Things feel hard, edges jagged and this link up is one I usually reserve for sharing all the things I am loving. As an enneagram 7 I have a hard time sharing tough things, but I thought, you know what? Each of these is a monthly catch-up (even if just for myself) to look back on and remember where I was and how I was. It felt disingenuous to skip just because I didn't feel like I had a lot of "light" to share, especially given the state of what silence has continued to cost so many. So I am sharing the following exactly where I am; unsure, jumbled up and hurting but open...

Replacing a Dometic RV AC Unit

Replacing an RV AC Unit

Summer is upon us and here in Florida it is already H-O-T, HOT! 

Knowing that and getting ready to plan more adventures makes me all the more thankful for our new AC unit in the RV! Replacing our RV AC ourselves was actually a lot easier to do that I thought it would be, so here are a few tips if you are looking at a Summer filled with warm blowing air from your own RV AC unit. 

We spent the beginning of our full-time RV adventure in much cooler weather, so we did not need to use the AC in our 2011 Keystone Cougar. The previous owners had taken great care of it, but it spent most of it's time in Florida and that takes a toll on a rooftop AC unit trying to cool a 34ft 5th wheel. We were in Kanab, Utah when things started to heat up and we realized our Dometic AC unit just wasn't keeping up and was mostly blowing warm air through the rig. We looked into all kinds of options, but found out that ultimately it would cost just as much to recharge the current one (and may not even work) than it would be to just replace it. Trying to wait for an RV repair man can take a long time and we were not staying in one place; we couldn't take it anywhere and leave it, because where would we live. So, replacing the ac unit became our first big RV DIY project- you can see an in-depth walk through in the video below with step-by-step ways to replace it or read through some of our tips to tackle it too! It definitely saved us a ton of money doing it ourselves than if we had paid to have it done. 

How to Replace a RV Dometic AC Unit

Equipment Needed:

- New AC Unit 

- AC Duct Tape (HVAC silver tape) 

- Screwdriver 

May Currently & a Wonderful Reads During Quarantine Giveaway

Happy May Everyone!

At this point though all months are kind of running together for me; anyone else?! Basically I am just going off of my email reminders that it's time for another Currently Linkup with Anne in Residence to remind me which way is up- haha! Anyways, here is what life looks like around here this month...

{Making} Cocktails; is that allowed to count?! I found some cucumber lime vodka in my mom's fridge and used it to make a quite delectable concoction that may have just become my new drink of choice. It is: 

- a 6 second pour of Smirnoff Cucumber & Lime Vodka

- a splash of tonic water 

- two splashes of San Pellegrino Aranciata

- one small squeeze of simple syrup

Stir and viola! Yumminess! I put it over ice in a highball glass and it was delightful!

Personalize a Furnished Short-Term Rental Apartment with a Photowall Custom Canvas

Easily personalize any space with a custom canvas print from Photowall!

Happy Wednesday Friends! 

Another quarantine week has come and gone and we are halfway through another...

We spent the weekend enjoying a little time in the sun and then yesterday I finally took a few minutes to assemble our new canvas print from Photowall! For those that don't know we have moved out of the camper, for the moment, and are currently renting a place in New Smyrna Beach from a friend of my moms. We feel very blessed to have been able to stay as long as we have after thinking it would only be available through February. We rented the place from her when she was planning to be gone for 4 months visiting her kids and grands, but now she will be staying there longer which in turn means we get to stay longer here. Couldn't have come at a better time, right?! Though of course now that Babe's job is solely remote for the time being it wouldn't be too hard to hit the road again for a bit. Except of course, you know, shelter in place!

April Currently Amazon Finds for Quarantine

Howdy Friends and Happy Quarantine April!

Since we are all pretty well sequestered inside right now, this month's Currently edition with Anne in Residence looks a little different, but here is April in my world...

{Sharing} Adventures from our time on the road! It only took me about 2 years {and a quarantine} to finally get back to finishing up our videos from our 7 months on the road in our RV. Today's journey takes us back to Zion! The crowds at Zion were crazy, but once we looked past that it was so worth fighting for a parking space.

{Writing} To-Do lists to try to keep myself focused during the day! Otherwise I will be doing puzzles so long my back hurts from bending awkwardly while I watch old movies on Disney+; Zedis Lapedis {just in case you were curious what my recent binge was}.

Replacing our RV Slide Weather Stripping

Replacing RV Slide Weather Stripping

Well, we made it 7 months on the road and had quite a few adventures before we had any issues with leaking in the RV. Once we were back in Florida though and the rainstorms came in daily we started noticing a small drip in the living room slide. Our 5th wheel is a 2011 Keystone Cougar and we weren't sure if the weather stripping had ever been replaced (by the looks of things it hadn't). So we took on the task of replacing the RV weather stripping ourselves! Thankfully replacing the weather stripping on the RV was a good bit easier than replacing the RV ac, just required a little elbow grease and a few screws. Here is how it went:

Supplies for Replacing RV Weather Stripping

- Screwdriver

- Scissors 

- Primary Seal (check your camper model to see which primary seal will fit your unit)

- Secondary Seal (the smaller seal that goes on the slide itself)

- Paint Scraper (not needed, but makes the job a whole lot easier)

- RV Rubber Seal Conditioner (for maintaining seals)

March Currently & Amazon Finds of the Month

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record...

 yet again, here we are two months later and finally a new blog post. 

Hey y'all! Thanks for sticking around! I am wanting so badly to get back to this space, but time has just been flying and days so crazy and this keeps taking the backseat. So I'm trying again, again, and kicking it off with my favorite monthly linkup. Here's what life looks like around here currently:

{Fixing} My routine; so that I make more time for the things I enjoy, like this space! I have so much I want to share including my mother-daughter trip to Israel and Egypt and my thoughts on tour group travel. 

{Hearing} My current book club's pick of the month on Audible, The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes. Has anyone read it/listened; thoughts?! I'm a few chapters in and thinking this may be one I need to physically read, because I am having a tough time with the audio.

January Currently

Happy 2020, January (and November & December), New Decade and All The Things!

I have been quiet around here and when I came to start this post I realized my last one was in October; it's crazy how two months can seem like the blink of an eye. The end of the year was a hard one, the holiday season just had a way of feeling heavy and with our lives in a bit of a new season the transition hit me and I spent a lot of time in a fog. I realized that not prioritizing time for the things that bring me joy (like keeping up with this space, even if it's just once a month and even if it's just for my own personal documentation of life and feelings and memories) isn't a good way to walk through tough/busy chapters of my life. I'm planning to get better about prioritizing my days, taking time off when needed and not forgetting to the it all with a grain of salt! So here's a little January (or life lately) catch-up with January Currently link-up with Anne to kick-off 2020... 

{Resolving} To be more positive! I have been in a really weird place lately and it has left me feeling further from the positive, glass-half-full person that I typically am. Transition periods are hard for me and the last year has seemed like one endless transition. Instead of focusing on the positive aspects of this season of life we are end I have found myself obsessing over negative aspects or things I can't change. For my own mental health and the health of my marriage I want to find a way back to the positive person I used to be. 

{Reading} Woven in Moonlight! My friend Isabel is an amazingly talented author! I met her through book club and have now been part of a sweet group of ladies for over 2 years now. It's been an incredible thing to watch as her dream of becoming a published author comes to fruition in just one day. Woven in Moonlight releases tomorrow and it is pure magic! It is currently an Amazon #1 best seller and is on sale for the lowest it's been. If you preorder a copy Isabel also has a wonderful preorder campaign going on. Just send her an email with your preorder receipt to receive beautiful gifts inspired by the story {details here}! 

{Cleaning} up my eating habits! The end of the year yumminess got us good; between Babe and mines birthdays {two days apart}, all the Christmas goodies and trying to close out our Disney annual passes foodie style we have been eating {and drinking} wayyyyy to much junk! Yummy junk, but none-the-less it is is time to get back to better eating! We are doing a soup and salad cleanse for the rest of the month... we shall see how far we get! 

{Creating} my 20 in 2020 list! I've never done one of these {or if I have I've forgotten} but I think my brain needs that this year; working on it this week and hope to share it if I can get it finished! I'm not the best on the follow-thru when it comes to lists. 

{Planning} The Crimson House GRAND OPENING! After a year and a half {plus some} we are finally ready to open the wine bar. If you've been following here you know that we took life on the road for a while and then came back to help my aunt open a wine bar in New Smyrna Beach {she had been working on it for a year prior to us joining}. The process has been anything other that what any of us expected and took a lot longer than we were imagining. It has stretched me way outside of my comfort zone and challenged me more than any other job I have ever taken on. To see if finally opening and to be behind the bar is a a surreal experience. We have two more weeks until the grand opening and I know it will be a whirlwind, but we are excited for what we have lined up and to see how it all comes together! 

Cheers to 2020!

How did 2019 end for you? 

What are you looking forward to in 2020?