Happy Halloween Trunki fans!!

I illegally stole this from Trunki's facebook page (sorry Rob!) but Happy Halloween everyone! Maya is dressing up as Tinkerbell and I've been told Im dressing up as a "fashion girl."

Doesn't Trixie look cute?!!! If you have a Facebook account you can become a fan of Trunki to get all the lastest and greatest Trunki news and updates. Oh yeah, and cute little pictures like this one! Frieda, Towgo, and Terrance are dressed up for Halloween too! So sign yourself up and add them by visiting the Trunki product site: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trunki/33565445854


I hope everyone has a great night trick-or-treating!

The International Friends Club

One of the coolest things about traveling for us is definitely meeting new people and keeping in touch with them. Take our friend Bill for instance. Bill left today to go back to England after spending ten days with us. It was a great visit and we got to do all kinds of cool things that we normally dont think to do like go to the new Air and Space museum and chilling out at a winery. We actually met Bill a few years ago through his friend Robin who is the son of Ollie and Lynn, the couple we met in Italy 5 years ago. Did ya follow that?! Anyway, since meeting Bill we've gone on a few trips with him and gotten together with him when we've gone to England along with a whole slew of other English friends. It's really awesome to have this whole other place in the world that has a whole group of people that I honestly consider family. At least once on our visits there we have a huge dinner out somewhere where there's like 15 of us. It's just so much fun and has created so many memories. Everyone there is such a joy to be around, including Bill. The man did my dishes every night after dinner for pete's sake! Oh and he loves sci-fi/fantasy stuff too so he's extra awesome in my book lol.

Then there's our good friends in Spain who hosted us for a week last summer Xavier and Lourdes. We met them in Argentina at La Bombanera stadium about 3 years ago. They are just some of the nicest people I know. I think Xavi is quite possibly the happiest man on Earth. I dont think I've ever seen him not smiling. Lourdes is great too and now they are the parents of a beautiful little girl. I can't wait to see them again and introduce Maya to their daughter.

When Josh was in Peru a few weeks ago, he met a Brazilian couple that he's kept in contact with that we may go visit. We also have a friend with family in India and she's been telling us we're welcome to come out sometime. The list just keeps growing! It's so much fun though. Honestly staying with someone in their home in a foreign country is just the best. The experience is completely different and it's so much more fun. So, go on a trip and get yourself some new friends!

Me and Mr. Mouse

Well the countdown has begun to our big vacation in Orlando. If you've been reading this blog for a while you may know of my disdain for the mouse. I know, I know, my daughter loves it so that should be enough. I just can't get past the $25 mouse ears and $10 hot dogs. OK, maybe the hot dogs aren't that much but the mouse ears are!

I have to admit, though, Epcot looks pretty cool. I mean really who doesn't love seeing a mariachi band and then walking a few minutes to chomp down on Chinese food. It looks like they've also got a lot of cool stuff about energy and natural resources conservation which we're trying to teach Maya about. She already gets onto me when I leave the faucet on because I once told her about how there are people in other countries that don't have access to clean water. "Mommy, your wasting water for the people in Egypt!" Oh dear!

I'm definitely looking forward to dorking out at the Kennedy Space Center. There's a tour you can take there that lets you go out to the Saturn launch pads. I gets the shakes just thinking about it! Oh yes and the lunch with an astronaut, and seeing the Titan missles, ooh and maybe we can catch a glimpse of Atlantis! OK I'm way too excited now.

Oh yes and there's always the being lazy at the resort. MMM lazy. I so rarely get to be lazy just like all the other moms out there. There is no lazy time when you're a mom. Something ALWAYS needs to be done. Hmmmm I feel a spa treatment coming on. I'll get the cucumber slices.

Rethink that luggage tag

I have a subscription to Real Simple magaizine which I luuuuuurrrrrvvvvv with all my heart. If you dont have a subscription to it get one! Seriously it's awesome. But, I digress. Anyway, today I was drooling over this month's issue when I came across a little teaser telling me to check out the section on their website for travel. So, being the dutiful read that I am, I did and I picked up two very valuable tips that I had never thought of (among other things).

Tip 1. Call ahead to order room service

I can't count the number of times I've arrived at a hotel late at night "hangry" (yes hangry...that would be the raving lunatic stage when I get so hungry Im angry). Seriously, Im like the Incredible Hulk when it comes to food. I keep telling my husband "Don't make me hungry. You won't like me when I'm hungry" right before my skin turns green and I destroy the nearest physical object. Apparently you can call ahead to your hotel and order room service to be delivered to your room once you arrive. Not all hotels do it so be sure to call before you leave on your trip to make sure they do but holy fagioli, who knew?!

Tip 2. Be smart with your luggage tag

I, like everyone else, just slapped my address and phone number on my luggage tags thinking "Great, now if my bag gets lost they'll know where to send it!" According to Real Simple this is a no no and I agree with them. Putting your full name on your luggage 1. is a big neon sign saying "Hey this person isnt at home, go steal their stuff" and 2. can identify you as a female making it more likely that unsavory types would pick your bag to rifle through. Hey, it happens. Also, for contact information it's much better to list your hotel's address and a number you can be reached at while you are gone as opposed to your home address and home phone number. I mean, really, what are those going to do for you anyway? You're not there!

For more tips from the good people at Real Simple, check out their Travel Advice section

Oh and P.S. yes, I know I havent posted in 20 days. Im preparing for my wet noodle lashing now. :(

World's Scariest Runways!

I had a good chuckle when I saw World's Scariest Runways on Travel & Leisure's website today. Maya's favorite part of plane rides is "blast off" better known as take-off. She also likes landings though those are my least favorite. Im always reminded of the joke some comedian did that goes something like this

Guy 1: Hey! If one of the engines go out where do you think the plane will take us?!

Guy 2: All the way to the scene of the crash

*Badoom-chhhh*

I've had a few white knuckle landings in my day but these all take the cake. Even funnier is that one of our local airports, Reagan National Airport, which we use regularly, is listed. Oops lol. Actually, landing at Reagan at night is truly one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see. You zoom along the Potomac banking left and right, all while looking out the window at the beautifully lit downtown area. Most of the other runways, though, look terrifying. Like the one in Lesotho where you have to fly off a cliff and pull up until you start flying. Talk about buckling your seat belts. And remind me never to go to any beaches close to Princess Juliana International Airport on St. Maarten because the only thing worse than a cloud blocking the sun is a giant four-engine jet airplane...

If you want to see pictures from the other hair raising runways check out Travel and Leisure's slideshow