A Personal Travel Guide Makes Your Trip Less Stressful

1dOsJawbWhen this post goes live, I’ll be in Puerto Rico catching some desperately needed sun and relaxation (and cocktails) before the holiday season.  It’s all part of my plan to recharge and renew.  My husband Jay and I have done a lot of travelling this year with trips to Mexico, San Francisco (we got a tour of Google!) and even Orlando. I’ve really enjoyed our vacations and I’m definitely planning to take more trips next year — hopefully overseas!

I take travel pretty seriously and always prepare well in advance.  And when I say prepare — I mean stalk TripAdvisor, blogs, Rick Steves guides and travel sites for weeks on end.  OH and I ask everyone who has ever been to that destination what they recommend.  

Now there’s another resource in my arsenal.  It’s called the Trip Scout app. They provide self-guided city tours. With local tour guides who explain about the local history, culture, and food as you go along.  My friend Konrad who blogs at World Venture Project created it.   Read more

Why Being Nosy Makes You Unproductive

cultura-organizationala-doru-dimaI’m a naturally curious person. You might call it nosy, but I don’t see it that way.

I’m just interested in what’s going on around me. It’s why I love people watching so much and it’s also probably the reason why I went into journalism.

The problem is sometimes this curiosity can be a hinderance. When you want to be in the know about everything… well it’s a lot of research. Sometimes I get so wrapped in things I don’t even care about, because I’m interested to see if it might lead somewhere good.

So I’m taking a stand and trying to cut these nosy time wasters out of my life.  Check out my list – maybe you are guilty of dilly dallying with these tasks too: Read more

A List for Thanksgiving Efficiency!

turkey-966494_640This week you’ll be bombarded with posts about gratitude and remembering to love your friends and family and I was tempted to write one myself.  But the planner in me stopped — and decided to make a practical list instead.  

I figured it would be more efficient to share a list of ways to get through these busy days easier because everyone else would cover the other topics.  

So here’s a few posts I’ve written in the past (yes one IS about gratitude) to get you through the hectic Thanksgiving holiday:

Checklist for a Stress-Free Dinner Party – If you’re hosting this year, check out this list to make sure you’re all ready for your guests! Read more