Holiday Weekend = Roadtrips!

Memorial Weekend is upon us, which unofficially signals the start of summer vacation season.  While gas prices have been rising (SO annoying) which may keep many at home, a road trip in the car can still be a cheaper get-away than flying somewhere.  Plus, on a road trip you're just tied to your own schedule, and can stop and go whenever and where ever you want.

To make your trip as smooth as possible, here are some prep tips:

• Pack an emergency kit: jumper cables, first-aid kit, flashlight with extra batteries, road flares or reflective triangles, a fleece blanket, bottled water, and some protein bars.
• Stay charged: don't forget your universal car charger. You know how helpless you feel when you don't have your phone.
• Get Real-Time traffic updates: Download the Waze GPS app (free), and it will give you directions as well as notify and re-route you if there are traffic tie-ups ahead.
• Map your route and stops: Use the Roadtrippers app (free) to plot and save a route that hits all the sights you want to see.  You can also use it to discover local favorites restaurants and hotels en route.
• Gas-station finder: GasBuddy app (free) helps you find gas stations near you or along your route, and shows you the price per gallon.  You can also type in your origin and destination and it will estimate how much you will spend on gas for your entire trip.
• Do a vehicle check:  test the tire air pressure, top off the oil, coolant and wiper fluid, check that you have a spare and its inflated, you have a jack and a lug wrench.
• Confirm you have important documents: Registration, insurance and license, roadside assistance membership, health insurance cards.

Have a great weekend, whatever you do, and be safe!!

Insta Replay

Some of what's been going on over on that other platform:

Added some needed florals to the decor.

Morning snuggles with my lovebug.

Rainy day silly selfie - what happens when Taylor Swift comes on the radio.

Wearing my new Rocksbox delivery.

My Laker fan co-pilot.

Rocksbox look No. 2

Life Hack: Bet You Never Used Windex for This

I love that my mom still has wisdoms to share with me that I haven't already heard or already know.  No matter how long I am an adult, my mom will have been an adult for 27 years longer than me, and with that comes 27 years of more experiences.  This is beneficial to me. :)

When I was pregnant, I didn't put on a lot of extra weight. It was one of my (silly) pre-pregnancy notions that I was going to be able to wear my wedding rings my whole pregnancy.  But at around 7 months, we went to Hawaii on our post-Bar celebration/babymoon trip, and the warm weather and humidity made my fingers and feet swell up.  Had to soak my hand in ice water to get my rings off, and couldn't put them back on until we got home.  And even then I couldn't wear them regularly until after my son was finally born.

It doesn't take pregnancy to cause joint swelling.  Humidity and temperature change (and aging) can cause our joints to swell.  And we've all been in the position of momentary panic when trying on rings in a store where we can't get them immediately off, and you're twisting and grimacing and praying you can get it off.

This is where my mom's wisdom comes in.  I had never heard this before, and no one I have shared it with yet has either, but it absolutely works.

Next time you have a ring on your finger you can't get off, spray it with a little Windex.  That's the trick.  The liquid consistency easily and immediately lines your finger and the ring, and it will slip right off.  Non-toxic, and with a quick rinse of both hand and ring when done, you're good to go.

One other key to getting a tight ring off your finger is not to straighten your finger.  A straight finger causes the knuckle skin to bunch up at the join and makes it even harder to remove.
 

Just relax your finger so there is some bend in the joint, and the ring will slide over the joint more easily (Windex or not.)
 

So that's my little random life hack for you - store that away in your mental files for future use.

What random yet useful tips have your mother shared with you?
 

What will your legacy be? A moment of reflection....

I hope everyone had a good day yesterday celebrating their mothers (and being celebrated, if applicable.)  Our weekend was bittersweet.  On Saturday, we had the memorial service for my late Grandma, my mom's mom. (If this sound like deja vu, yes, my dad's mom passed just about a month earlier.)

My grandma, while petite in stature (she was barely 5 ft.), was big in life and love.  During the memorial service, attendees were given the opportunity to share their memories or feelings, and quickly hands went up and nearly every single person commented on how she made them feel special and loved, even upon her first encounter with them.

I always knew my grandma was a loving person, but having her in my life from the beginning, I knew nothing different of her and probably took it for granted.  It was just how she was, the whole package of grandma, and not something that stood out specifically to me growing up.  But to have it named specifically by all these people from various time and places in her life really awed me and made me so proud to be related to such a great person.

I made a comment that it was amazing that 87+ years of life were able to be condensed onto 2 sides of one sheet of paper, for the service bulletin insert.  And it made me think: what are the key things people will remember about my story when my time comes?  My grandma's story started in Iowa, where she was born, and then to California, where she met my grandpa shortly after WWII, then back to Michigan then back to San Diego where they settled for good.  She had various jobs and 3 kids, and was able to travel a lot of the world with my grandpa in their retired years.  Everyone in the service (and her life) had shared different aspects and moments of her life with her, but what everyone shared was their acknowledgement and appreciation of the loving person she was.

Grandma and Grandpa's wedding photo. Don't they look like movie stars?
 

Not to be a downer, but we never know how much time we have been given.  My grandma was lucky and had a very full life, and we are all the thankful beneficiaries of that.  But even the youngest and healthiest of us can be surprised with our last day sooner than expected.  It wasn't just at the end that Grandma lived lovingly, she was always that way, and no matter when she had left us, I'm pretty confident the sentiments shared would have always been the same.  Some people leave a legacy reflected in material wealth, or professional achievements.  Grandma's legacy is love, and while she set the bar high, I aspire to live as my grandma showed us all how.

My Little Dude meeting his great-grandparents for the first time, a year and a half ago.
 

Friday Favorites - Links

Sharing some amazing/fun things I found on the web this week.  Happy Friday! 

Top Row, L-R

• Inspired to grow some of my own food on our balcony. Not everything needs a lot of room. (apartmenttherapy.com)
• Reese Witherspoon's new lifestyle and fashion site, named after her grandparents and southern heritage. So cute. (draperjames.com)
• Amazing what technology can create: blind pregnant woman see's her unborn baby via 3-D printed ultrasound. (yahoo.com)

Middle Row, L-R

• Loving all the greenery and natural elements in this interior tour.  Inspired for my own home decor to use more plants. (abeautifulmess.com)
• A trip down memory lane: a look back at our technology from 10 years (only 10 years) ago. Remember what you had? (huffpost.com)
• You don't have to be a parent to appreciate that kids say the darndest things. (huffpost.com)

Bottom Row, L-R

• In honor of Mother's Day, 20 reasons why being a mom rocks. (stylemepretty.com)
• I want to fill my whole closet with May's new spring arrivals. (anthropologie.com)
• In my efforts to live greener lifestyle, a list of simple ways to decorate green. (elementsofstyleblog.com)

What great things did you stumble across out there this past week?