Tips for First Time Cruisers

Hi! It's Jilly. A year ago my hubby and I went on our first cruise. It was SO much fun! When we got back I shared some tips for first time cruisers over at My Favorite Finds, and now I want to share them here with you!

Explore your Ports. Before you go, do a little research on each port you will be visiting. Look at the shore excursions available through your cruise line and decide if you'd like to do any of them. Read up on local transportation options, weather, etc. Don't be afraid to go off the beaten path. We did a lot of walking in each port and not only was it a fun way to see the islands, but it also helped work off some of those cruise food calories!

Cruise Recap Part 3- St. Thomas

Hi! It's Jilly. I still need to finish telling you guys about our cruise! Last recap I told you about Coco Cay, our first stop. Our second stop was in St. Thomas. First, we went on a snorkeling excursion. They took us out on a catamaran to Buck Island to snorkel by a sunken shipwreck. *insert "Ooh"s and "Ah"s here*



I am a big, 'ole chicken, so every time we snorkel it is a huge deal for me. I am terrified of drowning, and I always have at least one "near-death" experience every time we snorkel. Okay, not near-death, but if I get any water in my mouth via the snorkeling tube I freak out and start hyperventilating. But, if you're like me and afraid of snorkeling, you should try it in the Caribbean. The water is so salty that you just float on top of the water. That is a comforting thing!

See how sunburned I already was from the last port. Aye yie yie!

On the way back the crew was serving everybody rum punch, so some of our fellow snorkelers were getting quite...silly. We don't drink, so every time we asked for more Sprite they'd say, "Are you sure?!". It was kinda funny.

After we got back we walked around a couple shops, then hitched a ride downtown. Holy cow! The taxis there are kinda crazy! They are basically trucks with benches in the back. No doors. No seatbelts. And, they drive so fast I thought we were going to fall out!

When we got downtown we only made it to one store because all the rest were closed!! We were, like, "It's only 4:00!". I guess in the islands the stores close really early. We thought about hiking up the "99 steps", but the people working in the shop told us it was a bad idea because it would be dark soon and the crime is really bad once the sun goes down. Our taxi driver wanted to take us back to the ship, but we told him we would just walk, since it wasn't very far. He thought we were crazy. Although, I don't know how much of his "concern" for us was based on losing 2 fares!

The walk back was so nice. It was a beautiful evening. Along the way we passed this neat building that used to be an old prison. A nice local walking by took our picture for us, then walked part of the way back with us, chatting about what it was like to live there. That was pretty cool.

On our way back to the ship I was able to text my sister and check on the kids, since St. Thomas is part of the US Virgin Islands. Everything was going great at home. The kids were having a fun time with their Aunt Lizzy. They were playing in the snow while we were swimming. Ha ha!




All in all it was a pretty good day. I wish we'd had a little more time to explore St. Thomas. Perhaps we will make it there again someday. Who knows?

Next time I'll tell you about our stop in St.Martin/St. Maarten...where we almost missed the ship!

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Making a Reference Guide For the Sitter While You're on a Romantic Getaway

Hi! It's Jilly. Remember how I didn't blog for, like, a month and a half, then was all, "I'm back!!" and posted a bunch of tutorials, then you didn't hear from me again for a couple of weeks?! Well, that is because I was out of the country!! My hubby and I went on a trip to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. First, we went on a Caribbean cruise, then after the cruise we stayed in Orlando for a few days and went to Universal Studios. I will be telling you all about it in the near future!

While we were away my awesome sister took care of my crazy sweet kids. I knew being a mom to 7-year-old triplets for a week and a half would be a daunting task, so I tried to make things as easy for her as possible.

Enter, The Binder. I put together a binder full of all the information she might need while we were gone. I'm not sure exactly what to call The Binder, so if you have any great ideas send them my way. I'll bake you virtual brownies. :)

Here is a list of all the important info contained in The Binder.

Calendar
I made a calendar and filled it with all the places the kids needed to be and when- play practice, swim lessons, etc. I also put on the calendar the meals for each day. Which leads me to...

Menu and Simple Recipes
I planned the easiest meals possible and put a copy of the recipes in The Binder. Meal plan and recipes coming soon! ;)

Friends of the Family
I made a list of friends my sister could contact in case something happened. I included their addresses & phone numbers, as well as special skills they may have. (Good with cars, doctors, friends with kids, etc.)  I was going to put their pictures next to their names, but ran out of time.

Around the Town
I typed up a list of places they needed to go, like church, school, etc. with addresses & phone numbers. I also put places they might want to go, like the children's discovery center or the YMCA. I made sure she had the membership cards for the discovery center and YMCA.

How Things Roll
I wrote down our daily routine, so things would run as smoothly as possible. This is what time the bus comes, this is what has to be done after school, the before bed routine,etc.

Insurance Cards and 'Authorization to Treat'
Be sure to leave insurance cards, and write an Authorization to Treat! You never know what can happen, so be prepared! Here's one you can just print & fill out. Easy peasy!

Also, make sure you have your sitter listed as an emergency contact at your child's school. I ran into a little trouble for not doing that. My son wanted to ride the bus home with a friend one day & the school had to call me, since the note my sister sent in was not valid because I forgot to list her as an emergency contact!

That about sums it up. With this guide in your sitter's hands, things should be smooth sailing while you're away. I think it's important for parents to get away once in a while. It's great to recharge your batteries, and be reminded how much fun you and your honey can have together when not feeling pressured by work, kids, and other commitments!

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