In mid-2019 we decided it was time to update our laundry room which is also our kitchen pantry. One of the previous owners had installed built-in shelves, but they were starting to sag and had no adjustability. The shelves were stationary and couldn’t move up or down. Some of them were super deep and things often got “lost” behind other things (oh, hi there recently expired pantry items). The shelves were old and needed to go before they literally started falling apart. Our washer and dryer were 18 years old and acting up. We were getting our first puppy by the end of the year. It was time for a change…a full layout change.

Nick and Keith from Revolution Remodeling had already done a fantastic job on our upstairs bathrooms. So we had a new discussion about the laundry room and quickly got on their calendar. Just like the bathroom projects, this project went extremely well. I’d highly recommend Revolution Remodeling. Again and again.

The Before

The before included the fixed shelving, tiny/limited spots for the kids’ backpacks and shoes, a washer and dryer right next to the door, a utility sink, and wasted space in general.

The Plan

The biggest priority was to move the washer and dryer to the far back wall of the laundry room and to replace the utility sink with a dog shower. We didn’t completely lose a utility sink…we had them install one in our basement instead. Having the laundry room located directly over a crawl space definitely helped with the ability to move all of the appliances/plumbing around easier.

Another “pretty, pretty, PRETTY PLEASE can I have?” was a new system for the three kids as they continued to grow and phase in and out of seasons/sports/activities, etc. We talked a lot about A LOT of options. Lockers, more built-ins, stationary hooks, cabinets, etc. Finally, Nick said, “Do you trust me? I want to try something new.” And that’s what I like about Nick – the way he thinks outside of the box. So we ended up with a slat wall. Yep, inside the house.

And…we needed a new pantry system. I wanted something more functional than basic shelves.

So they tore everything out, Keith moved all of the plumbing, we all shopped for tile (what Star Wars fan can’t buy the one called Millennium Steel?), Nick convinced me to pick a crazy paint color to add some pizzazz, and we watched it all transform.

Main Features of the New Laundry Room

• The Slat Wall – WOW. WOW. WOW. I had doubts. Then I was completely sold. Then we had issues. Then I cried. Then it was all ok. Then another part of the order was just missing. And some of the shelves didn’t work where I wanted them because of the ceiling. So I cried some more. And then…IT ALL CAME TOGETHER. Nick dealt with the company way more than he should have needed to, but got it all corrected and I received more free accessories due to the ordeal. And it’s truly the BEST system ever after using it almost 2 years.
• The Slat Wall Functionality – This cannot be skipped. It must be highlighted. The ability to constantly be able to move things around is…AMAZING. I will say that the shelves up near the ceiling have remained in place and hold cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, drying rods, etc. However, all of the hooks and bins, etc. have moved around as the kids have grown taller and as seasons and sports have changed. It’s been awesome.
• The Closet System aka Our Pantry Area – This was another “trust me” from Nick. Kitchen pantry systems can be limiting and $$$$$. So we looked at closet systems instead. And found something perfect. It is a combination of adjustable shelves and wire basket drawers. I remember Nick saying “Do you really want one of the basket drawers to be THAT BIG?” I replied, “Do you ever buy the GINORMOUS bags of chips from Costco? Where are you supposed to put them?” Nick, “Truth. I’ll allow it.”
• The Shower – YES! It is perfect. The end.
• Kids’ Space – Each kid has their own designated space. The space includes a floating drawer/shelf for current needs. In the winter, the drawer usually has hats/gloves/etc. During sports that’s where the kids keep their uniforms so they can never get lost in their rooms. The shelf is nice for lunch boxes during the school year. And they have hooks. Lots of hooks. Heavy-duty, made-for-the-garage hooks. Basic shoe racks fit perfectly underneath on the floor.

The Shower

For real, it’s perfect. It deserved a section on its own. Whether we need to rinse off dirty feet from the backyard or dusty baseball fields…or if we need to bathe the dog…the shower is PERFECT. And when we started the project we told Nick our “someday” family-dog-to-be would be about 40 lbs. Then a puppy opportunity happened upon us during the project and I was soon asking Nick, “So…can that shower fit a 75 lb dog?” Oops.

The After

We’ve been using the laundry room for close to 2 years. I am very happy with it. It just might be the best room in the house as far as functionality.

The Reality

The reality is that kids are kids and laundry is laundry. Therefore, the full reality is that there are still shoes thrown about, backpacks not always in place, laundry is often hanging everywhere to dry, etc. BUT, with our new laundry room/pantry system about 90% of things are in their place at all times. And that’s way better than before!

The Details

• Nick Rakel, Revolution Remodeling & Design – find him on the web, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
• Floor: Floor & Decor Millennium Steel Porcelain Tile
• Slat Wall: ProSlat Slatwall and Accessories (garage and retail accessories)
• Paint: Sherwin Williams Dewberry
• Closet Unit: J & N Distribution and Design
• Washer & Dryer: Whirlpool Cabrio
• Shower Glass: Alluring Glass

{My blog posts no longer contain external links. Websites update too frequently turning my links into errors. Since you found me, I’m sure you can also find Google and search quickly for anything I reference. This will make sure you are not frustrated by dead links and can get to current information quickly. This post is also not connected to any company or affiliation program unless stated. Basically, I received nothing for posting…I just had to share! Thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for visiting!}

Cape Coral is located in southwest Florida near Fort Myers. Our family has always loved vacationing on nearby Sanibel Island. During 2020, we rented a home in Cape Coral for 10 days during the coronavirus pandemic and discovered just how much we liked the area. It’s unique due to its 400 miles of canals. If you should ever visit the area, here are a few of our favorite things.

Restaurants

There are a lot of great dining options in Cape Coral. For pizza, we really like Dante’s. Their salads, wings and pepperoni rolls are also worth ordering. Another great pizza option is Overtime Pizzeria and Sports Pub. They have a nice large menu as well. Ginger Bistro is our favorite for Chinese cuisine. Keg & Cow is known for their craft beer selection and burgers. The Lobster Lady is your go-to for all things seafood. If you are looking for ice cream, you can’t go wrong with either Cape Creamery or Ice Cream Club.

Things to Do

Beaches

You don’t go to Cape Coral for the beaches. There is a small public beach at the Yacht Club Community Park. However, it’s not the “beach” you are currently visualizing in your head. The Yacht Club Beach is on the Caloosahatchee River and is a small little family beach. Within 45 minutes of Cape Coral you can be at Ft. Myers Beach, Sanibel beaches or Bonita Springs. Further away (about an hour or so) are Naples and Captiva.

Kayaking

With so many canals, there are plenty of places to kayak. Most rental homes have kayaks available for use.

Fishing

Whether you prefer fishing off of a dock in the canals, off a kayak or boat or bridge, or going to more open waters around the local islands, there is plenty of fishing to do!

Jim Jeffers Park

On the northwest side of town, Jim Jeffers is our favorite park. It is right next to a school and has a playground, tennis courts, basketball court, and a large soccer field.

Camelot Park

Camelot Park is in the southwest part of town. The park is 6 acres and located in the middle of a quiet neighborhood. There is a playground, picnic tables, walking trail, 2 tennis courts (pickleball lines too!), and restrooms.

Shopping

There are lots of places to shop in and around Cape Coral. In Cape Coral, you have your basic Target, TJMaxx, Homegoods, Lowes, Publix, and Walgreens to name a few. There are a couple of thrift stores. We’ve definitely checked out a Goodwill or two. If you want a bigger box store, head over to Ft. Myers. Look up Cleveland Avenue and you’ll find almost everything you could imagine – Costco, Dick’s, SuperTarget, Marshall’s, Old Navy, Total Wine and more.

Wildlife

There are a few things to look for while you are in Cape Coral. Burrowing Owls can be found on a lot of empty lots. In the canal waters you might see stingray, manatees, dolphins, and a variety of fish (including Jumping Fish!) depending on where you are located.

Other Areas to Explore

Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Sanibel Island is one of our favorite places to spend the day. Check out my post HERE for more details about Sanibel.

Matlacha and Pine Island

This is a neat area to explore. Matlacha is an “Old Florida” fishing village. You will find some unique boutiques and galleries here. We had good carry out from Yucatan. You can continue to Pine Island which is the largest island in Florida. It has a different feel than neighboring islands – more residential and agricultural. It is a nice drive out to the northern part of the island called Bokeelia. There are highly recommended restaurants on Pine Island (Tarpon Lodge and Capt’n Con’s Fish House), but we have not been to any yet. There is also a ferry that leaves Pineland Marina and will take you on a day trip to Cayo Costa.

Fort Myers

Fort Myers is a short drive over the bridge from Cape Coral. More to come on that area in a separate post yet to be written.

What do you like about Cape Coral?

{My blog posts no longer contain external links. Websites update too frequently turning my links into errors. Since you found me, I’m sure you can also find Google and search quickly for anything I reference. This will make sure you are not frustrated by dead links and can get to current information quickly. This post is also not connected to any company or affiliation program unless stated. Basically, I received nothing for posting…I just had to share! Thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for visiting!}

Sanibel Island is located near Ft. Myers, Florida. There is a toll to enter the island. Currently, it is all done electronically with a license plate photo and a bill sent to you in the mail weeks later. I highly recommend you use an app like Waze going to/from Sanibel. During busy times, the main roads can back up bumper to bumper. However, there are easy side streets on the island to navigate around the main entries. And it can save you lots of time and frustration. It is not like Ft. Myers beach where you are basically stuck with one main road in and out. Use the island side streets!

Beaches

The Sanibel beaches are all wonderful in my opinion. I prefer them over Ft. Myers mainly due to the seclusion. You really have to want to get to Sanibel, but it’s worth it. If you google “My Sanibel Public Beach Info” you should easily find the City of Sanibel website with a listing of all beaches and detailed information about each one. Almost all of them have restrooms and showers which is important when you have kids with you. All parking is paid at machines with credit cards. You put the ticket on your dash and it is closely watched by Sanibel employees.

There truly are shells everywhere. A favorite time to go is right before low tide. Search the internet for current Sanibel tide schedules. To find bigger shells, you often have to do some digging in the sand right at the water’s edge.

The Lighthouse Beach

I’m not sure why, but we usually go here when we want to take a walk on the beach, not when we are going to set up camp for the day. When we are staying on Sanibel, we usually “go to the beach” closest to our condo for an all-day event. When we are driving over from Cape Coral or Ft. Myers, the Lighthouse Beach is the closest to get to after the Causeway, but parking also gets crowded fast…especially during high season. Meaning it can be full by 9:00/10:00 am.

Bowman’s Beach

Bowman’s Beach is an extra 15-20 minute drive towards Captiva once you are on Sanibel. But often, it’s worth it! There is a lot of parking but it can also fill up by mid-morning. The walk to the beach is a bit longer, but very scenic as you go through a mangrove area. This beach is a great spot for sunsets.

Tarpon Bay Beach

Tarpon Bay Beach is between Lighthouse and Bowman. It is near the condo where we usually stay. It is another great location to set up for the day. Also good for sunset views.

Playground

The Sanibel Community Playground on the main road of Periwinkle is amazing. It is a large fenced-in playground that is also covered with shade structures giving you and the kids a break from the sun. There is a covered picnic area and restrooms are available as well. On day trips to Sanibel, we have gotten carry-out at Cheeburger Cheeburger and had lunch at the park.

Where to Stay

A friend recommended Pine Cove condos to us at the end of Tarpon Bay Road and the location was perfect for us. We have rented Pine Cove 302 and Pine Cove 303 through the Royal Shell website. We were right on the beach and could bike almost everywhere we wanted to go. There are so many great locations to stay. A quick internet search will give lots of recommendations. Other friends of ours spent their childhood summers at the Shalimar Cottages & Motel and we toured it on our last day trip and it looks so quaint and amazing!

Food

Driving to Sanibel you will find a Target and Costco nearby in Ft. Myers before you go onto the island. On the island, Jerry’s and Bailey’s are great grocery stores that will have everything you need. Not everything is marked up because you are on the island. Some prices seem higher than “normal” and some seem lower (one of my favorite wines is the cheapest I’ve seen it in the country at Bailey’s).

Our favorite restaurants include Island Pizza (great to order first night there), George & Wendy’s (bar and grill), Over Easy Cafe (breakfast), Cheeburger Cheeburger (burgers, onion rings and milkshakes), and Traders (date night).

Shell Museum

My family has always enjoyed a trip to the Shell Museum on a rainy day or whenever a break i needed from the sand and sun. We feel it is worth a visit and the admission cost.

Captiva

We have definitely driven out further to Captiva. There are infamous restaurants to visit like the Bubble Room for their infamous cake and the Mucky Duck for the sunset views. We have not eaten at either due to long waits and cranky kids. There aren’t really public beaches along Captiva, so unless you are staying there or going to a specific restaurant, it’s just a nice drive in our opinion. It’s not a must-see.

What do you love about Sanibel?

{My blog posts no longer contain external links. Websites update too frequently turning my links into errors. Since you found me, I’m sure you can also find Google and search quickly for anything I reference. This will make sure you are not frustrated by dead links and can get to current information quickly. This post is also not connected to any company or affiliation program unless stated. Basically, I received nothing for posting…I just had to share! Thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for visiting!}

For this particular “Robinhood/GameStop” situation, there are things on both sides of the story that sound shady. I wouldn’t be shocked if both sides did illegal activity. And, of course, the internet is divided once again by thoughts and opinions, with some partial facts thrown in for good measure. But my take-aways are really larger than this week. Not that I don’t care about the specifics of this “not-so-black-and-white” situation, but it’s led to broader financial conversations. If anything good comes from this, may it be more of those conversations in homes everywhere.

We’ve personally had some great discussions as a family (yes, including the kids!) about all things financial. Here are some of the highlights.

When you enter into any agreement, the fine print is there for a reason. Many people (myself included) don’t read all the fine print of every single thing. Like every app we download. For example, to say Robinhood halted trading and that specific act was illegal…is wrong. Read the fine print. Halting trading may be more common than you think. However, is the way they did it questionable and should it be investigated? Possibly. So again, READ THE FINE PRINT if you want to be able to complain about it later. Know what you are talking about.

Stocks, lottery tickets, casinos, etc. all have risk. They can be fun to dabble in, but you should know what you are getting into when you participate. There are no guarantees. You shouldn’t expect to be bailed out of a situation in which you made a bad decision.

Money management should start at an early age. The best thing I ever did was to work as a bank teller throughout my college years. I learned so much watching what other people did with their money – the good and the bad. And I understand that some things won’t work for those living in dire financial situations. But I also learned you don’t have to have a huge amount of disposable income to start paying your savings first before other extras like going out to eat. And no amount is too small to start saving. At my first job, I put $5-10 in savings every time I got a paycheck. That money added up over time! Couple that discipline with a basic budget, and compiling savings is doable at any income level.

We use a three-jar system with our kids and their allowance. Their allowance must be split into the three jars – Save, Spend and Give. We are trying to teach them early that they need to have money set aside for saving up for something (most recently a new bike for one of them), money to give to others (they choose a charity or giving opportunity) and then money to freely spend. My preteen loves to shop. My favorite question when she shows me items in a store is “You buying it with your money?” This has made her realize what she really, really wants versus an impulse buy.

Having an outside financial advisor is also a great thing. Even living with a finance guy, we still have an outsider review all of our financial stuff with us. I think there’s often been this stigma that only rich people have financial advisors. Not true. Are there advisors who specialize with different income brackets? Absolutely. Because different things are needed at different levels. Basically, it’s always good for an outside, unbiased person to look at your financial situation. 

For us, the Robinhood incident was a great reminder to openly discuss financial situations with each other and our kids. Talk to your kids about money. And research an appropriate financial advisor for your family and goals. It never hurts to put together a budget and track against it. In that budget, make saving part of your normal monthly payment stream. You are investing in yourself. You don’t even have to use Robinhood to save and invest. Think before you make purchases. Impulse buying can definitely put a big dent into your plans if you aren’t careful.

What tips would you add?

I recently joined a “What’s for Dinner?” group. In it, people post their weekly menu. It reminded me that dinner doesn’t need to be complicated. It also gave me some new ideas including this quinoa bake. Stella made it for dinner last night and it was a huge hit. It will definitely be added to our weekly rotation. Next time I think I’ll add some Italian sausage and/or mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 good sized zucchini or 2 small ones sliced into 1/4″ half moons
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced (or any color)
• 1-3 minced garlic cloves dependent on your preference
• Oil to sauté vegetables
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese + more to top the casserole
• ~ 32 pepperoni cut into fourths
• ~ 10 pepperoni not cut to top the casserole
• Grated Parmesan to garnish after baked

For the Sauce:

• 1 6-oz can of tomato paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Shake or two of black pepper
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11×7 baking dish or similar size. (This does not make a full 13×9 pan.)
• Follow the directions on package to prepare the quinoa and let sit.
• Place a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and sauté onions and peppers until soft. Add zucchini and garlic. Continue to stir and cook until tender.
• Combine the ingredients for the sauce. Stir until well combined.
• Add quinoa, sauce, pepperoni and 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese to the veggies in the deep skillet. Combine.
• Transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle with at least another 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining uncut pepperoni.
• YOU CAN FREEZE OR REFRIGERATE THE CASSEROLE AT THIS POINT AND BAKE IT LATER!
• Bake 15 minutes or until all melted together and hot in the middle. (If it was thawed from the freezer or was in the refrigerator and it is still really cold, it will take longer to heat through the middle.)
• Garnish with grated Parmesan.

{My blog posts normally don’t contain external links. However, this recipe was found at https://therealfoodrds.com/pepperoni-pizza-quinoa-bake/?fbclid=IwAR0q6p5UbwVKbjVxSPiEqxLhGjLohx5l9xfCzyFXRF2rstKndLYqBWSE2vg I modified it as shown above in my post. This post is also not connected to any company or affiliation program unless stated. Basically, I received nothing for posting…I just had to share! Thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for visiting!}

Ingredients:

4-pound boneless pork roast
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 whole garlic clove, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Cut pork roast in half.  Put on the bottom of a slow cooker.  In a bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, olive oil and salt.  Pour over the pork.  Cover and cook on low for about 5-6 hours.  

You want to be careful not to overcook this one from all the comments I read.  This is not an all-day slow cooker recipe.  I actually pre-made the sauce mixture (minus the Parmesan cheese) and then I put the whole thing together during lunch.  By 6:00 it was perfect.  

The meat does not stay in tact to “slice” it.  It almost ends up like a pulled-pork.  We served it overtop couscous and my mom had leftovers overtop noodles and then rice.  The juices soak into the starch and YUM.  Add a green veggie and the meal is complete.

I can no longer find the original recipe I saw the inspired me to make this, but I do have these notes I made on the ingredients (the variations I made):

• Many people use a plain (not flavored) pork tenderloin for this recipe. I chose to use an actual pork loin roast because it looked better at the store that day. When I purchased it, it was held together with strings in a netting formation. I removed all of that and after cutting it in half, the pork fell into 4 main pieces.
• The original recipe calls for 2 Tbsp of basil which I cut back to one.
• It also called for 2 Tbsp of minced garlic and I used a fresh whole clove instead.
• The original recipe also calls for cornstarch to make a gravy, but I found the juices were just fine without it.

This is a great fix-it-and-forget-it dessert recipe that can bake while you are preparing and enjoying dinner first. There are hundreds of this exact recipe posted, but I wanted to catalog it here for my own use. Google it for variations. Some will say to use Pecan Cake Mix. Others will say 2 sticks of butter. You can cut the butter more or even mix it into the cake mix. So many ways to modify this recipe. I did the following and everyone loved it.

What is your favorite slow cooker dessert recipe?

My favorite read of last year was Lisa Wingate’s “Before We Were Yours”. I often browse the Costco book section with my library app pulled up on my phone and then request whatever they have displayed from my library instead of purchasing anything. I always have a long hold list on Overdrive so that I usually am never lacking a free library read on my Kindle.

By the time this book became available, I didn’t remember the synopsis and started it blind. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I just had to keep reading. Many say if you like “The Nightingale” or “Orphan Train”, this novel is for you. It is! I love reading a book about a time, place or event in history I wasn’t aware of and the TN orphanages and adoptions were not something I had come across before. This book was sad, heart-wrenching, joyous, infuriating, happy, bittersweet, etc. Very emotional. It shifts between decades and storytellers which I always enjoy. It does not disappoint.

My Other Top 4 Favorite Books of 2018

My four favorite books that followed “Before We Were Yours” would have to be:

1. “The Secrets She Keeps” by Michael Robotham – 5 Stars. A great psychological thriller. Goes back and forth between two pregnant women and makes you think how far one will go to have a baby. A great beach read. One of those books I stayed up way too late reading because it was a page turner and I couldn’t put it down.
2. “Shelter in Place” by Nora Roberts – 5 Stars. Hard topic with it being about a mass shooting at a shopping mall, but great story of the characters affected and their lives for years after. The book sucked me in from the beginning and was a definite page turner until the end. Some of it was predictable but still entertaining. Romance, mystery, thrills and all the feels.
3. “Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes – 5 Stars! I loved the first book (Me Before You). The follow-up (After You) wasn’t as good, but still enjoyable. So I didn’t expect much out of this third book. However, I was delightfully surprised. If you’ve enjoyed Louisa’s trip through life, then you must continue the journey and read this. It follows what happens once she arrives in New York. The book is filled with lots of emotions – I laughed and cried. It’s a bit predictable, but still a fantastic (and quick) summer read.
4. “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls – 5 Stars. Shocking, but yes, I had not read this yet. If you are in the same scenario…don’t wait any longer. You’ve been missing out on a great book. It is a quick read and page after page you are just left in shock that children survived the situations she describes growing up with an alcoholic father and a mentally unstable mother. I can’t wait to watch the movie.

My Top 3 Audio Books of 2018

2018 was the year of audio books for me. I wanted to read more nonfiction, but lose interest in an actual book no matter the subject. Therefore, I joined Audible because I was picky about what I wanted to listen to. I know there are many free audio options, but the books I wanted, weren’t available. My three favorites from 2018 were:

1. “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah – 5 Stars. Absolutely magnificent. I highly recommend the audio book so you can hear his voice and how he speaks his native languages, tells his stories, etc. I knew nothing about Trevor Noah before this book and still don’t know much about his last decade or so (apparently I go to bed too early and need to stay up and watch his show…he’s on late night TV!?) This book focuses on his childhood and experiences growing up in South Africa. It is fascinating, appalling, sad, joyous, depressing, and hopeful. Full of emotions. Gives a great perspective on another part of the world at another time in history. Highly recommend.
2. “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond – 5 Stars. Another great audio book. This book follows 8 families in Milwaukee through the cycle of not only poverty and eviction but how landlords play into it as well. So many things I never realized. I recommend this book to all. The last chapter is particularly fascinating hearing how the author collected his data.
3. “French Kids Eat Everything” by Karen Le Billon – 5 Stars. Opposite of most of the reviews, I LOVED listening to this book. My only regret is not doing it over a decade ago when I was just having my first baby. Yes, most of it is common sense and some of it will not work for my family here in a North American suburb because I’m not that dedicated. However, I have a real appreciation for the French culture of how they teach their kids to eat. And to eat everything. The rules make sense and our family follows some of them already. I love uncovering the list of rules and then her tips to make it work. Her family’s story along the way makes the book work for me. I enjoyed every page of this book. Now I am off to type up a list of a few habits we will be posting in our kitchen for a daily reminder!

My Favorite Young Adult Books of 2018

I often forget to tap into YA books and need to look there more for great reads. My top two this year were:

1. “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas – 5 Stars. A must read in today’s world. This book is about a black teenager killed by a cop and told from the girl who was with him. The perspective is extremely eye-opening. It goes deep without getting preachy. All about the power of using your voice. It is easy to read and is actually in the YA section. I would not recommend for younger tweens unless reading together. Some of the topics are heavy. Cannot wait to see the movie. Watch the trailer if you don’t like jumping into a book blindly…but then pick up the book. It’s worth the time to read it.
2. “Refugee” by Alan Gratz – 5 Stars. This is a powerful YA book following the stories of 3 preteen refugees and their families at different historical time periods. I wanted to read it before handing it over to my 6th grader. Now I can’t wait for her to read it next. It’s a quick 300-page read. Every person should read it to learn more about the refugee experience and perspective. So.many.emotions.

What should be on my reading list for 2019?

{My blog posts no longer contain external links. Websites update too frequently turning my links into errors. Since you found me, I’m sure you can also find Google and search quickly for anything I reference. This will make sure you are not frustrated by dead links and can get to current information quickly. This post is also not connected to any company or affiliation program unless stated. Basically, I received nothing for posting…I just had to share! Thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for visiting!}

 

We often like to take road trips from the Cincinnati area for the weekend to get away for a quick break. When we are with the kids, we look for the shortest drive possible. However, with a group of adults, I’m willing to go a bit further. So when our friends in Florida asked us to meet them in Asheville, NC for a long weekend, I was sold! We packed up and left on a Thursday morning after all of the kids were on the bus to school. It is about a 6-7 hour drive depending on how many stops you have to make on the way. Here is a snapshot of our experience and how we packed a lot of fun things into such a short time period. Be sure to Google any and all things mentioned for more details dependent upon your interests.

Where To Stay

Asheville has grown leaps and bounds since we last stayed there about a decade ago on our way to the beach. There are plenty of places to stay whether you are right downtown in a hotel or you are further out. We chose to be close enough to walk to food and bars, but still be able to retreat back to our lodging away from all of the action. The Asheville Swiss Chalets were perfect for the eight of us. We rented two 2-bedroom chalets right across the street from each other – the Lucerne and the Matterhorn. It was a good 20-25 minute 1-mile walk straight downhill to Wicked Weed Brewery which is a nice starting point for exploring. At the end of the evening, the dark and completely uphill walk was not appealing, so we either used Uber or Lyft without any problems.

Our Itinerary

We arrived Thursday in time to change clothes and walk into town for dinner. We started at Wicked Weed Brewery and ordered drinks and a bunch of appetizers – soft pretzels, nachos, popcorn and boiled peanuts. Then we moved on to Bhramari Brewing Company for another beer and more hot pretzels with an amazing black patent honey dipping sauce. Catawba Brewing was our third stop and we enjoyed empanadas from a food truck while we were there. We ended the night at Green Man Brewery which probably had my favorite atmosphere in their new 3-floor Greenmansion. All of these breweries were within walking distance of one another and we also passed many other restaurants and bars and live music along the way.

The Biltmore

On Friday morning we started at Biscuit Head for breakfast. It’s no joke when they say go early. We were there right at 8:30 and after we ordered, the line to get in had tripled. After the biggest and yummiest breakfast ever (which included a flight of gravy with our biscuits and also jalapeno and blackberry jam bacon = YUM), we headed to the Biltmore.

Andy and I had been to the Biltmore before, but both of us wanted to return with the group. And we had planned our trip dates around the fact that the Chihuly exhibit was still there for the final weekend. It was extremely crowded but worth it. Two in our group had never been to Biltmore and agreed it’s definitely worth visiting if you have never been there before. We all toured the house. I highly recommend paying extra for the handheld audio tour. It gives you so many more details than just strolling through it on your own (and there’s a kid’s version). It’s still on my bucket list to do the additional behind-the-scenes tours.

The Breweries

After the Biltmore, we headed back towards the breweries. We covered Asheville Brewing first for a late lunch and had delicious pizza. Then we stopped in the Funkatorium which is where you will find Wicked Weed’s sour beers. We moved on to Twin Leaf Brewery and met some locals at Burial Beer. They informed us of the Friday Night Drum Circle so we followed them to Pritchard Park for quite an experience. Afterwards, we trekked to the Thirsty Monk for another drink and some food flights. Yes, flights of food – one of them had sausage, habanero fig jam, cheese and cracker. So good, but too dark for photos. Some of the group headed home and the late-nighters saw a Fleetwood Mac cover band at The Orange Peel.

The Food

Saturday morning we got up early again for another big breakfast. Sunny Point Cafe did not disappoint. We arrived around 8:15 and they had opened at 8:00. The cars were already parked all along the street and we waited at least 45 minutes to get a table. But they serve coffee while you wait so that’s a bonus. The black bean and sweet potato empanada is a must. And basically so is everything else on the menu. No one was disappointed.

The Hiking

After breakfast we wanted to at least get one quick hike in before the afternoon heat. Although it was the first weekend in October, the high for the day was 86! After lots of research we decided to head to DuPont State Forest and do the 3-mile hike to three waterfalls – High Falls, Hooker Falls, and Triple Falls. We followed online directions and parked at the Hooker Falls Access. It was about a 45-60 minute drive outside of the main area in Asheville. But well worth it. If you are a fan of “The Hunger Games” movie, this is also where scenes were filmed. There are so many places to hike around Asheville that we cannot wait to return and explore some more.

Another reason we chose that area for hiking was to stop at Sierra Nevada on the way back to town. That did not work out. We believe they were having a special event because they had parking attendants and a line out the door. So we skipped that and headed back to town. Our final evening we started at White Duck Taco Shop for food. And again, it’s worth the hype. There is a reason people stand in line for these tacos. Just do it. My two favorites were Bangkok Shrimp and the Black Bean. I ate them before I even thought to take a picture. Then we bar hopped to catch college football on TV and ended up in Social Lounge on Broadway – the food smelled and looked amazing. Andy and I stopped in two more breweries – Lexington Avenue Brewery and One World Brewing. Then we had a fun time at a dive bar called Tiger Mountain playing Heads Up before calling it a night. (Apparently you don’t want to be there after 10:30 unless you are into a young dating scene with a loud DJ). Sounds like so.much.beer.and.drinking. HA! Luckily, many places will sell you a half pint. Plus, Andy and I don’t mind sharing a pint or a flight either.

Why We Will Return Again

Sunday was back to reality as we packed up, ran through Starbucks, and headed home arriving just in time for dinner. We were so glad to revisit Asheville and see all the changes over the last decade. And although we visited many, many breweries, there are still more to explore. Asheville currently has over SIXTY breweries. 6-0! Not into beer? It seemed many more of them in Asheville offered a full bar or at least wine or ciders.

Not into drinking? The food, hiking, and historical areas like the Biltmore are still worth the trip.There were numerous Bachelorette parties and 40th Birthday parties happening over the weekend. In talking with locals, it seems as though Asheville is becoming quite the weekend destination city like we found Nashville to be the last time we were there.However there were so many places and options all within a small area so we never felt like 8 of us couldn’t get a table and enjoy ourselves. So although the popularity has picked up, we didn’t feel it was overcrowded the weekend we went and we cannot wait to return – with or without the kids!

(And as a quick side note…if you haven’t been stopping at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea right on I-75 at Exit 77 during your travels…it’s well worth the visit. A great place to stretch your legs, use the very clean restrooms, grab food, and maybe pick up a souvenir or gift.)

Have you been to Asheville? Your favorite place? Food? Drink? Attraction?

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