California campgrounds: There is an astounding variety of places to camp in California, from oceanfront sites with a view, to campsites under the redwoods and much, much more. In order to explore more of these beautiful places, we got a travel trailer several years ago and take our two kids on as many adventures as possible, mostly to California campgrounds. Here are 20 campgrounds in amazing locations that we’ve enjoyed from Central to Northern California. A quiet stay with birds and rabbits at Basalt Campground One important point about camping in California is that the best campgroun ..read more

Like many people, during Covid lockdown, I made a lot of changes in my home. One of the biggest changes was getting an entirely new bed set. I finally decided to get the bed frame and nightstands I’d been wanting and splurged on a nice mattress, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, as you can see in this Tuft & Needle mattress review. Plus, they’re having huge discounts right now! Click the photos to shop: Turn on your JavaScript to view content So happy with my new bed! While researching mattresses, there were two factors that I didn’t want to compromise. First, I wanted ..read more

We’re in Europe! I’m in the middle of a 3+ week, 3-generation trip with my husband, kids, mom and stepdad. I hope you’ll follow along on Instagram and let me know if you have any questions. I’ll share itineraries and tips in coming months. We started in London…. …and then a few days in Cornwall…  …and are now in Paris for the week, and then Rome next week. We feel incredibly fortunate to take such a big trip as a whole family!  More updates soon, but I’d love to know what your summer plans are ..read more

  I love seeing other people’s trips and hope you find some inspiration and ideas of places to go in this round-up of our travels from 2021. 2021…it was a year of a surprising large amount of travel with some new-to-us places. It even included our first plane flight since the pandemic began, with a long-awaited trip to Brazil to visit family in December.  We have a small travel trailer (it’s a GeoPro BH16), which gives us a comfortable, affordable way to travel. It uses little energy thanks to the trailer’s light weight and solar panels. Last year we spent several weeks in the traile ..read more

It’s the end of 2021, and what a year it was! For me, that meant so. much. Zoom. While not trying to teach people to write essays through the computer screen, I spent time with my fast-growing kids, taking walks with my husband, traveling in California, and finally watching “Game of Thrones.” And games. Lots of games. Three of the things that made a huge difference in my life this year were taking increasingly longer walks no matter the weather  (I now aim for 4 miles every day), cutting down on alcohol, and being more intentional with my friendships. Another bright spot has been trip pl ..read more

I have so much travel content to share with you, including lots of info about Oregon (our new fave)! Let’s start with a look at our first trip to Oregon — a loop through Southern Oregon from the coast to Crater Lake and then Ashland. This trip needs about 7-10 days and is very doable if you’re coming from Northern California. First of all, if you don’t know about Oregon parks, let me fill you in. They are really nice … like much nicer than California parks! The Oregon parks we’ve stayed in have hookups (a mix of full and partial hookups), which is a big deal if you’re traveling in an RV like ..read more

  Have you ever thought about moving to Canada? Like many Americans who have become disillusioned with life in the U.S., I’ve looked into moving to Canada. I’m excited to bring you another installment of my Living Abroad series with an interview with my friend Murissa about what it’s like to live in the beautiful Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. You can find Murissa on Instagram, Facebook, her YouTube channel, podcast The Okanagan Food Show, and blog The Wanderfull Traveler. I’m Murissa and live in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. My city is considered the hub of the Okanagan W ..read more

Hello, friends, Where has the time gone? I don’t know about you, but I have been in a weird space for the last few months. As my friend Michelle would say, “Of course! Of course we’ve been feeling (fill in your emotion) during this time.” But I’m very excited about spring and vaccines and my kids finally going back to school soon and summer break coming, and I have so many things to share with you.  I’d love to hear from you. What has been making you happy lately? What are you looking forward to?    You’ll love these photos of owls! What movies have you loved lately? I’ve been ..read more

I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to get some serious wanderlust! We’ve been home for weeks on end after the winter Covid surge here, but with vaccinations coming soon, I’m starting to make travel plans for summer. This reminded me of all the trips I’ve yet to share with you, and our pre-Covid trip to Lassen National Park is one of them. The Cinder Cone Hike at Lassen National Park is one of our favorite travel memories. Here’s why: It’s great for kids and teens. It’s a serious workout! It can easily be done in half a day. The views are a-ma-zing. It’s perfect for learning about v ..read more

  Hello, friends! If you’re like me, you’re still figuring out holiday gifts. As a teacher, I’m always scrambling before the holidays to get essays graded and final exams done, so holiday shopping is not my forte. Fortunately, I’ve minimized gift exchanging over the years, but I try to give sustainable items as much as possible. Here are my picks for (more) sustainable gift giving this year. Some of these are affiliate links, but if you use these links to shop, I’ll give 50% of all affiliate commissions to UNICEF for the next 30 days! Turn on your JavaScript to view content   Allbi ..read more