New tattoos were the reason we found ourselves in Roanoke VA the other weekend. Shae and her mom both wanted to get some new ink and so we headed back to the tattoo studio where Shae got her first tattoo earlier this year. The weekend started off badly, but we managed to find … [Read more...] about Cockroach, Tattoos, Waterfalls, Black Dogs & Candy: Our Weekend In Roanoke VA
How To Earn The Most Free Hotel Nights With IHG
One of the ways that we can afford to go on our 5 year, 50 state road trip is by maximizing hotel loyalty schemes. My favorite hotel rewards program is IHG Rewards Club - home to Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and several other brands. Although their status … [Read more...] about How To Earn The Most Free Hotel Nights With IHG
Review: Longboards, Portsmouth VA
Before setting off on our 5 year, 50 state road trip, we've spent several years living in Portsmouth VA. One of our favorite places to eat and drink here is Longboards in Olde Towne. We'd recently planned on visiting a different restaurant in Olde Towne in order to review it, … [Read more...] about Review: Longboards, Portsmouth VA
Extreme Minimalism: Week 16 – Paperwork Edition
We have a surprising amount of paperwork. Despite trying to deal with all our paperwork electronically, we've still gathered enough of it to fill two drawers of a filing cabinet. Quite a lot of that has been tax returns over the years, but I'd also filed away all kinds of … [Read more...] about Extreme Minimalism: Week 16 – Paperwork Edition
3 Months Until Our 50 State Road Trip – Here’s How Our Planning’s Going
Back on July 1, I shared our preparation plans for the six months leading up to our 5 year, 50 state road trip. Well, it's been three months since I wrote that post which means it's only three months until we leave. I was curious how much of that preparation we'd done, so … [Read more...] about 3 Months Until Our 50 State Road Trip – Here’s How Our Planning’s Going
Marriott Rewards Platinum Status: The Benefits And How To Get It
This is the fourth post in a series about the different status levels in the Marriott Rewards loyalty scheme: Member Silver Gold Platinum The highest level of Marriott’s loyalty scheme is Platinum status. Although it can be hard to obtain, it offers some … [Read more...] about Marriott Rewards Platinum Status: The Benefits And How To Get It
Which Brands Are Part Of Each Hotel Chain?
We're going to be living in hotels for the next five years while we're on our 50 state road trip. One of the main ways we can afford to do this is by maximizing each hotel chain's reward scheme. An important part of being able to take advantage of their reward schemes is … [Read more...] about Which Brands Are Part Of Each Hotel Chain?
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Before getting my Instant Pot, I'd only tried making beef stroganoff on one occasion and wasn't very successful. The main problem was that the beef didn't soften and was far too chewy and gristly. That batch was inedible, so I think we ended up having a microwave dinner that … [Read more...] about Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Extreme Minimalism: Week 15 – Hot Stuff Edition
It's week 15 of our Extreme Minimalism challenge and it's definitely getting harder by the week. We're now just over 2/3 of the way through the challenge. However, we're not even halfway through based on the number of items. That's because we have to let go of an increasing … [Read more...] about Extreme Minimalism: Week 15 – Hot Stuff Edition
Marriott Rewards Gold Status: The Benefits And How To Get It
This is the third post in a series about the different status levels in the Marriott Rewards loyalty scheme: Member Silver Gold Platinum The second highest level of Marriott's loyalty scheme is Gold status. If you're able to earn this status, it has the potential … [Read more...] about Marriott Rewards Gold Status: The Benefits And How To Get It