I'm just trying to walk myself home.
See that little monkey in the tree? That would be Ben. He is way above me on a ropes course that is about thirty minutes from Aberdeen at Crathes Castle called Go Ape. Have you heard of Go Ape? They have tree top adventures all over the UK that look super fun to me! We …
We’ve made a couple of trips now to hike in an area called Bennachie that is only about a 30 minute drive from Aberdeen. The countryside around our city is referred to as Aberdeenshire, so we are quite fond of saying, Let’s head out to the shire today! or Come on y’all, we’re going to …
A Family Hostel Stay At The Buttermere YHA It’s always a bit of a puzzle to figure out accommodation for a family of six. If we stay in a hotel, we need two rooms, since our kids are growing like weeds and cannot be bundled together as easily anymore. Getting two hotel rooms for several …
I kind of pride myself on being able to make a peasant soup out of the groceries that are left at the end of the week. Just a few days ago I turned some cans of beans into dinner, and no one went hungry. This French Peasant Soup recipe is perhaps my favorite version of …
Has the weather turned cold where you are? I’ve been making lots of soup to keep warm! This time next month we’ll be walking to school before the sun rises and home from school after it sets. Yikes! Some news from this week: WE SOLD OUR HOUSE IN ARKANSAS! (Super Exciting, y’all!!) No more paying …
Sharing a few Instagram snapshots of the Lake District today for #IGTravelThursday, a link up for those who love Instagram + Travel. I also found a very fun list today of 100 Fantastic Instagram Accounts to Follow for Travelers. Instagram is definitely changing the way we plan and share our travels! Yesterday I put up …
A couple of weeks ago, I introduced the Expat Stories Series here at the Chino House! It was so fun to watch as you all responded to Tina’s Expat Story! It reminded me what FABULOUS readers you are AND it made me look so forward to sharing more of these. So thanks y’all! Today’s Expat …
I hope you are getting to see the leaves change where you live, because it is one of creation’s most spectacular displays. Every year I am newly amazed. How can the death of something be so beautiful? Of course, one of the very best ways to enjoy fall color is to go camping. And while …
This ancient bridge crosses over the River Don, on the north side of Aberdeen. It’s called the Brig O Balgownie, and it’s over 800 years old. We walked there on a rare sunny afternoon while we have been out of school. A few links for your weekend: I finished up all my posts about Ireland …
Y’all, let me be honest for a second. I spend a seriously sick number of hours planning trips that might not ever even happen. Just last week I did a ton of research for a camping trip to the Isle of Skye that we canceled because of A) rain and B) grumpy teenagers. Since we’ve …
I am sad to say that I did not visit a single place on my list of sights to see in Dublin. I don’t regret for a minute that I spent the bulk of my time in Ireland on a tour of the Wild Atlantic Way, because it was the trip of a lifetime, to …
So we’re enjoying/slodging through (depending on who you talk to) our two week long Tattie Holidays. Some of us might be composing a letter in our heads that goes something like this, Dear Scotland, Your Tattie Holidays are TOO LONG. Sincerely, The Mother of Grumpy Teenagers. Actually there have been some great moments of exploring …
I still have one or two more stories to share from my time in Ireland, but I thought it would be fun to just do a random assortment of pictures today for Instagram Travel Thursday. Linking up with this group of fun travelers has been a highlight of blogging from Europe for me. It is …
I am super excited about beginning a new series at the Chino House today called Expat Stories! I have met loads of expats in the last several weeks, both in person and online. I love hearing the stories of other folks who have moved away from their home country to adopt a new one for …
What comes to your mind when you think of Ireland? If we play that word association game where I say red and you say apple, what would you say if I said Ireland? Green. Castles. Cliffs. What else? Red hair, maybe. Guinness, of course. Pubs. Friendly people. If we played this game for an hour, …
It’s been almost a week since I was in Ireland, and I think I am almost caught up on laundry. I’ve been going through pictures and notes, catching up on email and life here in Aberdeen. But we’ve managed to sneak away for a hike in the woods, walks to the park, a night of …
Let me tell you about a little treasure hunt we went on to find a hidden letter in Edinburgh. Almost as soon as we arrived in Edinburgh a few weeks ago, Cole and Mary Polly were insistent that we find a place called the Jolly Judge. While Taido seemed to understand their need to find …
Photo Challenge Tina from Girl Meets Globe tagged me in the Capture the Colour Photo Blogging Challenge! For the challenge, you have to choose one photo for each color/colour. (I’m feeling schizophrenic about spellings lately.) Here are the ones I chose: White Yellow Blue Green Red Even though I take a LOT of photos, I …
Perhaps you have been told at one time or another that the Irish people are friendly and warm. You might have also heard that Ireland is sometimes called the Land of A Thousand Welcomes (Cead Mile Failte). But before I actually went to Ireland, I didn’t understand that this phrase is not just a slogan. …
Happy Weekend! I’m wrapping up what has been an amazing week in Ireland! Can’t wait to share all about it next week! For now, here are some of the many spots on the Internet I found helpful while I was researching for my time in this beautiful country! Have you been to Ireland!? I would …