DIY 3-Piece Fall Wreath

Nothing says fall like a seasonal door wreath. I’m not a huge fall person, but I absolutely love my fall-themed wreath. It’s an easy way to get into the fall spirit without going overboard. If you’re looking for something simple and budget-friendly without compromising the fall look and feel, you absolutely can! Here is my step-by-step guide on how to make your own fall wreath using only 3 items.

What You’ll Need

• Metal wreath
• Fall leaf garland
• Burlap bow

METAL WREATH

You’ll need a metal wreath (or any circular wreath you wish to use). I personally like to use metal ones. You can get a variety of sizes for cheap from Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and even The Dollar Tree.

FALL LEAF GARLAND

I got one big string of fall leaf garland at Hobby Lobby. There are many options in the gardening section. Choose whatever kind you like.

BURLAP BOW

Bows are my favorite, so I had to add one to my fall wreath. I bought a big burlap bow from Hobby Lobby to use.

Let’s Get Started

STEP #1
Wrap the fall leaf garland around the metal wreath. I wrapped mine in and out throughout the wreath to keep it in place. I was able to wrap my leaf garland around the wreath twice. If the garland is too long, you can always trim it down to the desired length.

STEP #2
Attach/tie the burlap bow onto the wreath in the desired location. I tied mine onto the bottom of the wreath.

OPTIONAL:
If you want to secure the garland and bow into place more securely, you can use wire to secure them into place on the wreath. I did a couple throughout my wreath, especially at the beginning and ending points of the garland.

And there you go! You now have your very own 3-piece fall-themed door wreath. It is the perfect addition to your home for the fall season. Even with a simple wreath, you can still get creative with your options for each piece you use. Happy creating!

What to Expect When Flying During the Pandemic

Is it safe to fly right now? How will things go if you do? I just got back from my first trip since the pandemic started. I was a bit nervous about flying again for the first time since the pandemic started. I had heard about the new safety precautions, so I honestly wasn’t worried about not being safe while traveling. But I was unsure what to expect at the airport and during the flight itself.

I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth everything actually went during my travels. Like with everything, there are pros and cons, so I wanted to share both so that you can weigh the options yourself. If you are uneasy about flying again or just curious how it works in these times, I hope that by sharing my personal experience, it will give you a better idea of what to expect.

Fewer People Flying

During these uncertain times, the airlines have taken a big hit. With places shutting down, people aren’t traveling like they used to. Fewer people are flying, which has both pluses and minuses. On the plus side, fewer people flying means tickets are at a low price-wise and the airports are less crowded. Both of these were bonuses to me. For my trip, I got a round-trip ticket from a small airport in North Carolina to San Diego, CA for around $230 total. Normally it would cost between $400-$500.

Be Flexible

Fewer people flying also means fewer flights, which means fewer options and more flight cancellations and changes. I was able to find good flights I wanted, but both of my flights ended up having time changes about a month before my trip. If you do choose to fly, make sure to be flexible and understand that changes and cancellations may very well happen.

Fewer flights and options can also mean fuller planes. Out of my five flights, all but one were completely packed with every seat taken. I have heard of some airlines blocking off the middle seat on all flights until a certain date. I have also heard about airlines making you pay for two tickets if you want the middle seat blocked. Most things I have heard are that most flights are full because of fewer options.

Wait Times

Prior to flying on this recent trip, I was most concerned about wait times. I figured with social distancing it would take longer to go through security and board/deboard the airplane. I was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly things actually went on my trip. Security was a breeze both times. Boarding the plane went as it normally does. The only thing I felt took a bit longer was deboarding. Overall, with airports less crowded, it means shorter wait times in general.

At the Airport

The airports have adjusted to no-touch methods very well. You can check in for your flight and get any bags checked in at home prior to going to the airport. You can also use a mobile boarding pass, which is super convenient. If you prefer to print boarding passes at the airport or check bags and have an attendant assist you, you can still do that as well.

Due to lower demand, some airport restaurants and bars may be closed. I saw quite a few in different airports during layovers that were not open. There are still quite a few that are open, but just keep that in mind if you plan to grab a quick bite in the airport.

People sitting are good about maintaining social distancing in the airport and waiting areas. During my layovers, everyone was very respectful of the space between other travelers.

Boarding

The boarding process seemed as normal as it was before the pandemic. Everyone boarded in groups, and there were spots on the ground for social distancing. This was the one time no one adhered to social distancing while at the airport.

The deboarding process seemed to go a little slower than usual. Due to social distancing, the flight attendants asked everyone to stay seated and exit one row at a time, starting from the front to the back. Despite this, everyone seemed to move at a good speed and not hold others up longer than necessary.

In-Flight

There were no in-flight services on any of my flights. Due to this, I recommend bringing your own food and drinks from the airport onto the flight with you. The airline mentioned this prior to boarding as well to give you a heads-up. I flew with my own water bottle, so I filled it prior to boarding any flight.

While there are no in-flight services, you can still request something if needed during your flight. On all of my flights, while boarding, the flight attendants handed out a little baggie with a sanitizing wipe. On most of my flights, they also handed out a small bottle of water and a little snack.

Masks

Masks are mandatory and monitored. They are required in the airports, while boarding, and during the whole flight. The only exception is when you are eating or drinking. They checked multiple times before take-off to ensure everyone was wearing their mask. Everyone I encountered on my journey was respectful, and there weren’t any issues.

**Please note: most airlines require anyone aged 2 and up to wear a mask. When I traveled, it was solo, so it wasn’t an issue, but I have heard quite a few stories of young kids (even age 2) who got kicked off of planes because they wouldn’t keep a mask on. Just something to keep in mind if you are traveling with kids. I haven’t flown with my kids and am so nervous to do so because of this rule.

Know the Requirements of Your Destination

Make sure to know ahead of time if your destination has any quarantine requirements. Some places like Hawaii and New York have a 14-day quarantine requirement to enter from certain states. Double-check if your destination has any restrictions or quarantine requirements prior to taking the flight.

Follow airline guidelines and attendant instructions during your flight, and it will be a smooth trip. Just remember that no matter your personal beliefs, these policies are in place to keep everyone comfortable. Be respectful and considerate of others’ feelings. For me, any inconvenience is minor and worth it to be able to travel. Whether you choose to stay home or hop on a flight, be safe!

7 Things to Consider When Naming Your Baby

Naming a baby can be stressful. The pressure of finding the perfect name can be overwhelming. I’ve gone through the process twice (so far), and it is hard each time. I just want to find the perfect name that suits my baby. During my first pregnancy, I found another expecting mother who was asking for opinions on baby names. Someone mentioned to her how one of the names she liked had a negative nickname you could easily attach to it, and I had never even considered potential nicknames before.

This sparked something in me to do more research and consider things not thought of often when picking a baby’s name. I have put together this list that I use to help anyone else picking a baby name to cover your bases.

1. Sound & Flow of the Name

How do the names sound together? Do the first and last names flow and sound good together? Do the first, middle, and last names all sound good together? Think about how it will be yelling the full name out when your child is in trouble. Is it a mouthful? Is it too long or too short?

2. Initials & Monograms

When you pick a name you like, you often don’t think to consider initials and whether they spell anything bad. Another thing to consider is monograms. They are very popular, and you use the initials in the order of first, last, and then middle initials. So just take a look at what the monogram would be. For example, if you named your kid Ulysses Henry Gilbert, the initials “UHG” would seem fine, but if you made it into a monogram, then it would be “UGH”. Not that bad, but it could be worse. Just check what both the initials and monogram would be.

3. Nicknames Easily Attached to the Name

Kids can be mean and will find horrible nicknames to tease other kids. Think about whether there is anything negative that rhymes with the name you like or would be easy to use to turn it into a negative nickname.

4. Name Popularity

Look up how popular the name is. Is it being used often? Do you know many people who are using it? I always love looking at the name polls in my baby apps when I’m pregnant to see which names are the most common at the time I have my baby. If the name is popular, does that bother you? Your child may have others with the same name in school. Name popularity is a deal-breaker for some and doesn’t matter to others.

5. Google the Name & See What Comes Up

I always make sure to do this one when picking a baby’s name. I like to see if anything comes up. You never know if there is a serial killer or adult star with the same. I always like to double-check before naming my baby.

6. Name Association

This is probably the biggest one to me when it comes to narrowing down a potential baby name. We all have positive and negative associations with names just based on the things we’ve encountered in our lives. For example, if you were bullied as a kid, you would probably have a negative association with the name of the person who bullied you. Or if your partner had a significant other who broke their heart, you probably would want to avoid naming your baby after that person. It can be frustrating when you’re listing out possible names you like, and your partner turns them down, but just keep in mind it could be because of a negative association with the name.

7. Name Meaning

I personally pick names based on what I like, but I know quite a few people who like to pick names based on what they mean. When you find a name you like, do a quick search to find the meaning of the name. My sister liked a name and looked up the meaning to discover it had something to do with the creature of the dark. Not a very flattering meaning, and she quickly wrote it off because of that. If the meaning is important to you, make sure you know what the name you like means.

These are just some little things to consider that often get overlooked. If it weren’t for that one fellow expecting mother and a negative nickname I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t have thought of a lot of these. I hope that these tips help you to find the perfect baby name.

DIY My Rookie Year Birthday Party

I knew since I had my son that I wanted to do a baseball-themed first birthday party. I’m a huge baseball fan and collected any baby baseball clothes I could find. He wore a baseball outfit for all of his monthly photos during his first year. When the time came to start planning his first birthday, I started looking at baseball ideas and instantly fell in love with this “Rookie of the Year” theme. This is ultimately what I did to make the theme come to life.

Photo Backdrop

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Chalk pendants
• Chalk
• Cutting tools
• Tape

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Draw one letter on each pendant to spell out “Name’s Rookie Year”.
2. Cut the pendants to separate each word.
3. Tape the pendants to the wall.

Highchair Decoration

Supplies You’ll Need:

• String
• Colored bandanas
• Scissors

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Cut the string to the length you want to attach it to the high chair. Keep in mind you’ll need the extra length of the string if you plan to tie it.
2. Cut bandanas into strips. I just eyeballed it and made my strips about 3 inches.
3. Tie bandana strips onto the string so that it covers as much of the highchair as you wish.
4. Tie or tape the string with bandana pieces onto the highchair.

Birthday Outfit

Supplies You’ll Need:

• White onesie
• Baseball iron-on patch
• N and E iron-on patches
• Sewing machine & matching thread (optional)

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Place the iron-on patches on the onesie where you want to attach them.
2. Iron on the patches.
3. Optional: If you want to secure the patches in place even more, you can sew them onto the onesie. My iron-on patches stayed on for my son’s party, but after washing the onesie, they came off, so then I sewed them into place.

Cake

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Cake mix
• Colored icing
• Candle

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. For my son’s cake, we bought one at a local grocery store, but you can easily make your own.
2. Mix the cake mix.
3. Bake the cake.
4. Cover the cake with white icing.
5. Use red icing to draw on stitches that make the cake look like a baseball.
6. Optional: Add green icing around the cake edges to signify grass for further decoration. You can also add a birthday message for your child if you wish.
7. Add a birthday candle on top.

Balloons

Supplies You’ll Need:

• White balloons
• Red Sharpie marker

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Blow up and tie the white balloons.
2. Use a red Sharpie marker to draw stitches on the balloons to make them look like baseballs.

I hope that these ideas help inspire you to throw your own baseball-themed birthday party and have fun with it. Happy celebrating and creating!

Travel Dream Board: Why You Should Make One

During these last few months without travel, I’ve been doing what I can to stay focused on my travel dreams and plan for the future. One of the ways I decided to do so was by making a travel dream board. A travel dream board is much like a regular dream or vision board, but all items are related to traveling. I’ve always had a list of destinations I want to travel to, but I just recently decided to turn that list into a physical visual dream board.

I added photos and outlines of places I want to visit. Seeing the beauty of these places on my bucket list daily keeps me inspired to keep saving and planning to be able to actually see these places in person one day. A travel dream board is a simple way to help get your travel fix while you can’t travel. Here are some of the reasons why you should make a travel dream board too!

Gives You a Daily Visual Reminder

The biggest reason people swear by vision boards is that having a visual reminder of your dreams and goals in front of you every day helps to keep you focused on chasing those dreams. Having a visual reminder helps to keep you motivated. It’s easier to get through hard days when you remember what your ultimate goal is.

Keeps You Motivated

If you have an off day (or season) where you aren’t progressing towards your goals, a dream board helps point you back to where you want to go. If you get discouraged or feel like giving up during the process, a dream board reminds you why you are doing what you’re doing and what you’re working towards.

Get Travel Research & Planning Done

In collecting things for my travel dream board, I’ve also been learning more about the different places and cultures. It's been giving me a better idea of things I want to do and see at each destination. I’m able to narrow down some early-stage planning for these destinations by learning about the locations and what they have to offer.

Sense of Accomplishment

It is fun to replace items on the board with new places once you reach your travel goals. Who doesn’t like checking things off your to-do list? There is no better sense of accomplishment than when you get to visit that dream travel location.

Gives You Hope

Making a travel dream board gives you hope for the future and traveling again. There is nothing we need more right now than hope for the future. Everything has been crazy this year, and having to put travel on hold has been hard for so many of us. Keeping my dream alive of traveling again gives me hope for the future and all of my fun travel adventures to come.

If you’re looking to keep your travel dreams alive, find travel inspiration, or stay motivated as you save and plan for future travels, make a travel dream board. It is fun to do and will help keep you inspired!