Fancy But Frugal

It was November 2017 and we still hadn’t chosen a Christmas vacation... Madeira and Galapagos Island were top on our list, but we hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. Then one night as we were cooking dinner, Jon says “I've always wanted to visit Scandinavia. What about that for Christmas?” Me, a southern girl who notoriously hates winter, ever so gently reply:  “ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAH . Good one”.  Silence.  I look at him: “Wait, you’re serious?” My budget bug has definitely rubbed off on Jon over the years. He was searching for flights and came across dirt cheap tickets to Sweden and, yes, he was serious. We dropped the conversation, started eating tacos and went on with our night. Over the next few days, I did some research into why on earth Jon desired to go to (practically) the North Pole in -9 F weather and saw things I'd never imagined. Dogsledding, igloos, snow mobiles, northern lights . It was a literal winter wonderland. ⛄❆ I was starting to warm ...

I'm going to try something new and write devotions, as they come to me and as the Lord leads. Welcome to my first one, as featured on my dear friend ' s  website:     http://www.holygroundsonline.com/devotions _________________________________________________________________________________ What is your cup full of?  Life was alright: my job was going well, my marriage was great, and I had just started a well-known ministry program at my church. Then, out of the blue, my faith was rocked. I got a call on my lunch break that my hard working and faithful Dad’s business was robbed… while he was there. He blocked them into a small area while police arrived, and they were arrested. No one was hurt, but they did get away with some of his belongings before the arrest. I was devastated. You see, my mom passed away when I was 15 and he’s all I’ve got. He’s always been healthy and in my eyes, he’s invincible. He got saved a few years ago and watching his d...

Strict Budget, two toddlers, and 6 months pregnant .... sounds like the perfect time for a Disney trip! Believe me, I never considered going to Disney World with my family until the kids were older and until we had plenty of extra cash. But, my 3-year-old daughter is captivated by Disney princesses, and my 2-year-old is in love with Mickey & friends. I wanted them to enjoy the magic of Disney World before they realized the magic wasn't...well...100% true. Plus, my youngest was finally potty-trained, and 2-year-olds and under get in free at Disney Parks… but with only one household income and long days in the theme parks, I knew this trip would require a lot of planning. First, I had to pick the perfect time to go. I researched and found this awesome tool called Disney World Crowd Calendar ( link ).  I've heard that September, October, and February were the least busiest months to go.  February was out of the question for us because our baby is due in January, ...

In September, we took off for one of our top bucket list items: GREECE !! 💑 I've dreamed of visiting Greece for years, and it still feels surreal that we actually did it! The journey started with an emergency landing in Germany and several hours of delay. We weren't too stressed because we had access to   the airport lounge ( thank you AmEx Platinum card! ) and could eat and drink our worries away. Still, Aegean Air was amazing. We ended up getting free one-way EU flights AND nearly $900 cash. Best travel delay ever! 💰💸 We started by soaking up the sights and history of Athens for a couple days. The #1 thing I  would recommend here is the  Athens Free Walking Tour . All of the main sites in Athens are pretty close together, so the guides spend a few hours guiding you around, providing history and facts, and giving amazing food and tour suggestions. Yes, the tour actually free (except for the tip to your awesome guide at the end), and we're told...

Hi fellow travelers! Today I have another guest blogger. Meet Emma and her boyfriend, Liam! Aren't they cute? Jon and I met Emma and Liam while traveling in New Zealand. They were involved  in many of the shenanigans in my NZ blog ! They're originally from England and had just finished a year of working abroad in Australia. They put off the best vibes: care-free, friendly, happy ,  and fun! They are so in lov e and lovey-dovey, I actually questioned my love with Jon when we were around them. SPOILER ALERT: Jon and I made it, are happily married, and I have no doubts whatsoever. I’ve always been inspired by how they left their lives behind in the UK and headed out for a wild adventure. My kind of people! On the way to Australia, they stopped in Thailand! Emma will share a bit more about this wonderful country! They hit so many epic and classic Thai things! It’s a great plan to follow! She has the cutest accent, so I wish she could tell you this story in person, but...

Hey guys! Because I have several amazing friends in amazing places all over the world, I wanted to try something new this week and have a guest blogger . I want people to see not just what  traveling is like, but what living abroad is like! Moving to Singapore was one of the best decisions of my life, so I love hearing other people’s stories.  Hit me up if you want to guest blog! One of the first people who popped in my mind was a friend from high school who is currently in Dubai! Jenn and I have many similarities, but at the fore-front is being raised in the south, leaving the south, and loving Jesus and people! I’ve recently heard some conflicting views of what the Middle East is really like, so I went straight to my source!  Here’s a bit of our chat (her words in green , mine in black):  *All pictures are hers! Hi,  Jenn ! Introduce yourself, and tell us what led you to move to the UAE? Hi there, I'm Jennifer Zachary and I met Katie 10 y...