That Time I Came Across the Carnival Elation...

When I was cruising the Breakaway, we saw the Carnival Elation docked next to us in Nassau. I took some close-ups so that the internet can find them if it wants to :) ... (click though to see photos)

That Time I Went to Nassau, Bahamas...

The last stop on my cruise last month was to Nassau, Bahamas. It was drizzle-y the whole day so it's hard to review, per-se, but here's how we spent the day.

First I took a bunch of photos from the ship. They would have been prettier if it wasn't raining... I'm pretty sure.

My list of things I wanted to do happened to include 3 indoor things which worked out great given the weather: Pirate Republic Brewery, Senior Frogs (for lunch), Pirate Museum, and beach...

That Time I Made Mushroom Soup...

I made this recipe using some recipe I found online but when it was done I was not impressed. That's what I get for picking something cause it's simple. First it was not so much soup as much as it was glop. Also it just sorta tasted like mashed up raw mushrooms if they could be raw and hot at the same time. So I added some stuff till it was way better. If you hate it though, I take no responsibility for it.

Cream of Mushroom  Soup

Ingredients:
5 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 c. + 1 c. chicken stock
1/2 c chopped onion
pinch dried thyme
3 TBS. butter
3 TBS. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c. half and half*
1/4 c. Marsala wine**



Directions...

That Time I Made Chicken Marsala...

I decided to bring back an old feature, and only some weeks. I stopped using my recipe blog, so why not post some food stuffs here sometimes?

This recipe is easier than you think, it's super-duper yummy, and it's one of my favorites. Yes, I just said 'super-duper.' Anyway, like in all my recipes calling for some kind of wine, I use grocery store cooking wine so feel free to do the same if you don't feel like hitting up a liquor store.

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
pinch ground pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter
8oz fresh, sliced mushrooms
1/2-3/4 c Marsala wine


Directions...

That Time I Went to Great Stirrup Cay...

One of the stops on my recent cruise was at Great Stirrup Cay (pronounced "key"... look it up).

GSC is owned by Norwegian cruise line so the only way to visit it is to cruise there (specifically on NCL)...

That Time I Rode a Bike...

Recently my campus got a ride share program called Zagster.

I was interested in it as it is sometimes difficult to get from point A to point B in a timely manner. I signed up for an account right away and finally gave it a try today....

That Time I Cruised The NCL Breakaway...

After much anticipation I have completed my first NCL cruise! So. Much. Fun. And that is saying a lot because going in and out of NYC in late October, it was too cold to spend time outside on days 1, 2, and 7.

I realized about 3/4 of the way into this post that I didn't even mention the ports of call. Since this post is already long enough, I decided to write separate posts about them. We satayed on the boat in Cape Canaveral, and visited Great Stirrup Cay (NCL's private island in the Bahamas), and Nassau,  Bahamas...

That Time I Freestyled on The NCL Breakaway...

Here are all the Freestyle Dailies for the NCL Breakaway's 7-day NYC to Bahamas & Florida itinerary ("Orlando" [Port Canaveral], Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau), 10/29-11/4/17...

That Time I Binged on Carnival Cruises...

In anticipation of my upcoming voyage on the Carnival Horizon, memories of all the studying I did to make sure my last Carnival cruise on the Vista last year came flooding back! Since then, I have perused many different ships and itineraries looking to get the best deals and a variety of itineraries for future cruises. I am booked on the Liberty for February 2019 and plan to book another on the Pride in 2020! (Updated: 8/21/19)

This list is of tips that are specific to cruising on Carnival. Sorry in advance that there aren't tips related to children... I have yet to have kids...

That Time I Cruised Norwegian Cruise Line...

Those who have been paying attention already know that I (semi) recently went on my first cruise last February. In preparation for that cruise, Boyfriend and I watched 10s of videos and read 10s of articles about Carnival cruises, the Carnival Vista ship, and cruise tips in general.

My second cruise ever, and first Norwegian Cruise Line cruise, is 11 days (!!!!!).

I pretty much had to start all over and learn all about a brand new cruise line, and since this information is fresh, and the Carnival information is quite stale, this post is about the NCL Breakaway (and NCL in general)...

That Time My Airbnb Guests Kinda....Sucked...

Last year I started renting my house out on Airbnb, seasonally, on weekends when there are major events in town. Until recently I didn't have any problems. People came and went and I mostly just had to clean a bunch of sheets...

That Time I Packed for a Cruise...

More on Cruising :)

For my first cruise I had a really hard time finding a good packing list to go off of. There were plenty of lists that just listed items, but not quantities. Due to my strife, I wanted to post my packing list for others to find (below).

But first, some things to note:...

That Time I Finished Saving All My Pennies...

A year ago I started an experiment where I picked up every single coin I saw on the ground. This included some less accessible ones, and stopping short in front of people just to pick up a penny.

Yes, for the last 12 months I have been real-life Mario...

That Time I Went On Another Cruise...

Husband and I were gearing up for our 2nd cruise that was coming up on October 29th. This time we set sail on the Norwegian Breakaway out of NYC. For us, there were bonus savings because we can drive there instead of flying! We actually took the Megabus so we don't even have to pay for parking.

In preparation for our trip, here is a list of cruise-cabin must-haves that I will be bringing:...

That Time I Read A Short Story...

I was at the campus library for a meeting and walked past this on the way to the bathroom:

I was curious, so on my way back from the bathroom I pressed the button for 1 Minute:

I expected it to be shorter.

Aside from the use of thermal paper which puts BPA on your hands and kills trees, I found this experience highly entertaining. Curious about how much it gets used.

I didn't actually read my story yet... saving it for a rainy day.

That Time I Tried to Sell Some Stuff on Craigslist...

This is a Public Service Announcement:

If you are a person who is shopping on Craigslist or a similar P2P shopping method, BE POLITE and treat the person you're (not) buying something from with RESPECT like they are an ACTUAL PERSON.

I recently had a need to sell a bunch of furniture. I'm using Craigslist, LetGo (an app), and Facebook Marketplace. And I have had the same following experiences, multiple times, with using each:...

Plastic Free July 2017, Ep 2

Well I lied about being back in one week. But I made it. Better late than never.

One of the huge things I try to do all summer long, is get as much produce as possible from farmers markets. Not only can you get most items plastic-free, but the items have a lower carbon footprint due to not traveling as far as super market produce does. 

The most important thing to remember: BYOB (bags) or else you will be putting un-packaged items into plastic bags...

Plastic Free July 2017, Ep 1

It's been a couple of years since I have documented my Plastic Free July efforts. I've been busy, OK? Well I never stopped making an effort to be plastic free year round and have added some new efforts. Let's take a look at what I've been up to in the first week:...

That Time I Went To Boston....Again....

It had been a few years since I last visited Boston and felt that it was time for another visit. Boyfriend had delared that he doesn't like Boston, so I had to set him straight.

There was a poster of the skyline at the Airport. I felt it was worth a groupie.

My strategy was to skip anything really tourist-y and instead do the weird and unique stuff....

That Time I Went to Venice...

Boyfriend told me he wanted to go on a trip. He wouldn't tell me where. Venice was amazing and beautiful.

And I came back with this:

<3 <3 <3

That Time I Was on a Boat...

 

Last week I went on my FIRST cruise. I didn't want to become a "cruise person" but it has happened. I had such a great time that I wanted to share my first-timer experience for anyone also considering it...

That Time I Had Funtimes on the Carnival Vista...

Here are all the Funtimes-es for Carnival Vista's 6-day itinerary from Miami to Western Caribbean (Ocho Rios, Grand Caymen, Cozumel)...