CVS: Spent $12 and Got $18 ECB’s Back
This week CVS has a few great deals. I was happy to get some Allegra for my allergies, it is usually more than $20, but this week it was on sale, I had a coupon, and I received an ECB back for it. My local store was sold out of some of the deals in the weekly ad already but I was able to get these few items for $12.84 and received $18.99 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.- 1 – Irish Spring Body Wash – $2.99 with $2.00 ECB’s
- 1 – Tena Ultra Thin Pads – $9.99 with $9.99 ECB’s
- 1 – Allegra Allergy – $17.99 with $5.00 ECB’s
- 2 – Dentek’ Floss – $5.98 with $2.00 ECB’s
- 1 – Dulcolax Tabs – $4.99
- 1 – Purex Laundry Soap – $3.99
The total was over $48 with tax before using coupons. Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $2.50 Tena Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $2.00 Allegra Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $4.00 Dulcolax Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $3.00 Purex Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $24 ECB’s from previous purchases
I received $18.99 ECB’s back today:
- $9.99 ECB’s for Tena
- $5.00 ECB’s for Allegra
- $2.00 ECB’s for DenTek
- $2.00 ECB’s for Irish Spring
When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club). As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS. You can pick and chose what is best for your family. I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!
For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week! Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household. In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.
Song: “7 x 70” by Chris August
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITh9IH1p-ME&feature=related
Jake and I was able to hear Chris August sing this song at Winter Jam 2011. Even though everyone’s circumstances are unique we all have past mistakes, guilt, and hurt in our lives. There were two simple phrases from the song that stood out to me that night “I thought the pain was here to stay, but forgiveness made a way” and “I forgive you”. We often hold onto the past or struggle with the present. As humans we will make mistakes every day and hurt the people we love. I am thankful that we the opportunity to forgive and be forgiven so we can allow God heal the wounds in our lives.
Book: “The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari” by Donita K. Paul & Evangeline Denmark
I was really excited to get The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark to read to the girls. It is a story about two friends Padraig (the dragon) and Roger (the turtle) on a camping adventure together at the base of “Mount Sillymanborrow” (their backyard). They have a camp fire, toast marshmallows, eat baked bugs, sleep in a tent, and let their creative imaginations send them on several fun Safari adventures. Throughout the night they encountered a variety of “jungle” beasts – they heard noises from a howler monkey (owl), giraffes (squirrel), elephants (raccoon), fed a rhinoceros (dog), and rescued a baby leopard (kitten).The two friends shared in the adventure together, supporting and encouraging each other when they were frightened. Roger even nicknamed his friend Professor Padraig since he was an “expert” on jungle animals. They chose to do activities that both friends wanted to do which also distracted them from thinking about the scary noises around them. I liked how both friends encouraged each other throughout the night and never made fun of the other one even when they were scared. If one friend did not want to do an activity (such as listen to a scary story) they just picked another safari activity to do together. Even though they were scared they still were brave enough to help another animal in distress, the kitten.
Although the authors had a several wonderful underlying points in the story I was disappointed in the flow of the book. It came across a little choppy in areas; the words didn’t flow together smoothly and the girls didn’t get some of the jokes. The story at the end of the book “The Legend of Mount Sillymanborrow” didn’t seem to fit well with the story and I had to explain it to my girls. With that being said, I really enjoyed the very last page – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid… God goes with you; he will never leave you.” – Deuteronomy 3:16 The authors did provide some really good discussion questions for kids and I liked how they encouraged our girls to think of positive ways to help a friend when they are scared. Overall I think the book had some really good points and brought out some teachable moments for the kids, however, I would suggest checking the book out at the library first to make sure it is a good fit for your family prior to purchasing it.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
Groceries from CVS, Walgreens, & RiteAid It was my first week of doing my new cash budget system – Groceries $40 for 4. Although it has been a learning process the week has gone pretty well so far. Since this my first week am I still testing the water and we continue trying to utilize the food we already have in our pantry and freezer. Here is my grocery spending for the week:
- $1.61 at Walgreens for 2 cans of Mandarin Oranges and 1 can of Mushrooms
- $7.96 at RiteAid for a gallon of Milk, 2 packs of Cheese, 1 container of Sour Cream
- $3.72 at CVS for a 24 pack of Bottled Water and 2 boxes of Popcorn
Groceries from Ingles and CVS! - $1.98 at CVS for another 24 pack of Bottled Water (Jake should be set for a little bit!) & Free Mike-n-Ikes Candy!
- $10.00 at Ingles for Strawberries, Oranges, Tangerines, Onion, Seafood, and Apples.
Groceries from Aldi's - $14.06 at Aldi’s for Pineapple’s ($0.99 each), Salmon Fillets, 2 Cheese Packages, Cucumber, Bananas, Cheese sticks, and Celery.
It was our first week of the challenge – Groceries $40 for 4 and we spent $39.33 so we were very close to going over. I was disappointed to see RiteAid’s milk spike up this week, but thrilled to get the 24 packs of water for $1.98 as well as some fresh fruit and veggies on sale. I used some coupons, bought clearance items, and utilized weekly ad discounts to help save us a little extra on our grocery budget. Since it was my first week I was testing the water and hope to do better next week now that we have replenished our fruit and veggie drawers. We’ll see how I do!
I hope to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. I hope by taking the extra time to watch my grocery spending it will allow us to feed our family, enjoy life, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Family Recipe: Steamed Gyoza
My cousin Renelle gave us this recipe several years ago and it is delicious! As I was going through my recipes and menu I realized it has been awhile since we have made Gyoza in our house, I think it is time to make them again. Renelle is an amazing cook and comes up with some really creative, fun, and unique recipes. Steamed Gyoza is a Japenese Steamed Dumpling. If you like dumplings and are looking for something different yet delicious you should try this recipe! Go ahead try something a little interesting this weekend. You may discover a new recipe you love! Thanks Renelle for giving us some many amazing new recipes to enjoy!
Steamed Gyoza
- 1/2 lb ground Pork or Beef
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Water
- 3 Shitake Mushrooms, finely chopped (optional)
- 3 tablespoons Green Onion
- 4 Water Chestnuts, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Rice Wine or Sherry
- 1 package Gyoza or Wonton Skins
- 1-2 eggs well-beaten (you can just use water)
Mix all ingredients together except skins and eggs. Take one wonton skin, place about 1 T of the mixture in the middle of the skin and wrap skin around the filling. Seal the edges with the egg or with water. Place in veggie steamer so edges are not touching. Steam for 7-10 minutes. You can also fry them in a pan if desired. Serve warm with soy sauce, sweet and sour, or plum sauce.
Photo by joyosity
Vacation: Swimming with the Turtles in Barbados (Part 2, Pictures)
We had a blast spending time on the Caribbean Island of Barbados this year!
Here are a few pictures of our adventures on the island!
We made it to Barbados! Welcome to Barbados! Jake and I near the Welcome sign at Barbados, which is our last Caribbean Island before heading back to Puerto Rico! We are ready for the fun adventures today. When we stood at this sign we had no idea how many memories we could pack into one day at the beach on Barbados!
Clouds gathering on Barbados! The big puffy clouds eventually turned into gray rain clouds, but they did not damper our time at the beach. It was actually neat swimming in the ocean and hearing the pitter patter of rain drops clicking on the top of the water. Yet another adventure I had never experienced before. When you grow up in Kansas, the majority of your water experience is on lakes not at the ocean because you are so far away from any ocean beaches. Actually the first time I saw the ocean was when I got engaged to my man, Jake, in Aruba (which is another amazing place to visit).
Cute little pink and white cottage clothing store on Barbados. This is another “princess” looking cottage we took a picture of for Brina who loves anything pink and princess. She is our “girly” girl who loves princesses, babies, and animals. Although we missed them during our excursions it was nice to snag a few pictures to share with them. They loved that we thought of them during our adventures away.
Beautiful Blue Monkey beach at Barbados. The water was BEAUTIFUL at Blue Monkey beach in Barbados. It was the gorgeous turquoise blue that you could stand in and look down to the bottom of the ocean and see your feet. The dark patches under the water in the picture above is where we saw the most colorful fish snorkeling and it was in a spot we could touch. It was nice to relax, swim and look at the colorful fish swimming all around us.
Swimming and snorkeling! For Christmas Jake got me a waterproof, shock proof camera that we were able to take into the water with us to capture some of the fish to share with the girls. Here are a couple of the fish we encountered near the coral as we were swimming just off the beach at Barbados. If you look closely you can see another fish down in near the sand in the corals.
We had beautiful fish swimming all around us. This type of fish we saw several times. I am not sure of the name but it was pretty with its face turquoise blue, a couple black stripes, and a golden yellow body. We had the opportunity to see a lot of different fish but with us swimming, but the fish were moving quickly so it was hard to capture all them.
Beautiful fish off the beach of Barbados! This was probably one of my favorite ones that we seen next to the beach. It was really beautiful almost rainbow striped with vibrant colors (taking its’ picture under water doesn’t do it justice but it is the closest we could come).
Turtle swimming right below us at Barbados! I cannot express how much I enjoyed swimming with the turtles in Barbados! It was such an amazing experience to be swimming right beside a huge turtle, beautiful and peaceful at the same time. I could literally reach out and touch the turtles. Turtles really are awesome swimming and it was almost relaxing just watching them glide through the water. I hope to do this again some day!
A couple of sting rays swimming right underneath us! Two sting rays were swimming together right beneath us. Wonder if they were a family! We seen them several times always near each other swimming. I didn’t get as close to the two sting rays but it was very excited to see them swimming with us.
Hey Friend! Words cannot explain how excited I was to swim with the turtles on Barbados! Gorgeous turtle swimming right in front of us. I never thought of turtles as beautiful animals until this experience in Barbados. We were blessed to have the opportunity to enjoy so much of our wonderful creation from animals to plants and so much more during our trip. Karlie is our girl who loves sharks, rockets, planets, matchbox cars and animals. She was so excited to see this turtle and amazed that we could be swimming with them. She had two questions for us after seeing this picture – She wanted to know why we couldn’t bring it home with us to put him in our turtle tank, ha! Her second question was “Did we get to swim with any sharks?”
A sting ray scooting along the ocean floor right below us! One of the sting rays swimming below us on the ocean floor. Simply amazing!
Josh and Amber flipped their jet ski, opps! I had my first experience riding on a jet ski in Barbados as well. It was all I could do to hold on and not fall off when we were racing across the ocean so there weren’t as many pictures of us ON the jet ski’s. Shortly after we got on the jet ski’s I look over at Josh and Amber riding and see Amber hanging off the back followed by a crash and a flipped jet ski. Although difficult we managed to get the jet ski flipped back over but they had to go into shore to get another one to ride. Thankfully, we only had to do that once. It was pretty funny sight to see though!
Mom and Dad relaxing on the beach! Mom relaxing in the shade and Dad sunning himself after getting wet jet skiing. The tide was moving in during our time at the beach so Mom, Dad and Becky thankfully rescued our backpacks, shoes, water bottles and other stuff from floating out. To this day I still don’t know how we didn’t lose something with the number of times we were chasing sandals in the current and moving the canopy back.
Beautiful flowers in Barbados! Beautiful flowers to welcome and wave us goodbye on the island of Barbados. They thought the rain was refreshing and delightful as much as we did. You can still see some of the rain drops on the flowers and leaves!
We had a blast on Barbados! Swimming with the turtles, sting rays, snorkeling and jet skiing were amazing. The time flew by so quickly! It was a great day with family! We created a lot of neat memories and had the opportunity to enjoy new experiences. I highly recommend Blue Monkey beach if you ever get a chance to visit Barbados!!!
A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
A Picnic in the Park
Legacy Park in Greenville, SC Recently, I was able to meet Jake during lunch hour since I was in his area after an appointment. I packed PB&J sandwiches and goodies for our picnic in the park. We met at Legacy Park to eat our picnic lunch in the swing over looking beautiful flowers and enjoying a few minutes to catch up. After eating we took a walk together around the park. It was great spending some time with my man relaxing and talking for a little bit in the middle of the day.
If you haven’t been to Legacy Park you should check it out, it is beautiful, quiet, and family friendly. You will see kids playing on one of their two playgrounds, families having a picnic on the grass, kites flying, and people walking leisurely on the paths. It is right off Roper Mountain Road across the road from Embassy Suites.
Go ahead and take a picnic in the park with your husband or family. It is a great way to get fresh air and spend quality time together. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy. Find a location near you so you save on gas and meet even if it is over lunch. Having those extra few minutes to relax and communicate are valuable in every relationship!
Going for a walk with my man at Legacy Park. Family Celebrations: “Welcome Ranch” Birthday Party
This year did the girls birthday party celebration at Welcome Ranch. It was our first year doing their party outside of the house and after calling several locations we made the decision to do it at Welcome Ranch. Brina and Karlie’s personalities and tastes are very different (one of the many joys of having twins), however, they both LOVE animals especially horses. Jake and I booked the party and when we sat down to tell the girls they were thrilled. They were okay that we wouldn’t be decorating the house since they would be riding horses for entertainment this year. I think every day after telling them they would ask “Is it this week?” When the day finally arrived they asked every few minutes “How much longer until we can ride the horses?” Thankfully we had another activity planned with friends earlier that day so that distracted them for a couple hours. They were very excited when we were on our way to the horse ranch to celebrate. Here are a few pictures from our day at Welcome Ranch:
The sign at the entrance of Welcome Ranch said "Happy Birthday Karlie 6 & Brina 6" The girls were thrilled to see their names on the BIG sign at the entrance of Welcome Ranch! “We have never had such a BIG sign to wish us Happy Birthday!” They were pleasantly surprised and excited!
Brina and Karlie listening carefully to Ms. Lisa's instructions! Lisa did a wonderful job of getting the kids (and parents) attention while making the whole experience fun for everyone. She even got a few laughs when explaining the rules. Brina and Karlie were listening carefully so they wouldn’t miss out on anything! They picked out their ranch hats earlier that week at Wilson’s Five & Dime store on Lauren’s Road. I was surprised they wore the hats the entire time!
Karlie and Brina leading the way with Ms. Lisa to the horses! On our way to ride the horses! Karlie and Brina led everyone with Lisa to the horses. They were ready to ride!
Brina talking and riding Montana! Loving it! 
Karlie all smiles riding Chocolate their miniature horse! 
Brina having a blast at Welcome Ranch! 
Karlie riding with Daddy on Montana! Hang on tight kiddo! 
Brina LOVING her time with the horses! 
Karlie riding on Mickey! 
Brina riding like a pro on Mickey!!! 
Brina and Karlie riding together on Montana! 
Karlie riding on Chocolate! 
Mommy and Brina riding Montana! 
Karlie volunteering to ride again! Always ready for another turn on the horses! 
Brina going for another ride on Mickey! 
Brina and Karlie on top of the Firetruck!!! 
Karlie putting out the fire! 
Brina putting out the fire! 
Firetruck at Welcome Ranch 
Daddy putting out the final flames! 
One of their signs at Welcome Ranch, love it! 
Happy Birthday Brina and Karlie!!! 
Karlie and Brina taking the candles out of their cake! 
The birthday girls enjoying a slice of delicious cake - Brina and Karlie! 
The girls liked their cat - Supervisor! They thought his name was very funny! 
Karlie had so much fun she crashed in the van on the ride home, too funny! 
Brina playing with her toys on the way home, love the crazy hat hair! 
Skipper joining in the birthday fun by wearing Karlie's hat! The girls had a wonderful birthday party at Welcome Ranch! Lisa, her Mom, and the crew did an amazing job. The kids loved riding the horses petting the animals (goats, donkey, dogs, cats, etc…) eating pizza, drinking ice tea, koolaide, a delicious cake and enjoying time with their family and friends. Thanks to Welcome Ranch for making their birthday extra special and memorable. We had a lot of fun celebrating with everyone that came to their party.
Happy 6th Birthday Brina and Karlie!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of March 9 – 15, 2011
The Save A Lot deals are continued from last week so if you haven’t had an opportunity to stock up on these items you have another week to do it. Here are this weeks deals at Save A Lot. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Pork Picnic Roast – $0.99 lb
Frozen Boneless Chicken Breast – $1.49 per lb
Ground Beef (73% lean) – $1.99 per lb
Schooner Fish Fillets (2 lbs) – $4.99
Port Side Battered or Breaded Fish Fillets – $2.99
Port Side Cooked Shrimp – $3.99
Port Side Popcorn Shrimp – $2.17
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Banquet Fruit or Pot Pies – $0.50
Totino’s Party Pizzas – $1.19
Use $1/5 coupon from insert 2/13 General Mills (Expires 5/7/11)
Use $0.50/3 coupon from insert 2/13 General Mills (Expires 5/7/11)
Use $1.25/4 coupon from insert 1/30 Smart Source (Expires 4/23/11)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 1/23 Red Plum (Expires 4/16/11)
As low as $0.69 each after coupon
Michelina Pizza Rolls – $1.99
Coburn Farms Shredded Cheese – $2.59
Haas Cheesecake – $3.49
Household
Trend Laundry Detergent – $1.88
Triumph Big Roll Papers Towels – $1.29
Solutions Glass Cleaner – $0.99
Glo Classic Dish Liquid – $0.99
Angel Soft Bath Tissue – $2.49
Produce
Idaho Potatoes (10 lbs) – $2.49
Navel Oranges (3 lbs) – $1.49
Whole Watermelons (select locations) – $3.99 each
Grocery
Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail Juice – $.188
General Mills Cereal (24 to 25.2 oz) – $2.49
Use $1/3 coupon from insert 2/13 General Mills (Expires 3/26/11)
$2.16 each after coupon
Prego Spaghetti Sauce (24 oz) $1.50
Use $0.35/2 coupon from insert 1/2 Smart Source (Expires 3/31/11)
Use $0.60/3 coupon from insert 1/2 Smart Source (Expires 3/31/11)
As low as $1.20 each after coupon
So Cheezy Shells & Cheddar or Deluxe Mac & Cheese – $1.00
Del Pino’s Beef or Mini Beef Ravioli – $1.50
Portmann’s Tartar Sauce – $1.39
Portmann’s Seafood Cocktail Sauce – $1.29
J Higg’s Potato Chips – $0.99
Save-A-Lot Soda – $0.69
Crystal Drinking Water (24 package) – $2.49
Kaskey’s Onion Soup Mix – $0.79
Portmann’s Real Mayonnaise – $1.99
Panner Peanut Butter – $1.47
Bramler’s Grape Jelly – $1.49
J Higg’s Saltine Crackers – $0.89
Kaskey’s Chunky Soup – $1.49
Mantia’s Spaghetti – $0.79
Mantia’s Grated Parmesan Cheese – $2.49
Crisco Vegetable or Canola Oil – $2.49
Green Giant Vegetables – $0.59
T.G.I. Friday’s Cheddar Bacon Potato Skins – $0.99
Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding – $0.99
Bakery
Country Treats Donut Holes – $2.29
JJ’s Chocolate Pie – $0.44
Bakery Fresh Cherry or Apple Pie – $2.99
Theodoro Mini Bagels – $1.49
Lofthouse Pink Frosted Sugar Cookies – $2.49
Guiseppe’s Garlic Bread – $1.79
Baby
Tickles Diapers – $5.99
Pet
Trooper Dog Food – $5.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Vacation: Swimming with the Turtles in Barbados
Swimming with the turtles was an incredible experience! This guy was so close several times I could have reached out and touched him! On our sixth day of the cruise we had the opportunity to visit Bridgetown, Barbados. Today was one of my favorites because we were able to relax together as a family and we were able to experience some amazing new adventures for the first time. Like many of the other Caribbean Islands we had visited on our trip Barbados was a plantation culture, cultivating primarily tobacco, cotton, and sugar cane. The English settled Barbados after the Arawaks were gone with the primary agriculture crop being sugar cane. They built an amazing defense system of 26 forts along the coast of Barbados. Barbados gained their independence from Britian in 1966, however, the British influence remains evident. There are a lot of great activities to enjoy while on the island of Barbados from touring the wildlife reserve to seeing the home of the Green Monkey to snorkeling with turtles, sting rays and more in one of the great locations around the island to shopping or relaxing at the beach. Barbados had beautiful turquoise blue Caribbean Island water that you could look down and see to the bottom of the ocean floor. It was a great place to swim, snorkel, and see all kinds of neat sea life.
We had a more relaxing day planned in Barbados. It was our day to spend at the beach swimming, jet skiing, snorkeling, relaxing, and more. I didn’t learn as much history about Barbados since we basically took at taxi ride from the boat to Blue Monkey beach (which is not on the tourist map if you go to Barbados but I highly recommend the beach). Jake, Amber and I swam out a little further from the swimming area and had the opportunity to swim with turtles, sting rays and a variety of other fish. It was such a neat experience looking down or beside you and seeing a turtle or sting ray swimming right next to you. There were several times I could have reached out and touched the turtle. I am thankful for the water camera we had (thanks honey) with us so we could share these pictures with Brina and Karlie. We have had fresh water turtles at home before but to swim with one in the ocean was a memory that I will never forget. I do have to admit the swim out to see the turtles, sting rays and fish was easier then the swim back to the beach. If you decide to go to Blue Monkey Beach and swim out a little further to snorkel on your own I recommend you take at least one or two other people for additional fun and to have someone to swim with you.
It was nice spending time swimming and relaxing at the beach for several hours. Another activity we did while were were at the beach was ride on jet ski’s. We had three jet ski’s with Lee and Becky, Josh and Amber, and Dad and I riding on a jet ski. After being out for only a few minutes we looked over to see Amber hanging off the jet ski quickly followed by her and Josh crashing, it was an interesting to watch. We found out that flipping a jet ski in the ocean was not a simple task, but we managed to get it back upright. It took us a little bit to figure out how to steer with the waves and not crash but by the end I think everyone had a better handle on it. I think Lee and Becky were the only ones that didn’t crash their jet ski. Dad and I felt the jet ski tipping over one time and bailed off so we didn’t have to flip it back over in the water. We had fun racing each other. You can get the jet ski’s going pretty quick. Bouncing off the waves, feeling the wind in your hair, and the spray of the water hitting your face was a lot of fun. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed speeding across the ocean on a jet ski. Having an opportunity to experience the adventure with family made it even more memorable.
If you ever have a chance to go to Barbados check out Blue Monkey Beach and what it has to offer. The jet ski’s were a little more expensive but we only had to paid $5 to rent a snorkel mask to swim out to the turtles and sting rays. Here are a few facts about the beautiful island of Barbados:
- Capital: Bridgetown
- Population: 254,000
- Climate: Temperature 75F to 90F year round, typically 8+ hours of sunshine a day
- Geography: Caribbean Island – 21 miles x 14 miles. Barbados on the West & South have the calm Caribbean sea and beaches. On the East is rugged cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean
- Language: English (with a broad dialect)
- Currency: Barbados Dollar (US $1 = BDS $2)
- Time: GMT (no daylight savings time in Barbados)
A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Fact information received from Barbados.org
