• Travel & Vacation: Noisy Oyster Seafood Restaurant (Charleston, SC)

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    Noisy Oyster Restaurant

    When we are traveling to various places we enjoy trying out a couple of the local restaurants.  We’ve been to Charleston several times and have found some ones that we really like.  Since Charleston is so close to the Atlantic Ocean we like to try different seafood places occasionally when we are in the area.  Our family has eaten at both of the Noisy Oyster locations, one in North Charleston and the other one in Downtown Charleston.

    Both Noisy Oyster restaurants have great food and a unique atmosphere that is fun for the whole family.  The one in Downtown Charleston is right along Market St and it has open windows so you can enjoy your dinner while watching the various activities going on downtown.  It is pretty common to see horse drawn carriages or pedicabs (or bike taxi) during your meal.  After you eat you can take a stroll through the Charleston’s City Market or browse through one of the many neat shops nearby to find a unique souvenir.

    The Noisy Oyster in North Charleston has a different setting, but still great food.  It is in a little quieter part of town and doesn’t have the open windows.  It looks more like a traditional seafood restaurant.  If you want to relax or stretch your legs after dinner you can go to Barnes & Noble or the local mall nearby.

    If you are looking for a good family restaurant that serves seafood in the Charleston area you should check out Noisy Oyster.  We have always enjoyed the food and atmosphere.    Sometimes its fun to try something new when you are on vacation!

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  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.  Explore with a good attitude, look 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!

  • DIY: Magnet Souvenir Board

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    Souvenir Board for all our Travel Magnets!

    Our family loves to travel and explore new places!  If we could we would go on more adventures, but time and other priorities take first place for a good chunk of the year.  We are thankful for all the neat trips we’ve been able to take and for opportunities to visit with family and friends.  A few years ago we decided (the idea stimulated from my cool sister-in-law Becky who already had a fridge full of magnets) to start collecting magnets when we visited a new place.  Before that we would random souvenirs such as a picture frame, cup, magnet, or something else.

    We wanted to start consistently collecting something that was relatively small, easily transported, not too expensive, and could be found at the majority of places we visited.  So we decided on the “magnet” because it was something we could find almost everywhere, they don’t take up that much extra space in our luggage, they are usually a good price, and didn’t cause too much clutter once we got home.  As we continued to travel we noticed our fridge began filling up with the neat magnets we had accumulated.   It was fun looking at the magnets and reminiscing about the adventures we had on the various trips.

    A couple months ago our fridge died.  After several weeks of research we finally decided on a new fridge and got it installed.  The problem was I didn’t really want the magnets back on the fridge for several reasons – the magnets tend to scratch the fridge (which wasn’t a big deal for our really old fridge), the magnets tend to get bumped or fall off (causing them to break), and the fridge was starting to get a cluttered look.  So after a few weeks of deliberation my husband made this amazing magnetic souvenir board for me.

    I LOVE the magnetic souvenir board my husband made for our family!   We got the picture frame at Hobby Lobby when it was on clearance, he picked up a sheet of steel at our local Lowe’s store, and it assembled in no time at all!  Now it is hanging in our dining room with our travel souvenir magnets.

    Magnetic Souvenir Board

    Magnet Souvenir Board Directions:

    • Picture Frame 24 x 36 (or whatever size you want)
    • Sheet of Steel 24 x 36
    • Souvenir Magnets

    We picked out a picture frame that specifically fit our sheet of steel so we didn’t have to do any cutting or trimming on the steel.  Please be wear gloves and be careful when handling the steel as it has sharp edges.  If there is any glass in your picture frame remove it (hint – it is usually less expensive to purchase the frame without glass plus you don’t have to figure out what to do with the extra sheet of glass once it’s removed).  Place the sheet of steel into the picture frame.  The metal will be a little heavier and when you add the magnets the frame can get pretty heavy so depending on your frame you may want to add a hook that will be able to hold the weight evenly.  Add your magnets!  Hang it up and ENJOY!

    Magnetic Souvenir Board

    Every magnet tells a story and holds precious memories for our family.

    You can make one for your family as well.  This can be a reasonably priced project especially if you use coupons or shop a sale, it’s easy to put together, and looks great.  You can get whatever frame will look the best for your home decor!  Feel free to share a picture of your Magnet Souvenir Board with us!  Happy traveling!