Notice anything different around here? I did a redesign — and I designed it all myself! Whaaat?! Yep! I’m a little giddy. I’ve been blogging around here since the summer of 2006, and while I’ve updated my design a couple of times (by finding a new, free template online), I’ve been saying “someday I’ll design my own WordPress theme” for more than a few years now. So the idea of designing my own template has always been intriguing to me, but I didn’t really start thinking about how I was going to go about accomplishing this lofty goal until I Read more…

Oh, contain yourself! My garden plan for this year consists of three 4×4′ raised bed containers, which means I needed to build two more boxes. Here’s my simple “how to” for building raised garden beds. Supply List (for each 4×4′ box) 2×6 boards* – 40 feet total (if you have to load them in your car you’ll want five 8-foot pieces, or you could cut them in the store) 4×4 post* – 6 or 8 feet long 48 3-inch or 3.5-inch nails (or screws) * Most people recommend using cedar or redwood but I happened to have a bunch of Read more…

Packing light is one of the top questions I get about my RTW career break.  We all know that person who drags a mammoth rolling suitcase on vacation and many of us have encountered the smelly guy who brags about only carrying a daypack.  I like to think that there’s a happy medium that anyone can accomplish. Packing Tips: Backpack size is important. People often comment on how small my pack is (Marmot Diva 35 2,100 cu in and a $70 backpack to boot!), but they forget that I’m 5′ 3″ and 125 pounds.  If you’re small, your pack should Read more…

It’s been over a year since I quit my job to travel.  Now that I’ve been back on the job hunt for a month, I’ve assembled a list of ways to streamline your job search. Set up RSS feeds. Just because you’re unemployed doesn’t mean that you want to spend hours every day combing through the same websites.  First, create a list of sites that you frequent for your job search.  Then, using iGoogle (personalized home) or Netvibes, create an extra tab and start adding RSS feeds and/or bookmarks (if RSS isn’t available).  I use Craigslist.org, Indeed.com, Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, and Read more…

How To Use Your Laptop as a Media Center has moved to the Frugal Bon Vivant. It includes: What you need to set up your own laptop media center step-by-step how to guide where to find movies and TV shows online Enjoy! How To Use Your Laptop as a Media Center PC