*This is a collaborative post. 

When you start to travel the world and see what the world has to offer you, you may find yourself diving down the rabbit hole of opportunities. This is awesome - explore! But also don't forget that when you go away on vacation, it's time to unwind. Some people come back from holiday and feel more stressed than before they left. The point of a vacation is to relax and refresh yourself and create new happy memories. But it's super hard to do this if you're in a stressful frame of mind. Sometimes, we go away from our stressful job, then spend our entire vacation worrying about it. So make your vacation a relaxing experience by trying some of these strategies.



Make a Relaxing Schedule

*This is a collaborative post. I received a gift in exchange for this post, but all opinions are entirely my own.

I love giving gifts, whether it’s for a specific holiday or just because. And I take a lot of pride into giving incredibly thoughtful gifts. And one place I love to look at when gift-shopping is JORD. You’ve probably seen me on here talking about their ​wood watches​ but they actually have lots of other unique gift ideas too - anything from hats to a collector’s limited edition timepiece - something for everyone!


Some perks of shopping with JORD for gifts:

A wide variety of accessories featuring natural materials & lots of gifts under $150

Limited editions and new styles available regularly

Handbag monogramming

Custom cedar watch box & back plate engraving available

Free worldwide shipping

15+ customizable gift sets available for men & women

Generous warranties

Professional watch sizing available



Some unique gifts I’ve had my eye on for this year:

Ethical Handbag Collection for Her​: ​JORD’s newest line of accessories is a collection of ​luxury handbags​!​ ​They come in lots of colors and styles (crossbody, backpack, clutch). The cool thing is that the​ ​purses are made ethically​ of JORD’s own type of vegan “leather.” Its created from cork, so it’s such a fun and unique look. But don’t worry - the material is nothing like your wine cork : ) It is soft and super durable! I’m particularly fond of the backpack. 

The Harper Limited Edition Gift Set​: This watch series has beautiful marble and stone faces with interchangeable wood and padded leather watch bands​. The cool thing is that each watch is unique because the pattern and color on the face is unique. The face itself has a modern retro feel and can be personalized with your choice of bands.

*This is a collaborative post. 

It feels like there hasn’t been much time in the past year to really spend quality time with our loved ones unless they lived in the same household. But hopefully with the vaccine and a new administration, the world will reopen safely by the end of 2021. So maybe it's time to start considering a safe travel experience with the family members you've been missing. It’ll be truly special to visit somewhere new no matter who you’re with. But when you’re surrounded by your loved ones? It’ll be even better. Let's look at some useful tips for planning that trip and all-around having a great time.




Plenty of Notice

People’s schedules can be pretty busy. Trying to organize everyone can be a challenge! As such, it’s best to give as much notice as possible to ensure everyone will be able to attend. Plus, it’s so much more fun having something to look forward to, isn’t it? Especially after this past year. How much notice you give will depend on various factors, but generally, at least three months is a good idea. Also, it’s best to have a few different date options - the one that most people can attend will be the date. 

*This is a collaborative post. 

Accidents and incidents happen all the time - they can’t be helped and we never know how they will happen or how bad they will be. It could be something minor where you are out of work for a week. On the other hand it could be something more severe where you are out of work for a few months. When things like this happen we can feel lost and let other things get on top of us. But there are ways you can protect yourself and your home in difficult times.


There are a few things you can do in day-to-day life to prepare for unexpected hard times. The main one is to have a little nest egg to be able to fall back on if you need extra finances at a moment's notice. While this can be really difficult for many people based on their income and the lack of having additional finances after paying for necessities. If saving money is a possibility for someone, saving can be made simple by putting a small contribution of money into a separate account that can be built up. Many credit unions or savings accounts even add interest to what's deposited, which can even increase the savings being stored. These times of savings can be helpful if emergency cash is needed. They say saving three months of pay is ideal in case of emergency, but honestly any little bit can help if three months seems impossible and unrealistic.


An accident at work or on the road can be a scary and overwhelming thing. And if it isn’t your fault, it can seem even more frustrating since you can’t control what happened but have to deal with the consequences. If it was on the road you may want to reach out to a truck accident lawyer as they can give legal advice on what can be done and how to look into getting compensation if it is due.


Another way to make life a little easier during a difficult time, especially for someone out of work and at home recovering, is by reviewing all the bills and outgoings. Changing companies or tariffs can possible make them cheaper. There are a bunch of different ways to reduce bills and outgoings, so it should be a top priority for anyone trying to save up for possible hard times.

 

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book by an author who has written more than 20 books

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book you picked because the title caught your attention, A book with a three-word title



I’ve heard so much fanfare for the dynamic duo of Christina Lauren (which is actually two authors who write stories as one - so cool! I just found out recently). But their first book I ever stopped and picked up is In a Holidaze. I was first sold by the cute cover on NetGalley, and then declined a review copy. But lo and behold, the book made its way to Book of the Month, and I snatched it up for my BOTM pick that month.



Mae just found out that her favorite place in the world is leaving her life. For her entire life, her family and two other families they're close with have spent the holidays at this wonderful family cabin in the mountains. But that's all going away. And it's the only thing that really brings Mae joy. She leaves the cabin distraught and asking the universe for happiness. Then she and her family get in a car crash, and she wakes up... back on the airplane on the way to the cabin again. There she starts living over the same few days over and over again. What will make this time loop stop? And what will bring Mae the happiness she so hopes for?



What I didn’t realize (because I’m notorious for not reading synopses before reading books) is that this story is a Groundhog Day-esque tale set during Christmas. HELLO! That description absolutely would’ve have sold me if the cover hadn’t. I love a story of a repeated day/time sequence that only ends when the MC finally changes their ways and makes the “right” choice. It’s so fun to me to see how their actions and the impact of those actions change each time they live the same day over and over. There’s really just something about considering the consequences of your actions and how what you do and say can really change people’s lives, for better or worse. I read the whole book in a matter of hours. I was immediately sucked in and fell in love with the story. This one was a bit unique, because Mae isn’t stuck in a one-day time loop. Every time her loop starts over, she goes back almost a week, to the start of her family’s annual holiday trip.






In a Holidaze is laugh-out-loud funny, a bit of a tearjerker, a whole lot of romantic, and just the right amount of steamy to bring a blush to your cheeks. I absolutely loved this book, and will definitely be reading more books from this dynamic duo.




Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆