Good morning to you!
How is your week going so far?
I am feeling a little frazzled, but the frazzled feelings can be attributed to our vacation to Ireland and London at the end of the week, so I’ll take ‘em! Since this vacation came to fruition rather quickly, I am scrambling to tie up some loose ends related to my freelance work and want to put together a few blog posts to keep PBF alive and well while I’m away. (I hope to be able to pop in and blog from time to time, but that is not going to be my priority.)
I’ve also been pouring a lot of time into vacation planning. Your recommendations are, once again, proving invaluable! I think I have a basic itinerary assembled for our time in Ireland and am very grateful for your advice and lots of help from Ireland travel books I checked out from the library.
Breakfast
Yesterday was a rest day from the gym and today I’m hoping to make it out for a lunchtime workout. I know next week likely won’t include too many workouts, so I’d like to sneak in some strength training!
Breakfast this morning came together in a flash thanks to prep work last night.
More peanut butter oatmeal cookie dough overnight oats. I’m addicted, I’m tellin’ ya!
It was a filling and delicious breakfast!
***
Before signing off, quite a few of you asked me about the blue dress I wore to dinner in St. Augustine on Saturday night.
I just updated the Fashion page with all the details (and links to the exact dress in other colors), but I bought it at A Cut Above Boutique in Ocala. My friend Brittney owns the shop and everything is under $50!
Question of the Morning
- When it comes to vacationing, are you more of a go-with-the-flow traveler or do you prefer to have a set plan?
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I have never been to Ireland. However I have been to London and one of my favorite things was the double decker bus tour. You can ride it all over the city, get off when you want to and then get back on too. Definitely a good way to see all the landmarks!
I am a psychotic planner. I think it has to do with the fact that I feel I will miss out if I don’t have a set plan. I actually just got back from a vacation in New York with six girls. Needless to say, there was quite a bit of difference of opinion on what we should do with our time there. Having a general plan made it easier to make sure everyone was happy.
That said, I think it would be fun to have a “go with the flow” trip at some point 🙂
Those oats looks delicious! I am so jealous that you are going to Ireland!
Can’t wait to scope out the fashion page for all the details about the dress – love it! When it comes to vacays, my husband and I love to have everything planned out. For us, half the fun is all the planning leading up to the vacation. Hope you have a great trip! 😀
I am more of a go with the flow with a teeny bit of planning. When my mom and I went to Paris, we planned one thing we were going to do each day, and that was our main focus. For instance, the Eiffel Tower – we took our time walking there, stopped for lunch and wine, browsed around the local shops along the way, and rested on a park bench people watching before arriving at our final desination. Then we took our time and walked all around the Eiffel Tower and the gardens that surrounded it, before taking a cab back to our hotel to get ready for dinner. But we saw some of the most beautiful sights without even planning it!
When I travel to new places, I like to have a list of places that I want to hit, but I never really plan out each day. Sometimes it’s fun to stumble into things, and let the plans make themselves!
Oh man, do I wish I WAS a planner in general! But I’m pretty much go with the flow with almost everything, especially when it comes to traveling or being away somewhere! My husband is slightly on the opposite side without being extreme, so it really helps because it all balances out! 😀
I’m so type-a! I definitely need to have a plan! I don’t want to miss out on anything. I always plan an itinerary but I leave “free space” for spur of the moment plans 🙂
I am a PLANNER! That’s one thing I get from my mother. However, certain vacations are meant for relaxing and in those cases I won’t plan every second of my day aside from whether to spend it on the beach or by the pool 🙂
Ireland is gorgeous! If you can, get to the Dingle peninsula, the south-west part of Ireland. It was one of my favourite stops. Also, don’t know if you are renting a car, but I highly recommend it. You can get to places that tour buses can’t get to so are less touristy. My friends and I had so much fun just driving around aimlessly and discovering beaches, stone circles, churches, etc which we couldn’t have done without our own vehicle.
In London, a lot of the museums are free and are home to some amazing artifacts (Rosetta Stone, for example). Also, if you like theatre and Shakespeare, go to the Globe theatre to see a play there but pay for a seat! Standing for hours does not make for a comfortable theatre experience.
Hi Julie – I hope you have a great time in Ireland. I’m from Northern Ireland and just wanted to warn you about the weather. It has been unusually cold here lately considering it is supposed to be spring. I woke up this morning and it was snowing. Just wanted to let you know in case you haven’t had a chance to check the weather reports – you will definately still need a winter coat unfortunately. Anyway have a safe trip – hopefully you will get a chance to visit Northern Ireland, the North Antrim Coast is a must see in my opinion. Also if you do happen to visit, the harbour bistro in Portrush is a favourite in my family.
I like having some sort of plan to make sure I don’t miss out on the hotspots but it’s nice to have a few days unplanned if time allows for them! 🙂 Mailed you about the trip a little while ago!
I can totally relate to a frazzled feeling about vacation planning. My fiance and I are heading to Italy for our honeymoon in July and as much as I LOVE planning (especially vacations) with work, blogging, teaching fitness classes, and everything else I have just not had anytime to really think about our upcoming vacation. Your trip to Ireland and London sounds amazing, and I can’t wait to see what you do! 🙂
OHHH maybe if we move I can come and go shop with you! 🙂 that would make me supremely happy, I love that dress!
So excited for your trip!
I love having a few set activities, but then also plenty if time to relax, explore and do whatever!
Hey! I’ve never posted here before but I have to say I LOVE your blog! 🙂 Since you are going to Ireland I must give you some advice as that’s where I live. I’m from Galway in the west, which (not being biased) is one of the highlights – the city is really cute with loads to do and see. You should check out the theatre – The Town Hall – which has some great shows (the company Druid is Galway-based so look out for them) and pick up a Cladagh ring, one of our traditions! Connemara, about an hour from the center, is unbelieveable, where “the quiet man” was film amongst other things! If you get a chance the Aran Islands are also worth a visit, just off the coast of Galway. Apart from that, Dublin and the Ring of Kerry is a must-see and Cork is a great city too 🙂 I hope you get the weather though – Ireland is notoriously rainy I’m sure you know! 🙂
I think that’s going to be my breakfast tomorrow- looks so good!
I still need to try that breakfast! ….I know what I’m eating tomorrow!
I 100% prefer to have a set plan, but my husband is a go-with-the-flow kind of person, so we inevitably end up with a mix of the two, which ultimately works out for the best 🙂 I end up experiencing things I wouldn’t have previously “allotted for” in my planning and he ends up avoiding potentially crappy mishaps because of my foresight and planning 🙂
Good luck!
I am heading to Ireland and Great Britain next week! I am looking forward to it so much! When in London be sure to see St. Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, and ride the London Eye! Some cool museums include the Imperial War Museum and Churchills bunker from WWII. Have fun!
It totally depends on where I’m traveling. Some places that have a TON of things that are “must-sees” I tend to try and see them all and then feel run-down afterwards. But if it’s a beach type trip, it’s much easier for me to sit back and relax. Have a great time on your trips!
I am obsessed with the PB overnight oats! I don’t care for the original version, but this one was awesome!! When I’m on vacation, if its a “once and a lifetime trip” (i.e. Europe, Japan…) I like to have most stuff planned to make sure I see and do everything, but wiggle room for other things that strike my fancy. If its a trip that I can take again (FL, CA, Mexico) then I leave it pretty open.
-AJ
FitTravelerAJ.blogspot.com
I’m usually not an overnight oats girl, but I’ve got to say that I took a look at that recipe and its sitting in my fridge as we speak! Fingers crossed 😛 When we were kids, I always thought my family took vacations really well – we tried to alternate days of having planned activities (parks, museums, downtown areas, etc.) with days of just hanging out in the hotel/at the beach/wherever we are – its a great mix of relaxing with still feeling like you got a ton out of a vacation.
It depends on the location. If I’ve been there before I can go with the flow. A first visit would definitely include a mapped out agenda.