weekend festivities {nashville edition}

This weekend involved a quick road trip down to Nashville, TN to see my very best friend since 3rd grade... 

She and I go wayyyyy back... from barbies to cheerleading tryouts... from high school choir to college road trips... we've been through thick and thin and I was deliriously excited to see her.

But let's be honest... the real reason I traveled to Nashville was to see this little guy.  Jack.  Aka, the cutest little dude I've ever seen.  Those blue eyes will simply steal your heart.  The last time I visited Nashville was for Christi's baby shower... so it was high time for me to finally meet little Jack.  I was sure to give him plenty of Auntie Julia kisses:)

Christi and I also made sure to get some grown-up time on the weekend agenda too... nothing says grown-up time like brunch and bloody mary's, no?  It was my first time eating at Mack & Kate's in Franklin, TN and I'm a major fan.

We also headed out to a fun little event, Red, White & Brew... hosted by the Community Foundation of Nashville.  I'm always game for a "battle of the food trucks" event... seriously... brilliant.

Saturday night was spent by ordering pizza and watching Pitch Perfect (aka, probably my absolute favorite movie right now)... Christi hadn't seen it yet, which I deemed a major travesty.

But no doubt, this little man stole the show this weekend.  Ridiculously cute.  Can hardly handle it.

What about you?  What did you do this weekend??

how to: plan the perfect road trip

Today's post is perfect for any of those summer vacations you have coming up.  Kimberly, over from It Began at Camp 4, is a road trip expert... and today she is sharing all of her awesome travel tips with us! Thankfully I was able to cheat and read Kimberly's post before we made the 10 hour drive to the beach... trust me, I took notes.

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I'm so excited to be guest posting here at Black Tag Diaries today!  I decided to write about road trips because I love a good road trip.  Our family has traveled over 18,000 miles by car in the last 3 years.  All of it with small children and most of it in chunks of 1,000 miles or more.  We've been everywhere from Seattle to Orlando and covered 19 states.  I like to think we've learned a few things about what works and what doesn't along the way. Rule number 1, is to start with a positive mindset.  Remember: it's a road TRIP.  The TRIP is the vacation.  If you have only point A and point B with 3,000 miles of nothing in between, you'll be whining, "are we there yet?!?" before you've even left town.  Think about ways you can get the most out of the drive. Rule number 2: children and road trips are not mutually exclusive.  Our first long distance road trip happened when our kids were four and two.  We traveled more than 3,000 miles over a 3 week time period.  We all loved it.  The rules are slightly different with small kids, but it is doable. Of course challenges come up though, so here are some tips based on things we've learned along the way:


Planning

• As I said, enjoy the trip.  Use google to your advantage and find things to do along the way.  It could be something more involved, like stopping at a certain museum, or something as simple as taking an hour to picnic or play at a neat park or playground.  
• When traveling with children (or big people with the restlessness of children), respect their limits.  We try to stick to about 6 hours of car time a day if we can.  When we drive longer, the kids are less cooperative.  Use the extra hours in the day to swim at the hotel, spend some time at a playground, or check out some local sights. 
• Go with the flow.  You don't have to plan out your entire route before you leave home.  On multi-day trips, we often have an ending point and vague idea of where we'll travel.  Each  night, we'll look at the map and do a little research on the towns along the way.  Then we decide which specific route to drive based on how we're feeling and what sights seem interesting on that day.  This makes it possible to check out those travel pamphlets in the hotel lobby and discover things you never knew existed when you left home.  Many of our favorite stops have been parks or attractions we discovered by chance along the way. 
• But be aware too.  Keep an eye on the news as you travel.  Things like hurricanes or large storm systems might make a change of route prudent.  You might want to do a quick search for large festivals, as well....says the mom of 3 who ended up traveling through South Dakota during Sturgis. 

Snacks

• As much as space will allow, bring snacks with you.  You can buy them while they're on sale and avoid gas station prices.  I surely can't be the only woman that gets more than a little snippy when I'm hungry.  That steady stream of snacks comes in handy.  We keep the full supply of food in the back of the car and keep a small soft-sided cooler and a square bottomed bag up front with a variety of food to eat as we drive. 
• Some specific foods that work well in the car with minimal mess: applesauce pouches, fruit snacks (we like the Clif Kid ropes and they work great for bribing the kids), Pringles because they don't get crushed, bagels because they're only minimally susceptible to crushing, boxes of raisins, M&Ms for a chocolate fix without the melty mess, juice boxes, canned drinks.  We'll also bring along a gallon of water to easily refill the kids' sippy cups.  I like the shape and sturdiness of the Ozarka bottles for packing, but I often refill them with tap water along the way. 

Activities

• If you have a portable DVD player, it can be nice to pass the time watching a few movies.  We usually pack a few from home in a small carrying case, but Redbox rentals can be really nice too.  The great thing about Redbox is they are all over the place and you can return the movie in a different location from where you rented it.  We've rented at a Walgreens in Montana and returned at a WalMart in Washington.  It's a very convenient way to reward good behavior or get an hour or two of peace and quiet.  
• If you don't get carsick, those miles on the road can be a fabulous time to catch up on some reading.  I know several couples who read to each other on road trips and then talk about the book.  If reading is a problem, check out books on CD.  You may be able to borrow these from your local library.  We've found several young adult books that were appropriate for the kids, but still entertaining for the adults.  My personal opinion is that audio books that are read by the author are often more enjoyable to listen to because the reader/author accurately gives the intended inflection to the words.  
• Let children pack a small bag of activities to keep with them in the car.  Crayons are off limits because they will melt in the heat, but colored pencils work well along with a small spiral notebook.  Other favorites are hand held video games, stuffed animals and toy cars.  Anything our girls want to keep next to them in the car needs to fit in the bag.  Honestly though, they end up making toys of out the strangest things.  From creating a "plane" out of clothes pins they found, to pretending their feet are telephones.

Car Organization

• It's helpful to have a trash bag available at all times. Dump or toss the bag at every gas stop.  Some people like to attach a bag to the back of a seat, but I prefer using paper bags I've saved from fast food stops.  The flat bottom keeps it upright, and in our van it will easily sit between the two front seats.  You could also use a Rubbermaid cereal container lined with a plastic bag.  The sturdiness will keep it from get crushed under foot and the lid will keep the trash contained. 
• An inverter can be extremely helpful.  This device plugs into the car's cigarette lighter and gives you regular outlets to attach plugs to.  This allows you to travel with the regular chargers for your electronic devices rather than trying to keep up with both regular and car chargers. 
• Thoroughly clean the car before you leave.  If you have kids, remove their car seats and clean underneath them.  It's difficult to have a good attitude about a trip if you start out dealing with clutter and mess.  Once you're on the road, clear all of the trash out of the car at least once a day. 

Packing

• If you're traveling for a long time with frequent stops, consider packing 2 or 3 days' worth of supplies for the entire family in one large suitcase.  The rest of your supplies can be packed into Rubbermaid or Stearlite containers.  These containers often stack more neatly and efficiently in the back of the car than a bunch of differently shaped suitcases.  When you arrive at a hotel, bringing in one suitcase is much easier than unloading an entire car.  Just don't leave valuables in the car.
• Minimize the clothes you bring and plan to do laundry.  If you are staying at mid-range hotels, self-serve laundry facilities are often available.  I like to travel with the Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets.  They are detergent and softener in one on a dryer sheet type material.  It's easy to throw a pack of these sheets and a roll of quarters in a ziploc and be ready for the laundry room.
• Plan for illness.  Especially with kids, it can be miserable to search out a pharmacy in an unfamiliar city in the middle of the night.  We keep a shoebox size Stearlite container in our suitcase with a thermometer, antibiotic ointment, band-aids, and any medications we frequently use.  

Save Money

• A road trip is a road trip.  It's not going to be cheap.  It can be a lot cheaper than you'd think though and the biggest place you can cut back is on food.  As I said, bring snacks and drinks with you.  Pack shelf stable lunch supplies (peanut butter is our favorite).  Stay at hotels that offer a free hot breakfast and take full advantage of it.
• When you do stop for meals, don't over buy.  If you are eating fast food, it will be cheaper to just buy the main "dish" and then utilize the chips and drinks you brought with you.  Remember that restaurant portions are usually too large for one person to eat.  We will often buy two adult meals to split between two adults and two kids.  This saves us money, none of the food goes to waste, and we often have room leftover in our stomachs and our budget to get a dessert for everyone to share.
• If there is a particular hotel you like, join their loyalty program.  Our favorite is Country Inn and Suites.  We rarely pay full price for a room there because we utilize their loyalty program, Club Carlson.  We also haggle for our rooms.  If we reserve a room ahead of time, we ask if we can upgrade to a suite when we arrive.  Sometimes the answer is, "yes", sometimes it's, "no", sometimes it's, "yes, but it will cost $10".  It never hurts to ask though. 
• Because we homeschool, we often travel during the school year, when it's less crowded and more sales are available.  Many times we won't reserve hotel rooms for these trips, we just walk up to the desk and ask if there's an opening.   A hotel does not want to leave rooms empty and if they know you can easily find another room in town, they will often negotiate on price.  Don't be afraid to ask if they can do better than their initial price quote.  We have saved big bucks this way, but we've also been burned.  Keep the national directory of your favorite 2 hotel chains in the car and if you're going to be arriving late or everyone's nerves are already shot, call ahead and be sure a room is available so you don't waste time looking for one.
• If you enjoy outdoor activities, a National Parks Pass can be a big money saver.  We love collecting the National Parks Passport Stamps and an annual pass to get into the parks has saved us a lot of money on entry fees.  If you stay closer to home, a State Parks Pass may be a worthwhile investment. 

You can visit the travel section of my blog to see a map of where we've been and read blog posts about any stops that look interesting to you.  Then grab the keys and take a trip!

julia & lance :: 2012 tour dates

It's time to step it into high gear people...  May marks the beginning of the Lance-and-Julia-whirlwind-travel-spree.  And it does't seem to let up much until the fall.  But it appears that this is just what we do.  Go.  Go.Go.Go.  Lance has some amazing international trips booked, while I am a bit more domestic in my travels this year.  But none-the-less... we are traveling... a lot.

Coming soon to a city near you...

atlanta, ga

{julia :: work, work, work}

april 30 - may 4

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habersham, ga

{julia & lance :: visit friends & family... and a little bit of fishing}

may 5 - may 6

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kathmandu & pokhara, nepal

{lance :: mission trip with group from seminary}

may 19 - june 3

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houston, tx

{julia :: redecorate my parents house with my sister}

may 19 - may 23

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seymour, in

{julia :: attend a college teammate's wedding}

may 26 - may 27

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orange beach, fl

{julia & lance :: family beach trip}

june 23 - june 29

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birmingham, al

{julia & lance :: black tag photography wedding}

june 29 - july 1

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atlanta, ga

{julia :: work, work, work}

july 2 - july 5

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istanbul, turkey

{lance :: chaperoning the James Graham Brown fellowship trip}

july 14 - july 28

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atlanta, ga

{julia :: work, work, work}

august 20 - august 23

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waldkraiburg, germany

{julia :: work, work, work}

september 15 - september 20

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the cologne love lock bridge...

There is a beautiful bridge in Cologne, Germany... a bridge you can see sparkle in the sunlight from miles away... a bridge that shows that love can still stand the test of time. It's called the Hohenzollernbruecke Bridge (try saying that 3 times fast... or heck, try saying that at all). The bridge is covered in "love locks" ...and I mean covered. Couples come from all over to express their love to one another and place their lock on the bridge. We couldn't leave Cologne without leaving our own "love locks" on the bridge...

{Lance engraving the lock we purchased}

{Lance & Julia 9-14-11}

{deciding on the perfect spot}

{sealed with a kiss}

{Lance handing me one of the keys}

{tossing our keys into the Rhine River... this is for real people:) }

{Jenna & Chris}

{mom & dad}

{a kiss for good luck}

So, if you ever make it to Cologne, Germany... be sure to lock your love to the bridge, and look for our lock... I'm sure you'll see it:)

top 10 :: favorites from our trip to germany

I have visited Germany a few times in the past, but mostly just south Germany, and mostly just for work, with very little time for sightseeing. This visit was different. No work for me... instead, my family and I were invited to a beautiful wedding. We were able to visit a few days before the ceremony and do some sightseeing in Aachen, Cologne and Frankfurt. It was such an incredible trip, and this post hardly does it justice, but I figured a "top 10 list" was the best way to brag about my trip without posting all 8 bazillion of my photos...

So... here you have it... my top 10 favorite things from our trip to Germany...

1) The Cathedrals.

{the Cologne Cathedral}

{the Aachen Cathedral}

{the Aachen Cathedral... under attack by Jenna:) }

2) Stories & traditions.

{love locks on the Cologne bridge}

{rubbing one of the statues noses for good luck}

{checking for the devil's thumb at the Aachen Cathedral}

3) Amazing weather.

{a perfectly sunny, crisp day in Cologne}

{the Cologne Cathedral & Ludwig Museum under blue skies}

4) Best chocolate & candy ever.

{one of many amazing chocolate cafe window displays}

{a Haribo candy stand in the home of Haribo candy}

5) Stained glass windows.

{in the Cologne cathedral}

{in the Aachen Cathedral}

6) History, history, history.

{the Throne of Charlemagne in the Aachen Cathedral}

{the Roman Ruins in Cologne}

{the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery}

7) Making new friends.

{Doris, the bride's mom was the best host ever}

{Vulcar took us everywhere and became part of our family by the end of the week}

8) Visiting 3 countries at once.

{the point where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet}

{in all 3 countries at once}

9) Spending time with my family.

{all 6 of us, on the Cologne bridge}

{all 6 of us, in Belgium}

10) The most beautiful wedding ever.

{Nicole & Mark... the newlyweds}

{the beautiful bride & groom... congratulations!}

Linking this to Oh Amanda and It's a Crafty Life.

take an adventure...

Today I will visit 3 countries all at once:) Heading to Vaalserberg... where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands all meet.

We enjoyed a beautiful civil ceremony this morning and will attend the big wedding event tomorrow! Don't worry... taking lots of pictures and enjoying the adventure:)

aachen bound...

I might be a little MIA over the next week... you know... because I'll be busy exploring Germany and visiting gorgeous cathedrals. I have a few posts scheduled, but otherwise... tah-tah for now!

in new york...

Buffalo, New York, that is...

I'll be visiting Lake Erie today and enjoying some cooler weather up in good ole Buffalo, NY. But my main reason for the trip...

...this adorable couple...

Brynn & Richard will be tying the knot tomorrow, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be photographing their wedding. This will kick off 3 weekends of weddings for me, so I'm looking forward to getting in blissful wedding mode, and capturing some really special moments for some really special people.

What are you doing for Labor Day?

out of 31 days...

Out of 31 days... I have spent 21 somewhere other than Louisville.

Out of 31 days... (and the 10 days spent in Louisville) I have spent 5 days in one house, and 5 days in another.

Out of 31 days... I have moved and unpacked 28 boxes.

Out of 31 days... I have toured Alaska with 13 other people.

Out of 31 days... I have had Chipotle 2 times.

Out of 31 days... I have slept in 4 different states and 1 different country.

Out of 31 days... I have had 6 margaritas.

Out of 31 days... I have found 12 cookbooks I forgot I had.

Out of 31 days... I have visited 5 different airports.

Out of 31 days... I have visited with 53 members of Lance's family.

Out of 31 days... I have taken 15 photos with my nieces.

Out of 31 days... I have been in 1 wedding.

Out of 31 days... I have been on 6 planes.

alaska is big.

Like really big.

I couldn't help but to notice how huge Alaska was while we were cruising along the Inside Passage. I mean, even their islands are ginormous. Just mountains and mountains as far as the eye can see.

Alaska is 2.3 times the size of Texas... something Texans are still getting over... and something Alaskans are quite proud of. You should see the t-shirt designs based on this information.

Alaska takes up an entire fifth of the continental US. Alaska is approximately 365 million acres in size... and was purchased from Russia for a measly $0.02/acre. 5% of the state is made up of glaciers. Alaska holds 17 of the 20 highest mountain peaks in North America. Told you... Alaska is big.