School Supplies

When we were researching our trip to jamaica a few months ago, we came across this great map online. There was a note on the map saying that the map was free but that in return, they would appreciate donations to local schools. We were inspired to bring a bunch of school supplies with us and visit a school one day.

This ended up being the most rewarding experience that we had on that vacation. It was so interesting to see how kids in other places spend their day. The facilities were so basic but the kids were amazing. They were all smiles and just adorable. I'm sure that just like kids anywhere, they were happy that we came and distracted them from their studies (sorry, teachers). Our friends filmed the whole experience to show their own kids just how lucky they are in their state-of-the-art modern school facilities.

What made the whole day even better was that before we went, when we mentioned the idea to our helpful hotel staff/friend he mentioned that he has 2 kids but only gets to see them once a month. We worked it out with him, for him to take us to his kids' school on his day off. It was a huge bonus for us to see the big smiles on his kids faces when they saw their dad walk in and even better was the smile and pride that we saw on his face when he was able to introduce us to his children.

You know? Snorkeling is fun and laying on the beach is relaxing but getting to meet real people and see how they really live and even get a chance to share some of the things that we take for granted was the best part of the whole vacation.

Knife

Every guy should carry a knife all the time. That is all I have to say on this topic.

Food!!!!

The most important thing to bring on the boat (besides water and sunscreen) is food!!!! We tend to bring sandwich stuff (bread, meat, cheese...) because everyone likes them. I am always on the lookout for foods that everyone will love that won't leave a million crumbs all over the boat.

Some of my favorites:

fruit

chex mix

sandwiches

wraps

rice krispy treats

veggies and dip

Some of my least favorites:

Chips - no matter how old an mature the chip eater, they are bound to leave crumbs

Anything that needs to be eaten warm

Neo Noodles

I love these new neo noodles for swimming at the lake. They are super buoyant and just like the traditional noodles, they are only limited in uses by your imagination. We've had them for a couple of weeks and it seems like the girls like them better than the guys. Mr. What-Should-I-Bring complains that they keep him too far out of the water and he gets hot. I think us girls like them because they easily keep our hair dry.

Water sandals/shoes

I love my Columbia water sandals. I bring them everywhere...hiking, camping, rafting, to the beach. I can walk through a river in them and keep going because they dry quickly so my feet dont get funky and blistered. They are really comfortable. I've had mine for years and I can just imagine how much better the new ones are.

Mr What-Should-I-Bring can get really funky feet when he walks around in damp shoes but he isnt as into showing off his feet as I am so he is really excited about his new water/boat shoes that have weep holes to let the water out.

Binoculars

One of our all time favorite gadgets is Mr. What-Should-I-Bring's binoculars.

You might ask, why do you need binoculars? Are you some kind of terrorists, scoping out buildings? No, we are just kind of nosy I guess. We bring these on our boat every single time and they get used...every single time. Sometimes we want a closer view of some interesting wildlife and sometimes we want a closer view of other boats or their riders. Either way, there is always something to see on the lake and we like the best view possible.

Now we dont mess around with just any binoculars. What makes his binoculars so cool is that they auto-focus. I have spent so much time in the past staring into lenses, turning the little focus wheel everytime I want to look at something different. These take out all the work. Just hold them up and look. They are so easy that even little kids can use them with no help.

Baby Wipes

Those of you with kids already knew this but baby wipes are the best!

We always keep a pack on our boat. I am constantly cleaning the upholstery and fiberglass pieces with them. They are handy when eating something sticky. They are immensely handy when there is a kid around.

They are great when camping. You can clean your hands and face when you are dirty and sweaty.

I think I could list uses for them all day but I won't. Just remember, they can be used for so much more then wiping baby's butts.

Continuous Spray Sport Sunscreen

This is the best invention ever!!! How did we ever survive without this? Mr. What-Should-I-Bring and I are avid boaters and we spend every weekend out on the lake in our pontoon boat. The Mr. is super-pale white and while I do tan nicely, I am terrified of premature aging....oh and skin cancer, too, I guess.

We used to have to slather on the lotion which was messy. Our biggest problem was re-applying. While we were always diligent about applying that first coat, the future coats just never seemed to happen. We would get hot and sweaty and not feel like being rubbed down. Even better was when I tried to apply by myself and would end up with these weird hand print burns on my back.

We are currently using the Walgreen's brand which we bought on a buy 2 for the price of 1 deal. This stuff is amazing! It sprays on clear so you don't have to rub it in. Its waterproof so it lasts even when you are swimming.

OK, so the spray goes a lot faster than the traditional lotion....is that because of the spray or is that because we are actually using it? I don't care. Its worth it. I haven't gotten a single sunburn this summer!!!

My only other warning is that if it gets on your sunglasses (which it will if you are standing downwind from someone who is applying it), it will get on your lenses and because its water proof, you will have a very difficult time getting it off. As the summer goes on, we have gotten a lot better at pulling off our sunglasses the second we see the blue spray can appear.

Waterproof/Shockproof Camera

I will start this blog with the best travel gadget that I have purchased, my water proof camera. I think that this product review will give a great introduction into who I am.

I honeymooned in Costa Rica during the month of October. We knew that it would be the rainy season but never could have dreamed of the amount of rain that fell during our stay there. We have very little proof that we actually visited the country because we could barely use our non-waterproof camera. The rain didnt stop us from hiking, 4 wheeling and horseback riding but it sure did stop us from bringing the camera. Then, while touring a brand-new Coast Guard ship in Baltimore, Mr. What-Should-I-Bring and I had a bad handoff of our camera while the lens was open which immediately ended the life of the camera. It was a sad day but opened up a great opportunity to buy a more durable camera.

Both of these incidents could have been prevented if we had already owned our Olympus Stylus 850 SW. This camera is waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof and me-proof. It has survived almost 2 years in my possession. We take it on our boat, in the ocean and on hikes with no worries. I'm not worried to let a kid (or Mr. What-Should-I-Bring) take pictures with it.

OK, so the picture quality leaves a little to be desired and I am ready to purchase a camera that takes some higher quality pictures. Do I get a newer waterproof camera like the new Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 or the Canon Powershot D10 (I've always loved Canon cameras) or do I get a non-waterproof camera to supplement the Olympus that I already have?