European Bucket List

Whenever I have a goal or a series of goals--serious or lighthearted, it doesn't really matter--I like to form them into lists. It helps me see the big picture when I can look at a single piece of paper or a single word document or even a single Powerpoint and instantly see everything that I want to accomplish in the near--or sometimes not so near--future.

My latest habit is composing bucket list collages. If you can't really picture what this would entail, this should help:

This page was sketched over time in my Avila notepad. I call it our European bucket list. It lists everything that I wanted Josh and I to be able to accomplish while we were in Europe. Some of them you might expect: watch a flamenco dance, eat dinner on the Riviera, eat churros . . . yeah there's a lot about places and things that I wanted to eat. Others might seem really random: find a pet store, buy cereal, or learn a new card game. I guess these were personal challenges as well goals. I didn't want to just sit around!

This is my new favorite format for goal-making! Since Europe, I've started a summer bucket list and a lifelong reading bucket list.

Wouldn't you just love to check things off of a list as fun and quirky as this? What a great motivation to meet your goals!

The Art of Dating: 100 Cheap/Free Dates

This is an update/repost from a piece that I wrote almost a year ago when Nine to Phive was just a baby blog. It has then grown exponentially since Josh and I have found ourselves living in a small Spanish city with little to do and even less money to do it with. Let's just say we've had to get creative . . .

And we have! The wheels in my head haven't stopped a-turnin' since arriving in Avila with my sweetheart whom I hope to never stop dating as long as I live. 

I now present as our gift to you a true treasure, our list of 100 Cheap and Free Dates. Please note that those date ideas marked with an asterisk (*)  are dates Josh and I have tried. Ones marked with two are the dates that we absolutely loved and continue to do every now and then. 

We will still have so many great dates to try when we get back the the States!

Cheap:  

1. See who can come up with the best dinner out for under ten dollars**
2. Make a craft project. Try a collage, mobile, or holiday decoration*
3. Attend an auction* 
4. Rent a video, pop some popcorn, grab a blanket . . .** Like going to the movies only you can talk and cuddle!
5. Prepare a formal dinner at home, candles and everything** 
6. Make and fly a kite. Bringing out the inner child can show a lot about a person. 
7. Plant a tree or garden*
8. If (and only if ) you are both of age, mix up creative cocktails at home instead of springing to go out for drinks
9. Attend a local school sporting event.*  
10. Cook a fancy foreign dessert together**
11. Go horseback riding 
12. Make chalk drawings on the sidewalk. Maybe play hopscotch.**
13. Pick strawberries or other fruits and eat them with cream**
14. Roller-skate, ice-skate, or bowl*
15. Create a mini golf course in the backyard and play through it
16. Go tubing, sailing, or canoeing**
17. Organize a treasure hunt
18. Interested in photography, salsa dancing, Italian cuisine, or something else? Take a class together.
19. Do a long overdue  project around the house.* Repaint, install a new shelf, use your imagination.
20. Make a bonfire and roast marshmallows*
21. Order Chinese takeout (or sushi) complete with chopsticks* 
22. See a high school or community play**
23. Eat a picnic outside or even at home on your bedroom floor*
24. Have a traditional teatime with a unique flavor of tea and scones or cookies**
25. Visit an outdoor market or festival with street performers and food carts**

Free:

1. Dance. At a party. At a club. At home with the radio turned up. Whatever.**
2. Go to a park and bird-watch, play tag, dodge sprinklers, play in the grass . . .**  
3. Visit a cemetery to look for funny epitaphs or do rubbings of old headstones
4. Do photo shoots of each other**
5. Fish using borrowed equipment
6. Go window shopping in a classy neighborhood*
7. Take a moonlit walk** 
8. Many museums and art galleries have free admission after hours.** Check it out.
9. Watch the sunrise and eat breakfast together on a weekday.** I recommend smoothies. 
10. Go to a pet store and hold a puppy 
11. Play computer or video games at his house** 
12. Raid your attic or basement for long-lost memories*
13. Take a drive to a place with a great view**
14. Visit an old bookstore or library and see who can find the strangest book* 
15. Tour a historic site in your area** 
16. Learn the rules to an obscure card game**
17. Visit a relative or friend you haven't seen in awhile*
18. Have your own ping pong or air hockey tournament** 
19. Write a poem, short story, or musical piece either together or for each other**
20. Get a blanket and some bugspray and gaze at the stars**
21. Watch a parade or look at Christmas lights depending on the season**
22. Challenge his or her parents to a board game** 
23. Play charades**
24. Sneak into a hotel pool or hot tub
25. Give each other massages**
26. Go for a jog**
27. Make a scrapbook with pictures of the two of you*
28. Play "Name That Movie" or "Name That Song" 
29. Read and discuss a book, article, or the comics*
30. Brainstorm for solutions to a world problem** 
31. Watch TV. Game shows, mysteries, and comedies are always fun.* 
32. Wash a car on a hot day* 
33. Play the dictionary game with friends or family** 
34. Go swimming at a pond, lake, or public pool** 
35. Make up 'Mad Libs'*
36. Volunteer at a church, soup kitchen, or homeless shelter**
37. Hunt for rocks, toadstools, arrowheads, etc. 
38. Hike or backpack on a nature trail
39. Get out your camcorder and tape a homemade short film to post on YouTube** 
40. Play the Price is Right in a supermarket
41. Go shopping for new threads for him*
42. Talk about your favorite boy and girl names.** Probably only for pretty serious couples ;-)
43. Visit a local farm 
44. If you are both in school, study together at a cafe**
45. Go for a bike ride.** Super romantic if you can get your hands on a two-seater!
46. Practice sports skills*
47. Learn tricks on a trampoline*
48. Attend an outdoor movie.** Especially if you are in college, these are often free.
49. Play ultimate frisbee*
50. Visit a lake and throw bread to the ducks and geese**
51. Have a grass, pillow, water, or snow fight*
52. Put a jigsaw puzzle together
53. Teach each other something new.** Can you play the ukelele or sink a slam dunk? Share!
54. Tell ghost stories in the dark* 
55. Write public confessions of love in sidewalk chalk
56. Go to an open house in a fancy community
57. Play hide-and-seek*
58. Play at a playground and ignore the stares.** But don't ignore the kids. You might trip on them.
59. See who can make the best design for a paper airplane* 
60. Climb a tree and read together 
61. Interview each other with silly questions and videotape it to watch later
62. Test-drive a sports car
63. Visit shut-ins or hospital patients*
64. Spend a day at the beach
65. Hitchhike or couchsurf**
66. Cuddle by a fireplace and tell stories about favorite memories
67. Practice saying romantic phrases in a foreign language**
68. Babysit your friends' kids for an evening.* Surprisingly fun to do as a couple.
69. Draw portraits of each other
70. Walk a dog and maybe teach it some tricks. Borrow a friend's if you don't have one!
71. Volunteer together as models at a beauty, hair, or art school for a free pampering*
72. Play Truth or Dare*
73. Visit a costume store and try on their wares for major laughs
74. Have a YouTube party.** "You have to see this one!" "No, you have to see this one!"
75. Write a bucket list together**

Style Steals: Cambridge Bags

I'm not sure where my followers stand on the current trend of Cambridge handbags since this British label seems to be much more popular in Europe than back in the States. I am sure, however, that more people need to start wearing them.

A Cambridge-style satchel in a bright color is the perfect bridge between edgy and preppy style. The sleek, boxy style with matching buckles looks very professional and academic, but the many colors (including fluorescent options) add a wild and retro element.

Shopaholic Blonde, Chictopia, Vanessa Jackman, and Pop Champagne

Of course, since these gems are priced at a minimum of about $100 (75 euros), nearly everyone interested in owning this look is shopping around for more cost-effective look-alikes. Unfortunately for us thrifters, Cambridge boasts very unique satchel designs, which is why they do so well as a company.

Lucky for you that I don't give up easily. Here are some bags that (in my opinion) look similar but are a less than half the price of a "real" Cambridge.

Closest Match:

The above Kendall Messenger Satchel is the satchel most similar in style to a Cambridge bag that I have been able to find (*SEE UPDATE*). It captures well the boxy shape and buckles and comes in several bright colors like the Cambridge handbags.

UPDATE: Since originally writing this post, I just happened to be walking through downtown Avila and passed the Spanish boutique Misako. What should I see displayed in the window besides a dead-ringer for the original Cambridge-style satchel. The only downside is that anyone from the States looking to purchase one of these bags will be hit with a heavy shipping & handling fee.

Cheapest Find:

This Carly Retro Satchel from iFashion Handbags is even cheaper, but it also sort of looks it, unfortunately; however, it has the boxy look and is available in a variety of colors as well.

Other Looks to Try:

World Traveler: The Unglamorous Side

Eyes half-closed, mouth half-open :-)

Yes, yes, I know that I forgot about Awkward and Awesome Thursday. Doesn't mean I forgot to take an awkward picture of Josh sleeping, though :-D

Well, guess what? I also forgot about a billion other things, including blogging AT ALL, because I was a little busy remembering all of the essentials of life abroad in Avila, Spain!

And boy, did all of the planning pay off. Everything went off without a hitch. No lost tickets, passports, visas, or Euros. No missed flights. No forgotten or stolen luggage. I am so beyond relieved. The trip went perfectly smoothly, albeit horrendously long. We were either sitting down or running off to the next place where we needed to be sitting down for a total of 18 hours.

When all is said and done, here I am in Spain. I am exhausted, but too excited to sleep. P.S. I have school in the morning. 

This got me thinking about some of the reasons that world travel is not as glamorous as you might think it is. I figure these nuisances and some tips that might remedy them can sort of fill in for last week's lack of awkward and awesomeness.

1. Jetlag

This one's pretty notorious to anyone who has taken a flight, international or otherwise. Why, it's even the reason that I've put off posting until ten o'clock at night (Spain time).  I have discovered a little secret over the last two days of red-eye flights and time zone changes. It's not the most pleasant option, but it will help you the most in the long run.  

Stay awake until a "normal" bedtime the day after jetlag. If you can make it through the day. you will be so utterly exhausted come nightfall that you will sleep soundly all through the night and wake with the rest of the world (or the rest of your time zone, rather), rested and refreshed.

 

2. Ear pressure

Moms have been saying it for ages: "Chew gum during takeoff. It'll help drain your ears during the change in air pressure," or something like that. Now the cliche quip has become "Take Sudafed before your flight to drain your ears before the change in air pressure." I always listened because I was a good and complacent child, but I therefore never really had a chance to experience what failing to do so would mean. 

Let me tell you, I had just the teeniest head cold when we touched down in Madrid--just a wee bit of extra pressure in my sinuses. I had forgotten to take my next dose of Sudafed because i had fallen asleep on the flight. For the entire 30-minute descent, I thought my head was going to explode from the pressure! I was literally crying from the pain, but it gets better . . . my ears started dripping bloody ear gunk! I literally thought I was going to die. 

My word of advice? Take your mom's advice. Take Sudafed. And then keep taking it. And probably chew gum, too.


UPDATE: In all of my experiences flying since this post was originally written, I have learned a useful yet admittedly risky trick. When the ear pressure starts to get painful, close your mouth, plug your nose, and (very, very gently) attempt to blow out through your nose. Blow until your ears pop and then stop immediately. For a few moments it will feel as though your ears are even more clogged, but you will gradually feel relief as a small amount of built-up fluid drains out of your ears. One last tip: if one ear pops and the other hasn't gotten any relief yet, plug that ear as well to avoid injury as you keep blowing.

Allie's feet as an example of shtanky plane odors! :-D

3. Lack of personal hygiene (others)

I don't want to go into details, but certain types of people on stuffy little airplanes (not the nice ones like the one we got to ride in after our layover) tend to smell like wet dogs. Then there are the people who have a little trouble in the lavatory and mingle that odor into the plane's potpourri.

In all seriousness, what can you do when you're trapped in a plane's cabin with a nauseating smell? Take advantage of the air vents above your seat. Turning them off can keep an unpleasant smell from wafting towards you, or pointing them full blast in another direction can blast some of the stench away from you. 

4. Lack of personal hygiene (you) 

Depending on how long your flights and layovers are, an inability to sneak away to shower can leave you steeping in the same dirty clothes for hours and ending up as that person who smells like a wet dog.

Sanitary wipes to the rescue! These are a great item to have on hand in Europe anyway, since public restrooms often don't even have toilet paper. Of course, if you have enough time to dash to a bathroom between connecting flights, you can always wash up typically raunchy spots like your underarms. Do not do not do not overdose on perfume and cologne to cover up traveler's BO. I know I for one  would not like to be asphyxiated by a lung-sucking Hollister monster.

Also, pack an extra shirt and clean underwear in your carry-on. NOTE: Not only could this be just the freshen-up you need, but it will be a lifesaver if your checked baggage doesn't make it to your destination at the same time you do.

5. Language barriers  

Yes, the idea of returning from this trip 100% fluent in Spanish is very romantic and inspiring indeed, but I have been forced to face the reality that not all Spaniards are as understanding of my ineptitude as the sweethearts running the language school and the wonderful woman housing Josh and I are. I was pretty embarrassed when the man behind the counter at a sandwich shop kept shouting the number four at me ("Cuatro! Cuatro!"). Turns out he wasn't telling me the price but rather that the combo I had been trying to order was not offered until 4pm.

For this frustration, I offer the following piece of advice: If you are traveling with someone else from your native country, speak Spanish (or whatever language you are trying to pick up) with them whenever you leave your lodging place for any reason; however, when you get back to the comfort of your home-away-from-home, don't be afraid to slip back into your native tongue. These moments of de-stressing with give your brain time to relax and rebound from the adrenaline rush from trying to operate in a very foreign-sounding world.

Also, make friends. Find and pursue people worth talking to. This will make your drive to become fluent all the stronger.

Secrets to Great Second-Day Hair

Photo credit: dirtyblondegirl

 
Ladies (and some gents, I'm sure), you know what I mean by second-day hair. You know all about that second day after which you would have normally washed your hair but didn't because you stayed up all night, your alarm clock didn't go off, you were too busy making breakfast/doing laundry/letting the dog out, etc.

Well, however you got here, here you are with second-day hair. Do not despair! Your lovely locks need not give away how hectic your life really is right now.

You have some options concerning ways to style your hair without needing to shower:

• Put it up! Easy enough. You probably do this anyway, but let's be more creative
• Wear a headband! Hides greasy, flaky, or dull roots
• Wet it! Often, just giving your hair a chance to dry as it naturally would will fix any styling problems
• Don't overdo it! I'll give you some ideas for products that you can use to prolong the life of your hairstyle, but using too much product will always always always make your hair look heavy and dull.

RULE OF THUMB: Do not touch, scrunch, tease, or otherwise fiddle with hair once it starts to dry. Applying your products and styling your hair while it is still wet and then leaving it alone will promote sleek, frizz-free styles. This, of course, does not apply to heat-treating hair. You should always wait for hair to dry before using a curling iron, flatiron, or blow dryer.

Now, for some secret weapons in your battle against second-day hair:

1. Mousse

If you shop around, you can find one that will do wonders for your particular hair. This particular product is designed to help your hair retain shape while staying soft and shiny. Applying a generous amount can liven up dull hair and tame flyaways. I am incredibly partial to Aussie's mousse and would recommend that you start with them. Their "Catch the Wave" mousse is engineered specifically for girls with curly hair! Their "Opposites Attract" collection is also designed to give your hair strong hold and soft touch.

2. Shine Serum 

Aussie's "Catch the Wave" mousse has leave-in conditioner built in, so I rarely have to use a shine serum, but when I do, I am always delighted by the results. When applied while hair is still damp, a good shine serum will tame frizz and promote shine, but don't try applying it to dry hair. You'll end up frizzy and greasy.

3. Powder

By powder I mean any of the product pictured above. What you'll be using this as is a drying agent for any greasy buildup you may have accumulated overnight. If you are a blonde, baby powder will work just fine. Brunettes are better off using a bronzing powder. Bronzer will probably work for red hair as well, but in my days as a redhead, I have learned that blush works well for me. Simply apply a generous amount to your roots, massage it into your scalp a little bit, and brush away the excess with a makeup brush. You could, of course, just use a dry shampoo, but these always leave a heavy residue in my experience.

4.Charmeuse Silk

I have not personally gotten around to trying this trick, but every stylist I've ever asked says that sleeping on a genuine silk or satin pillowcase will keep your hair from tangling and getting frizzy overnight. What a relief that would be! Amazon is currently offering one that will fit most budgets. Give it a try and let me know how it works! Maybe it will be worth it.

Happy second day to you! And may your hair be forever cooperative.