Laughing Lindsay

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My Favorite Winter Activities

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Now that the holidays are over, it’s officially wintertime! So, I thought I would share some of my favorite winter activities!

My Favorite Winter Activities

My Favorite Winter Activities

As most readers know by now, I live in southwestern Virginia. So, I get to fully experience all four seasons of the year! That’s actually one of the things I really like about living here. I love watching the seasons change, even spring when it brings all of the pollen. That being said, if you live somewhere warm, you might not be able to enjoy these things during the coldest months of the year.

I know that these cold months can drag by and be dreary. Hopefully, this will inspire someone out there to find something fun to do this season!

  • Watch it snow! Since we bought a house a few years ago, watching it snow has become one of my favorite things to do in winter! I love sitting at my kitchen table and looking out at our woods as the snow comes down. It’s so beautiful. I highly recommend everyone experiencing snow in the woods at some point. You could even book a trip to stay in a cabin somewhere where it snows!
  • Sip hot chocolate! Who doesn’t love hot chocolate? I really enjoy adding this to the bullet point above, but I will also drink it by itself. It’s a good way to warm up and enjoy something sweet.
  • Read a book. I love to read. Reading has been an escape for me for as long as I can remember. Curling up on the couch with a blanket and a book is the definition of winter comfort to me!
  • Watch a movie. Similar to reading on the couch, watching a movie underneath a blanket is also fun.
  • Make soup or a dessert. It’s great to warm up with a bowl of soup or chili. A warm cinnamon roll also hits the spot on a cold day.
  • Play in the snow. Am I an adult? Technically. However, nothing beats making snow angels after you shovel the stuff off of the porch.
  • Travel to someplace warm. In recent years, I discovered how pleasant the southern states can be in winter. I love visiting UO for Mardi Gras and Disney World for Festival of the Arts in winter.

What do you enjoy doing in the wintertime? You can view my favorite spring, summer, and fall activities here.

A Look Back at 2023: Year in Review

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It’s hard to believe, but another year is coming to a close! Just for fun, I thought I would do a little look back at 2023!

Look Back at 2023

Look Back at 2023

Maybe it’s just me, but the last few months have flown by! I can’t believe 2023 is almost over! The end of a year always makes me reflect on what I accomplished or what happened. It also makes me happy to look ahead to the new year. So, here’s a brief look at my 2023!

Return to Solo Travel

Prior to the pandemic, I would travel a couple of times a year by myself. However, that all stopped during the pandemic. In May of this year, I finally resumed my solo adventures! I visited Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm by myself! This felt like quite the accomplishment as I had to fly across the country and navigate things all by myself. I also wrote a post Solo Disneyland: Tips for Going Alone in case anyone else is interested in doing the same thing!

I wasn’t initially planning to visit Universal Orlando this fall. However, I ended up taking a bit of a last minute trip to see the Stranger Things house! Attending Halloween Horror Nights by myself feels like another accomplishment since their slogan is literally “Never go alone.” I also wrote Halloween Horror Nights Solo Tips for anyone considering taking the plunge to do HHN alone.

Visited Some New Places

I kicked off this year with my first visit to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. My mom and I visited the park for two days and enjoyed doing many of the Busch Gardens Tampa Animal Tours.

Then, in March my husband and I made a last minute trip to Colonial Williamsburg! It was his first time visiting and my second. Although, my first time was on a field trip in fourth grade and it’s a blur. I’m already discussing returning to Williamsburg for the food alone. You can read my Colonial Williamsburg Food Guide to see for yourself how good the food is!

In June I managed to book a weekend stay in Mt. Airy, North Carolina with my mom. You can read my Andy Griffith Homeplace Review to learn about our stay. I also wrote a Mt. Airy Food Guide for Mayberry North Carolina that has gotten several views.

Returned to Some Old Favorites

In February, I was happy to return to Universal Orlando for Mardi Gras! In fact, my mom and I did the Mardi Gras Float Ride and Dine and absolutely loved it! I was also tickled to visit my favorite festival at Epcot: Festival of the Arts! My Epcot Festival of the Arts 2023 Review details why I love it so much!

In September, my mom and I visited Disneyland for their Halloween festivities for the first time! You can read my Halloween 2023 at Disneyland Guide to see what I recommend. Suffice it to say that Oogie Boogie Bash is awesome!

Other Hobbies

In 2023, I also got into some other hobbies besides travel. I painted several door hangers and little home decor items. In addition to that, I also got better at baking. I made my first ganache for a chocolate peanut butter pie in September. In November, I made my first meringue for a pie for a family Thanksgiving get together. I realize these aren’t things most people would include in a post like this, but they are things I’m proud of.

Looking Ahead to 2024

You may have noticed a pattern in this year’s travels: I did several last minute trips. I prefer to have trips planned out in advance. However, that isn’t always possible. I’m not certain where I will end up next year, but I currently have one trip booked for 2024. I will be heading to UO for Mardi Gras and WDW for Festival of the Arts in February again! My mom and I are leaning towards canceling our UO passes and visiting some other places in 2024.

So, what was your 2023 like? Where did you go? Do you have trips planned for 2024?

My Favorite Fall Activities

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Now that Labor Day has come and gone, it’s time to look forward to my favorite fall activities. I thought I would share a list of my must-do’s for the season, just in case someone out there is looking for something new and fun to do!

Favorite Fall Activities

Favorite Fall Activities

I think autumn is probably my favorite season. I love that it starts to cool down without getting cold. I also adore the look of the mountains with colorful leaves. Plus, who doesn’t appreciate a good gourd or two? I realized that I could separate this into three portions, based on the location they take place: home, at local places, and traveling away from home. So, that’s how I’m going to organize this post.

Fall at Home

These are the types of things I enjoy doing at home during this season.

  • Decorate the house. For those who don’t know, we bought our first home in 2021. Since then, we’ve really enjoyed getting into decorating our home for each season/holiday. We also host the holidays and family birthdays now. So, I really like going all out for Halloween and Christmas. We decorate the outside of the house with lights for both holidays as well as put up decor inside.
  • Watch seasonal movies and shows. This usually includes “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” as well as some other supernatural shows. I also sometimes watch some classic horror movies.
  • Bake. I love to bake anytime of the year. However, baking with pumpkin (like my Pumpkin Fluff Pie Recipe – Easy and Healthier) or sweet potato is particularly fun. I also enjoy decorating any seasonal cookies or houses I find at Target.

Fall at Local Places

We are lucky enough to live in a location that has several fall happenings. We typically:

  • Visit a pumpkin patch. I love attending the pumpkin festival at a local farm and picking out pumpkins for our home.
  • Try fall foods. Truly, I’m a sucker for pumpkin flavored food and coffee drinks. I also like apples and baked goods made from them.
  • Look at leaves. We’ve been known to just drive around and look at the leaves on the mountains.

Autumn Away From Home

I also enjoy traveling away from home to visit other fall events. This includes:

Fall Festivities

So, that’s a good idea of my favorite fall activities. What are some of yours?

You can view a list of my favorite winter, spring, and summer activities here.

Cheap Hobbies for Adults

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It is healthy to have at least one hobby. However, lots of them can be expensive. So, just in time for the long holiday weekend, I thought I would share a brief list of cheap hobbies for adults based off of my own interests. Hopefully, this will help someone else find a new passion!

Cheap Hobbies for Adults

Cheap Hobbies for Adults

If you are looking for something new to do, perhaps you should give some thought to things you enjoyed doing as a child. I know that has helped me re-discover old interests. Otherwise, here are some of my suggestions based on experience.

  • Puzzles – You can typically get these pretty cheaply and they provide hours of entertainment. My husband and I started doing puzzles during the pandemic. Now, we complete several a year. It’s a fun and nice bonding experience that helps us complete something together. Plus, we enjoy picking out new puzzles to conquer. We prefer Buffalo Games brand of puzzles since they come with a poster and are of pretty consistent quality. Plus, you can find them at Target and on Amazon.
  • Read – New books can be expensive. However, if you are willing to wait, you can save loads of money by borrowing a copy from your local library! I encourage you to Google your town + library to see where your nearest one is and get a library card. Most libraries even offer e-books now! I’ve read literally hundreds of books from my local library since 2019!
  • Watch Shows or Movies – Again, this can be expensive. However, you can also find new-ish movies and shows at your local library. Additionally, if you have your eye on a particular streaming service, keep an eye out for a promo before purchasing it.
  • Play Video Games – Personally, I’m not really into video games. I played some as a kid, but haven’t found anything worth sticking with as an adult. However, my husband really enjoys them. Once again, you can save money here by checking out video games from the local library! You can also buy games used to save money if you are willing to wait.
  • Make Crafts – Late last year a friend invited me to a painting craft class at a local business. I had forgotten how much fun I have painting items. Since then, I have ordered lots of “blank door hangers” or “diy door hangers” to paint and assemble. In fact, I even painted and gave one to my mom for Mother’s Day. They are relatively affordable and make the house look nice. I’ve even found some awesome paint by number canvas prints at stores that have been pretty cheap as well. The Instagram post below shows an adorable bunny I painted for Easter!

Other Hobby Ideas

Other hobbies I enjoy include travel (obviously) and baking. However, travel requires a good bit of money. Baking is more affordable than travel, but can drive up the grocery budget. So, I’m leaving it off this list. So, what are your favorite cheap hobbies for adults?

Tips to Protect Your Skin from the Sun

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May is Skin Cancer (and Melanoma) Awareness Month. I hadn’t posted about it here yet, but I’ve had a few atypical or pre-cancerous lesions removed over the past couple of years. After those experiences, I started taking steps to attempt to prevent that from happening again. So, here are my tips to protect your skin from the sun, so you don’t have to endure what I have.

Protect Your Skin from the Sun

Protect Your Skin From The Sun

Unfortunately, I didn’t grow up wearing sunscreen frequently or really thinking about protecting my skin. However, ever since my surgeries, you can bet you will find me wearing everything I can to cover up when I’m outside. While I am not a doctor or expert, I am sharing what I have found works for me in hopes that it helps someone else.

  • Wear sunscreen. I will start with the most obvious way to protect your skin from the sun. Sunblock. I think mineral or physical is best because it sits on top of the skin to form a protective barrier. These sunscreens will contain Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium Dioxide. However, it is more likely to cause a whitecast or white shading on the skin. So, I highly recommend trying one before wearing it out. In fact, I recommend purchasing Sephora’s annual Sun Safety Kit that comes with a great assortment of sunscreens to try! This year’s kit is pictured in my Instagram post below. It’s also important to look for something with SPF 30 or higher for full coverage as well as re-applying frequently. I like to use a powder sunscreen to re-apply on my face as it helps with oiliness/sweating and is easier to apply when it’s hot. I’ve linked the one I use as I also avoid talc in my beauty products now.
  • Wear a hat. Even though I wear sunblock, I also wear a hat to cover my head and ears. The more closely woven the fabric is, the better it is. I have two hats. One for regular travel and another with a neck flap if I’m planning to be in a swimsuit or working outside. It doesn’t always look nice, but I prefer that to getting burned.
  • Wear UPF clothing. I wanted an option that was easier than remembering to re-apply sunblock, so I discovered UPF clothing. I also love a good theme park shirt and didn’t want to quit wearing one when I travel. So, I have purchased several UPF sun jackets from Amazon and wear them over my shirt. I also keep them near the door of my home on a coat rack, so I can just grab one whenever I head out. I wear these even if I’m just riding somewhere now. I feel a little weird wearing jackets in the summer, but I’m getting over it. I also have a pair of pants for around the house and a skort. When we visited Discovery Cove, I wore a swimsuit with UPF (and a rash guard) from Land’s End.
  • Avoid being outside between noon and 3 o’clock. This is when the sun’s rays are the most intense. It’s also when it is the hottest. I typically take a mid-day break out of the sun to rest up.
  • Get regular skin checks. Due to my history and my family history, I’m currently going every 6 months to the local dermatologist for a skin check. If you can’t afford to go to the doctor, you should become familiar with your own body and check for anything new or changing.

Do you have any other tips to protect your skin from the sun?