Our week in Iceland was action packed and full of adventure, so we chose to end the trip on a much more relaxing note by going to Blue Lagoon before we headed to the airport. Blue Lagoon is certainly high on the list of Instagrammable locations in Iceland (though the competition is fierce!) and is…
Rakuten: Why It’s My Favorite Shopping Portal
If you do a lot of online shopping and you’re not taking advantage of a shopping portal, you’re leaving money (or points) on the table. I’ve touched on shopping portals in a previous post, but those were airline-specific shopping portals, meaning the points earned were tied to that specific airline. This type of shopping portal…
Review of My First Glacier Hike + Ice Climb in Iceland
I saw glaciers for the first time back in August when we went to Alaska, but on that trip we kept a safe distance away, watching the ice crack and calve from a boat or kayak. The thought of stepping foot on a glacier scared me, as my anxiety immediately conjured up images of falling…
How to Spot the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights (or Aurora Borealis) have always been a big bucket list item for me, and I am so grateful to have seen them three times on my trip to Iceland, with each display better than the one before. I’ve heard of people taking multiple trips in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights and…
Snorkeling Between Tectonic Plates in Iceland – A Must Do!
Last week we spent the Thanksgiving holiday on an 8-day trip to Iceland, swapping out turkey dinner for lamb and fish. It was truly one of the most incredible trips I’ve ever taken – we literally did a once in-a-lifetime experience every single day. I take notes on my phone as we travel so I…
So Much for Serendipity – Plan Ahead for Trips to NYC
Gone are the days of not planning ahead and just seeing where the day takes you. On our trip to New York last weekend, we only had a couple of dinner reservations booked and tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on our first night. Beyond that, everything was planned last minute or we just…
LGA Centurion Lounge First Impressions
Flying home from New York, I got my first chance to visit an American Express Centurion Lounge. There are currently well over a dozen lounges around the world, largely concentrated in the US, but we haven’t been to an airport with a lounge while it was open until now. We were flying out of La…
What To Do with Pets While Traveling
It’s estimated that 70% of US households have a pet, so many people run in to the issue of what to do with their fur babies when they travel. Thomas and I have 2 cats who we absolutely love, but we are also very comfortable leaving them home alone when we travel. That wasn’t always…
Maximize Your Starbucks Purchases: Peppermint Mochas for Points
It’s officially the holiday season and last week Starbucks released their seasonal holiday drinks to celebrate (though sadly they didn’t bring back my favorite Gingerbread Latte). Did you know that with every Starbucks purchase you make you can be earning points towards FOUR different loyalty programs? That’s pretty big power for a Chestnut Praline Latte….
Making Money on High Fee Credit Cards
It’s easy to look at credit cards with high annual fees and immediately dismiss them in favor of low- or no-annual fee cards, but if the card is a good match for you* then you may be able to come out ahead of the annual fee. *I want to emphasize that not every card is…