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Plan a 48-Hour Getaway

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CentrumFunFlavors #CollectiveBias #ad

When thinking about vacation planning, a new favorite of mine has been spending 48 hours somewhere new on the weekends. If you’re like me, making the most of my time is key – vacation isn’t unlimited, there always seems to be something going on and sometimes it’s hard to “check out” for more than a couple days. The key factor is that we all need time to check out every now and again! We need that time to recharge and focus on us – our well being with time to relax, unwind, breathe and forget about the everyday events and stresses in our lives.

In order to maximize our time in the 48-hour getaway, there’s a few tips that I stick to that helps ensure we make the most of our trip.

Book accommodations in advance.
Waiting until the last minute can really slow the roll and build up stress. Book in advance, have a knowledge of where you’ll be staying and any items that may be needed ahead of time. Another option – stay local! Book a night in your town or town nearby. Even if it’s not far, you will allow yourself to get into the mainframe that you’re on a getaway!

Activities! A cruise ship director status isn’t required but don’t go with an empty slate.
Plan out things to do. Find a variety of activities, events, locations to explore ahead of time. I like to stick with something for the morning, mid-day and evening. What’s worked well for us in the past is traveling the farther away activities in the morning. Hit up the farther away locations first thing in the day and work your way closer to home as the day progresses. Also – if advanced reservations are required this will ensure your spot is reserved!Need ideas: rent a bicycle, go kayaking, take a hike, explore a museum, eat somewhere new, take a drive with no destination (or a new destination) in mind, really explore the city nearby, hunt historical markers, watch a college sports event, beer/wine/distillery tasting, take a class, experience a festival, find live music and enjoy the day!

Pick one thing out of the ordinary.
Explore your boundaries. Pick at least one event, destination, pit-stop along the way that you may not usually do. Surprise! This may be the one event / destination that becomes the hit of the trip. For instance, on our last trip we stopped at an Olive Oil Company and it became one of the most interesting tours that we took! (Need ideas? See the list above.)

Research (and savings)!
Research the destination ahead of time. Pick top activities, events and locations from above and scope out the hours of operation, cost and locations. Organize activities according to the hours and locations from which you will be. Don’t forget to look online at their website or the towns Visitors Convention Bureau website for coupons and discounts.

Have alternatives.
Plans don’t always go 100% as planned. Allow extra time in between activities in case something takes longer than expected or you see something along the way that you want to explore. We all know Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate – have a hike planned in the morning but when you wake its pouring down rain? Have a backup!

Take care of home items the weekend prior to the trip.
Be sure bills are paid, laundry is done, the house is clean the weekend leading up to the trip. When you’re gone, the last thing that is needed is thinking about all of the things that need to be done when you get back. This is your time – enjoy it!

Take care of yourself.
A getaway isn’t fun if you can’t enjoy it. Make sure you are taking care of yourself in advance and on any trip. Get enough sleep and be sure to take and bring your vitamins. I was recently in Walmart and came across Centrum Vitamints. Who would’ve guessed but they now make vitamins in gummies and mint form!

I have been trying to eat healthier and exercise more so I was really excited to see these when researching vitamins. Centrum Vitamints and Gummies have now made their way into my everyday life with the great packaging and a new perspective as a mint. The new Raspberry Vitamints are refreshing for the summer season! Easy to pack, great to include in a purse and who doesn’t love an after dinner mint? Best of all, it helps me stay healthy and energized for my next 48-hour adventure! Enjoy staying healthy with simple solutions like Centrum Gummies and Raspberry Vitamints. Click here to save $2-$4 today on Centrum Vitamints and Multigummies!

What are some travel tips that help you completely enjoy time away from everyday life?

**Need additional travel ideas? Shoot me an email at downhometraveler(at)gmail.com. I’d love to help you plan your next weekend adventure and getaway!

***These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Hummus Made Easy – Quick, Fit Meals

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The following post is sponsored by The Women Bloggers, LLC and the Kendal King Group. All options are my own. #ad #HummusMadeEasy @KendalKingGroup @TheWomenBloggers #SoapBoxInfluence

Over the last month, I’ve proposed an extra dedication to exercising more and eating healthier. With summer practically here, it’s now or never! It’s super hard-working a desk job, maintaining a blog as well as all of the other life and day-to-day activities that come up. To say the least, time is scarce which makes it a little more difficult to keep on top of this goal. I want to share a few tips that help keep me on track and I would love to hear some of your tips as well!

My goal is called “Project Carrie Underwood”. Do I want to look exactly like Carrie Underwood? Of course not. Do I wish I had her legs? Sure do! Am I going to get there tomorrow? Definitely not. What I can do is give myself small goals to help me get in shape, feel better about myself and keep me motivated day to day.

Eating habits This may be the most difficult part of all of this. What’s even tougher is having a huge love for carbs and sweets. It doesn’t really go with the whole “weight loss” project does it?! SO I’ve been trying pretty hard and have come up with a few tips that help keep me on my journey.

Portion control. It’s pretty amazing what looking at labels for portions and dietary concerns can do to a mindset. For instance, something that may look like one serving may actually be two (or three – gasp!). Paying attention to nutritional labels may save us that extra sweat in the gym!
Meal Plan – Plan ahead and never go to the grocery store hungry. This will help you keep on track of your healthy meals (and avoid temptation).
Work off the good foods you LOVE! My favorite. There’s certain foods that I LOVE that are good for me. For instance, I LOVE hummus. It’s great to include as a snack or in a meal. It’s also SUPER easy to make at home.

Bush’s (the same family that makes the beans we all love) has come out with Bush’s Hummus Made Easy which may be the easiest and most delicious appetizer I have ever made. For less than what you can buy pre-made hummus in the grocery store, we can all make hummus at home, just how we like it. What I loved even more – I knew what every ingredient was that was going into the hummus! No preservatives or ingredients that I didn’t know how to pronounce! Yes please! How many products can we say the same about?

Current flavors: Classic, Roasted Red Pepper and Southwest Black Bean (found at Walmart next to the beans). YUM!

As little as two ingredients: the pouch flavor of your choice, one can of beans (as suggested on the pouch).

One step: Mix the pouch flavor and can of beans (drained and rinsed) in a food processor until the consistency desired.

At the first attempt, I was pretty excited and nervous. Honestly, now I’m hooked and will be making my own hummus from here on out. One, it’s cheaper and it makes more than the small pre-made packages in the store. It’s DELICIOUS! It’s pretty good freshly made but let it cool in the fridge for a few minutes and the flavors really blend together! Finally, I can get creative! Add extra ingredients to really kick it up a notch! Trust me, you’ll be hooked!

Eat as an Appetizer!
Use as a snack paired with your favorite veggies, crackers or chip pretzels.

Incorporate into a Meal!
As soon as I tasted the Southwest Black Bean Hummus, I knew I wanted to incorporate it into a burrito. Midweek, it was pretty tough for me to go to the grocery store so I made due with what I had available and voila, a healthy single-girl burrito!

Ingredients:
Bush’s Southwest Black Bean Hummus
Flour Tortillas
Grilled Chicken
Optional: Any fillings of choice: veggies, cheese, guacamole, salsa, etc.

Warm up a flour tortilla and spread Bush’s Southwest Black Bean Hummus.
Add a layer of guacamole and salsa (and any other ingredients at hand).
Add grilled chicken.
Top with a little bit of cheese.
Roll into a burrito or eat as a taco.

This is a super easy meal which can easily be portioned controlled. Filled with protein and whatever ingredients are easily available in the kitchen, this meal has turned into my go-to midweek dinner!

What’s your favorite way to eat hummus? What flavor do you want to try first?

Search #HummusMadeEasy for more amazing recipes!

For more amazing product and recipes ideas: Bush’s Hummus Made Easy |Pinterest Hummus Made Easy Board