Ireland Honeymoon Day Three

Another early wake-up call! Each hotel we've stayed in has the phone on a different side of the bed, yesterday it was on Brett's side... today it's on mine. Needless to say I crawled over him to get the phone only to discover it's on my side! I gotta tell you that I'm loving having this luggage pick up, all you do is pack up everything and put the travel strap around it and set it in the hallway. They come get it and it gets loaded on the bus. All I have to do is make sure I have everything and head to breakfast.

It's interesting that they always put baskets of toast on the breakfast table. We always load up on water in our bottles before leaving the hotel (after coffee and tea with breakfast), I'm not a fan of the "bacon" here in Ireland or the black/white pudding. I do like the porridge though.

Today we're on our way to Waterford Crystal, somewhere we never thought we'd afford anything from, much less visit! I'll tell you I have a whole new appreciation for the cost of what you get from Waterford. The price is 100% worth it, there are no second chance/outlet items, if something has a flaw it is thrown in a smash bin, sent to the grinder and turned into something new again down the road. We saw items being blown, to being sent to the line drawers, to the cutters. They're just starting to experiment with CND machines, but everything else (especially custom orders) are created by hand. Brett and I each got to hold a Peacock vase that was in the process of being cut! The weight was absolutely amazing (definitely a double hand hold), I (Lora) wouldn't mind putting a couple dozen roses in that one! Brett even got to hold the BCS Trophy football!

Afterwards we headed to Blarney Woolen Mills to grab lunch and do a little shopping before heading up to the Blarney Castle. I don't do well with wool, but some folks from our group do so they bought a heavy amount of sweaters. I stuck with a beautiful purse that I love and get lots of compliments on and a pretty red scarf. We decided to pass on kissing the Blarney Stone (germs and fear of heights, I'll pass) but instead took in a hike to walk off a big lunch and spend some time together.

Upon leaving the Blarney area we head to Cork, and since a number of those on our tour have family that originate from the area John skips the bypass (they call it a ring road) and takes us through the center of town. On to Killarney where we're to stay in The International Hotel, but due to a convention there they don't have enough rooms so we're staying at The Scott Hotel instead. The Scott is just around the corner and John has gotten us an upgrade as newlyweds to a balcony suite! Two nights in a balcony suite!! YIPPEE! We rewarded ourselves with a bottle of red wine and sit in the lobby to people watch while we waited for dinner to start. After dinner we head over to Murphy's for drinks and live music. After chatting with everyone at Murphy's we ended the night at The Grand before heading back to the hotel with Rae Ann for another drink. No luggage because we get to spend two nights here in Killarney!

November YL Essential Oils - Anxiety, Stress, Emotions

Friends,

Every week I get an email from Paul Wesselmann, The Ripples Guy, with what he calls a pebble, boulder, and ponder. The pebble from his most recent email (Ripples #809: Gratitudinous) is as follows: Gratitude doesn't change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors ~ Richelle E. Goodrich. If you don't already know about Paul you can read more on him here > The Ripples Guy, practical inspiration on a weekly basis.

As we head into Thanksgiving week Brett and I have a number of plans. However we still stop to think of others when we can. We know we are blessed with a roof over our heads, food, and warm beds to sleep in; we also know others are not as fortunate. One of my co-workers, Jessie, has made me aware of the group called Friends of the State Street Family. This group works to give help and hope to the homeless here in Madison. Jessie is an amazing person endlessly seeks ways to help others! Jessie is leading the group serving food the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Though I can't be there to assist, I can donate to the cause and will be by making a huge pan of stuffing. Jessie works at Dane County Credit Unions VA Hospital branch here in Madison, a hospital that my family and others use from time to time. For more information on the Friends of the State Street family and how you can help click here > Friends of the State Street Family. For more information on how to give to the Madison VA Hospital click here > William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital - Giving.

Items of Note:

• Please share this blog post with anyone who might benefit
• Lets learn together!! ​I would love to get to talk about any questions you might have! If you have any questions or are interested in getting together one on one just let me know. Lets grab a coffee or tea!
• In December I'll be placing my order the evening of Wednesday, December 3
• My December email/blog will be on essential oils as digestive aids
• New business email: lora.klitzke@gmail.com (look for oils emails from this email address starting in January 2015)
• I'm not a doctor and neither I nor the oils make miracles, the oils work differently for everyone
• Essential Oils Safety Information (from Young Living) http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/discover/essential-oil-safety

Aids for Anxiety/Emotions:

Peace & Calming is a blend of five essential oils to promote relaxation and a deep sense of peace and emotional well-being. This oil can also help to dampen tensions and uplift spirits, calm overactive children, and work to reduce depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia.

RutaVaLa is a blend of three essential oils to promote the relaxation of the body and mind. It relieves stressed nerves and revitalizes passion,

Stress Away is a blend of six essential oils to bring the feeling of peace and tranquility to children and adults by relieving daily stress and nervous tension.

Chamomile (Roman) has calming, relaxing properties. This oil helps to minimize anxiety, ADHD, depression and insomnia.

Cedarwood is also known for it's calming, relaxing properties. The fragrance stimulates the limbic (emotional) center of the brain and pineal gland which releases melatonin,

Young Living Essentials:

• Check out the brand new 2015 Product Guide (online) today and get a free copy* from me ($2 value) with each order placed in November or December! *1 per person, available in December. Click Here > 2015 YL Product Catalog
• Spot light oil of the month Melaleuca Alternifolia. We are excited to add it to our Everyday Oils lineup this month! A little info about this time-honored essential oil and how to use it: commonly called tea tree oil, it is a fresh-smelling oil that can be found in a wide spectrum of skin care and spa products. Melaleuca Alternifolia can comfort and beautify the appearance of skin.
• The Seed to Seal promise from Young Living (one thing that makes them great) is available here: http://www.seedtoseal.com/en

Twas the week before Thanksgiving

Where has this year gone? Thanksgiving is next week and we've got most of our plans set for that and busy nights (the usual) leading up and following the holiday.

I've been borrowing lots of books from the library, and paging though them as possible (they're not novels). My favorites so far are It's All Good and The New Irish Table! I LOVE that I was able to borrow both of these books from the library, both are pricey to invest in and I love to be able to preview books such as these before spending funds on them. Love Love Love.

We've had an interesting couple weeks around here, starting back around November 7th we discovered that our drain in the basement was backing up things that one doesn't want backing up... ever. We got a handle on that or so we thought (more later).

November 14 our fur baby, Baxter, went in for a tooth cleaning they knock you out for at the vet. Mid-morning the vet called and said that they found a pocket above Baxter's large upper molar. Oh goodness, thank you to Brett for being available as I was in a meeting. If we chose to leave the molar in the pocket could get food stuck in it, leading to potential infections and pain for the buddy down the road. We made the choice to have the tooth pulled. This led to soft foods for 2-4 days (this doesn't always agree with border collie tummies), Baxter did so well taking his antibiotics and pain medicines until day 4. That's when the vomiting started, cease medicines and we're working on a chicken and rice diet until his tummy settles and we get him back on track again. We're just so glad that we're able to take care of him the way that he needs. I'm very thankful for our Little Green machine, this was a wedding gift from our bridesmaids that I consider a lifetime investment.

November 16 we discovered that the basement drain had backed up again. (Hand on forehead) Enter D&L Drain Services (Stoughton WI)! They arrived within an hour and a half of our call (on a Sunday!!) and had things back in working order within the hour, just in time for Sara's Tastefully Simple party at our house. Picture Lora scrubbing the basement concrete floor with Thieves Household Cleaner from Young Living Essential Oils (and some bleach, old habits die hard)! That floor has never looked so good!!

With the already frigid temps well below 20 degrees here in Wisconsin, we're not sure what the winter is going to look like. Rumor has it the winter will be worse this year than last (dislike). Friday, November 21 we had freezing rains overnight followed by heavy patches of fog off and on Saturday. Brenda and I are thankful that our men we're able to get up on the roof tops and put up the icicle lights. Now that they have that done, ironically the temperature outside is now near 50 degrees!

I got to spend and surprise my mom with a birthday dinner complete with her favorite dessert pecan pie (thank you Lane's Bakery). We did have plans to go to the Madison Women's Expo but her knee was hurting so we kept it local and supported the Stoughton small businesses by doing some more Christmas shopping, enjoying Saturday soup lunch at Maerz's, and hanging out at our house to work on documents for Mom's business, she's been at the massage business for over 5 years now and she's awesome!!!

Ireland Honeymoon Day Two

Day two started bright and early with a 6:45 wake up call! Luggage to the door by 7:45 and breakfast at 8:88, full buffet with whatever you could imagine. White and black pudding however, not what you would imagine! Waffles, scones, juice, porridge, all delish!

First stop today, The Bungalow B&B, for fresh scones with raspberry jam and cream. Oh my gosh, if I could eat these the rest of my life I would. The jam was fresh (she was picking berries as we arrived) and if you wanted ore cream they had to whip it up (literally). Our hosts Jim and Greta (scone baker extraordinaire) are the fourth generation to run the farm.

Next stop, Kilkenny! In Kilkenny we take a walking tour of the small town with loads of good times and just as much history. The tour guide leads us around town showing us The Black Abbey (a beautiful church that has survived the roughest of times) and then on to our hotel, Kilkenny Ormonde, where we can check in before heading back out on the town. We chose to head back out for a little walk and then to check out the Smithwicks Experience. These tours just started about 4 months ago and are totally worth it! At the end of the fun and informational tour you get your own pint which you can have engraved with your name and the date. Very cool, we opted for a t-shirt and magnetic bottle opener due to luggage space and breakability. We ended up chatting with our tour group afterwards, a couple from Ottawa and another from Sweden. Dinner was had with Tom and Nancy from North Carolina in the restaurant Savour just off the hotel lobby. Brett had the roast pork and I had the penne with tomato sauce. Dinner drinks and live music was enjoyed by all at Kytelers! It was raining some but umbrellas didn't do much good with the wind, now we know why they sell great raincoats with hoods. Note to self!

Kilkenny is a compact little town with loads of history and fun (70 taverns)!

Fresh scones from a Freshford farm kitchen

Mixing up the mash at Smithwicks!!

October YL Essential Oils - Sleep Aids

Hey Friends,

Brett and I are back from Ireland (for about two weeks) and as always we hit the ground running... we lead very busy lives and because of that we often have long days and find it hard to shut our brains off. That being said...

Who doesn't like a good nights sleep?! I know the people in our house do! This email is all about essential oils that aid sleep and sometimes snoring too. 

Items of Note:

• Lets learn together!! ​I would love to get to talk about any questions you might have! If you have any questions or are interested in getting together one on one just let me know. Lets grab a beverage!
• In November I'll be placing my order the evening of Sunday, November 2 and my email/blog will be on essential oils to aid anxiety and emotions.
• I'm not a doctor and neither I nor the oils make miracles, the oils work differently for everyone.
• Always do a test spot when trying new oils (the underside of the upper arm works best, and one drop will do).

Sleep Aids:
Tranquil Rollon - a blend of lavender, cedarwood, and Roman chamomile essential oils blended with coconut oil. This blend is effective in reducing restlessness, decreasing anxiety, and inducing a calming feeling to the body and mind.
RutaVaLa Rollon - a blend with lavender, valerian, and ruta blended with coconut oil. This blend promotes relaxation of the body and mind, soothes stressed nerves and induces sleep.
Valerian - An oil clinically tested over the last 30 years for it's tranquilizing properties. This oil is know to exert a calming effect to the central nervous system and is often used for insomnia and anxiety.
Orange - An uplifting oil known to boost immunity, induce relaxation, and reduce depression. It's also very tasty in my daily water bottle!
Idaho Balsam Fir (can aid snoring) - This oil is known for it's ability to aid in healing respiratory conditions and relieving upper respiratory system infections and fatigue. IBR is also known for stimulating the mind and relaxing the body!
Ylang Ylang (Flower of Flowers) - The flower was once used to cover the bed of newlyweds on their wedding night. Diffuse this oil throughout the night while sleeping or massage 2-4 drops of oil neat* onto the soles of your feet just before bedtime. *Neat = straight from the bottle, no carrier oil. You can add a carrier oil if you wish, just put socks back on after.

Young Living Essentials > 

• Spotlight oil of the month Blue Cypress!
• The 2014 Young Living Holiday Catalog is available! Just digital for now so check out a sneak peek ​link below​. Click here > ​2014 YL Holiday Catalog
• Check out the brand new 2015 Product Guide (online) today and get a free copy* ($2 value) with each order placed in November or December! *1 per person, available in December. Click Here > 2015 YL Product Catalog
• The Seed to Seal promise from Young Living (one thing that makes them great) is available here: http://www.seedtoseal.com/en

-- 

Talk To You Soon,

Lora, LA, Lo, Layla

Young Living Independent Distributor # 1774576

Check out what Young Living Essential Oils are about: 

Discover What Essential Oils Are!

'Like' my Facebook page: LO.VE.

Read my Blog Site: 

​​

LAtravel80

Ireland Honeymoon Day One

Written from Loras perspective.

9 days in Ireland starts in Madison on a shuttle bus to O'hare, International Terminal 5.

Kevin and Keegan dropped us at the park and ride and the first bus that got there was FULL... so after waiting 20 minutes the next bus that arrived was on the road and 5 stops from O'hare. Traffic on the way down was slow and upon arrival at 6:15/6:20 (45 minutes behind schedule). Get checked in, through security, grab some food and water, and boom wait to board the plane. This plane (Aer Lingus) is 6 seats across plays movies, music or TV in the seat backs and serves you two meals. We caught up on the movies Blended, Edge of Tomorrow, and X-Men. Longest. Flight. Ever.we were so glad to land in Dublin, get through the check points, claim luggage, and wait for our shuttle to the hotel, Doubletree by Hilton, only to wait a couple more hours before getting into our actual room. That's just enough time for me to freshen up, and Brett to nap for 15 minutes, and we're back out the door to get on our tour bus!

In Dublin we got a full driving tour of the city (which is huge), and a walking tour of Trinity College (which is tucked in Dublin, and old) a beautiful college with a great history. We got to see the gate to the residence of the US Ambassador which is right next to the residence of the President of Ireland. Amazing.

Back to the hotel - it's time to drink! Literally, we have a meeting with our tour guide, John, and they buy us a drink! YAY! By the way, not impressed with the ciders I had in Ireland. After said drink and a quick low down of how things work on the your we're free to find dinner on our own. Some opted to stay at the hotel but we ventured out with Joe, Celia, Larry and Carol. After trying three restaurants we ended up at Doheny and Nesbitts for a few pints, veg soup, and shepherds pie.

It's been a long way, and we just walked around a strange city after dark so we hit the hay shortly after returning! A 6:00 am wake up call comes quick when you need to have your luggage outside the door at 7:00 am.

One of the many beautiful colored doors in the Georgian district.

A year, and then some

We made it to our First Anniversary! (Brett's wearing his Lucky Guy shirt)

Yes, this post is a bit delayed. We've camped, flown, gotten passports, played baseball, went to baseball games, thought about a different house, stepped back from thinking about a different house, thought about another dog (still occasionally do), the list goes on.

We also went across the pond to visit Ireland! Best. Trip. Ever. My next several posts will be on our trip/honeymoon. We were there for nine amazing days. Things I loved the most: culture, food, Smithwicks (pronounced smid-icks), Irish Coffee, Jameson Whiskey, the land, the history. Many thanks to our family who watched Baxter and fed Fred while we were gone, in addition to taking us to the shuttle bus and picking us up from the airport.

Here we are back in Chicago!