Rowena Francis

Foundation Favourites | 2018

Published on April 11, 2018April 11, 2018 by Rowena Francis8 Comments

I’ve always been the type of person that finds a favourite product and then tries to stick with it forever. More times than I’m excited about, I’ve headed to the store just to find my favourites have been removed from the shelves.
Discontinued.
Way. Too. Often.
That’s where I found myself a few years ago when I ran out of my tried-and-true foundation. Oddly enough, I can’t even remember what it was.
Forgotten. That’s what it was.
This just also happened to be the same time that I found out about Sephora.
I went to Sephora and loaded up on foundation samples – Kat Von D, Tarte, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Makeup Forever, etc.
I found a few that worked great for me.
Out of those samples, these are the ones that I ended up buying in full-size. I’m loving the way they work for me.

Makeup Forever Ultra HD
Cost: $$ ($52 CDN)
Coverage: Medium
Great for all skin types, it claims to make skin look flawless and feel moisturized.
Let’s just be real here. This is the first high-end foundation that I bought. I was super surprised that foundation could last an entire day and still look flawless after that many hours.
It could be that I only ever used drug-store brands, or it could be that this foundation is just simply amazing.
I’ll give you the answer, it’s amazing.
The foundation went on smooth and blended well. It gave my face a smooth finish and still looked flawless at the end of each day.
Here is the review I wrote on Influenster.

Too Faced Born This Way
Cost: $$ ($49 CDN)
Coverage: Medium-to-full
Claims to moisturize, brighten skin’s appearance, promote elasticity and give a smooth & youthful appearance.
This is the foundation I tried when I ran out of my Ultra HD. Born this way foundation is absolutely perfect for everyday. It is super light on my skin and looks very natural.
Seriously, I just noticed on the website that it has hyaluronic acid in it. This is my new favourite ingredient. I did a ton of research on it when I was trying to decide if I wanted to get a gel shot in my knee – which is apparently hyaluronic acid…but that’s another story for another day.
Here is the review I wrote on Influenster.

Ok, so for some reason, my skin is getting lighter and lighter as the days go on. You’d think winter is lasting long into April or something. Due to this, my high-end foundations are way too dark for me. I mean, by more than a handful of shades. The last thing I wanted to do was go spend money on foundation shades that would only last for a month or so.
Now, y’all know that deals not only catch my eye, but also that I struggle to pass up a good one. Especially when it’s foundation and on sale for $5. In my new shade of blinding light skin tone, no less.
So, with that, I’m including my new fav drugstore foundation.

Maybelline Fit Me (Matte & Poreless)
Cost: $
Coverage: Medium
Ideal for normal to oily skin, it claims to blur pores and control shine. It also claims to leave a natural, seamless finish.
So, I’ll start by saying that I was pleasantly surprised with my $5 find. Beyond that, this foundation delivered results that were beyond my expectations. It matched my skin tone perfectly, went on smooth and blended extremely easily. It lasted all day and I couldn’t even tell a difference between this and my high-end loves. As a matter of fact, since my skin looks like it bleached itself overnight, I will probably head out to the nearest drugstore and pick me up a bottle in a beautiful shade of blinding light.

It might be worth mentioning that I’m currently wearing Tarte Shape Tape (hydrating) every day. Although I don’t love it as much as I love the concealer, it does work for me. However, you’ll never guess, but it’s also getting too dark for me.
What. Is. Happening??
If you read my post on my Sephora VIB Wishlist, I’ll likely be trying out Estée Lauder Double Wear next. The question is whether I buy it in shade winter or summer???

What is your favourite foundation? Do you live by high-end or drugstore finds? Comment below.

Sephora VIB Sale Wishlist | Spring 2018

Published on April 7, 2018April 7, 2018 by Rowena Francis4 Comments

Green corrector.

That was my very first purchase at Sephora. I was almost 20.

I had no idea what to do with it. I just loved the idea of a store completely dedicated to makeup.

So I bought the fanciest thing I could think of without looking like I was clueless about makeup.

I was.

And I probably reeked of ‘newbie’ from across the mall.

I’d like to say that’s when I started learning about makeup, but it’s not. We didn’t have any specialty makeup stores that I knew of where I lived. Plus, I never wanted to spend money. Ever.

Fast forward to 2016.

A friend forwarded me an email from Sephora.

And here we are. Loving makeup and working it into the monthly budget.

The semi-annual VIB Insider event is coming up at Sephora and I thought it would be fun to put together my top 10 shopping list for the spring.

First, let’s talk about the dates.

VIB ROUGE
April 13-16 & 20-23
15% discount
Code: YAYROUGE

VIB
April 20-23
15% discount
Code: YAYVIB

BEAUTY INSIDER
April 20-23
10% discount
Code: YAYINSIDER

With that, let’s dive into the list!

Tatcha
The Deep Cleanse
Tatcha
The Water Cream
Amika
Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Shampoo
Amika
Bombshell Blowout Volume Spray
Tarte
Mermaid Skin Hyaluronic H2O Sérum
Hourglass
Mineral Veil Primer
Estée Lauder
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation
Olaplex
Hair Perfector No. 3
Atelier Cologne
Collection Azur – Mandarin Glaciale
Urban Decay
All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

It was hard limiting my list to 10, but realistically I don’t have an unlimited number of resources available at my disposal for makeup. Or for anything.

If I could only get one thing, I would buy the Tatcha Deep Cleanse/Water Cream duo. I was so reluctant to buy anything from Tatcha because of the price point, but quickly found out that it is absolutely worth it!! My skin did a complete 180 degree turn literally overnight. That’s worth my money.
A good face of makeup starts with good skin care.

Are you shopping the VIB Sale at Sephora? What’s on your list? Comment below.

5 Tips to Survive the Sugar Purge

Published on April 4, 2018April 3, 2018 by Rowena Francis2 Comments

Pinterest Sugar Purge — Photo by Heather Schwartz on Unsplash

I recently shared how I ditched sugar. I’d like to say it was super easy and it happened in a finger snap. It didn’t.

Although I did go cold turkey and it happened all in one day, it didn’t become a lifestyle until a few years later.

Maybe don’t torture yourself like that.

It was literally a daily choice – sometimes a moment by moment choice – that formed habits of saying no to things.

That paved the way for it to turn into a lifestyle.

Step by step. Moment by moment. Choice by choice.

Here are my tips for getting started.

Tip #1 Don’t get excited by all the sugar-free ‘options’ at the local grocery store.

I had no idea that sugar-free chocolate existed until a few weeks into my journey. When I saw the bag at the store, I bought multiple bags of EVERY kind offered.

When I got home, I indulged and ate every last chocolate that I bought.

Maybe self-discipline was my downfall?

Within a few hours, I was in agonizing pain.

I mean, agonizing.

My belly swelled out and resembled a fairly pregnant state. I could barely stand up straight because of the pain in my gut. Then, I had to try to avoid all types of social measures because the best air fresheners couldn’t even keep up. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it was a struggle to escape the porcelain throne.

Guess what.

I didn’t make the correlation.

Just a few short days later, I was craving chocolate again.

And the process kept on going.

Until a friend told me about sugar alcohols.

Tip #2 Steer clear of sugar alcohols.

Sugar alcohols are sweeteners used in many products labeled ‘sugar-free’ or ‘no sugar added’.

Sugar alcohols sweeten your treats, but tear up your gut – they have this crazy effect called a laxative effect.

See where I’m going with this?

Just. Don’t. Do. It.

Trust me on that one. Your gut will thank you.

Sugar alcohols may appear as

Maltitol
Sorbitol
Mannitol
Lactitol
Isomalt
Glycerol
Erythritol

There are so many names for sugar alcohols, so do some research or just stay away from anything that lists ‘sugar alcohols’ in the nutritional information on the package (there is an exception to this, I’ll mention later).

Tip #3 Be prepared with a plan

One of the things that I struggled with at first was the cravings. I’m going to be frank, the cravings have never gone away completely. However, I quickly learned that they had a rhythm and rhyme to them. All I had to do was prepare ahead of time by baking. I have done a ton of experimenting with baking sugar-free. It was quite hard back in 2011 because there were very few options available. My first baking experiment was brownies and they looked, felt and tasted just like a cardboard box. I’m not kidding. Now I feel like I have so many options to use to satisfy my sweet-tooth when it comes every few weeks.

Tip #4 Find a healthy sugar alternative that you like.

The thing with any sugar alternative is that it will never be an exact match to the sugar cane. So, you’ll have to find something that you like and what works for you. For me, for the last 7 years it has been coconut sugar. That being said, just a few weeks ago I tried Swerve (available on Amazon or Superstore) and thought it was the closest to sugar that I’ve ever had – and it comes in granulated and powdered). Technically it’s a sugar alcohol (erythritol), but it’s all natural (like the erythritol that’s found in pears, etc.). I made peanut butter cups with it and my kids devoured them.

There are some other great alternatives. However, I’ve never been a fan of Splenda and although I do use it sometimes, stevia usually lands me with a pretty migraine.

Tip #5 Purge the pantry.

Stop for just one moment. Don’t even think of doing this until you’ve explored Tips 1-4.

You. Will. Regret. It.

Once you have a plan, a sugar alternative that you like and have educated yourself enough on the effects of sugar alcohols, then it’s time to go through your cupboards.

My rule of thumb as I purged my cupboards, fridge, pantry, freezer, dressers, pockets, shelves, etc. (yes, I hid sugar everywhere!) is if it has sugar (by any name) in the first 8 ingredients, I chucked it.

Did you know that ingredients are listed in order of quantity used? Sometimes companies separate the sugars into different names so that sugar doesn’t appear within the first few ingredients.

Tip #6 Give yourself a break.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s extremely difficult to cut sugar cold-turkey. Give yourself time to adjust to it. Take small steps to work toward your goal. It’s doable and you will notice wonderful benefits when you take the plunge. It’s been 7 years for me and I’m still learning and adjusting. It’s a process.

Are you on a journey to cutting down on your sugar intake? What sugar alternatives do you use? Comment below.

*Disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. There is no added cost to you.

Israel – The Garden of Gethsemane

Published on March 31, 2018 by Rowena FrancisLeave a comment

Easter.

What does it mean to you?

Many of you know that I had the privilege to travel to Israel in February (2018). Touring the Holy Land was one of the best travel experiences I’ve had. There is so much rich history and being there painted a picture in my mind that I wish I could capture and retell for all to hear.

Since it’s Easter weekend, here’s a little tidbit of that picture from the Garden of Gethsemane.

Gethsemane 5

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
Matthew 26:36

Imagine. You’ve lived a good life so far. You’re young – in your prime. When you know that the time has come for you to kick the bucket. But not just the close your eyes and slip into eternity type, the kind where you know you’re going to experience the worst of the worst before you give up the ghost. You know that you have the power to stop the atrocities by making one small decision to do things differently than your father told you. You also know that by saving yourself, you would be denying everyone your father loves dearly from the salvation that you took. It’s either you die like this, or your father’s loved ones will be separated from him forever.

What would you do?

Would that be an easy choice for you?

If it was me, at the very least, I’d be pleading with my father to find another way to accomplish his plan.

And that’s exactly what Jesus did.

Jesus said in Matthew 26 that he felt so sorrowful, even unto death. He took his disciples and asked them to pray while he went to ‘talk to his Father.’ He pleaded so hard that the Bible says he actually sweat drops of blood.

Drops of blood!

Gethsemane 4

When he was finished praying, he knew that this was the only way to save all of humanity.

He had resolve. Resolve to endure.

For you. For me. For all of humanity.

I’m not religious, but I have been a Christian for 30 years. Almost sounds like an oxymoron, but I seriously love the fact that I can know God on a personal level. That’s only possible because of Christ’s death on the Cross.

I’ve always been grateful for what Christ accomplished on the Cross, and now I feel like I’ve experienced a personal connection to His death, burial and resurrection.

Being in the Garden of Gethsemane made that come alive to me.

In our day and age, we look forward to Friday and stress about what comes after Sunday.
But for real.
When you get the revelation…
Friday was a struggle to endure.
But Sunday came.

Gethsemane 2

He is risen. He’s alive.
He’s shaken me to my core.
I believe that my God is about to shake the nations.

The Beauty of Marriage

Published on March 28, 2018 by Rowena Francis3 Comments

Have you ever had a discrepancy in the timing of an event that happened in your life? Has it ever been a significant discrepancy?

Like, a 3 year difference?

On March 29, 2018, Brian and I will celebrate 15 years of marriage.

No, this is not the event in question!

As we approach our anniversary, I can’t help but reminisce about all the interesting things that have happened along the way.

Here are the top 3 craziest things that make our relationship unique.

The night I found out that Brian moon lighted as an actor.
I’m the type of person that falls asleep simultaneously as I hit the pillow.
Brian’s the type to not ever sleep.
Just after we returned from our honeymoon, we went to bed as usual – I slept and he tossed and turned. Sometime in the middle of the night, pitch black and can’t see my hand in front of my face, Brian pounces out of a sleeping position, pins me down and tells me to be quiet.
Of course, this freaked me out just a bit.
It seemed that he heard someone in the house, but our door was shut so I had no idea. I was paralyzed by fear! I lay there for about 5 minutes when I realized that no one was in the house. I tried asking Brian what was happening, when all he whispered was ‘Don’t move or the snake will attack!’
It took me a moment, but then I realized that he was dreaming and literally acting it out while he was sleeping.
Imagine being awakened like that in the dead of night…or even being startled awake by a tall glass of water being poured over you (apparently you were the plants, as he says)…or how about when the dog cries in the middle of the night and your husband tells you to let him be, it’s the song of the angels.

Our first date.
My version? August of 1998, he came and picked me up in his new Ford Probe GT to go rollerblading on a trail near the river. We rolled down the trail and chatted about life. Afterward, we drove to Dairy Queen where we shared a strawberry sundae.
His version? March of 2002, after years of on-again, off-again, ‘I like you’, ‘I don’t like you’, he asked me to go out for tea. He apologized to me, told me he didn’t want to play games and wanted to officially date me. He told me to go home and think & pray about it and let him know after that.
Of course, I was still madly in love with him, but didn’t want to seem desperate, so I told him I’d let him know.
The next day, I called him and told him I would be his girlfriend. He gave me his ‘helmet’ ring to signify that he was my knight in shining armour and we went to a Christian club in Michigan with a group of friends.

This leads me to #3

The beginning.
Brian spent the first few weeks of our relationship going out with other girls to let them know he was officially dating me and he would not be on the market anymore.
Oh my, that sounds so crazy, but honestly, there were so many girls after him and so many that thought they should be his rightful girlfriend/wife.
He had to do damage control.
It didn’t go over well with some of them. If I told you some of the backlash I got, you’d think I was lying.

There are so many things that happen throughout life and in relationships – some good, some bad. All in all, when you love someone, you get through it.

I love my life with Brian. It’s more than I could ever have asked for. He is a man who seeks after God with all of his heart and loves me and our kids more than anything in life. He is one of the most self-less, dedicated beings I’ve ever encountered and he strives to better our lives every day.

He truly is my knight in shining armour.

I still wear his helmet ring every day.

Happy Anniversary to my favourite guy in the whole world!

Do you have funny or crazy stories in your relationships? Comment below.

Gym Bag Essentials

Published on March 24, 2018March 23, 2018 by Rowena Francis1 Comment

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that you can never be too prepared. When it comes to working out, it’s such a hassle if you’ve forgotten something that you really need.

Over the years, my essentials have evolved, but here are the items I currently couldn’t do without.

BCAAs
I used to only drink water at the gym, but I would find myself making multiple trips back to the water fountain to refill my bottle. Water alone never seems to quench my thirst at the gym. My sister introduced me to these BCAAs and they have made a world of difference in my workouts. My favourite flavour is white grape.

Music & Headphones
I used to use gym time as ‘sister’ time – which eliminated the need for music or headphones. Some days we would lift and chat for a few hours at a time. Now that I’m heading to the gym solo (which was always one of my greatest fears!), I find the need for some musical inspiration. I pop on my beats, press play on my Spotify playlist and get in the zone. I love my wireless headphones and dread the days when I find myself without them at the gym.

Deodorant
Maybe this goes without saying, but deodorant is definitely an essential for me. I can’t say that everyone at the gym has this view, but it would be great if they did. I always keep an extra stick in my bag for those workouts that require that little bit of ‘extra’ protection.

Protein Bar
I’m currently out of my favourite protein bars, but will be stocking up again real soon! My favourite bars are Daryl’s All Natural Protein Bars. I’ve never tasted anything so delicious and satisfying!
Bonus – their factory is located in Windsor, so I get to support a local business when I buy them!

Lock
Once I forgot my lock and I had to carry all of my stuff with me. Gross. I keep my lock in my bag always now. Goes without saying that it keeps all your valuables safe and secure in the lockers.

Gum
I don’t know what it is about gum, but I feel lost without it. I have a pack in my bag, purse, car, jacket, desk, etc. I just don’t like to be without it. My favourite gum is Excel and I tend to buy it in bulk.

Moist Wipes
I don’t like showering at the gym – public showers aren’t my favourite thing. I also don’t like getting into my car all sweaty. Keeping wipes on hand helps with a quick wipe down so I can drive home and shower in the comfort of my own home.

Elastics
Many times I start my workouts with my hair down. Y’all know what happens when things get real? A pineapple bun gets thrown on top of my head mid workout and gives me the oomph to kill my workout. I couldn’t do that without my trusted elastics.

Muscle Rub
I rarely use this actually at the gym, but I like knowing that it’s in my bag whenever I need it. I use doTERRA Deep Blue Rub and love it a lot! Brian actually loves it even more than I do!

Gym Bag
Maybe this is a given. I don’t know. However, I have such high expectations with my gym bags, so I’m including it in this post. I used to just throw things into my purse, but I kept forgetting essentials, so I went on the search for the perfect bag. Without getting into all the aspects of a perfect gym bag, I will tell you straight up that it has to fit nicely into the locker. I can’t stand squashing, forcing and slamming things to fit. Here is one similar to the one I use.

There are a few other things that I occasionally have in my bag such as a bag of nuts/seeds, feminine products, weight lifting gloves, makeup, Vibram FiveFingers, change of clothes, etc.

I find that when I’m physically prepared to workout, it’s easier to get in the zone mentally.

What are some of your gym bag essentials? Let me know in the comments below.

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

How I Ditched Sugar

Published on March 21, 2018 by Rowena Francis4 Comments

7 years.

That’s how long I cut out sugar in my diet.

When I travelled to Israel in February, I decided I wasn’t going to be sugar-free anymore.

I ate sugar.

Sugar.

I ate it!

Guess what?

I couldn’t handle it.

My body reminded me first hand of all the terrible things sugar did to me – brain fog, sluggishness, bloating, headaches.

So, although I’m not going to call myself ‘sugar free’ anymore, I definitely don’t want to willfully eat it again.

That brings me to the question I get a lot.

Why did I decide to cut out sugar?

Everyone thinks that when you do something drastic like that it’s because you’re some sort of health nut or something.

I’m going to be honest – I didn’t do it because I wanted to be healthy. I did it out of sheer competition.

…with my husband, no less…

Here’s the low-down.

Brian approached me one day and said he was giving up sugar for a month. All I could think of was that I was going to stuff my face full of sugar, ballooning out like a hippo and he was going to be all ‘healthy’ and fit.

So, I told him I would do it with him.

He laughed.

I mean, he laughed so hard I may have seen a tear slide down his cheek.

He said I wouldn’t last a day.

That was all he had to say.

The next 24 hours were brutal. I mean, brutal! I’m talking headache, shakes, irritability, literally the works.

I was determined to prove I could last a month, so I pushed through it. Kudos to my kids for putting up with me.

After a month – probably the longest month ever – Brian went back to eating sugar again and I realized I had a problem. Every night that month I would dream about chocolate and wake up tasting it! I couldn’t tell if it was all in my head or if I was sleep-walking in the night and indulging in the bliss of chocolate heaven.

So, I decided I would keep sugar out of my diet until I had some self-control.

I went through the entire house and cleared out all of my stashes. I had chocolate hidden so many places, you’d think I was a chocolate hoarder.

I was.

Mom fail – my kids didn’t even know that they got candy at Halloween or Easter or anything because I ate all of it.

I also went through my whole kitchen and threw out anything with sugar (or a derivative) in the first 8 ingredients.

Good-bye bbq sauce. Sayonara ketchup. Bon voyage salad dressing. Arrivederci to almost everything!

Honestly, it was such a great decision. It didn’t take long and I started feeling the difference. Here are some of the benefits that I experienced:

Mental clarity – no more brain fog
Sleeping better
Waking up awake
Weight stability
No more bloating
Talking without stumbling over words
Increased memory
Less migraines

All in all, it took a good year before I stopped tasting sugar in my sleep. Once that year mark hit, I didn’t have to purpose to not eat sugary foods, it just became more of a lifestyle for me.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been times throughout the 7 years that I just wish I could taste it one more time, but I know it’s a slippery slope for me. The symptoms I experienced by trying a teaspoon of it in my coffee on vacation were enough to encourage me to continue on without refined sugar in my diet.

Do you struggle with chocolate or sugar? Maybe I’ll do a post with my sugar-free tips (hint: it won’t be anything with maltitol – sugar-free doesn’t have to mean digestive issues.) Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Israel Highlights 2018

Published on March 17, 2018 by Rowena Francis1 Comment

Israel.

A land fought over. A nation set apart. A people loved by God.

I always had a deep desire to see and experience Israel. I remember in school there was a map mural on the wall above our desks. My desk sat right in front of Israel. Every day I would see Tel-Aviv on the map and I would dream about being there one day.

I never thought it would actually be a reality.

Until.

I was sitting in church, minding my own business. I was literally starting to doodle my sermon notes when they announced that there was still room on the upcoming Israel trip.

My heart leaped.

I didn’t know why. I had constantly said over the years that I wouldn’t ever be able to go because I wouldn’t be able to fly for that long. Fear kind of dictated to me the places I would and wouldn’t go over the years.

I couldn’t get past this feeling, so I whispered to God that I would only go if my father in law approached me on it. I was not going to look into it on my own.

The next morning, I walk into my office, just start putting my things away and my father in law walked in. He said something along the lines of ‘wouldn’t you want to go?’

I was kind of stunned, but I said yes (blah, blah blah, flight too long, nervous, love Israel, blah, blah, blah).

Next thing I knew, Brian was arranging for time off and we were sending our application off to the travel agency.

Done.

I was going to ISRAEL!!!

I was so excited that I started packing right then and there – 2.5 months before our flight was scheduled to leave.

Seriously, this trip did not disappoint!

It’s taking me so long to write about it because there was so much to take in.

If I had to pick my top highlights, I would be here forever because I loved EVERY MINUTE. Nonetheless, here are a few highlights.

See of Galilee
Imagine being on a boat on the Sea of Galilee, worshipping to hymns with your favourite human on Valentine’s Day. The only thing that would’ve made it better is if my kids were with us. The atmosphere is so hard to describe, but the experience will last forever in my heart.

Caesarea
Caesarea blew my mind. All I ever knew about Herod the Great was that he was a brutal, ruthless leader. What I didn’t know was that he was a genius in architecture. Also, as I learned throughout our trip, despite the fact that Herod wanted to kill Jesus, his ingenuity in architecture paved the way for the Gospel of Christ to be spread. See what I mean about blowing my mind?!

Bet She’an
Walking down the cardo (main street), seeing all the rich history of Bet She’an was breathtaking. The city was destroyed by an epic earthquake that devastated and leveled the place. You can literally see how the earth shook in how the ancient ruins are still laid out to this day.

Dead Sea
Experiencing this phenomenal place was such a unique experience. I mean, floating in the water was incredible! There were sharp rocks periodically under the water and we were later told that they are salt deposits or pillars of salt. Sound familiar? Did I just visit Lot’s wife?

Jerusalem
There is so much beauty in Jerusalem, and overall it was truly breathtaking. It’s busy, and seeing all the points in Old Jerusalem and everything in between is a lot to take in. It’s a place where I feel like I left a piece of me and definitely want to go back and explore longer. My most solemn moment was with my sister-in-law when we visited the Wailing Wall – truly a memory I will cherish forever.

Ok, I could seriously go on and on and on with this post.

But I won’t.

Visiting Israel really connected history, the Bible and modern-day life for me in a way that I can’t even explain. Leaving Israel I feel like I have caught a glimpse of how much God loves Israel.

I will be back…

Have you ever visited Israel? Let me know your favourite thing about Israel in the comments below.

Travel for Less

Published on March 10, 2018 by Rowena Francis1 Comment

There are 2 things I love in life – spending money and saving money.

If only I could do both simultaneously…except I can! (and I do)

Seriously, my husband loves me for it!

Ok, maybe love is a strong word, but who doesn’t love someone who saves a boatload of money?!?

One thing I always save money on, besides everything, is travel. It’s something that just thrills me to find a great deal.

I just love an amazing luxurious vacation without the price tag.

Is it a coincidence that my maiden name is ‘Price’??

I say it’s meant to be.

Think about this:
more planning/prep equals less $$ spent
less planning/prep equals more $$ spent.

Without much further ado, here are my top 10 ways to save on your next vacation.

Always be on the lookout
Frequently take a quick look through a few of your favourite vacation websites to see what’s out there, what’s on sale and what you’d like

Be flexible
Sometimes, people choose travel dates for many different reasons. If you can, be flexible with the dates you want to go. Last year when we went to Cancun, leaving 2 days earlier than originally planned saved us money.

Book last-minute
Some of the best deals are last minute. I can’t even count how many times I get into convos with people on vacation that tell me the steal of a deal they got that was hundreds of dollars above the price I paid.

Be prepared
Almost all of my trips are booked last-minute – I’m talking the book on Tuesday, leave on Friday type. This can be hard, especially if you have kids/pets to make arrangements for, but we have made it work with our 2 kids and a dog. The key is preparation. I always have a process that I follow once I book a vacation (like lists of babysitters, meal prep, packing lists, etc.) and it seriously helps me in those moments that I wake up deciding to go on vacation.

Be open-minded
It can be very easy to get caught up in going to the same places you swear by, but think about trying a new resort, cruise line, airline or destination. You may be pleasantly surprised.

However, this leads me to tip #6…

Check unbiased reviews & video footage
This isn’t really a money-saving tip, but it can be if you tend to waste your money on resorts that aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Resorts, hotels, cruise ships, etc. all want you to pick them. They will post the best pictures and sometimes they even give incentives to people to write good reviews about them. Check out recent, real people reviews and footage.

This is actually something that made me think about blogging – none of the reviews I read/saw gave an accurate depiction of the beach/oceanfront. When we got to one destination, there was a 5 day rain streak and we noticed that they pumped all the rain water into the ocean directly in front of the resort. Let’s just say it looked and smelled like decaying flesh (it was actually decaying trees branches). We won’t be going back there.

Cruise
Cruising can be a great way to see many different places without spending the money on traveling individually to each of those places. There are many cruise lines that offer discounts and incentives.

Travel off-season or during rainy season
I know it sounds unappealing to go to a warm, tropical destination and have it rain on your parade. Just hear me out…tropical rainy seasons aren’t like the rain we get here (Canada), they usually get spurts of rain, followed by bursts of sunshine. Within my short 15 years of cruises and resorts (most of them during rainy season), I’ve only had 1 vacation that it rained non-stop for 5 days – and the locals said it was not normal.

Fly the deals
There are many ways to save on flights. If you stick with the same airline, you can get miles to use toward flights. I’ve never personally done this yet because we’ve generally flown with Spirit or Sunwing, but I do have a new favourite airline – Southwest! You can definitely find cheaper base prices with Spirit, but I recently flew with Southwest and loved everything about it. I’m now at a place in life where I value my comfort more than saving $$. (Shh, don’t tell Brian!)

Think outside the box
This is actually better suited for a blog post on it’s own, but it’s worth mentioning in saving money. You know how people buy timeshares? You know how those same people don’t always get the week(s) they want so they don’t go? Guess what happens to those timeshare rooms/condos. They sell them to money-saving gurus like me! It’s called vacation resort certificates and you can buy them for super cheap. We went to Florida for 2 weeks and only paid $500 for a 2 story condo with 2 bedrooms, full kitchen, full laundry, that backed onto an outlet mall and was 15 minutes from Disney. We were able to use the money we saved to bring the kids to Disney, their water parks, Legoland, Arabian Knights & more!

So there you have it! My top 10 money-saving tips for vacation. Let me know in the comments below how you save money when you vacation.

10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Grand Cayman

Published on March 7, 2018 by Rowena FrancisLeave a comment

7 Mile Beach — Photo by Marc Babin on Unsplash

If I ever go missing, you’ll know where to find me.

Imagine trying to wave for a taxi, exhausted after an afternoon in the sun. You’re standing on the wrong side of the road. The taxi is heading away from the port, but the driver says he can bring you back before you need to board your cruise ship.
You get in.
There are 2 people in the van already. They begin talking about life on the island, pointing out their favourite places. The taxi stops and picks up an elderly lady. She climbs in the front and joins the conversation, adding some history and memories. At the next stop, the couple leaves the taxi. On and on, dropping off and picking up people on the journey, each person adds a story or personal touch to the ongoing conversation about the island.
When you get back to the ship, the driver charges you the amount of money it would have cost you if you went directly back to the port. Then you find out that all those people, all those stories were his family and friends and you realize that he brought you into a glimpse of his home and gave you a part of his heritage – just because you were standing on the wrong side of the road.

That was the day I fell in love with Grand Cayman.

If that story doesn’t capture your heart, here are 10 more reasons why you should visit Grand Cayman.

7 Mile Beach
Imagine a pristine beach that goes on as far as your eyes can see. 7 Mile Beach does not disappoint. If you ever go to Grand Cayman, this is the place to be!
Stingray City
This place is a large sandbar area sitting within the barrier reef that surrounds the island. It’s where the stingrays come to get fed. Apparently the fishermen of old used to go to this place to clean their fish. The stingrays thrived on what was thrown overboard and began associating the boats with food. It soon became a tourist attraction. The beauty is in the extremely friendly nature of the stingrays.
Crystal Caves
Brush up on your stalagmites and stalactites, because you’ll be seeing them here. The beauty of the natural caves are unique and fascinating.
Hell
Have you ever been to Hell and back again? Well, this is the Hell you would love to go to! It is full of limestone formations. It is quite small – about half of a football field. Although you won’t be able to walk among the formations, you will be able to see them and take photos from platforms.
Dive Sites
There are over 200 dive sites on Grand Cayman. If diving is your thing, take some time to check out some of the options here.
Botanical Park
This 65-acre park has beautiful tropical landscapes and trails. There are 5 themed gardens that you can explore on your own or with a tour. The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is famous for its Blue Iguana Recovery Programme. You can see the ‘blue dragons’ roaming around the park.
Wreck of the Ten Sail
If you’re a history buff, or love a good shipwreck story, the Wreck of the Ten Sail is for you. It is a historic shipwreck that happened near Grand Cayman way back in 1794.
Starfish Point
At Starfish Point you will find a breath-taking, remote beach with crystal clear water. Come see starfish, or sea stars naturally in their habitat.
Coral Garden
This is a great place for shallow snorkeling. It is located inside the barrier reef and you will find beautiful fish, corals and sea creatures.
Turtle Centre
A beautiful place to encounter Sea Turtles. They even have an annual turtle release that takes place during Pirate’s Week in November.

Obviously, my personal favourite and what won my heart was the beauty and heart of the locals. Nothing will ever top that. Theodore Roosevelt once said, ‘Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.’

I must say that I agree.

Have you ever been to the Cayman Islands? There are so many more things to do! What is your favourite thing in Grand Cayman? Let me know in the comments below!