Welcome to both my long time readers and my new readers/subscribers. January and February have found me and my husband Steve streamlining our entire little house and systems, because even though we "declutter" our home on an ongoing basis, once a year or so we do a bigger deeper declutter and donate to Goodwill, and we also spruce things up aesthetically. When are you moving to Hawaii? Below is one of the "games" I play with myself to make decluttering and streamlining our home easier, and you can do it too. The best part? This organizing technique is free. No professional organizer who will charge you $100 per hour to help you decide what to declutter in your home is required. So here we go ... Pretend you are moving to Hawaii. Seriously. Why Hawaii, you might ask, and what does that have to do with making decluttering your home easier?! Turns out, a lot, because ... If you live anywhere other than Hawaii already, you have to navigate a big blue ocean to get your "stuff" over to Hawaii, and pay a lot to do so too, so while you're trying to decide what you're going to take on your "faux/fantasy move" to Hawaii ask yourself: Would I want to pay (lots of money) to schlepp this across the ocean to Hawaii on a ship, and then off the boat to my new home in a truck that I pay for too? My guess is not so much. (Especially if you have checked shipping rates!) How do I know this is true? Well, many years ago I had an elderly friend who was moving to Hawaii to live with her adult children in her older age. Since her "kids" -- (in their 60s or so), were unable to come to the mainland due to work etc., she was on her own with her move, other than a realtor. (Who turned out to be not so great, just adding to the stress.) I took mercy on her, giving her packing and moving tips and resources and encouragement along the way. No matter how much I suggested (kindly) that she not do it, she insisted on moving her big heavy carved wooden bed because she loved the frame and headboard and had had it forever, and so pay to move that big bed on a boat to Hawaii she did. I called her after her move and she sounded stressed as she told me she had been "refinishing" her bed with touch-up scratch coverup -- all carved big headboard of it. She said one of the boards would also have to be repaired as it had broken on the way over, and she was still quite distraught about this and went on and on. How much easier it would have been just to buy a new bed in Hawaii, don't you think? (Which probably would have cost less than shipping her bed too.) Around about that same time, I kid you not, I happened to hire a new massage therapist who liked to talk during our sessions, (much as I mentioned that I don't like to talk during my massages.) She was telling me all about her upcoming move back to Hawaii and how stressed she was with deciding what to ship over there and especially how much it was going to cost to ship her Toyota van. (Vans are big, and heavy, right?) Well, since I was trapped on that massage table as Hawaii-Moving-Gal-2 yakked on and on about moving back to Hawaii, I gave her some moving tips. About six months later she called to tell me and her other CA clients that she was once again available for massage because Hawaii hadn't worked out, so she had moved her van back to the mainland, along with herself and all her "stuff." Van included. Now I don't know about you, but neither of these situations sounds much fun to me, and also very pricey, and I've orchestrated enough moves of my own, (15 of them), to know I'd try to do everything I could to declutter and streamline my home and sell everything off but my soul before I'd ship it all to Hawaii! (My best moving tips are just $1.99 'til the end of February.) So, as you go around your home to streamline and declutter your possessions this pandemic winter, ask yourself: Do I really want to move this to Hawaii? Do I really want to pay a lot of money to move this to Hawaii? Do I? Do I? If you do, that's totally fine, of course, but please just give it some cost and stress consideration before you do. On another home note ... Here's something we did in our home recently while decluttering that has worked really well ... I don't like a cluttered fridge front, so these new magnetic lists work great and when I go to buy the goods I just take the magnetic list off the fridge to my computer and order away. The pens and eraser being right there too avoid that "Now where's a pen?!" thing-y. We labeled ours GROCERIES, HOUSEHOLD, ESSENTIAL OILS, REMEDIES. That's just what makes sense to us for our orders, but your labels will be unique to your family, of course. Some things I DO feel are okay to leave on the front of my fridge ... Like a couple of my favorite magnets I've had for years, but I ditched all the others. Suffice it to say not a lot of silver and champagne room service has been happening in most of our homes during this pandemic time, and when this pandemic is over my friends, I don't know about you, but I want to go someplace like this! And I'm hoping a uniformed butler with a posh silver tray is on duty! :) Have fun "moving" to Hawaii, Kathryn :) #kathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #authorkathrynbechen #decluttering #organizing #smallspaces #smallspaceorganizing

Steve and I have been decluttering and re-sprucing up our home since about January 1 and one of the things I got rid of this big declutter session was ALL glass candle holders and faux candles. I love romantic white lighting, but alas, my hand grip isn't what it used to be so I want as little glass in my home as possible after cleaning some broken glass up a couple of times. And I don't want to use real candles as I think they are a fire hazard, nor faux candles anymore either since they cost a lot, end up in landfills, and don't last very long at all. (Yes, I'm a practical incurable romantic!) So I thought I'd show you a little trick for some romantic lighting that's inexpensive to buy, easy to hide, and easy on the electric bill too. Don't get too excited though, as it's not rocket science ... DISCLOSURES All we did was string a row of little white twinkle lights (like you use at Christmas) on the wall using c-hooks screwed into the wall. That's it! As romantic as any bistro we've ever been to. Add a new tablecloth (really nice!) and you're good to go. When you push the table, with the tablecloth on it, up in front of the lights, there's a soft "hidden" glow. Romantic! We kept our Val Day dinner simple this year, and easy to make. No Beef Bourguignon was on the menu, with homemade bread, a green salad, and since I drank all the Club Soda because I had a stomachache, orange juice became our "champagne." And Steve forgot to put the napkins on the table. Yep, we're really hot dates! Oh well, life is imperfect, no matter what Instagram would like you to believe, and so are we. And of course, there's a little problem these days called a pandemic. Being together was the most important thing to us, no matter what or where. These sparkly Snoozies slippers are about as comfy as you can get for "dinner and dancing" shoes! I made Steve this chocolate cake and I must tell you, toss in some chocolate chips for some oooey-gooey yummy. Run to buy this, I'm telling you! After dinner, we watched a cute modern romantic movie while snuggling in our PJs in our bed. Steve in his home office, enjoying his new part-time post-retirement gig. He keeps this picture of me playing "dress up" in his open planner on his home office desk from when I was about seven years old or so. It always makes me laugh when I see it there, all propped up next to his work -- my blue satin high heels and dress to match, posing in the dead of winter by the old farmhouse we rented, like I was the latest New York runway "model." "That's my girl" he loves to tell me, with a grin. And then he adds, "And you're still the love of my life and always will be." Steve and I have had 44 Valentine's Days together now -- meeting each other in March of 1977, at ages 18 and 19. As we went through our annual home decluttering/streamlining process recently, we culled our Treasure Boxes. We each keep just one memorabilia box, a.k.a. our Treasure Box, and this time we shredded our love letters in them -- once tied nicely with ribbon and satin rope, but shredded now. We kept all the cards given to each other over the years, (we likely have kept Hallmark in business!), but the stacks of intimate handwritten letters back and forth to each other over the years are now gone, into the great love cosmos forever, since they are our private and personal and sacred, just-between-us love story. The most fun Valentine's Day we have ever had in this many years together? The one we are celebrating together right now. We hope you had a good one, with little white lights, and lots of love! Kathryn & Steve #kathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #authorkathrynbechen #ValentineDayatHome

DISCLOSURES When we visited my Grandma at her cozy little farmhouse located on a picturesque river when I was growing up, at Christmas she greeted us with the yummiest homemade molasses cookies, usually warm right out of the oven. This prompted me to go to my cookbook binder this year to find her vintage recipe to share with you. Since I turned 63 this year, this recipe is at least 55 years old. I hope you enjoy it! My Grandma's Molasses Cookies (I have "healthified" her vintage recipe a bit for modern times.) 2 c. flour (I use gluten-free) 1 t. soda 3/4 t. salt 1/2 t. cloves 1/2 t. ginger 1/2 t. cinnamon 1 c. sugar (I use coconut sugar) 3/4 c. shortening (I use coconut oil) 1 egg (I make a "faux flax egg" since I don't eat eggs now) 1/4 c. molasses 3/4 c. oatmeal (I use gluten-free) DIRECTIONS: Cream coconut oil and sugar in a bowl. Add faux egg and molasses, then all dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Roll in balls with your oiled hands and press down with a sugared glass bottom. Put about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet and bake at 375 'til done. I'd be willing to bet these are the best molasses cookies you've ever eaten! :) I don't personally make cookies very often at home anymore, but when I do, I love to have a cup of hot at-home coffee with them and here's how I do that ... My favorite coffee drink at home is to make hot coffee however you already make it and add cinnamon sticks to the coffee maker basket while the coffee is brewing. When it's brewed, into the cup it goes and I like light coconut milk for "creamer" and a spoonful of honey vs. sugar. Stir it up and there you go! We have personally gone back to ground coffee and a simple little dollarwise coffeemaker and are very happy we did. (Putting plastic pods in our landfills bothers me, plus they are expensive.) This coffee and this coffee are both Steve's and my favorites. They taste great and the price is great for organic coffee. (I've scouted that topic out online many places!) We use the Pacific as the main coffee and just add in a few spoonfuls of the Seattle's to the whole Pacific bag and shake or stir it up right in the bag. That gives it a bit more robust flavor, but not too much. It's so much fun to have your own coffee bar at home, especially now with Covid. We bought ours last year at Wayfair and they don't have our style anymore but here's a similar style that would work. It's fun to hang a cute coffee sign with it too and that would make a great Christmas gift for the coffee lover in your life. As a lifelong quote collector, this coffee sign made me laugh! These mugs would be a fun Christmas gift too. Merry merry molasses cookies and yummy at-home coffee! Kathryn #kathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #authorkathrynbechen #cookies #homemadecookies #molasses cookies #coffeeathome

I've come upon some more Good Little Things Lately from all over the world to share with you, and I hope you enjoy them and find them useful as well. BTW, some things would make great dollarwise Christmas gifts too. "I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me into a department store and he asked for my autograph." --Shirley Temple :) DISCLOSURES GOOD THINGS TO ORGANIZE A DESK: I've been doing lots of year-end and 2022 planning the last few weeks so I revamped my home office desk area and I love these new floral products that have put my life and desk in cozy bloom! Calendar, purple file holder, yummy file folders, little flower vase, "determined vintage lady" pen holder, weekly TO DO planner, and floral postcards. Yummy colors! It's still a work in progress, but I will get it done before year- end. Other older organizing helps (or similar) on/near my desk: index card file, drawers for supplies and biz cards, pen mug, drawer trolley. Love these trolleys to keep office supplies sorted and they work great for multiple colors of paper etc. too. I label the front of my drawers since you can't see through them as to what's in there. Labeling makes for a quicker finding of things. I plan to paint the rest of my desk pink in the future using Fuchsia Fizz from Ecos Paints which is the color on the top of my desk in the pix above. Ecos makes wonderful non toxic and odorless paints for the home and has done so for 35 years. I so appreciate their paint as a highly allergic person. Customer reviews. My pretty rose-pink blackout drapes work dandy for keeping out street lights glare. The "girl in the garden with a book" canvas pix I have had for a couple years and Steve kindly hung it for me on a silky rope with a c-hook behind the curtain. Worked great. I didn't have a wall to hang the pix on so we improvised! Steve always tells me this pix reminds him of me. Yes, when I was her young age I looked like that and I always had a book in my lap, too! Maybe that's why I turned out like this. My home office/computer is 95% paperless these days, after years of slowly and steadily working towards that goal. Mission accomplished! How we organized Steve's home office space above last year. His L-shaped desk is three of this desk put together. Steve is about 95% paperless too. Hurray! My best tips for organizing a small home and home office space. Home office press article I was interviewed for about small home office spaces. GOOD COTTAGE HOUSING THINGS: I so love the fun soothing colors in the little Bamboo model cottage-style house in Jimmy Buffett's 55+ Florida retirement village, a.k.a., Margaritaville. (Of course. And Jimmy sometimes even makes surprise appearances and will sing to you!) :) And a beach close by in this beautiful coastal area of Florida would be great to retire to as well, right? Great cottage-style homes right along the beach too -- with gulp-inducing price tags, to be sure. Simply Taralynn blogger has a beautiful "modern cottage" home in Charlotte, NC. I like the touches of black and her plans for a music room. The North Carolina fall leaves near her back porch are gorgeous. She and her husband also love bed and breakfast inns like Steve and I do. She has wonderful travel posts with links so be sure to take a look. I enjoy reading young bloggers' views now on more modern cottage style, since my decorating style is more vintage. (Like me.) :) GOOD WARDROBE THINGS: If you need wardrobe ideas for how to look polished yet feel comfortable for Christmas, pretty senior lady SusanAfter60.com has pix of holiday wardrobe ideas by event, and her outfit examples are great! Her longtime beau, Mr. Mickey, is quite dapper in case you want to show your hubby/significant other some polished dressing ideas for men too. Also, she has nice scenery photos of their lovely outings in Tennessee and the surrounds. Eat too much at Thanksgiving Dinner so now your clothes are a bit tight? I hear you. How about some easy exercise fun in a chair? Too cute. GOOD MONEY THINGS: My husband Steve likes these shirts on "super sale" at Jos A Bank. Steve retired this year from his full-time banking career of 41+ years, so as a savvy-spending kind of guy, he loves "super sales" on quality goods. Me too! GOOD RETIREMENT THINGS: Our "pre-retirement years" cottage, (a.k.a. Cactus View Cottage), that we bought new in Arizona in 2018 and have been organizing and decorating to our tastes ever since is now officially our "retirement cottage" since, as I already mentioned, Steve retired this year. Inside pix. (Scroll down.) For us, our small home is a good fit because it's cozy, easy to clean, easy to maintain on the outside, energy-cost efficient, near a golf-course for Steve, has many fun on-site activities, and is a good "lock & leave" since it's in a security community. For us, this checked all our retirement home boxes. (Of course, this might not be what YOU want for your retirement home.) Our home was built by Cavco, a nationwide leader in the manufactured/modular home building industry, and they continue to grow. This style of retirement home is very popular in the Phoenix, AZ area. If you'd like to buy a modular/manufactured home in a 55+ retirement community in Arizona, or elsewhere in the U.S., here is a good resource site filled with both new and existing homes, and lots of information. FAQs about this style of home. The prices have gone up a lot in AZ since we bought in 2018, but that's true everywhere I do believe. Happy Retirement, Mr. B! Love you, and your meticulous spreadsheets and copious tax estimate projections that have helped keep this 41-years-as-a-marital team moving forward with our money and lifestyle goals all the way into our retirement years. We did it! xxoo MORE GOOD RETIREMENT THINGS: These people below have studied and written extensively on the topic of retirement, both from the money angle, and the happiness/life-management angle: Will you be happy in retirement? How will you manage your money in retirement? Free retirement planning checklist GOOD CHRISTMAS THINGS: I love Bramley products and think they'd make great Christmas gifts! From across the pond, (they are in the U.K.), I ordered several of them months ago as I am a highly allergic person so their products looked like something I should try. I was so happy with all the products and it was totally worth paying the shipping, in my opinion. Prefer a simpler yet still-chic Christmas? Fiona's book on that topic is on sale now. She lives in beautiful New Zealand, where it's Christmas in the summer! :) Need a yummy and clever and easy brunch idea for the upcoming holidays? Janet's build your own bagel board is brilliant! Sandy at Reluctant Entertainer has a new book out on how to use big boards to entertain a group at home. Beautiful and practical way to entertain over the holidays, or at any time! Sandy is the go-to entertaining guests gal and she does it all with a huge heart. GOOD READING THINGS: I love that it's Hawaii Literacy's 50th Anniversary. I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1958, the year before it became a U.S. state. Now, that dates me, honey! :) I wrote to a book publisher recently to ask them if they would consider turning my favorite Bible study book into a Kindle eBook. They wrote right back and said they'd forward it on for consideration to the right department. I love this book because it's a quick daily study that relates the Bible to real life. GOOD LODGING THINGS: My heart skipped a beat when I found out about Nashville's Russell Hotel, in an historic church. What a beautiful restoration and what charitable hearts providing hope to the homeless. Hope and faith. Faith and hope. Steve is still talking about it! We both found the history of the building very interesting. If we ever stay there, we're gonna go for the room with the stained glass window! GOOD READER THINGS: It's fun for me to get emails from readers who live in other countries, and to know they like my tips. Thanks to Helene from France who wrote to me recently saying Happy Thanksgiving and that she enjoys my articles and "good ideas." If you'd like to contact me please email me at kathrynbechen (@sign) gmail (dot com). I read all emails I receive from real readers, (vs. icky spams!), and I appreciate receiving them, but thanks for understanding that I simply can't respond back to everyone individually. GOOD FRIEND THINGS: A touching story of two nine-years-old childhood best friends who were separated as Holocaust survivors and found each other again in their elder age of 91. What were the chances? Get out your tissues! GOOD ORGANIZING THINGS: It was 30 years ago this year that I started my organizing consulting and seminar business, Organized With Ease in our little house above in Omaha, NE. Home offices weren't much of a thing back then! I could never have dreamed where all it would take me and how many interesting people I would meet along the way! I later earned my C.I.D. decorating certificate and added that to my life-long organizing skills. I retired my in-person Organized With Ease business long ago, but I've kept on teaching organizing and decorating through my writing, press interviews, and books/eBooks virtually as KathrynBechen.com and I will continue to do that, God willing, because ... Now a "seasoned senior" looking in my rear view life and career mirror, I consider my teaching and motivating and inspiring others, (from all over the world by now), how to organize and beautify their own homes, home offices, and lifestyles so that they can live out the best life that God intended for them, (in spite of whatever hardships come their way and on the real-life budget they have), to be not only my God-given life mission and purpose, but my life legacy. Me with my very first book, Organizing Tips & Quips, back in the 90s. It's now an eBook. It's still my favorite book I've written as it's simple motivation and fun stories about and for real people. Getting organized does NOT have to be complicated. Simple is best is what I've always taught, and always will, even more now during our complex times. GOOD LITTLE HOME THINGS: This cutting board is just the right size to hold the casserole cooker I told you about awhile ago. Steve suggested I buy a cutting board so we don't burn our countertop and he's right; it's a smart idea! (He knew if the countertop burned that I'd probably want to remodel the whole kitchen so that might have been a factor here in his prudent $35 suggestion, ha!) I bought this trellis recently to put near our front porch and Steve assembled it and put it up for me. I will show you the result later; something so simple and sweet really added a nice additional cottage-y touch! And yes, I know it's not garden season in most places, but in AZ, it's summery year-round! I survived many Midwestern winters growing up there, and am so glad I don't have to do that anymore as I prefer orange trees! Let it snow flag. If you want to visit beautiful Arizona. (Once Covid is better under control, my friends. Be safe!) Wishing you a great year-end, however you choose to celebrate the Good Little Things that come into, or that you bring into, your life. Kathryn #KathrynBechen #KathrynBechenAuthor #AuthorKathrynBechen #Smallspaces #Smallspaceorganizing #Organizingsmallspaces #Decoratingsmallspaces

Soon we'll be celebrating the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday so I thought I'd round up some dollarwise Good Little Things to help us all celebrate ... some require zero cash outlay, and for those that do require a little money, with Amazon Prime's efficient delivery, there's still time to order. I've also included a couple links to some dreamy Thanksgiving locations ... and of course, dreaming is FREE, which makes it even more fun in my dollarwise lifestyle book. :) DISCLOSURES Thanksgiving prayers Thanksgiving songs A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Fall colors floral dress Pretty fall tablecloth Fall leaves lighting ambience Simple fall harvest recipes Fall savory snacks gift basket Vintage fall centerpiece Everything You Need to Know About Caring for a Thanksgiving Cactus Wouldn't Thanksgiving in Hawaii be dreamy some year?! Thanksgiving in a charming Vermont town has always been a dream of mine Living with Thanksgiving all the time -- what a smart way to live and a pretty blog! My husband Steve and I will be celebrating a simple and quiet cozy-for-two Thanksgiving Dinner in our "at-home bistro" that we updated a bit this year with a new table, chairs, pillow covers, turntable for napkins & condiments, and our cute new bistro sign. I bought several new colorful tablecloths* and pillow covers to change with the seasons of spring, summer, fall, winter. Just for colorful fun! That's the extent of my seasonal decorating though; I have never been a big seasonal decor person as I prefer simple overall and to spend money on keeping our home looking fresh and pretty year-round instead of buying seasonal things I will just need to store. Practical gal I am. :) AN OUTDOOR TABLE INDOORS? Our new lightweight dining nook table is much easier to move to clean under and the chairs are easier to get up out of since they have arms, plus they are very comfy seats. We chose these lightweights purposely for these reasons. Assembly required; Steve did that for me, God bless him. A 60 inch round tablecloth fits just right. A 52 inch square one would work equally as well I think or you could layer the square one over the round one for nice effect as I did below. These furniture pieces would look great on a small outdoor patio or balcony, yes, since they are really for outdoors, but I'd be worried if you live in an area with wind that they'd tip over, or worse, blow down the street! Seriously. (Arizona, where we live, has WIND; this is how I know.) :) *NOTE: This tablecloth on our table above has such a beautiful pattern in person but personally I found it a bit too lightweight for my taste to be a long term "keeper," plus it needed ironing and I prefer to just toss in the dryer and it comes out unwrinkled. So in all honesty, I don't think I'd buy it again but if you just want something light and quick, it's fine. Floral lace square table topper is really nice. Really nice weight of fabric too for this tablecloth on our table underneath the topper, and I would buy again. Yummy colors. Came out of the dryer like a dream with no wrinkles and stays on the table nicely due to the substantial weight. "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." --Psalm 136:1 I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving! Kathryn :) #Thanksgiving #Celebrations #Holidays #KathrynBechen #KathrynBechenauthor #AuthorKathrynBechen #decorating #homedecorating #smallspaces #smallspacedecorating #dollarwisedecorating

UPDATED & REPUBLISHED SEPTEMBER, 2021 Personally, I still don't believe it's a good idea to travel, with Covid being what it still appears to be according to the news. So let's take a little "armchair travelers" trip together on my blog today, from our own cozy homes, shall we? But first, let me ask you if you've ever considered this ... Is Bed & Breakfast Inn travel for YOU? My husband Steve and I have stayed at nearly 70 bed and breakfast inns in 17 U.S. states since 1987 and we love this m.o. of travel, but we feel it's not for everyone. Over the years, I've been asked countless times why we love inns so much and we have also been asked many kinds of other questions related to inns too. So, I thought I'd address some inn pros and cons and ins and outs, (sorry, couldn't resist the pun!) NOTE: The bed and breakfast inns I am talking about here are small businesses, usually in historic houses, with the homeowners or innkeepers living and working on site and tending graciously to guests. They are not rentals of someone's home bedroom, entire private home, or casita in their backyard that some sites call "bed and breakfasts" today where the homeowner may, or may not, live or be on site while guests are staying there. Just to clarify. IMPORTANT: The intent of this post is only to have a fun "armchair traveler" read here from your own home so as to be safer during Covid. But should you decide to actually travel to a bed and breakfast inn in person during Covid, please use caution, just as you would staying at a hotel during the pandemic. Call any inn that you might be considering and make sure you understand their specific Covid policies; do not rely on their website for the most current information as inns are small businesses with lots to do to provide you a wonderful stay, so their website may not be current due to staffing challenges and added cleaning responsibilities etc. during Covid. DISCLOSURE: I am not being paid to write about or to link to any of the inns below. They are just examples to make my point. Like us, you might enjoy inn travel too if you .... 1. Like historic and architecturally-unique homes and buildings. Examples. 2. Prefer smaller and quieter lodging instead of large bustling resorts or hotels or mega cruise ships. (And don't mind no swimming pool usually, but some inns do have a pool.) Example. Another example. 3. Are longing for a cozy and/or elegant romantic getaway or to celebrate your anniversary or other special occasion in a beautiful, and usually quieter, place. Inns will often give you a special gratis treat if you let them know it's your anniversary or birthday etc. Example. 4. Are not planning on taking your young children with you. Some inns welcome children, but some do not allow kids at all or have a minimum age restriction. Be sure to ask in advance. Our opinion staying in so many inns is that they are not places, ordinarily, that kids would really enjoy all that much anyway as there is little for them to do. (Unless maybe they are introverted bookworms who like sitting in a fancy antique chair quietly reading for hours on end.) 5. Want to get married or spend your honeymoon in a quiet, romantic, beautiful place. Many, but not all, inns host weddings and allow or require you to rent the whole inn for your wedding. Be sure to ask too when you book if there's a wedding as you might be the only guests who are not part of the wedding fun, and it could be nosier that night too. Inn wedding venues. 6. Prefer a "one price for everything" mode of lodging since often a gourmet breakfast, afternoon wine & cheese, sodas, coffee and tea, on-site parking, and free wifi are included in the price. TIPS ABOUT COST: When you add it all up, most inns are a great dollar value overall in our travel opinion, because many amenities are ordinarily included in one nightly price. But yes, prices have increased in the last few years. If you're on a tighter budget, but still want to try an inn, don't fret, because you don't have to spend $350 a night; you can still find a cozy homey style inn for much less if you search diligently online, depending on the location. Another example. A wonderful example. Many inns offer one or more smaller rooms, (usually best for singles), at a much lower price than other rooms. And they often offer seasonal prices that are much less too. Sometimes inns give discounts for multiple-night or repeat stays too so be sure to ask. Also, mid-week stays are usually less too. In Arizona, if you're a resident, discounts can be had for that too. Ask in the state you live in or in the states you plan to travel to. Add it all up and I think you'll see that inns are wonderful stay for the money spent! That all being said, I value what inn owners do so much to provide comfort for their guests that I usually take along a greeting card in my suitcase and write them a thank you note with a nice cash tip for their hospitality. Sure, I've already paid for the room, but I may have received a perk or discount, plus I like to be extra appreciative too so this is a nice way to say an extra thank you, I think. 7. Want to get great decorating ideas so you can turn your own bedroom at home into a "bed and breakfast inn." (If you'd like to see all our own at-home bedrooms where we did that as we have moved all over the U.S. during our careers, sign up for my DIY Cozy Resource Room at the bottom of this page and you can access those pix and my tips article on that topic.) I have really enjoyed "collecting" great decorating ideas from our many inn stays that I have easily applied at home on our everyday dollarwise budget, with my hubby's great handyman help. Some inns not only give you great decorating ideas just by observation, (take your journal or camera!), but they have clever room names too. Once when we re-decorated one of our own bedrooms at home we named it "Villa de Petite" in honor of our inn stays and I made and framed a little sign with the name on it and hung it over our bed. Such fun! :) This is another thing I love about inns and their owners: abundant creativity! 8. Enjoy a delicious hot homemade gourmet breakfast served with elegant china, silver, etched glassware, and fresh flowers. Oh, and a view. Romantic! Did I mention beautiful gourmet breakfasts?! (Don't expect this during Covid though. It may, or may not, happen. Ask in advance.) 9. Like a "sitting room" style lobby with books, classical music, and helpful binders of places to visit in your area. 10. Love high thread count sheets, big fluffy comforters, old fashioned claw foot tubs or oversized soaking tubs, or big walk-in showers. Bubble bath included! 11. Feel comfortable chatting with other guests over breakfast around a big table. Some inns serve this way but others have many smaller tables if you prefer it to be just the two of you at breakfast, and some inns offer room service, or breakfast on the porch or patio. Or in your room. (Covid update: I see many inns are now delivering a boxed-breakfast to the outside door of your room for no contact, so as I already mentioned, don't expect the regular communal dining-style-sit-down-breakfast with china and crystal if you do decide to travel to an inn right now. ) 12. Like a small lodging setting in an often-historic neighborhood with beautiful manicured yards and gardens and views and/or with easy walking distance to a small historic downtown. Example. 13. Enjoy learning the interesting history of the home or building as most inn owners love to tell you the tales of the history of their properties. The historic tales are usually VERY interesting! As are many innkeepers. (Sadly, not all the house tales are happy ones as this inn owner's family experienced the former Spanish flu pandemic in 1918. That inn survived though and is, I would imagine, a haven during this pandemic, over 100 years later!) 14. Enjoy friendly and accommodating innkeepers and owners who have often traveled the world themselves so they are often very interesting people who are great at conversation, resourceful, generous, and kind-hearted in giving you good local travel tips and offering personalized service. Innkeepers are usually "people-people" who like serving others. Amen. 15. Love to imagine you're "stepping back in time" to a more gracious era. (Me too!) 16. Love a mint on your posh pillows. On a silver tray. (Raising hand here!) 17. Want to be pampered and feel like "rested royalty" for even just one day! (I'm not sure that real Kings and Queens rest much, with all their royal duties, but you can at an inn!) 18. Like to support small/local businesses, especially family-owned businesses where all the family talents are used. We like patronizing small and local businesses, including inns. 19. Might want to, or have to take your pet along and need lodging that allows pets. Ask before you book; some inns do and some inns definitely DON'T allow any pets AT ALL so you don't want any surprises, and I'm sure your chic Fido would much rather stay in a comfy inn Puppy Palace than sleep in your car! :) 20. Want a quiet, comfy, and safer lodging place to retreat to as a single to work quietly or just rest. Writers and artists love to retreat to quiet inns! Another example. And another. (Raising writer-hand here!) 21. Want a Grandma-and-Daughters-and-Granddaughters reunion getaway. Or maybe you just want a Girlfriends Getaway or a "Mancation." If you want quiet as a guest though, you might ask before you book if there are any groups staying there as that could get noisy. 22. Want to take your Granddaughter somewhere special to celebrate an event in her life and model for her how to be an old-fashioned "lady" who loves Victorian Tea Parties and tales about The Titanic. 23. Like being surprised by lodging variety and decorative flair, rather than stay in cookie-cutter chain lodging that's usually similar decor wherever you travel. 24. Like the option of dinner on-site as fine dining in the inn's dining room. Many inns increasingly offer this now, or will serve you a romantic dinner for two even in your own inn room. Ask before you book as sometimes you need reservations as their dining room is open also to non-inn guests. Amazing example with a view. Another amazing inn dining experience. 25. Like cozy and elegant add-on packages/enhancements when you stay somewhere, like: rose petals on your bed and a bottle of champagne, afternoon tea, packaged picnic for two, wine and cheese tray brought to your room, couples massage, and on it goes! Bliss. Example. 26. Would like staying in a more private cottage or carriage house that's located on the same property as the larger main-house inn as part of a lodging "complex." This is increasingly common, and a good idea for a working retreat. Example. Another lovely cottage. 27. Prefer non-smoking lodging. Most inns are non-smoking or only allow smoking outside in a certain area, but some do not allow smoking even outside anywhere on the property. And should you get caught being a smoky-naughty, you will likely be charged handsomely for an extra cleaning fee. Be sure to ask before booking! And please be courteous to fellow guests and inn owners. (Spoken here by someone who is extremely allergic to tobacco smoke of all kinds, so I, and your lungs, thank you for not smoking.) 28. Want to stay somewhere very special to celebrate Christmas! We did this on Christmas Eve here many many years ago and loved it. The magical sun room was especially beautiful at Christmas, viewing the fresh white Iowa snow while sitting next to the twinkle light Christmas tree inside. Example. Take an inns Christmas tour! Or go to fun inn jail for Christmas! You and all the "repeat offenders! (Have I mentioned inn owners are clever and creative? Well, this inn owner gets my award for that! Clever. Very clever.) :) 29. Love big-soaking-tubs. (Oh, heaven to me!) 30. Prefer to elope! Or you want a "micro-wedding." Great alternative to expensive weddings. If Steve and I were marrying today, we both agree that we would choose a "just us" wedding at an inn, complete with dinner, room, ceremony, cake, and elegant add-ons for a beautiful, quiet, private memory. Or maybe you want a "mini-moon!" 31. Want to renew your wedding vows. 32. Gone With the Wind is your favorite movie ever! (Me too.) And fine dining is your favorite thing to do! (Ditto.) 33. Love gardens and gazebos. And lavender farms! 34. Think you'd like to buy an inn one day or be an innkeeper. Steve and I have been asked many times if we'd ever like to own an inn since we have stayed in so many. No, in all honesty. We just like to stay in them because if we owned an inn, we would be busy 24/7 running the inn as a business, so we wouldn't be free to travel. Plus, we'd never want to take on a million dollar business loan (or more) to run an inn either. Our preference is to live simply at home and travel to inns and enjoy them that way. 35. Like horse-drawn carriage rides and picturesque water places. 36. Think it would be fun to stay in an inn lighthouse. 37. Think it would be fun to stay in an elegant inn treehouse. I hope you enjoyed these varied inn links and it gave you something to ponder! On our personal bucket list for Arizona inns to consider visiting in person in the future: Sheridan House Inn near the Grand Canyon, Canyon Villa in beautiful Sedona, AZ, Heritage Inn in the mountains of Snowflake, AZ, The Blenman Inn, Tucson, AZ. I'm sure we will find more to add to our possibilities list! :) "One's homesickness for heaven finds at least an inn there; and it's an inn on the right road." --Ruth Pitter Happy armchair inn travels, Kathryn #kathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #authorkathrynbechen #bedandbreakfast #bedandbreakfastinns #bedandbreakfasttravels #bedandbreakfastinntravels #bedandbreakfastbliss #kathrynbechenbedandbreakfasttravels #travel #inntravel #innstravel

UPDATED POST SEPTEMBER, 2021: This was published awhile back in the spring of I think 2020 or so, (not sure of exact date, sorry), but I have updated and edited it to republish it now. I took most of these pix from the car through my closed window, so that's the reason some are a bit blurry. Please armchair travel along with us, enjoy the trip, and make sure any in-person travel you do is as Covid-safe for you and others as you can manage. :) DISCLOSURES When we take a little road trip ... We always keep melamine trays in our car for when we want to eat lunch or snack in the car as it makes it easy to sit the trays on our laps without making a mess since trays keep drips and crumbs under control, plus our drinks have a flat stable surface too. We wipe the trays off with these. I buy wipes in bulk and we keep at least two packs in each car. (Plus I use them daily to wipe off my bathroom counter and toilet, even pre-pandemic as it's so easy.) Once we get home, we wash the trays in the house sink and put them back in the car right away so they are always in there. We turn our car into our little on-the-road "bistro." :) Also since we both love scenic day trip drives and plan to do more of them, God willing, I bought these for hot lunch in the car for our picnic bags similar to these as we don't feel comfortable eating out right now, (with Covid), and we don't know when we will feel comfortable with that food m.o. as times have changed; we change with them, and we try to make it fun and charming as we go! BTW, if you have kids, smaller melamine trays would work great for the times you have to eat in the car, or are on vaca, and I like these car seat organizers too so that kids can keep themselves tidy in the car, on their own! That top pocket would hold a small melamine food tray in all likelihood. Venturing on now to the beautiful Tonto National Forest ... There are those I've heard say that Arizona is "all drab brown."  But I don't think so ... Okay, they have a point about lots of brown, but you know what? It's not all brown; there's also lots of greenery and colorful flora too if you open your eyes! Stick with me here ... See what I mean about green!? And oh, that oh-so-blue Arizona sky! I rest my case on the green! And although we didn't see any wildflowers on this particular drive, there are many gorgeous wildflowers in Arizona in the spring. See that horse-crossing sign? That's an Arizona traffic-jam! :) Kidding. My hubby told me he saw on the news there were horses on the road the other day. Well, they were here first! :) The cactus are starting to bloom! I give it a week and these will be breathtakingly beautiful and fully open. (Sorry it's blurry but I was in a moving car here!) I am so in love with cactus since moving to this state. I have taken oodles of pictures of them and they just amaze me every time I go outside. One of the things that surprised me the most when we moved to Arizona in 2018 is the number of gorgeous lakes! Really blue, really pretty lakes. One of the other things many Arizonans and visitors like about this state is you can still get on the road and drive, vs. sit in traffic. The Tonto National Forest is one example of a drive like that, although usually you will see some cars, and sometimes several in a row during a busier time. But you hardly ever sit in traffic. Okay now, let's get back to talking about these cactus. The people who claim Arizona is totally brown are usually those people who also say, "Oh p-shah -- you've seen one cactus you've seen 'em all!" But, I beg to differ! Here's why ... Cactus don't all "hug" each other like these ... They're not all "funky" like this one ... They don't all have about as many arms as an octopus, like this one! They're not all "loners" like this one. Some are a little "messy" and rugged. Some are more "prim & proper" and like all their "ducks" in a row! Some are "groupies." And others are content to "do their own thing" -- thank you very much! The one thing cactus, (it's cacti for plural if you want to be correct), all have in common is they thrive in the sun! Good thing too since it was about 105 degrees the day we took this drive, and as you can see, the sun was out! That's A-okay by me though as I personally love the AZ heat and sun! (Growing up in the Midwest shoveling snowbanks, I'll personally take +120 sun any day!) My hubby Steve and I hope you enjoyed your Arizona "armchair day trip" with us! Come back soon please for more armchair travel posts as I am editing and republishing several of my older posts again here on my blog. "Oh, the places you'll go! --Dr. Seuss Kathryn #kathrynbechen #authorkathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #Arizona #VisitArizona #Arizonatravel #TravelArizona

UPDATE: September, 2021: I originally wrote this post pre-pandemic, to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. I thought it would be fun to republish it now for "armchair travel" from home during Covid, when we're all staying home more and/or not traveling in-person at all, which is a good time to plan a future trip! Should you travel in person, please check the latest Covid travel advisories and be safe! Because this was written quite some time ago, and businesses have also closed during the pandemic, alas, some of the links might no longer be active, sorry. Also, some photos are from my paper scrapbooks in pre-digital camera days so they are muddied a bit, but still memorable. Unfortunately, I had a back-end software problem when updating this older post and there are some glitches that I've been unable to fix. My apologies! Also, venues change their photography policies all the time so be sure to check websites for current photo policies should you ever visit any of these places in person. Enjoy! Kathryn :) 1. Downtown Providence, RI. We loved staying at the beautiful and historic Edgewood Manor. And Providence is a beautiful town to just take a drive around. 2. Cannery Row, Monterey, CA. Literary roots of John Steinbeck.  We took a bus tour from San Francisco down the coast highway on the famous 17 Mile Drive and this stop was included.  Gorgeous area! 3. Thorncrown Chapel, Bella Vista, AR.  Beautiful online pix of this inside/outdoors chapel in the woods where we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. 4. Catalina Island, CA. We loved staying at Villa Portofino with its rooftop deck overlooking the beautiful turquoise harbor. 5. Downtown Eureka Springs, AR. Charming downtown in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. 6. Air Force Cadet Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO.  A really beautiful and unique structure. 7. Dana Point Harbor, CA.  We loved relaxing at Blue Lantern Inn, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, when we lived in CA.  Room 302 has an amazing view! 8. La Jolla, CA. We have enjoyed many fun outings in this charming and now world-renowned seaside village with its beautiful Pacific Ocean coastline. At one time, we also attended the charming sea-view St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church there since we lived in the area. 9. Stonington, CT. Home of author Alexandra Stoddard, who personally invited us to attend one of her Happiness Weekends at the beautiful Inn at Stonington in 2006, and we loved our trip to this charming seaside village and the surrounding CT area. And what fun to visit in person the cottage where she lives that she writes about in all her lovely books. Me in front of Alexandra's home on a rainy day. 10. Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, Tucson, AZ. We had a lovely lunch here in their white-tablecloths-and-big-menus restaurant with its gorgeous desert view, and we also enjoyed all the old black and white historic photos. Was once a girls' school.  Lots of Tucson history here! 11. Ojai, CA.  The view from our room at the Retreat Center was gorgeous.  Peaceful and beautiful place. Downtown Ojai is charming. 12. New York City, NY. I was a mother's helper/nanny in a New York City suburb in 1977 and I fell in love with NYC! My husband Steve and I have been back there a couple of times to enjoy it together. We love the small neighborhood bistros all over the city. One of my favorite NYC books is 50 Places to Find Peace & Quiet in New York and I still have a hankering to visit The Library Hotel there someday. (Having worked in several libraries and loving travel, I LOVE what a clever concept they combined!) 13. Solvang, CA.  A charming CA small town with European-Danish heritage.  Adorable. Sadly, we were on vaca in that area when 9/11 happened so we did not spend as much time in this cute town as we had hoped to do but we thought it was so cute! 14. Lavender Bistro, LaQuinta, CA. My fave restaurant in the whole U.S.! The patio is amazing!  We went there at Christmas and dressed up in lavender for fun. Oozes charm. :) 15. Mission San Luis Rey Retreat, Oceanside, CA. Beautiful grounds and gardens and a holy spiritual place. We watched the Mission evolve into its beautiful gardens over the years and we loved attending several retreats there. 16. Belle of Brownville Riverboat Cruise, Omaha, NE.  A fun hometown-style city river cruise but I don't know if it's still in business or not. 17. Old Market, Omaha, NE.  We lived in Omaha for many years in the 80's and 90's and always enjoyed Old Market for its charm and history. Our fave two restaurants are still there! V Mertz and M's Pub. 18. Cardiff by the Sea, CA. We lived here for several years and enjoyed the easy-going small village charm and beautiful SoCal surfing beaches.  Our favorite bistro there is Trattoria Positano. 19. Cabrillo National Monument, Pt. Loma, CA. A most beautiful view of sunny SoCal! 20. Tonto National Forest, AZ.  One of my favorite places in Arizona since we moved here in 2018.  Peaceful, green, quiet, lovely desert cactus, plus colorful flora in the springtime. 21. Smith Falls State Park, Valentine, NE. We lived here as newlyweds and often "inner-tubed" down the Niobrara River.  Great fun when you're young! 22. Pawley's Island, SC.  Such a lovely sunny place! We took a driving trip from Omaha, NE to Florida in the 1990s and this was one stop of many that we absolutely loved. 23. Sanibel-Captiva Islands, FL. We also absolutely loved both of these FL sister-islands when we visited FL one January in the 1980s. Magical!  We stayed here when it was the Sundial Beach & Tennis Club but it has been totally remodeled, renamed, and "upscaled" now and is much more luxurious than when we were there. 24. Jackson Hole, WY. Steve's first banking convention as newlyweds in 1980.  We rented bicycles and I almost crashed going way too fast down a mountainside and could have died as a new bride.  Ooops!  Jackson Hole has become very popular now with the uber-wealthy, but it was small, charming, and quiet when we were there. 25. Idyllwild, CA & outdoor Episcopal church in the pines. Cute little mountain-pines town in the San Jacinto Mountains and the tiny "outdoor church" is so special.  We stayed at the quaint Strawberry Creek Inn. We love to drive around and I take pix of Episcopal Churches on vaca, especially the ones with the red front doors. 26. Mystic, CT. A beautiful charming waterfront town and area in the northeast U.S. 27. Muir Woods, CA. We visited here when in our 20s and of course, we loved those amazing TALL trees! 28. Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA.  An adorable little seaside town filled with charming historical cottages and beautiful California weather and coastline! 29. San Francisco, CA.  We loved the iconic trolley, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, the "crookedest street," outdoor flower markets, The Japanese Tea Garden, and all the wonderful restaurants. 30. Keys Creek Lavender Farm, Valley Center, CA. A beautiful little lavender farm in Southern California. Peaceful. 31. Santa Barbara, CA.  We stayed at the historic Simpson House Inn and we enjoyed the iconic Andersen's eatery too, especially their charming outdoor patio. 32. Sherman Gardens, Corona del Mar, CA. A beautiful SoCal garden "day trip." We both loved it. Nice gift shop too. 33. Cabbage Key Island, FL. Pretty little island famous for its unique and funky "dollars restaurant." Clever and fun cottage. 34. Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego, CA. Beautiful gardens/grounds and historic lovely inn where we enjoyed lunch on the patio when we lived in SoCal. 35. The Willows Inn, Palm Springs, CA. I was gifted a stay here for our 30th wedding anniversary to write a magazine article about The Willows as a wedding venue, and with its dining-room view waterfall, Hollywood-esque history, and beautiful antiques -- all set into the mountainside, it's a gorgeous and unique property and setting. 36. Cliff Walk, Newport, RI.  Jackie Kennedy life history in this beautiful area. Beautiful mansions and gorgeous walk by the water. 37. Siesta Key Beach, FL.  Voted a best beach on many sites and I still blissfully remember the soft white sand in my toes! 38. La Jolla Secret Garden Tour, CA. Every May for many years we attended the beautiful seaside garden tours in the village of La Jolla when we lived in San Diego County. 39. Marriott Resort, Palm Desert, CA.  Love the unique indoor boat rides! We enjoyed Christmas vaca lunch here over the years, but we never stayed in this hotel. 40. Marriott Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, AZ. We have not stayed here overnight but we love to have lunch on the patio overlooking the golf course and near the beautiful water features and gorgeous desert flora and cactus. 41. Author Willa Cather's home, Red Cloud, NE. Now a national landmark and really fun to visit as a fan/student of her books when I was in college. 42. Sarasota, FL downtown and bay front. There's also a beautiful Episcopal Church in that area too. See the red doorPrettiest little bay front in a charming little FL seaside town! 43. Roger's Gardens, CA. The most beautiful retail garden center I've ever visited across the U.S.! Seriously. 44. Balboa Island, CA. A fun and charming SoCal island with adorable cottage-style homes that cost well over a million $ now, or more. Gulp! 45. Estes Park, CO.  A beautiful place in the mountains of Colorado. Beautiful pix. 46. Walden Pond, Concord, MA. We visited here on a trip to Boston in the 1980s and thus began my lifelong interest in simpler living as the pace of life and size of homes in the U.S. increasingly grew bigger and faster. 47. Savannah, GA.  We stayed at a beautiful historic inn overlook Forsyth park. Love this city! 48. Charleston, SC historic downtown. We stayed in a beautiful inn here (no longer open) and we absolutely loved all the charming historic homes and inns in this area. 49. Mt. Rushmore, SD. Since we both grew up in South Dakota, we visited here as kids and were mesmerized by the size of the faces in the mountains! 50. Great Smoky Mountains, TN. We visited here in our 20s and loved the purple haze that covers the gorgeous mountains.  It really does look purple!  Gatlinburg was especially fun at that time in our young lives. 51. Arizona Biltmore Resort, Phoenix, AZ.  We had lunch on the patio at Christmas after we moved to AZ, and we were serendipitously treated to a tour of the historic photo room. An iconic historic desert landmark and very beautiful grounds. 52. Prescott, Arizona. The historical downtown is so charming. Loved our day trip there a couple of years ago, pre-pandemic. Here it is ... 53. Four Seasons Resort Aviara, Carlsbad, CA. We stayed here for a bank conference for Steve's job years ago. Beautiful upscale coastal SoCal. 54. Hotel Laguna Beach, CA. We loved having lunch on their seaside patio directly overlooking the Pacific Ocean whenever we took a day trip to Laguna Beach. SoCal historic charm at its best. 55. Dubuque, IA. A pretty little Iowa river town where we stayed at one of their lovely inns. 56. Brockton Villa, La Jolla, CA. One of the prettiest bluff-top views of the Pacific Ocean from this historic and iconic charming SoCal restaurant. 57. Britt Scripps Inn, San Diego, CA. We stayed here when it was an inn open to the public, but it's now been changed to weddings-only and renamed Britt Scripps Manor. I was later hired to write this article about the inn for a national decorating magazine. Lots of San Diego downtown history here from a genteel time gone by. 58. The Elms Hotel & Spa, Excelsior Springs, MO.  We spent a relaxing 4th of July around the pool at the Elms in the late 1980s. (I think it was then if I remember correctly now), but at that time it was a sleeper that had fallen into disrepair. Now it looks like it's been gentrified and upscaled. And it has quite a history of survival and economic redemption since being built in the late 1800s. We remember fondly attending the little stone Episcopal Church across the street and it's still there and open. 59. Hotel Del, Coronado Island, CA.  An icon in SoCal and rightly so. The beach has often been voted one of the best in California and the whole U.S. and it's stunningly gorgeous with powder-soft sand. The shops are charmingly beautiful, (and yes, uber expensive so we didn't shop there in all honesty), and having their yummy Tortilla Soup and an iced tea on the Hotel Del terrace was something we loved to do when we lived in SoCal. 60. Villa Royale, Palm Springs, CA. Utterly Euro-style charming when we stayed there several times years ago. Was magical at Christmas. It has been all redone now to be more "hip." 61. Winter Park, FL Downtown. We loved this charming little downtown with its lovely shops, green space for concerts and art venues, and beautiful historic homes surrounding the quaint downtown.  My favorite place was the Bistro on Park Avenue but it appears closed now. :( 62. Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ. A beautiful and unique tribute to the flora and fauna of the Arizona desert. Gertrude's was a fun terrace dining venue we enjoyed, and their gift shop is large and lovely. 63. Seal Beach, CA. An adorable SoCal town/village with quaint shops. We stayed at a beautiful charming inn there in the 90s (now closed) and later went back there on a day trip. 64. Mendocino, CA.  We took a day trip to here from one of our San Francisco trips. One of the most beautiful areas and small towns in the U.S. I've ever seen! Absolutely beautiful!  See what I mean?! The drive from San Fran is heavenly -- rural coastal beauty.  And the little downtown is filled with charming shops and inns. 65. Old Towne Orange, CA. This is a charming little town in Southern California with quaint cottage homes and beautiful flowers in the yards. Really fun to walk through the antique shops there. Houses/cottages cost A LOT there now. 66.  Bella Vista & Eureka Springs, AR.  Bella Vista means "beautiful view" and the views in this Ozark mountain area in northwestern Arkansas are indeed that.  Bella Vista was a retirement village when we bought a timeshare there in the 90s, but now it's full of families.  Quaint and charming Eureka Springs, just down the road a bit is an adorable mountain town that draws visitors from all over and we loved going there for a day and staying in a B&B. 67. Old Town San Diego, CA. Old Town is a beautiful historic area in downtown San Diego. We especially enjoyed visiting charming Heritage Park there when we lived in the area and we stayed at a beautiful inn there. (No longer an inn.) Breakfast at the former Heritage Park Inn. Our first car trip together was our honeymoon in 1980, 41 years ago ... Our hotel "honeymoon suite" cost us $16.96 in 1980! (A.k.a. not very fancy.) And our first romantic honeymoon dinner fortune cookie read: "This person's love is just and true; you may rely on it." That has been true on both accounts. :) I hope you enjoyed our charming and historic travel tour. We had planned to log our 70th inn trip in 2020 for our 40th wedding anniversary, but the pandemic nixed that idea, so we are looking forward to "Inn 70" in the future and will try and find a really unique/special one since it's number 70! Kathryn :) #kathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #authorkathrynbechen #travel #dollarwisetravel #budgettravel #travelUnitedStates #UnitedStatestravel #Bedandbreakfastinns #charmingtravel #historictravel #savemoneyfortravel #savemoneyontravel #marriage #couplestravel

DISCLOSURES I thought it was time to share some things I've come across lately that made me smile. I'm feeling a little wordy today, so this will be a long post, but hopefully it's filled with useful resources, tips, and pretties that you might use yourself, and also enjoy! If you want to get yourself some tea or "calming" coffee" in your favorite cup, (here's my fave cup lately), I'll wait for you! ARIZONA ARMCHAIR TRAVELS PAST & FUTURE Let's do a little virtual wanderlust first, just for fun, since I don't think we should travel in person now unless it's unavoidable. But we can enjoy places virtually, (while we save up $ for our next in-person trip!), so here goes ... Steve and I have always kept a binder and/or computer folders of future day trip possibilities and Pine Creek Canyon Lavender Farm in Arizona is high on our list of places we want to do as a day trip once we feel it's safer to travel. If you watch their short gorgeous video I think you'll see why! Usually when Steve and I travel and explore we prefer charming cozy places and spaces vs. glitz and glam, but when we first moved to AZ in 2018 we enjoyed a lovely patio lunch at the glam and iconic Arizona Biltmore. So much AZ history! The Biltmore has just unveiled a 70 million dollar renovation that will be fun to check out in the future for a lunch on the patio. It was originally designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Lunch on the patio in nice resorts is a dreamy way to enjoy Arizona "travels" in a dollarwise way, and off-season here the resorts love locals and offer special discounts etc. I read about Castle Hot Springs, AZ right after we moved here in 2018. What amazing history and a beautiful desert area set amidst gorgeous hot springs. Also, I love Castle Hot Springs' little farm too. You can even digitally detox in luxury if your wallet can spring $1500 per night to stay there, and don't worry, there's a place for your private helicopter also to park. (!) But nope, you can't just have lunch there like some resorts; you have to stay overnight, sorry. I won't be staying there either since $1500 a night isn't in my travel budget. :) But I wanted to share it with you as the photos are so beautiful of the desert surrounds and the resort really is amazingly beautiful and historic since it was founded in the late 1800s. Personally, I'd opt for one of their cute cottages with the mountain views, cozy cottage gal that I am! Love gardens? In the city?! Ever since we moved to the Phoenix, AZ area I have wanted to visit The Farm at South Mountain but we just haven't gotten there yet. What a place located in the heart of a huge city, right near the bustling Sky Harbor International Airport. Organic gardens, and beautiful places to eat sitting in nature. Peruse their website to watch their video, and I think you'll see why this is a special place. I strongly believe in eating organic real food grown in the ground and not "grown" in a chemical lab, so I like to support these kinds of places and I love their mantra to give back to their city and people too. I am so grateful and humbled that there are still those who love to do this farming work to feed all of us. Kudos! Date night? Doesn't Quiessence look like dreamy outdoor dining?! Here's a lovely video of the owners' vision behind the farm and of Quiessence restaurant. I'm gonna put this dining venue on our list for once Covid has passed. We had to leave our own sweet little cottage-style patio home recently for a week due to work being done in our housing community. We didn't want to travel/venture out right now, but we had to, so we did the best we could. With Covid, this prompted us to rent another little patio home in a 55+ community in the Valley of the Sun so that we would have privacy and assured social distancing. We personally were not comfortable staying in a hotel at this time. Blessedly, it worked for us to rent a cute little home-away-from-home, and it cost us less than a hotel which was a nice perk especially since it was a brand-new home with nice amenities like a full new kitchen, two bathrooms, and wifi. Bingo! IMPORTANT: One downside of our cottage vaca rental and something to add to your own travel checklist to check on before your next trip, which I now know myself to do too: Who in the world puts high-off-the-floor-beds in a 55+ housing bedroom?! I mean, how many seniors can realistically do gymnastics just to get into bed? Not me since I don't dance, kick, and move like the Ziegfield Follies! So straining my back muscles to get into bed was not fun while on vaca and I could not get to the bathroom easily in the middle of the night either. I have written about low beds before and I'll say it again! Low beds are best unless you'd like to go to a chiropractor while on your vaca or while living in your own bedroom with a high bed some designer (or your spouse!?) thought was a cute decorative idea with those little wooden stairs to get up into bed. NO! It may be cute but it's not safe for anyone, and especially not for seniors! Our own home bedroom's low bed frame similar to this is much better. Ironically, a reader just wrote to me recently thanking me for writing about low bed frames awhile back as she bought one for herself too. You're welcome! I am glad to be the public service announcement of low beds! :) I sing it from the rooftops! Okay, I'm done with that rant now. For me, for you, and for a dog named um, Blue?! :) BTW, if you're thinking of relocating to a warmer climate in your senior years, Arizona has LOTS of active adult communities that cater to seniors who move here full-time in retirement, or who live here part-time as senior snowbirds and then rent their unit as a vacation rental when they go back home. (Lots of Canadians and U.S. Midwesterners live in our housing community.) I'm no realtor, but from my own online research before we ever moved here ourselves, 55+ homes in AZ come in many price ranges and styles, from huge high-end expensive luxe mansions in resort-style surroundings to modest-but-nice new and resale patio and modular homes with nice landscaping and on-site activities. So if you're looking to relocate to a warm climate, (as in 120 degrees in the summer kind of warm!), Arizona is a nice place to live in my opinion, after three years of living here. (Albeit the last year and a half glued in the house!) Just Google "Active adult housing communities Arizona" or "55+ retirement communities Arizona" and you'll find many homes to choose from that might suit your own lifestyle and budget. Note: This area of the U.S. is growing fast. Also, if you are a golfer, golf is big in AZ, and some AZ 55+ home communities are right on golf courses and some are not, and golf fees run from expensive to very reasonable according to my hubby Steve who is a golfer. (But has not been able to do that due to you know.) My sole contribution to that sport is to have lunch with Steve in the course restaurants -- I'm good at that, but for some reason, trying to hit a little white ball into an even smaller hole just doesn't appeal to me personally as fun. :) Great deals during off-season for both golf rates and restaurants. My favorite golf course lunches out so far in Arizona before Covid kept us all at home have been the Las Sendas patio, with views for miles of the beautiful desert valley as shown below, and The Boulders, with views of the golf course and interesting boulders like this beautiful video shows. Enjoy them virtually! MY TRAVEL FINDS & TIPS LATELY Okay, enough travel and food dreaming and back to the practical. I weeded out all our travel supplies and gear before we left our home for a week recently. Declutter. Donate. Re-stock with something more workable was my motto! It's been awhile since we traveled overnight, so it felt good to weed things out and re-evaluate. I'm always looking for ways to travel lighter; it's been a lifelong quest. Decluttering our travel supplies also helped my anxiety about possibly encountering Covid during this little trip, as did LOTS of planning ahead. I keep our travel items on hand in some labeled drawers on the other end of my clothes closet. Works great so you have everything you need in one central place in your home, and you have ready access with everything sorted by category in the drawers: packing cubes, hanging bags, luggage tags, washcloths & towels, etc. Below are some new things I found on Amazon that made our travel to the rental house so much easier and more comfy! With quick Amazon Prime delivery right to our home's doorstep weeks before we left, we also avoided in-person shopping pre-trip which also saved us energy and time and not wanting to encounter Covid. I highly recommend this delivery m.o. to preserve your energy, especially during these times! These nightgown/lounge dresses are the vaca ticket, my dears! (On sale now too.) I put a week's worth of them, with cardigan coverups, in my fave packing cubes, (by far!), so I could get dressed easily each day just by opening up one cube. The dirty outfit went back in the cube at the end of the day for laundry once we got home. Easy peasy. We didn't go out at all and just relaxed and worked on our computers in our rental home, but these could easily be worn for a dress and jacket with some cute sandals and jewelry if you wanted to go out for a nice dinner in normal times and feel dressed up. And you'd be comfy too. Can you tell I'm into all-things-comfy lately?! These loungers were great after a nightly shower to watch TV since it was, after all, vacation time! Note: The solid colors are softer and lighter material. I bought some of each and found the florals gorgeous, but a tad itchy and heavier material. Not a deal breaker, but to actually lounge, I prefer the softer solid material personally. These slippers are just the best! They tucked easily in my suitcase as they are lightweight but have great padding for tired feet. And oh my, now I see they have added many more colors, so you can have fun matching them to your nighties and loungers by color! This Brita water pitcher is dandy for travel. I bought a white one for Steve and a red one for me to take along with us to keep our hydration up. (This IS a desert, my friends!) These Systema mugs are great for soup and leftovers in the microwave. I took two along and they worked dandy for heating up our meals that we had cooked and frozen at home and then yes, we schlepped it all to the rental house. Ooops, correction: My dear husband Steve carried all the food in these bins. He's a trooper and didn't complain. xxoo! I cooked it all up before we left though as my part. This calendula salve and this fragrance free lotion worked so great for us in the desert dry air and were easy to tuck in our travel kits. We also tucked a little first aid kit in our medical bag that we always take along which is filled with good DIY things we hope can keep us out of Urgent Care while on a trip. (Yes, I think of that; don't roll your eyes now!) :) We leave it packed all the time and then before we go we make sure nothing needs to be updated and re-stock accordingly. And I never travel anywhere without my beloved homeopathic kits/remedies. I have studied and used homeopathic medicines since 2003 and they have blessed my life so much. Steve uses, and likes, homeopathy too. Taking a kit along means we have the most-oft-used remedies right with us for travel situations. These work great to create your own travel money cash and coin "ATM" machine for travel. Should you travel to a foreign country, they'd work great to sort currency from different countries. (Is that still how money is done overseas? Or is everything on a card or something now?! Obviously, I'd better stick to U.S. travel and dollars in cash! Or, get up with the times, but since I don't plan on traveling internationally anytime soon, or probably ever since my body would not do well with that, I'm fine, so don't you worry now about me getting lost in a foreign country without the right money.) :) I also use one of these little tidy pockets in my everyday tote bag for my mask, cough drops, eye drops, etc. Works great and doesn't take up much room and you don't have to dig in the bottom of a dark little zipper bag to find things. This larger foldable pocket organizer worked great for all my manicure/pedi items too and I just left it all in there when I got home to keep a mani-pedi "kit" on hand in my bathroom closet so everything is all in one place. It folds and Velcro holds it shut. These soap boxes worked great to put four essential oils bottles in, and I also used them for cotton balls and Qtips. The little clasp makes them so easy to get open, especially if you have stiff/painful hands like I tend to. If I can only fit in four essential oils in my suitcase, here's what I take and why I choose them below. There are many brands but I like Eden's Garden for the quality and price and we have used them for years. They have nice tutorials on their website/blog too. Lavender for relaxation/sleep/burns. (It happens!) Tea tree for if I cut my finger or some other body part and don't want to get infection. (You never know!) Fighting Five because I'm a clean sanitation freak even when a pandemic is not lurking. (Enough said!) Clove for a light toothache I sometimes get, plus as a mouthwash mixed with Fighting Five and swirled around in a cup of water and then I swish! (You want sweet breath on vaca too, right?!) We used my fave hanging toiletry bag, (no longer in stock but here's a similar version that looks roomy), to create a "tech kit" before we left too. Steve's our tech guru so he did most of this, God love him! It stays packed now for the next trip, avoiding doing it again. (Remember when traveler times were simpler? Yes, I thought so.) My best tip: As I mentioned earlier, I try to pack as light as possible, but I have also learned that it's easier for us to take our own tried-and-true items along rather than have to go out shopping and schlepping for a certain, (unscented, for example), thing-y in a strange neighborhood or city. No thank you. These hanging bags roll up well, and for added security, we tied ours with a belt/sash from an old dress I had. Yes, I save all old belts/sashes in a drawer of our travel goods for luggage ties etc. because you always need one on a trip, for something. Not to mention I don't like to waste things I might be able to repurpose. But if you've been reading me very long, you already knew that. :) Speaking of re-purposing, I married a die-hard re-purposer too! 41 years worth of re-purposing together, yes-sir-eeee! Steve saves "parts" of things to use for some good reason in the future. And it's a good thing Steve does save "parts" because he presented me with these dandy hooks he had saved from some shower caddies they came with. They worked SO great to hang my two toiletries bags in the little house we rented as it had a tiny tiny vanity. Lesson learned from past travels to tiny-vanity-bathrooms: take hanging toiletry bags! and now, yes, hooks! IMPORTANT: You see those shiny silver handles on the cabinets above? That style handle is all the rage lately in homes. I see them everywhere. In the kitchen of the home where we stayed they had them horizontally on the drawers. And every time I'd walk by, my nightgown/lounger pocket would catch on them and I'd lurch forward and stumble, having to unhook the pocket. They are a danger to society in my opinion, along with high beds as I mentioned above. You're welcome. (And hopefully the manufacturers don't come after me for my strong opinion on this matter!) We had plans to replace our cabinet hardware in a year or so and we'll be buying something more like these so we don't catch our clothes on them and trip! Seniors especially, be safe! That does it for my latest travel tips right now. If you'd like to read how Steve and I save money FOR and ON travel, go to the bottom of this page and sign up for my Resource Room to access those articles please. You'll find lots of other good tips and articles in there too that you can do on a dollarwise budget as well. eBOOKS I'VE LIKED LATELY I read lots when on vacation for a week. It felt so good! A lifelong learner, I don't read fiction, but here are the non-fiction books I liked below. I read fast, and I read everything on my Kindle now and what a lightened-load when you travel vs. carrying a cute book bag filled with books like I used to do. I love my Kindle! I wasn't sure if this Boomer could make the switch but I never looked back and love it! It's several years old and still works great so I am in no hurry to buy a newer model. Similar. Here's what I read on vaca, with my quick reviews ... In the Stillness of Quiet Moments by Emilie Barnes By the late Christian author and speaker who revolutionized DIY home organizing back in the day. A lovely soul. Be Still and Take a Bubblebath by Broadstreet Publishing Group As charming and fun to read as it sounds. Christian Minimalism by Becca Ehrlic Daughter of Jewish and Catholic parents and a Lutheran minister herself, minimalism transformed her spiritual and physical life and so she shares her thoughts on the topic from the Jesus perspective. I loved this book. How to Age Without Getting Old by Joyce Meyer Just what it says and very motivating and positive to see what God has in store for us. Trademark beloved Joyce Meyer humor and "just do it-ness!" Unshakable Hope by Max Lucado What it says from one of the most prolific contemporary Christian authors of our time. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Kipfer I read this book in the 90s and I used to keep the paperback version on my nightstand until it got so tattered I donated it and bought the eBook version to read now. If you're a Boomer, you will remember many of the things she talks about from simpler times. They make me smile! Just a charming book and so nice to read during these hard times, especially since it is written in list format so you can have a cup of tea and read about five things at a time that will make you smile, but not take much time. Updated and revised. I hope you enjoyed this long post! Please save it for future reference for products etc. and please read it in snippets as you have time. Thank you for your email letters/notes; I read all of them and it makes me smile to know my tips and resources have helped you since you tell me so. Keep the faith. Look for the good. Seek the beautiful. Stay orderly. And yes, I do this myself, striving for it every day! "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." --Isaiah 46:4, the Bible, NIV “I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” --Anne Frank, Holocaust victim "Beauty will save the world." --Dostoevsky "God is not a God of disorder but of peace." --1 Corinthians 14:33, The Bible, NIV Kathryn :) #kathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #authorkathrynbechen #traveltips #travel #Arizonatravel #Arizona #TravelArizona #Organizing #Travelorganizing #Traveltips #Couplestravel

Have you found it problematic getting packages delivered to your home during Covid? We have been blessed with good delivery service for the most part, and grateful for those who do that hard work during these tough times. We've also tried to make it the easiest and safest possible process for both the delivery drivers and for us. Here's what we did to make package delivery easier for all concerned: DISCLOSURES When Covid first started we immediately began getting packages and groceries delivered to our home. I have shopped online for years so it was not that big of change for me, but Steve has since learned how to shop online even for his Mr. Handyman stuff and he is doing a great job at it so he orders quite a bit that is delivered. Initially we put out a couple plastic bins by our front door/step at the beginning of Covid for our grocery deliveries but then we'd hear loud banging on our front door and we'd have to say: "Sorry, but this is a NO CONTACT delivery so please leave it near the step by the front the door." To better deal with the door banging scenario, Steve bought some white plastic chain link and hung it on both of our doors' steps with a sign he made on his computer that said PLEASE PUT GROCERIES AND PACKAGES IN BINS BY FRONT STEP. That worked great and achieved the no contact result without door banging, even if the sign is not exactly beautiful. (It's a pandemic, not a tour of homes or a curb-appeal contest!) :) Our two plastic bins, a year later, were cracked and broken from our HOT Arizona sun, so we recently bought a heavier resin trunk. It has a lid on a hinge which means the packages are not out in the open and don't get rained on. (Tested recently in heavy rain and it worked!) It's also heavy duty plastic resin so that's great too. Note that if you order one of these that it does require assembly so if you are not handy, (I'm not!), or don't live with a Mr. Handyman like I do, you might not want to buy a trunk and a heavy-duty bin might work better for you. Steve attached our new trunk to our steps with zip ties, which he uses for lots of handy projects, so now the trunk won't blow around in our Arizona winds which sometimes are strong. I don't know if, or how, you might attach the bin vs. the trunk to a step though as that's my hubby's department. Sorry. Delivery mission accomplished; I think this is going to work just dandy for quite some time for package delivery, and anything we have delivered now should pretty much fit in this nice big size too. Steve measured before we ordered our trunk online so that it wouldn't stick out too much in our driveway when we park our car and it's just right for the space. You know that old saying ... measure once, cut twice or something like that, or do I have that backwards?! Hope this helps if you have had package delivery stress during the pandemic, Kathryn :) #kathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #authorkathrynbechen #grocerydelivery #packagedelivery #homeorganizing #organizedhome

If there's anything that makes me smile since we moved to Arizona in 2018, (I can't believe it's been three years!), it's cactus! So ... Steve and I took a drive in our area this past week to enjoy the outdoors in a safe-as-possible manner during Covid. (As in, we stayed in the car most of the time and were around no other people when we did get out of the car. Water bottles in tow, and masks with us.) My hubby is 6' 2" tall, so you can see how tall some cactus grow! The blooms on top have long since faded from flowering, but you can still see the leftover buds for quite some time once they die. Just consider this a little cactus public service announcement. :) DISCLOSURES BTW, Steve's pink-ish "shoes" are really non-slip pool/beach slippers and if you need a pair there's a coupon with them right now. I bought a pair for me too but they were too tight in my usual size, so you might want to size up one size if your feet swell at all in heat. Look at the gorgeous colorful patterns! The other thing that always amazes me about these things is that just like trees, (and people!), they are their own size, shape, and style of quirky. Ya gotta love that, right?! You have to watch these, I hear. A woman told me when she was in grade school and they'd go on "cactus field trips" that they will "jump" at you and stick to your jeans. I think that might be a tall cactus tale, but I'm not taking any chances on that so I stay far away from these cuties. Steve seems to be really pondering this one. :) The blooms on these are sometimes bright red and absolutely gorgeous when they are, but this one is doing its own thing, I guess, and looks a little worse for wear. But then, it's very dry in AZ this year, so I am not surprised. This cactus is very prickly, so don't touch! If Steve looks grumpy, well please forgive him as it was about 110 degree heat here, so who wouldn't look at least a little grumpy?! (Or maybe he looks grumpy because this is about the fifth cactus I've asked him to pose by for a pix. He never complained though so I can't be sure.) :) See how tall that tree is? Well, yeah, that's a tall cactus, huh?! And what fascinates me most about these things is that those holes up at the top of this cactus are "birdhouses." Clever of those birds, don't you think?! Okay, the Arizona cactus tour is over, my dears, and we're back home to try our cabbage casserole that was cooking in our new beloved cooking toy while we were gone. Oh my goodness, you have to try this as it's so easy. I adapted it to be vegan from an old recipe of my Grandma's that had hamburger in it. (We no longer eat meat and here's pretty much why and how.) Here's my vegan-version recipe that's less expensive too due to no meat. CABBAGE & SAUSAGE CASSEROLE Slice four plant sausages in fairly thin half-moon slices and lay in bottom of baking pan. (I use Beyond Meat brand Brat Original sausages and they are delicious!) Cover all the sausages with one or two bags of shredded coleslaw cabbage (No chopping!) Sprinkle some dry onion and garlic and any other spices you like over the cabbage Cover all the cabbage with a jar of Marinara sauce Cover the pan with foil and heat for about 3-5 hours on high, or you can set it on low before you go to bed and eat this for breakfast if you wish! (Seriously.) If you want to bake it in the oven I think an hour at 400 degrees would be plenty of time and test to be sure it does not get over or under done. Poke with a fork to test. Serve it with a biscuit or some other favorite bread of yours. Our fave bread. Our fave biscuits. I hope you enjoyed this post; I thought it was time to take a break from home-everything and get outside in the sun a bit! Kathryn :) #kathrynbechen #kathrynbechenauthor #authorkathrynbechen #travel #travelArizona #Arizonatravel #cactus #homecooking #cookathome

DISCLOSURES If it's been as HOT where you live as it has in Arizona where I live, (+115 degrees some days), then you might like to invest in this dollarwise little kitchen lovely so that you don't have to turn your oven or stove-top on and therefore create even more heat in your house and up your AC costs by doing that too. Bonus points here for the fact that this cooking m.o. is a one dish clean-up project. Don't you just love those?! TIP: Soak the white pan insert in hot soapy water with 1/2 cup baking soda for an hour or so and it will clean up anything stuck-on -- food slides right off, or at most, you might need one of these brushes for a little help. The Crockpot pan insert fit perfectly in my sink to do this as shown in above pix. I've been cooking at home a long time, (since I was about 8 years old!), and I must say, I think this Crockpot Casserole Cooker is right up there with my favorite Crockpot as my other fave way to cook now. I have been using the casserole cooker almost every day since I bought it and just love it. Below are some dishes I have made recently that you might like to try for the 4th of July in lieu of grilling, or as side dishes to your favorite grilled meats. The fun thing is, you can make it up as you go and have fun being creative -- I didn't really use recipes for any of the dishes below and yet they all tasted yummy in the end. My hubby raved so this is a good man-food slow-cooker too. The best part, other than that they taste hearty-yummy? They are all dollarwise per portion too, even when using organic food. (Anyone else's food bill gone up during the pandemic? Yes, I thought so. But you, my Dollarwise Duchesses, know how to outsmart inflation so you can stay on your budget, yet also eat healthy tasty meals, right?! If you don't know how to do that, then stick with me kid and I'll teach you in future posts.) Now for the yum ... Chop your favorite veggies like summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, potatoes etc. and top with pre-cut coleslaw. You don't have to use fresh veggies, BTW. You can use a frozen mix like this if you want. Sprinkle a tablespoon of dry onion and garlic over the top, your fave spices, salt, 1/2 to 1 cup liquid aminos, and then pour a jar of your fave marinara sauce over all, or you can just use the aminos and no marinara sauce. My most fave dollarwise marinara sauce. Cook overnight on low. Stir it all up in the morning and oh my! Soooo good. The aminos give it an awesome flavor. Chop potatoes in larger chunks, cover with frozen or fresh diced peppers/onions, a can of Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup, your fave spices, a little salt, and some shredded cheese on top. I used this plant-based cheese on top and it's really good. Cook overnight on low. Stir it up in the morning and another yum! Again, chop potatoes in chunks, add in sausage slices. I used these plant-based sausages and they taste really good. Cover with a can of Cream of Mushroom soup, shredded cheese, and if you wish, salt and your fave spices. Cook overnight on low. Yum. Yum! Slice eggplant in thick slices, rinse so they are wet, coat with seasoned bread crumbs. I use this brand as it's gluten-free. Lay the eggplants in the dish. Cover with your fave marinara sauce, add grated Parmesan cheese to the top. Bake overnight on low or about 4 hours on high, 'til eggplants are tender. Serve with a green salad and garlic toast. Oh how delish this is! My hubby Steve gets "fancy" with the toast and cuts our everyday bread into triangles, bless his heart. Fancy mac and cheese, anyone? Boil your fave noodles in a pot of water, rinse, and drain. Add in sun-dried tomatoes, (my faves). Snip them into small pieces with a scissors, and a jar of Kalamata or regular black olives, diced. Sprinkle in shredded cheese and melt all together 'til it's like mac 'n cheese. Transfer to the Crockpot casserole dish, (greased), and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and/or seasoned bread crumbs. Bake on low for 4 hours or so. I wouldn't bake this one overnight for so many long hours or it will get overdone, even on low. (Ask me how I know!) Easy-peasy comfort food! Dessert for breakfast anyone? Steve diced up apples and pears and put them in the casserole cooker. He topped them with several packets of quick-cook oatmeal that had been mixed with a little coconut oil and brown sugar and that made a nice crumbly topping. Baked on low right before we went to bed and in the morning we had it for breakfast! Really good with coconut milk on top. Tips I've learned using this little Crockpot casserole cooker ... Greasing the dish with coconut oil or butter helps clean-up. Make your dish up during the day and stick it in the fridge 'til right before you go to bed and then turn it on low. Be prepared for food smells all night though. We set ours on our range top and turn on our range vent fan. I like to cover the top of the white insert pan with foil and then put the lid on. It seems to really hold the heat in well that way. Pix above. You can put the 9x13 inch pan in a handy insulated carrier to easily take it to a pot-luck dinner or a friend's home and the food will stay at least somewhat warm. Anything I have made in this casserole dish can be easily frozen into portions to grab and heat up when you have a busy day away from home yet want to come home to a home-cooked meal. This appliance does not heat up your house excessively in hot weather. It uses much less electricity than using the oven, saving you money. And we all like to save money, right?! I know we do. :) On another note, my hubby Steve has another new kitchen toy he loves! When I read that one reviewer on Amazon said it was as fun as a skill-saw for her hubby, I was sold. I'm not a big kitchen gadget cook personally, but I thought Steve would enjoy using this, and he has, so I'm glad I bought it for him as a little gift for all the cooking help he's been giving me during the pandemic. His eyes lit up immediately! Probably not quite as fun as skill-saw for him, but it dices potatoes like a dream! And he grated cheese for our dishes above and it worked great for that too. Be sure to sign up for my mailing list in the aqua box below and instantly receive a free e-book when you sign up. By signing up for my mailing list, you'll receive special offers now and then, plus I share more personalized stories and tips from my own home and life than I do here on my blog, if you are interested in that. We wish you a wonderful upcoming 4th of July as we enter the deep heart and heat of summer. Stay cool. Stay safe! Stay savvy! Kathryn :) #KathrynBechen #KathrynBechenauthor #AuthorKathrynBechen #homecooking #cookathome #casseroles #Crockpotcasseroles #smallspacecooking #smallkitchencooking #smallkitchens