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CARE Empowering Women & Providing Knowledge to Last a Lifetime

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Disclosure: Today’s post is sponsored by CARE, but my love for their humanitarian programs is all my own!

Care

Traveling opens your eyes to the struggles of those around the globe.  All around the world children are hungry, parents don’t have the skills necessary to provide a stable income, there is a lack of healthcare, lack of education, and violence against women and girls.  These struggles are real and are part of daily life in many countries.

That’s where CARE comes in.  CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty with a commitment to empowering women and girls. CARE seeks a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security.

CARE facilitates lasting change by:

• Strengthening capacity for self-help
• Providing economic opportunity
• Delivering relief in emergencies
• Influencing policy decisions at all levels
• Addressing discrimination in all its forms

CARE Cow Story

One of the stories that I loved is how CARE taught one women the best way to feed & find proper food for her cow which has changed not only the lives of her family, but an entire village.  In a small village in Bangladesh, Kallani wanted to help support her family.  They had no money or clothes and no way out of their financial crisis.  They had a cow, but it didn’t even provide enough milk for the family.

Kallani decided to take part in CARE’s Strengthening the Dairy Value Chain program.  She was taught the proper food to feed her cow as well as how to negotiate prices for the best feed to stimulate milk production.  Soon, her cow become producing enough milk for her family with extra to sell.  CARE eventually helped Kallani go into the feed business, and she goes door-to-door teaching other farmers the same techniques to improve their own farming.

I find this story to be incredibly inspiring.  Instead of just giving Kallani and her family money, CARE helped her provide a new way of life and stable income for her family.  The money would have run out, but the knowledge will last a lifetime.

There are countless other stories on the CARE.org site to inspire you to help others.  Visit the website HERE to learn more, sign up for email updates or donate to the cause.  Join me in fighting poverty with CARE!

*Photo Credits: CARE.org

Visiting Monaco Aquarium with Kids

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Visiting Monaco Aquarium with Kids


The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco (Monaco Aquarium) is a fun activity for kids when visiting Monaco.

Dating back to 1910, the Museum Aquarium is one of the oldest in the world. Prince Albert I created the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco to study the collections brought back from his expeditions. It has evolved into an aquarium for visitors to interact with live fish and invertebrate specimens as well as a museum to learn about early oceanographic research.

Monaco Aquarium

Look down when you enter the museum

 

aquarium monaco net

Entering the Monaco Aquarium, you are immediately standing in a massive foyer with regal staircases on each side. Keep walking forward and enter a room enclosed in a huge metal net. You kind of feel like a little fish trapped inside a fishing net.

Aquarium Monaco Presentation

Don’t miss the presentation on Mediterranean and tropical marine ecosystems to the right on the main floor. It’s a nice video with vivid depictions of underwater ecosystems on a huge screen. We were lucky enough to walk in near the beginning of the English presentation. You know, understanding what they are saying is pretty important if you want to actually learn something 😉 It was a nice way to start the tour of the museum and to rest for a bit after having spent the morning wandering around the village.

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Carefree RV Resorts: Free Night Savings

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Carefree RV Resorts. All opinions are 100% my own #Carefreelifestyle #becarefree

Carefree RV Resorts Pool

When we eventually head back to the States, we are planning a road trip stopping at some favorite cities and visiting new destinations. We will, of course, visit North Carolina, Florida and California again. BUT we are also planning to explore Texas, Louisiana and countless other states.

One thing about extensive travel is that is can get expensive moving from hotel to hotel.  One way to reduce this cost is staying in RV parks. Luckily, Carefree RV resorts has locations in many of the states we plan to visit.

Carefree RV resorts has a newly launched Lifestyle Program and are making it easy to get social, get energized, and get active with an exciting line-up of activities, events, classes and clubs at every Carefree Community.

You can learn a new language with expert instructors, attending a dance class with your fellow Carefree guests, hit the pool for some aqua aerobics, or prepare a recipe for the annual chili cook-off. This is one RV resort that has an activity available for all interests.

carefree-kids-87be64c9

I particularly like that they have a Carefree Kids program with playgrounds, games and watersports. Select resorts also feature the Carefree Kids summer program which my kids would absolutely adore!

Don’t forget about Fido! After being away from our dog, Bella. We don’t want to leave her out of our next adventure.  Carefree RV resorts are pet friendly, so our beloved four-legged friend won’t miss out of the family fun!

Also, for limited time you can stay 3 nights and get one FREE! Just look for the Start Your Journey with a Passport to Savings offer under the “Special Offers” section for details.

Visit Carefree RV resorts to learn more and to reserve your next vacation.

Where do you want to visit?

  • Florida RV Resorts
  • Texas RV Resorts
  • New Jersey RV Resorts
  • California RV Resorts
  • Massachusetts RV Resorts
  • North Carolina RV Resorts
  • Ontario RV Resorts

February 2015 Expenses in France

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France Expenses February 2015


February in Nice was definitely more expensive than January.  We had our first full month in France, so our grocery budget tripled.  We also spent more on entertainment – visiting the Monaco Aquarium and purchasing tickets for stadium seating at the Nice Carnival.

We left the beautiful port on the 28th of February and are now spending 3 months just down the street from the famous Negresco Hotel. It’s a completely different feel on this side of town, more residential and traditional.  We opted for a taxi (40€) to get us to the next apartment instead of walking with our luggage.  We need to send A LOT of stuff back with my Mom before our big tour of Europe this summer.

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How Much Does It Cost to Live in France? January 2015 Expenses

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Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

January 2015 Expenses in France


Moving overseas is terrifying.   Most people don’t think they could ever pick up and live abroad, especially with kids. We are sharing our expenses living in France for a year to help you see that your dream can be a reality. While our expenses may be different from what your family would spend, this is what my family of 4 spends per month in Nice, France. How Much Does It Cost to Live in France? January’s data is a little skewed. We were supposed to arrive in France on 1/6, but we had to push back our trip to 1/22 due to family obligations. We still paid 3 weeks rent, and the exchange rate at time of payment was approximately 1.23€ to the dollar.

View near our apartment

View near our apartment

We are staying in a 2 bedroom apartment along the Port of Nice. We wanted a central location for experiencing the city on foot.  We could have rented cheaper accommodations but the locations weren’t as central.

There are 10 days of food which include many start up necessities such a cleaning products, laundry detergent, olive oil, spices, etc. We also ended up eating out 3 times. Our budget allows for 1 meal out per week, so we blew that one this month.

We also spent 45€ for a taxi ride to the apartment from the airport and experienced a bit of a mishap with the tram that cost us an extra 6€.

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