I swear that every time we go on vacation somewhere, one of us forgets something! For example: when we went to Colorado in December, I literally forgot my snowboarding jacket, goggles, and I brought the wrong gloves! Talk about being forgetful.

So, in honor of it being winter, let’s talk about some things that you need to be sure to pack.

Need something good for your soul? We all do at times. So, as soon as spring hits, it’s time for you to hit the trails! Once the weather gets a little bit warmer, we always try to grab the dog and find a State and/ or a National Park near by. Sometimes we drive a couple of hours to get there, but once we reach the destination, it’s well worth it.

Stuck inside watching the snow fall today? So are we. When it’s cold and it’s snowing outside, you start to feel like hibernating on the couch in your blanket. Well, fear not, we have some suggestions to make you love the snow just a little bit more.

Normally when it snows, we jump on the chance to pull out our boards and hit the slopes. We drive Galena, Illinois, where Chestnut Ski Resort is located. It’s about a 45 min drive, but we spend the entire day there. Snowboarding is always a blast when you’re in the mountains (say Colorado for example), however if you don’t have access to the mountains this is a good second. While we do board most of the time, sometimes you just need a break. There’s a lodge that overlooks the slopes, we head in, and with hot chocolates in hand watch out the large glass windows as other skiers and snowboarders pass you by. Even if you don’t like snowboarding or skiing, you could go with your friends and just enjoy the lodge. It’s truly a beautiful view, especially if you catch the sunset, too.