How to Visit Train Street in Hanoi, Vietnam-The Ultimate Guide for 2026

If you're planning a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, there's one attraction that's likely popped up again and again on your Instagram and travel search results: Train Street. Train Street is a narrow residential street where an active rail line runs so close to homes, cafes, and shops that when the train passes, you can literally feel it rush past within inches of your table. It's an unforgettable experience and uniquely Hanoi. But since its rise to global fame, Train Street has also seen closures, safety crackdowns, and new rules for visitors, so it's important to understand how to visit safely, legally and with respect to the locals.

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The 30 Best Items to Sell in January {to Fund Your Next Trip}

There is something about January that makes us want to clear the clutter, get organized, and start the year fresh. It's a natural reset button. But what most people don't realize is that January is also one of the best months of the entire year to make extra money simply by selling things you already own.
If you're dreaming of travel in 2026, want to kick off a "Trash to Travel" challenge like I did this year, or just need motivation to declutter, January is your month. Thanks to New Year's resolutions, new hobby goals, fitness kicks, and people looking for deals after holiday spending, certain items sell incredibly well this time of year.
Whether you want to earn a few hundred dollars or fund an entire trip, here's your ultimate guide to the 30 best things to sell in January and how to get the most money for each item!

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Creating a Meaningful Slideshow for a Funeral or Memorial Service

I hate that I even have any expertise in this. It was truly the most horrendous task. But if you are like me, and you were tasked with creating a memorial slideshow for a funeral or memorial service, I hope I can offer a little comfort and let this be your guide. Creating a memorial slideshow can be one of the most meaningful ways to celebrate the life of a loved one. Photos have the power to tell stories that words often cannot. And at a time when words may be hard to come by, they offer a great way to express the fullness of someone's life. Even a life that might have been gone too soon. 
After my younger brother suddenly passed away, I was set with the difficult task of creating a memorial slideshow. It was a task I dreaded. You'd think that after a 15-year long career in content creation, often making reels and videos with photos and snapshots of life, that this would have been second nature. I thought that too. It was not. And after quick google searches on how to make a memorial slideshow, I came up empty.
Here's the good news. You don't need to be a tech expert or hire a professional to create a beautiful slideshow. I want to walk you through the steps on how you can design a heartfelt tribute with ease because this shouldn't be something that needs to consume you when you are grieving.

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How to Score the Best Discounts After the Holidays

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration and gift-giving and it feels like it goes by so quickly and then comes right back again just as fast! As the festivities start to wind down, savvy shoppers can take advantage of those after-holiday sales. While most think of taking advantage of holiday sales around Christmas, there are other holidays with seasonal items too, and these tips work for those as well, so think outside of the box! You can score some pretty incredible deals, get discounts and bargains that will allow you to save more and spend less. You might even be able to give more generously because you are able to get such a great deal! Whether you're a seasoned bargain hunter or new to the game, this guide will help equip you with the tips I've been using for decades so that you can navigate and make the most of those after-holiday sales.

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Removing a Stuck Wedding Ring: DIY Methods and Ring Saving Tips

Even for the least sentimental person, there is a lot of symbolism and emotional significance to a wedding ring. It may just be the only piece of jewelry you wear, and it's likely been a part of you for many many years. Which is why, like me, you might find yourself with a very stuck wedding ring that can no longer be removed! The prospect of cutting it off can be daunting, and you might not have to! I've got various DIY methods and ring-saving tips that you can try to safely remove your ring, before you need to reach the last resort of cutting it off. 

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DIY Projects You Can Tackle Yourself

Whether you’ve just purchased a new home or your home of 10+ years could use some sprucing up, it can be overwhelming sometimes. If the list of house projects is starting to give you anxiety, this is your opportunity to tackle some DIY projects, even if you feel like the least handy person around the home. You don’t need someone to paint your walls or tile a backsplash! With patience and a little time, you can tackle all of these yourself! Making practical and stylish additions to your home can feel intimidating. But these DIY projects are simple enough that you can tackle them yourself!

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Easy Off Refinishing Furniture Stripper

After remodeling our whole downstairs last year, we knew there would be some furniture we would need. If you've ever done a remodel, you'll know that you basically just bleed money for months on end. The idea of paying upwards of $3-5 thousand dollars for a table, had me reconsidering my options. I kept going back to my DIY days and thinking I could make that! Like Goldilocks, I spent last summer hunting for the perfect table that I could refinish in the raw wood finish I was looking for. I bought and sold no less than six tables in about six weeks. I ended up refinishing most of them, and kept two tables. Both of which I took to the raw wood finish look but ended up using two different methods. I already shared how I used Citristrip and bleach to finish the table in our dining room. This time, I'm sharing how I used Easy Off oven cleaner {yep...oven cleaner!} to refinish our kitchen table. A year later and I'm still obsessed with it!

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Best Tips to Know Before Traveling Out of the Country for the First Time

International travel can be a stressful experience, even for a more experienced traveler such as myself. However, for the first time, it is scary and confusing. After a long flight, you’ll find yourself in a foreign country, hoping you remember enough language to ask for the bathroom! But even the most seasoned traveler can be caught off guard when traveling out of the country. Preparing for an international travel experience out of the country can help improve the whole experience and make it smoother. Here are my top tips for traveling abroad for the first time.

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Everything You Need to Know to Bleach Furniture to Get the Raw Wood Look

Last year, we remodeled the whole downstairs of our home. We updated the orange wood tones that were all over the house with a much more neutral look. If you've ever done a home remodel, you know that you are basically just bleeding money for months on end. And when our remodel stalled and we had to fire our contractor, we weren't sure how we were going to move forward with a new plan and how much that was going to cost us. Being on the frugal side of things anyway, I like to buy cheap and save the difference. But I was willing to splurge on a few things, a new table being one of them! After searching around and not being able to stomach the many thousands of dollars a new table was going to cost, I started looking into some DIY options. I came full circle, and while it took me buying and refinishing about five tables, I finally settled on two that I absolutely love for our dining room and kitchen nook. And in the process, I learned a lot of lessons on how to bleach furniture to get the coveted raw wood look that's so hot right now. Here is what I learned.

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The Best Clothing Brands to Resell

I've been reselling clothing on-line for more than 20 years. I started by selling my oldest son's outgrown baby clothes. Kids grow so quickly, that clothes purchased second-hand and worn by them, still had a lot of life left in them. It was a great way as a young couple to basically clothe our children for free for many years. Anything I paid for the clothes, I gained back in the reselling and then put into buying the next season of clothing. For years I only sold items we used personally, but I've since moved on to buying and reselling things I find at Goodwill Outlet and once garage sale season starts again, I'll start reselling items from there too. There are brands that sell well and brands that just aren't worth wasting your time on. Today I'm sharing the brands that I keep my eyes peeled for and you should too. These are the brands that have the best resell value and the ones that will sell quickly and easily so you aren't holding on to any inventory.

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5 New Ways to Get Over Jet Lag

I didn't start traveling internationally until I was well into my 30's. I remember returning from a trip to Uganda and jet lag hit me hard. I was up before the sun, usually dragging by the afternoon and forced into a nap and then by the evening, I was useless after eight. I knew there had to be a better way to overcome jet lag. On my next international trip, I adapted so much better, I think because I learned a few skills that have helped me overcome jetlag. I'm sharing a few new ways for you to get over jetlag too.

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How to Make Bohemian Decor Earthy and Modern

You don’t have to be born before the 80’s to be a hippy girl at heart. When it comes to home decor, I love the earthy bohemian look however, my husband prefers a more modern look. As this is our home, I immediately found myself on the hunt for fun ways to combine both our styles under one roof. If you are looking to have a bohemian look while still keeping those modern home decor pieces that your husband insists on, here is how to make bohemian decor earthy and modern.

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Is Removable Wallpaper Really Removable?

I am no stranger to wallpaper. Some of my earliest DIY memories were of hours spent scraping off layers of wallpaper from the walls in our historic home before I had to use two hands to count my age. It was tedious work. Small chunks of paper would come off and it was the slowest process. If you were lucky, you'd have that one huge strip you'd have to stand back to pull and there would be triumphant cheering. That was the exception, not the rule. So many people my age have similar horror stories where we all promised ourselves "never again". So when wallpaper started making a comeback all of the OG DIY'ers did a collective groan. I heard you. And I did the same. Looking back at the blog post I wrote back in 2019 when I shared this post "Is Removable Shiplap Wallpaper the Right DIY Project For My Home?" by the end, you can sense my hesitation to jump on the wallpaper bandwagon. I think my final recommendation was "eh". 
Just last week, as we prepared for a remodel project, I took down the removable wallpaper from our downstairs half bath. I was bracing for the worst and hoping for the best. I'm going to do my best to answer one of the BIGGEST questions I get from this post and I'm going to share the answer to, is removable wallpaper really removable. Brace yourself. You aren't going to believe the answer!

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A Beginner's Guide to Using Your Cricut

You just got a Cricut machine and you’re so excited to use it, but you are feeling overwhelmed and a little bit lost. Cricut is one of the most popular cutting machines in the whole world, and this is one of the best, most user-friendly options available out there. So before you make your first cut, here is a beginner’s guide to help you get started.

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Gathered and Foraged Flowers for Winter Arrangements you can DIY on a Budget

Do you have any hobbies? As I get older, the more interested I get in learning new things. It's probably because for decades I was learning constantly; from days at school, to college, to wife-ing and then parenthood. I haven't had the introduction of anything new in my life really, so it was time for a class. If you followed me on Instagram this summer you know that I took one of my raised vegetable garden beds and turned it into a cut flower bed. I planted even more flowers in it recently and I'm hoping for a bounty come spring and summer! In the meantime, I knew I needed a class on flower arranging. I cut a bunch of stems this summer, but mostly I just popped those stems in a vase and called it good. I knew I could do better! I just needed a trick or two on how to do it, so I took a flower arranging class. Friends, I took one class and now I think I'm an expert! But I'm not going to lie, I was pretty impressed with these gathered and foraged flowers I found and used to create three winter arrangements {plus a bonus upcycle on a wreath}. It was so easy, I knew I could share it with you too! Want to learn how to gather and forage for your own winter arrangements? Read more!

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Brie Cheese Cake Tower

My oldest son recently got married in a very private intimate elopement ceremony. There were just seven of us in attendance, and one of them was the photographer! They celebrated the next day with a reception, complete with a beautiful traditional wedding cake, but for the elopement ceremony, the bride requested a Brie cake tower. I had never seen anything like it before, but I loved the idea and I'm sharing with you how I quickly and easily put together this showstopper. A Brie cake tower is fancy enough for a wedding, and fun enough for any celebration. Imagine taking your charcuterie board to the next level with a beautiful Brie cake tower!

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The Flipper's Guide to Making Money Reselling Furniture

If you’re looking to make some extra money and have a little bit of crafty know-how, then chances are you have found yourself looking into flipping furniture. You could be making $200 or even $1,000 or more doing just a little bit of work a few nights or weekends. Flipping furniture is a great way to make money and a great side hustle to start. Here is a flipper’s guide to making money reselling furniture.

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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Using Fresh Garden Tomatoes

I've had a garden every summer for a few decades and I always grow tomatoes. Not because I love them, but because they are an easy thing to grow if I'm honest. I almost always have success with tomato plants, even if I plant them from seed. Some years, I have more than others and while my favorite thing to make with them is pico de gallo {this recipe is my favorite!}, spaghetti sauce is a close second. Probably because I always feel like a freakin' homesteader mid-winter when I bust out a jar and make a quick family dinner with it! I'm sharing this homemade spaghetti sauce recipe today using fresh garden tomatoes. No garden, no problem! Tomatoes are cheap at the tail end of summer and you can easily find them at your local farmer's market, at the supermarket, or from a friend who has a garden.

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9 Tips for Using the New Cricut Joy Foil Transfer Tool

I have a minor obsession with my Cricut Joy. I call it my small but mighty crafting tool. I am always blown away that it can do basically anything the larger machines can do, but the Joy can fit in the palm of your hand. I have done everything with it from wallpapering a closet to making clothes for my pups. I recently got to try the new Cricut Joy Foil Transfer Tool and I learned a few things I thought I'd pass on. Mostly though, I basically just became even more obsessed with my Cricut Joy and all the things it can do!

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5 Hard to Kill Plants for Your Flower Garden

Even the most experienced gardener loves hard-to-kill plants. If you're a beginner, these plants can make everyone think that you have a green thumb. These perennials will come back year after year and give you a starting point from which to build your garden.

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