His and Her June 2015 More and Less Review

On June 1, we blogged about things we wanted to do More and Less of in June. I said I would come back on the 30th and give an update, but...well, to be honest, I forgot. Oops!

I'm here now though, so let's recap our goals for June (you can see the entire original post here) and how we did:

Amanda's More and Less for the month of June:
More - Knitting!
         I did great with this goal. Since school ended I have done a lot of knitting. I finished a pair of socks and started another. I finished one and a half squares of my Sherlock afghan. It's been a great summer of knitting so far.

More - Devotions! 
          I have been doing a devotion in the morning with Proverbs 31 Ministries and at night with She Reads Truth. I am loving both!

Less - Complaining! 
          I've been complaining a lot less this month. I'm not at zero complaints so that is my next goal.

Less - Procrastinating!
          Nope! I am still a procrastinator. Sean's sister and brother-in-law will be here next week and we have not cleaned any rooms yet. We have got to get going on this.


Sean's More and Less for the month of June:
More - Running!
          It has been so hot and we have been so busy that I have not run in a while. Something I want to do more of soon.

More -  Biking! 
          See above - no biking this month either. Too much heat and not enough time. 

Less - Snacking!
          This I have been good with. I eat some ice cream at night as a snack but other than that, no snacks. :)

Less - Procrastinating! 
          As Amanda said, we have not cleaned before my sister gets here and the yard definitely needs some attention. We both have some work to do with this one.


Check back tomorrow to see what goals we are setting for ourselves in July.

Happy June,

His and Her Travel Review: Toboggan Ride at the Big Banana

It takes a good part of a day to travel from Surfers Paradise to Newcastle so we planned to stop at the Big Banana for lunch and to let Amanda experience a toboggan ride. The Big Banana is a functioning banana plantation, but is also a tourist attraction with a huge fibreglass banana, a gift shop and cafe, and a few other attractions including a toboggan ride. Shellie, Tim and I had all been on it before, but Amanda had never been on a toboggan ride as there is none anywhere close to Virginia that we know about.

We bought 10 tickets between us for $30 which would gave us all a couple of rides each. The track looked similar to a bobsled track, but inside of ice it was made of metal and the toboggans had little wheels so it could roll down the hill. I don't know how fast you can can go, but it seems pretty quick and I almost fell out of the toboggan on one of the corners as I took it just a little too quick. You don't have to fly down it at break neck speed as you are able to control your speed by using the brake. It was a lot of fun and was a welcome break from the car journey. I would definitely come back and ride it again if we were in the area.

I LOVED this toboggan ride. It was so fun and, if we had one like it nearby, I would be there every month. I was scared the first time, because I am afraid of heights. As the cart was pulled up the hill (like a roller coaster car is pulled up the lift hill), I just stared at the brake lever. Then when it released the car and I started rolling, I could not stop laughing. As soon as I finished, I wanted to go again. And again! And again! It was fantastic!! I was so glad for this pit stop and for the fun that it brought.

Shellie was going faster than me, because I was nervous, so she caught up a little. We didn't play bumper toboggans though! 

Tim trying to get around the corners as fast as possible without flying off the edge or tipping out.

 This is the "lift hill" where the mechanism pulled you and your cart to the top.

Sean flying through the corners (and almost flying out).

The final stretch was fun because of the speed, but sad because the ride was over.

Big Thumbs up for the toboggan ride!

We all had such a good time. I'm so glad we got to do this together!

Have you ever been on a toboggan ride like this? If you have any in your area or have come across them in your travels please share them with us. We would love to find one closer than Coffs Harbor, NSW Australia. :)

Happy Travels,

His and Her Travel Review: World's Steepest Railway

Located a couple of hours west of Sydney is the town of Katoomba. It looks like an ordinary little town but it is home to the world's steepest incline railway. The Scenic Railway at Scenic World takes passengers on a short but exciting journey straight down into the valley below. I had been on the railway a few times as a child but I wanted Amanda to experience it when I took her to Australia in 2006.

     Most train journeys wind slowly down hills so the incline is fairly small. The togography of the mountains near Katoomba did not allow for this as they were mostly sheer cliffs. Since the mountains were so steep the  railway was built at an extremely steep angle (some parts are 52 degrees). The track from top to bottom is just 1350ft but you descend almost 800ft into the valley. It was originally built as a way for miners to send coal out of the valley but was turned into a tourist attraction when the mines closed. The ride is a little bit like going down the first hill of a rollercoaster but a lot steeper and slower. It is a unique experience and is a fun way to get down into the valley where you can choose from a few different walking trails. It is a fun way to try something new and is an easy day trip from Sydney by car or train.

A short video of the Scenic Railway

I am afraid of heights so when Sean started telling me about this railway I was instantly nervous. I made sure that he and his sister sat in the front seat so that his dad and I could sit in the back seat. I braced my legs on the seat in front of me and held on for dear life. I loved the history of the railway and I loved the ride itself. It was scary but not terrifying. You travel almost straight down and it was intense, but I would do it again if we were near Katoomba. It was a unique and fun experience, for sure!

Sign of some of the stats of the railway.

I figured if Sean and Shellie were in front they would catch me if I fell out of the seat.

It's a lot steeper than this photo shows. Parts of it feel like you are going straight down.

You have the option of riding back up in the train, but we took a glass bottom gondola instead.

Would you be brave enough to ride the Scenic Railway or have you ever been on a railway that has gone straight up a hill or mountain like this?

Happy Traveling,

His and Her: Weekly Recap

Today we are off to spend some time with Amanda's parents and celebrate Father's Day and Amanda's Mom's birthday. Today's post is a recap of what we blogged about this week so you can catch up on anything you may have missed.

His: First Sale on Etsy:  
Sean talks about his first sale on Etsy and what he has planned for the store.

 

His and Her What's for Dinner? Wednesday:
See what new recipes we found for dinner this week. Perhaps you will find a new favourite too!

Source

Her Saying Goodbye:
Amanda shares how she says "Goodbye" to her students on the last few days of school.

Saturday Snapshots: Bicentennial Park
Some shots of one of the scenic parks in Sean's home town.

That's it for this week. Which post was your favorite?

His and Her What's for Dinner? Wednesday

We are halfway through another busy week. School is ending soon, which always adds a lot to Amanda's to-do list. She is also slated for jury duty beginning tomorrow. Two phone calls a week to see if she is needed. Sean has a lot of sewing projects going on and a busy schedule at work. All the more reason to plan out dinners on Sunday before the shopping. It really does help us to not order Chinese or pizza on the way home. 

This week's menu includes...

Pork Chops and Hash Brown Casserole

Click here for the link.

King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

Click here for the link.


Cheeseburger Pasta

Click here for the link.


We have a few days where one or both of us won't be home, so that is all we planned for this week. Which one looks tasty to you?


Happy Eating,

 

His and Her What's for Dinner Wednesday

We took a little blogging hiatus after the A-Z April Blogging Challenge ended. It has been a busy two weeks but we are trying to get back on track. 


That being said, we are returning to our regular schedule which means Wednesday is all about food - dinner food. Here is what we have planned for dinner this week. (Links are in the photos and the titles.)


King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

 

This dish looks amazing! Macaroni, cheese, chicken, and some seasonings - what's not to love!


Salisbury Steak Meatballs

 

Salisbury Steak was a staple in Amanda's house growing up. This is one in the "Mom's Feel-Good, Comfort Foods" category. Pioneer Woman is also one of the best ever for amazing recipes so this one has a lot going for it. They should be great!


Balsamic Grilled Pork Chops

Amanda found Six Sister's Stuff through a friend and we have tried many of their recipes. Each one has been more delicious than the last. These pork chops, we are sure, will be as good as the others.


The final dinner of the week will be hamburgers on the grill with a side of fries. Can't go wrong with an American classic.


What's for dinner at your house this week?


Happy Eating,

His and Her What's for Dinner Wednesday

Thanks to Pinterest, Facebook, and our blogging friends, finding new and delicious recipes for dinner is as easy as click-click-click. There just seems to be a plethora of amazing and creative ideas for meals out there right now.

Here's what's for dinner this week...

Country Breakfast Casserole - Six Sisters Stuff

We have started having breakfast for dinner at least once a week. This casserole looks ahhhh-mazing!

Homemade Fish Sticks - Brown Eyed Baker

We love the idea of homemade fish sticks. We can't wait to try this one!

Teriyaki Chicken Casserole - Oh, Sweet Basil

Teriyaki Chicken is a favorite of both of ours. This one should be good!

White Chicken Chili - Brown Eyed Baker

We have been on the hunt for a great White Chicken Chili recipe. We have tried a few and hated each one. Our fingers are crossed for this one to be delish!

Dreamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge - Hungry Girl

On Friday night we eat dinner with our community/small group from church - pot luck style. Since Amanda loves to bake, she decided to bring dessert to the group this week. (She will probably bring dessert most weeks.)

What recipes are you loving this week?

Happy Eating,

Super Saturday Snapshots - March 22, 2014

Today we are linking up with Melinda at West Metro Mommy for Super Saturday Snapshots.

Tomorrow is our 12th wedding anniversary so to celebrate we wanted to share some of the photos from our wedding. Many of our new friends have not seen the photos so this is the perfect opportunity to share them on the blog.

A family photo of Amanda, her sister and her parents before the wedding.

 We had the ceremony outside by the intracoastal waterway. It was a great location for the photographs but it was a little chilly due to the winds.

Sean and his new family (Amanda's grandmother, parents, sister and her brother-in-law)

Amanda's bouquet and our new wedding rings.

The food at the wedding reception. When I was asked what food I wanted all I said is that I wanted a Chick-Fil-A nugget tray. Luckily my lovely mother in law got one for us.

Cutting the wedding cake. The baker who made our cake also made the wedding cake for Dale and Theresa Earnhardt's wedding.

Time to feed each other cake. (We were nice.)

This has to be one of my favourite photos from the reception. Amanda's cat Stripes had fallen asleep from all of the excitement. One of our guests staged this photo by placing an empty beer can on the cat's belly. How Stripes did not notice someone placing a can on his belly is beyond me, since cats are normally so acutely aware of their surroundings even when they are asleep.

Tonight we are going out to one of our favourite restaurants to celebrate since they are closed tomorrow. Tomorrow we will relax and just enjoy each other's company. A low-key anniversary is just what we need/want right now.

Do you have any fun wedding stories?