Oh Hey, Friday! Travel Edition- Budapest

Forever ago N & I went to Europe.  I've never blogged about it. Heck! I didn't even blog about when we went to Turkey like 5 years ago! (Ok I did get ONE post done) But I do have some great photos- that are an excellent way to fill up a Five on Friday Post.

So today...I'll look back at Budapest

1)  Chain Bridge

2) New York Cafe

3) Flea Market Finds

4) The Szechenyi Baths

5) Fisherman's Bastion

Budapest was surprising. In a very very very good way. I absolutely loved it. The city was unbelievably gorgeous, the food was amazing and the people were incredibly kind and helpful. I would go back in a heartbeat. 

I have so many wonderful photos and memories from this stop on our trip, but there are so so so many more. 

The Chain Bridge is stunning. Stunning during the day; stunning during the night. I took more photos of this site than I can count, but it was iconic, and beautiful. We went on a long stroll one night and walked partway across; watching the boats underneath and the lights on both side of the river was a great evening view.

The New York Cafe was a Rick Steves highlight that I put high on my list. It was gorgeous; gilded in gold, and flecked with such history is was breathtaking to sit, enjoy a cappuccino and take it all in. 

N found flea market- and it may have been one of my favorite experiences from our trip. I curated some antique keys for my collected; N got an awesome lego person and we have tons of photos of the amazing assortments from vendor's tables.

The baths! Oh my! I would go back again just for this. I only did one; and it was relaxing; less stressful than I thought (minus figuring out electronic lockers in a different language) and really a glimpse into true Budapest culture. 

We only spent one day on the Buda side. The views from Fisherman's Bastion were worth the trek and it was like being transported to a different country just across the river. We have a lot of pictures of ornate doors- which were particularly amazing on the Buda side of the city.   

This is such a sliver of our trip- but it is really fun to go back through the photos and remember those awesome 10 days!

5 Not-So-Obvious Items to Buy When you Get A New Puppy

Stanley brings a lot of dirt and smells to the household. None of it really truly offensive (except those few times he has started to stink like a salmon), but certainly makes for a lot more clean-up and washing of the hands that previously needed. A few items that have made life a lot more manageable with a new child puppy around are worth every penny!

1) Baby Wipes

Nope not for wiping bums (although occasionally you need to wipe a puppy bottom) but for your hands after class, walks, a few hours in the park. Between getting things out of their mouths, the treats that smell like baconcheesemeatsalmonstuff. and picking up their "potties", having wipes in your bag, in the car, at home, etc. make it all a bit more manageable and don't leave you looking for a sink when there likely isn't to be one around. The Target Up & Up brand is affordable and does the job just fine.


2) Kongs- Many of them!

I can't believe that until Stanley we never bought a Kong for one of our dogs. Maybe we did and they just weren't interested in it, but these have been a total necessity with Stanley. We started off with the small size, and now have a few smalls and a medium. It helps to have many since they are bit challenging to clean and take time to "stuff" so having a few during the week really help.   


3) Peanut Butter

Just buy stock in Jif now. Seriously. Or go to Costco and don't second guess the package that has two HUGE tubs of it. We use this for just about everything! Primarily we stuff kongs with it, freeze them with a bit of kibble mixed in and it can keep the pup entertained for at least 20 minutes. We also smear it on our hands and let him lick it off while trying to brush him, since he HATES being brushed! I also have this toy for Stanley, and after many uses I got smart and realized I could fill each compartment with some PB, freeze it and it lasts even longer than a kong if I need some peace and quiet.

4) Target Pee Pads

Don't buy the expensive pee pads made specifically for potty training. First, they are CRAZY expensive. Second, most are scented to entice your puppy to pee on them rather than the rest of your floor. Which is great if you are paper training your little furmuff, but I didn't want Stanley to think going inside under any circumstances was ok. Enter the Up & Up brand of pee pads that are not scented and way way way cheaper. The first weeks of Stanley's life, these were an absolute must! Now we have a bunch left over, but I line his crate pad and bed with them just in case since he is still a tad unreliable about his bladder control.

5) Swiffer Wet Pads

While I am married tot the steam mop concept and am sure I will never live without one ever again, turning it on, making sure you have a decently clean fabric pad and water in the tank can be a bit time consuming. When your puppy just released Lake Michigan on your floors, you need something a bit faster. Luckily, I kept the gold ol' swiffer and pulling out a wet pad to quickly sop up the mess before little paws can step in it and track it everywhere else has been huge. I steam mop later to just disinfect a bit more and get the chemical residue off the floor that I am not a fan of, but the quick clean-up is essential when a bounding, energy-filled pup.