Each year, I try to plan a vacation that will be memorable for the entire family.  Last year, we flew out to Seattle and spent two weeks exploring the Olympic Peninsula and islands, even traveling to the town of Forks and staying in a cheesy, Twilight-themed motel room!  My teenaged girls loved it, even if my husband was less than thrilled with the black and red walls and posters of Jacob Black and Edward Cullen staring down at us. 

So this year, I tried to think of something that my husband would really enjoy, too.   He loves Irish history and our bookshelves are filled with books about the Picts and Celts and ancient kings of Ireland.  He comes from a proud Irish family that literally counts the days until St. Patrick’s Day, and I feel like we eat soda bread and Irish stew for the entire month of March.  But even more than Irish history and traditional Irish food, he loves Irish beer.  Murphy’s.  Guinness.  Smithwicks.  He isn’t partial.  So I think, what better place to go than Ireland?  

I love the movies Far and Away, and The Quiet Man, and after watching Falling for a Dancer, I knew I had to visit the Dingle Peninsula.  We’ll all enjoy the gorgeous scenery and while my guy explores the ancient passage tombs and ring-forts, the girls and I can stimulate the local economy by exploring the shops.  And then we can wrap up each day in some cozy pub with some traditional music and a pint of  local brew.  Sounds ideal, right?  Did I mention that we’re going with my parents? 

Seriously, when I first proposed that they join us, I wasn’t sure they would agree.  My mom hates to fly and both of them recently had some scary health issues that I wasn’t sure they would recover from.  But thanks to some wonderful doctors, they are both the picture of health and I’m really looking forward to spending this time together.   My mom and I planned the itinerary, which includes a week on the west coast and then four days in Dublin.  She wants to see the Book of Kells and my dad wants to tour the Guinness factory (I think they call it the Guinness Storehouse), which makes him a hero in my husband’s eyes.  My older daughter wants to see baby sheep (I don’t think that will be a problem) and my younger daughter wants to “meet a cute Irish boy.”  That could be a problem.   And for myself?  I just want to soak in the culture and beauty of the country and come back with some wonderful memories…and I wouldn’t say no to a few pieces of Irish pottery!

What about you?  Is there some place you’ve always wanted to go?  Who would you choose to go with you?  And if you’ve been to Ireland before, are there any sights that are must-sees while we’re there?  Comment here, and I’ll choose someone at random to receive a wee special gift from the Emerald Isle!   Slan go foill!

One of the things I like to do when I’m procrastinating writing, cleaning, or paying bills, is to search for things I don’t need on eBay. I have huge lists of things I “watch” but will never bid on, just because I’m curious how high the bidders will go on items like Ursula Leyk lighthouses from Germany (very popular with military wives back in the 90′s), or Villeroy & Boch Christmas ornaments. While browsing the lists, I was surprised by how many vintage toys are available for purchase, and began to search for toys that I had as a child.

My absolute favorite was the Sunshine Family dolls, a sweet hippy family made by Mattel, consisting of Mom, Dad, and Baby Sweets. My older sister had Barbies, but I only wanted to play with the Sunshine Family, and I brought them with me everywhere. I think they cost about $10 back in 1974, and I saw them on sale for about $70 on eBay.

The least favorite toy I had was a ventriloquist Bozo the Clown doll that scared the bejeezus out of me. I would grab it by a foot and, holding it at arms’ length, would fling the thing deep into my closet. My mom would pull it out and put it back on my chair, and I never had the courage to tell her how much I hated that doll. My uncle came to visit one day with his golden retriever, Molly, who had an obsession with burying things. My sisters and I gave the Bozo doll to her and watched in glee as she buried it behind our garage. After that, we were too afraid to go back there for fear that it would crawl out of the ground and come after us.

These days, my favorite toys include things like my iPod, my laptop, and my Wii. What about you? What were some of your favorite toys as a child, and what about now? Leave a post here, and I’ll select somebody at random to receive a $25 Amazon gift card toward the purchase of a new toy!;-)