Real Life Archives - Postcard Jar Blog

Review of our Chrysler Pacifica after 100K miles

Steve — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:18:44 +0000

(UPDATED SEPT. 2023) Because more than four years have gone by since we bought it, it’s time to give you an update and review of our 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. After all, we’ve had plenty of time (and nearly 110,000 miles) to experience all it has to offer. Review of Chrysler Pacifica’s usefulness We never saw ourselves as “minivan” people, but our Chrysler Pacifica has changed our minds because it’s just so useful. Seriously, we have been surprised at how many ways we’ve been able to use this vehicle. PIN FOR LATER As empty nesters, we’ve used our minivan mostly for trips for just the two of us. We’ve taken it on day trips, shopping hauls, and multi-day exploration trips halfway across the country. In all situations, our van has been marvelous. It’s comfortable, easy to drive, and fuel efficient. We often get up to 30 mpg with a tailwind. Plus, even with Ann’s arthritic joints, she can get in and out of the vehicle easily. Most importantly, at least when we bought it four years ago, the price was right. Our Chrysler Pacifica is great for groups But we’ve also used our Pacifica for road trips with other people. Indeed, […]

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Postcard Jar Friends Group Cruise on Celebrity Reflection (Part 1)

Steve and Ann — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 13:32:05 +0000

Our first Postcard Jar Friends Group Cruise on the Celebrity Reflection was such a blast! Here are a few highlights from our inaugural group cruise to the Eastern Caribbean with Celebrity Cruises. Arriving in Fort Lauderdale All 58 sailors in our group arrived in Fort Lauderdale at least one day before our cruise. After chatting in our Facebook group and seeing each other on Zoom calls, it was so nice to finally so many friends in person the day before our cruise. Embarkation day for our group cruise on Celebrity Reflection After anticipating the Postcard Jar Friends Cruise for more than a year – embarkation day was finally here! We got on board as quickly as possible and delivered customized door magnets and lanyards to each cabin in our group. Our thoughtful travel agents at Dream Vacations also made arrangements for chocolate covered strawberries and wine to be delivered to each cabin as a welcome gift. Everyone made their own arrangements to get to the ship and we all met onboard that afternoon near the Sunset Bar for the sail away from Fort Lauderdale. Several of our cruisers purchased Postcard Jar Friends Cruise t-shirts so we could easily recognize people […]

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Welcome to Postcard Jar (and 2024)

Ann — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 15:52:35 +0000

Welcome to Postcard Jar and happy new year! Whether you’ve been reading our blog for years, follow us on social media, or are brand new, we’re glad you’re here. Sharing our best tips for living and traveling well and helping you to take stress-free vacations brings us so much joy. Note: Postcard Jar is a reader supported blog and we have partnered with EF Go Ahead Tours. If you make a purchase through links in this post, we may earn a commission. This month, we returned from our biggest trip yet. It was a nearly two-month long vacation around the world. We drove from our home in Nebraska to Minneapolis. From there, we flew to Dubai, then cruised from the Middle East all the way to New Zealand and back to Australia. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. Stay tuned, as we’ll be sharing more about our adventures abroad very soon. For now, have a look at (below) at this postcard-perfect view of Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays. Absolutely spectacular! PIN FOR LATER What’s in store for 2024 Following the success our our first Postcard Jar Friends Cruise to the Caribbean in 2023, we’ve decided to host more […]

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Wedding anniversary photo idea

Steve and Ann — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 13:00:40 +0000

Here’s a wedding anniversary photo idea to celebrate your marriage journey. Every year since we’ve been married, we’ve taken a picture of ourselves holding the photo we took the previous year. We wind up with kind of a tunnel where we can look back at the course of our marriage. Each year carries with it a story of joy or sorrow, sickness or health, and more. No matter what, we cherish every year and the tie that binds us together in love. Our wedding photo, 2011 We got married at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Neb. Because we had an eight-week engagement there were no churches, reception venues, or photographers available for an evening wedding on the last Saturday before Husker football started. So, Ann had a great idea to get married in the morning. It turns out, that was a perfect time of day for us because we had a full day to celebrate and Steve got to have bacon at the reception. First wedding anniversary photo idea, 2012 Dressed for work, one year in! Steve was a middle school principal and Ann was VP of Communications for Time Warner Cable. We both were up and out of the […]

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Postcard Jar Friends Group Cruise on Celebrity Reflection recap (Part 2)

Steve — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:02:57 +0000

Fifty-eight sailors joined us this year for our inaugural Postcard Jar Friends Group Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the Celebrity Reflection. Will you join us next year? This post is Part 2 of our Postcard Jar Friends Cruise recap. If you missed Part 1, CLICK HERE. Day 4 – St. Thomas On Day 4 of our group cruise aboard the Celebrity Reflection, our group was among the few treated to a sail-in party on the helipad as we cruised into Port Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas. What a view! The ship’s officers welcomed us to the helipad while crew served champagne, mimosas, and orange juice. The weather was perfect and the scene was breathtaking as we slowly sailed toward the pier. Everyone got an unobstructed view of the island as we docked in St. Thomas – the gateway isle of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Our shore excursion in St. Thomas Known for its beaches and snorkeling spots, St. Thomas offered lots of shore excursion options, including walking tours, shopping, beach time, and catamaran tours. We went on an open-air trolley tour of the island with some of our family and friends. Others on our group cruise aboard […]

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