Lisas Lane – Lisas Lane is a lifestyle blog. We cover different interest in ones life

November 7, 2025November 7, 2025

How To Get Your Chicken Flock Started

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

A few years ago I finished building my home and the only thing that was on my mind was “when will I be ready to get chickens!” I was so excited to pick up 13 chickens as my starter bunch, years later I have lost count! My my my who every ten chickens you get equals one.

I’ve learned addiction can come in many forms and my new addiction happens to have wings. Not just chickens, but peacocks, ducks and anything thats cute and feathery. I’ve even begun admiring the hawks and owls in nearby trees waiting to swoop down and take hold of my feathery family. That being said, I have learned a lot about how to and not to care for these amazing creatures.

Any size yard can accommodate chickens. It is always advisable to have at least a pair but if you’re getting chicks I would say get three because all may not survive and you don’t want to have one lonely little chick. Loss is something we have had to become accustom to as well. Between predators, temperature hazards and coop living mixed with free range dangers, becoming a 20 week old chicken is an amazing feat.

Before you go out an find your perfect chicks there are a few steps you need to take.

Pick a flock size and a Coop that will fit your flock

Research the Breed (or breeds) you want

Choose a safe shaded area for the coop

Decide if you will get adults or babes

Purchase feeding and watering supplies

Buy your chickens

Chickens are THE easiest pet I have ever raised. The biggest investment was the coop and after that, time was the only other true investment. Now we have fresh eggs daily and lots of love. Chickens can learn up to 100 words as well as your voice, they will know you are their human. I love morning feed times when I arrive at the coop to give them free range time. They all run out and surround me waiting to get a few drops of scratch (seeds) and a little rub down their backs. My flock has managed to keep my banana tree beds weed free and mosquitos are kept at bay because they love dining on natures bug buffet. They protect the area from small snakes and creatures that may not be beneficial to have in our space. I can leave out of town for a whole week and just have enough feed and space for them to free roam with no worries. They are a great addition to any backyard and will add years of fresh food and fun to any home.

I truly don’t know how I ever lived without chickens! But I hope to never have to again.

Straight out of Lisa’s Lane!

March 1, 2025November 7, 2025

Garden Starter A “How-To”

Houston is a very unique area to grow in. We have four seasons Tropical, Sub-Tropical, Desert and Arctic. This makes it very difficult to know how and what to grow. If you are a flower person and you want to grow beautiful perennials (they die and come back every year) our four days of freezing weather often ruins your investment. If you love a beautiful hydrangea that loves moisture and can handle the freeze our desert temperatures in the summer will ruin your investment. I’m sure this issue is happening all around the globe so I’ve decided for my flowers to go with bulbs! I enjoy flowers like my hydrangea near an indoor window and only take her outside every once in a while.

If you want to start a flower garden that will come back year after year and can deal with a variety of temperatures a great way to go is with bulbs. You can buy bulbs that are dormant ready to root or you can buy bulbs that have flowered already for that instant finished look. If you buy dormant bulbs you could have to plant them in the fall and not expect to see flowers until the spring. Others you can plant and within a few weeks they will flower. It’s up to you. Bulbs and seeds are the least expensive way to go. I prefer bulbs for my flower bed because they come back even after the freezing temperatures.

For the pretty annuals (they die and don’t come back) I like to start with seeds. I am a dollar store junkie when it comes to my garden. It is the most cost effective way to make a mistake and keep making them. With a garden you will have to get accustomed to this fact. I purchase flower seeds as well as a large seeding tray you can pick up in any store that sells seasonal items. To prepare my soil I like to add blood meal fertilizer. For my planting medium I use “garden soil” versus “potting soil” for seeds. After I make my mixture I fill my tray about half-way and I scatter the seeds. Never fill the tray to the top because you will need to cover your seeds. Water your seeds gently or in the bottom water tray until you see all of the soil turn a darker color showing it is saturated. Place under a grow light or in full sun and let the waiting game begin. This method works for all seeds.

For my veggie garden I choose a wide variety of seeds. If you are a beginner I would suggest a salad garden. A salad garden can be grown anywhere, even in containers. To get started with a salad garden I like to suggest a famous five in the seed game:

A lettuce
A tomato
A cucumber
A pepper
An onion

With these five you can harvest pretty quickly and start enjoying your home grown salad. You will use the same technique used for planting flowers. After my leafy greens start peeking their head from beneath the soil and get about two inches tall, I transfer them to their forever home and lightly fertilize with more blood meal to encourage strong rapid growth. Water is very important when growing your vegetable garden. Unlike some flowers that can tolerate going without water, your fruits and veggies need that water to become nice and juicy or crunchy. One of the most important things you will need if you plan to start your seeds before the spring sets in is a grow light. A grow light will allow you to start your seeds indoors while temperatures are still below 50 degrees.

So to sum it up here’s what you need to get started

Seeds or bulbs
Garden soil
Blood meal fertilizer
A planting tray
A grow light
Larger container or ground to transfer larger plant into
Water
Sun
Time

Steps to take

Combine blood meal into soil
Add soil to planting tray leaving a little space on the top
Place 2 seeds in each soil space
Cover lightly with more blood meal soil mix
Water until soil is moist
Place under a grow light
Watch your seeds sprout
Fertilize monthly and lightly

Enjoy the fruits (and vegetables ) of your labor! Happy Planting from Lisa’s Lane!

December 14, 2025

The Gardens End is Where We Begin

As we wrap up 2025 the weather is getting cooler in growing section 9b but the harvest is getting bountiful. I watch daily as more and more tomatoes ripen and my peppers sprout (I even have a crazy late watermelon growing). All good things must come to an end though. If you are a gardner, you know this is the time of the year where the weather report is the most important part of the news. I watch to see what section of the farm will need attention week by week and hope for rain over freeze. As we are hitting the 30’s in the mornings it is time for my tropicals to start making their way into the safe space and my peppers will be swept away into the garage under grow lights to be over wintered so they can be robust and ready when spring hits. I will begin collecting items to keep my trees warm in the event of a freeze and make a plan to get my 20 plus potted citrus trees out of the elements in case of a major temperature dip. All of my plants have provided in abundance for my family over the growing season so the least I can do is make sure they get to enjoy their dormancy. Peppers and many other plants will come back ready to produce in the spring with proper temperatures and lighting. You can prune your peppers back and put them in a dark space for them to go dormant or you can keep them potted in a warm and well lit area to keep them active over the winter.

Lets talk peppers! Peppers are tropicals that thrive in heat and sun. They are perennial plants that will return year after year with the proper care even if you are not in a tropical area. They thrive with warm soil for 6-8 hours a day and they love sun. Peppers are part of the nightshade family (like tomatoes) and are native to the Americas (north, central and south). Many people grow a pepper plant and at the end of the growing season (winter) discard it and purchase a baby plant the following spring. With the proper care you can buy once and enjoy watching your plant mature over the years. Remember, the more mature the plant the better the yields become.

I like to compare my garden grown produce to store bought and let me tell you the difference in the pepper world. ITS THE CRUNCH!!! Peppers are crispy and crunchy not rubbery! I am grateful for the luxury of the grocery store but a side by side comparison tells it all. THE AROMA! When Capsaicin¹ is released after cutting into a fresh jalapeno it can fill an entire room as does the smell of the pepper. Last of all we have IMPERFECT PERFECTION! My garden peppers are often not a shiny and perfect looking as the store bought peppers (even the organic) but they pack a punch thats worth seeing a few imperfections. Untouched nature is what nourishes us and although we have been taught to look for the best looking produce finding the one with the best smell and firmest skin can help you get closer to that home grown quality. Always remember, organic does not mean “without chemicals” it just means “with fewer chemicals”. If you want truly organic peppers look into starting a small backyard garden.

Lets go over what you need to do to keep your peppers coming back year after year!

Choose a winter home (a well draining pot) that is at least 2″ wider than your rootball
Have an area with a grow light for your pepper live for the next few months
Gently dig your pepper out of the garden and place it in the pot
Backfill with fresh garden soil
Add root stimulator to the soil and water thoroughly
Let it rest in its new home
After a week or more prune
Keep soil healthy and moist until its garden time

Like with anything you want to grow, you have to prune the parts that no longer serve the good of the plant. In the past I have over wintered my peppers that were not doing very well in the garden and within weeks of moving into their winter home they were thriving and producing during the winter months. Every living creature has a desire to live and with the proper care they can. Food is our medicine and what is in our food becomes what is in us. Treat yourself to a garden no matter how big or small it can change your life!

Capsaicin is the natural chemical compound in chili peppers that creates the burning sensation. This component of the pepper is used in pain relief medications to treat things liokle arthritis, nerve pain and muscle soreness. It is also a great metabolism booster, aids in digestion and positivly impacts the immune system by acting as an immunomodulator reducing chronic inflammation. ↩︎

Happy Winter from Lisa’s Lane

April 1, 2025November 7, 2025

Get your Garden Started!

Whether you are a flower person or a food person now is the time to get that garden going. In most zones it is too cold to put a lot of foods in outdoors, but if you want to spend a little and yield a lot now is the time to plant those seeds.

Although most seeds will need to be planted indoors until the first frost passes, there are a few options to put out while there is still a bit of a chill in the air. If you live in a mild winter location and want to try you can start with these:

Lettuces
Greens
Onions
Garlics
Artichokes
Rhubarb
Herbs
Tumeric
Horseradish
Ginger
Turnips

Most of these will thrive when the temperature is below that spring threshold but they will not work in freezing temperatures or snowy weather. If you are like me and a planner this is the perfect time to get those spring seeds in pots under a grow light or in a bright window. I have planted the following indoors:

Beefsteak Tomatoes
Sunflowers
Louffa
Jalapeno Peppers
Cucumbers
Tomatillos
Sweet Corn (using my soil blocker)
Okra
Cherry Tomatoes
Celery

I also have a summer list of seedlings I will plant as the season goes on. I like to start them second because they take a lot of space and as soon as they begin to take off I like to be able to put them out into the greenhouse or my outdoor garden. The summer list is:

Watermelon
Honeydew Melon
Canteloup
Zuccini
Summer Squash
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Strawberries
Carrots (sow directly in soil)
Beets
Radish

As the spring creeps up on us there is more opportunity to plant a wide variety of goodies. This list will get you started and ready for the season. Happy Planting from Lisa’s Lane!!

August 22, 2022February 11, 2023

Lets Get Planting!

If you know anything about me you know I love the great outdoors and I love watching life in bloom. I love watching everything from flowers to fruits blossom. Im often asked how did i get started with gardening and the answer is pretty interesting. First things first, my great aunt has a massive farm in Mississippi that I grew up visiting. She had cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats and of course all of the native creatures that chose to roam the area. She had corn fields and pastures full of watermelons and all sorts of other vining fruits, it was like being in a dream of unlimited sweetness and flavors. I watched uncles prepare the pigs for the freezer and chickens for the fryer. Life was lived in a cycle. My family of farmers took care of the earth and in turn the earth provided for us. It was a magnificent way to live and the flavors of freshness was something only mother earth could give, no pesticides not hormones and truly organic eating and living.

(Photo) My Mila and my niece Skylar playing with the cattle at my brothers ranch

Fast forward 20 years and I became a mom. My son was a good eater but would break out and throw up when he was eating anything from apples to eggs. Of course this would make any mother afraid. We went to many doctors and specialists to find out the cause of his inability to keep fruits and some meats down and we were eventually referred to an allergist. We found that his problem was most likely caused by a sensitivity to many of the pesticides and chemicals used in todays food. At that moment my first garden was born! I began growing as many veggies as I could and anything else I purchased from small farms and backyard gardeners at farmers markets. We finally made the investment in a home on acreage and now have our own chickens for fresh eggs and a greenhouse and garden build for a queen (of dirt that is). My brother is raising cattle and we are in search of a nice plot of land to put a few little piggies on. Life is coming full circle! We are getting back to the soil of simplicity. I’m so excited to see so many of you wanting to join the revolution and getting back to the basics of being self sufficient. A big part of humanity is caring. We need to start somewhere so I think our food source is the best place to begin.

(Photo)Gardening is not pretty and is a lot of work but I love it and it is so rewarding! Inside my greenhouse building a fence for my chickens.

Let’s Get Planting! Whether you live on 10 acres or a studio apartment you can have a garden. I always recommend new gardeners begin with the salad or salsa garden.

(Photo)Raised beds are easy to build or buy no matter, they make soil prep easy to get your garden started!

Whether you have access to a yard or a simple patio I always suggest starting with a raised bed. You can have one on the ground in your yard or one that is fully contained and has legs on a patio. A lot of people make the mistake of planting to many things in one area which can be a mess when plants reach their full potential so be mindful.

(Photo)Herb and Lettuce garden beds I’ve been making out of fence panels.

My Starter Garden Checklist

raised bed
garden soil
blood meal or bone meal to add to garden soil (use in moderation)
water
plants
digging tools
light source (natural or grow light)

(Photo)Everyone in my house loves fresh cucumbers so I always plant at least 6 vines. Even the wildlife likes to take a bite out of it.

Salad Garden can include:

Your choice of lettuce with two other options, to include but not limited to

tomatoes
onions/chives
cucumbers
bell peppers
carrots
cabbage

Salsa Gardens can include:

tomatoes
onions
jalapeños
cilantro
habeneros
tomatillos

(Photo)How I keep my purchased and collected seeds safe in a little wooden box.

Remember the key to gardening is being able to care for your crops. If you have too many crops and too little space or time you will get overwhelmed. Nothing is guaranteed and just remember to keep trying until you get the results you want! My first garden gave me jalapeños as all of my other plants grew with not one piece of produce. I was frustrated but I learned to love the process and it is still not perfect but I appreciate every single little piece of food that comes from my efforts. Don’t quit and keep trying until you have the garden of your dreams. Gardening should be fun and fulfilling so start small and you GROW girl (or guy :)!!! Happy Planting from Lisa’s Lane

January 12, 2020February 12, 2023

A Paris Holiday in Lisa’s Lane

Well its official, I finally hit the big 4-0! I must say I actually feel different. I feel renewed! I spent the last year trying to prepare for this one day. I had a few items on my “to-do” list to accomplish before the big day and luckily for me they were completed, the biggest being our move. I needed the move completed because I wanted to jet set and not have to look back (and jet set I did)

I told my husband I wanted to spend my last days in my 30’s and my first days in my 40’s in my favorite city, The City of Lights. Upon arrival we were greeted by a transportation strike and a week of expected rain, none of the things I love about Paris. Luckily for me I enjoy a challenge! If youre planning to enjoy a Paris and you find yourself in my situation, below I have a few ways to still make the most of this amazing city when you can’t sit in a park, eat from the stands and sip wine while catching a few rays.

Winter in Paris packing list

Stylish and warm coat Most of your photos will have this coat as a focal point so make sure its one worthy of a fashion week and not a museum lol
Stylish and warm walking boots Again, this will be a staple in all of our photos not to mention the weather can have sunshine for 5 minutes then a downpour so being somewhat waterproof would be a plus.
A backpack As you walk the streets of Paris you will need a place to store all of your things. Having a way to take photos and get your tax benefits require more stuff than your pockets can handle and holding it all in a handbag will get daunting
A compact umbrella to fit in your backpack As I said before, one moment it will look like a pretty day is heading your way and then the next you will wonder if it is ever going to stop raining.
Gloves Stylish gloves are great but you will be using your hands a lot (especially when its time to whip out that umbrella) so be sure they will protect your fingers from frostbite
A Scarf This is another one of those things that will appear in all of your photos so make sure it is camera worthy. I always wondered why you would see people with a collection of scarves and I now see why! Walking away from the wind can feel like the day is tolerable but as soon as you turn a corner and begin walking into the wind, it will feel as though the wind monster is trying to rip your clothes off starting at your neck and working its way down. The wind was the most brutal part of the weather, in my opinion, so you will need to make sure there is no entryway into your coat for it.
Thermal undergarments So if you’re from a cold weather place this may not be that big of a deal, but if your a Texas or warm weather gal like me then these will be the difference between enjoying your vacation and not wanting to go outside.
A hat that covers your ears I spent days using a ear cover with no hat (after all my coats were to stylish to have attached hoods) and finally one day I put on my hat for fashion reasons and it cover3e my ears. This was the most amazing discovery ever. My head never experienced another cold moment.
Socks Socks Socks!!! Bring as many socks as you can fit. You may even want to pack a pair a day in your backpack. When those downpours come our shoes can get a little damp and dry socks will keep you from losing your pinky toe.
A flexible attitude nothing for my trip went as planned (and I’m a planner). although I am a planner I kept an open mind about our plans for the day and I went with the flow. The strike made a lot of things difficult but the weather also made sticking to a set plan rough. We found ourselves planning to go to one restaurant and there was a 45 minute wait and the only waiting space was outside in the the rain. Obviously that was not going to work so we had to make adjustments, and we did!

If you’re looking for a winter vacay there’s still time to enjoy the chill of the Paris air for Valentines Day.

Happy Travels in Lisa’s Lane

July 8, 2019

Confusion is the Culprit

I like to pride myself on my ability to fit so many tasks into a 24 hour period while still giving my kids, dogs and hubby quality time but by the end of the day I am exhausted! I look and wonder how does an Oprah make time for meditation and dinner by 6 then I figured it out! She is never confused! I rise in the morning trying to figure out what the day holds for me, then I try to figure out what to wear and what I should do first have my coffee or meditate. By the time I try to figure all of this out I look up and I have no time for any of it. Thats when I realized, the happiest people have life figured out. Not the big stuff but all of the little annoying stuff like coffee or dogs.

Since I came to this conclusion I decided it would be a good time to have a morning routine and an evening routine and everything in between can be what I figure out. Now mindlessly I wake up and get going with no thought and after a day of hard work and keeping my family happy and business thriving I come home to the mindless task of my evening routine. Mindless is the new way to be mindful lol!!

To give you and example of how I’ve managed to go mindless my schedule is below.

rise and shine
take the dogs out and feed them (with 4 dogs this is pretty important)
drink 4 glasses of water
have my morning meditation time
have my morning coffee
write my to to do list which in the summer spans from 9-6pm and school year 8-245pm
get breakfast going for the kids and myself and eat
get me and the kiddos dressed after breakfast
take the dogs out while packing my car cooler
pack the car with snacks and things we need like backpacks during the school year
put fresh water out for the pups and give them a snack
Hit the road!! workouts fit into the hit the road hours

So morning goes so smoothly because there is no guess works and the kids and dogs are in sync with the routine. So from 9am to 6pm I am running around checking off my to do list or sitting at my laptop. I stop at noon and give myself a maximum of 2 hours for lunch but no less than 1 hour. We need time to decompress so we have to take time out to recalibrate during the day. I know this may be a luxury of the self employed or stay at home parent but even if you are an hourly employee and you get 30 minutes, take them and just eat and enjoy the sensation of your meal. I have been guilty of working past 6pm but I’ve come to find that I am worthless the next day. So that one or two extra hours I go over six, my kids miss out on time with me, I am cranky , tired, my husband gets snapped at, my dogs play time goes from 30 minutes of run and play to 5 minutes of rushed restroom time lol. So I then realized if I shut down at 6pm, I get more quality, family time and I am excited about the next day because my mind gets a break. At 6pm my mind shuts down and I go into auto pilot. In my to do list I have already chosen the dinner meal and during my day I have made sure I have all of the ingredients therefore making auto pilot awesome.

My evening auto pilot routine is below.

Stop all work related items at 6pm at the latest (preferably 5)
prepare dinner (this is homework time during the school year)
feed pups
laugh joke and play over dinner
take dogs out
clean up and put the kiddos in the bath
lay clothes out for kids and myself for the morning
get kids out of the bath and have cuddle time
put the kids in bed and kiss them goodnight
spend time catching up with Hubby watching a show or something
drink 4 glasses of water
shower
skin routine for face and hands and braid hair
journal, pray and give thanks for the best parts of the day and read a chapter from my novel
get to sleep no later than 10:30 pm to wake up at 6:30 am

Each of us have our own hours but I think a rough outline is always a good way to help jumpstart the new year new you! A new year and a new you doesn’t just have to be reserved for January first!

Happy Planning In Lisa’s Lane

January 5, 2019

Fashion Fridays

If you know me you know I have my own sense of fashion. I don’t usually go with trends but I can be trendy. Well, one day I’m dropping the kiddos off at school and my friend Kim tells me “Lisa you should really do a look book”. I had never really considered myself a fashion girl but I do love a good fashion moment, and apparently I’ve had a few per her lol (thanks Kim!!).

So one of my favorite times to get in the fashion state of mind is when Im traveling so this Fashion Friday Lookbook is dedicated to some of my fave fashions while seeing the world! Enjoy!

On to Singapore where the cool colors in the backdrop make my Fendi dress Pop

As we enjoyed the chili crab at Jumbo’s seafood in Singapore I prayed my Dolce Gabbana garbs didn’t get destroyed

San Antonio fun with my girls and some YSL and Swarovski earrings

When in Belize you rock the relaxed look from Zara and good ole fashioned Nike flip flops

A hot day in Hollywood calls for thin denim and Jimmy Choos to block the sun (with Mila in Melissa shoes)!

Universal Orlando requires a universal outfit for walking and my Lulu’s never fail me nor do my Nikes

Comal County Farm fun with a durable Gucci bag no goat can get plus my favorite matte lipstick from Tom Ford (black dahlia and plum lush)!

Fashion for me happens when one of these things happen. Either you have a piece of clothing that is absolutely a statement piece or you dress up a basic piece with your accessories and attitude. Less is more unless its not!

Fashion looks best when you feel good in it!

Happy New Year From Lisa’s Lane!

July 19, 2018

Fur Baby Foodies….The Recipes!

I always post how important it is to me to feed your pets like family. The idea of feeding my children from a big bag I buy once a month is outrageous and I feel the same way about my other kids. We like to provide real foods for our pups as well as our fish. Nice frozen mealworms and live plants keep our fish happy and healthy just like real meat and veggies keep our pups in the right frame of mind.

My love language is through food. I put a lot of love into the foods I feed my family and if you’re like me you’ll appreciate these awesome recipes!

Doggy Dining

10 lb ground beef or de-boned chicken

1 lb wild brown rice

4 -5 lbs mixed vegetables with corn, green beans, carrots, peas

2 large sweet potatoes

Chicken-

In a large stock pot boil your chicken until it falls off of the bone. Slice your sweet potatoes and in a second pot boil your sweet potatoes. After your potatoes are softened and your chicken is tender transfer each of them to a separate bowl. Mix the chicken stock and potato stock. Bring 32oz of the stock to a boil (freeze and save remaining stock) then add rice and cook as directed. Using a food processor chop the mixed veggies and transfer to a separate bowl (this makes it easier for your pups to get the nutrients from the vegetables). You can also use the food processor for your meats if you want to make it a little easier on a smaller pup. After the rice has absorbed all of the stock you can now begin mixing all of your ingredients. Stir well and transfer to a mason jar and freeze. I take 6 jars out each night to be sure two meals are thawed for my pups.

Beef-

In a large pot brown and chop your ground beef as you would for tacos. Using a colander drain the beef and transfer to a bowl. Follow the chicken recipe from this point. You will only have sweet potato stock for your rice unless you have saved chicken stock from previous meals.

I use a

4oz jar for my schnauzer (he’s 16lbs)

8oz jar (I only fill to about 6 oz) for my pug mix (30lbs)

32oz plastic container for my Doberman mix (70lbs)

Kitty Meals

I like to use fish for our adopted cat Posá at our beach house. She is a feral cat but we feed her and keep her healthy and she keeps the mice and rattle snakes away! When I don’t plan to make her fish I just throw a extra jar of chicken based dog food and she loves it as much as she does the fish! Cats typically eat a lot less than dogs so its a lot easier to buy a bag of salmon or tilapia or fish of your choice (I like to use the bait fish that goes unused on the island from our neighbors).

2lbs of fish

2lb of chicken liver

1lb wild brown rice

1 cup fresh parsley

2 carrots

1 butternut squash

Lightly season your cat food with fresh (your or your cats choices through trial and error) basil, dill, lavender, catmint, oregano and rosemary

In separate stock pots boil your chicken livers until they turn into mush, this will be your rice stock. Bake your fish until flaky enough to break up with a fork. Bake your carrots and squash until softened as well. Boil 32oz of stock (save and freeze for next meal) add rice and cook as directed. When rice is cooked use a food processor to blend rice carrots, squash, parsley and herbs of choice. Use one herb in addition to parsley with each batch of food. After all ingredients are processed use a fork to flake your fish into the mixture. Then use a 4oz jar to freeze and store.

Always remember never add salt or seasonings. In the wild these creatures would be hunting fresh meat. Lets keep it as close to natural as possible. Use real cuts of meat and nothing canned due to the sodium.

Some of the benefits of homemade foods

better absorption of nutrients so less poop!
healthier coat and skin
fewer food related health issues
healthier weight

But one of the best things of all is your pet will know they are family and not just a pet!

Furry Friend Fun in Lisa’s Lane!

April 30, 2018April 21, 2018

How to Travels-The Quarterly Calendar

Growing up in a military family travel in my life is almost as important as water. I remember the days when hopping a plane out of the country with a return date being optional was a way of life, now that I’ve added kids into the equation those days are long gone.

This is where the plan comes in, and with a plan all trips are possible!

I call this the quarterly travel plan.

First you draft your quarters based on every three months and what breaks or special occasion you would like to travel to celebrate.

January-March trips
April-June trips
July-September trips
October-December Trips

Second you choose a list of destinations based on local or international, who or what you would like to see and what mode of transportation you want to use. These can be combined, for example take a cruise to a beach, take a train to a region with snow.

One snow
Three beach destinatis
Trip to see family
Two international 7hrs or more travel time
One train ride
One boat excursion
One road trip

Third, arrange what trip fits what quarter and budget for that time of year after all you don’t want to take your most expensive vacation during a time taxes are due, kids are back to school or holiday season where spending is typically a little higher. Living in Texas, Mexico is always an option for an all inclusive affordable fun trip. Be sure to look at all of the travel websites and many of them have a payment plan option. If you know what your plan is it is easy to make it happen versus waiting until the last minute trying to find something.

Lastly, begin researching and planning your locations! We typically take about 2 international trips a year and explore the US on the weekends.

January
New years- Greatwolf Lodge Dallas

February
Valentines Day- New Orleans for our 9 year wedding anniversary

March
Spring Break-International (planning Paris)

April
Easter We usually enjoy church and activities around our wonderful city

May
Memorial Day- to our beach house we go! This is a really expensive time of year to travel and it brings out a lot of behaviors in a lot of cities I don’t want my kids to see lol

June
Summer Begins-International The Canary Islands This is also Kingston, Mila & Shannons birthday month so we will party like its 1999 June 23!!

July
Fourth of July- To our beach house we go again with lots of friends! This month is our Moms birthday so we will party and possibly take a train ride to Mississippi to see family

August
Back to School- last beach bash we typically go to Mexico hopefully Cabo again

September
START HOLIDAY PLANNING DECOR ETC

October
Halloween

November
Thanksgiving and Black Friday 🙂 The beach house has typically been lonely so we spend the week leading up to the big day here

December
Christmas I always plan a beach or snow tip for my birthday. This December we will go to my dream place the Nickelodeon Studios park in Punta Cana Dominican republic super excited and after Christmas a group of friends and I will take our families to do our annual New Years Eve Party at Greatwolf Lodge. After we check out of Greatwolf we will re-book for next year thats one plan out of the way.

Happy Travels From Lisa’s Lane