[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

I am a little embarrassed to admit that my family has not taken a vacation in about eight years! We have had some long weekends here and there, along with some holidays off work, but a proper vacation? Too. Long.

I did not want to acknowledge the burnout you can feel from dealing with the day in/day out of work with no real rest.

We recently had the absolute privilege of sailing on the Disney Destiny with my parents.

My mind needed the break from the chaos of work, and we gladly welcomed the chaos of a Disney Cruise with two teenagers, a preschooler, and a toddler.

10/10 would recommend this cruise line and this ship.

I am already looking forward to booking our next cruise … and the one after that!

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

In the hustle and bustle of daily life – with family, and jobs, and bills, and responsibilities – don’t forget about your inner child. They need nourishment, too.

As the Fourth Doctor once said, “There’s no point in being grown-up if you can’t be childish sometimes.”

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

My parents took me on a cruise to the Bahamas after I graduated from high school, and in a purely coincidental quirk of timing, my family was recently on another cruise during my 20-year high school reunion.

I just had to celebrate now as I did then: with margaritas and nachos.

Here’s photographic evidence of my long-ago visit to the Bahamas, having one of Senior Frog’s famous “yard margaritas.”

What you do not see (because we didn’t take a photo during the recent trip): my hair is no longer blonde or short.

The photos at the bottom are what I enjoyed on this trip. I also had two other drinks after that one. But because I am older and wiser now, I made sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

Our household is a big fan of cookbooks based on our favorite media: video games, shows, books, etc.

In no particular order, here are some of our favorites:

Final Fantasy XIV Cookbook 1 and Cookbook 2

The Last OG Cookbook

The Official Destiny Cookbook

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

Did you know that you can scan vintage coloring book pages to print and color as many times as you want?*

Just scan it as line art or black and white, and the yellow/sepia tone page won’t come through!

I found this old coloring/tracing book in great condition, and I get to introduce my little ones to the Wonderful World of Lisa Frank.™

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

[*Editor’s Note: The distinction here is that it is a vintage product, meaning that it was published prior to a certain date (at this point in time: 1978) or is in the public domain. In addition, it is able to be reprinted for personal use (as opposed to printing to resell) under Fair Use standards. To be absolutely certain of the item you want to scan and print, be sure to check the copyright and, if needed, obtain necessary permission.]

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Something I have been doing with our two youngest children to calm down a tantrum or meltdown is telling them to “find your light.”

We put both hands over our hearts and take a deep breath: in through the nose: 1, 2, 3, 4, and out through the mouth: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Most of the time, it works (they are four and two, after all).

But it is also calming for us parents.

It’s a good thing to do under the sun if you’re a morning person, or under the moon if you’re a night owl.

Or, if you’re a two-year-old, you can take a breath and point at the nearest lamp — because you indeed found a light!

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

This month I am listening to the graphic audios of the ACOTAR series in preparation for the upcoming two books later in October and January.

In honor of the complex and wonderful (and sometimes misunderstood) Nesta Archeron, and of course our lovely Queen of Terrasen, Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius (I know, different series, but same author, so she counts), we have chocolate cake!

Important Note: I may be Mrs. Swanky, but I am definitely not a chef like Chef Swanky, so Duncan Hines it is.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

Something I would like to start doing is making a dish from a book I’ve been reading. Whether it’s a full meal or snack, it is very interesting when books highlight their cuisine.

This month I have been reading the Fey Spy Academy series by C.N. Crawford, starting with Avalon Tower. It is about a girl who goes on vacation in France and is swept up in a war between fey and humans.

It is a completed trilogy, a fun read, low/medium spicy, and the graphic audio books make it even more fun!

They talk a lot about the fey food in these books being better than anything she has ever eaten before. One thing that stood out to me was a chutney and cheese sandwich.

There wasn’t any more detail given than that, so here is my version: mango chutney with gouda on French bread. I also found port wine cheese and gave it a try.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

One way to feed your soul is to find a hobby and dig into it. Give it your all, as often as you can. It can be a great refresher in the midst of a busy, sometimes hectic lifestyle.

One hobby I have picked up in the last couple of years is reading. It’s pretty much exclusively fantasy, high fantasy, and romantasy. Basically, if there are creatures you’d find in a dungeons and dragons game and/or pointed ears, I am all over it.

Another hobby I have had for much of my life is gaming. It’s mostly video games: looter shooters, MMORPG, and more recently Survival, but I am also a big fan of Magic: the Gathering.

These are two hobbies that can be very time-consuming in a world with not a lot of time to oneself. And if that’s the case, sometimes one just needs to multi-task!

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

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Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.