How to spend 7 days in Liverpool on school break

Ivy just had a week of school break during our stay in Liverpool, so Nick and I did our best to get off the ship each day, do something fun and eat something yummy. Logos Hope is berthed at Liverpool’s cruise terminal and we were able to walk to everything. It’s a great location, so if you are looking to come to Liverpool, check out the hotels in this area.

Day 1

-Grab the avocado toast at Parliament Square Coffee

-Explore all 5 floors of the World Museum and don’t miss the mummies!

-Devour the “Smoore’s Stack” at Moose Coffee

Day 2

-Start your day at Doogle’s Donuts

-Wander through the Liverpool Cathedral and don’t miss the cemetery 

-Enjoy a plant-based meal at The Vibe

Day 3

-Drool over a Dulce de Leche Croissant at Rough Handmade

-Stroll through Royal Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE

-Grab lunch at Chick-Fil-A

Day 4

-Stop by Marks & Spencer’s Cafe for a quick bite

-Browse Museum of Liverpool

-Warm up with a bowl of “Scouse” at Nova Scotia 

-Treat yourself to hot chocolate at Francie's Focaccia & Coffee

-Ride the Victorian-style carousel 

Day 5

-Grab a latte at Paper Cup Coffee 

-Be inspired at Walker Art Gallery

-Order the “Garlic Bread” appetizer at Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana 

Day 6

-Sip a Chai Lattee at Peaberry

-Check out the Sunday Market booths at Royal Albert Dock

-Search for River of Light Liverpool (23 Oct-1 Nov, 2026)

-Go back to Rudy’s for pizza a second time

Day 7

-Return to Rough Handmade for their Cream Cheese & Blueberry Croissant 

-Go thrifting

-Face your fears and go up on the Wheel of Liverpool

-Head back to Francie’s for “Caprese Rosso” and another signature hot chocolate

When I first started to research Liverpool, I didn’t think we would find a week’s worth of stuff to do within walking distance of Logos Hope. But, by the time we slept in each morning, took our time, did a lot of wandering, enjoyed going with the flow, ate late lunches, took a few naps and watched a movie each night, the week of school break was over.

We’re now back at work, Ivy’s back at school and although I would have never chosen Liverpool, it made for a really great week of family time. 

Why I’m crossing "Live in a Tiny House" off my Bucket List

Living in a tiny house has been on my Bucket List since sometime around 2010.

Nick and I were planning to build a custom home with a local builder, but the finances didn’t pan out how we originally agreed with the company. So, while we were feeling uneasy, we came across a tv show featuring tiny houses. It was the first time we had ever seen such an idea and we were intrigued. The program host shared the cost to build a tiny house was more than $100,000 cheaper than what we had planned to pay the builder. So we took that as our sign to figure out how to build our own tiny house.

Turns out finding land, securing hook ups for utilities and parking the tiny house legally was a nightmare. So, we never actually went through with it. However, it always stayed a dream of mine and as tiny house communities were popping up in our area, I once again made it my goal to live in one. Since our home in South Carolina is only 1,000 square feet, I felt like we could easily downsize just a bit more. However, as we’re spending six months living in a cabin on Logos Hope, I’m rethinking my life goals.

Our cabin entryway

Our cabin is 244 square feet, which is about the average size of a tiny house on wheels. It consists of three rooms that branch off the entryway. There is a bathroom, a bedroom for our daughter, Ivy, and a bedroom for us, which doubles as the family room.

The bathroom has a very basic sink, mirror, shower and toilet. Ivy’s bedroom has a bunk bed, a set of drawers, a desk and a closet. Our bedroom has a bed (that can be folded into a couch), a desk with a folding chair, a coffee table with an Ikea chair, a set of drawers, a bookcase, a closet and a kitchenette. As you can see, our cabin is equipped with all the essentials.

We aren’t allowed to cook in our cabin, but we can use our coffee maker, tea kettle, mini fridge, microwave, sink and store snacks. It’s not much, but we use this room for hosting since it’s basically our kitchen and dining room and living room during all the hours we aren’t sleeping.

Ivy's bedroom

Our tiny home on water is very similar to a tiny house on wheels, except I’ve seen that some tiny houses have full-size ovens and stoves. Some even have a full-sized fridge, dishwasher, washer and dryer, fireplace and a bathtub!

It’s also similar to a tiny house on wheels with the lack of space. We have folding chairs tucked under our bed, a folding table stored in a corner against the wall, a bed that folds into a couch and magnets that hold things onto the metal walls. But what these tiny spaces really come down to is a minimalist lifestyle. I’ve loved living with less since I was a very young girl. It’s always been a hobby of mine. So, in order to fit comfortably in this cabin we brought only what was essential for our five months on board.

Like some tiny house communities, Logos Hope provides shared spaces like a laundry room, dining room, lounge, library, rooms available to reserve for larger gatherings and there is a school, playground and library for the children who live on board. However, unlike living in a tiny house on wheels, we didn’t have to figure out land and utilities. Water, heat and electricity is provided by the ship. We also take our water pitcher down to the dining room to fill with filtered water several times a day.

Our bathroom

It’s been an amazing experience to sail from country to country, working on Logos Hope, living in community in our tiny home on the water. But, I have to say, I’m missing my 1,000 square feet in Greenville, South Carolina right now.

So, I’ve decided that I’m crossing “live in a tiny house” off my Bucket List. In many ways this tiny home on the water is the same as a tiny house on wheels. Been there. Done that. Twice actually, when you count that we also lived on board in 2009-2010. It’s an adventure and the minimalist in me really has loved it. But, the 41-year-old mother in me craves being a homemaker in my 1,000 square feet that I have grown to love back home.

Maybe I’ll change my mind. After all, traveling the USA and Canada in a camper van is still on my Bucket List. But for right now, I think my time spent in a cabin is enough for me!

Nick and my "bedroom" / Living Room / Dining Room / Kitchen

I can’t wait to share the news with Nick - he’ll be thrilled!

10 things to do, see and eat in Belfast

Nick and I have been to Belfast before and were thrilled to find out we would return while serving on Logos Hope. Our excitement was mainly over catching up with local friends, but it was also fun to explore the area again and bring Ivy to a new country. We did some things we've done before...and a lot a new things. So, if you plan to go to Belfast, here are my recommendations:

Ivy ate Fish & Chips at The Ivy

1. Eat lunch at The Ivy. Obviously Ivy was happy to eat at a restaurant named after her. The ambiance was incredible with colorful wallpaper, gold trim, leather and tufted seats, metal hardware, painted wainscoting and lots of plants. It’s basically my dream interior design if I had the eye and money to replicate this look in my own home. The food was yummy, but the restaurant was an entire experience on its own.

2. Visit Titanic Belfast and SS Nomadic. Just a warning...don’t go to the Titanic Belfast thinking it’s a museum. They do have some things on display that are really interesting, but the purpose of this place is more of an exhibition. There are lots of photos and lots of things to read. It’s really amazing, but you need to go prepared to stand still and read walls and plaques for hours. Next to it is the SS Nomadic, Titanic’s tender, which you can walk through and get a bit more history.

3. Warm up with hot chocolate at Hotel Chocolat. This was warm and delicious on a cold day. We loved sitting in the floor to ceiling windows and people watching. Plus, there is an entire store where you can shop for every flavor of chocolate you can imagine.

Hot Chocolate at Hotel Chocolat

4. Wander around Victoria Square. This area has great shopping, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. You can definitely spend a day here. Be sure to make it up into the glass dome for a 360 degree view of the city center and don’t miss shopping at Mark’s & Spencer’s. We have probably become one of their top customers in the food area. I didn't really understand scones until this trip and now I'm hooked.

5. Take a Hop-on-hop-off bus tour. This was the perfect way to sit back and relax while seeing all the highlights of Belfast. I always love a good tour bus and believe it’s a good first-day sightseeing choice so that you know what highlights are worth going back to see again.

6. Shop at St Georges Market. I'm ruined for Ice Cream Sundae's for the rest of my life. We got a sundae here that went like this...a layer of biscoff crumbs, a layer of white chocolate chips, a layer of caramel sauce, a layer of vanilla ice cream, a layer of homemade marshmallow fluff (toasted right then and there), then another layer of biscoff crumbs, white chocolate chips and caramel sauce. Every single bite had hints of crunchy, cold, warm and sweet. It was honestly incredible. I keep thinking about it and can't wait to get home and replicate it. I'm definitely going to host an Ice Cream Sundae party in Greenville ASAP. Oh, and off the topic of ice cream, St George's Market had lots of other foods and drinks, gifts and homemade crafts, etc. It's a great place to go get gifts and souvenirs.

Buying treats at St George's Market

7. Eat “Poor Bear” flavored ice cream at Mauds. Ok, I realize it's another ice cream recommendation. But, if you like vanilla and honeycomb, you’ll love this flavor. I’m pretty picky about my ice cream. I only like it if it's almost equally ice cream to toppings so that every bite has some crunch or chew to it. You can see why the previous ice cream sundae mentioned was mind-blowing for me. Although “Poor Bear” didn’t have the 50/50 ice cream to toppings ratio I would normally like, it was really the perfect blend of creamy and crunchy. So, if that sundae I mentioned sounds a little too intense, start with Poor Bear at Mauds and go from there.

8. Visit the Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens. We never actually got here but I really wanted to go, so I'll keep it on my list. We plan to visit Belfast again at some point and will try again next time.

9. Have a cup of tea at Merchant Hotel. This was such a treat. The ambiance was so warm, cozy and elegant. My friend Michaela treated me to a pot of tea and a plate of scones. It was so nice to get away from the ship for some meaningful girl time.

Sipping a pot of tea at The Merchant Hotel

10. Take a mini roadtrip to Giants Causeway. We didn’t make it here either, this time, but we did visit back in 2014. It’s not one of the wonders of the world, but it’s interesting enough to be added. If you’re this close, you definitely need to make this part of your trip.

Want a few more ideas for your visit to Belfast? Click HERE to check out my post from our previous trip!

Why I'm editing my Bucket List

This is something that I used to frown upon. My unwritten rule was if it was on my Bucket List, it could only be crossed off when completed and not removed beforehand. But as I’ve aged, I’ve noticed that some things on my list no longer sound fun. 

Hop-on-hop-off bus in London

At one point I wanted to thru-hike the Appalachian trail and now there are other things I’d rather dedicate half a year. Like, living on Logos Hope. I also used to dream of living in a tiny house. But, as I’m spending six months in a tiny cabin, I’ve decided that might be enough for me.

Cave swimming in the Dominican Republic

I wanted to complete a marathon once upon a time. Then, I decided even just a half-marathon would be enough. However, as I’m considering training to walk a half next spring, I’m wondering if that would take away my enjoyment of simply going on walks. 

A few years ago, I felt overwhelmed by my Bucket List. Instead of goals to look forward to, the list had turned into a constant reminder of what I had yet to accomplish. It became so much like a task list that I deleted it so that I could get my brain some space to be present.

Crossing Blue Lagoon off my Bucket List

As you can see on my blog, my Bucket List is back. And I’m feeling the pressure creeping in again. Time is flying and I have so much left to do. But this time, instead of panicking and deleting my list, I’m reserving the right to change it whenever I feel the need.

It’s not crossing things off my Bucket List that’s important, it’s enjoying the memories that I make in the process.

So go check out my updated list. Some things are gone that I no longer look forward to doing. New things are added that sound fun right now. 

Does your Bucket List need to be updated too?

How I'm crossing worldschooling off of my Bucket List!

Years ago, I put on my Bucket List that I dreamed of one day having kids and worldschooling.

I never thought it would be possible because all the options I had seen involved Nick and I having remote jobs or trust funds. Since we both haven’t been made aware of any trust funds and Nick’s a residential builder, I felt like it was up to me. At that time, I had begun to sell Young Living Essential Oils and was doing my best to hit the high ranks with higher commission so that I could finance my worldschooling dream.

Exploring villages in the Faroe Islands

I actually did pretty well with Young Living, but I still didn’t make enough money for the three of us to travel indefinitely. As worldschooling seemed less and less likely, I eventually forgot about it.

But recently, I was talking to a friend about joining Logos Hope and was telling her about Ivy attending first grade onboard while we sailed from country to country. All of a sudden it dawned on me that I was getting ready to cross worldschooling off my Bucket List.

Exploring Cardiff Castle, Wales

Since I was a child, for as long as I can remember, I’ve just wanted to find a job that would have me traveling the world. I’ve dreamed of being a National Geographic photographer, an airline stewardess, a sponsored travel blogger, of living in a camper-van roaming the USA or backpacking Europe indefinitely. I always have felt the urge to go.

When I first heard about worldschooling around 2014, I didn’t even have kids yet. I was just listening to other families who were doing the unconventional, living on the go and teaching their kids mostly through experiences and less through textbooks. I knew that’s what I wanted for my future family.

Sailing into Belfast, Northern Ireland

Though I was’t able to make it happen my way, God himself provided a way. 

Praise God that He loves us so much that He creates us with unique desires and then leads us to fulfill those dreams as we follow His plan for our lives!