Month: December 2018

Why RVers Should Join Harvest Hosts Now

| jamiefeinberg

Hi everyone! We’ve had a very busy week, hunkering down at our campground in New Mexico while working on a variety of projects toward our business goals.

In the midst of our work, we’ve been finding time to catch up on our Netflix queue (go watch Springsteen on Broadway! It’s amazing!) and to think about what business purchases we should make before year’s end.

This year we decided to invest in a membership with Harvest Hosts, which is something we’ve been considering for a long time. With a Harvest Hosts membership, you’re entitled to stay for free for a night at wineries and other awesome businesses across the country. They suggest you purchase something from the business as a thank you (it’s a great excuse for a wine tasting!), but you’re under no obligation, and there’s no limit to how many places you can stay over the course of the year. Some places even offer hookups or will allow you to stay a second night!

Ross and I love buying local wine and other local goods, and we can’t wait to take advantage of this. But the reason I thought it was important to purchase now, and the reason I’m telling you about it, is that the membership rate is currently only $49 for a year. I’ve been told that as of January 1st, the cost will almost double! On top of that, those who’ve already purchased at $49/year will be grandfathered in and able to renew at that rate indefinitely.

So, frankly, we thought it would be a bad decision not to purchase this now. It’s an investment, if nothing else!

Harvest Hosts is only for self-contained RVs, so if you don’t have your own bathroom or you’re tenting etc., you’re out of luck. But if this sounds like it’s for you, head here to save 10% on the cost of membership and throw a few coins in our coffer too!

Make sure you purchase today; after all, the deal expires on December 31st, and after that you’ll be looking at paying double the price from now on. At the current rate, you’ll earn your fee back in just a night or two of camping.

Whether you need Harvest Hosts or not, we hope you have an incredible New Year and a wonderful 2019!

Doctor’s Orders: You Need More Nature

| jamiefeinberg

Most of us know we should get more time outside. But did you know there is a growing body of science to back that instinct up?

I recently wrote an article for Outdoorsy giving an overview of why doctors say you need more nature.

I hope you enjoy it!

Ross and I have been taking it easy in New Mexico. I’ve been getting lots of work done, and we’ve both been resting up from a virus that has hit Ross especially hard.

One of my projects was updating our Recommendations page. This is where we recommend some of our favorite things, and if you purchase them through our link, we get either some cash in the bank or an extension on our membership. Please check it out and keep it in mind if you want to give yourself or someone else a gift this year.

We did manage to do a day trip to Albuquerque, which was a blast, and we were both really excited to check it out further in the future.

We’ve been hoping to check out another event in Santa Fe (with a backup plan in Albuquerque), but the weather forecast here is full of cold and snow, so it may not work out this year.

In any case, we’re enjoying lots of Mexican food and a comfortable stay while we get organized and get ready to head south for milder temperatures soon.

Stay safe and warm this week, and Happy New Year!

We’ve Arrived!

| jamiefeinberg

Back in our RV and life is good.

We are still adjusting to small-town life and life on a tight budget again, but we are back in our RV (which seems to be in great shape, minus a broken water filter that must have occurred in transit) and are so thankful.

Our cat, Squeak, is happy. We are happy. And pretty exhausted.

Ross and Jamie Adventure

But with daytime temps in the 50s and sunsets like this, who can complain?

Sunset, New Mexico | Ross and Jamie Adventure

More soon on where we’ve been and what our plans are. But until then, Merry Christmas, if you celebrate! Ross and Jamie Adventure

Overseen in a botanical garden in Oklahoma City

How Did We Make Money This Fall?

| jamiefeinberg

The most common question people have as we spend time with people this fall is an essential one: how did you make a living this fall?

I write this from Raleigh, NC. We’ve got some really generous family members hosting us during our East Coast adventures as we head south and then West to New Mexico.

We are currently in relaxation mode, taking a few weeks to continue our online work but mostly relax and recuperate from our extremely busy fall in New Hampshire.

So here are all of the ways we made money this fall, if you’re curious!

1. Ukulele Classes

The number one way we made money this fall was teaching group ukulele classes. Thanks to grant funding, Ross taught three groups of about 15 people an eight week series of classes for older adults. The classes taught them to play the instrument and gave them a social outlet, and many of the students are committed to continuing to play in a group or individually in the future.

In addition, Ross taught a couple of classes to last year’s Littleton group, who have continued to meet weekly, and he taught an additional series of classes for students 12 and older as well.Ukulele class, New Hampshire | Ross and Jamie Adventure

2. Music for Yoga

Ross played music for yoga classes while we were here. He improvises ambient music on keyboard and guitar, and it’s the perfect soundtrack for a yoga class. We look forward to doing more of these wherever we travel in the future.

3. Music for Libraries & Senior Centers

Ross and I perform a variety of originals and covers in different concerts for different audiences. This fall we performed Splish Splash, music from the 50s, 60s and 70s, at a library; and Ross performed his solo Christmas concert at a senior center. We have a variety of offerings and perform at concert venues, cafes, libraries, senior centers, schools and more.

4. Produce & Record Demo CD

Our friend wrote an original musical and hired us to produce and record a demo CD for it. We hired musicians and did a live recording during one mammoth day. It was an absolute blast! I cast it and played piano, Ross played guitar and he was the audio engineer.

5. Direct & Accompany Musical

For the same musical, I was hired to direct a staged reading! I also played piano for it and Ross played guitar. It was a big success and I’m extremely proud of this, as I was the demo CD. It was a wonderful chance to get some of our favorite people together for a project, as was the demo.

6. Music For Church

I’ve spent about ten years of my life accompanying church services, and I’ve also got a concert that I perform at churches with Ross. I love accompanying services on piano and organ and enjoy working with church choirs too. I played the organ for a recent church service.

7. Online Music Lessons

One of our main sources of income while traveling is teaching music lessons. We teach voice, piano, ukulele, guitar as well as music theory and technology, songwriting, conducting and even drums.

8. Virtual Assistant Work

I work as a virtual assistant for a variety of clients. I work with entrepreneurs and small businesses and nonprofits, helping with marketing and social media, grantwriting, writing and editing, research, data entry, customer service…any kind of office assistance that can be done remotely.

9. Blogging

The final way we made money this fall is that I wrote blogs for one of my clients. I blog about travel, food, ice cream and RVing.

Hopefully you found that interesting! This lifestyle is challenging but extremely rewarding, and this fall we were blessed to truly be doing what we loved and making a living at it.

Thanks for reading!

Gluten-Free Goodies in Maine

| jamiefeinberg

A few weekends ago, Ross and I had the pleasure of joining my mom and taking an adventure to Maine in search of seafood and ice cream.

The number one goal of our trip was to get a gluten-free lobster roll, with just butter rather than mayo. My second priority was to enjoy some gluten-free fried seafood as well if possible.Gluten-Free Goodies in Maine | Ross and Jamie Adventure

We began the trip heading to Mack’s Place in Bridgton, Maine, about two hours north and an hour or so west of Portland. Their gluten-free options are truly extensive, and everything from their lobster roll to their whole belly clams and fries was extremely delicious. Their staff was attentive and informative and everything was affordable too!Gluten-Free Goodies in Maine | Ross and Jamie AdventureGluten-Free Goodies in Maine | Ross and Jamie Adventure

After a wonderful meal, we continued the beautiful and scenic ride to Portland, where we walked by the ocean, shopped a bit, got ice cream at Mt. Desert Island and topped it all off with a visit to Seadog Brewery for a drink or (in my case) a delicious gluten-free flourless chocolate dessert.Gluten-Free Goodies in Maine | Ross and Jamie AdventureGluten-Free Goodies in Maine | Ross and Jamie Adventure

We so enjoyed spending time with my mom and exploring New Hampshire and Maine together. We had some delicious food and drink, but the company really made it.

Seafood in Maine: Check!