In the 8 1/2 years I have been blogging, it has occurred to me that I haven’t shared one single scone recipe. Which is a shame! I don’t makes scones often, which is probably why I haven’t shared any scone recipes, but when I do I always think to myself that I need to make them more frequently.

When I was on the Regal Princess cruise recently, I discovered what a great treat “tea time” is in the afternoon. People who value taking time out of their day for a sweet little snack or finger sandwich and a cup of tea definitely have the right idea!…

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Princess Cruises has an amazing experience on board their Regal and Royal Princess cruise ships…something that I don’t believe any other cruise line can compare to.

3 of the nights during a 7 day cruise, Princess offer guests the opportunity to dine at the Chef’s Table (known as The Chef’s Table Lumiere). This is a very exclusive opportunity, as they only take 8 people each night. As you can guess, 12 people out of the thousands on board means this event sells out very fast and is one hot commodity. The price per person for this event is currently $115. With that $115 you get a tour of the kitchen, time to interact with the head chef, the royal treatment, champagne, appetizers, fine wine with every course, and a more course meal than I could keep track of. The food and wine just kept coming and coming and coming.  In addition you get a fantastic Princess Cruises cookbook (ARV $50) and professional photos taken as a group and with the chef.

This is going to be a mostly photo heavy post, but the one takeaway needs to be… if you are going to vacation on the Regal or Royal Princess, especially if you are a food and wine enthusiast or you simply want to splurge on something extraordinary, head straight to the reservations desk as soon as you get on board and sign up for The Chef’s Table Lumiere. This event sells out quickly – and you don’t want to miss it! This is one impressive event – worth every penny!

Watch Princess Cruises informative video for a really good look at the entire experience, but for now, enjoy the photo tour of my experience at the Chef’s Table Lumiere on board the Regal Princess. …

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I recently returned from a glorious 7 day cruise aboard the amazing Regal Princess ship. I’ve always been a fan of cruising and really believe it is the best way to vacation! With that being said, I noticed something while I was on my 7 day vacation… I was extremely happy.

I know what you are thinking…”Well, duh, Kristen. Of course you were happy… you were on a CRUISE vacation, spending time in the sunshine, eating amazing food, and getting away from this hellish winter weather.” OK, you’ve got me there, but despite the obvious reasons for my happiness, I noticed while away little things that the cruise staff did or even the cruise line itself had in place that increased my happiness.

As I was cruising along, I kept thinking (each time I’d feel that little jolt of happiness) what can I learn from this Princess cruise about happiness? What are some things I can incorporate into my daily life back home that will give me more of this kind of happiness? And so, I started to take note… and now I’m sharing with you!

Here are some of the top things I learned about happiness from my most awesome vacation….

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