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White Elorda’s Snapshots: Columbus Zoo & Aquarium – 12th March 2023 & Mini Book Loft Haul!

Posted on March 14, 2023 by White Elorda

Good afternoon Nerdy Birdies!

How has your day been going so far?

Today I’ll be following up on my vlog post from yesterday with my favourite photos from my trip to Columbus Zoo & Aquarium on 12th March.

As a little bonus, I’ll also be including my little haul from the Book Loft of German Village, which I visited on Saturday, 11th March.

First thing is first though, and that’s the Snapshots.

All photos were taken with my iPhone 12 and edited using the VSCO app. Let’s jump right in!

These cuties are Sand Cats, this is the first time I’ve actually seen their faces in person (they’re usually facing away from the glass.) It’s so adorable seeing them cuddled together like my two kitties at home!

Here’s a Brown Bear enjoying a sit down; he even smiled at the camera for me!

Not the clearest photo thanks to the glass of the tank, but here are two Florida Manatees, named Stubby (bottom) and Squirrel (top) being adorable together.

The Columbus Zoo actually runs a rehabilitation program for Manatees, so most of the Manatees you see there will be returned to the wild once they are recovered. Stubby is a permanent resident though, and acts as something of a mother figure to the Manatees that come through.

A Green Tree Python all curled up on their branch. I just love the colours of their scales.

I got this close-up shot of a Grand Cayman Blue Iguana as he was chilling at the bottom of his tank. I love their faces, especially their eyes. I find reptile eyes to be some of the prettiest in the animal kingdom.

The last photo I’m going to share with you is this adorable fellow (I can’t remember what kind of lizard they are) taking a nap. I just adore how the branch they are resting on is supporting their body. It is just so cute!

And that is it for my Columbus Zoo Snapshots! If you’re interested in checking out the zoo for yourself, you can find their website here.

Moving on to the next little section, I’m going to share the little mini book haul that I got from my visit to the Book Loft of German Village while can also be found in Columbus, OH. It’s a really cool shop if you’re a big reader – they have something for everyone!

A couple of the book I picked up, I already covered in my weekly comic book haul post on Sunday, so I won’t be repeating them here.

With that being said, let’s start with the haul!

The first book that I picked up is a Batman self-help book! It’s nothing too detailed, just some advice you could take from the Dark Knight and how he handles certain situations. I thought it was cute, and would make a nice companion to my comic book collection.

The next book I got is this really cool general knowledge book. It covers a variety of subjects, from the rock cycle to some basic self-care recipes. I was immediately drawn in by the cover, and am very glad that I decided to pick it up.

With how much I love to visit Natural History Museums, I couldn’t resist this really cool book on Paleontology. It goes over how the science and techniques have changed over the years and has some awesome illustrations.

The last book that I picked up is this one. World War 2 is one of my special interests and I’m always interested to read through books that focus on the people who live through it. This has a lot of media and propaganda that circulated in various countries during World War 2, while also focusing on the different ways that different areas were affected by the conflict.

And that is it for my little book haul. If you’re interested in learning more about the Book Loft, and it’s 32 rooms full of books, you can find their website here.

That wrap’s up today’s post, I hope that you enjoyed it!

And until next time, stay nerdy my friends!

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White Elorda’s Adventures: Columbus Zoo & Aquarium Vlog

Posted on March 13, 2023 by White Elorda

Hello Nerdy Birdies!

How is your Monday going so far?

This is actually the first of two posts I plan on making today, so this one is going to be on the shorter side.

Yesterday, I visited the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Columbus, OH. It was a snowy day, so there wasn’t a lot of people walking around, and it was really pleasant. I filmed a vlog when we were there, and I want to share it here!

Columbus Zoo & Aquarium Vlog – Episode 3. 12th March 2023.

I really love walking around Zoos and Aquariums, they are some of my favourite places to visit, even when the weather isn’t the best – I still had a good time.

Some highlights of the day include petting the stingrays, watching the sharks swim in the Aquarium and getting to see a Brown Bear up close. What is typically your favourite animal when you visit the Zoo? I’m always looking forward to seeing the sharks, but I really love seeing the Manatees at Columbus as well.

If you’re interested in checking out the Zoo for yourself, you can check out their website here.

Be on the lookout for my snapshot post from my visit in the coming days, I’ll also have a post of Little Red’s Adventures at the Zoo coming as well.

I’m going to do my best to continue sharing my video content on here more often.

If you’re interested in checking out more of my video content, you can find my YouTube Channel here!

That’s all for post – I hope that you enjoyed!

And until next time, stay nerdy my friends!

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White Elorda’s Snapshots: Phipps Conservatory – 26th February 2023

Posted on March 6, 2023 by White Elorda

Hello Nerdy Birdies!

Happy Monday! I hope that your week is off to a decent start.

I had meant to get this post out sooner, but things got really hectic for a moment, and I had to put it on the back burner.

Do any of you enjoy visiting Botanical Gardens or Conservatories? I love walking around Botanical Gardens and seeing all of the colourful flowers and plants that they have on display.

One of my favourite Botanical Gardens to visit is Phipps Conservatory. You can check out their website here! I visited there a little while ago, while their Bonsai and Orchid show was going on.

Today I’m going to share some of my favourite snapshots from that visit – I hope you enjoy!

Just as a preface, and for some further information, all of these photos were taken on my iPhone 12 and were edited using the VSCO app.

I adore this display – I think mostly because this is how I would love to spend my days if I could; working on my journal while surrounded by beautiful plants!

The continuation of the photo above. Including some gorgeous Lady’s Slipper Orchids.

This statue is one of my favourite permanent features of Phipps Conservatory. She greets you as you enter the main conservatory building. I think I take a photo of her every time.

Grabbed this photo through the rails of a fence around the display. I love the cute little fruit growing here.

A cute succulent display in a pot from the Desert Room. These succulents are some of my favourites – I’d love to keep some in my study.

As with the statue above, this wall is one of my favourite features at Phipps. The plants kept in the pots changes depending on the exhibit that’s going on, and it’s always interesting to see how they change with each visit.

The way these Orchids are lit up, they remind me of a singing group out on the stage.

The Orchids must have just been misted, as I was able to get this great detail shot of water droplets on the petals. I think this is my favourite of all the photos I took during this most recent visit.

A Calamondin Orange bonsai tree. There was a sign warning everyone that the fruit from the tree is bitter – which makes me wonder if anyone has tried to pick it before?

The last photo I’m going to share is this beautifully formed Chinese Banyan bonsai tree. I absolutely adore the way this tree flows out of the pot and down toward the ground. Like a waterfall formed of leaves and branches.

Do you enjoy looking at Bonsai trees?

And that is it for my snapshots from Phipps Conservatory! I hope you enjoyed the photos that I chose! I tried to pick out a variety that really gives you a taste for how pretty this place is!

If you’re interested in seeing more of my photography, check out my Instagram!

Let me know what else you’d like to see from me, I’m always happy for suggestion!

Thanks again for checking out this post, and until next time, stay nerdy my friends!

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A Day at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Snapshots. 29th January 2023.

Posted on January 31, 2023 by White Elorda

Hello my nerdy birdies!

I hope you all had an excellent weekend, whether that was relaxing or getting up to something exciting.

I visited my local Natural History Museum over the past weekend, and thought I’d try out something new on my blog. Essentially I am going to take my favourite photos from a day out and compile them into a blog post.

Photos will either be taken with my iPhone 12, or my Olympus Pen E-PL10. I do some light editing for white balance and colour correction using the app VSCO on my phone.

With all that being said – let’s dive right into it!

Just to make things a little easier on myself, I will be posting these in the order that you would see them walking through the Museum.

Dryosaurus (Herbivore) and Ceratosaurus (Carnivore).

First up we have the fossils of an unsuspecting Dryosaurus being hunted by a Ceratosaurus. I really enjoy this display because of the way it so succinctly shows the food chain. The herbivore eating the plant and the carnivore preying on the herbivore.

Next up with have the head and neck of an Allosaurus. These guys are more closely related to Velociraptors than larger carnivores like the T-Rex. I enjoy the perspective of this photo thanks to the positioning of the Sauropod in the mural.

Above is the skull of the Edmontosaurus that lays as the prey in the T-Rex display. It’s widely considered that these large herbivores were quite adept at avoiding larger predators such as the Tyrannosaur, but that doesn’t mean some unlucky fellows could not have met the same fate.

I just thought this photo looked quite poignant with the flowers in the foreground.

The last of my dinosaur snapshots. The Tyrannosaurus pair is probably one of my favourite of the dinosaur displays in the museum. I just really love the staging, with the two facing off over a kill. Which would have been victorious I wonder?

Above is the upper skeleton of an Irish Elk. This extinct species is the largest species of deer to have ever roamed the Earth. I love the antlers of this creature, and I love the thought that it influences Irish folklore in some kind of way.

I like this photo because of the shadow the Elk casts across the ceiling. It’s almost spectral in appearance.

This display is from the Hall of Botany, which describes the importance of various ecosystems that can be found in North America.

One such importance is butterflies and their role as pollinators, allowing plants to thrive, and how certain kinds of “weeds” attract butterflies. An example of this is Milkweed, which butterfly larvae like to eat.

I just happen to think that it’s also a really pretty plant.

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sitting on Dogwood flowers.

Another from the Hall of Botany shows a close-up of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sitting on the pretty yellow-white flowers of the dogwood tree. I really like dogwood flowers, they look like the edges have been touched with a small flame.

From the Hall of North American Wildlife is this Red-Shouldered Hawk, holding a field mouse in its beak. I adore birds of prey, and the plumage on this species is especially pretty.

The last part of the Museum that I will be sharing snapshots of is the Hall of Birds.

The first of these Peregrine Falcon, which is actually my favourite species of Bird of Prey. There used to be a family of them that lived on the mountain behind the house I grew up in, and you could catch sight of them every now and again.

Dodos have fascinated me for years, and I would love to visit the island of Mauritius to learn more about them. These birds went extinct in 1662, thanks to over hunting and habitat destruction by humans.

The last photo I’ll be sharing today is this one of an Atlantic Puffin and a Chinstrap Penguin.

Atlantic Puffins are really amusing birds who essentially have no fear, due to having no natural predators. If you haven’t already you should look up Puffin interactions with photographers, it is some of the cutest stuff you will see.

As a nerdy side note, Porgs actually exist in the Star Wars universe because of Puffins being present while some scenes were being filmed. It was then cheaper for the VFX artists to turn them into something else instead of edit them out.

And that’s it for my first snapshot post. I hope to do more of these in the future with other places that I visit, and maybe I’ll try the format to share some convention adventures.

I hope you enjoyed and until next time – stay curious, and nerdy my friends!

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Little Red Adventures: Disneyland Resort, CA

Posted on November 4, 2022November 4, 2022 by White Elorda

Hello Nerdy Birdies!

How have you been doing? Are you sad that Halloween is over? I know that I am.

At the beginning of October, I went on a trip to the Disneyland Resort in California. Of course, Little Red Hood came along with me. Here are some photos of him that I took during the trip!

First off is Little Red Hood on his first ever plane ride/flight. He was good company while I read my book.

This one was taken at dinner on our first day in California! There was a Red Robin right next to our hotel. Little Red Hood didn’t feel like coming out of my bag!

Side note: isn’t this spooky Mummy!Mickey Mouse bag adorable?

Little Red Hood getting settled in after we checked into our hotel.

One of my favourite things about Disney is the snacks. Here is Little Red Hood enjoying a Mickey Mouse pretzel with cheese sauce. This is one of my absolute favourite snacks at the Disney Parks.

Little Red Hood made a new friend! This adorable Alien is a sipped that you can fill with your favourite drink. We grabbed him from the Tomorrowland section of Disneyland Park.

Little Red Hood riding the Disneyland Railroad! This photo was taken at the Main Street station, overlooking the entrance gates to Disneyland.

Little Red Hood enjoying a lovely sunbathe by the hotel pool.

At California Adventure, in front of the Pixar Pal-A-Round.

Enjoying a moment of peace and quiet in Disney’s California Adventure. This was taken outside of Mickey’s Philharmagic. I love the little flowers that are dotted around the parks.

And those are all of the photos from Little Red Hood’s adventure at Disneyland in California. I wasn’t confident enough to take him out of rides, but it was nice to carry him around in general.

We have some fun trips coming up, so expect to see more of Little Red Hood’s adventures really soon!

Until then, this is White Elorda signing off. Stay nerdy my friends!

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Things to Include in your Travel Journal when Planning a Trip

Posted on May 1, 2021 by White Elorda

Hello my friends!

When planning a big trip I find it handy to write down as many details as I can in my travel journal. I’m going to share some of the things I like to keep jotted down in my travel journal when I am planning for a trip.

Why I use a travel journal for planning my trips

Honest answer? It’s just the most convenient for me. It allows me to keep all of my important travel information together in one place.

I also like that I can customise the look and feel, while also including the planning stages as part of my journaling for a trip.

This is my favourite type of travel journal to use: Black Voyager Journal (this link is not affiliated or sponsored.)

Flights/Trains/Travel Arrangements

How are you getting to your destination? Are you flying, driving or taking the train?

Write down all of the details of your flights/trains/travel arrangements:

If you’re flying: Airline + Flight Numbers
If you’re taking a train: Train Company + Train Number. Also the address of the train station.
Make a note of any layovers or breaks – the duration of the layover and where it will be occuring.

Some things to consider:
Will you be driving to the airport/train station?
If so, do you know where you will be parking your car? How much will the parking cost?
If you are parking away from the airport/train station, do you know how you will get to the airport/train station? Is there a shuttle.
These are all things to consider making a note of in your journal.

Other details to note for traveling:
What is the baggage allowance for your trip? (This can include how many bags you are allowed to bring with you as well as how much they can weigh.)
What time do you need to leave home/your hotel to get to your flight/train on time?

Hotel/AirBnB/Accommodations
Write out the detail of your accommodations:

Any confirmation or reservation numbers.
Address of your accommodations and directions (if needed)
Maybe a map as a cute addition.
Check-in and check-out times. Does your hotel have early check-in or late check-out?
Does your hotel serve breakfast? What time is breakfast served?

Write out any important phone numbers, especially if you are traveling internationally. Numbers like: your bank, your Embassy, your Hotel, Local Emergency Services.

Do some research on the area immediately surrounding where you plan on staying, make notes on anything interesting or important that is close by. This can include restaurants, grocery stores and coffee shops.

Weather

A quick point, but if you are traveling somewhere that is unfamiliar to you, make a note of what the weather is usually like at the time of year that you will be there. Of course this won’t be 100% accurate but it at least gives you an idea.

I’ve found that just having this helps when it comes to writing packing lists.

Local Transportation

Is your accommodation close to the local transportation?

Make a note of what the local transportation is – bus, train, subway, tax, or do you have to walk everywhere?

How do you get to this transportation from where you are staying? For example, can you walk to the local subway station, or would you have to take a taxi?

Is there anything that you need to take care of for the local transportation? E.g. If you plan in renting a car, do you need an international driver’s permit? Other things might include rail passes.

Make sure to download an apps you might need for local transportation before you leave for your trip. These might include directions, public transit schedules or maps. I like to make a note for myself in my journal – usually along with a checklist.

Make a Packing List

Make it as detailed as you can, include even little things that might seem really obvious or trivial. You’d be surprised at how often often those are the things that you forget, or leave behind.

I tend to include two check boxes in my packing lists so I can tick things off as I pack them for my trip, as well as for the trip back.

I will usually separate out my packing lists by bag and category – so for example, I will write out a list of clothes that need to be packed in my suitcase, then a list of the toiletries that need to be packed in my suitcase, so on and so forth until everything in my suitcase is accounted for, then I will move onto the next bag.

Itinerary Overview

This doesn’t need to be detailed. This is just a brief overview.

Write out the things you know you will be doing on your trip. Include any important information such as ticket numbers, confirmation or reservation numbers for meals or other other booked experiences.

I’ve found that this helps to find the holes in your trip that you can fill with more spontaneous activities.

Write down a list of places that may interest you to visit, so you have something to reference if you find yourself looking for something to do.

Detailed Itinerary Runthough

If you already have detailed days planned out, then I would write those out separately from your overview (which I discussed in the last section). This can include your travel days.

Things to note in your detailed itinerary runthough:

Wake-up times – this can be useful on days when there is a lot of traveling, or if you are on a specific time schedule.
Things to bring with you/pack in your bag.
Opening times (if applicable)
Places you’re planning on stopping to eat (include reservation info if you have them)
Brief directions (if needed)
Times of tickets/experiences/tours (if applicable)
Bedtimes
Meal times
Activities (Shopping/Games/Museum/Tours/Zoo etc.)

Other stuff you might want to include:

Make a list of important things that you need to do before you leave:

Do you need to call your bank?
Do you need to clean out your car?
Do you need to turn your cellular data off?
Have you printed out all of the paperwork you might need?
Have you downloaded all of the apps that you might need?

If you have dietary restrictions, or preferences – write down any restaurants that you know cater to your specific requirements.
– In this same vein, write down how to tell your server about any allergies that you may have in the native language of the country you are visiting, if this is applicable.

Write out any phrases that you might need to know – such as asking about the bathroom or asking for directions.

If it something that interests you, write out a basic currency conversion chart so you can have a basic idea of how much things cost.

Make sure you write out any reminders that you may need for yourself, such as picking up tickets or asking for information, for example, a reminder to call the airline to ask about vegetarian/vegan meal options.

And that is about everything that I like to include in my travel journal when planning a trip! I hope you found this little guide helpful!

Diolch am ddarllen! Thanks for reading and remember to stay kind and nerdy my friends!

White Elorda

Introvert, nerd and lifestyle blogger.
Check me out on social media: Instagram | YouTube | Patreon (Chibi Art) | My Resin Shop

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Get to Know Me: What I like to carry in my personal bag when I travel.

Posted on April 22, 2021 by White Elorda

Hello everyone!

When I travel, I like to make packing lists – so I thought I’d share some of the things that I like to pack in my personal bag.

What kind of bag do I use?

For personal use, I prefer to use a backpack, they have less chance of getting in the way of a suitcase that way. Sometimes, I will also use a small shoulder bag to keep my essentials in, if I need to access them quickly.

Wallet/Purse – I suppose this is kind of obvious, but it’s something that can be easily forgotten so I like to include it. I personally keep my cards and cash in separate wallets, but both of these stay together, and go together into a secure pocket inside of my bag.

Phone & Charger – Another obvious one, but as with your wallet, one that is easily forgotten if not accounted for. I like to keep my phone charger in my personal bag so I have access to it while I am traveling, especially if I am traveling by plane or train. It’s so much easier than having it in a suitcase, I’ve learned that from personal experience.

Portable Charger – Following on from my phone and its charger. I also like to carry around a portable charger in my personal bag. It’s good to have a backup if you aren’t able to get to an outlet for your charger. I keep my portable charger in its own little bag along with the “in” and “out” cables, so they are always together.

Metal Straw & Case – No matter how far am I traveling, I like to take my set of metal straws with me in their case. The set I have has 3 straws, one that’s perfect for thicker beverages like smoothies and milkshakes, a straight thin one and a thin one with a bend in it. These come in handy when I travel, because I can’t always get a straw and it’s useful to have a reusable set that I can pull out of my bag. They have their own cleaning brush so they are easy to wash out while you are on the go.

My set of metal straws comes from ByteSizeTreasure (link is not sponsored or affiliated.)

Travel Cutlery – Similar to the metal straws. I like having my reusable travel cutlery, as they are a good alternative to the single use plastic kind that you can end up getting when you’re on the road, or just out and about. My set contains a fork, a TSA safe knife, a spoon, and a set of chopsticks.

My set of travel cutlery comes from Outlery (link is not sponsored or affiliated.)

Nintendo Switch Lite – this is probably the latest addition to my personal bag when I travel. I was honestly on the fence about even getting a Switch Lite when they first came out. I really enjoy having some of my favourite video games in a handheld format. This includes Devil May Cry 1-3, and Darksiders. This is really handy for traveling long distances, as it’s an easy form of entertainment.

iPod – I haven’t been able to transition to using my phone for music, so I still like to carry my iPod with me when I travel. I didn’t include the charger on the list here as this uses the same charger as my phone. Music is a must for me no matter how far of a distance I travel.

Headphones – I suppose this one naturally follows along from the iPod, as I don’t want or like to listen to my music, or play games with the sound playing out loud. So headphones are definitely important. I haven’t upgraded to air pods or wireless headphones yet, so I like to use wired earbuds when I travel instead of over-the-head headphones. Currently I am using Minnie Mouse headphones that came in this super convenient little travel case.

Travel Journal – This one is probably also obvious given that ‘travel’ is in the name, but it is important enough to me to include. My own travel journals usually start one of two ways – either blank, ready for me to start chronicling my adventure, or they have all of my travel details and plans already laid out. I usually have a pen kept along with my journal, as well as a roll of washi tape and a sheet of stickers.

Notebook & Pen – As well as my travel journal, I like to keep a small notebook and pen in my bag, just incase I need to jot down anything important. I keep a separate pen with this notebook than the one I use with my journal. This one I carry around all of the time, not just for travel.

Small Plush – This will usually be a keychain attached to my bag, though sometimes I will have a small plush inside my bag for longer trips. I find that having something soft helps out with my anxiety from being around crowds of people.

Pouch of Essentials – I’m going to group this all into one thing as these are always kept together in a pouch in my bag. This pouch includes face masks, hand sanitiser, hand cream, feminine hygiene products, lip balm, hand mirror, compact powder, little face brush and phone screen cleanser.

Book – I suppose this one can also be considered obvious. Another form of entertainment that I like to have with me when I travel. I will usually pack a longer book for traveling so I don’t have to pack more than one. If I let myself pack more than one book, I won’t have space for anything else.

And those are all of the things I like to pack in my personal bag when I travel. What are your travel essentials? What would be your perfect trip when it is safe to travel again?

Diolch am ddarllen! Thanks for reading and remember to stay nerdy my friends!

White Elorda

Introvert, nerd and nerdy lifestyle blogger.
Check me out on social media: Instagram | YouTube | Patreon (Chibi Art) | My Resin Shop