Armchair Escape…St. Lucia
We continue to believe that in the future the borders will be open, airplanes will cross oceans, people will fill restaurants, and we will all get out our passports.
As for now, take a peek at these pictures to inspire your next big adventure!
Armchair Escape…Santorini
We continue to believe that in the future the borders will be open, airplanes will cross oceans, people will fill restaurants, and we will all get out our passports.
As for now, take a peek at these pictures to inspire your next big adventure!
Check out my latest piece on Thrive Global!
In the last year, I have become more and more interested in finding methods for relaxation (meditation, deep breathing, etc) and have been wanting to devote more time into doing it. It seems like such a simple task, but in yoga, I can’t seem to ever turn my mind off during savasana. So, I figured since I have nothing but time on my hand, along with a ton of anxiety, I would expand my search. First stop…YOGA NIDRA.
Through the use of body sensing, breath awareness, guided imagery and other practices, you are systematically guided on a meditation journey. You remain in a state of relaxed awareness, but not sleep.
Yes. I actually love doing it at home when my friend Becky leads them in a salon that has a salt cave. (Local friends…if you haven’t done this you NEED to check it out! Email me for more info.) It is so relaxing! A few weeks ago, Becky offered a virtual class so I was able to do it from my own living room.
I had a whole list of projects that I put on my list to do while socially distancing, but somehow those lists turned into lots of movie marathons! Movies have a way of transporting you to new destinations without having to leave your porch, and what a better time to veg out and catch up on some old favorites.
Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) thought she had everything she wanted in life: a home, a husband and a successful career. Now newly divorced and facing a turning point, she finds that she is confused about what is important to her. Daring to step out of her comfort zone, Liz embarks on a quest of self-discovery that takes her to Italy, India and Bali.
When Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) learns her husband is cheating on her from a writer whom she gave a bad review, her life is turned upside down. In an attempt to bring her out of a deep depression, her best friend, Patti (Sandra Oh), encourages Frances to take a tour of Italy. During the trip, the new divorcée impulsively decides to purchase a rural Tuscan villa and struggles to start her life anew amid colorful local characters, including the handsome Marcello (Raoul Bova).
Anne (Diane Lane) is at a crossroads in her life. Married to a successful but inattentive movie producer (Alec Baldwin), she unexpectedly finds herself taking a car trip from Cannes to Paris with her husband’s business associate (Arnaud Viard). What should be a seven-hour drive turns into a carefree two-day adventure replete with diversions involving picturesque sights, fine food and wine, humor, wisdom and romance, reawakening Anne’s senses and giving her a new lust for life.
Life is pretty crazy right now and certainly not anything we ever expected to happen in our lives. Remote learning, social isolation, and fear have overtaken our lives. I’m an anxious person and I can get pretty frantic if I work myself up by thinking about it all day, so after a week of freaking out, I decided to add some normalcy to our lives and realized positive thinking and creativity would make our days memorable. We are using this time together to bond as a family and do things we complain about not having time to do when we’re in our “real lives.”
I plan on using this time on my blog to share strategies that have been working for us and encourage people to make the most out of this situation. We have been calling it our Corona-cation in our house. I’ll be touching on each of these more thoroughly as the weeks go on. We’re all in this together! I’m loving all the feedback from everyone telling me what they’ve been doing and sending links and suggestions. Please keep it up!
Hope your family is staying healthy and happy!
No one knows how long this will last and it’s very easy to become overwhelmed. I know I can be pretty bitchy when I’m anxious and I tend to take it out on the people I love. Now is the time to stay positive and encourage your family to do the same. I try to stop my kids from fighting, and suggest we all do something fun together. I have only 4 more years with my oldest and 6 with my youngest and I’m loving every day I get to have them all to myself.
Make sure you get outside EVERY day, even if you don’t want to. I find the hardest part is just getting your sneakers on and walking out the door. Go for walks, play some basketball in your driveway, do some sidewalk chalk, or just have a picnic if the weather is nice. (Obviously..avoid other people.)
I have been religiously following the 20 second rule of washing your hand…doing it so often that my hands have become red, cracked, and raw. Add in hand sanitizer and my hands have been a disaster! I needed to do something about it, so I decided to give them a little TLC. Here are 3 great products that have my hands looking great.
Enjoy!
WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM: Many people are experiencing the effects of washing their hands and using bleach wipes. Hands are becoming dried, chapped, and cracked because of the soap and alcohol. This hand mask restored my skin by hydrating them, and they came out soft and moisturized.
WHAT ELSE I LOVE ABOUT THEM: Since they are created as a glove, they were easy to use and actually fun to wear. (We felt like Minnie Mouse!) What I really liked was it left our hands smooth, without being greasy, like many hand masks do. (Head over to my Instagram account to watch the video of my daughter and I testing the hand mask out! It is stored under the tab PRODUCTS) The company also sells an ultra-rich hand cream, but I haven’t tried it out yet.
COST: $9.99
Since we are all spending so much time indoors, we can often feel trapped. What’s the perfect escape? A good book! Books are a great way to travel the world without leaving your back porch. The first place I turn when I need a good book (besides to Oprah) are my friends and family.
By: Celeste Ng
Recommended by: yours truly!
Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos. A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
By: Kristin Hannah
Recommended by: Laura
In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own.
Since my husband is part Irish, Ireland was a trip we’d been wanting to take for years, and I’m so glad we had the hance to take the girls. Ireland is a magical destination filled with historic castles, jaw-dropping landscapes, and charming towns. This 8-day Ireland itinerary takes you through the Emerald Isle’s most iconic sites, from the legendary Cliffs of Moher to the vibrant streets of Dublin. Along the way, indulge in local Irish cuisine like fresh seafood chowder, hearty stews, and, of course, a pint of Guinness. With its mix of history, natural beauty, and warm hospitality, Ireland promises an unforgettable adventure.
Driving was insane! Cars drive on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side of the car. As if that is not bad enough, I can’t stress how narrow the roads are. Lots of people told us that before we went…actually everyone mentioned it…and I can see why. My neck hurt at the end of the day from leaning to the right the whole time. I could never drive there but my husband looked like a pro.
The best place to fly in is Dublin Airport (DUB), which services the eastern counties, Cork Airport (ORK), servicing the southern counties, and Shannon Airport (SNN), serving the western
Two spots you must visit when traveling to Ireland is Jerpoint Abbey and Rock of Cashel. You have to see these gorgeous spots!