15 movies that Inspire a Love of Travel

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.

 Here are 15 movies that inspire a love of travel:

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

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.

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN

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).

PARIS CAN WAIT

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.

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FaceTory Face Mask Review

I may not be thrilled to be in social isolation, but my face is so happy right now! No makeup, face masks several times a week, and more than enough time for keeping a good nighttime skincare routine. (Keep your eye out for our DIY home facial coming soon.) My skin has never looked better! I was so happy when I got this fantastic set of face masks from FaceTory and my girls and I couldn’t wait to test them out.

Enjoy!

FaceTory Face Masks

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM:

Travel can wreak havoc on your skin.  From changes in temperature, sun irritation, and that mysterious craziness an airplane creates on your face. (I always break out after a flight!)  A face mask is the perfect skincare tool to carry in your suitcase.  It takes up almost no room, is easy to apply, and it is a nice way to relax and unwind after a long day of exploring.

We LOVED using these masks.  Trust me when I say we are experts on face masks because we have tried a ton! All of these masks left our skin moisturized, but not greasy like many masks do.  They also don’t have too much face cream on them so they were not gooey like some can be.

They come in such a cheerful package…which is a fun thing to see when you’re home in seclusion.

WHAT ELSE I LOVE ABOUT THEM:

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Ways to Stay Positive During Social Isolation

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!

STAY POSITIVE AND ENJOY THIS TIME TOGETHER

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.

GET OUTSIDE

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.)

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Hand Care Product Roundup

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!

MaqueBAR Moisture & Nourishing Hand Mask

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

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20 Books to Read While You’re Home

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.

Here are 20 books they’ve recommended for you.

Happy reading! Stay home and stay healthy!

Everything I never Told You

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.

The Great Alone

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.

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March Product Roundup

February’s product roundup is all about comfy shoes and soothing teas…two things that can make any trip more enjoyable.  This post is quite late…and I apologize to the companies.  It has been a crazy time in America and I had to take some time to get my family prepared and organized for the months ahead.  The good news is I have had many companies asking for me to review new products so I can’t wait to share them all with you.  This month involves three amazing products that I have been enjoying over and over…

Enjoy!

Arcopedico Shoes: Luana

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

Arcopedico makes the best shoes for travel because they have a twin arch support system that allows you to spend lots of time on your feet.  I wore these shoes walking around Boston, and my feet still felt great at the end of the day.  They were even comfortable on cobblestone streets.  My teenage daughter steals them from me every chance she gets and even wore them on stage for a singing performance. They’re great for all ages.

WHAT ELSE I LOVE ABOUT THEM

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Ireland Itinerary

Fields of Ireland

Ireland Itinerary

Since my husband is part Irish, Ireland was a trip we’d been wanting to take for years.  We had such a great time poking around the country and exploring it’s wild coastline.   We did this trip in May 2018 and we had beautiful weather…60’s -70’s each day and it only rained once.  The locals told us this was unheard of. Here is our Ireland itinerary for a perfect week. 

Happy planning!

How was the driving in Ireland?

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. 

Where do you fly in to Ireland? 

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

CLICK HERE TO FIND AN AMAZING FLIGHT

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Jerpoint Abbey & Rock of Cashel

Two spots you must visit when traveling to Ireland is Jerpoint Abbey and Rock of Cashel.  You have to see these gorgeous spots!

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Happy St. Patrick

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!!

Can’t help but think back to our amazing trip to Ireland a few years back! 

Here’s some of our favorite memories!

10 Tips for Doing Blarney Castle with Kids

10 Tips for Doing Blarney Castle with Kids

I’ve always had ‘Kiss the Blarney Stone’ on my Travel Bucket List, but I had no idea how terrifying it would be.  I thought you walked up to a boulder and gave it a peck.  I had no idea you first had to walk up a ton of claustrophobic winding stairs up to the rooftop of a castle.  Then you sit down with your back facing the stone, scoot back, lie down, grab two bars for dear life, and then have a panic attack (Oh wait…maybe that’s just me).  My kids and husband were not scared at all.  In fact, they thought it was really fun. There are bars that prevent you from falling but my brain couldn’t wrap itself around that concept. I was counting down the seconds until it was over since I hate heights.  Don’t even get me started on the fact that a million people before me had also kissed that stone.  I don’t even like putting my hands on railings, never mind put my lips on it.  So, I gave the rock a nice little air kiss.  That counts doesn’t it?

But really, I’m glad we did it and I could not imagine having backed out since it’s a once in a lifetime thing to do in Ireland.  That said, here are 10 tips for doing Blarney Castle with your kiddos.

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