Lifestyle Archives

The Moment is Coming

March 28, 2021 1 Comment

In this crazy world we live in I have been blessed to meet some incredible people through social media. One of these beautiful souls is Hung Thai whom I met via Instagram back in 2016. He is a great writer and has inspired me many times with his pictures and musings both on Instagram and via his blog.

After taking little hiatus, Hung is getting back into writing and his latest piece is one that I think many of us can relate to. I am fortunate enough to have been allowed to share it with you here. As spring is upon us and new life and hope is born I hope this short piece inspires you and ignites that spark inside you.

Lifestyle

Ultimate Spa Escape at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort

July 29, 2017 15 Comments

Miami has many incredible hotels with amazing Spas including the Carillon. And there is no better time than Spa month to try some of the best of the best at incredible deals. It is difficult to choose amongst the amazing 4 and 5 star Spas that participate in this event. But if you want the ultimate spa escape then I can whole hardily recommend the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort.

Travel, Lifestyle

St. Louis – More than just some pretty sights

August 9, 2016 22 Comments

This post was most recently updated on August 9th, 2017

St. Louis was never on the top of my list of places to visit. However I was given the opportunity to attend a conference and spend some much needed girl time there this month. Therefore, I happily booked my ticket. Now I confess that St. Louis was so much more than pretty sights and fun with my girlfriends. This trip empowered me to be obsessively grateful and to become a defender of innocence. I write this not just to give you some tips on what to see and do when in St. Louis but to raise awareness on a topic that is difficult to talk about but that is so important.

Lifestyle

Where are you from? – A matter of identity

May 21, 2016 19 Comments

This post was most recently updated on May 26th, 2016

When you meet someone for the first time, whether it is during your travels or at home, one of the typical questions that comes up in conversation is: Where are you from? And you would think this is an easy question to answer right? – WRONG!!! For me, and I am sure countless others, this is probably a very difficult questions to answer and may boil down to a matter of identity. I may have been born in one place but I have lived more than half my life in another. And more importantly I identify with more than one culture.

Lifestyle, Travel

Confessions of an Obsessive Compulsive Travel Planner

April 14, 2016 19 Comments

They say the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem – so this is confession time. I hear time and time again that you need to be loose with your itinerary, allow room for things to happen, don’t over-schedule. Well my friends, I confess that I have a problem. I obsess over the planning phase of travel. I spend countless hours researching, reading guides, reviews, googling everything and anything related to the destination, and yes, I even analyze and study maps to see what is in the area and how to best maximize my time. While others stress over planning a trip, I pretty much live for it. I look forward to planning my next trip like an alcoholic looks forward to their next glass of booze.

Lifestyle, Travel

Saving for that DREAM vacation

April 6, 2016 No Comments

Photo Credit: free pictures of money via Compfight cc

Is travel one of your New Year’s resolutions? Do you want to take that family vacation or dream honeymoon, but the thought of high costs is putting a damper on your dreams? There are countless ways to make your travel dreams a reality without having to go into debt. I will share with you some tips and tricks, things I have learned and used, to help turn your DREAM vacation into REALITY.

Research in order to set goals

You can’t start saving if you do not know how much you will need. Therefore, your first step is to research. Use guidebooks, internet searches, ask your family and friends, and gather as much information as you can. What are the average flight, hotel and rental car costs? What do you want to see and do and how much are the costs to those? Will you be eating at restaurants or buying at supermarkets, and what is the cost of food? And don’t forget extras like insurance, baggage fees, passport renewals, visas, or any other items you may need to purchase before the trip.

Lifestyle

DIY- Photo Book in 3 Easy Steps

March 16, 2016 No Comments

I am not a huge fan of bringing back tons of souvenirs from my trip. These will just sit on a shelf and collect dust. With 2 children, 2 dogs, and 2 adults who already have a hard time getting rid of stuff, our home is already cluttered enough. But my travels are precious memories, and I do want a way, aside from this blog, to record them and re-live them. Therefore, I have turned to digital scrap-booking and creating my own photo books. And the best part is, all those pictures are not just stored in a box, or kept hidden on a hard drive or phone, but are now in a beautiful book for everyone to enjoy. The process is fun and easy and the results are beautiful.

Lifestyle, Travel

A Day at The Fair

March 13, 2016 1 Comment

This post was most recently updated on June 23rd, 2017

When I think of the Fair, for some reason Charlotte’s web comes to mind. Remember that scene in the movie where the rat, Templeton, sings about the fair to Wilbur? That is what I picture when I hear the word Fair. Not only that, I also hear the song over and over in my mind:

A fair is a veritable smorgasbord orgasbord orgasbord
After the crowds have ceased
Each night when the lights go out
It can be found on the ground all around
Oh, what a ratly feast!

Well Templeton is not all wrong. There is certainly plenty to do, and plenty to eat and drink at The Fair. This one happens to be an annual tradition for us and we look forward to it every year.