Category: Travel

Maybe Tomorrow…..

No pun intended… but Maybe Tomorrow I’ll get something done!  Today I’m reflecting on my past….. Enjoying the nostalgia and thinking about touring the country with the National Broadway Tour of Annie when I was 13 and 14!

At the time, I didn’t really realize the magnitude… the iconic show that truly was a phenomenon. I was simply doing something fun!  I begged my mom to let me try out and because I was an only child, she helped me fulfill my dream!   I was truly blessed!

Today, at the age of  50, I look back to what seems like a lifetime ago.  I feel blessed to have been a part of this musical!    We recently had a 40th Anniversary reunion of all the Annie’s thanks to Inside Edition and we all had a special bond whether we worked on stage together or not!   For me, it was a family of sorts.  I never had sisters or brothers so touring with 6-7 girls gave me that sisterhood…. some of the adults in the show were like aunts or uncles to us! It was magical!  We marvel at the thought that this was “back in the day” when there were no child labor laws and we performed 8 shows a week…  we didn’t have child wranglers to keep us contained back stage and we didn’t have body microphones so we had to sing LOUD! :).  It was a different time.   We marveled at how this show became so iconic… possibly because it was one of the first Broadway Musicals that was family friendly…. and it had a positive message with kids and a dog!   Who knows why it became such a success and will continue to be performed for years and years.

I’m just thrilled to have been a part of it and I will look forward to our 50th reunion and all the little ones in between!

 

Wednesday Wisdom

Admittedly, I’m almost 50 years old….. (How did that happen?)   But I love where I am in life because I have figured out a lot!   Of course, my elders would say, “You don’t know what you don’t know.”, and that is true.   I say that about my kids.   They are very responsible and make good decisions so far in life but they don’t know what they don’t know… and that can ONLY be learned through experience.    Life is a series of experiences…… and experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want most of the time!

I’ve learned a lot in my short life so far…. even had to deal with the death of two parents and that, my friends, will give you experience.  I have thought a lot about my blog and where I want it to go….  My passions are family, faith, food and entertaining, creative ideas like decorating and fashion/accessorizing along with my passion for gadgets and products I love…. I also LOVE organization and love to travel.  I love to cook healthy food and FINALLY figured out how to keep my “mid-life weight” under control by choosing healthy food….. REAL food and not products I have to purchase.  THAT makes me excited!

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It gets me excited to share this wisdom with people who have not figured it out yet….. Being a woman today is an interesting journey…. Many of us work, either part time or full time and want to maintain a balance of work/life and family…. while trying to be organized enough to cook healthy meals, take care of ourselves and do all the things that make us happy while not losing our sanity as we try to take care of the ones around us that we love.

I really feel like I have some great tips and great ideas to help women keep that balance, feel productive and feel sane doing it because of “experience”.      We won’t all be perfect… but we will find some peace and sanity doing it.

Follow me on this journey of blog posts….. if nothing else, my daughter can read this one day and get advice from her mother 🙂

 

Keep it Organized!

I am a self proclaimed product junkie and have a love for organizing!   I love finding the BEST gadget, product, anything that makes my life easier or simpler!  I love feeling decluttered and organized because it makes my brain less cluttered and helps me sleep better and enjoy life fully!  Here’s just what’s on my mind today!   What are YOUR favorite organizing products?  Here are a few of mine!

 

  1.  Travel Cubes.  I admit it.. These things are fantastic for packing and unpacking and keeping your suitcase tidy!  I like being able to pack the way it makes sense to me…. pajamas or work out clothes together…. or all my pants together and all my tops together….Pack a cube of shoes!   However you choose to pack, I think you’ll like it!   AND… on the way home, your dirty clothes can go in a cube as to not “mix” with your clean ones!

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2.  Pursen Jewelry Organizer – I like to accessorize and I do travel with lots of jewelry because it can really change up my look when I need to take an outfit from day to play!  This little gem (no pun intended) is TRULY the best one I have tried and trust me… I have tried a lot of different ones!   They come small to large for all your needs!

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3.  Neat Desk Organizer – It’s a scanner and it’s AMAZING!!!   I hate paper all over the place and sometimes you need to access something from the road like a business card or a frequent flyer number or hotel rewards number.    You can download the NEAT app on your phone and have instant access to everything you scan and all you have to do is search a word or a name.    Anything that is PRINTED like a business card or form get’s pre-read so you don’t have to type in anything… so when you search for them, you can in an instant…. You can even scan recipes and receipts….. and they can be reprinted…. and shared electronically.   This thing is a MUST have in my opinion!   People think I should sell these!  I love it THAT much!

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4. Go Strap!  This is a silly little gadget that sticks on the back of your phone case and allows you to hold your phone securely and safely!   I no longer worry about dropping my phone!    Women don’t always have pockets to put their phones in….. but they sometimes need them accessible because we are keeping up with kids or work for example…. THIS little gadget is stellar in allowing you to have your hands full yet still have your phone ON you.  You can carry your coffee and your phone in one hand without worrying about dropping your phone!  Outstanding!

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I can’t wait to hear what YOUR favorite gadgets are!

Happy New Year

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Does anyone else feel like they are just coming out of their summer “fog”?   I am.  It seems to take a while to get back in the groove after having no schedule in the summer.  Don’t get me wrong… summer was productive.  It wasn’t just sitting by the pool and sipping drinks….. we got a lot of projects done around the house but it has seriously taken me until MID- October to feel like things are settling into a groove!  Crazy!

So… The reason I said “Happy New Year” is because I think August or September (depending on when your school starts)  should be the NEW YEAR!    It’s a time when we start over…. refresh…. get into a routine again after a summer of being less structured.   Kids go back to school, Mom’s start to get things in order around the house.. and maybe start to take care of themselves again.   Work schedules out of the house seem more relaxed during the summer because everyone is on vacation here and there and Fall, well, everyone is back to business!   Even the calendars you buy at the store either begin in January or  academic calendars begin in EITHER July or August? How confusing!

I seem to place less emphasis on the “new year” in January and seem to feel a lot more inclined to start over and start fresh in September?  How about you?

I begin to eat healthy again after a summer of indulgences…. I begin to exercise again because there is a routine and I begin to organize after a summer of having everyone in the house.   September seems to be MY new year!

So… I am taking it on… Got new glasses to start off the “new me” and I’m back to cooking healthy and eating better!   I’m reflecting on the past with perspective… and dreaming of my future.

Are you ready to see some posts because I took most of the summer off?  What do you want to hear more of?  Here are my passions:  Decorating, entertaining, fashion & accessorizing, product junkie, food and cooking, parenting, travel,  some DIY projects, and Organization and business!   I feel like my years of experience can serve me well as I’m venturing into the “mature adult” phase of my life!  Tell me what you want to hear more of!  I’d love to share!

Look skinnier without dieting!

I am actually trying to lose some holiday weight that’s accumulated over many holidays I think…. but in the meantime, while I am NOT purchasing clothing since I do plan on being thinner….. I can accessorize my current wardrobe with some jewelry and look thinner in the process!  It also helps me to feel complete when I go out… even if I’m wearing an outfit I’ve had a while,  jewelry simply dresses things up a bit… even a t-shirt as shown below!  (great for travel too)

Women typically wear a pendant necklace… usually something meaningful to them or just simply trendy or nothing at all.   Notice how adding a few longer thin and lightweight necklaces can actually draw your eye vertically…. making you not only look thinner but even taller than you are!   Your visual lines are vertical not horizontal.

Layering jewelry is also very trendy right now… but it can be intimidating at best!   You want to know how to do it right… and that is what I sincerely love about eSBe Designs Jewelry!  

I have learned a lot by representing our  designer and well, it’s like Garanimals!    Everything mixes and matches flawlessly… because we have ONE designer.. not a design team but one talented American designer that designs every single piece!  

So while you are exercising and eating healthy to shed a few pounds to get into that swimsuit….the right jewelry can transition you flawlessly into the next size down.

I love helping my clients select just the right pieces to suit their jewelry style and wardrobe!   I’d love to help you to either locally or electronically through messaging!   Send me photos and I’ll provide  custom jewelry wardrobe selections  for you based on your preferences!  Visit www.esbedesigns.com/theda to view the entire collection.

NYC!

New York City is so diverse!   You really do need to spend a week there to get the full flavor of it!  You’ve got Central Park… such a haven in the middle of all the concrete… IMG_3018.JPGthere are always tons of people… running, walking and biking!  It’s vibrant!

And then there’s SoHo… which was named Soho because it is South of Houston Street… (Prounounced House-ton not Houston like in Texas) … There’s great shopping… and FYI most of the restaurants are one block away on the side streets.   We tried this quaint little spot off Prince  Street called Back Forty West.  It was super nice… had a large upstairs so don’t be fooled by lack of seating when you walk in!   It was lovely and most of my party had delicious grain fed burgers which got high marks!

 

If you walk toward Columbus Circle off Broadway, you’ll find the Metropolitan Opera… and lots of shopping.. and of course there’s midtown.. near Time’s Square which is always a hub of activity!    Madison Avenue is a lovely walk Uptown with high end shopping…. and then there’s lower Manhattan with South Street Seaport and Freedom Tower… Truly a lot to cover to REALLY capture all the different neighborhoods in the city!

  

There are restaurants galore…. and it’s all expensive.. but there are ways to make it more affordable if you bring in a few items for breakfast and snacks… bottled water is a must so you don’t have to pay $3 a bottle or more!  Don’t be embarrassed to bring in some supplies!  Everyone does it!

Enjoy the sights.. the culture… the food and the shopping!    I love NYC!  Share your favorite restaurants, sights etc…. for all my friends who always ask me for restaurant or hotel recommendations…. this will be a great diary!

Save Money while Booking your Summer Travel!

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I don’t have a lot of time for garage sales and cutting coupons  BUT….. I do pay attention to good deals and DO try to save money whenever I can!

I just thought I would share a few of my favorite ways to save extra money this summer that COULD turn into some vacation money…. some extra spending money… or just to save!

We travel all year round with dance competitions for my daughter.. so I’m always making hotel reservastions.   If your kid does any travel sport, you are doing the same!   Follow the link below… and JOIN eBates.

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=RwGDrJgzvmhYJWFXtBf3Ug%3D%3D&eeid=26474

THEN, go to the HOTELS.COM link within the site and book your hotels.

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Hotels.com gives you a free night after you’ve used their site for 10 nights of stays in hotels… and

EBATES gives you a rebate on your reservation.   Combine all that with using your rewards Credit card to get cash back, airline miles or whatever,  and you’re getting a better deal!

STAY tuned for MORE ways to find extra money this summer!

Going off to college!

 

It’s so much fun to see your kids grow up to be adults, although scary too!   You’ve raised your kids, taught them morals, ethics, manners, and the value of hard work and they are 18 and going off to college where you have absolutely NO CONTROL!   So hard for a planner like myself and I’m sure for many moms and dads!

You hope all the words you’ve said… the lessons they’ve learned so far are enough to keep them safe and successful going forward!

This moment pictured above is my son test driving “reliable” cars to take to college.  He’s looking at pre-owned (aka “used”)  cars but NEW to him…. something that has low mileage and we hope will last him 4 years of college and slightly into his first job.

It has been a fun journey to research cars that HE loves and WE love and we think we’ve settled on something!  STAY TUNED!

All in just a few weeks he’ll buy his first car, go to prom, graduate and go to Freshman Orientation and move off to college in August!  Crazy how 18 years of raising your child turns into this.   A HUGE EMOTIONAL GOODBYE!

I think I’m ready… but I do expect to miss him terribly!   Only 2 more years until my daughter moves out… Holding on to every minute!

Summer Travel

Summer Travel

I love summer!  Love the thought of Summer Travel too!   Whether you are doing day trips to the beach…. drivable or flyable weekend trips….. or week long vacations!  YOU need to be ready to go at a moment’s notice!
Here are my TOP 10 Travel Tips!
1.  Keep all your cosmetics in a travel bag all the time!   Saves time when on the go!
2.  Keep a travel size shampoo, conditioner, and razor in your travel bag (not good to forget that razor and sometimes hotel shampoo is not the best)
3.  Don’t forget that sweater or wrap for chilly nights!
4.  Work around a color scheme that you can wear the same shoes with.  Summer is easier than winter…. I love neutral sandals, wedges and heels!
5.  Pack a small drawstring bag for carrying water or necessities on walks and hikes or for throwing your bathing suit in for going to the spa!
6.  Jewelry storage a MUST!    Love my organizer from Pursen!  Lots of pockets… lots of options!
6.  Always keep a protein bar or two in your handbag for traveling to stave off hunger in a pinch to keep you from eating something unhealthy!
7.  Don’t forget your exercise clothes!   You may not get to it but you want to have options! And… it’s summer…. we want to look good by the pool!
8.  Since it’s summer… don’t forget that hat and sunscreen!   There are some GREAT packable sun hats or just use a cute ball cap!
9.  Bring a small handbag!   I know you may need your large one for stuffing everything in the sun into… but I love bringing one small handbag for going to dinner and not feeling like I’m carrying a suitcase 🙂     There’s lots of cute ones.. happen to LOVE my new Tory Burch  Robinson chain Wallet I got for Christmas! It can function like a wallet, something to put your phone into, it can become a clutch and a shoulder bag.   Pieces like this are functional… they can BE your wallet and your purse.. so tuck this baby in your large handbag and GO!
10.  That’s it!   Felt like I needed to have a top 10 …. so here’s 10!  Go plan some summer trips!

Yes! I’m a “Dance Mom”

YES!  I’M A “DANCE MOM”

This kid inspires me!   So yes…. I’m a dance mom!   But if “Dance Mom” means I love watching my dancer dance, compete, work hard for a goal, and hopefully succeed while consoling the failures… then Yes…. I’m guilty!  Whether we are a dance mom or a soccer mom or anything in between, if we as parents support our kid’s passion… then we are doing a fabulous thing!

So lucky I can take my work on the road with me as we travel for her passion….. and it prompted me to share some crazy travel tips for any parent living out of a hotel room on the weekend!

So here’s my “office on the go” and here’s the Kitchen!   I always bring little oatmeals with me…. fill up a cup of hot water from the in room coffee pot (Don’t forget the plastic spoon- I have and it’s a pain)
Something simple like this is GREAT when you don’t want to spend the time getting food in the early AM when you have to get out and about early.   Not only does it save about $20 on room service, but it is very convenient!   Just had to share my tip!  Enjoy this when you travel with your kids or for a weekend… or as you plan summer travel!
Enjoy your day!