September 17, 2015

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 8 DAYS

Memories of Yesteryear...

Well folks it's Thursday again, and you know what that means...

It actually means a few things - 1) The weekend starts tomorrow! 2) We share a TBT story with you - this week is Elisa's turn to as the storyteller - CLICK HERE to read all about it!
3) We share several pictures from yesteryear!

I know that I'm always mentioning time - but it really hits me on Thursdays when I look at pictures...
How time flies! Where does the time go?

Kids just grow too darn fast, Elisa and I will both attest to that. Our wee little ones are not so wee anymore. We are not so wee anymore!

But each stage really does have its joys and wonders and I am so lucky to be able to spend so much time with these amazing kids of mine!
I really don't and will never understand the parents who look forward to and enjoy time away from their babies!

Enjoy the pics and meet me down below for some more current SCOOP!

Let's roll 1982ish

Kissing Cindy in 1987

With my mom, grandfather, sisters and brother in 1992

Prego with Cosette in 2001

Salem, MA - 2004

Anaheim Stadium - 2008

DC 2009

Sedona 2010

Sacsahuaman, Peru - 2012

The last picture was from an amazing trip to Peru.
I really look forward to going back and further exploring that incredible country! 

That's really something about traveling for me...
You probably notice that I like to mix up my travels, some new places that I've never been, some repeat places that hold a special place in my heart, some cultural, some adventurous, some in the snow & some in the sand...
You get the picture.

Well the more places that I visit and fall in love with, the more places that I have to return to, the less time I have to visit new places...
Well obviously I have the rest of my life - but I'm an impatient girl over here!

On that note, I'll let you in on another place that I must return to: ICELAND

The kids and I had such a magnificent trip visiting last November and we happened to see a few pictures from this trip while going through pictures yesterday and have agreed that I need to get it on the calendar for us!

Gullfoss, Iceland - 2014

Yup, gotta figure out when I could do this. 
So many places to return to, so many places to go. 

I'm already anticipating that next year's trip to Portugal/Spain/France/Andorra will be Fabulous! 
I've been working diligently on the plans and reservations daily. 
There have been some adjustments made to the originally drafted plans...but only to make them even better!!
And on this trip for example, I will be returning to some places that I've already been and adored as well as exploring new territory that I'm also quite excited about!

I get quite excited about Traveling and Food - Go figure!

Soooo any fun plans for the weekend?

I've got a busy, but fun weekend ahead of us, which means plenty of pictures!!
Tomorrow night we are heading up to LA for a little mini dessert and dinner food tour! Saturday, aside from our regular morning routine of taking Dominic to his class, we have my friend's wedding down in San Diego and as much as we would have loved to stay over, we have to head back because on Sunday we are going to the Los Angeles County Fair for the kids to perform and for us to plenty of fun!

It's probably a good idea for me to continue on my packing quest this afternoon. 

And I'll be back here tomorrow for a new FOODIE FRIDAY feature to introduce you to an amazing place that I went to a few weeks ago. 
One word - DELISH!

Have a GRRRREAT day :)
-T

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 8 DAYS

Fall Foliage is Upon Us!

Hey there!

Can you believe it's Thursday already??
Another day for us to talk about "trips gone by."
Today is my turn. Gonna take you back to 2012 when I was stranded in Miami.  CLICK HERE for the full story.

Miami 2012 at "Drawn to Fashion" Event

With Fashion illustrator, Carlos Marrero

A cute memory from a few years back... In 2009, I had the honor of getting an insight into the Special Units Task Force of the New York City Police Department.

My cousin, Nick, is a retired lieutenant with the NYPD and was kind enough to let me and my sister Danielle bring Gianna (5) and her son, Nolan (7) to see how the special unit division works.

They got to see all the equipment, sit inside the police vehicles and even try on the special vests and helmets.  

I mention this, not only because it's Throwback Thursday and I wanted to share the CUTEST photos from this day, but also because if you have a family member or close friend in the police department that's willing to show your kids around, it can be a very exciting and memorable visit for them.

If you love the Fall as much as I do, you are probably looking forward to the weather cooling off, the leaves turning colors, and cool Fall Fashions!!

I've already done quite a bit of shoe and boot shopping.  I'll be telling you more about these great buys and how you can access them as well, on Shopping Saturday!! 

For now, it's still rather warm, but a girl can't start shopping for the next season too soon!!

And speaking of Fall, I found an extraordinary article in Fodors for the Top 10 Foliage Trips in the U.S.

1. Aspen Colorado
Did you know that Aspen is named after a tree? 
Season: Mid-September to first week of October

2. The Catskills, New York
Did you know that the Catskills are home to six major river systems, thirty-five mountain peaks over 3,500 feet, and the famed Woodstock festival?
Season: The last two weeks in September through mid- to late-October 

3. The Berkshires, Massachusetts
Did you know that many great ideas, inventions and literary works were given birth in the Berkshires including the building of the first trolley car in Stockbridge in 1880?
Season: Late September to mid-October

4. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
Did you know that the Columbia River Gorge is eighty-miles with a variety of trees that turn colors - including firs, cottonwoods, big-leaf maples, Oregon ash, and twisted pines?
Season: Mid-September to mid-October

5. Green Mountain Byway, Vermont
Did you know that the drive from quaint Waterbury to Stowe, passes through two state forests and three state parks with a breathtaking color fest featured on the maple, birch, and beech trees along this route?
Season: Second week of September to the first week in October.

6. Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, New Mexico
Did you know that on this 80 mile loop, the aspens turn not only yellow, but also dark orange, cinqufoils are purple and cottonwoods can be seen in fiery shades ranging from bright red to yellow?
Season: Late September to early October

7. Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina & Tennessee
Did you know Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. with more than 100 species of native trees, including scarlet oaks, maples, sweetgums, and hickories, displaying a color show of gold, orange, crimson, and purple.
Season: second week of September and peaks the first week in October

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS FALL FOLIAGE (credit: greatsmokymoutainsguide.com)

8. Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Did you know Michigan's state forest system is the largest in the eastern U.S., encompassing nearly 4 million acres featuring Ash, aspen, beech, birch, maple, oak, sycamore, and tamarack?
Season: mid-September to mid-October

9. Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
Did you know you could take in the scenic views of the take in the fall foliage on a yacht, at the wineries, during a round at one of the lake's championship golf courses, or on a twenty-five-mile scenic drive when the forests light up in shades of scarlet, gold, mahogany, and russet?
Season: Last two weeks of October 

10. Glacier National Park, Montana
Did you know that the Yellow larch intermingled with evergreens set against the backdrop of the massive snow-covered peaks of the Continental Divide make for perhaps the most dramatic autumn scene in the U.S?
Season: Mid-October for Larch Trees
Early to lat September for everything else—maple, aspen, birch, cottonwood, and huckleberry.


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Tomorrow is going to be a fun day spent with my sis, preparing and canning tomato sauce!! An Italian tradition, I'll have lots of pictures for you!!

PURCHASING OUR CANNING JARS YESTERDAY

SISSY AND ME

See ya back tomorrow!!

-E
xoxo