Elisa's Daily Scoop | Tanya's Daily Scoop |
Elisa's Top Picks for Romantic GetawaysWell hello! Welcome to a lovely Sunday! How has your weekend been? Although we decided (I should say, "I decided") against going to the barn yesterday, it turned out to be a very relaxing and productive day. Of course, there was major drama from Kelsey who tried every way possible to convince me we should go - from tears, to guilt, to anger, to even telling me the weather man is wrong. Ugh, I kept my cool, but, I was ready to scream. First, I managed to clear up my dining room which was Science Project Central last week with the kids doing their projects for the STEM Fair. It's now back to being a neat and clean dining room once again! I also did quite a bit of research on a few "Dream Destinations" for the future. One thing I haven't talked much about in the past is my desire to go on some "romantic trips." Unfortunately, I haven't had anyone as of yet to share these with (lol!). But, I'm a firm believer in manifesting my own reality, so I trust that if I conceive and believe what I want, I will achieve it!! More on these travel thoughts in a little bit.  As you are aware, today is the first day of Daylight Savings Time - celebrated on the second Sunday in March since 1918. I hope you turned your clocks back! According to dateandtime.com, "In the US, “Fast Time” as it was called then, was first introduced in 1918 when President Woodrow Wilson signed it into law to support the war effort during World War I. The initiative was sparked by Robert Garland, a Pittsburgh industrialist who had encountered the idea in the UK. Today he is often called the “Father of Daylight Saving”.  DID YOU KNOW... Although DST has only been used for about 100 years, the idea was conceived many years before. Ancient civilizations are known to have engaged in a practice similar to modern DST where they would adjust their daily schedules to the Sun's schedule. For example, the Roman water clocks used different scales for different months of the year. Pretty interesting stuff!! For me, it's a bit bittersweet since we lose an hour of sleep, but the benefits are joyous with the longer days and more sunshine!!! Are you ready to hear about my Romantic Trip ideas???  Although I could go on forever with exotic places I'd like to visit with a special someone, I'm going to list only a few for today. THESE ARE MY TOP 6 ROMANTIC PICKS 1. New York City Weekend  VIEW FROM THE ROOFTOP BAR OF INK 48 (c) travelincousins.com Hey, I know I live on Long Island and get into The Big Apple on a pretty regular basis, but New York City is so amazing and there are so many wonderful things about it! Staying for a weekend can be so romantic - from the glitzy hotels, to seeing a show, to candlelit dinners, rooftop bar skyline views to just walking around arm in arm!!! This is one destination that tops my list any time of year. From cuddling together overlooking the skating rink at Rockefeller Center in the dead of winter to strolling through the streets holding hands in the warm Summer breeze - New York City is one of my ideal destinations for romance and love!! 2. Maui, Hawaii  Maui, Hawaii (credit: Getty images) Unlike my lovely cousin, I've yet to visit Hawaii. As such, I have some pretty romantic visions of the Aloha state and would love to go here for the first time on a romantic vacation! On the remote Hana side of the island, known for its rugged beaches, horseback riding, and other charms. Also home to the famous Blue Pool, an oceanside waterfall, there are some gorgeous places to enjoy in romantic bliss! I can envision experiencing those views and all their beauty with a special someone. 3. Uninhabited Belize  SWIMMING IN BELIZE (credit: Yok Ha Belize Resort Blog) With lots of opportunities to stroll solitary beaches, roam jungles, photograph sunsets and explore markets and ruins, Belize appears to be one of the most romantic islands around. Why? One of the reasons is that Belize has a tiny population and plenty of uninhabited off shore islands offering complete privacy! I can only imagine swimming under waterfalls, hiking jungles or going caving together. This country is also home to the Belize Barrier Reef with rare coral species and sea life protected by law which is awe-inspiring and quite romantic to experience together. 4. Anywhere in Ireland  (c) travelincousins.com Ireland has such a special place in my heart! It was the first European country I visited with my children. Although I find the entire country terribly romantic with its lush greenery and friendly people, the west coast of Ireland in particular with its emerald landscapes and deserted beaches have long attracted painters, poets, and romantics. Having driven around the west coast, I would love to explore again the Ring of Kerry; the Lakes of Killarney; and the flat, moorlands of Connemara on a romantic Irish vacation. I can only envision stepping into one of the many pubs for a pint of Guinness...yes, even me, not the biggest beer drinker! Of course, even better, would be to know that we'd be staying at one of the many castles for a romantic vacation. 5. Tuscany, Italy  SAN GIMIGNANO, TUSCANY, ITALY (c) travelincousins.com Summer in tuscany is glorious, with its rolling hills and spectacular countryside views. I can attest to how romantic this region is from my stay in San Gimignano back in 2014 One of my favorite memories was taking a cooking class and then enjoying the fruits of our labor dining al fresco, overlooking the green countryside. With its beautiful scenery, delicious food and laid back atmosphere, nothing says romance like Tuscany! 6. Long Island Wine Country  (credit: .liwines.com) For a little over 40 years ago, the north fork of Long Island has grown into one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in the country. With its humble beginnings in 1973 by Alex and Louisa Hargrave, who planted the first Long Island vineyard in the town of Cutchogue, New York, their vision was followed by a group of pioneering investors, grape growers and winemakers with extraordinarily diverse backgrounds from all over the world. Today, this region makes for what I consider, one of the most romantic weekend getaways for relaxation and quiet time. Having spent a great deal of time, both growing up and as an adult, on the east end, there is nothing more special to me - any time of year - than roaming around the wineries, enjoying entertainment or strolling along the nearby beaches with that special someone! As for today...  Joining a Fitness Gym?? After recently talking with a friend who is extremely dedicated to going to the gym, I was inspired and got to thinking how I've been out of that loop for a long time with a regular exercise regimen. Traditionaly, throughout my life, I ALWAYS either belonged to a gym or had access to one in my previous condominium. But, as life shifted and moved about, I slowly got out of that mindset. I moved on to working out at home - treadmill, stationery bike and throughout the past few years, exercise videos. And in the end, I've become very UN-MOTIVATED and find that I'm left with solitary walking and some free weight exercising and stretching. I'm not saying waking or free weights is a bad by any means, but, there are so many great benefits to belonging to gym - meeting people, setting fitness goals and having routine. So, guess what -- I decided to see if I could get back in the swing. After a bit of research, I decided that it would be great if I could include my girls in the process. Being that they are only 10 and 12, I thought it might be an impossibility. Fitness Facility for the Entire Family??? Well, you know how I never say never and I'm so happy! Because I found Lifetime Fitness, which is a virtual exercise and fitness wonderland!! And it's also something that was created for the entire family!! That's right! Whenever we travel, one of the things my daughters love best, is to be able to use the fitness center in the hotels. They LOVE working out!  Lifetime Fitness A few years ago, a friend of mine invited me and the girls as guests to her Lifetime Fitness gym a few towns away - the kids swam in the indoor pool and played basketball. Somehow, this place was not on my radar - maybe because geographically, it was too far and very incomveneit for daily use. But, then when Gianna mentioned to me that one of her friend's belonged to "Lifetime" right in my own town, it was perfect timing since I had been contemplating the idea of joining a gym after talking to my friend a few weeks ago! With both indoor and outdoor pools, classes, a spa, basketball courts and so much more, this seemed like a perfect fit for our family! Taking a Tour Later this afternoon we are headed over to get a tour of the facility and all that they offer to adults and kids. From what I was told during my initial conversation over the phone is that kids from 11 years old and up are able to participate in the classes and have access to everything at Lifetime, with the only exception being the free-weight area. During my tour today, I'll be taking some pictures and getting the lowdown later today and reporting back to you tomorrow - but I think this may be it!! Now, me and the girls can go together on a regular basis; I can get in shape and have somewhere to go by myself to blow off steam; and Gianna and Kelsey can also benefit from the activities, classes and social aspect with kids their age...and with mom! More to come on our day today at Lifetime Fitness!  Anyhoo, I'm loving the re-cap of the Natural Products Expo West, that Tanya has been attending and with today being her third and final day, I cannot wait for her re-cap! Don't forget to read her side and stay tuned for the full story!!! Here's wishing you a blessed Sunday!! -E xoxo  | Another Crazy DayOh darn you Daylight Savings Time! I've had (and am still having) one heck of a busy weekend and for once I could've used that extra hour of sleep that I was deprived of this morning.  And what a weekend it has been!! The Natural Products Expo West / Trade show - being the largest of it's kind is one HUGE (and I mean HUGE in the HUGEST way) event and after speaking with some other attendees I found that most people were: A. OVERWHELMED (glad it wasn't only me) B. Exhausted - and we still have one more day today - and on one hour of less sleep (if you're anything like me). AND C. Had even lost their voices! Yesterday was my DAY 2 of the event and although the crowds had slightly dwindled - making it less of a "STOCK EXCHANGE" vibe on the floor - with frustrating mass congestion the "traffic" was flowing much better and getting from one end of the event to the other over and over again was now made possible - however it wasn't until the end of the day that I realized how tiring that feat actually was. WHAT ON EARTH WAS I THINKING?! I was a bit pooped. And after several hours (like the entire day) of being there on my feet (thank heavens for my comfortable shoes) and going miles upon miles - I finally got to sit down and boy did it feel good! Once I left site the plan was to go to the mall - I still needed to find my birthday outfit and keep an eye out for the family's Easter wear! HOWEVER no such luck - I scoured the mall and found so many unattractive trends that were just plain ol' UGLY - WTH is going on this season??? So needless to say I still haven't found anything to wear!  Crazy thing is - I just got a message and need to get back to the show asap! So...I'll be back to update you later ;) -T |
