• Favorites,  Guides,  Travel

    Someday We Will Travel Again… Where Do You Want To Go?

    When you start thinking / dreaming about vacation travel, read through my blog posts for tips and look through some of my favorite places for suggestions of places to stay, things to do, restaurants to try, etc. (The blue words and photos below will take you to my previous blog posts with more information.)

    Choosing a Travel Destination: Read this post to help you determine where you want to go. Obviously post Covid, other considerations are:

    • Am I comfortable flying or do I need to pick a place where I can drive?
    • What are the Covid rates where I would like to visit?
    • Is the place I want to go allowing visitors and, if so, are there any requirements before or after I travel like Covid testing and / or quarantine? State and local health department websites are your best resource. Keep in mind that restrictions can change rapidly depending on local conditions. Check back for updates as your trip gets closer.

    How To Get There and Where To Stay: This post will help you decide what kind of accomodations will best suit you. Post Covid, additional considerations are:

    • Are the restaurants open where I’m traveling? Do I want to go out to eat in a restaurant or get take-out every night? If not, you’ll need a suite, condo or house with a kitchen.
    • Am I comfortable being with groups of other people at the pool or in the lounge areas of a hotel? If not, consider a house with a private pool.

    If you choose to rent a house or condo read my post How to Choose a Vacation Rental and Make it Feel Like Home or at least feel like your own space while you’re there. These tips are especially helpful if you’re staying in the same place for several weeks.

    Another good reminder is to make sure your travel is fully refundable if there is a surge in Covid rates or if someone in your group becomes ill. I heard a rumor that airfare will no longer be automatically refundable / changeable after March 2021.

    Below are some domestic travel destinations to consider. I’ve been to all of these places, but I didn’t write a blog post for all of them. Feel free to contact me for more information on any of these destinations by commenting below or direct messaging me.

    Napa Valley
    We love combining Pebble Beach and Carmel Valley.
    Palm Springs & Palm Desert
    Charleston
    Places I’ve stayed in Arizona include Scottsdale and Sedona.
    Places I’ve stayed in Florida include: Rosemary Beach, Naples and Anna Maria Island.
    Chicago – I can’t believe I haven’t written a post about Chicago! I will write a travel guide once everything opens back up and I know what places survived the pandemic.

    When you are willing to fly, here are a few other places to consider.

    Maui
    Turks & Caicos
    We went to Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Stockholm in one trip.
    Places I’ve stayed in Canada include: Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City.
    Places I’ve stayed in Scotland include: Inverness, St. Andrews and Edinburgh.
    Spain – I visited a friend in Barcelona and Mallorca de Palma.
    Places I’ve stayed in Italy include Milan, Santa Margherita, Florence, Rome, Cortona, Maranello and Venice.
    One of my favorite beach destinations is San Jose del Cabo in Baja California. It’s a quick, direct flight for us and there are great golf courses for John.

    I’m dreaming of an extended stay in Italy. We’ll see when Covid allows this, but creating a Italy Trip Board on VRBO and saving Italian Villas in Umbria helps get me through the cold, frozen winter in Saint Paul and Chicago.

    I’ve also read a lot of fictional books this last year that were set in the coastal towns of France, so that’s an area of interest as well.

    Once you are comfortable traveling, where is your dream vacation destination?

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  • Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #11

    Like many of you, I’m spending most of my time at home right now. I’m not wearing make-up very often which means it’s a great time to focus on beauty products and treatments that make my skin look its best sans make-up. I’ve also included a favorite candle and perfume – because when the space you’re working and living in smells good, it improves your mood. (Click on the photos below or any blue words for more information about each product.)

    Goop Glow Superpowder

    At this point, I think everyone has heard of Goop. I use a couple of products from the Goop Glow line. The first is the Superpowder. Every morning, I dissolve one packet into a cup of room temp water. Mix it well until dissolved and then add ice. After a few weeks, your skin will start to glow from the Collagen and vitamins! 

    Goop Glow Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator

    Massage this microderm scrub onto your skin and leave on for three minutes to benefit from both the physical and chemical exfoliation components. When you rinse it off, your skin will look smoother and brighter. I use this a few times every week; but if your skin is looking dull from winter, use it nightly to uncover your spring glow. If you have a big night out, try using this before doing your make-up; your make-up will apply easier and you’ll have a beautiful natural glow.

    Goop Glow Glycolic Acid Wipe

    The third Goop Glow product I use at least twice a month is the 15% glycolic acid overnight peel. (They also have a 5% glycolic acid peel if you have sensitive skin.) After you wash and dry your face at night, wipe all over your face, neck, chest and even back of hands. It will tingle, but I find it really helps when I fan my face for the minute or two while it’s drying. Do not wash off. After 15 minutes you can put on moisturizer, but I prefer to leave it alone for the night so it can do its magic at full strength. Wash your face in the morning and moisturize like usual. 

    CaudalĂ­e Vinoperfect Brightening Essence

    Caudalie is a French skincare line and the Vinoperfect products are specifically focused on anti-aging. After I wash my face, I’ll use a cotton round to wipe my face with the Brightening Essence. If I’m not wearing any make-up, I’ll skip the full face wash and use this to clean my face at night.

    Caudalie Beauty Elixir

    The second Caudalie product I like to use is the Beauty Elixir. This is a light toning spray that hydrates your skin while smoothing fine lines and it has a nice scent.

    Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum

    After the Beauty Elixir, I apply the Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. This is an oil-free serum that combats dark spots, evens skin tone and boosts radiance. If I was only using one Caudalie product, this would be the one.

    Augustinus Bader Rich Cream

    Now that your skin is clean and prepped, the most important thing you can do is apply a lotion that will help your skin repair and regenerate, especially at night. I’m on my second bottle of Augustinus Bader Rich Cream and I’ll say my skin has never looked healthier.

    L’Occitane Hand Cream

    If you’ve been washing your hands as much as I have, you need a good hand cream to keep your skin from drying out. This L’Occitane shea butter hand cream is thick and moisturizing. They also sell one ounce tubes for your purse and car.

    Simpatico – No. 92 Honeysuckle Hobnail Glass Candle

    Not only are these Simpatico Hobnail glass candles beautiful, the candles smell great and burn clean. And, bonus, the empty glass makes a pretty storage container for everything from make-up brushes to pencils.

    Tocca – Florence

    Tocca produces eau de parfum in several scents; but Florence has scents of bergamot, pear and gardenia. I had gardenias in my wedding bouquet so I’m often drawn to that scent.

    What special products are you using during this time at home?

    Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, someday soon, more travel.

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