Year: 2017

Why Some Things I Adore

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Occasionally I get a little nostalgic about the silliest things. Like a place I’d been, the people I’ve spent time with, my childhood, their childhood, first day of school, last day of school and then the day my family decided to immigrate. Even a simple picnic on the beaches of the French Riviera has me longing. Especially more, when I come across beautiful photographs like these: You get the picture of what I mean. So if you are up to it. I’d love to hear what makes you nostalgic. {featured image source}

Friday Fun Facts or Just Some Things For Small Talk At A Cocktail Party

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There is nothing worse than being invited to a get-together, then to simply stand in the corner, with drink in hand, and nod your head when the party-goers surrounding you are chit-chatting about nothings.  So, just before you put on your shoes to sprint out of your home and to that party, or maybe even while in Uber getting there, here’s some fun topics to bring up just to break the barrier, or disrupt the awkward quietness. Scientists Say That Being Forgetful Is Actually A Sign You are Unusually Intelligent. Why a 5 to 9 schedule will make you more successful then a 9 to 5. To debunk the controversy over Olive Oil. Tell them about the article you read in BBC about The Olive Oil The Romans Loved.  Money online points out Cheap Flights to Europe Right Now. Recite the best travel quotes you’ve seen here, if you happen to be around folks in the travel business. Discuss the science of Wanderlust from Conde Nast Traveler magazine you read. Entertainment talks: Matthew Weiner is …

Food: Dinner Tonight – Chicken Ramen

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Ramen, otherwise known as a type of soup, is an easy meal, and with the ever changing temps in the city by the bay, I think this amazing recipe will have to do for dinner tonight: Ingredients 2 strips thick cut bacon, chopped 1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced 4 cups low sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons curry paste 1 tablespoon chili paste 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms 8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 pack ramen noodles 3 cups fresh baby spinach 4 soft or hard boiled eggs, for serving shredded carrots, green onions, chilies and cilantro, for serving  

Style: Fall Hair Cuts – 2017

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There are countless suggestions or trends for Fall 2017, but I think Refinery 29 has summed it pretty well. Here’s what’s trending (although sometimes it feels like these cool hairstyles are trending all year long 🙂 But it doesn’t matter, whatever works best is what really works.

Travel: Wellness Escapes in Canada

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Here’s an idea since I’ve been my head against, well you get the point trying to figure out where to go for a quick getaway and just like that, an article listing 6 Canadian Wellness Escape to Quench MY Wanderlust – Yes, I said it. MY Wanderlust,- inviting me to just do it: 1. Scandinavian Spa in Whistler and more 2. Yoga Festival in Vancouver 3. Banff Yoga Festival 4. Bloom Festival Edmonton, Alberta 5. Toronto or Montreal Spa getaway 6. Northern Lights Viewing in Whitehorse, Yukon

Fashion or Travel: Comfortable Walking Shoes

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For some of you the travel season is over, while for others who appreciate traveling off-season, it’s just beginning.  Now, I’ve always packed 3 pairs of shoes when travelling. A pair of flats to be worn for more formal occasions, a pair of good tennis shoes or walking shoes, and a sandals. That’s how I travel. And this article in Smarter Travel shares with us a list of the best shoes to invest in while travelling or otherwise. I mean I do also play tourist in San Francisco and the greater bay area. Check out my picks and then theirs:    

Boutique Hotel Pick – The Hoxton Paris, France

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Paris is always a good idea – no matter the season and with it, the collection of the most beautiful boutique hotels will sure make your trip the most memorable. The Hoxton is one I’ve fallen in love with from decor to the simple elegance of eclectic style. The accommodations I recommend  for first timers or addicts of the most romantic destination in the world:    

Visual Therapy – That’s All

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What is it about greenery or flower and fauna that puts a smile on our faces? This beautiful collection of greenhouses from around the world couldn’t have come at a better time for me – and I hope for you – to ward off the end-to-summer blues I’m feeling right about now. Greenhouses are the nearest thing to holding on to summer days, even in the worst of weathers outdoor. I remember a trip to Montreal a few years back, in the middle of dead-winter, I visited a local greenhouse and was taken away by the beautiful collection of greens and colorful plants and flowers, a contradiction to the freezing all-white scenery outside. It was pure therapy, visual and mental.    

Lifestyle: Self Love

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I’ve been discussing the topic of self-love or not-so-much with a few close friends of mine recently – and although after the talks, I feel a little better about things, sooner than later, I fall back into the bad habits I’ve developed like most who are hard on ourselves. You know the kind where you don’t think you’ve reached your full potential or that you are spending too much time taking care of others and not so much yourself, or simply the guilty feelings when you fail at something you’ve set out to do, or even giving up. I think what I wonder most is, how some people know exactly how to talk themselves out of those destructive behaviors while others don’t. And then I wonder if those who preach – are they truly as together as they come across. When I am out in the world, or simply my neck of the world, I observe others naturally, to figure out why the (worried, distant, tired, disappointed, or sad) expression plastered across their faces and …