National Harbor MD

There's a certain stillness, the transition, when tree branches no longer clank together, brown and bony, the chill replaced by bursts of warmth. Buds, delicate green wisps turn to petals, pastel flowering bulbs, the aroma of hyacinths and tulips, honeybees. Spring, is one of my favorite times of the year. The slow anticipation of the transition is thrilling. It takes so much patience. There's always a tease first. One fifty degree day, then back to thirty-  two fifty degree days and a sixty, then back to forty.

Spring teaches us to appreciate the moment, to embrace the warmth and the flowers for the short time they are present because tomorrow there may be rain, or the temperature may dip below again or the stifling humidity of summer may take over- anything is possible.

Spring happens too quickly here in the northeast, but perhaps its ephemeral nature is what makes it so spectacular.

We've spent the last two months going back and forth between Brooklyn and the Maryland/D.C. area. I love Brooklyn, I love New York, but when it comes to beauty in the spring Washington D.C. and Maryland win. I think the cherry blossoms on the mall are what really do it for me. When a strong wind comes through, it rains pink and white petals. It's a truly magical sight.

One of my favorite places to enjoy the spring weather is the National Harbor MD. Technically in Maryland, the National Harbor offers stunning views of D.C., miles of sunny waterfront, an assortment of local boutiques and specialty shops, walkways and trails, delicious restaurants and green spaces.

As the weather continues to transition and people begin to transition outdoors, the National Harbor MD will open itself to a slew of festivals and outdoor events. From yoga on the waterfront, to live music and movie nights, the National Harbor is a beautiful spring and summer destination to experience when visiting the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area.

Handmade Solid Perfume Recipe

Handmade Solid Perfume Recipe Once upon an evening, not so long ago, I found myself strolling the streets of Lisbon. The sun, reflected amber off of the colorful Moorish tiles. My sandaled feet clicked atop the ancient cobblestone streets. In the distance, at the bottom of the hill, dimly lit, amber bottles lining every surface, our destination, the perfumaria.

For an hour, we swished, splashed and sampled the various flower essences and herbal extracts, narrowing our favorites down to six, then four, then two- the perfect blend.

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Carefully, behind what resembled a bar, the proprietress measured and blended our custom fragrances. Swirling, tilting the contents from one beautiful bottle to the next.

Impatient, I spritzed myself on the crumbling sidewalk. The evening came to life, an intoxicating chorus of orange blossom and rose.

In my Brooklyn kitchen, hunched over the stove, bottles of essential oils poking out from within apothecary shelves, a tub of shea butter set to a slow melt, steam warming my face, I'm reminded of that day.

The memories that make our lives, if we look, can be found hiding in fragrance- my grandmother's white rosebush, clove-sweet potato pie and the spice plantations of Zanzibar, vanilla-the distinct smell of my kindergarten classroom...

I take pleasure in blending and formulating beautiful, evocative smells. With a sensitive nose, I'm often turned off by synthetic fragrances which is why blending essential oils into perfume oils and sticks is so appealing to me. It's so natural. When you make your own perfume, you control the intensity, the high notes and low notes, the memories you wish to capture- it's an art.

Today's lotion stick recipe is unbelievably simple and effective. I find the fragrance from essential oils preserved in shea butter tends to last longer than when diluted in oil.

I'll start with the recipe (designed to fill a 1/2 oz. tub), then I'll suggest some essential oil blends.

Handmade Solid Perfume Recipe

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Solid Perfume Recipe:

1 teaspoon shea butter (per 1/2 oz.)

Essential oils of your choice (I use between 20-30 drops of essential oil, depending on how strong the oils I'm using are. Trust your nose.)

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The following blends work well, but be creative- sky's the limit:

rose/sadalwood

jasmine/lemon

frankincense/patchouli

bergamot/ylang ylang

lavender/rosemary

For more DIY natural skin care ideas, check out my latest book Natural Beauty from the Outside In, where you’ll find 70 Ayurveda inspired hair and skin care recipes.

5 Date Nights New Yorkers Love

5 Date Nights New Yorkers LoveNew York City is one of the most romantic cities in America.

When it comes to date night options, New Yorkers definitely have the edge. The city that never sleeps is full of artistic, intellectual, scenic, athletic, artistic and downright goofy activities and events.

I mean, we've got Broadway, some of the finest restaurants in the country, the Empire State, carriage rides through Central Park, the Met, the MOMA, the list goes on...

5 Date Nights New Yorkers Love:

1) The Walking Date:

Whether it’s across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, over the High Line in the afternoon, through Central Park, along the West Side Highway, or the Coney Island Boardwalk, New Yorkers love to walk. You can find everything from hiking trails to walking trails, self-guided walking tours and green spaces. The city lends itself to stunning skyline views, scenic landscaping and architecture- Bonus: It’s FREE!

2) The Creative Class Date:

With so many exciting innovations both creative and technological, New York is city where ideas become reality. People here are bursting at the seams with passion and creativity and love to share that passion with others. There exists a class, workshop or seminar for everyone. Whether you’d prefer a painting class, a language class, a ballroom dancing class or a cooking class, in this city of doers, creatives and seekers, you’re bound to find the right class for you and your partner. The city has so much to offer from free workshops to certificate courses. A couple that learns together, stays together.

3) The Museum Date:

From world class galleries, to quirky specialty spaces like the Museum of Sex and the Museum of the Contemporary African Diasporan Arts to larger venues like the Museum of Natural History and the MOMA, there is a museum to satisfy every interest in New York. Most museums offer free admission and special evening programs on certain nights. Museum dates are fun, low key and on the right day come catered with wine and cheese.

4) The Sports Date:

From Yankee Stadium to Madison Square Garden to the Barclays Center, New York is home to some of the finest sporting venues in the world. Games can be as expensive or inexpensive as you plan for. Nothing says love, like getting caught up in the frenzy of fan chants and screams as you watch the thrilling highs and heartaches associated with organized sports. Not a spectator? Try a flying trapeze class at Chelsea Pier, spar together and learn Krav Maga, take a few laps around the Rockefeller Ice Rink.

5) The Bar/Club Date:

We are a city of clubs and bars! We’ve got neighborhood bars, piano bars, dive bars, themed bars, gaming bars, wine bars and pubs. Whether you want to sit with your beloved and play couples trivia or prefer a good old fashioned prohibition era murder mystery, there is a bar experience for every couple in the Big Apple. If sitting and drinking isn't your style, dance the night away together. New York is home to some of the finest DJ's out there. Whatever your musical tastes, we've got it, from Bhangra themed club nights to Slavic Soul Funk!

Shea Butter Lotion Bars Recipe

Shea Butter Lotion Bars Recipe I've been hand making shea based body butters for years. I've got a go to whipped recipe, a basic body butter recipe and a thick intensely moisturizing salve recipe. These butters are the basis of my product line and I use them every day.

While I am deeply in love with my concoctions, which I house protectively in glass bottles (plastic can leach chemicals into my products), my husband, a touring musician who is constantly on the go, grew tired of lugging dainty breakable glass bottles around. He wanted something that wouldn't break if manhandled by a customs official, that would also be comparable in purity and quality. This is how my lotion bars were born.

With only three ingredients, shea butter lotion bars are simple to make and even simpler to carry around (they wrap easily in waxed or parchment paper tied with string or sealed with a piece of tape).

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With the ease of a bar of soap, shea butter lotion bars glide over your skin, leaving you silky, smooth and moisturized.

These may become a new favorite of mine. They're too luxurious and simple not to love.

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Shea Butter Lotion Bars Recipe

Here's what you need:

2 tablespoons shea butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons beeswax

Here's what to do:

Melt the shea butter and beeswax together in a double boiler or in a glass jar placed inside a pot filled 1/4 of the way with boiling water.

Once a liquid is formed, remove from heat and add the olive oil. Whisk together until blended throughout.

Pour into a soap mold. If you don't have a soap mold, a small glass container will work as will an ice cube tray (mini bars).

Cool in the refrigerator to set for 30 minutes before use.

For best results, use right after your shower. Feel free to add your favorite essential oils for added aromatherapy benefits. Store in a cool dry space.

For more DIY natural skin care ideas, check out my latest book Natural Beauty from the Outside In, where you’ll find 70 Ayurveda inspired hair and skin care recipes.

Shea Butter Natural Moisturizing Hair Pomade for Curly Hair: A Curl Cream Like No Other!

I am the happy owner of a head full of tight coil curls.

I know there are a slew of numerical designations in the natural curly hair world for specific curl type- I just don't know mine.

Numbers, smumbers, if I've learned one thing over the years about curly hair care, it's that moisture (and I'm talking the right type of moisture) will make or break you!

With curly hair, if you don't plan to moisturize, you're planning to fail! Curls are delicate. They dry and frizz very easily if moisture isn't sealed into the shaft. Curly hair requires a deeply penetrating moisturizer with the right amount of weight (enough give for bounce, enough girth to control).

There are a ton of wonderful moisturizing products on the market, full of very effective synthetic ingredients, but you deserve better. Synthetic dyes, chemicals, fragrances, preservatives and silicone are not good for you.

There are so many organic oils and combinations of oils (natural enough to be both ingested and applied topically to a newborn) that work miracles on curly hair, you don't need to go synthetic, or break the bank. When it comes to curly hair, you do have options. For the next few weeks, I'm going to post a series of organic/all natural recipes  for curly hair care.

Today I'm going to share a shea based moisturizing pomade recipe that will give thick curly hair the moisture it needs to thrive.

This recipe is 100% natural and 100% moisturizing. It works well on a variety of textures from loosely curled waves to tight kinky curls. The peppermint gives your scalp a satisfying tingle, smells great and the castor keeps locks soft and moist without a greasy feel.

Shea Butter Natural Moisturizing Hair Pomade for Curly Hair: A Curl Cream Like No Other!

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Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup shea butter

1/2 cup castor oil

1/8 cup jojoba oil

10 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops peppermint essential oil

Melt your shea butter in a double boiler, in the microwave or in a glass pyrex bowl placed inside a pot filled 1/4 way with boiling water.

Once a liquid is formed, add your shea butter, castor oil, jojoba oil and essential oils to your jar. Affix the lid securely and shake vigorously to blend. This recipe will fill an 8 oz. jar.

Place your jar in the fridge for thirty minutes to set before storing at room temperature.

It's that easy!

Remember to apply the pomade from root to tip, concentrating the heaviest bits towards the ends. When your done, use the tips of your fingers to give yourself a tingly scalp massage.

Now look at your gorgeous self in the mirror. Seize the day!  Love your curls!

Not ready to make a batch? You can order a jar HERE!

*This post is shared at Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Hop

For more DIY natural skin care ideas, check out my latest book Natural Beauty from the Outside In, where you’ll find 70 Ayurveda inspired hair and skin care recipes.

The Woods in Maryland in Spring

It's been a long winter for nearly everyone, but when you've got young kids cooped up inside a NYC apartment, this past winter felt especially cruel and suffocating. We were able to escape to our house in Maryland and beat this last round of snow. We live deep in the woods. It's such an inviting and natural environment. The woods in Maryland- I can't get enough!

On this sixty degree, sunny day, we decided to welcome spring with a walk through our favorite woods.

Ohm's turning into quite the miniature naturalist. His acorn, pine cone and stick collection is almost museum worthy- almost...

NYC Date Night: A Walk Through Chelsea

Yesterday was date night and because the weather decided to be somewhat amenable (yay 55 degrees!) we were able to do something we hadn't done in weeks- GO OUT! Originally we were going to stroll the High Line and catch dinner, but the High Line was closed by the time we made our way in inches over the Brooklyn Bridge through an intense traffic jam (that's the thing about NYC when the weather becomes nice-GRIDLOCK!).

With plan A completely scratched, we came up with a plan B- a stroll through Chelsea.

On the west side of Manhattan, from 14th street to about 30th street lies the neighborhood of Chelsea.

From the wide cobblestone streets, to the exclusive restaurants with outdoor seating, Chelsea is easily one of New York's most romantic and artistically eclectic neighborhoods.

Exclusive, edgy, artsy, cutting edge and (thanks to the High Line) green, Chelsea a great place to shop, dine, people watch and relax- especially now that the weather is getting warmer.

A few things to check out in Chelsea:

The High Line - A beautiful elevated park on what used to be an old rail line. Here, you can catch stunning city and river views.

Chelsea Market- A little bit of everything rolled into one, the Chelsea Market is a contemporary and edgy farmer's market, artist bazaar, mall, office space, gallery and high end food court (clearly my FAVORITE!).

The Chelsea- The famed and historic Chelsea Hotel is pretty darn awesome to visit. The doors are open for visitors to take in the art on display or meander the winding staircases in the same manner that famous artist in the past used to. The hotel was an artist residence at one time and housed greats such as: Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Allen Ginsberg ( and countless others).

Good Face Cream for Mature Skin: A Natural Shea Based Recipe

The shea butter experiments have been going well! Over the last ten or so days, I've whipped up so many creamy and nutritive concoctions. Every day is starting to feel like a spa day. Today's recipe was inspired by my mother in law who has been asking for an all natural shea based face cream that she could use to counteract wrinkles and signs of age.

The truth is, this natural facial moisturizer for mature skin can really be used at any age, 25-105, as it's never too early to begin taking care of the delicate skin on your face and decollete.

Good Face Cream for Mature Skin: A Natural Shea Based Recipe

I love this formula and keep a little jar on my dresser. I use it every night before bed. The natural facial moisturizer for mature skin draws upon the powerful anti-aging properties in turmeric, sea buckthorn oil and frankincense. All of which have been used for thousands of years to combat signs of aging and wrinkling-the natural way!

If you'd like to whip up a batch to try, here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup shea butter

1/2 teaspoon sea buckthorn oil

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

35 drops of frankincense essential oil

Melt your shea butter in a double boiler over low heat or by using a pyrex glass container placed inside a pot filled 1/4 of the way with boiling water.

Once the shea has turned to a liquid, pour it into your container. Add the sea buckthorn oil, turmeric and frankincense.

With the lid secured tightly, shake the mixture until the contents have blended thoroughly. It should be a light gold color.

Place your container in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to set, before returning it to a room temperature environment.

This recipe will fill a 4 oz. bottle.

*This formula is very concentrated- a little bit goes a long way. A pea sized amount is all you need for your face. Don't forget to use another pea sized scoop for your decollete (it will give your age away in an instant).

**Despite being thick in consistency, you do not need to worry about your pores getting clogged our break-outs. In fact, if you have acne prone skin, this formula will work in your favor when it comes to keeping break-outs at bay. Turmeric, sea buckthorn oil and shea butter are effective in the treatment of problem skin.

Shea Butter Moisturizing Body Scrub Recipe

We have the driest heat inside our house in Brooklyn. I've never experienced anything like it. My hands seem to have aged twenty five years this winter alone.

I wake up for water multiple times in the middle of the night.

My hair is like straw.

Luckily, this super moisturizing shea based scrub is slowly reviving me.

I'm a huge fan of scrubs. It's so rejuvenating to slough away dead dry layers, making way for a softer, newer self. It's like emerging new every time you step from the shower.

I have a scrub recipe that I love, but my trusted go-to coconut scrub was no match for this dry winter (apparently the coldest winter in 200 years according to this morning's news).

Well, I guess the good news is that it's almost over.

Perhaps the even better news is I've discovered a recipe for a deeply moisture rich scrub that will convince your skin that spring has sprung. Even if there are feet of accumulated snow outside.

Shea Butter Moisturizing Body Scrub Recipe-

1/4 cup shea butter

1/4 cup jojoba oil

3/4 cup brown or white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vitamin E

10 drops ylang ylang

Melt the shea butter in a double boiler or by placing a pyrex glass jar inside a pot filled 1/4 way with boiling water.

Once your shea butter is melted, place it in the container you will store your scrub in and add the jojoba oil, vitamin E, sugar and ylang ylang.

Stir until blended.

Place in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to set and then store in your shower.

This mixture will fill an 8oz jar and will last for a year.

The formula is gentle enough for daily use!

A Zanzibar Spiced Coffee Recipe

We were completely jet lagged when we arrived. After a midnight bus ride from Canal Street in New York on the Chinatown Express to 14th street in Washington D.C., where we took a taxi to Dulles airport and slept for four hours on plastic benches before flying ten hours to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, cue an eight hour layover before arriving in Stone Town, Zanzibar five hours later where we learned that the hotel we'd booked online was overbooked as were all of the hotels and guest houses in town that night, we were in desperate need of a pick me up.

Dragging our rolling luggage behind us over dusty cobblestone streets, we came upon an ocean view cafe.

Perched on silky cushions, we ordered food and began to panic.

The air smelled of cardamom and salt water. In the distance, waves noisily lapped at the beach.

Our coffee came out first. It was served in tiny silver cups, warm to the touch. At first I was confused, the cup smelled more like chai tea than coffee. Don't get me wrong, chai is lovely, but I really wanted coffee and wasn't in the mood for another disappointment.

I took a sip. Equally stimulating and grounding, the coffee bathed my mouth with flavor.  Zanzibar does many things well, their spiced coffee, they do really well.

We stayed in that cafe until it closed. Until we were forced to wander the streets once more in search of a place to stay, which we finally found several hours later as the sun began to rise. Thank goodness for that coffee!

Rarely am I nostalgic about that evening, but when I am, it centers around that coffee.

That's why tonight, after putting the kids to bed, I decided to brew a cup of my version of Zanzibar spiced coffee.

It was almost as good. Here's what I did-

Ingredients:

1 rounded scoop of french roast coffee

1 teaspoon fresh cardamom

1 teaspoon fresh sliced ginger

5 whole cloves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

In a french press add your ingredients along with 1/2 cup boiling water.

Let the coffee sit for five minutes before straining and pouring into your mug.

I added a pinch of almond milk but you can dress your coffee however you'd like.

This recipe makes a strong single cup that is sure to get you through any tough spot you may find yourself in.

Clink.

A Shea Butter Cuticle Cream Recipe

This is perhaps one of the simplest shea butter recipes out there.  While great for the cuticles, you can use this salve in many ways from extra thick hand lotion to a replacement for Vicks Vapor Rub, to a scalp treatment for dandruff. My favorite use this time of year is as a cuticle cream. Dry chapped winter hands are no fun, but unruly cuticles and hangnails are the difference between no fun and misery.

I keep a tin of this cream near the kitchen sink for use after washing dishes and I keep a tin in my purse so I can rub my fingers down before I slip on my gloves. Moisturizing beneath gloves is like magic, the heat from the gloves is like a heating cap, promoting deep moisturization resulting in silky skin.

This two ingredient shea butter cuticle cream recipe can be executed in five minutes!

Here's what you'll need:

1 teaspoon shea butter

5 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Here's what to do:

Melt your shea butter in a double boiler (or pyrex bowl placed inside a pot of boiling water).

Once a liquid has been formed, add five drops of the eucalyptus oil to your melted shea butter. Stir and pour into a 1/2 oz. metal tin.

You can cool and set your cuticle cream by placing it in the refrigerator for twenty minutes.

How to Make Deodorant using Shea and Lavender

I'm on a shea butter kick. I'm doing research for a project that will keep me busy for the next six weeks or so. To stock up my arsenal until my 30 pound bulk shipment arrives, I walked 10 blocks, over icy city streets and purchased a ten pound tub, which I laboriously carried back home (sans incident I'd like to brag). Having hunted and gathered, the games have begun!

How to Make Deodorant using Shea and Lavender

The first thing I made today was deodorant. My husband has been complaining about the powdered deodorant that I usually make because it's messy when he carries it in his gym bag. Since I promised an alternative, I had to deliver. I found some old travel sized deodorant tubes lying around, emptied them out and made my own- completely organic, all natural, aromatic shea based deodorant. It was so EASY! I did the whole thing while balancing my seven month old on my left hip.

This is a great deodorant for people with sensitive skin. It also works well if you've just shaved your arm pits and you don't want to experience that uncomfortable burning sensation that can accompany store bought chemical deodorants.

As a breastfeeding mama, I love this shea and lavender deodorant formula because I know my little guy isn't ingesting any harsh chemicals. Remember- what you put on your skin gets absorbed and can end up in your blood stream.

Here's my recipe:

1 teaspoon beeswax

5 teaspoons shea butter

2 teaspoons bentonite clay

15 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops cinnamon essential oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vitamin E

In a double boiler (or pyrex bowl inside a pot) melt your beeswax and shea together until a liquid is formed.

Add the vitamin E oil to the liquid and blend.

Add the bentonite clay and baking soda and mix. Note, when using bentonite clay, you don't want to use a metal spoon because metal reacts with the healing properties of bentonite. Use a wooden or plastic spoon.

Add in your essential oils and mix until the liquid froths a bit and thickens.

Pour into empty deodorant tubes and VOILA!

You can let the deodorant set in the refrigerator for an hour before introducing it to a room temperature environment, or you can set it out overnight at room temperature.

It is that easy!

This recipe will fill about two tubes. One for home and one for the gym!

No-Yeast Cinnamon Buns With Almonds

This morning, I woke up in our house in Maryland to six shimmering inches of snow. I made myself a cup of Earl Grey tea and sat by the window. It was quite a sight.

Sunlight streamed through the loops of the naked trees and reflected brilliantly off of the snow bathing my kitchen in light.

How lucky I am, I thought to myself, to be inside and not out.

How lucky I am, to have this nice big kitchen, a full pantry, sleeping children and this wicked craving for sweet almonds and cinnamon buns.

I made myself another cup of tea and put my thinking cap on. I didn't have any yeast, or almond paste...but I did have sliced almonds and I could make cinnamon bun dough out of a drop biscuit variation since I didn't have yeast.

I put on my apron, I dusted off my measuring spoons, I listened to my nose and tasted, and came up with a batch of delectably moist almond cinnamon buns.

It was so easy. Here's what I did-

You'll need:

Dough

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

Filling

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup shaved almonds

3 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon milk

Here's what to do:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

We'll begin with the dough.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar). Once your dry ingredients have been mixed together, cut in your butter, using your hands to mix. Once the batter is flaky, add your milk and almond extract and blend until your batter forms a smooth dough. Set aside.

Time for the filling. In a small mixing bowl, combine your brown sugar, butter, almonds and cinnamon. Mix until a paste is formed. Set aside.

Return to your dough. It's time to roll it out. Using a rolling pin, you want to create a rectangle.

Pour your filing on top of the dough and then roll into a loaf and slice (about 2 inches thick).

Place your slices in a buttered 9x9 circular pan. You want to make sure you leave space between the buns because when they cook, they'll expand and rise.

Cook for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

While your cinnamon buns are cooking, it's time to whip up your glaze. In a bowl, mix your melted butter with your powdered sugar. Once a thick frosting is created, add the milk and vanilla extract and blend again until the glaze thins.

Once your cinnamon buns are ready, remove them from the oven and pour the glaze over the top.

Let the buns cool ten minutes before serving.

Psssst... I know I normally post healthy recipes, but this time I didn't. This one is simply indulgent and good and that's all there is to it.

Packing Tips: Keep it Simple and Light this Winter!

Don't let the cold weather keep you indoors! Winter is a great time to travel. Not only are there usually great travel deals to take advantage of but winter travel, depending upon your destination, can mean fewer crowds and shorter waits.

When it comes to packing, especially clothing items, winter can present the opportunity to practice simplicity. Just because the weather is cold, doesn't mean you have to pack more. Winter travel is all about the use of layers and finding staple pieces that can be worn multiple ways.

Over packing opens the door to clutter. When your suitcase is cluttered:

a) It's heavy and unpleasant to tote around

b) It's disorganized and causes you stress and frustration whenever you have to open it to find clothes

c) You have no room for all the beautiful new seuveniers you'd like to bring home with you

NO BUENO!

When it comes to travel, keep it simple and keep it light! Here are some of my favorite accessories, toiletries and clothing ideas:

Winter Travel Clothing Essentials:

Simplicity is key here. A pair of leggings are essential because you can get multiple uses out of them. Leggings can be worn as pants, stockings, to that surprise yoga class or as long underwear. One pair of weather appropriate yet fashionable boots will be versatile enough for day and night, casual and dressy. A simple scarf can be worn around the neck, over the head (if the weather gets blustery) or can be used on the plane as a blanket. You don't need a giant shoulder bag when you travel, keep it simple and light with a sleek and all-purposed cross body satchel. An attractive statement tunic sweater can serve multiple uses as a dress and as a sweater for heavy layering. Keep jewelry simple, a pair of easy to coordinate earrings you can rock every day both day and night will ensure that jewelry doesn't get lost or tangled up in your travel pouch.

Travel Gadgets and Accessories:

The fewer gadgets the better. The smaller the better. A dual purposed passport holder/wallet will take you far as will a sleek compression sleeve to protect your computer. Portable travel chargers are tiny, can slip inside your computer compression sleeve and are life savers. A small, single unit speaker dock for your smartphone can  make a good trip great.

Travel Carry On Toiletries:

When it comes to hotel toiletries, you never know what you're going to get. To keep things familiar, yet light, I look for travel sized packs of brands I know and love. Since everything is travel sized, you can zip through check-in with a simple overhead bag and the smug knowledge that you've packed everything you need.

In terms of make-up, I keep it simple! Mascara, plus lip tint (that can double as cheek tint), plus a SPF concealer equals, easy, breezy and beautiful.

So go! Take that weekend trip, mini-break or full blown vacation. For your cold weather trip pack smart, not excessively.

6 Apps for Tourists in New York City

New York is fast, it's vibrant, it's brassy, it's gritty, it's glamorous and it's artistic, but let's face it, if you're a visitor, it can be downright intimidating. How to navigate, where to park, what to tip, to walk or try the subway? A visitor's list can scroll for miles.

Luckily, the following apps have come to the rescue. They've done the dirty work for you, so you can focus on living it up in New York!

6 Apps for Tourists in New York City:

1) HopStop: Need directions from your hotel to the Museum of Natural History and then down to the 9/11 Memorial? No problem, Hopstop has got you covered and will have you navigating the city like a local. Simply type in the address of your departing location and the address of your destination to receive step by step, easy to follow directions either by car, subway, bus or on foot. If you choose the subway option, you'll get a full report that takes into account track work, delays and the latest train schedule.

2) ParkWhiz: So you've decided to drive into the city, but you're nervous about street parking. Park whiz to the rescue! Find discounted parking garages in your desired neighborhood or in close proximity to a specific location. Whether you're looking to park your car for the weekend near your hotel, or simply need to have a secure parking spot by Rockefeller Center for three hours, Park Whiz will find a lot close to your destination and will conjure up a discounted price. No worries about feeding meters, getting towed, or getting dents or scrapes.

3) Uber: There are certain times where it's impossible to hail a taxi. Certain neighborhoods (ahem, Greenpoint, Brooklyn) tend to have fewer cabs and hailing one can be a time consuming fight. Let's not even get into the misery of hailing a cab in the rain, or howling wind, or freezing snow. With Uber, you can relax and summon a cab through your phone at your convenience. Be prepared for quick and easy door to door service. Call your cab the same moment you ask your waiter for the check, by the time you're finished paying, your cab should be outside waiting. Time spent awkwardly pacing the sidewalk with your arm outstretched- none.

4) Seamless: So you've spent the day walking through crowds, you're too exhausted and hungry to wait for a reservation to open up and you're tired of the same old room service from the restaurant in your hotel...time to order from Seamless. Simply type in your hotel's address and a list of participating restaurants will pop up. You can browse hundreds of fabulous, ethnically diverse menus and place an order from some of the most delicious restaurants in the city. Within 45 minutes (max) your food will arrive and yes, they deliver to hotels and hostels. Just because your opting for a night in, doesn't mean you need to settle. One of the greatest joys of New York is taking full advantage of the city's many culinary options. If you can crave it, someone will make it.

5) Exploration Dining: Not sure how to score last minute reservations or even where to eat, Exploration Dining is a mobile concierge service designed to solve that problem. Browse hundreds of dishes from local restaurants, find what inspires you and make reservations (if needed) directly from your phone. Just like that, you're in! Bon Appetit.

6) RelayRides: Leaving your car behind while you take your New York vacation? Make money with your car by participating in RelayRides! Say what? Break even on that gorgeous handbag you saw at Macy's by using RelayRides. RelayRides is a car sharing service that will pay you, to rent your car while you're gone. They take care of insurance and the legalities, you get to make money while you travel. Since your car will just be sitting there, you might as well let it serve someone else and bring home some bacon.

So there you have it, six apps that will help with the logistics of your next trip to New York, so you can focus on more pressing concerns such as which museums to visit, what shoes to buy and what shows to see. Mmmmmm.... Concrete jungle where dreams are made!

Honey Sweet Cornbread

I have a mild obsession with quick breads. Not a week goes by where I don't make at least three batches of batches of biscuits or cornbread or loaf bread. Sweet, savory, plain, loaded, I can't get enough of these versitile delicious breads. Carbaholics Anonymous- come and get me. I'm so guilty!

My "retirement" dream, and I'm putting this down because recording your dreams is the first step to realizing them is to open a cafe/bakery featuring the many quick bread variations that I've fallen in love with.

In the meantime, I'll keep working, refining and recording those recipes here.

Today's recipe for Honey Sweet Cornbread is a sweet and flavorful cornbread. Sweetened with honey and coconut palm sugar, you get a robust sweetness while keeping the glycemic index relatively low. The pepper, nutmeg and cardamom provide subtle, layered secondary flavors, while the olive oil and almond milk absorb the sweetness in a nutty earthiness. Long story short, it all just works!

Your result is a sweet, aromatic cornbread, that is crisp around the edges and moist in the center that pairs perfectly with your favorite savory chili or a light fruity jam.

Here's what you need:

1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup all purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon finely ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground peppercorns 1 cup unsweetened almond milk* 2 large eggs 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup raw honey 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

*Feel free to substitute your milk of choice. Almond gives this recipe a rich nutty flavor.

**This recipe is great for those with milk allergies or lactose sensitivity.

Here's what to do:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. You're going to use the lower rack, so it's probably easiest to adjust it prior to turning on the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, sea salt, nutmeg, cardamom, peppercorns).

In a small mixing bowl, gently beat the milk, olive oil, vanilla and eggs with a whisk. Once uniform, pour the mixture into the dry ingredient bowl.

Make sure your honey is soft. Raw honey, if stored near a window can stiffen which makes it difficult to work with.

I like to drop my raw honey in the center of the bowl. Using a mixing spoon and some elbow grease, I mix the batter until smooth.

It will smell wonderful!

Go ahead and take a deep breath. Enjoy what you've created so far.

I like to work with round cooking pans, but the shape doesn't matter. Use what you've got.

Before pouring in the batter, I use canola oil to coat the pan.

Spread your batter evenly, then place the pan in the oven for twenty minutes.

Let the cornbread cool for 15 minutes before you enjoy.

Yum!

A Space Of My Own: Reflections on Being a Write at Home Mommy

I'm always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life.-Miles Davis

I've embarked upon an experiment. An experiment that seems to be working.

With all of the demands of being a write-at-home mom of a toddler and a newborn, I have been finding it difficult to find the space and quiet time to write.

Blogging, I can manage between burps and books, play dates and paint, bottles and naps, but my fiction requires a different focus. In order to really write, get inside my head and listen, I need meditative stillness and quiet. I need a room of my own.

But since I'm not Virginia Wolf, and I cant spend hour upon reclusive hour alone with my pen, because I share a Brooklyn apartment with a musician husband, a boisterous toddler, a crying baby and a ridiculously loquacious cat, the key isn't so much finding a room of my own (although that would be lovely), but finding time of my own.

Time.....

The only quiet or down time I get is contingent upon two unreliable forces: a) My infant, who usually falls asleep first, must stay down after my toddler goes to bed and b) My toddler who usually goes to bed these days (thank heavens) without much of a fuss, must do just that and in a timely fashion. If the above has rolled out smoothly, and I've got no dishes left in the sink to wash and the floor has already been swept, all surfaces wiped down, then, around 9:00pm, I usually have a fifteen minute window, when all is silent.

Silence....

Then the teething infant wakes or the dashing hubby returns home from a gig and wants to binge watch one of our favorite Netflix shows, or maybe the toddler wakes, startled and alone and decides to have a meltdown. When it's over, when it's all said and done, my brain is so fried, I'm doing well if I can recall my name. Sometimes I can't.

The morning is my only hope.

And so my experiment began. How to be a productive writer in the morning? Would it be possible. Would I be able to wake up? It's hard enough starting the day at seven am considering the infant is not sleeping through the night yet. Would I crash and burn? Would the kids sense that I'm awake and decide to get up and join me? Would it all just work out brilliantly?

Slowly I began at first, 6am rise, then 5:30 am, and finally 4:45 am rise. It seems to be working.

I am fortunate enough to have a desk of my own, a space of my own within a room that I share. But the magic happens when I can approach my space in my own time.

Apparition-like, my bare feet shuffle lithe across the hardwood, earl grey/lavender infusion in a teacup in my right hand, I've been known to pace the living room in those sacred pre dawn hours as I plan and concoct plots and settings, subtleties and flaws.

I've been keen on spontaneously rolling out my yoga mat behind my chair, working through some sun salutations or gentle flow poses to focus or stimulate my mind and body, get them working as a team.

It seems to be working.

In perfect stillness my future starts, I'm free to write and re-write, edit and deconstruct. There are no limits or borders. I have the pleasure of showing up for myself. And bonus, I have a front seat to the spectacle of the rising sun.

When seven rolls around, away go my books, my yoga mat, my journals, pens and laptop.

With the pitter patter of little feet, the clamor of the garbage trucks, the white light of the sun, I transition again from writer to mommy. A role I can truly sink my teeth into, because I've made the time to do something creative with my life.

Now, I just need to figure out how to get more sleep!

Re-discovering Myrtle Beach or That one Spring Break or Don't Be a Victim of Winter Weather!

As I wade through the knee deep snow in search of my car, which I can't seem to find, my mind can't help but wander to warmer memories. One memory at the front of my stack of lovely moments, was the cool morning stroll I recently took in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A few weeks ago, we piled into our family van and took a ridiculously slow (thanks to our nursing six month old) road trip from Brooklyn, New York to Orlando, Florida where my in- laws live.

Since we had the time, and since gas prices are so wondrously low, we decided to drive and help ourselves to side trips since there is so much to do and see off of I-95.

In the past, we've visited Savannah and Charleston, Raleigh Durham and Atlanta, this time Mark made the case for Myrtle Beach. The first and last time I had been to Myrtle Beach it was 1999 and I was on Spring Break. As a nineteen year old, I even remember thinking - yuck!

Myrtle Beach was crowded, it was dirty, it was full of seedy bars and shady people. That Spring Break was a disappointment I was ready to forget.

The hubby however had other ideas. He had never been and wanted to go. Since Myrtle Beach made a reasonable second stopping point after our first break in Washington D.C., I gave in.

I'm kind of glad I did.

Myrtle Beach, during its off peak season, was nicer than I remembered. We found a beautiful hotel and were walking distance from some delicious seafood.

I'm not going to lie, the boardwalk/main drag is still dodgy at best, but the beach, in the still of the morning, with a gentle 60 degree winter breeze is lovely.

The sea grass rustled, the waves crashed, couples walked dogs, my three year old collected shells.

The beach was a surprisingly meditative oasis.

To be fair, the snow on Sunday as it was falling, and even on Monday as it lay shimmering and still, was also quite meditative and oasis- like. Today, as I dig my car out with a dustpan so I can take my little one to preschool, I see little more than a cold and inconvenient mess.

At least I can mentally escape to that morning stroll along Myrtle Beach.

Mother nature, you can freeze my fingers and toes, you can make me slip and slide, but you can't take my memories!

Goddess Ix Chel: Exploring the Mayan Ruins at San Gervasio

Goddess Ix Chel: Exploring the Mayan Ruins at San Gervasio My feet slip, I can't seem to stay on the path. Perhaps I think, perhaps it's best after all to be barefoot.

My heel slips off the sole of my flip-flop, I'm pierced by a jagged rock. I take a moment to make sure I'm not bleeding. All is well, but I'm puzzled- how did the Mayan's function, barefoot, along these narrow jagged paths? Paths that seemed to stretch for miles uphill through dense jungle. There are so many mysteries surrounding the Mayan civilization, I think to myself.

During our recent trip to Cozumel, Mark and I decided to spend some time exploring the Mayan ruins at San Gervasio. This adventure turned out to be the highlight of my trip.

Surrounded by a steamy tropical jungle, full of aggressive mosquitoes and thick, moist air, lies the sprawling site of a series of two thousand year old  Mayan ruins including a temple dedicated to the  goddess Ix Chel (goddess of the moon and fertility).

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I can't tell you how cool it was to be able to experience history in this way.

The ruins at San Gervasio are a true treasure that were discovered by accident. The land that holds the ruins belonged to a wealthy Spanish family. When the patriarch died, the family came to the island from Spain and blasted the land in search of gold. Instead, they found these ancient ruins which they didn't care much for and had no plans to maintain. The government of Mexico stepped in and facilitated a land exchange. In turn for the ruins, the family gained several acres of beachfront property which has now been converted into a successful series of resorts.

Many of the original structures were damaged in the blasting efforts, but what remains is truly remarkable.

It makes one think, how many other Mayan sites are buried beneath the massive estates owned by the early Spanish colonial families. I guess we'll never know.