An Exercise: 50 Reasons to Be Grateful Can you sit down and in ten minutes write down 50 things that make you happy or grateful? You have to do it quick, that is part of the “fun” or challenge. I was introduced to Dawn Landau, Tales From the Motherland from a blogger/friend of mine, …
Stars Wars Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel
One of six different gingerbread masterpieces and each devoted to one of the Star Wars Episodes 1 through VI.
Seattle Star Wars Mania –
Are you part of Star Wars mania? Our kids bought tickets months ago to see the new movie and I bet yours did too. Everywhere you look in social media, fans are dressing the part, acting the part and fully enjoying this Star Wars movie premiere. Here in Seattle we have cocktails named after characters, hashtags galore #maytheforksbewithyou and we even have an entire Gingerbread House display #SEAGingerbreadVillage devoted to Star Wars. Our daughter Alex (SeatownBites.com) always knows exactly what is fun to see and do in Seattle. So at her suggestion, I packed up my camera and dashed over to the Sheraton Seattle Hotel to see this Star Wars Gingerbread Village.
These three Tom Douglas restaurants Cantina Liña, Home Remedy and Tankasan offer some very creative Star Wars themed cocktails and appetizers. The restaurants are located within one block of the Cinerama, which is showing the movie. Super clever!
I am the first to admit that when traveling, I always thought that I preferred to stay in a luxury hotel instead of a condominium. After staying at the Hyatt Residence Club Maui, an outstanding oceanfront property on Kaanapali Beach – I have changed my mind forever.
Lovely Maui~
If you have never been to the island of Maui, please consider putting this destination at the top of your list! It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful, tropical resort destinations in the world. On this recent anniversary trip, we decided to try a few new adventures on an island where we have stayed many times. We visited new restaurants, tried new activities and stayed in a luxury condominium instead of a hotel.
As a savvy traveler who likes her upscale amenities, I never really believed that a condo could compete with the luxurious hotel accommodations that we have been accustomed. I was absolutely wrong. The Hyatt Residence Club Maui surpassed any expectations we could have imagined! Both Craig and I were blown away by the beauty, architectural design, amenities, incredible staff and warm welcome we received at this brand new property.
We were impressed by luxurious design features like elegant bathrooms, granite kitchen countertops, stainless steel appliances and the extra space (compared to a single hotel room) was so w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l as well. Even if you have no intention of cooking or preparing any meals, this property would still fulfill your needs! Additionally, no one is knocking at your door for turn down service or housekeeping and we appreciated this benefit of extra privacy in a condo.
How much fun! Today our readers are sharing where to travel at the holidays! A huge thank you to all of you who sent in your stories and photos! From our readers in no particular order: Edward Pizzarello ~ Pizzainmotion.com We do love to travel during the holidays. We just got back from …
Indulge me for a moment to tell a quick story and then listen to me rave a little about living in Seattle, our adopted city. But first… Although we intentionally made some very major changes in our lives by moving to Pasadena and then living in Seattle temporarily, interestingly enough, I feel kind of …
The month of December is a perfect time of year to share a few itinerary ideas for visiting one of my favorite places, Pasadena, California. The Rose Bowl, The Tournament of Roses New Year’s Day Parade and perfect weather, draw thousands of people to the city every December. When you watch the parade on television you can clearly see the majestic San Gabriel Mountains that are just north of the city and so beautiful. Blue skies and bright sunshine are especially enticing to those that are experiencing a harsh winter.
A little personal back story…
I was fortunate to grow up in Arcadia, a small community which was about ten minutes east of Pasadena. Pasadena is a much larger city and became very important to me when I was a teenager. When I was seventeen, I became part of something quite extraordinary that changed my life forever.
Over 900 happy, yet nervous, high school seniors from Pasadena and three other neighboring cities participated in a series of interviews. Our hope was to be chosen one of seven members of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court. Lucky me, I was chosen to be one of them.
That’s me, far left – 1979
The experience was one of a kind and the thrill of meeting so many different kinds of people (mostly adults) and representing such an important organization like the Tournament, was a dream come true. We made personal appearances throughout Southern California, spoke to philanthropy groups, Rotary Clubs, hosted Rose Bowl events for the visiting colleges and even drove the Goodyear blimp! For a 17 year old high school senior, it was quite mind-blowing. We were on the Bob Hope Christmas Special, danced with Lawrence Welk on his television show and featured on magazine covers.
The grand prize was to ride on a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade, waving to the crowds, where a million people line the curbs of Colorado Blvd and 100 million more watched it on TV.
Just yesterday I published a post on whether traveling at the holidays was on your wish list. Many of you have traveled this time of year. Where have you been? Would you like to email me a photo? I would like to create a collaborative post with your photos. Please send me a photo of …
Traveling at the holidays – Do you love it? Is it a hassle? Would you rather hunker down and stay close to home?
I believe I never really considered traveling at the holidays until the kids were grown or at least until the nest was almost empty and they were in their teens. Wearing heavy coats, worrying about potential lost gloves, bigger crowds all seemed too much to deal with when the kids were young.
All of our immediately family lived within in driving distance so we never had to fly out of necessity. Now that we primarily travel as a couple, I look forward to the extra excitement of going somewhere at Christmas.
I am a big fan of lights and festive decorations. I love how the city, any city, seems to sparkle this time of year. Even the strip malls and grocery stores look so much better with those clear lights stretched across the roof.
Our holiday trip this year~
Traveling to San Francisco from Southern California is an easy, quick flight and with no potential snow to add any extra discomfort. When you live in an area where the temperature is rarely below 60, frosty wind and lots of rain can dampen your spirit, however, part of the fun of traveling in December is that it is so different. Changes in the weather and different clothing requirements make it a novelty. I relish the opportunity to wear fun boots, colorful scarves and the warm winter coat I wear only a couple of times a year in Southern California.
We have plans to go back to San Francisco next week to enjoy the holiday celebration and to visit our son Nick who just moved there for his first job after graduating from UCLA. He is looking forward to showing us “his” San Francisco. Craig and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to see the city through Nick’s eyes.
We plan to take him to a couple of our favorite spots and he will take us to his new hangouts. At 22, he enjoys such different activities than we do, that this will be an entirely new way to enjoy this beautiful city!
If you do have the opportunity to plan a trip to San Francisco this month, here is what you could see and do!
The Magic of Christmas in San Francisco~
The true meaning of Christmas we carry in our hearts, but the magic of Christmas in San Francisco is a wonderful sight to behold! This spectacular coastal California city manages to capture the splendor of the holidays and we are fortunate to live just an hour plane ride away. Craig and I try to get away for a few days each year in the month of December to soak up the holiday cheer and exquisite architecture of San Francisco.
Small neighborhood shops, large department stores, fancy hotels and trendy restaurants go all out to decorate and celebrate for the holiday season. Twinkle lights, gorgeous window displays and several gingerbread mansions are displayed for visiting guests to enjoy as well as the lucky residents.
Union Square – Daytime
Union Square is the heart of the city and the best place to begin and spend your free time. It is surrounded by busy stores, large and small, lined with glorious hotels and is definitely where most of the shopping activity can be found!
The gigantic “Macy’s Believe” Christmas Tree in Union Square
Our recent anniversary trip to the enchanting island of Maui was filled with new adventures. Hoping to expand our Hawaiian foodie education, we really wanted to immerse ourselves into the amazing local Maui food scene. In my recent post about Maui, I shared how in addition to staying in luxury hotels, we love to eat great food and …
When I sat down to contemplate and write about what I am thankful for, the same message kept whirling around in my brain. TIME. I am thankful for time. Do we put enough value on time? Do we spend it in the right places, with the right people? I hope so. I certainly appreciate …
We use cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're okay with this, but you can opt-out if you'd like. DetailsGot it!
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Elevate your InboxSubscribe for exclusive content
Get updates on new podcast episodes, blog posts, and travel news that I'm excited to share with you!
