First Cruise: Bermuda

Posted on by JC Rizk

Attention all! My babies are back! The house seems complete, although I have to admit that when I heard talking at 5:15 yesterday morning, my first thought was, ‘there’s someone in the house’. You know, because burglars would be having a high pitch conversation with themselves while pilfering through our items… 🤦🏽‍♀️

Other than that brief moment of confusion, we are back in full swing and the kids and I enjoyed the first day of autumn together — Bird and I enjoyed some art time while Lulu took his morning nap. We then all walked to the local park for some play time, which included playing in the dirt and with the crispy leaves {our only current taste of autumn — still feels like summer to me}, and then ended the day with some water play! Dinner tonight was delicious risotto with butternut squash and sausage; the kids loved the “hot dogs” and even though they usually love rice, were not a fan of the risotto. Hmm… one benefit of my alone time this last week was that I rebooted my ‘mama skills’ and I started meal prepping again, which helps me feel so much more on top of things. The babes did love my bacon, leek, and cheese frittata, so you win some, you lose some, I guess!

Back to happy thoughts though, when I didn’t have to stress about what my kids will and will not eat. I cannot believe that we were just getting back from our cruise about a week ago. This was the first cruise for Hubby and myself, but we went with another couple who have been on several, so it was nice to be there with people who knew the ropes!

The food was delicious, from the full meals, to the tacos, to the sweet, plentiful soft-serve ice cream — my guilty pleasure! There are a ton of activities for those who dislike sitting still {talking about you, Hubby} and also space for those who want a little more leisure. We went to one musical show, one comedy show, participated in Bingo and also the “hole-in-one” challenge {Hubby won a medal!}. Mostly, on our days at sea, I preferred to sit on the top deck in a lawn chair and read. I found that my motion sickness follows me to cruise ships and the Seabands and Dramamine didn’t quite hold it at bay; that being said, I really only suffered one night and we luckily had one really smooth day at sea, of which I was appreciative!

We spent one day in Bermuda, and it was absolutely stunning. The water was impeccable, the local art was beautiful, and the culture was fascinating! I wish we had more time in Bermuda, but we visited Hamilton, ate some local cuisine, and even saw a Gombey dance {dancers pictured to the right}! I love the vibrant colors on the island, from the Gombey costumes, to the houses, to the water. Hubby and I already agreed we would love to spend more time in Bermuda. In fact, that was my major qualm about the cruise; I am willing to try another one, but overall, I think I prefer arriving in the location of interest quicker and having a longer time to explore and enjoy rather than being cooped up on a cruise ship.

However, I really did love the views: it is extremely impressive to see only ocean surrounding you. I saw my first flying fish , and sights like the one on the left, leaving Bermuda, were stunning and will stay with me for a long time. I also was able to get a lot of reading done and it’s inspired a reading frenzy this past week, which I am loving! Now that I am refreshed from the self care this past week, I am feeling more prepared as a human, wife, and mama. Everyone needs time to take care of themselves and I am so grateful to my family for giving me this opportunity.

What are you going to do take care of yourself this week?! Stay tuned next week for my book review post for August and September.

Balancing Act

Posted on by JC Rizk
Flowers arranged by me at a Women’s Summit

Why is balance so difficult? There’s a short amount of time where I feel completely balanced, then one seemingly tiny change comes along and I am knocked for a loop. I know that this is a common occurrence, but I will not be deterred. I continue to strive for a balanced life. For me, that looks like a life where I have time with my family, time with friends, and time for myself. I realized about a month ago that I was spending an exorbitant amount of time with my blog and its associated Instagram account. I noticed that I was hardly posting about my family and time with Bird and Lulu. {I realize I am in discussing imbalance in terms of posts and social media, but this external imbalance was present even more so in my personal life.}

Greeting Buddha at the end of Mama’s cool down

After a shift, from one extreme to the other, I now find myself having not written a post in almost a month — yikes! — nor have I posted much about my self care, including fun and important events! For instance, today was the first day that I went for a run, with the kids, since the kids arrived. I used to run for softball in high school, but really started to run faithfully after college, where I ran a couple of half marathons, some 10ks, and a bunch of 5ks. Let me be clear, I may be an avid runner, but I am by no means an excellent runner. I am slow and my gait needs work, but I enjoy it and I adore how it makes me feel afterwards. I am psyched to get back into the practice of running regularly, because it’s only for myself: my health and my enjoyment.

I am also working on being more ‘in-the-moment’ with the babes. I found myself checking social media, emails, and messages from friends and family when with Lulu and Bird, and it was getting to be too much, for my sake and the kids. I finally started a new morning routine that I’ve been thinking about for months: I wake up at 5:30 a.m. to get things done and get in some ‘mama time’, before the kids get up. I started setting my alarm two weeks ago, but, to be transparent, I only started actually waking up early late last week. My goal is to use this time for the following: shower/eat breakfast, practice yoga, meditate, and to journal, including making a list of what needs to be done that day/week. This helps me to wake up my body and mind, so when the babes wake up, I am mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared! Since starting to wake up early, I find myself in a better place as a mama and person, and am able to focus solely on them, as I prefer when I am with them!

Neighborhood beach visit!

Now that the weather feels like summer here already, we have been utilizing our neighborhood beach; I am thrilled that the kids are now to an age that we can enjoy the water and the sand, without the constant shoveling of sand into the mouth. We also play in the front yard and made more trips to the park. I find that this time outside, with nature, not only helps the kids, but also improves my mindset as well. Plus, I get cute pictures like this!

In addition to making more time for me and more time with the kids, Hubby and I have been able to enjoy some couple time and time with friends as well, which is lovely. We recently went on a vineyard tour with our friends and before that, I went to a Women’s Summit with some of my mama tribe, which was just what the doctor ordered! There were drinks, delicious food, interesting vendors, and terrific sessions. I chose the floral arrangement {see the first picture}, mindfulness, and parenting sessions, and they were all amazing! I learned, I relaxed, I laughed, and I felt like an individual again, not just a mama/wife/friend/etc. It was this Women’s Summit that encouraged me to start this new routine and get back into activities which make me happy and for that, I am super grateful!

What are your upcoming goals? Any new routines you want to try?

Travel: Red Rocks

Posted on by JC Rizk

Colorado. Our visit there was short, but it was beautiful and absolutely peaceful. I realized this was my first major trip since Lulu was born last year and my first flight away from both him and Bird. As a mama, this was a bit nerve-racking, but I was able to be present in my journey with the hubby and our friends and enjoy the experience.

To travel is to live.

– Hans Christian Anderson

Let me start off by saying that I was able to finish an entire book on the flight to Denver, which was quite the accomplishment. That level of self-care really gave a terrific start to the weekend. Hubby and I landed in Denver on a Thursday evening and went for dinner at the Brutal Poodle, which is a ‘hard rock inspired tavern that pays homage to man’s best friend’. The food and drinks at this bar were unbelievable and we taste-tested appetizers, split two entrees, and sampled the cocktails, plus dessert. The dessert we had was Eskimo Bros Nitro Ice Cream — the bananas foster flavor — and it was the most amazing ice cream eaten to date! Hubby and I researched and it’s only available in Denver currently, so if you’re ever in the area, look them up to try it, too!

Red Rocks Amphitheater (from a distance)

The rest of our friends arrived late night, so we had a lackadaisical morning on Friday. We stayed at this amazing VRBO cabin in Morrison, Colorado, which was located on a ranch, only about twenty minutes from Red Rocks Amphitheater. Around mid morning, we all geared up and went for a small hike at Mount Falcon, which we quickly realized was adjacent to Red Rocks itself! This is a view from our trail; we hiked part of the Mount Falcon Castle Trail Loop and enjoyed the fresh air, the beautiful wilderness and the exercise!

That night, we enjoyed a gorgeous meal at the Buckhorn Exchange, which is the oldest restaurant in Denver, established in 1893! This is a steak house, with plenty to look at {taxidermy}, gads of history, and a plethora of exotic meats. Come hungry, because the portion sizes definitely do not disappoint! I enjoyed the quail, and no one left hungry; this was a neat place to come for the experience and the food.

Ms. Pickles (left) and Tito (right)

The next morning, we slept in — that’s right, folks, I slept in until 8:30 am and it was glorious! We lounged about the cabin, dipped into the hot tub, sat in front of the fire, and Hubby and I took a walk around the VRBO property. The binder the owners left advised that there were horses on the ranch and you could meet them up close and personal; these sweet horses, Ms. Pickles and Tito, were kind to let us bother their grazing.

Hubby, our friends, and me at Red Rocks Amphitheater

Before we knew it, we were off to the big event: a concert at Red Rocks! We enjoyed all the music, although Hubby was especially excited to see Stick Figure and Pepper. Stick Figure was the headliner, and I especially love that they bring their dog, Cocoa with them and she joins the band on stage! She’s an Australian Shepherd, and beautiful; she reminded me of our Aussie, Kayah, because she kept laying down with her toy directly behind the lead singer, and he would nudge into her when he backed up from the mic. Kayah loves to do that as well and often trips us as she keeps tabs on the family. The venue itself was stunning; it is neat to see from the outside, but when you’re within the massive rocks, it feels like you’re in your own fortress. Well, you, and about 9,000 of your closest friends. The concert went into the early morning, where we crashed for several hours before heading back to the airport.

Although our stay was brief, the scenery, food, and activities were exciting, and delicious; definitely a place to check out further in the future! Also, my friend was right — this short trip with just Hubby and I was a nice reprieve, although I am grateful to be back home with the babies now. Feeling lucky and appreciative for the travel opportunities, as well as the amazing family and friends who support us and watch our babies {thank you, Abuela}!

See you next week for a book review post!

Question: To ski, or not to ski?

Posted on by JC Rizk

Whoa! Two posts in one week? Unbelievable! As promised, I am back with information about where we skied and our thoughts on each resort. These reviews are from both my husband and me; bear that in mind when reading, because we have vastly different skiing abilities and viewpoints on the locations we skied.

A little background on both of us and our skiing abilities… I skied for the first time during college and then did not ski again until my husband took me, about three years ago. I’ve skied at Seven Springs in Pennsylvania, Jackson Hole {Wyoming}, and now at several resorts in Utah. I am not sure the exact number, but I have maybe a total of 15 days skiing under my belt. That is the extent of my resort knowledge: I love to view the scenery, take pictures along the way, and I am a green/blue slope skier {maybe a double blue on a good day, but only one or two runs of that a day}.

On the other hand, my husband grew up skiing in Vermont and probably could not begin to count the number of days he spent skiing. He can ski double blacks and back country and enjoys doing so, which is terrifying to me. He’s skied out West, East coast, Japan, and Europe — and loves to challenge himself with the toughest terrain! He is extremely experienced and it seems as easy as breathing to him.

Alta Ski Resort: Alta was the ski resort we skied most together. It is also where Hubby introduced Bird to her first skiing experience. Seeing their happiness when skiing together made my heart soar!

My Review: I thought that Alta was a good course for beginners. There were some areas, especially on the greens that were almost flat. However, there were plenty of places where my hubby could pop off into the woods and many harder slopes as well, but they seemed easier than some of the other mountains and I felt I could practice these slopes with confidence. My rating: ⛷⛷⛷⛷/5

Hubby Review: There was some of the best snow on this mountain that I’ve ever seen. Alta is a kinder mountain than Snowbird, with easier access to back country. Alta truly has a ski resort feel, although the jokes about snowboarders {snowboarders are not allowed} get old fast. ⛷⛷⛷⛷/5

Brighton Ski Resort: We only skied here once, on our last ski date together before leaving Utah. Unfortunately, as we began the day, Hubby realized that a pin was broken on his ski, so he had to tread lightly {my style}. That being said, we were here on a blue bird day and the views were phenomenal.

My Review: This was definitely a smaller resort and had a funky set up for the ski lifts, including one that you could only get to by skiing on flat land right next to the parking lot, but overall, was awesome! Again, this is a resort where I felt comfortable with the amount of space I had; I think these slopes (blue) were a bit harder, but I felt a lot of confidence with the room I had to go faster than I would have at other resorts. My review: ⛷⛷⛷⛷/5

Hubby Review: This is an old school ski resort with beautiful views. Brighton is on the smaller side, but a local hidden gem. ⛷⛷⛷/5

Deer Valley Ski Resort: This was by far our favorite resort in the area. The mountain itself was huge with tons of options for slopes to ski. The staff here was friendly and went out of their way to help with any questions you had or to provide their favorite slopes.

My Review: I think these slopes are probably on the easier side {greens/blues, as compared to some of the other resorts mentioned here} and I even felt comfortable skiing on some of the double blues. The views were gorgeous and the mountain was so large that no matter how many people you skied with, it felt spacious. ⛷⛷⛷⛷⛷/5

Hubby Review: Deer Valley is a groomer paradise with scenic skiing. This location has the quintessential upscale ski resort feel. ⛷⛷⛷⛷/5

Snowbird Ski Resort: Hubby skied here several times, and skied here previously. You can ski through this really neat tunnel in the mountain from Alta into Snowbird Mineral Basin area. The tunnel was really cool and showed the history of the people who built it and who first worked on the mountain. I only had one experience at Snowbird on a day that, despite the clarity in the first picture, had very low visibility. We went with our friends, visitors from back home, who are also avid skiers, and as a group, we had a lot of fun!

My Review: We skied here after a ton of powder dropped and there were a lot of people on the mountain. The slopes on this side of the mountain were definitely harder than at other resorts, plus Hubby accidentally sent us down a Black Diamond, which knocked the wind and confidence out of me a bit. Due to this experience, I would have to say this was my least favorite place to ski, but I know that Hubby really enjoys it and I would definitely try it again! ⛷⛷/5

Hubby Review: Snowbird is the place to push the limits, with advanced terrain and incredible snow. This is some of the most challenging skiing I ever attempted, but once completed it is truly rewarding. At Snowbird, you are surrounded by high level skiers and great views. ⛷⛷⛷⛷⛷/5

Solitude Ski Resort: No picture for this resort as only Hubby skied here with a friend of ours. Hubby says this is another hidden gem; it is a smaller resort with great back country and the next best thing to Little Cottonwood Canyon {where Snowbird and Alta ski resorts are located}. Rating: ⛷⛷⛷/5

Overall, we absolutely adored our time skiing in Utah, and our adventure in Utah in general. We will definitely return and check out these slopes, and maybe some news ones, in the future.

Where is your favorite place to travel? To ski?Stay tuned for more adventures and more thoughts du jour!