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.

Organization

Posted on by JC Rizk

Update to our Marie Kondo–inspired organization of our house; this post continues to allude me because every time I think about writing it, I am overwhelmed by what we completed so far and even more so by the amount of work yet to complete! Hubby and our awesome contractor completed my “Zen Room” and it’s starting to gain its identity. We moved our sleeper sofa in there, Salvation Army picked up the clothes and books today, so you can actually see most of the floor now! I have one corner with items to sell in a yard sale, otherwise it’s clear. My yoga mats live here, as well as my yoga block; my hope is to find a large basket for these items and a blanket, so that they aren’t just leaning up in the corner of the room. My last project for this room is to refinish/paint an old glider and replace its cushions. This project is sentimental for me, as my parents rocked me in the glider, then for a short time the glider lived with my Sito and Gido {grandmother and grandfather}, and now is back with me. I think with a little face lift, it will be a beautiful piece to continue to serve our family.

Meet Vaquita {“little cow”}

I was trying to take a picture of just how empty and simplistic the Zen Room is and our Bernese decided she would make an excellent addition — I admit, she’s not wrong! In fact, this is the coolest room in the house, so it’s often her favorite to lay in, especially with the tile floor!

While I was in Connecticut with the kids, Hubby organized most of the office and then upon my return, I organized the kids’ art supplies and my scrapbooking/art supplies as well, but there is still plenty of work to be done in the office, especially regarding my paperwork. I tend to hold onto paper items under the guise of ‘you never know when you’ll need them’. Hubby then responds ‘paper is dead’, which breaks my heart a bit, but I know he’s right in this case {don’t tell him that though}. In September, Hubby and I are going on a cruise {the kids will go to Florida — thank you Abuela and Abuelo!} and when we get back, just Hubby is going down to Florida to visit for longer and retrieve the babes. Do you realize what that means?! I have several days, at home, by MYSELF! I plan to go through items I have in the garage {home decorations, sports equipment, and kids’ items} and finish organization in the office while on my own. Then maybe fit in a massage and yoga class! I’m stoked!

The last, and most overwhelming to organize will be sentimental items, especially photographs, in my case. I am thinking about getting my childhood albums transferred to digital copies and then just keeping certain physical copies once completed. I also want to then update our photo collages that we have in our hallway. We made the decision to move forward with our home renovation, which is exciting and daunting! We are hoping to start this fall or next spring — either way, coming fast and that means that I need to start packing items for storage and work on design ideas for the rooms!

Along with the organization, we’ve kept up a lot of reading in the house; I borrowed some sweet books for the kids and one for me from the library recently. Girls Like Us was an amazing novel with some interesting twists! Looking forward to reading more from Cristina Alger — for the kids, I think my favorite from these picks was My Forest is Green by Darren Lebeuf — it was about the artistic rendering of a young boy after exploring the forest near him. Bird wanted to continuously read it — I think it encouraged the adventurer inside and we went on a few nature walks collecting acorns, nuts, and flowers in the neighborhood.

Currently, I am sitting in the zen room with a full breakfast, including tea and my book, while editing this post, which can only mean one thing…. Spoiler alert: I started this post several weeks ago and I am currently in the house while Hubby and the babes are visiting with los abuelos, so please forgive the “in September” reference! I’m also ready to post about Hubby’s and my first cruise vacation and my next book review, so stay tuned!

Book Review: May, June, & July

Posted on by JC Rizk
Sunrise in the Harbor

This past week I returned to the early morning routine and it’s unbelievable how quickly it improved my mood! Jogged several mornings with my awesome neighbor — it’s always nice to have someone to motivate you. If I didn’t have a jogging partner, I’m pretty sure I would continue to sleep in and thus continue with my previous funk. Also, I kept the ball rolling with journaling, practicing yoga and reading! In fact, these past three months were extremely productive with reading for fun:

  • Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco {3 stars}
  • Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl {4 stars}
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen {5 stars}
  • Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict {4 stars}
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama {3 stars}
  • Recursion by Blake Crouch {4 stars}
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens {4 stars}

Let’s start with the 3 star reads: Hunting Prince Dracula was a fun, mysterious read, which I recommend to any who like supernatural mysteries, and I plan to read the first book in the series {you do not have to read the first to enjoy the second}. It may not be the first book I run to, but it was good and had a unique plot. Becoming was extremely interesting and I wanted to love it, but I was disappointed overall. It was the second audiobook that I listened to and I expected it to be phenomenal because Michelle Obama is such a dynamic speaker. However, part of me thought the writing was too descriptive and her reading was not as dynamic I expected. That being said, her history is fascinating and I wonder if this book would improve upon physical reading. I can only imagine me trying to read what I wrote off a page; I doubt it would sound as fluid as me speaking with others, and in my mind, I honestly think that was the issue. I plan to read it in the future and see if it improves upon actual reading rather than listening.

FAVORITES: The other audiobook, the first one I listened to EVER, Save Me the Plums, was absolutely incredible. Ruth Reichl writes and speaks about food in such a delectable way, that I become instantly hungry and satiated at the same time! Her history as the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine was fascinating and complex. I highly recommend this book for any foodie out there! My other favorite book of these past three months was Pride and Prejudice, by the one and only, Jane Austen. This was a re-read, as it was an instant favorite back when I read it in high school. It’s slightly terrifying to think, but it’s probably been about 15 years since I last read it {insert shocked face here}! It took me a bit to get back into it, because I kept thinking about the 6 hour BBC special, starring the lovely Colin Firth, but once I got over the comparisons, I loved it as much as my teenage years.

My other three reads were impressive as well: Carnegie Maid was a quick, light read, with a nice balance of history and fiction. Where the Crawdads Sing was an emotional, heartbreaking story with several twists along the way. Out of these last reads, I especially enjoyed Recursion by Blake Crouch — this was the first book I ever read by him, and it was full of surprises and was especially thought provoking. I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future.

These books help to keep me motivated and I am currently borrowing Normal People by Sally Rooney from the library. It was highly recommended on Instagram from several bookstagrammers and it’s interesting so far; definitely a different writing style than I’m used to and I’m curious to see what I think at the end. Will let you know in the next book review post!

Enough about me, though — I am not the only one reading and receiving library books! Our public library has a summer reading program, where if kids read 20 minutes a day {or for my toddlers, if someone reads to them for twenty minutes} you mark it on the calendar and for every six days of reading for twenty minutes, you get a sticker, until you reach 36 days. We completed our summer reading challenge this week and Bird was super stoked to receive all her stickers — and the prize?! A new book from the library! Bird was thrilled to pick out a book from their selection and chose Jamberry, which is cute. Lulu, was less excited; he also loves books, but really didn’t understand the summer reading program {gosh, grow up already}, so Mama picked Barnyard Dance for him! Haha, I love that my kids are ‘readers’; we really do enjoy it as a family and often throughout the day, I see Bird and Lulu walk over to the stack of library books or to our bookshelves and just delve into stories, which makes this bibliophile mama’s heart burst! Oh, and talk about proud mama — Bird also acquired her first library card! This is probably my favorite milestone by far and she was so proud of it, walking around with it for the remainder of the day. It’s currently in our library bag {the one that looks like an old school library card… sigh, nostalgia} so that it doesn’t disappear, but I know she’ll be excited to check out our next books on her personal card next week!

What about you? What are you reading? Do you have a library close to you and do you utilize it? What are your favorite recent books?

Balancing Act

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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?

Mental Health Awareness

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This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart and soul. May is Mental Health Awareness month, which fits me perfectly. My Master’s degree is in School Counseling and mental health is something I am truly passionate about; I believe that everyone should speak with a therapist/counselor at some point {yes, even if nothing is ‘wrong’} to gain a better sense of self. I could speak about it forever, but I will hop down from my soap box to discuss self care. If you want to gather more information about mental health awareness or counseling, please comment below or message me — I would be happy to talk privately to anyone interested!

Something I learned from therapy, and understanding mental health better, is that self care is critical to all of us. I cannot be the best mother, wife, friend, human, if I do not take care of myself. For me, as you know, self care comes under the guise of reading, yoga, writing, meditating, organizing, and cooking, to name a few. Recently, my self care really is seen through my reading; I’ve been enjoying so many new books and actually just listened to my first audio book this past week. I’ll review the book more thoroughly in a later post — book club is tomorrow and I wouldn’t want to give anything away — but the whole audio book experience was astounding! I was able to finish laundry, dishes, food prep… all while enjoying a book! Only took me two days to finish it too, listening during the kids’ nap time and in the evenings. This means that I may be able to continue reading, even during my especially busy weeks! I am floored! Now I want to know about all the amazing audio books out there — which audio books do you recommend?

Even though my reading game is strong lately, I’ve let go of meditating and yoga, which I really want to get back into, along with running. I used to run a lot before kids and I would like to get back into it; I am still searching for a decently priced double jogging stroller — wish me luck with that! Lately, I’ve been doing a little calming, self awareness routine with Bird before bed, because she’s started to have meltdowns when we leave the room. We play some zen music and we practice a breathing meditation {only about a minute long since she’s two years old}. I think she gets so excited about her day that it takes her longer to settle into sleep mode, despite her exhaustion. It’s been working well this past week, and it’s encouraging me to do more with her during the day, and maybe it will help the tantrums and meltdowns that come — also, it will help to calm mama down, which will make quite the difference, I think! My goal this week is to meditate more with Bird throughout the day — Lulu too — and to do some yoga in the morning. The other day in her crib, I put on the zen music, which she associates with yoga, and she did a modified tree pose… on her own! We haven’t practiced yoga together since Utah — I was stunned — and then immediately felt guilty that I stopped practicing with her. To rectify that situation, my plan is to start practicing and I’ll put out an extra mat, where she can practice what she wants. Although I love a long practice, I’ll probably start with just a ten or fifteen minute routine first; very exciting!

Today, I also tended to my self care by finally tending to my garden. Still a minimalist container garden this year — I don’t have the time or energy for a full vegetable garden — I chose my favorite herbs, including: lavender, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, spearmint, and chives. Heading to the farmer’s market in the morning to see if I can find sweet mint and rosemary. The only veggies we are planting this year are two grape tomato plants — I bought two because last year Bird ate all of our cherry tomatoes and I am positive Lulu will enjoy them just as much — and a jalapeño plant. Sometimes I get overzealous with my gardening and plant a ton of herbs and veggies only to waste them and that makes me sad. I think I planted the perfect amount of herbs to cook with and also to dry for cooking, tea, and infusing water. I am excited for the herb garden, yoga, and getting back into a healthy self care routine.

How are you going to care for yourself this month? This week? Today? Take care and enjoy!

Book Review: March & April

Posted on by JC Rizk
  • The Mommy Group by Elizabeth Isadora Gold {3 stars}
  • The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel {4 stars}
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman {4 stars}
  • The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley {*5 stars}

Well, we reached a milestone — the first 5 star book of 2019! It was the most recent book I read and it was un-be-lievable! The more I read of the genre, the more I enjoy historical fiction, and this novel in particular was captivating. I will admit that I was hesitant to start it, because it is lengthy and I worried it would not catch my attention and would be a long struggle to the finish line. However, thankfully, it was a breeze and one that I am still reluctant to leave {by starting another book}. It is apparently the first in a series and now I added Slains #2: The Firebird to my TBR list. You can read more on my Goodreads, but The Winter Sea ebbs and flows between the 1700s and present day at Slains Castle in Scotland. The protagonist is an author creating a new character based off of her family tree, but as the story progresses, details that she ‘creates’ for her novel seem to be more fact than fiction. If this sounds interesting at all to you – pick up this book, today! You will not regret it!

It feels a little lack luster to discuss the other three books, now that I’ve gushed about The Winter Sea, but they were all good reads as well. I started off March with The Mommy Group, by Elizabeth Isadora Gold for a book club with my mama tribe. I was a little put-off by most of the mamas being seemingly forced into c-sections; not sure if this was due to location and population {takes place in NYC and my guess is the amount of people they work with in the hospitals there may translate to less time to honor birth plans to wait for the babies to come in their own time}. If you’re about to be a new mom and you read this, do not think that all labors are like theirs! That being said, it was a cute story and fun reading the anecdotes of new mamas, especially since my mama tribe and I then reminisced about our experiences during our book club.

Thankfully, I also finally finished The Whole Brain Child, which was a terrific read and science-based. This was one of the reasons it took the time it did; I wanted to be sure that I absorbed the information because it really resonated with me as a mother. Hubby and I use the techniques found in this book and it has been helping with Bird’s tantrums — yay, we reached the age of two! We found the information within this book help us to understand where the kids are coming from and understanding that while our frustration is understandable, it will not help in diffusing the situation. I especially love that they have a cheat-sheet in the back of the book for the refrigerator; thank you for the quick reference page! Excellent read, which I suggest to any new or veteran parent!

The remaining book on the list, The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, was enthralling. This is the book I read on my four hour flight to Colorado and all I can say is — what an imagination by Neil Gaiman — absolutely original and fun supernatural story.

What is on my upcoming TBR list? As I recently mentioned in a post, I would like to read Pride and Prejudice at some point this month; I cannot remember the last time I re-read it, which means it is time! I have one last book from my bestie, Chris, and that is Hunting Prince Dracula by Karrie Maniscalco. I started it yesterday during the kids’ nap time and quickly closed my own eyes after several chapters, but what I read was interesting. I’ll keep you posted!

Also, for my next book club, I need to read Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl. I am excited for this book, but I am way down on the waiting list to borrow it from the library, so I am considering listening to an audio book instead. Now, I am very traditional when reading, meaning I really just read physical books; I believe I’ve only read several virtual books and I have never listened to an audio book. However, I have friends and other bibliophile friends who rave about audio books. Any suggestions? What audio book apps do you recommend? Are there any other books you recommend I listen to rather than physically read?

Travel: Red Rocks

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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?

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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!

A little bit of this and that…

Posted on by JC Rizk

As promised, I am back to writing posts on a regular basis! I am feeling a bit scattered at the moment and I think this post reflects that, but I am all about being honest with my current status in real life, so here goes!

Flowers from a neighbor, iced mocha, and a quiet nap time to read outside — perfection!

I am excited to say that I finally finished The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel. I am sad to say this took me about two months for a book that is less than two hundred pages, but I struggled to focus on the material, because it seemed overwhelming at times. Over this past weekend, we began to see the start of amazing spring weather and I am glad I was able to take some time and literally smell the flowers. I sat outside on our bench during the kids’ nap time and knocked out a good portion of the book as well as soaking in the fresh air and sunshine. Currently, I am struggling to stay focused when I am indoors because our organization is in full swing and the chaos makes me feel chaotic. Does anyone else ever feel like that?

Our bedroom is full of clothes we are sorting, as well as baby items to sell — utter chaos! When watching the Netflix special Tidying Up with Marie Kondo everyone had their clothes organized within a week – a week?! Confused about how that gets done so quickly, but grateful that we are able to take our time. I am trying to get one area done at a time, as suggested in the reading and Netflix special, but I am waiting for Hubby to finish sorting his clothes, so I can fold everything and figure out where it all belongs. Until then, I am trying to make some time for self care, since I slipped up with that big time since we came back home. Too many projects for me to think about; a lot of things I can start, but not quite finish — chaos continues!

As mentioned back when we were in Utah, one goal for this year is to really push myself to make time for the things I enjoy and that help me relax: reading, yoga, running, cooking, writing, etc. So far that usually entails mama and baby play dates with the neighbors and their kids, which I absolutely love and it’s been divine to come back to my mama tribe! Now to make some individual time for the things I enjoy. I started this past week with doing some minimal meal planning, including the frittata pictured above. This is actually a Whole 30 recipe, which we are not doing at the moment, but I like to mix the recipes into our every day meal planning, because they are delicious. This one is extremely simple, too, which I always love!

Remember how I said it’s been a bit chaotic around here? Well, Bird’s birthday was about three weeks ago and I only just made her cupcakes this week! Even typing that makes me laugh — at least she is only two and does not know that this treat arrived late — she was just grateful for a cupcake. I love this recipe that I grabbed off Pinterest; Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Cream cheese icing. YUM! We made these last year for Bird’s birthday too and since then they became my favorite cupcake to make and devour. Thank you to Baker by Nature for this recipe!

Lots more to talk about, which means many more posts coming your way — next one should be about our skiing in Utah. I will do a book review post at the end of the month — good news! I’m starting a new fiction book today, so I should be able to read through that much quicker than my last and will hopefully have more than three books to write about for the past two months! I also just started ordering some clothes from StitchFix {since my wardrobe is pretty much non-existent after the Marie Kondo organization}. Working on finding clothes that I absolutely love and that bring me joy, so I will be posting about this experience soon too!

Until then, let me know, what would you like to hear about? Family? Organization? Books? Travel? Food? Something else? Would love your input!

Home, Sweet Home

Posted on by JC Rizk

Welcome, April! No, this is no April Fool’s joke, I am finally back to writing! Between the trip back to the east coast, trying to unpack, Bird turning two {as well as fighting a double ear infection}, and just trying to get settled back home, it’s been about three weeks since I last checked in. Never fear, I hope to write several posts this week, so stay tuned!

I am happy and relieved to say that we survived our journey back home. Our original plan was to drive from Utah to Florida, then home to Maryland after visiting the abuelos. The universe had other plans.

Day one, we woke up to several inches of snow on the ground in Utah and the weather called for snow along our route. ‘Okay,’ we thought, ‘no problem. We can drive in snow.’ The problem started in Wyoming, where we saw signs that Interstate 80 was closed and we could only make it as far as Rock Springs. Mind you, we saw this at a rest stop that was past Rock Springs, but quickly learned that we had to turn back. Our Google maps and Waze started acting wonky, not updating with road closures, so we quickly stopped at a local gas station and grabbed a physical map, to check our options. Really there was only one option that would take us from I-80 to Colorado, without returning all the way to Utah, assuming we could grab the southern route of I-70 or I-40 at that point. We found a route that I thought was a main road, which it may be, but was also a dirt road… covered in snow… with blowing wind and more snow. The road less traveled, right? There probably was amazing scenery along this deserted dirt road, but with the wind and snow, we could not take full advantage of said view. After an hour and a half, we finally found civilization again only to find out that both I-40 and I-70 were closed for the night. We found a hotel close to the exit and ordered ourselves some pizza.

The universe threw us another loop when my snuggle/bed buddy, Bird, began throwing up around 11 that night. This was her first real stomach sickness and I was ill-prepared; the sickness continued about every hour to half an hour throughout the night. After the second time changing the sheets {thank you to the kind and understanding hotel staff}, I was able to get her to the trash can, to her pleas of “No, phank you” because all she wanted to do was lay down and sleep. Talk about heart break! We took it easy the next morning, also known as Day Two, and by late morning, she kept down some nourishment and seemed herself again, albeit tired. We also learned that the roads were re-opening and we headed out!

Just outside Steamboat Springs, Colorado

We drove through Colorado, Kansas, and since the kids were absolute champs {not sleeping much during the night helped Bird sleep during the car ride}, we decided to go as far as we could, and got as far as Missouri… and then the stomach bug/food poisoning hit Hubby. We stopped at a hotel, around 3:30 in the morning, unpacked the bare essentials, transferred the kids into their beds, and caught a couple hours of sleep. We took it easy again this morning to figure out how Hubby would recover and let Bird run around in the yard outside the hotel. At this point, we felt the screaming urge to return home, not share a potential bug with the abuelos or extend our drive any longer, and get everyone as rested as possible. We made the call to head straight for Maryland, rather than detour to Florida.

We left in the late morning and this day, day three, we traveled until we arrived in Ohio. We then made the final trek home on day four and were grateful for relatively uneventful days! Despite my love of planning and all the research I previously completed to plan this drive, I ended up canceling every one of our hotel reservations. This trip was a terrific reminder that despite all the preparation, you never know what life has in store and to appreciate the journey.

Truck, trailer, killer sunset: Kansas

We luckily were all feeling better by the time we returned home; this was about two weeks ago now. Last week, we began unpacking, which is still ongoing to be honest. I have little motivation to put things “away” because part of me thinks that it is silly to unpack things only to roust them again so soon. Organization started this past weekend: we are trying the Marie Kondo KonMari organization method — I’ve been watching her Netflix special to encourage our progress! Despite the chaos of organizing and unpacking at the same time, we came home to a limited toy selection and my kids completely do not notice! This is lovely and reiterates my need for a reorganization of all our items, which is motivational as well.

Now that we are a bit more settled, I promise to write weekly and I plan to write a couple more posts this week to make up for the last few weeks. Keep tuned in for my next couple of posts: one will be about skiing in Utah {from both my perspective and Hubby’s} and one will be about our organization progress!

Are you in the process of Spring cleaning or organizing? Do you have any travel stories? Look forward to hearing from you!