Strive with Heart

Thoughts on Sustainable Fashion

Thoughts on Sustainable Fashion

I have been thinking about sustainable fashion and what it means to me. It was a couple of years ago when I first saw “The True Cost” on Netflix. It was a documentary film that focuses on fast fashion – from how it is produced and its environmental, social, and psychological impact.  Before then, I had little idea that the fashion industry is one of the major polluting industries in the world. Extensive environmental damage is taking place in countries where garments are produced: the soil is poisoned with pesticides used to grow genetically modified cotton crops and the…

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A Life Centered Around Social Distancing

A Life Centered Around Social Distancing

These are strange and unsettling times and another testament to how life as we know it could change in a second. It was just a few weeks ago when I was still traveling for work and busy making plans for several big events that were scheduled to take place this Spring. It was not too long ago when an invisible enemy – a virus called COVID-19 – seemed like a vague and distant possibility. A cascade of events quickly signaled that “normal life” was about to change. Colleagues who were gearing up for domestic and international trips were grounded.…

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Philly: Brunch Places we ❤️

Philly: Brunch Places we ❤️

My husband and I enjoy going out to brunch on the weekends. It’s how we reconnect after the busyness of the week. Here are a few of our tried and true brunch places in Philly: Black & Brew1523 E. Passyunk AvenueGood cappuccino, matcha pancakes, and yes, avocado toasts Front Street Cafe1253 N. Front StreetHealthy options is what I appreciate most plus good cappuccino and my favorite Gravlax Platter. Sabrina’s Cafe910 Christian StreetTheir Italian Market location is the original and one that we visit. The restaurant has a vintage vibe and they have fun being creative with their menus (and…

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Travel Notes: Hotel de Glace (Ice Hotel) in Quebec City

Travel Notes: Hotel de Glace (Ice Hotel) in Quebec City

When I was planning my weekend trip to Quebec City, one of the things that I was looking forward to was a new winter experience by visiting the Hotel de Glace. It was a twenty minute ride from Old Quebec and well worth the visit. Every year, Hotel de Glace is recreated entirely from mounds of snow and ice and features some of the most unique lodgings and amenities for winter lovers. Open from January until March, it is an architectural wonder made even more stunning by a playful use of color and light, wonderful ice sculptures and carvings all around. There was much…

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Travel Notes: Old Quebec

Travel Notes: Old Quebec

I spent three days in snowy and freezing Quebec City to see my nephew play in the annual PeeWee Ice Hockey Tournament and to pack in some sightseeing as well.  Winter in Philadelphia has been so mild that I’ve almost “forgotten” what a snowy landscape looks like until my trip to Quebec City. From the Terrasse Dufferin (a large boardwalk with a great view of the lower town) it was mesmerizing to watch big sheets of ice slowly flowing with the water of Saint Lawrence river. A UNESCO World Heritage treasure, Old Quebec is the only fortified city north of Mexico.…

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Travel Notes: Amsterdam

Travel Notes: Amsterdam

When the opportunity to travel to Amsterdam came up, I jumped at the chance even if it meant doing it solo. I flew in at around noon and took a cab from the airport to my hotel in the museum district. Not wasting time, I went about exploring the area after checking into my hotel. The hotel was only steps away from Vondelpark which is the largest and most popular public park in Amsterdam. A few more blocks away was a street lined with high end stores such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Dior, Prada, etc. Another 2 minute…

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Travel Notes: Bar Harbor, Maine

Travel Notes: Bar Harbor, Maine

We headed north to Bar Harbor, Maine for this summer’s family road trip.  It was a 10 hour drive from Philadelphia to our rented house in Southwest Harbor.  This small quiet coastal town – also called “the jewel” of Mt. Desert Island – is a working harbor filled with lobstermen and their boats. With temperatures that are usually comfortably cool, it has a long history of serving as a summer retreat for the wealthy and well-known.  The vibe remains understated however with white painted farmhouses, beach roses, and shops featuring arts, crafts and anything blueberry which is the state fruit of Maine. …

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Travel Notes: Phoenix

Travel Notes: Phoenix

City destinations within the US and other developed countries have seemingly morphed into one predictable look but every now and then you come to a place that is decidedly different. When I first stepped out of the Phoenix airport, I immediately knew that this desert city was going to be a Southwestern treat. The sky was blue and the temperature in March was perfection. Phoenix – the Valley of the Sun – has more than 300 days of sunshine a year with the Sonoran Desert serving as the perfect landscape for the Saguaro cactus. Its blossom is the state…

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Travel Notes: A Beach Vacation

Travel Notes: A Beach Vacation

Almost every summer, we spend a week vacationing with my sister and her family. This year, we returned to our favorite place in North Carolina and was lucky to have good weather with lots of sun and not too much heat. Unlike most people, I am a late bloomer when it comes to falling in love with the beach. I could take it or (mostly) leave it but this gradually changed thanks to a family who enjoys to surf and play in the sand. For years, I looked forward to the “getting there” rather than the “being there” at…

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