Strive with Heart

Travel Notes: BlogHer Conference, South Street Seaport, Oculus, and the High Line @NYC

Travel Notes: BlogHer Conference, South Street Seaport, Oculus, and the High Line @NYC

Good Saturday everyone!  I’m taking it slow and easy today after a week of traveling for business, attending a two-day blogger conference, socializing, “touristing”, and spending quality time with my husband while our daughter is away at an overnight camp. Traveling to a city like New York is stimulating enough and especially more so when you factor in the mental, visual, and at times emotional intake from attending my second BlogHer Creators Summit conference.  There is so much information, ideas, thoughts, and emotions to process from listening to the keynote speakers (Marie Forleo, Tiffani Thiesen, Jo Brett of Pret…

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Philly: Brunch, Garden, and Stroll @Philadelphia Rail Park

Philly: Brunch, Garden, and Stroll @Philadelphia Rail Park

My oh my, July is almost over and we have one month of Summer 2018 remaining.  I do hope that summer (or the mid-year) is going wonderfully for you.  Things are humming along nicely in our small corner of the city.  My husband was away for an entire week and when he came home yesterday, we went to Café La Maude for a late brunch.  We’ve often walked by this restaurant on our way to another good brunch place – Honey Sit and Eat – and it was often busy with a line of people waiting to be seated.…

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Wellness is the New Luxury

Wellness is the New Luxury

“Luxury … is to go to SoulCycle and treat yourself to an avocado toast, instead of going to buy those new Gucci loafers,” Owens said. A pair of shoes that you can share on social media once or twice doesn’t have the legs that it once did. The new luxury is convenience, culture, wellness, and sustainability.” – Philly.com I’m home in front of my laptop still feeling high from my hour and a half walk/run along Penn’s Landing.  It feels so good to move my body and put in my steps first thing in the morning.  My watch tells…

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Travel Notes: Memphis

Travel Notes: Memphis

Happy 2018 world!  I hope that your year is off to a good start and that you are feeling refreshed after the excitement of holiday festivities. Philly is still blanketed in snow and I am happily ensconced in the warmth of our home.  I am thinking back to my favorite things that took place in December from decorating for the holidays, hosting Christmas dinner for family, spending time with friends, and visiting Memphis for the first time. Here are some impressions: The airport was small and the presence of FedEx as a major player in the city’s economy was…

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Philly: Chinese Lantern Festival Up Close

Philly: Chinese Lantern Festival Up Close

The dragon that I saw from afar while driving on Vine Street this time last year is back in Philly for a second year and this time I made a point to see it up close!  The Chinese Lantern Festival, along with the 200-foot Chinese dragon, returned to Franklin Square for another display of amazing colors and shapes that became more magical as daylight dimmed into nighttime. The Chinese Lantern Festival, with a history of 2000+ years, traditionally marks the last day of the lunar New Year celebration.  All types of lanterns – mostly in the traditional Chinese images of…

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Philly: Sunday Brunch At Beau Monde

Philly: Sunday Brunch At Beau Monde

My family and I were in Beau Monde on 6th and Bainbridge for brunch this weekend. Although it has been a few years since our last visit, walking through the curtains into the main floor felt familiar. I have a few fond memories of coming here including one special night when the man I had started dating gave me – point by point – all the reasons he was husband material. It worked – he convinced me – and years later, we were back for a small family celebration. This traditional Breton creperie was founded in 1998.  Not much…

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Recipe: Golden Milk Turmeric Tea

Recipe: Golden Milk Turmeric Tea

I found this turmeric tea recipe in Epicurious and plan to try it out this weekend.  Recipe yields two cups and takes about 20 minutes to make. INGREDIENTS 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, preferably coconut milk beverage or almond milk 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick 1 (1-inch) piece turmeric, unpeeled, thinly sliced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns Ground cinnamon (for serving) PREPARATION Whisk coconut milk, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, honey, coconut oil, peppercorns, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan;…

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Travel Notes: Los Angeles

Travel Notes: Los Angeles

I was traveling for work in Los Angeles and took a few photos along the way. Some fun facts about the City of Angels: it is the second largest city after New York City LAX is the second busiest airport in the country has a Mediterranean climate ethnically diverse there are more cars than there are people major center of the entertainment industry the famous Hollywood sign was originally named “Hollywoodland” which was an advertisement for a real estate development company Beverly Hills started as a lima bean ranch  

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Recipe: Flourless Coconut and Sweet Potato Muffins with Ginger, Cinnamon and Maple Syrup

Recipe: Flourless Coconut and Sweet Potato Muffins with Ginger, Cinnamon and Maple Syrup

Just have to share this anti-inflammatory muffin recipe: INGREDIENTS 1 small organic sweet potato, roasted (1 cup, packed) 3 organic free range eggs, lightly beaten ¾ cup of organic canned coconut milk 2 tbsp of organic olive oil ½ cup of pure organic maple syrup 1 cup of organic brown rice flour ¼ cup of organic coconut flour 1 tbsp baking powder ½ tsp pink Himalayan salt 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon 1 tsp of ground ginger ⅛ tsp of ground cloves ⅛ tsp of ground nutmeg PREPARATION Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a 12-hole muffin tray.…

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