My 5 Essentials for a Summer Weekend Getaway

Ah, summer I just love summer- weekend-getaways-basking in the warmth of the sun. Stand Up Paddle, beach cruising, picnicking, swimming.  I don't love the damage the sun does to my skin and hair.  Since my summer is spent on the beach in the sun, I've invested a bit of time this past spring in finding the absolute best products that alleviate (some of) that concern.

My 5 Summer Weekend Getaway Essentials with Preventative Wellness in mind:

1.HUM Nutrition Collagen Love (Neiman Marcus $40/30day supply) I start my day with my daily vitamins in addition to daily supplements. Adding three HUM Nutrition' Collagen Love capsules to my morning routine was a no brainer, virtually no effort. I just love the changes in my skin since I've started using HUM Nutrition's Collagen Love– requires me to be outside. 

2. Dr. Stephen Greenberg's Plastic Surgeon in a Jar illuminator ($71/1.7ozjar) Ah, the joys of Long Island Life; well really coastal living anywhere. My skin endures so much throughout the day it’s absolutely imperative that I do what I can to replenish the moisture in to my skin.  At a fraction of the cost of the high- end face creams carried at better department stores, Plastic Surgeon In a Jar is truly a miracle in a jar.

3. Caviar Anti-Aging Shampoo (by Alterna Harmon Beauty Supply $29.49/ 8.5oz bottle *AND don't forget Harmon accepts Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons- that never expire!) Yes, actual Caviar, (well Caviar extract) is an actual ingredient in this lux shampoo. A key ingredient in replenishing moisture while protecting from hair-color fade, daily stresses and future damages. I noticed a difference in the texture and in the vibrancy of my hair about a week.

4. Iluminage Skin Rejuvenating Pillowcase made with Copper Core technology ($65 individual $85/pair Neiman Marcus) These pillow covers REALLY do fight wrinkles while we sleep and since my discovery it’s a product I just can’t live with out.  It’s beyond simple to use. You simply slide your favorite pillow in this skin-rejuvenating pillowcase and sleep on it nightly.

5. Vegan Rob's Snacks are delicious, healthy and my guilt free snack. Seriously, these chips, puffs, strips, and popcorn, are organic and vegan. They come in a large variety of flavors. My favorites are Asparagus Chips made with Algae Protein, the plant based Brussels Sprout Puffs, and the Probiotic Cauliflower Puffs. The 1.25oz bag ($1.75) is the perfect size to carry-on the Jitney for my trip east, and a healthy option that helps me resist the treats offered from the Jitney attendant. The 3.5oz ($3.79) bag is perfect sharing size to bring along to the beach. Road-trips and beach days are typically times I justify cheat snacks, knowing this and planning for it is essential for me to stay on track with my health goals.

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance, Recipe: Healthy Omelet Muffins

Proper preparation prevents poor performance. I don’t know about you but when I‘m short on time I find it easier to justify cheats- cheat meals and cheat snacks. Which is exactly why I decided to meal prep and put my favorite morning omelets ingredients in to my muffin pans and have low calorie, healthy muffins ready for breakfast on the go.

Breakfast Omelet Muffins

This is super simple and super yummy. I simply gathered my favorite omelet ingredients, I chose: baby spinach, yellow onion, green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper, orange pepper and eggs (whole eggs I eat the yoke).

·         I chopped the veggies

·         Sautéed the onion and peppers on the stove top on a medium flame for about 5 minutes then added my baby spinach for an additional two minutes.

·         Mixed the sautéed veggies and 1 dozen eggs

·         Poured in to eighteen muffin pans

·         Baked at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

(Don’t forget to grease the muffin pans so the breakfast omelet muffins easily slide out, I prefer to use EVOO)

After they cool, I store them in my fridge. Best part is they take less time to warm up in my toaster oven then it takes my drip coffee to brew, and I have a healthy breakfast ready to go.

Beauty then Beach

Who gets a fill in on their individual eyelash extensions before going to the beach? I do! – If that’s the only available time slot at Glamouriss by Marissa. I absolutely love these Minky’s! I just love how pretty I feel simply with the mink eyelash extensions. I prefer to air dry my hair, and usually only apply make-up for dinner or other evening events. I just adore how pretty and polished I feel with such minimal effort.  And to be completely honest I think I spend less time in lash studio a month (I go twice a month and each visit is about an hour) THAN I did removing eye make up and the residue of mascara that always lingered …

Fun, Fabulous, Fashionable, Frugality!

I just love how simple updates can change the look and entire feel of a room. Seriously, the simplest change, say like adding or changing accent pillows, and linens can change the entire feel of any space.

 I’m an end of season $ale shopper. I just love the deals. I’ve just re-decorated my deck for $150. Seriously, $150 this is what two of the Safavieh pillows should have cost me. But, I scored TEN of these indoor/outdoor pillows, table linens and other decorative accents for $150. Purchasing new decorative accents was a great way Thanks to clearance sales at TJ Maxx and a BQuick sale at Bloomingdales. TJ Maxx & Bloomingdales are two of my favorite stores to shop at I get the emails SO I was in the know about the sales. Another fun frugal, fact that helped keep my cost down is I’m a Bloomindale’s Loyalist (free to join) so I always get free shipping, and TJ Maxx offers complimentary shipping with orders over $89.

The Last Slice- The End of The Silvia Weinstock Decedent Dessert Celebration Cake Era

I just love the fantastic little luxuries of life. Absurdly, decadent over the top details of life are moments I savor. At Penguin’s (one of my two best friends whom privacy is the ultimate privilege, hence the nickname) birthday I had the most luxurious cake I ever had in my life!  I treated it like the top tier of a wedding cake and saved it in my freezer (maybe for a bit longer than a year now. December of 2017 was one year since Sylvia Weinstock took the company in a different direction and no longer produces these edible works of art) Seriously, this birthday cake was a Sylvia Weinstcock cake. How could I not? Sylvia Weinstock is an internationally celebrated high-end cake designer, known for the handmade life like edible flowers.  I love how the delicate details in the darling April Cornell table linens complement the ornate details of the cake.

Treasures of Traveling

For as long as I can remember I’ve had the desire to be a World Traveler, there was nothing as appealing to me as to travel and go on adventures in new cities.  I’m pretty sure this desire played a major part in my decision of choosing to continue my education at Long Island University’s -Friends World Program (currently Global College) an International College Program where I studied International Interdisciplinary Studies. It was during my college years that I discovered that my favorite thing about traveling was what I learned from the culture and what I chose to bring back with me.

For example; in Copenhagen, Denmark they have long, snowy, brutally cold winters, and a way that they choose to bring warmth and light indoors during this extended period of dark days with having candles lit throughout the day and the night. There is something so soft and just so soothing about candlelight. Although, I have always loved candles - still do, seriously I have candles throughout The Pink House, it never occurred to me to light the candles during the day. That was until I learned that it was very common, even traditional in Scandinavian Countries to have candles lit in the daytime of the winter months. Since observing this, I've been living candles to help bring warmth and light in to The Pink House during the increasingly longer, brutally cold Long Island winters.

 Then there are my tangible take-a ways like these charcoal gray legwarmers that I scored at a flea market in Amsterdam seven years ago- and they have got to be one of my favorite finds! Seriously I wear them ALL year -every season & love them more & more every time I wear them! I’m not the typical tourist shopper. I’m not the type to buy a sweatshirt or baseball cap with the name of the city I’m visiting inscribed on it.  I prefer to go treasure hunting with the hopes of finding a piece that I will weave itself in to in to everyday wear.  Then when I wear it my mind will be flooded with memories of a wonderful experience traveling the world.