 Hi, friends! Winter is in full swing over here in our part of the world, so naturally, I have two things on my mind: reading and staying warm! Nothing like a warm fire and a good book! Fortunately I have a pile of TBR and a cozy place to read. #WIN  This book was recommended to me and was so good!   Great Book! Hounded by Kevin Hearne
 I read this while I was ill (even the SC filter couldn't make me look normal) I have ordered book two and three & can't wait for them to arrive.  Did I mention the old gods pop up in this story?  I also read Garden Spells last month while I was ill. Although, I couldn't get into it at all. I was surfing around Amazon (always dangerous) and it was a "recommended for you based on your other purchases" so I gave it a try. :( Perhaps will try it again later.    I'm not going to review it - other than to say I had to force myself to read it....and feel like it was a waste of time. But I do plan to review at least two books every week till I get caught up. (Perhaps I should review four at a time or we will be at this till next Christmas?) Lol  My Neil Gaiman reading frenzy continues...although Sandman is a collection of other peoples stories.  I'm currently reading.  So enjoying the "Expanse" series, too. I think there are 7 books, with another coming out in later this month?  :D The snow is melting! Making for a clear, but cold day. I'm headed back to my spot by the fire to finish Leviathan Wakes. I actually put off reading this series because I enjoy the television show so much. Usually reading and watching don't mix, you know? But I haven't been disappointed...
What are you reading? Do you have any recommendation? Share your current "can't put it down" books please!  This is the "I'm so tired I could fall over" filter. Slammed at work, but TGIF!
Book reviews, travel adventures and other random fun stuff up soon. Have a great weekend travel family!  Hey! How are you? If the rest of this year passes as fast as Janurary did then I'm in serious trouble!  So what the Hell did I do? I had guests for 2+ weeks and worked. The house was full of people, plus some stayed down the street at a B & B. So there was lots of laughing, eating and visiting going on! It really was an amazing visit!  We watched some movies... I blogged about some movies to watch with your BFF here and also reviewed a random movie a friend recommended to me here. I also managed to do some used book shopping.  I read a bit and owe you several reviews. Hopefully later this week I will get those out. The top book on that pile Hounded by Kevin Hearne was recommended by one of my friends here for the visit. She knew I would like it and she was so right! I'm already reading the second one in the series and buying the rest! We decided to eat healthy for this adventure so I mostly cooked. We wolfed down nice cream and smoothies everyday as well as homemade soups, Buddha Bowls, vegan cookies and lattes. I didn't take many pictures because I was busy eating too, lol!  Buddha Bowl - Red Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Avocado, Yellow Squash, Onions, Peas, Fresh Mushrooms ~ MMMMMMMMM We ate a LOT! I think we went through approx. 40 pounds of bananas in two weeks! It's hard to tell because I had a lot of produce before we began this adventure, lol. Everyone seems to be happy eating plant based vegan and no one went hungry. The downside though, one person caught a cold and before you knew it we all had it. I finished off the month in bed, but at least I had a lot of new books to read.  Call me sneezy- I'm excited to see what February brings.
See you at the airport~  My head is killing me! I can't even stand to read :( So for the last week I’ve had a really nasty bronchitis/flu/possible malaria/bug that just won’t go away. I don’t want to tell you exactly how much TV I’ve been marathoning, but let’s just say it’s a lot. What are your current favorites? I need suggestions as this bug is lingering...
Back to blogging soon~
Hi Travel Family!
Yesterday's post was about a movie we watched and since then people have been emailing me asking where they can find it. Amazon! Of course!
Note: That is an affiliate link, which I make (maybe) a few pennies off. BUT that has nothing to do with my movie review. Read my review here if you missed it. If you enjoy off beat science fiction why not give it a try?
We were too busy today for movies, lol. 
The weather is crisp, but nice (read no snow/ice/rain/blizzards) so I'm doing a few DYI projects, I hope to post about tomorrow.
Speak soon!
 (2017) Kyle Gallner and Azura Skye in Alien Code Hello Travel Family!
How are things? This was not a travel week for me, sadly. :( I had company over and we were looking for a movie to watch... Note: We were not BFFs so the list from the 39 Movies was not going to cut it. He suggested Alien Code. A 2017 low budegt release that neither of us had seen, but had heard good things about. The whole idea of aliens, time travel and how we would fair isn't new, but this movies take on it was novel enough to keep you watching. The flim was actually quite good. The selling poit was the acting. The leads were very talented and way above par for a low budget movie. At time it had that kinda campy feel to it, but the actors made you quickly forget that. If you are looking for a good scifi flim no one has seen, check it out. Speak soon~  This post contains affiliate links- Hi Travel Family! This week I'm planning a three day weekend/get together for late January at my place. I have about a million and one things to do, but I'm so excited! I was looking for a gold, glitzy type theme for our get-together, but wasn't finding much except some NYE type stuff. And this party will be weeks after....The stores are putting out Valentine's Day decoration already and thats not the theme I was going for. #Fail It is almost impossible to find party ware that isn't aimed at small children or birthdays. I need something elegant, not too pricey and simple. Is that asking too much? When I didn't find anything in town I turned to trusty Amazon and they didn't disappoint. I will show you the plates/cutlery when they arrive, (they were Prime so it will be soon, lol) and I also found some cute, fun little extras I can add to the goodie bags too! Like this:  AND ITS ON SALE! Beginning Jan 1, 2019, You can Save 15.0% on select products from Smart Tart Design with promo code 15QUITTER, through 1/30 while supplies last. (Cute, right?) AND I found a coupon code I can share with you! Hit the link to see other cool stuff they have on offer. I'm also thinking of decorating with something like this:  It will look cute, but not too Christmas-y. I also found a code for it! Save 55.0% on select products from WED with promo code 55BKKMPD, through 1/3 while supplies last. Click here to take a closer look. Thank you Amazon, for saving the day for this event! I'm also looking at making the guest room a bit more "homey" and less "spare room - throw unwanted junk in here" lol, which is the current theme. So I've bought some plants and a few pictures and was looking for a nice duvet to dress it up some. I found a good deal on a 3 piece Duvet Cover:  I love the all white look. I think it looks uber clean and modern. This code will save up to 50% off on this cute set!
So all in all it's been a very productive day! I'm still not finished, but I feel like I am at least making progress. Expect another post when everything arrives - and if you want to use the codes, get on it! They are all limited time deals - some of them don't start until Jan- click each to read the start/end date. Catch you later~  We can't always run away to the ocean, sadly. Happy Monday! So how are things? I am finishing up a nice weekend off. #WIN I don’t know about you, but lately, I’ve been coming home from work EXHAUSTED! I promised myself I would stop complaining about how tired I was from work on here, but I was asked recently how I relaxed after a stressful day. Honestly, in the past I just sucked it up and keep going. I used to tell myself that this was my life and that I had to keep going, people were depending on me. End of story. But over the past few years, I’ve realized that if I want to continue to kick-ass at work, I need to make my health and well-being a priority. I have to set firm boundaries and build in downtime for myself. I stared by creating a routine to help me relax when I get home. This gives me time to unwind and de-stress and makes the rest of the evening so much better. Talking to other women it's the same. Let's face it, it hard to relax after work when you have so much to do at home or if you run a side business, and especially if you have a family. OMG! The work never ends!  OMG! The laundry never ends! I’d get home and think about the 10,000 different projects I wanted to get started on, plus all the normal day-to-day stuff like gardening and laundry that needed to be tended too and then stay busy until I fell into bed, sometime around 11:45. Relaxing wasn’t something I was totally comfortable with. So if that sounds familiar and you need some help in the relaxing department, I have put together a few easy ways to relax after a long day at work. Change Out of Your Work Clothes Begin the minute you walk through the door. There’s nothing better than getting home from work and changing into a comfy t-shirt and losing the bra! Changing out of my work clothes tells my brain that its time to relax, and that I can enjoy a few hours to myself, without the stress of work weighing on my shoulders. Turn off Your Phone I’m on my phone all day long, and if I’m not on my phone, I’m on my computer. I’m answering e-mails, returning voicemails, processing paperwork, so when I get home, my brain needs a break. I’m legit sick of my phone by the time I get home, so I’ve been making an effort to unplug for a couple of hours. I’ll leave my phone in my bedroom for an hour or two and I’ll go out to the family room to do anything other than check my social media. This has helped my sanity tremendously. #BIGWIN Meditate/Do Yoga After a long day at work, it’s so great to spend a few minutes meditating. I'm actually a meditating expert, (I teach meditation), and because of that I know that anyone can learn this simple form of relaxation. Begin by just sitting on the floor for five minutes, and do nothing other than focusing on your breathing. This is also a great time to give thanks for the day and just be still. But if you’re not a fan of meditating or you’re just not ready for it, do some yoga or at the very least, stretch. Chances are, you’ve been sitting on your butt all day long, and your body needs some stretching. Trust me, you’ll feel SO MUCH BETTER! Another great way to unwind is reading. Grab A Book It's no secret I am a total bookworm! I love to sit in the garden or my reading nook and just relax with a good book. Even if you can only read for half an hour it will help you relax.  Take A Bubble Bath I swear, I think my bath tub is my favorite part of my new house. If it wasn’t for the fact that you get all wrinkly after sitting in the tub for a while, I think I’d stay in there for hours at a time. After a super stressful day at work, there’s nothing like slipping into a hot bubble bath. I use two different kinds of soaking baths- eucalyptus/sea salt and lavender- both are amazing for helping me achieve a few minutes of pure relaxation.  And speaking of scents... Use Essential Oils Right before bed I turn on my diffuser. I keep it filled with essential oil and not only does it relax me, but it helps me fall asleep quickly. I have one in my bedroom, one in the guest room and a large one in the formal living room. Plus I'm thinking of adding one to my office. I love oils THAT MUCH. Light Candles After a long day at work, I love lighting candles. It really sets the tone for the evening and it helps me remember to take it easy. It signals my brain that the rest of the night is for unwinding and a gentler pace.  Herbal Tea
Unwind with a mug of soothing herbal tea. The feel of your favorite mug in your hand and the wonderful aroma of a soothing herbal blend work together to help you relax. There are so many different blends to try, just make sure you get an organic tea that is pesticide free. How do you unwind and relax from a stressful day? I'd love to hear your tips - leave me a comment below and let's discuss. Now I'm off for a long soak with a good book and a warm cuppa! Catch you later- |
Author Welcome to my travel blog, my healthy Vegan lifestyle blog and my life! It's a lot, but it's my passions and I just love to write about it. Here I share tips, stories and photos from my adventures and life. This is the place where people can find daily inspiration to travel and motivation to live healthier lives and laugh a bit too! 
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