Embracing Natural Beauty When You Can’t Leave Your Home

May 6, 2020May 6, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Last week, I shared a post about how I’m enjoying the natural beauty around my home. I’m fortunate to live in a suburb where I have a yard, beautiful plants, and a climate that is conducive to growing the kind of plants I enjoy.

For those that aren’t able to walk outdoors and take in natural beauty (either because of strict quarantine measures or due to living in a “concrete jungle”), I wanted to share some links to websites and YouTube channels that highlight natural beauty around the world.

My current favorite is the Keukenhof Garden in Holland. With millions of stunning tulips bulbs planted, the garden is a feast for the eyes. I’m thrilled that I can take in all of this natural beauty from the comfort of my home.

There is also the US Botanic Garden (located in Washington, DC). This incredible garden used to have many fascinating public events and was a wonderful resource for anyone interested in learning more about botany. At this time, however, you can do a virtual tour as well as many online programs. You can even do “yoga in the garden” online every Saturday during the pandemic.

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(A double flowering lenten rose, from the US Botanic Garden website)

Another lovely garden that I used to visit regularly during my workday was the Enid A. Haupt Garden. This stunning pocket of serenity was my perfect place to “get away” when I needed some time to relax away from the office. I always walked around the “parterre”, though this was only a small portion of the garden.

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(A photo of one of the urns in the Haupt Garden Parterre)

In my hometown, there is an incredible botanical garden. At Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, it is also possible to do a virtual tour. These gardens are particularly special, because of their stunning annual butterfly exhibit.

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(Elegant butterfly featured on the Lewis Ginter Botanic Garden website)

If your city has a public garden or other outdoor space, you can probably do a virtual tour (a quick Google search should let you know if virtual tours are available). Do you have a favorite garden to tour? Let me know all about it in the comments below!

life curation

Meet My New Love!

May 5, 2020May 3, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Recently, I’ve entered a relationship so wonderful and rewarding that I can hardly believe it! This love is so true and I’m so happy to share my new love with you. . .

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Meet Chewy, my shih tzu! He’s 4 years old, and he was re-homed with me after my best friend discovered that he wasn’t a good fit for her family (they needed a more active dog for their lifestyle). I had a shih tzu many years ago, so I was familiar with the breed and their temperament, so I was comfortable inviting this little boy to our home.

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My sweet boy before he visited my groomer

I love this sweet boy so much! He’s very quiet, easygoing and affectionate. He is such a sweetheart! He’s been with me for a week and it’s been a lot of fun having this new personality in my home.

My cuddle bug after his first grooming session

Chewy has made my heart feel so full: I’m thrilled that we have him in our family. I’m looking forward to sharing more about him in upcoming posts!

health

Fibro Fridays: Fibro Awareness Month

May 1, 2020April 30, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Happy Fibro Friday! As we welcome the month of May, I’m happy to share that this month is also Fibromyalgia Awareness Month. I will continue to share information about fibro every Friday, and I hope that the information I share can be used to create additional awareness around this potentially devastating condition.

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(image courtesy of Zazzle)

I’ve done well with managing my symptoms and taking care of myself, but that doesn’t mean that things are perfect! No, on the contrary, I continue to learn about fibro because I’m still learning how to manage my symptoms and improve my health. I’m just glad that I’m not as negatively impacted by it as I was prior to my diagnosis.

I hope you all are healthy and safe. Enjoy your weekend, and I’ll talk to you all soon. Take care!

life curation · Uncategorized

How to Support Small Businesses During the Pandemic

April 29, 2020April 28, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

One of the things that continues to come to my mind is the well-being of small business owners, especially those that are not able to do business in person (“nonessential” businesses). As individuals, we may not be able to save every small business, but we can definitely do something to help support these businesses.

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Buying local and buying from small businesses can make a big impact

Seek out Etsy sellers – Etsy is full of creatives that make and sell all sorts of amazing stuff.If you’re looking for something specific, try Etsy first. You may be able to quickly locate the perfect item, and (as a plus!) you’ll be able to support a small business owner.

Use local food delivery – If you’re tired of cooking, or maybe you just want to get your grocery items delivered to your front door, then local food delivery services are just what you need. Seek out small (non-chain) restaurants for your meals, and if you use a grocery delivery service, then make sure to tip your delivery person. That money can make a huge difference to the “gig economy” workers that may be working in these services to help cover expenses during this crisis.

Use Amazon to help you – Amazon has set up a portal specifically for handmade items from every state in the US. If you want to ensure that the money you spend goes directly to sellers living near you, you can click on your region and then select your state to find vendors. I recently purchased these darling Cinderella earrings for a special little one in my life. They’re so cute, I may end up buying the Belle earrings for myself!

Charming Cinderella earrings

Ask family and friends to give you referrals – Of course, if you’re at a loss for businesses to support, ask your family and friends to make suggestions. Some of them may themselves be business owners that you can support directly, or they may know some business owners that would appreciate having a new customer.

Do you have any ideas for supporting small and local businesses that I didn’t mention? Let me know all about it in the comments below!

(this post contains affiliate links)

beauty · life curation

Getting Gorgeous, Inside and Out

April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

One of my not-so-guilty pleasures has been looking at YouTube videos for beauty, style and life advice. As you all recall, I love watching mature YouTubers give their tips and tricks for living well. Along with the mature ladies, I also check out the younger women that are making great content on YouTube.

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A few of my recent favorite videos have been around the topic of “glowing up” during the quarantine. This concept – improving our looks while we stay home – is very popular because many of us FINALLY have time to do all of the beauty treatments, fitness routines, and dietary changes that we’ve always wanted to try. So, since we have the time, why not?

Here are a couple of my favorite videos featuring how to “glow up”, both on the inside and the outside (because having a beautiful exterior and broken interior is not the goal: wholistic/holistic health and beauty is what we’re creating!)

beauty · life curation

Embracing Natural Beauty

April 27, 2020April 27, 2020 Mstldelano2 Comments

With all of this “free” time at home, I have been concentrating on slowing down and enjoying the simple pleasures around me. The main pleasure I’ve indulged in regularly is taking in the stunning beauty of the flowers and trees surrounding my home. Here are a few of my favorite photos. Enjoy!

My hot pink azaleas

A yellow rose bush that is beginning to bloom

Baby pink rhododendrons

My Japanese maple (the leaves are stunning!)

I find that spending a little time walking the perimeter of my home does wonders for my mood and my energy. Embracing natural beauty has such a calming effect on me. I also planted some irises, tigridias, and gladiolus bulbs that I’m patiently waiting to bloom. When those flowers bloom, I’ll take more pictures and share them with you all.

beauty · life curation · luxury

Getting Crafty: Planning to Make Bath Bombs

April 21, 2020April 20, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Since we’re all stuck in the house for the indefinite future, I figured this would be a great time to explore some of the curiosities I’ve had for a while. One of those curiosities involves those neat little fizzy bath bombs. I knew that these were frighteningly simple to make, but I’ve never had the ingredients to make my own. Until now.

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First, I looked up some basic recipes to see which ingredients and tools I need. I’m using this recipe from Our Oily House as a guide, because it has great reviews and looked simple enough. I went ahead and invested in a few supplies so that I can start making my own bath bombs at home. I went to Amazon and picked up a mold:

I also got some citric acid:

I ordered some epsom salt as well, but then I found a more affordable salt at a local store, so I’ll be returning that to Amazon this week. I already had baking soda, essential oils, cornstarch, and coconut oil, so once the rest of my order is received, I’ll be ready to experiment.

I can’t wait to share my fizzy goodies with you all! I’m so excited to try this!

(post features affiliate links)

luxury

A New Way of Defining Luxury

April 20, 2020April 20, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Since purchasing my home last year, I have thought carefully of what I consider to be luxurious when it comes to my surroundings. I am committed to creating a beautiful, inviting space that feels opulent and elegant. But, I had this nagging feeling that maybe I’m “missing the mark” when it comes to TRUE luxury.

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An opulent room that is just a wee bit too extravagant for me

I got back to basics and look at what defines luxury. Luxury is –

“the state of great comfort and extravagant living”

Luxury, then, could be filling a space with items that cost significant amounts of money (that would be extravagant but not necessarily tasteful). But this lacks the personal taste that I want to infuse into my space. I want my version of luxury to reflect my own preferences, regardless of the cost of the items.

In this way, a new (or better) way of defining luxury for myself is creating a beautiful and comfortable environment irrespective of the cost of the objects I buy. And true luxury could also include the intentional absence of excess, as well, so long as the absence of excess creates more comfort in my space.

I’m curious about minimalism but I’m not committed to the aesthetic. So while minimalism has defined luxury for many affluent Gen-Xers and Millenials over the past couple of decades, I’m declining to hop onto that trend, and I’m aiming for a balance between excess and the Spartan approach.

So far, I’ve added some art, antique furniture, and a few rugs. However, I’m not aiming to cover every surface of my home: I’m content to have a few things here and there to display my personal flair without cramming each room. I’ve got a lot more to do before the house is exactly where I want it to be, but I’m delighted that I’m defining luxury for myself and enjoying my home in the process.

That’s all for today, friends. I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!

health

Fibro Fridays: Resources for Chronic Pain Sufferers

April 17, 2020April 16, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

Over the past year, I’ve compiled quite a few resources that I’ve used regularly. These resources consistently provide reliable information and guidance for handling the next steps in my health journey.

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One of the first resources I uncovered is The Fibromyalgia Digest. This is an excellent website that provides information related to obtaining government benefits if you suffer from chronic pain. Their team is very proactive about reaching out to digest subscribers and offering assistance. I most benefited from the website’s encouragement to keep a log of my daily symptoms to identify trends and keep track of what treatments work best.

WANA is We Are Not Alone, an app that provides a virtual community for chronic illness sufferers. Users can connect based on similar illness or specific symptoms. What’s really cool is how the app lets users learn more about traditional medical treatment as well as explore alternative treatment options.

Fibromyalgia Association of Michigan is a great resource for learning about the most recent research on fibromyalgia and treatments. I usually follow their Facebook page for updates, but the main website is fantastic, too: you can easily get updates from the blog within the website.

I hope these websites can help you! This chronic illness journey doesn’t have to be a solo one: there is support for us.

That;s all for this week! I’ll talk to you all soon. Take care!

life curation · travel

Throwback Travel Thursdays: Cruise 2018

April 16, 2020April 16, 2020 MstldelanoLeave a comment

I know for a fact that most of us that have permanent cases of wanderlust are seriously missing our ability to travel freely. While we are all (hopefully!) doing our part to flatten the curve, it doesn’t mean that we’re not looking forward to planning our next trip once things are a little more amenable to travel. Until we can look forward, we can always look back, hence

Throwback Travel Thursdays!

I’ll try to post throwback pictures from previous travel in these posts, just to keep things light and fun, and to remind us: we’ll be able to resume our lives soon. Just hang on, friends!

I’ll be sharing some photos from the cruise I took in 2018. I’ll also add links to my cruises posts here. Enjoy!

Fall Vacation Part 1 – Cruise Overview; Cruise 2018: Ports of Call; Cruise 2018: Dining on the Sea