Beach Trip Wardrobe

A beach trip should be fun and very relaxing. It does take some planning ahead in order to have the best beach trip possible and it starts with packing. When heading to the beach make sure to pack wisely and stick with the summer staples which can take you from a day in the sand to an evening on the town. Remember to pack a beach trip wardrobe that’s light and bright.

Here are some tips on the beach wears you have to include in your packing list:

  1. Swimsuit

It doesn’t necessarily need to be a bikini or a tankini. You know your style and what looks good on you. Be true to yourself, wear what makes you comfortable, and enjoy the sunshine and ocean waves.

  1. Maxi dress

Whether it is solid, striped or print, yellow or purple, halter or tank style, a maxi dress is a perfect beach wear. Use your judgment and your sense of style for each garment.

  1. Sandals

Beaded, fringed, or embellished with stones sandals will add some panache and still pair well with the swimsuit, the shorts, the skirts, the pants or the maxi dress. It also provides comfort for a long beach walk, whether during the day or at night time. Just remember to choose a light and bright one.

  1. Scarf

A scarf is a very versatile piece of clothing. Choose a large, light and bright scarf. It could be worn as a cover-up, a skirt, a dress, or as a shawl to protect you from the cold weather and can also be worn as protection from the heat of the sun.

  1. Accessories

Pack at most two bright necklaces that match all of your outfits. Again, nothing too fancy, the jewelry should coordinate with the clothes.  A good choice of accessories will make you fashionable even under the heat of the sun.

Recommended Beach Reading

The beach is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city life. With so little to no distractions at all in the beach, one definitely will have a good time reading his or her favorite book. Aside from that, a place surrounded with nature inspires people to read and we feel and understand better what we read when we are in a natural environment. Here are some recommended beach reading suggestions.

  1. A Hundred Summers

The book was written by Beatriz Williams – New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author from Seattle – and was published on May 30, 2013.

The book unfolds in 1930s Seaview, Rhode Island; where Lily Dane returns not just to escape the New York’s social scene but also from a heartbreak that still haunts her. Here, among the Seaside community that has embraced her since childhood, she finds comfort in the familiar rituals of summer. Until the Greenwalds, an unwelcome specter from her past takes up residence in the community. The arrival of Budgie and Nick Greenwald, her former best friend and former fiancé, complicated further her own life. As a massive hurricane churns northward, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional storm that will change their worlds forever.

Lily’s story of love, betrayal, fun in the summer sun, and plenty of scandal, makes A Hundred Summers a great and engrossing beach read.

  1. Mrs. Dalloway

This book was written by Virginia Woolf, an English writer from United Kingdom and was published on May 14, 1925.

This novel is about a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a fictional high-society woman in post–First World War England. It addresses Clarissa’s preparations for a party she will host that evening of June 1923. The story travels forwards and back in time and in and out of the characters’ minds to construct an image of Clarissa’s life and of the inter-war social structure.

What makes this book perfect for the beach are the thoughts, impressions, and memories that will lap around like gentle waves and scenes that will dissolve into each other like sand castles melting away.

  1. The Island House

The Island House is a book written by Nancy Thayes, an American novelist from Massachusetts on May 31, 2016.

The story is about a girl named Courtney who seems to never forget the magical summer she spent with her college roommate Robin and his family on Nantucket. When Courtney started working in Kansas City, she decided to spend another summer in the sun-swept paradise for one personal reason – she needs to know whether James, Robin’s brother; shares the feelings she’s secretly had for him.

As the summer unfolds, a crisis escalates, surprising truths are revealed, and Courtney will at last find out where her heart and her future lie.

The Island House is a beautiful story about the ties that bind us—and how the blessings of love and family heal us in ways we never dream possible.

  1. The Nightingale

This is a historical fiction novel, written by Kristin Hannah, an award-winning and best-selling American novelist and was published in February 3, 2015.

It tells the story of two sisters, just coming of age in France on the eve of World War II. Vianne, who endures the capture of her husband has to deal with the oppression under Nazi system in order for her and her daughter to survive. Isabelle, the younger one decides to resist the occupation hiding under the code name “Nightingale.” She survives despite the hellish conditions she experienced and got reunited to Vianne before she dies.

The book is not light summer fluff, but anything about survival, love, freedom and heroic acts for the family or for other people is really an inspiring read while on the beach.

  1. The Martian

The Martian is a 2011 science fiction novel written by Andy Weir, an American novelist from California. In 2014, Crown Publishing purchased the rights and re-released the book.

The story follows an American astronaut, Mark Watney, as he becomes stranded alone on Mars in the year 2035. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills, he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

The Martian is a perfect summer reading to someone who is always looking for adventure. While reading the book on the beach, you’ll get the idea of how it feels to be adrift on the desolate landscape of Mars.

Know Your Cocktails While Traveling

A cocktail is a mixed drink made with a distilled beverage such as gin, brandy, vodka, whiskey, tequila, or rum; that is mixed with other ingredients. If beer is one of the ingredients, the drink is called a beer cocktail. Cocktails, which began to be popular in 1930’s contain one or more types of liqueur, juice, fruit, sauce, honey, milk or cream, spices, or other flavorings and it may vary in ingredients from bartender to bartender, and from region to region.

Cocktails are one of the best ways for relaxation after a hard day’s work or while traveling but do you know how strong your favorite cocktail drink is and where or how they were discovered or created? Here is a list of some of the best and most popular so that you may know your cocktails while traveling.

The Caesar

The Caesar was invented in 1969 by restaurant manager Walter Chell of the Calgary Inn in Alberta, Canada. It typically contains vodka, a Caesar mix (a blend of tomato juice and clam broth), hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. It is typically served with ice in a large, celery salt-rimmed glass, garnished with a stalk of celery and wedge of lime. A Caesar made from an 80-proof vodka only contains around 8% alcohol by volume.

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Mojito

Mojito’s history dates back to the, 16th century. This traditional Cuban highball is a cocktail that consists of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime juice, soda water, and mint. The original Cuban recipe uses spearmint or yerba buena, a mint variety very popular on the island. This popular summer drink has relatively low alcohol content, about 10% alcohol by volume.

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Piña Colada

The Piña Colada has been Puerto Rico’s national drink since 1978. Literally “strained pineapple” it is a sweet cocktail made with rum, coconut cream or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, or both. It usually has around 13% alcohol by volume.

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Bellini

Bellini is a popular Italian wine cocktail which was invented sometime between 1934 and 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice. It is a mixture of Prosecco sparkling wine and peach purée or nectar.  It contains around 6% alcohol by volume.

Photo credit: Geoff Peters (Flickr)
Photo credit: Geoff Peters (Flickr)

Caipirinha

Origin of Caipirinha was said to have begun in 1918. It is Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça (sugarcane hard liquor), sugar and lime. Cachaça, also known as pinga, caninha, or any one of a multitude of traditional names, is Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage. Caipirinha is 4.7% alcohol by volume.

Photo credit: barnimages.com (Flickr)
Photo credit: barnimages.com (Flickr)

So there you have it, knowledge on cocktails while traveling or for your next drinking sesh!

Expensive Chocolates around the World

Chocolate is already decadent in itself but did you know that there are some that go for a high price tag? Chocolate comes in all shapes and sizes, all kinds of flavors and can go for some hefty prizes. Here are a few of the most expensive chocolates around the world.

To’Ak Chocolate Bar ($345 for less than 2 oz)

Made from cacao bean found in the rainforests of Ecuador. This rare bean was thought to be extinct. There are only 100 bars produced each year and it comes in a handcrafted box with tasting tweezers made from Ecuadorian bamboo.

Harrods
87-135 Brompton Rd.
London SW1X 7XL, United Kingdom
+44 20 7730 1234

La Madeline au Truffe ($2,600 per pound)

Imagine decadent 70% Valrhona dark chocolate, heavy cream, sugar, truffle oil and vanilla in a rich decadent ganache. In the middle is a rare French Perigord truffle enrobed in Valrhona dark chocolate and then rolled in fine cocoa powder. That’s plentry of chocolate to imagine. At $250 a piece or $2,600 per pound La Madeline au Truffe has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as the most expensive chocolate in the world. With a 7 day shelf life, these babies need to be eaten quickly!


Chocopologie Cafe
14 Wall St, Norwalk, CT 06850

Gargantua by The Ross ($14,000)

At just 6 pieces of uniquely designed chocolate in a spherical, faceted hexagonal box made of pure volcanic glass. Each piece is encrusted with gold and shaped like the natural elements of fire, air, earth, water, ether and vacuum in different geometrical shapes. Only 1000 sets at a time are made available.

Gargantua The Ross

ROSS CHOCOLATES
#119 – 1525 Broadway St.
Port Coquitlam, BC
V3C 6P6

La Casa De Todos Bed and Breakfast

La Casa de Todos Bed and Breakfast offers you the best in comfort and style in the charming colonial area of Coyoacan in Mexico City. Surrounded by cafes, restaurants, handicraft markets, and walking distance from Frida’s Blue House and the fascinating museum/house of Trotsky, this cozy bed and breakfast has five rustic yet elegant rooms to occupy. 

It’s a ten-minute walk from the centro de Coyoacan with its plaza garden located off Miguel Angel de Quevedo, a main avenue with camellon in the middle, you can take a 30-minute metro ride to the historic downtown.

After a busy day in one of the world’s largest lively and colorful cities, you can take refuge in the B & B’s quiet garden, El Alcatraz, or relax and watch TV in the common area. The innkeeper and staff will be happy to give you tips about getting around Mexico City or any other part of the Mexican republic.

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Let’s meet the owner of La Casa de Todos, Lenore Cohen.

Tell us about yourself.

I’ve been running La Casa de Todos for about 4 years now. I’ve always been a very sociable person and love meeting and hosting guests from all around the world. Since the people who come appreciate Mexico and the culture in a special and unique way, they’ve helped me look at my surroundings from their perspective. It’s great to have the world come to me, although I plan to do some more traveling myself.

I’ve worked in the ELT (English language teaching) field for many years in both publishing and teaching. Since many of my guests are studying Spanish and I am a lifelong student of other languages, I enjoy talking about the best methods to acquire another language. Also, I have a small library of children’s literature in Spanish available to them.

What is the most challenging part of being a business owner?

The most difficult thing about running this business is never knowing who will show up. Fortunately, most travelers I find are friendly, open, kind, and flexible, especially those that choose to stay at a B & B. They seem to be of somewhat different blood. They are in my sacred space, my home, and the kind of energy they bring with them makes all the difference.

Please share a little bit about yourself as a business owner.

I hope that what makes our place stand out is that we do everything with love. It starts with Paulina, the woman who helps me with cleaning and everything else around the house. We spend time getting the best quality breads and other foods for the breakfast and we try to make everyone feel at home.

What do you like to do in your free time or currently find interest in?

I have an active lifestyle, dancing and swimming at my gym as well as doing yoga and studying it for about 15 years. I started doing kundalini which besides postures involves a lot of chanting and meditation. I welcome yoginis to practice with me in the garden or accompany me to one of my classes. My state-of the-art gym is walking distance from La Casa and they can work out there, go swimming, or take a class.

Nowadays I write alternative materials for students and teachers of English. I am planning to create a site with original articles and material that can help learners and language educators all around the world.

La Casa de Todos Amenities

  • Delicious and healthy, mostly organic breakfast
  • Cozy living room with cable television and original Mexican art
  • Wi-Fi Internet
  • Intimate, interior garden with access to outdoor afternoon tea area
  • Washer

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For inquiries: lenoredianedf@gmail.com
Website: http://lacasadetodos.com/