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Life Changes

2016 marked the year I decided to document my experience as a single mother who was unapologetically independent and enjoying life with my daughter, all while living paycheck to paycheck. While my financial situation may not have been ideal, it came with a sense of freedom. People often define happiness and security as a relationship status, and friends and family often thought I was strange because this wasn’t my main agenda.

I didn’t have to escape to the beds of strangers to feel secure, or waft in the feeling of euphoric chemical bliss to feel, well, euphoric. That’s not to say that before that point I always made the right choices. It took a few years to get into my groove and begin being the person I was proud my daughter looked up to.

To those of you who followed my adventures while living in Spain and traveling through Europe with my daughter while teaching English, thank you. I must apologize for my three year hiatus. Life has changed in positive ways but I had to figure out how to format our new life with my current blog. I have changed the name of my blog from “Free Spirited Single Mom” to “Free Spirited Mom Life.” After being divorced for 10 years my former ex-husband and I re-connected and got re-married in February of 2020.

We did it!

We all know what happened a month after that; the world shut down. Literally. While this should have been a time of creative exploration for me to continue writing, I just couldn’t find the words. With so much going on in the world, being a wife again, and trying to figure out how to be a more organic family, I was slightly overwhelmed and felt creatively blocked.

One of the best lessons I took away from being a single mom was how to be unapologetically independent and my newly married self didn’t like relying on someone. In fact, my daughter still tells me how awesome she thinks it is that I taught her that she doesn’t have to rely on a relationship to get by in this world. It literally warms my heart to hear those wise words come out of her mouth.

After two years of being re-married, my husband and I have found our groove. We are completely fine having date nights as well as watching different television shows in different areas of the house. I promise it is okay for you and your significant other to be apart at times.

Getting re-married isn’t the only change. I have made a significant career change this year. I am now a licensed real estate agent in the state of Tennessee, and I’m super excited. I am with the SimpliHom brokerage.

Stay tuned for more content. My plan is to post weekly with both my blog and my new YouTube channel. I’m also going to change the title and the logo a bit but I wanted to start writing again instead of waiting another four years. Wow. I can’t believe I went from weekly posts in my travel blog to nothing. Life is all about learning and making positive changes!

My First Trip to Disney – Food, Glorious Food!

Disney World is a magical place, but it can be stressful at times. One only has to watch the plethora of videos on the subject or read one of several books that have been published about planning your trip, to realize that there are so many restaurants and activities to choose from. Since most of us aren’t going to be able to enjoy every single dining experience or participate in all offered activities in one visit, it is important to focus on what is important for you and yours.

Dining Plan Or Not? I covered some of this is in my previous blog post about our trip and a large portion of the planning process went into food. Should we purchase the dining plan or try to save a little money and bring snacks, etc. 

Knowing that I wanted the most cost-effective experience without giving up certain luxuries that I envisioned for my Disney trip, we decided to go with the dining plan. I figured if we were going to spend the money to go to Disney World, we may as well go all out especially since we were already saving money on the rooms by getting the military rate.

After watching several videos and reading different articles and blog posts about how to get the most out of the dining plan, the anticipation of trying some of these restaurants at Disney World started to build.  

What Is the Dining Plan? There are three different tiers you can choose from. You can choose to go with quick service/counter meals only. You can opt for the Disney Dining Plan that includes one quick service meal per person per day, one sit down meal per person per day, and two snacks per person per day. The quick service and sit down services also include a choice of beverage. Yes, if you are over 21 this includes alcohol! If you like wine with your meal like I do, this is another added cost that is included in the dining plans. The third option is the deluxe plan. This plan is very similar to the second tier, only you have the option to use all of your meals as sit down meals.

A Villainous Zinfandel purchased at the Art of Animation gift shop before heading home.

The Disney Dining Plan tier two option is about $75.00 per person per day, and that includes your counter service, sit down service, and two snacks. (If you purchase the correct snacks, you can really come out ahead.

They have water stations at several counter service restaurants in the park where you can fill up the cups they offer so why would you waste a snack option on a bottle of water? Guests are also allowed to bring water bottles to the park if they choose. (Another strike against wasting a snack credit for a bottle of water.)

Instead of using your snack option on a bottle of water, get that cheesecake or Mickey Waffle! The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is the perfect place to use your snacks credits. You can’t use them on alcohol, but you CAN use it for the $8 lobster roll, scallops, or cheese and bread. A $4 bottle of water or an $8 snack? Seems like a no-brainer to me!

I used one of my snack credits for this lovely bread and cheese dip from Ireland in Epcot Center. The Guinness wasn’t bad either. 😉

The Dining Experience: Dining at Sanaa was by far my favorite dining experience of the entire trip! It is located at the Animal Kingdom Resort with a view of the savannah. It was too dark for us to see the animals very well, but it was still a wonderful experience.

Although appetizers aren’t included in the dining plan, we decided to order the Indian Bread Style that came with several flavors of Naan and dipping sauces. It was well worth the extra expense. 

Character Dinners: If you have the dining plan, you can use your dining credits for a character dinner.  There are some character dinners where you have to use two entitlements, but we chose a character dinner that only used one. Tip: Make your reservations ahead of time. We decided on Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.

While the food wasn’t Sanaa quality we got a decent meal. The carmelized brown cheese that was offered during the appetizer buffet portion of dinner was really tasty! I love pretty much all things cheese and dairy so this was a plus for me. 

Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora and Mary Poppins all made their rounds to the tables for photo ops. Aurora came up to the table and asked me to take a photo with her because I was wearing my Disney Villain Maleficent ears. My son won’t admit it, but he was blushing when he got the photos with them. 

By the time we were ready to leave, we saw our server with a long tray of sweet delights with the words “Thank you for your service.” Did I mention that Disney goes above and beyond when it comes to customer service? 

The dining plan worked out for us, and ended up saving us money, but I realize this may not work for everyone’s traveling needs. If you want to experience different character dinners and food options while at Disney World, I recommend the dining plan. I figure why not splurge while on vacation? 

My First Trip to Disney World!

Traveling makes my soul happy and I have been blessed with different traveling opportunities to different countries within the past few years. How funny is it that I had never traveled to what is often referred to as the “Happiest  Place on Earth” until a few weeks ago?

How We Decided On Disney: Like many people in the world today, my daughter follows many different YouTube channels and social media accounts. There are several videos that have featured Disney trips including “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.”  We got word that our son was going to be able to take leave before heading to the Middle East and we wanted to give him a fantastic vacation to take his mind off of everything. It has been quite some time since we have all traveled together. It is usually just my daughter and I. My daughter was more than thrilled that we were able to book Disney during the Halloween party.

Resort and Park Tickets: It took a few different phone calls to reservations to get the best rate. Although they offer military rates they are few and far between, and when they become available they are swooped up rather quickly. I was finally able to get a military rate for the Art of Animation Resort and we stayed in the “Cars” family suite. The actual park tickets were about 50 percent off as well. My ex-husband/boyfriend (yeah, still unsure what label to use now and it is kind of weird but whatever!) went to Ft. Campbell and purchased the park tickets for the discounted rate. He is retired Army and still receives his benefits.

We Are Here!: We arrived at Disney World in Orlando, Florida on September 30th and stayed one evening at  the Shades of Green. Shades of Green is a resort on Disney property, but is only for veterans, active duty, and retired military and their guests. The cost of the hotel is much less expensive than the typical Disney resort, but if you want to use the Disney Dining Plan and have access to the different resort benefits that staying on a Disney property allows, Shades of Green isn’t the best option.  We departed for the Art of Animation early the following morning to begin our Disney adventure! While Shades of Green is a nice resort, it really didn’t compare to the customer service and overall Disney experience we received at the Art of Animation. We weren’t supposed to check in until 3 p.m. EST so I expected that we would have to leave our luggage with the Art of Animation staff. However, they had our room ready by the time we arrived at 8 a.m. This was a wonderful start to our vacation! After checking out our suite we filled up our mugs with waters and soda to take to the parks with us. Side Note: When you stay at a resort on property you receive a mug that can be filled up at any resort at Disney World. We would fill these up with coffee in the mornings, then water and Powerade throughout the day.

   

Our First Full Day: I have always felt drawn to Animal Kingdom and knew that this would be my first stop. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a wildlife reserve, and I didn’t realize this until I was researching animal reserves in the United States for a presentation I gave for my students while I was living in Spain. I adored the safari ride, and the giraffes were so close I could almost touch them.

                            

Photo Pass: We opted to get the photo pass/memory maker package. With the military discount it was only $99 for our entire stay. This included access to all of the ride photos, and any special photos in front of different areas of the parks.

The Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom

 

Scarlett and her dad visiting with Minnie and Mickey in their safari outfits.

Magic Kingdom: The next day we decided to go to the Magic Kingdom. As soon as I walked through the gates every bit of child like innocence flooded my being. As an adult, those feelings come in smaller doses as the years go by so I tend to relish the feeling whenever I get it.

We stayed there until about 3:00 p.m. and then went back to the hotel to shower and change into our Halloween costumes for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Side Note #2: (When we return to Disney, we won’t do a park each day! We were only at the parks from October 1-4, and left Orlando on the 5th. We tried to squeeze as much as possible into one trip since Che only had a certain amount of leave time. We didn’t do the recommended “rest days” in between parks, and we felt it!)

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: I was completely giddy the entire time! It is always fun to dress up in costumes whether for a Halloween celebration or onstage. I decided to wear a T-Shirt with the Sanderson Sisters and the famous song title “I Put A Spell On You” (“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”) on the front. A cute pink witch hat along with the shirt and black tutu were comfortable enough for an evening of walking in the park yet again!

I love Halloween, and every detail was amazing from the carved Mickey pumpkins to the Hocus Pocus Spectacular. We saw the Hocus Pocus show twice, got a great spot for the fireworks show, and a front row seat for the parade! The parade was my favorite! It brought every character from The Magic Kingdom together into one singing and dancing celebration including the villains at the end the show! Before the parade, we hit the trick or treat sections and rode “The Pirates of the Caribbean” ride again since it had an extra twist for Halloween which included a few live actors.

The Monsters Inc. dance party was also a blast!  

Before arriving to Disney, I did a bit more planning than I’m used to with a vacation. This had its pros and cons, but I will go into that in a different post. However, I did come across a wonderful vlog called Disney Food Blog, and I found the videos so addicting! They gave us so many tips on how to really use the Disney Dining Plan to our advantage, and I did just that! I highly recommend getting the dining plan if you are traveling with men and women that love to eat, or if you are like me and love to eat gourmet food. I honestly like the “all inclusive feel,” and it did take the stress off of the dining budget because it was already paid for!

I was looking forward to trying some of the specialty Halloween food items that are only available at the party and the pumpkin cheesecake was one of those items I wanted to try. I was able to use one of my snack credits for the cheesecake!

Tip: Use your snack credits for the more expensive items like cheesecake and items at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival vs. a bottle of water or bag of chips. This is how you really make the dining plan work for you! Also, use those sit down meals for that five star French or Italian restaurant that you may not go to on your regular night out. I have read that some people end up having several snacks left over, but we didn’t! The dining plan was a great choice for us.

Epcot and Hollywood Studios:Our last two days consisted of going to Epcot Center where the Food and Wine Festival was happening as well! I was able to hit two special events during my first trip to Disney World! Two friends of mine who work at Disney met us at Epcot and we had a blast!

 

Stay tuned for part two of our Disney trip! There is just too much to add in one post! I’ll talk more about the dining plan and how we made it work, and discuss some of our favorite rides. Disney can be a wonderful bonding experience for family and friends, but I can see how it can easily turn into a nightmare if you don’t just go with the flow. Our next trip to Disney will be less “planned.” 😉

Mr. Walt Disney sure knew what he was doing though. There must be something in the water because I can barely remember the stressful situations. I’m kind of addicted now!

Re-Evaluating Life

It has been awhile since I have written. I have been so consumed with my son’s well-being and dealing with so many changes in my life (most have been positive changes), but I have still allowed this to consume me.

I’m not sure if I would call it a rut, but so many things have been going on in my life that I put my writing on the back burner.

I have so many creative outlets that are at my disposal, but I have chosen not to write for the past six months. In the back of my mind I would say, “I need to blog about this,” and “I really need to start writing again.” Why do we choose to alienate the things that can often assist with our thought processes, especially if those things fulfill us in some way? I am fulfilled whenever I am writing, singing or acting, yet I haven’t been doing any of those things lately.

My last blog post was about how I decided to return the United States since my oldest son was headed to basic training. I don’t regret this decision at all. If I had stayed in Madrid, he wouldn’t have been able to write me as freely and vise versa. The mail in Spain wasn’t as fast or cost effective when it was coming and going from the United States.  There is some sort of customs rate or something, and I just decided to not deal with it for the most part while I was living there. With that being said, had I stayed in Madrid, I wouldn’t have been able to see my son before he left for basic training, nor would I have been able to communicate with him as much as I was able to in the United States.

 

 

Basic Training Graduation: As I mentioned earlier, I have been consumed with my son’s well-being.  We went to his graduation for basic training, and I was so completely proud of him. I could already tell that his maturity level had elevated as I read his many letters while he was in basic. When I saw him marching on the stage during the ceremony, my heart swelled with emotion.

      

The feeling of being a proud mother coupled with the worry that he could very well deploy within the next couple of years was enough to bring a few tears to my eyes. There has also been the internal struggle of finding space to support my son and his new career choice, while still holding onto my left wing values. This has become much easier as I have sought counsel from several friends who have served and have the same political views as myself.

Graduation and family day was on July 5th and 6th. Che is a Fourth of July baby, but we wouldn’t be able to see him until the following day. We did a road trip to Ft. Leonard Wood and saw the fireworks on post.

Family Day was fun, and he showed us the bowling skills he had acquired during his weekend passes he had earned during his training.

I soon found out that the deployment concern is very valid. As soon as he got to his permanent duty station they informed him that his new unit is deploying to the Middle East. He is leaving very soon, and I have been really struggling with this. My ex-husband was in the Army, and was gone the majority of the time we were married before he retired. I always worried about him, but it is different when it is your child. It is a different worry. Luckily, we have been able to see him a few times before he leaves, and I have faith that everything will be well.

Re-Evaluating Things: There have been a few lifestyle changes in my family that have prompted deep thought. Most of the changes are of a positive nature, but even positive changes can often seem stressful.

One of the biggest changes is my living situation and relationship status.

When my daughter and I came back from Madrid, my ex-husband was a lot calmer than he used to be, and I could tell that there were significant changes. To make a long story short, after a couple of months of being home, he and I decided to go to counseling and work things out. Neither of us have ever re-married, and I have to wonder if there is a reason for this.

 

My ex-husband and I have been separated for ten years, and divorced for eight years. Before the separation we were married for 13 years. I assume that both of us lived a lot of life in that time apart. I know I have. I have been VERY independent and I am completely happy being single. In fact, this has been a struggle for me. It is hard to learn how to be in a relationship again when I am so used to do virtually EVERYTHING on my own. I can be very stubborn, and I admit this.

My daughter and I are now living in the house, and things have been pretty good for the most part. We have been getting a lot of updates done on the home, and since this was the house that we had before we got divorced, it is nice to have that “cleansing” so to speak.

I have a lot of different things to talk about, and my goal is to go back to posting at least once a week! Our House Hunters International experience, visits to see my son, and our Disney World trip are most likely up next. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Mother’s Tough Decision

The Decision: I received a phone call in Madrid from my oldest son Che telling me that he decided to join the United States Army.

My first reaction wasn’t extreme panic since I figured he wouldn’t be leaving until after my return from Madrid in June. Who knows? He might even change his mind between now and then. A couple of weeks later he called me to let me know that he had picked his job (MOS) for the Army and would be leaving for basic training on March 19th. What? That was only a week and half away! A slight panic started to set in as I realized my son was going into the armed forces and I had not even SEEN him for seven months! If I was going to see him, I basically had a week to figure everything out.

Not only had I not seen my son in seven months, but the realization that I might not be able to see him before he departed for basic training left a tightening in the pit of my stomach. I struggled with the thought that perhaps I was selfish for wanting to create some sort of existence for both myself and my daughter that is typically considered outside of the norm. Was my free-spirited nature and prideful independence catching up with me? If I had never moved to Spain, I wouldn’t even be struggling with these thoughts.

I was thinking about every possible way to make this work, and I decided to reach out to a few friends and family members to ask for their advice. Most of them basically stated what I already knew. Although I would be able to see Che graduate basic training, I didn’t know how long I would have with him, or where he would end up being stationed. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t do everything in my power to see him before he departed.

I was scheduled to teach in Madrid until June , and as much as I pride myself on being independent and trying my best to enjoy life, I admittedly hate disappointing people. As I wrote a heart felt email to the administration of my program, I explained the details of Che’s departure.  The BEDA program has been very organized and helpful our entire time in Madrid. After a few emails back and forth, we thought about the possibility of my returning after Spring Break. That way I could finish out the year with the children and finish out the school year. After a couple of sleepless nights, I found out the school where I was teaching said that it wouldn’t be a possibility. I either had to stay or go. That made my decision right there. I had made a valiant effort to accommodate everyone, but I never want to stay someplace where my children won’t take priority. With that being said, my last day at the school was very sad. So many of the children were crying and sad to see me go. I had always thought that I was doing a good job with the children, but this confirmed it. Knowing that I made a positive difference in their lives was an amazing feeling.

The children gave me loads of pictures and notes to take with me!

No Regrets: I’ve been back from Madrid for two weeks now, and although I don’t regret my decision to come back at all, these past two weeks have been a whirlwind. Not only was I able to see my son before his departure to basic training, but I’ve also had to get re-acclimated to America. In a way it feels as if I’ve been gone forever, but then there is also the sense that nothing much has changed.

Finding A Connection: As our children get older and become adults, there is often a sort of disconnect that happens when they are finding out who they are, and who they are striving to become. Che is my oldest son, and he has always had a wonderful spirit. Well, to be perfectly honest, there was a year between the age of 18 and 19 when he had a bit of a disrespectful streak, but he came around. Even though he came around, I found that I wasn’t always clicking with him. Our conversations would become stale and repetitive due to him not really sharing anything going on in his life. “I told you mom, I’m just working, and spending time with friends,” was his basic reply. When a parent can find a connection to open up the lines of communication, that is a glorious thing!

Who knew that “Game of Thrones” would give us that connection? While I was still in Madrid, I finally purchased the entire series via Amazon, and binged seven seasons in the span of two weeks. Yeah, don’t judge. Che and I would text each other and even talk about it verbally via WhatsApp during those two weeks! He was already caught up with the show, and was among the several people that kept telling me how much I would love watching it.

During one of our conversations, Che asked me what I thought about Jon Snow. I told him that I thought he was a great character with a good spirit. I said,”He actually reminds me a little of you.” Che replied, “I knew you were going to say that!” We both laughed. When Scarlett and I were souvenir shopping in Madrid, I spotted a dagger sized replica of the wolf sword that the character Jon Snow uses in the show. This was the perfect gift for Che.

There is a quote from the the fifth season that gave me chills when I heard it. As Jon Snow is getting ready for a huge battle, Maester Aemon says, “Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born.” You better believe that when I presented my son with his gift, I chose to quote this, but changed Jon Snow to his name and left out “winter is almost upon us.” As I said it, we were aware that as cheesy at it may seem to some, it did mean something. He would soon be changing his life path. When I see him again at his graduation from basic training, he won’t be a boy any longer.

After Che took his oath of enlistment the day he left.

I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to teach in Europe, and even more grateful that I was able to have some much needed quality time with my first born son.

Video of Che taking his oath of enlistment. Yes, I asked the MEPS personnel if it was okay to post this video before posting. Che loved the fact that he was going into basic with his long hair. 🙂 

 

 

Food In Madrid: The Good, the Bad, the Cheap, and the Overpriced

One of the things that excites me the most about traveling and living in another country is trying new cuisine.

Before arriving to Spain, I envisioned all of Europe as a completely fabulous gourmet destination, gladly leaving behind the land of processed food. It is funny how we perceive things at times isn’t it? While there are decent places to eat in Madrid, they aren’t all amazing.

The Good and the Bad:After living in Madrid, Spain for almost six months we have tasted some wonderful Tapas and Paella. We have also had flavorless Paella and some very overcooked pasta that made Chef Boyardee seem like a five star dinner in comparison. There have been times when we have overpaid for terribly bland food with a slice of lard; literally, a slice of lard. Apparently this is something that is common in Spain, but I have not learned to love this “delicacy.” I was disheartened to learn that there are less than stellar dining establishments in Madrid.

I have fantasized about living in the heart of the city for as long as I can remember, just steps from the best restaurants and shops. Scarlett and I live in the La Latina district of Madrid and for the most part, it is fabulous! We literally get to leave work and school and come home to enjoy the views of a completely different area of the city. We can step onto the balcony at any time of day or night and smell the fantastic aromas of the many surrounding restaurants.

There is a restaurant directly across from our apartment and they have a tapas special priced at 25 Euros. That may seem like a lot of money, but it  includes tapas for two, drinks (wine, soda, etc.), dessert, and an after dinner drink. The tapas at this restaurant are some of the best that we have had in Madrid.

Lunchtime: The schools in Spain typically have a lunch break that lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. For the first couple of months when the weather wasn’t as cold, Scarlett and I would bring our lunch and sit on a park bench for the duration of our lunch period. However, as it got colder and sometimes even rainier, we really didn’t feel like sitting outside in the cold. Since we live about an hour from our schools, and she can’t sit in the teacher’s room with me, this was becoming a problem.

I Finally Found the Cheap TapasThere is a very small shopping mall near the Metro that is about a ten minute walk from both of our schools. Luckily, we found two cafes directly across from one another inside the mall, and this is where we spend our lunches most days. There is a breakfast/lunch cafe that closes at 2 called Rechupete, and the other one has more food options and is named Rechutapas. They are owned by the same people, and we often see the staff go across the way between the two.

If we go to Rechupete, we can get bread, pate, an empanada, Nestea for Scarlett, and Cafe con Leche for me for less than 5 Euros. That is one thing I will miss about Spain; you can get pate, wine, and coffee for a fairly cheap price! We decided to try the place across the hall a couple of weeks ago and I was impressed! We get patatas mixtas (potatoes with a ranch like dressing as well as something that is very similar to tobasco), a hot dog, Nestea, and a glass of wine for only 5 Euros! Basically you can choose a drink and a food item for 2.50 Euros. I had read about the cheap tapas deals that include wine or beer, but I was beginning to assume that it was some great myth until we found this gem.

We Are Officially Regulars: When I was ordering today, the lady at the counter interrupted and said, “Nestea and vino blanca?” It made me smile that she remembers us, but I said, “No gracias. Cafe con leche por favor.” The staff is very friendly and they are patient with my broken Spanish. Yes, I have lived here for six months and I am still not fluent. Go figure!

Asian Cuisine: There are several Chinese restaurants in Madrid but it wasn’t until about three weeks ago that we decided to try one near our house. The Chinese food that we have tried has been really good. We have several Chinese restaurants within walking distance from our apartment, and it is amazing! We always get take out since we live so close. That way we can eat it like true Americans while watching Netflix. Have I mentioned how much we adore living in the city? If New York City weren’t so damn expensive, I almost have half a mind to move there when we return to the U.S.

A friend of mine who is also a language assistant, told me about this Japanese Ramen restaurant in Madrid. As it turns out, this is another restaurant that is very close to our apartment, so we decided to try it. We had to wait for about 35 to 40 minutes outside before a seat was available, but it was worth the wait. Scarlett and I both loved it and plan to go back. So far, the Asian cuisine has not let us down.

When we were out shopping one day, we saw a place called Chipstar. There was a line of people waiting for what looked to be chicken fingers and french fries. After we got our chicken fingers with fries and chose our dipping sauce, we found a spot to sit down outside. Since this is a stop and go place there isn’t available seating. Scarlett was thrilled that we finally found a place that serves good chicken fingers here in Madrid.

One of our all time favorite places to go for a quick snack is the rooftop at Corto Ingles in Callao. A friend of mine first introduced me to this place, and now it is a favorite for both me and Scarlett. The views are exquisite, and there is plenty of food to choose from.

I am thrilled that I we have found a few places that we can enjoy when we want to dine out. After attempting several restaurants that were complete disasters, I was beginning to get jaded about the food in Madrid. I even found myself saying that most of the food here sucks.

It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the negative, especially when you are in a different culture. The best advice I can give is to venture out and eventually you will find places that work for you and your taste buds.

 

Relaxing With LUSH!

Soaking in a relaxing bath after a long day is one of life’s simple luxuries.

Although our apartment in Madrid is lovely, it doesn’t come equipped with a bathtub. We only have a shower, and after four months without soaking in a tub, I knew that one of the top amenities I wanted for our Paris hotel would be a bathtub. Scarlett and I were stoked to find out that there is a Lush Cosmetics store here in Madrid, Spain!
We bought enough bath bombs for both of us to use each night we were in Paris. Hey, it was Christmastime, and we both needed the treat.

When I was able to step into that relaxing tub and let the previous four months of stress literally wash away in Paris, it was so relaxing, yet so wonderfully simple. My favorite bathbomb from Lush is the Intergalactic. You can’t see the glitter or the other colors in the picture but when you first put it in the water there are swirls of blue, pink, and yellow. After using the Galaxy, I always have a nice sparkle from the glitter.
My Introduction to Lush: A few years ago a friend of mine was having a Christmas party and one of the gifts being exchanged in the White Elephant game was a box of Lush bath products. Having never heard of this wonderful place, I couldn´t understand why a small box of these amazingly fragrant concoctions would cost more than 30 dollars. I decided to pass on what would have been an amazing gift. It wasn´t until a year later when I decided to see what the fuss was all about. I soon realized that the cost was well worth it!
These colorful concoctions are an amazing burst of beauty and fragrance all wrapped into a nice little ball. It isn’t until the ball explodes in the bathtub, that you can truly smell the fragrance. After use, the bathroom will keep the fragrance well into the next day.
Lush Cosmetics first opened its doors in England, and have become a worldwide organization. One of the best things about Lush is that they are 100 percent cruelty free. They pride themselves on the fact that they don´t test on animals.
Do you like glitter? No problem! Glitter makes me happy, and I’m not bothered by the fact that you find it days and months after using it. I was thrilled when I learned that the glitter in the bath bombs is actually made from seaweed, which is a much healthier alternative than bathing with actual glitter.
My favorite LUSH bath bomb, Intergalactic
I have tried several low-cost bath bombs to “save money.” However, sometimes you do get what you pay for. The quality of Lush products versus any others I’ve tried is well worth the few extra dollars you might spend.  Whether you try it once, or add these to your regular shopping list, I recommend treating yourself.

 

 

Christmas in Paris: A Dream Come True (Part 3: Cruise Down the Seine River, Christmas Day and Macarons Galore!)

As excited as I was to spend the Christmas holiday in Paris, I was a bit concerned that we might not find places open for business, but we were fortunate that this wasn’t the case.

Cruise down the Seine River

We purchased tickets for a scenic river cruise down the Seine River for only 11 Euros per person, and found out that the cruise was running every 30 minutes as usual on Christmas Day.

The cruise was about 45 minutes long, and we got to see Paris from a different angle. It was very windy and cold that day, so we stayed inside the boat most of the time looking out the windows. However, when the captain announced that we were passing Notre Dame, we ran upstairs to get a few photos! On my next visit, I want to tour the inside of the cathedral, but I was happy to see the outside this time around.

Photos of Notre Dame!

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the cruise ended, we went back to the hotel and got ready for Christmas dinner. We had gone up into the Eiffel Tower, but had not yet seen the view from Trocadero Park. We decided to head to the park and eat at a nearby restaurant.

Eating French food was one of the highlights of our trip. The first night we arrived we enjoyed a wonderful creperie just steps from our hotel, and went back for a late breakfast our last day after we checked out.

After our trip to the Louvre on Christmas Eve, we found an amazing little restaurant while walking around the city. We were able to enjoy escargot, French ravioli with duck, and creme brulee. The food in Paris was everything we dreamed it would be. Scarlett said she wants to move there but I quickly reminded her that if we lived in Paris we wouldn’t be able to eat out like this everyday as it would get very expensive.

Our last day in Paris

Check out time at the hotel was noon, but our flight didn’t leave until 8 p.m. the day after Christmas. Our hotel graciously offered to keep our bags locked up in order for us to use the extra time to look around Paris some more. There was one more thing we wanted to do before leaving. We wanted to visit Laduree, the famous macaron shop.

Laduree

This place was exquisite! From the ornate decor to the scrumptious tasting macarons and variety of teas, it was a fabulous ending to our Paris trip.

   

 

 

 

We ordered four macarons, but the waitress accidentally gave us the wrong one in the original order and allowed us to keep the extra at no additional cost.

My favorite is the one pictured to the left, the Rose. The aroma of floral rose coupled with the flavor of rose petals and sweetness was just how I imagined a macaron from Paris, France to taste. The hazelnut, pistachio, vanilla and orange blossom were equally delicious.

Scarlett and I ordered tea for our goodbye Paris “tea party.” I ordered the Cherie and she ordered the Mathilda. The teas both had a light flavor and didn’t need any sugar whatsoever.

I’m unsure if it was the ambiance of this fantastic establishment, or the quality ingredients, but this was some of the best tea I have ever tasted. For some reason Scarlett really wanted an order of french fries, so we got those as well.

Laduree isn’t cheap. For five macarons, two orders of tea, and french fries, it cost a little more than 30 Euros. It was well worth it!

After our afternoon tea, we still had a little bit of time left before our taxi would arrive at the hotel to take us to the airport, so we decided to walk around the Seine and visit the Eiffel Tower one more time. I have no complaints for our first trip to Paris, and we are looking forward to a future visit in this beautiful city!

 

Christmas in Paris: A Dream Come True (Part 2: The Louvre)

Our visit to Paris, though short, was magical. There were several places we wanted to visit, and were determined to make this a reality. Three nights and four days? No problem!

The Louvre Museum

Since the Louvre would be closed on Christmas day as well as the day after, we knew that we would have to go on Christmas Eve.  We didn’t have to wait long to get inside, and there was no line at all to get tickets. Children get in free, so I only had to purchase one ticket!

The Louvre originally opened on August 10, 1793 and at the time only housed 537 paintings. The Louvre Museum is now said to be the largest art museum in the world and has approximately 38,000 exhibits. It is said that even if someone were to go to the Louvre for 100 days straight, and only look at each exhibit for 30 seconds, that you still wouldn’t be able to see everything that this incredible place has to offer.  Knowing this, I made a plan.

Our Map and Plan

After we got our tickets, I looked at the map, and we made a B-line to the The Mona Lisa exhibit. This is easily one of the most famous paintings in the world, and I knew I wanted to see the original and relish in the work. There was a guard at the foot of the steps and we weren’t allowed to go up. We were told that they were taking extra precautions because of an “unattended bag.” (I am learning very quickly that the United States isn’t the only country to take extra security precautions.)

At first, I was a bit disheartened, but we tried to find another way around. The entry way eventually opened up, and we were able to find The Mona Lisa. There was a crowd of people, but I took Scarlett’s hand and we gently maneuvered ourselves around the side and up to the front. I wasn’t going to leave without getting a decent photo.

 

 

I have to say that The Mona Lisa has never been one of my favorite paintings. However, there is something surreal and magical about seeing such a notorious work of art up close. The original is actually much more beautiful than any of the reprints I have seen, as they don’t do the painting justice.

My heart did that fluttering thing it always does whenever I see something majestic, or meet someone interesting. I couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that Leonardo da Vinci painted this with his own two hands! It was the same feeling I got when I was 20 years old and shook former President Bill Clinton’s hand. At first, I just wanted to meet him because he was the president; I wasn’t expecting to feel anything but a normal nice to meet you feeling. When it hit me that I was shaking the most powerful man in America’s hand, my stomach got butterflies. But, I digress. I relished in the fact that we had a wonderful view of The Mona Lisa and then I moved to the side in order to give others a better view. I now have another thing to check off of my bucket list. 🙂

This place is massive!

After perusing more exhibits, we realized that we couldn’t find our map, and were lost in a labyrinth of Greek sculptures. My bladder was not happy, and when we finally found one of the exhibit employees, he didn’t seem to find my dry American humor about being lost in a labyrinth of Greek artwork humorous. Oh well. I’m not here to make him laugh. Seriously though, at one point I thought we were going to run into David Bowie’s ghost and he was going to show us our dreams.

One of my favorite sculptures of Hercules

 

 

This statue of the Sphinxes reminded us of The Neverending Story (I’m not quite sure why the Greek exhibits kept reminding us of 80’s fantasy movies)

After we found our way to the restroom, we looked around a bit more. After three and a half hours, we were exhausted, and we still didn’t make a dent! On our next visit, we will check out a different area that we didn’t get to. In the meantime, here are a few more photos for your enjoyment.

 

To skip the line or not

If you ever get the chance to visit the Louvre in the winter, the skip the line pass will most likely be unnecessary. I did some research, and several people said that the lines aren’t that long in the winter, so I opted to save the extra money. Don’t get me wrong, the museum was crowded, but from what I understand, not nearly as crowded as it can be. I imagine that if you choose to visit Paris and the Louvre in the spring or summer, the skip the line tickets would be a good investment. Either way, you should try to get there at least once in your life.

 

Christmas in Paris: A Dream Come True (Part 1: The Eiffel Tower)

Paris, the city of light (La VilleLumière), has been a dream destination for as long as I can remember. Portrayed in endless movies and described flawlessly in novels, the allure is very real.

Since Madrid is only about a two hour plane ride from Paris, we decided that this year we would give the gift of experiences and fulfillment in lieu of an abundance of material gifts by spending Christmas near the Eiffel Tower. Scarlett was more than happy to do this since she has been begging to visit Paris ever since she first saw the movie “Barbie, A Fashion Fairytale” when she was only six years old.

Expectations: There are moments in life when the expectations that are built up in your mind don’t fall in line with reality, and this can leave you let down for one reason or another. However, our Paris experience was happily not one of these times! Paris was exactly how I’ve always imagined it to be. The city was a beautiful mix of lights coupled with gorgeous European architecture that is symbolic in most European cities. The food was exquisite, and for all the hype about how “rude” Parisians are, I never experienced this. I found people in Paris to be very friendly and helpful.

The Eiffel Tower: My first view of the Eiffel Tower was on our taxi ride from the airport. As we rode past, and I saw the majestic tower in lights for the first time, my eyes began to well up with tears of joy. I turned to Scarlett and she was grinning with excitement. In that moment, I felt blessed and completely grateful for this opportunity.

Our first view of The Eiffel Tower from the taxi!

The next evening was Christmas Eve, and we decided to go into the tower. I debated on purchasing the skip the line tickets, but decided against it since I had read that the lines weren’t that long this time of year. The line to get into the Eiffel Tower wasn’t that bad, but the line to purchase tickets to the top level was about 30 minutes long. Apparently a thirty minute wait is not even comparable to the lines in the spring and summer though.

After we got our tickets we had to wait for the lift to get to the second level. We then had to get into another thirty minute line for the lift that goes to the very top of the tower. I wanted to try this once just to see it. Since it was cold outside, the best part of this experience was the actual ride to the top. I would suggest experiencing the top level once but on our next visit, I will most likely only purchase tickets for the second level since the view was actually better than the top in my opinion.

Here we are looking at the view from the second level.

The view from the second level is amazing! 

 The top view is majestic as well, but I didn’t really want to chance my phone falling down in order to get a photo without the safety wires, so there you have it!

 

After we had spent our time gazing in awe at the city of Paris, we decided to warm up a bit and check out the souvenir shop.

Believe it or not, the souvenirs weren’t completely overpriced. I purchased one of the white Eiffel Tower Christmas tree ornaments for 7.99 Euros. The hanging ribbon on the ornament has Merry Christmas and Joyeux Noel written on each side. This was a perfect addition to add to our Christmas memories. Before heading back to the hotel we ate a couple of macarons. All in all, we had a fabulous Christmas Eve in Paris! Check out this article to get some tips on how to enjoy Paris in a day.

Here is a quick video that I took going part of the way back down the Eiffel Tower. 

Stay tuned for my post on our visit to Laduree, the Louvre, and our cruise down the Seine River.