The Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort in Santa Barbara
Given that we are still in lockdown here in California, I know it’s strange to be sharing a trip here with you. We took a road trip to The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort more than a month ago and I am just getting around to gathering all these photos. Hopefully they can serve as a bit of inspiration for a road trip in 2021 when California opens back up again. I realize that not everyone has the ability to take a mid week staycation and times are very strange in this Covid pandemic and hard but I wanted to share my experience with you in case you are itching to find a safe and friendly place to visit. Blake and I did a lot of research on where we could drive to that wasn’t too far (since driving with a toddler is NOT fun) and a spot that has lots of open space and outdoor amenities so we can stay away from other people and safely be outside the whole time besides being inside of our room. We LOVE Santa Barbara and it’s about a 2.5 hour drive for us so right at or driving threshold with Otis. For our trip, we decided to book a mid-week getaway since hotels are usually less busy during the week days. Blake was able to take a few days off from work so it was perfect. Check-in was done by walking up to a checkin window outside which was great and easy. Our room was great with a working wood fire place and view of the horse fields right out front. Everything was sanitized, wrapped noting it’s sanitation. I was impressed. Felt good to know that things were properly taken care of. We had a 1 bedroom room that actually had 2 bathrooms making it easy to put Otis’ travel crib in so we still had access to our bathroom without having to walk to another one on the property. We also used the fireplace every night. Such a cozy way to unwind from the day and such a treat since we don’t have a fireplace at home. As far as food goes, breakfast and dinner were organized through reservations at their restaurant and I was able to secure outdoor dining. It was cold while we were up there but it wasn’t a problem since they had lots of heat lamps. Also to note, there were not weird tents surrounding the outdoor dining so it was truly outdoor with the addition of the heat lamps. Indoor dining was also open but we opted for outside for a safer experience. The food was SO freaking good. The dinner menu changed each night and the dessert menu was INSANE. I feel I would go back just for the dessert. We picked 2 things each night just to share and try something else and then took home a home baked chocolate chip cookie. For lunch, they have a casual restaurant you can get togo food which was actually great as well. I indulged in the bbq chicken sandwich which I got 2 days in a row because I loved it so much. There were also plenty of kid friendly options which made it easy for Otis. We would either sit at a table outside or bring lunch back to our room. When it came to activities, traveling with a toddler can be unpredictable so we didn’t plan too much. They have a barn (which is all outdoors) that is open daily which was great to be able to walk in and pet and see the barnyard animals. Otis was obsessed with the duck and chickens. You didn’t need to schedule to go there so we could come and go as we please. We also brought Otis’ scooter so he could get his energy out and enjoy the outdoors. We visited the pool once which was heated but obviously it was cold so not ideal in the Winter. Otis did have a blast though. They have ride along horse rides for toddlers and little ones also. We tried to put Otis on a horse.. let’s just say, it didn’t go well. He started crying so we took him off. I posted a photo above for the .5 seconds that Otis was on the horse. Next time! I think the real gem of this ranch is the horse back riding which we sadly didn’t get to experience because we couldn’t do that with Otis. But it was still really cool to be able to see, pet and interact with the horses on the property daily. There is something to calming about being around those gentle giants. It was a highlight of each day waking up and seeing them from our bedroom. Each day when Otis would nap, Blake and I would sit outside on our patio in our lounge chairs, grab a glass of wine, and just watch the horses and relax. The resort is a true hidden gem and feels like time just magically stands still. Nestled into the valley the mornings are foggy and cool and we would light our wood fire to heat the room. One important thing to note was the my phone reception and internet was spotty. Yes we had access to wifi, but it was spotty for me personally. Also the rooms do not have a tv. So it’s truly about being mellow, enjoying each others company and being present in this special place. Did we miss the tv? YES. HAHA. But was still nice to chill and relax and just giving you a heads up if you plan to visit! Get into the ranch vibes people. One of my favorite moments of the trip was our wagon ride to breakfast. You can check the hotels website for a list of daily activities for each day. On Wednesdays and Saturdays they have a wagon ride (or horseback ride) to The Old Adobe. You take the wagon to a ranch-style buffet breakfast at the historic Adobe Campsite (accessible only by horse or hay wagon), complete with campfire, fireside sing-alongs, cowboy poet, and famous buttermilk pancakes. The live music was SO freaking cool and it really felt like a slice of another time. The wagon ride itself was also a great way to really see how large the property is and to also get a glimpse of the other wildlife out there. This was by far one of my favorite experiences of the trip. Such a unique breakfast experience I highly suggest it if you visit. Besides eating, watching the horses, playing on Otis’ scooter and visiting our barnyard friends, that was pretty much it on our agenda. It was the perfect escape and I can not wait to go back in the future. Was such a great gem of a spot to be able to be outside the whole time and enjoy some much needed relaxation as a family. Feel free to ask me any more questions you may have in the comments below. Also! Something fun and random to note was that we had 2 monarch butterflies in their chrysalis state that we brought with us on our trip. We were lucky enough to see one hatch into a butterfly while we were there. Our butterfly friend Billy wanted to live at the ranch. So that was a really beautiful moment to share there. Hope he is enjoying life as a ranch butterfly. hat: preston & olivia / dress: the great / sneakers: p448 The post The Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort in Santa Barbara appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-alisal-guest-ranch-resort-in-santa.html December 28, 2020 at 12:13PM
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How to Build Strength with Your Yoga Practice
By Kyle Shrivastava When people think about yoga, strength isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind. But this doesn’t mean it can’t or shouldn’t be a part of your practice! Traditional asana practices often feature long holds (which build endurance) and passive stretching (which increases passive flexibility). However, as yoga evolves we’re seeing a shift towards building power and increasing active flexibility through dynamic movement. Perhaps the most distinct shift is the strength that yogis are now cultivating. This is partly spearheaded by yogi’s bringing in lessons and knowledge from other athletic disciplines such as dance, martial arts, and calisthenics. The physical practice of yoga is actually quite well-suited for strength building for two reasons. The first is that it utilizes repetition. When we repeat a motion, whether it be a Chaturanga or Warrior II, we progressively fatigue our muscles which allows them to grow back stronger. Secondly, each posture in yoga has numerous modifications that allow us to make it easier or more difficult. Therefore, as yogis build strength, it’s easy to find more demanding and difficult progressions that will allow us to continue that growth. By utilizing reputation and adaptation, we’re able to achieve the principal of progressive overhead (i.e. increasing demand on the musculoskeletal system to gain strength, size, and endurance) just as we would in any other athletic discipline. However, gaining strength in yoga requires us to actually incorporate principles from exercise science into our approach to structuring our yoga practice. So let’s discuss how learnings from gymnastics and strength training can help us create yoga flows that build strength (and allow us to master fun new skills). The ScienceTo very quickly summarize (before we get into what it all actually means) –– to gain strength with yoga, we first need to think about how strength is built. Let’s try and simplify this as much as possible. Exercise science tells us that strength is equal to neural adaptations –– how our body responds to stimulus, plus cross sectional muscle growth –– the size of our muscles (Lowe, 2016). The former is more influential on our overall strength (Nathaniel et al, 2017). When talking about neural adaptations, we can think in terms of motor units (motor neurons sent by the brain to the muscles), and the type of muscle fibers being activated. The two ends of the motor unit spectrum are Low Threshold Motor Units (LTMUs) and High Threshold Motor Units (HTMUs). LTMUs correspond with slow twitch, endurance focused muscle fibers and take a weaker electrochemical brain signal to activate. HTMUs correspond with strength and power. These innervate fast twitch muscle fibers and are activated by a higher-intensity electrical impulse in the brain. Put simply, this means that if we want to gain strength (and nail that press to handstand), we need enough stress to activate HTMUs and fast twitch muscle fibers. Still with me? Great, let’s get started! Putting this into practiceFirst, let’s get this out of the way–-building strength will not make you overly muscular or necessarily decrease your flexibility (unless you’re exclusively tossing barbells overhead in the weight room). So get that powerlifter image out of your head, and think more about the lean and muscular physique of a gymnast or circus performer. So how do we do it? And how will this be different than how yoga is usually practiced? Here are a few ideas?
The idea behind this approach is that part of your strength-based yoga practice is going to be putting a heavier-than-usual stress on the body, which means it’s essential to warm up thoroughly without wasting energy or exhausting yourself. Just warm up until your heart rate is elevated and you’re sweating lightly. This could mean a few Sun Salutations, or short flow like one of these. 2) Do some skill-based work first. Trying to nail Eka Pada Bakasana (one-legged crow) or a freestanding handstand? Do it after your warm-up. This is going to be the time when you have the most energy and focus to work on skill-based movements. In yoga, we often put these challenging positions as peak poses at the end of a practice. While not necessarily harmful, this doesn’t allow us to approach them with our full ability since we’re often already exhausted. Please note that there are two exceptions to this approach. Firstly, if you’re working on drills to support difficult postures (i.e. handstand holds against the wall, etc.), do that after your skill work. Secondly, if you’re working on positions that mainly require flexibility (as opposed to strength or balance), place these later in practice once you’ve spent more time opening up. 3) Add some strength-based work early on. After warming up and working skills, now is the time for your strength work. One of the best ways to do this is with a short but challenging (think very challenging) flow that you can repeat 1-3 times. After each repetition of the flow, take a long rest in Childs pose. Make the difficulty of this mini-flow match your (or your students) level, while throwing in one or two “reach” movements or postures. You/they will eventually adapt to the challenge. For an example of a challenging strength-focused flow for intermediate-advanced practitioners, check out a “Super Human” Strength sequence here. 4) Move through the rest of your regular practice after strength work. After having used your maximum strength in your mini-flow, feel free to move through the rest of your practice as you usually would. This could focus on more dynamic movement, slow endurance-focused postures, breath work, or whatever other priorities you have. 5) End with additional mobility and flexibility work. Since you’re putting an extra level of stress on the body during your difficult strength-focused flow, be sure to end by giving those parts of the body a little extra love. If you were hand-balancing, open up the wrist joints. If you were working the core, take some time in Sphinx pose. The extra work means you’ll need a little extra cool down to assure that you’re able to avoid injury and keep up with your practice. Yogi’s are able to accomplish some amazing feats. But to do so, we have to be experimental and scientific about our approach to practice. Part of this should be drawing on what we know from other disciplines. Gaining strength in yoga isn’t difficult. However, it does require us to structure our flows so that we explicitly perform strength-focused movement at the right times, while using repetition, and adapting to use progressively harder variations of each posture as we grow. Hopefully, these quick tips can help you along your journey? Have you tried our (or a similar) approach? Let us know about your experience! ————- References Low, S. (2016). Part 1. In Overcoming gravity: A systematic approach to gymnastics and bodyweight strength. Houston, TX: Battle Ground Creative. https://stevenlow.org/overcoming-gravity/ Nathaniel D. M. Jenkins, Amelia A. Miramonti, Ethan C. Hill, Cory M. Smith, Kristen C. Cochrane-Snyman, Terry J. Housh, Joel T. Cramer. Greater Neural Adaptations following High- vs. Low-Load Resistance Training. Frontiers in Physiology, 2017; https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00331/full Photo by Ginny Rose Stewart on Unsplash Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/12/how-to-build-strength-with-your-yoga.html December 21, 2020 at 08:13AM
Christmas Gifts for Toddlers Age 2+
Sharing the things we have on Otis’ Christmas list. For the most part I wanted smaller items more easily able to be stored since our house is literally filled with toys and games. Otis’ “big” gift this year is the ride-on recycling truck. The eyes and mouth move, it talks, you can recycle with it and Otis can drive it. HE IS GOING TO LOSE HIS MIND and I can’t wait to see Alfonso’s face when Otis is riding next to him. If you don’t follow me on instagram, Otis is obsessed with our garbage man Alfonso and nothing makes me happier than seeing Otis’ joy on trash day. Another current Otis favorite: Pretend food! He loves chopping his pretend food with his fake knives so we wanted to load up his pretend food goodies. I am pretty excited for the pretend pizza and pretend sushi. Another bigger item is this wooden parking garage. This item will be fun for him to play with all his hotwheels and other cars. It’s big but not too big so I can keep in the garage and bring it in when we want to play with it. The last toy I want to call out is this Play House Dust, mop and sweep set. Otis is VERY into helping us “clean” the house and uses his pretend dyson vacuum whenever we use ours. This set will be cute to have him sweep up with us. Little Sleepies Mom, Dad + Toddler pajamas Click each image above to shop Christmas Gifts for Toddlers Age 2+ The post Christmas Gifts for Toddlers Age 2+ appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/12/christmas-gifts-for-toddlers-age-2.html December 08, 2020 at 12:13PM
Indoor/Outdoor Holiday Decor Ideas
Let’s be honest, my holiday decor has been up ALL OF NOVEMBER. This year, we decided to decorate before Thanksgiving because I love all the twinkling lights and cozy feeling of having everything decorated for Christmas. This was a transformation for outside and inside. We previously had our Halloween Decor up and wanted to transition that to Holiday. Obviously the pumpkins had to go bye bye (which Otis was sad about!) but I wanted to keep and rework the Pottery Barn lanterns into our decor. The flickering candles are just so pretty at night. I have been wanting to get some planters so this was a great opportunity to get some bigger neutral toned planters to fill with Christmas inspired colors and plants. We picked up the poinsettias and tree at Home Depot along with some rocks to put in the bottom of the planters. The rocks in the bottom hoist up the planters to the perfect height. Love the pop of red that matches our “MERRY” doormat. Our wreath and garland are great since they come cordless and I just put batteries in and set their timer to come on each day. For inside, I pulled out the Pottery Barn stockings I bought last year and this time hung them on my tv unit with these command hooks. The command hooks were a brilliant hack to hang my stockings and not worry about Otis knocking some the stocking holders and getting hurt. Also the hooks are clear and I can take them off easily when the Holidays are over. A new addition this year are the twinkle lights. I AM OBSESSED. I wanted to keep everything lit with twinkle lights and still pretty clean and modern so these twinkle trees are the perfect addition. The clear glass cloche trees were a great neutral add on to my table top. I lit them with led candles and then weaved a twinkle light string behind everything. I also have flameless candles (that I have owned for years and still going strong) set with batteries and timers which give a nice little ambiance as well. This year I finally got a tree collar for our artificial Christmas tree and I think it classes it up a lot. Also since our tree is flocked, it tends to drop messy pieces around so the collar is easy to vacuum around! I also bought these Santa mugs this year which both me and Otis are loving. They aren’t overly big so they fit my morning coffee perfectly. Otis’ mug is filled with whipped cream. He is living the dream!! His little Christmas truck toy set and trees is the cutest and I just love seeing his face light up with smiles. These family photos make me so happy. Love seeing Otis’ smile!! Also, many marshmallows were used for the making of these photos. Happy Toddler = Happy Parents. Outdoor Decor Indoor Decor Outfits All living room decor can be found in my blogpost here Shop my Christmas Holiday Decor Here: The post Indoor/Outdoor Holiday Decor Ideas appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/12/indooroutdoor-holiday-decor-ideas.html December 07, 2020 at 05:13PM
How Yoga Reshaped the Game of Tennis
When you see the likes of Rafael Nadal battering the ball around a tennis court, it might not be immediately clear how yoga and tennis fit together. However, yoga has been a key ingredient in improved tennis fitness, and it’s changed the way the game is played. Over the last 15 years, professional tennis has become a much more physical sport. Gone are the days of serve and volley and part time professionals; tennis is now a very demanding full-time job. Where a normal person will have the weekend to recover from a long week at work, a professional tennis player must recover from gruelling long matches while travelling and keeping up intense hours of practice. This means pros need to find a way to effectively and efficiently look after their bodies, engage in active recovery and improve their on-court performance in a time effective manner. If only such a thing existed… Here’s where yoga has shown to be a vital tool! The Pros Turning to Yoga Many professional tennis players have turned to yoga over the past two decades to provide this source of recovery and flexibility that they so desperately need whilst grinding it out on the professional circuit. Although many of the highest paid and top ranked players will travel with physios and physical trainers to help with their recovery, yoga has become an integral part of many players’ routines. Even on the shots we take for granted such as the serve, the body is under enormous pressure, and tennis player’s bodies need to be extremely flexible to deal with this. This takes a huge amount of physical training, and yoga is now a fundamental part of this. We have seen many players partake in yoga on social media, such as Grigor Dimitrov, Sam Querrey, Kei Nishikori, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Kevin Anderson. There is no doubt that the vast majority will now use yoga, Pilates and dynamic stretching to aid in their recovery and advance their flexibility on court. Yoga – Taking Djokovic to the Very Top No player has embraced and embodied the full yoga experience more than Novak Djokovic. One of the main traits that has set Djokovic apart from the rest of the field over the past 15 years has been his physicality. Modern day tennis requires a unique combination of strength, rotational power, speed and flexibility, especially in the modern game. Novak has excelled in this area with his exceptional flexibility and strength from fully outstretched positions. In many ways, Djokovic has pushed the game on to new physical levels, through his flexibility, agility, and power, and yoga has been a key part of this. His incredible physicality makes the court feel small for an opponent and overwhelms them, forcing them into errors that they would not usually commit. Since bursting on the scene in 2008 and winning his first Grand Slam at the Australian open, Djokovic has been heralded as one of the most flexible players on tour. This is fundamentally down to his dedication to yoga which has helped him with breathing difficulties, lower back pain, on court performance and mental clarity. Coincidentally (or not,) Djokovic has racked up 17 grand slam titles in that time and has spent an endless number of weeks ranked the number one player in the world. The video below is an early example of Djokovic explaining just how beneficial embracing yoga has been for his tennis career: A Key Element of Tennis Following Djokovic’s success in dominating men’s tennis for the best part of 10 years, many other professional and mature players have taken to yoga as a way to improve their tennis. It’s now clear to see how yoga has reshaped the game of tennis, bringing extra athleticism, and importantly, allowing players to play at the top level for longer. Yoga has certainly been an instrumental part of making the physicality of the modern game more sustainable, along with shaping new footwork techniques and playing styles that push the game on to new levels. How Yoga Improves Your Tennis Yoga has reshaped how tennis players move on the court and recover and strengthen their bodies off the court. More specifically, it is great at improving a few specific areas related to tennis. Improving flexibility Yoga stretches out your muscles and tendons over an extended period of time, allowing them to relax and become more flexible. This is great for tennis since improved flexibility increases your range of motion. This image might be common place in Yoga, but it’s also creating flexibility that’s essential on the tennis court. Being able to move through a full range of motion allows you to reach balls you otherwise would not be able to, while improving your power generation. With a full range of motion, you can twist fully in your serves, extend through your forehands and backhands, reach down low to volleys and turn defence into attack on a stretching passing shot. Injury Prevention Yoga helps with joint decompression which is a key benefit in tennis. Your back, hips, knees, and shoulders are often overused and muscle imbalances are commonplace in tennis players. These occur when the body is asymmetrical and you use one side a lot more vigorously, which of course happens a lot in tennis. Holding yoga poses also helps with blood circulation and helps prevent muscle soreness and stiffness. These factors aid in muscle repair and recovery, along with strengthening the associated tendons. Balance and Posture Performing yoga properly requires sound posture and body structure. Therefore, doing yoga regularly helps by realigning your body to its natural and healthy form. This is also great for injury prevention and improving your range of motion. Many yoga poses also require a great deal of balance to hold for any length of time, so of course this will also be improved in the process! Balance is a key element to playing better tennis, as it allows you to be nimble and change direction more efficiently. Mental Clarity One of the often-overlooked aspects of yoga is the mental calmness it provides. During a yoga session, you will be concentrating solely on the task in hand. Most yoga positions engage almost all muscle groups and different areas of your body, so whilst improving your hand-eye coordination, you’ll also be pretty preoccupied. This, along with the endorphins released from the exertion, give a great sense of calmness and mental clarity after a yoga session. This can then be transferred into other areas of life, including onto the tennis court. Top Yoga Positions for Tennis Players Below are a few of the most beneficial yoga positions for tennis players. These poses will stretch and strengthen the most used muscles in tennis and help you to improve your game. Cat and Cow Movement This position is fantastic for releasing tension in the spine and back muscles, along with improving breath control. Pigeon Pose The pigeon pose is essential for stretching out hip flexors and glutes, two fundamental body parts used for tennis. Revolved Triangle Pose This pose is great for stretching the upper body. You will relieve tension from your chest, spine and shoulders by rotating through the pose, along with improving balance. Tree Pose The tree pose helps to stretch and strengthen the hips, whilst predominantly focussing on balance. This is a challenging pose for tennis players. Conclusion Yoga has undoubtedly had a role in shaping professional tennis, but it’s not just in the pro game that it can make a difference. Every tennis player wants to continue to enjoy the game well into old age without suffering from the niggling injuries that tennis often involves. Yoga is an amazing way to protect yourself from some of the most common tennis injuries, and there are so many benefits besides this. Yoga has changed the game of tennis at the very top, and it can also have a positive impact for you. ——————- Editor’s note: This is a guest post by William Palmer, a former college tennis player and founder of www.thetennisbros.com. Having suffered from chronic injuries, he has embraced yoga as a way to keep him playing the game he loves. Photo credits via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-yoga-reshaped-game-of-tennis.html November 28, 2020 at 02:13PM
Find Peace During Pandemic Uncertainty with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation
By Shanti Kaur Khalsa The COVID-19 pandemic has made the world far more uncertain. It’s impacted our work and finances, our relationships, and of course, our physical and mental health. Finding the sense of surety we all crave is almost impossible, which leads to stress, anxiety, and powerlessness that drains us emotionally. These feelings of helplessness can be traumatic, putting our body and mind in a constant “flight or fight” state. Staying in this tense state for too long not only hurts our quality of life but makes our immune systems more vulnerable. It’s important to recognize that this stress is a natural response to what’s happening in the world. After being gentle with ourselves, we also need to find a self-care routine that treats both the body and the mind, helping us to break the cycle of endless “what-ifs” about tomorrow’s challenges. There are plenty of ways to cope with anxiety from uncertainty. Exercise, meditation, and breathing techniques have all been proven to mitigate stress. Recently however, health care professionals, researchers, and practitioners are finding consensus around an activity that combines these three techniques into a powerful tool for regulating emotions and managing stress – Kundalini Yoga. How Kundalini Yoga Can Help Kundalini Yoga is an ancient practice that incorporates movement, dynamic breathing techniques, meditation, and mantras to channel your body’s energy. While most forms of exercise produce the endorphins that make you feel better, Kundalini Yoga also releases the tension and anxiety that builds up over time in your body’s glands and nerves. It resets your stress response so that you can achieve an internal biochemistry of calm, balance, and depth of self. This is supported by a growing body of evidence indicating that contemplative practices such as yoga and meditation are effective at treating anxiety. In one recent study, researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston University and the Sundari Satnam Kundalini Yoga Center compared Kundalini Yoga with common cognitive treatments in reducing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Those who were treated with yoga had lower relative levels of anxiety and had a decrease in physical symptoms compared to traditional treatments (Visit JAMA Psychiatry to read the study). Start Your Practice at Home One of the many beautiful aspects of yoga is that it requires no special equipment – though a yoga mat is helpful — so there’s nothing to stop you from practicing Kundalini Yoga in your living room. Training with a qualified Kundalini instructor will eventually be necessary to learn proper form, but there are plenty of techniques you can easily perform on your own that will help to cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic. Try this Kundalini mediation at home whenever you feel worried or anxious. Choose a peaceful surrounding, inside or outside. You can have soft music playing to enhance your sense of peace.
For more ways to reduce stress through Kundalini Yoga, visit: https://www.3ho.org/ ——————- Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Shanti Kaur Khalsa, a yoga teacher and business consultant who brings spiritual values to every aspect of life. She is an engaging Sikh teacher and her involvement with Sikh youth has led to mentoring young people around the world. She is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher who has traveled widely teaching and giving inspirational kirtan and lecture programs. Shanti is a published historian and regularly contributes articles on both current events and Sikh history. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/11/find-peace-during-pandemic-uncertainty.html November 13, 2020 at 08:14AM
Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego
Last month we took our first trip since lockdown. I would be lying if I said I didn’t go back and forth on whether it was safe for us to travel with Covid-19 and the global pandemic. But in the end, after countless rounds of failed infertility treatment our entire family NEEDED this. And we needed this dearly. My goal was to find a hotel that had great outdoor spaces so that we could hang with Otis and let him run around. Basically a change of scenery for all of us. I also wanted something a short drive away so we found the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego. We spent 2 nights during the week since I know weekends can be more crowded. We purposely planned to go mid week to avoid any crowds. I am telling you, we barely saw anyone during the week except for at dinner. I felt safe to be there. They had hand sanitizer set up EVERYWHERE and the majority of the hotel is outdoors so we didn’t need to spend any time inside except for our room. The other hotel patrons were also super respectful of staying social distanced from us which I was very appreciative of. And OF COURSE everyone was wearing a mask. It was our first eating out experience since February so I was nervous about how that would be. But I have to say I am so impressed with how they truly spaced the tables out there, wait staff wore masks and gloves and everything was outside. It was a good experience all around. Eating out with a toddler though is a different story! HA. Otis was pretty easy going at lunch but I forgot how much work it is to go out to eat with a little one. Keeping them occupied and busy and happy BEFORE the food comes and then keeping them happy while you actually eat your own food. The room itself was great and they even cleaned the carpets before we got into our room. We had a great little outdoor patio too. I love to request rooms that have patio access rather than a balcony with a child. The reason I request this is because we put Otis’ travel crib in our bathroom so we can set it up dark, with his nightlight and sound machine and recreate his room set up. We also bring a travel sound machine to put on the door of the bathroom to drown out any noise in our section of the room. I am telling you this is a game changer. For our nanit baby monitor, if the wifi is open we can connect it easily to the hotel wifi. If it’s not, we create a hotspot with one of our cell phones to connect the camera to wifi. Then when your kid is sleeping, you can still leave through your patio and hit the hotel lobby to use the restroom if you have to. Below are all the things we use for our hotel sleep setup for Otis: Another night thing about going somewhere during the week is that the pool was EMPTY. We got to go to the pool 2 times. Otis has not been in a pool in a VERY long time so it was a really cool experience to get him in with no one around. We also didn’t need to make reservations for the pool during the week which was nice because toddlers don’t do reservations. HA! They have a little cafe that you could grab coffee and a pastry at as well so we did that most mornings. The best part about the property for Otis was the water fountains. HE IS OBSESSED with them. They had water fountains EVERYWHERE so it was basically a toddler dream of him running form one fountain to the other and us chasing him. Man I love seeing Otis happy!!! Overall we had a GREAT time and I am so happy that we were able to sneak away during the week. We are headed to another local staycation next week and I can’t wait to share our experience! Shop the looks: The post Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/11/rancho-bernardo-inn-san-diego.html November 06, 2020 at 03:13PM
Pumpkin Patch Photo Shoot with Otis
Recently we took a family trip to the pumpkin patch. We go every year and I was so excited we could keep the tradition alive during this Covid pandemic. We went to Tanaka Farms and their set up this year was so great. You need to purchase advanced tickets so they limit capacity for safety reasons. We ALWAYS go on the last tractor ride of the day because there is nothing more magical than the pink skies at sunset as well as the temperatures are always much cooler this time of day. I always find that the last time slot of the day you get a little extra time to yourself as people are leaving. When we arrived, they checked our temperatures and scanned in our tickets and we walked through a covered and shaded line queue. It was truly socially distanced and I felt very comfortable with it personally. Everyone was mandated to wear a mask as well. The wait in line wasn’t very long which was great because Otis is NOT very fun waiting in line. Toddlers, am I right?? Once the tractor (wagon) arrived, families were spaced into the corners of the wagon. Again, the spacing felt comfortable to me so that was a big relief. They take you through the fields and things are decorated everywhere. I have to say the wagon ride was really fun and likely about 15-20 minutes in total. At the end, you stop by animals that you can see from the wagon which was fun for all the kids as well. Once the tractor stops, you get out and got to pick your own veggies! Which was right next to the flower fields so we stopped off to grab some photos and they were so beautiful. Carrots, beets, and cilantro is what we picked. Then we headed over to the pumpkin patch. To be honest, once Otis saw the pumpkins, he started to run toward them. What was nice is because they are controlling the crowds through ticketed entry, it was not crowded at all and was super easy to space out, pick pumpkins, and take some photos without our masks on. I almost didn’t think to do the pumpkin patch this year because of the state of the world but I am SO so happy we did. We all had a blast and I am thankful that the farm made the experience feel safe for everyone. Important to note that with the purchase of a ticket, you get to pick a pumpkin which is included in the price. I tried to get Otis’ height next to the cute signs on the way out… but he was NOT having it. Maybe next year. HA! On the way out, we stopped for some tiny pumpkins and a new lawn sign that they sell. We had THE best time. Hope you enjoy this family moment with us through these photos. Also, just a little note on this outfit, I feel this is one of my all time FAVORITE dresses. i swear the silhouette is so epic and it comes in multiple colors. I have the black and white. Such a good investment piece for your closet. On Kim // dress: free people / shoes: golden goose / sunglasses: ray-ban / mask: evolvetogether On Otis // shirt: old navy / jeans: h&m kids / shoes: vans / sunglasses: real shades On Blake // shirt: old navy // jeans: paige / shoes: vans shop outfits: The post Pumpkin Patch Photo Shoot with Otis appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/10/pumpkin-patch-photo-shoot-with-otis.html October 20, 2020 at 04:13PM
Best Halloween Books for Toddlers 2020
Things that spark joy: Decorating Otis’ book shelves for the seasons. It’s a simple thing that adds some fun to the everyday and excitement for the holidays ahead. The decor is SUPER simple. I just bought these bats that stick to the wall and then this cat to set on the shelf. Then I just grabbed last years Halloween books and added a few new ones to our collection. To save my walls, I used blue painters tape to put the bats up in his room. Super simple and quick and I just love how it came out. Linking all the books we use and love below to inspire you for your kiddos. shelves: ikea (similar) / letterboard: letterfolk (similar) Shop Halloween books for toddlers: The post Best Halloween Books for Toddlers 2020 appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/09/best-halloween-books-for-toddlers-2020.html September 30, 2020 at 10:13AM
DIY Disney Pixar Cars Theme 2nd Birthday Party
Otis’ birthday was one for the books. In the midst of my fertility treatment (that you can read about here) Otis birthday ended up being such a bright light and much needed distraction. Of course… in true mom-goes-overboard fashion, we celebrated his actual bday as Trolls theme birthday and then we did a separate drive by birthday party for him. We did CARS theme since he is equally obsessed and basically wants to watch it everyday. We planned a car parade to come by at 4pm and then people could stop over after (wearing masks) to grab a snack and check out special guest (more on that later) and say happy birthday. I actually got the flag banners as a hand me down from a neighbor and they ended up being such an easy way to have it feel decorated. Otis’ buddy TJ also got him this ride on Lightning Mcqueen car and it was kind of epic for the party theme. We kept food super easy and just did donuts and juice boxes for the kids to grab. My sister helped me by DIYing these cozy cones and inside each one, I put a hot wheels car and some Cars theme stickers for the kids. I spread out some pieces of fabric on the lawn if people wanted to sit and eat their donuts. I also ordered this epic Mac cutout since Otis is obsessed with Mac in the movie. I ordered balloons ahead of time and filled them with our own helium tank. This saved any extra trips to the party store. Last minute, I ended up finding this Lightning McQueen impersonator and it was literally the most epic thing ever!! I found them on instagram and McQueen stayed for the car parade and after so the kids could take a picture with him. SO FREAKING COOL. When the parade was almost ready to start, we were trying to get Otis outside to get ready to meet McQueen and also get ready to watch the parade go by. OH MY GOODNESS YOU GUYS. Toddlers are special little creatures. He was of course shy and grumpy from just waking up from his nap and Blake and I were trying desperately to get him to inch closer to McQueen and the sidewalk to watch the parade. He was being SOOOO shy (which you cant even tell from the later photos) but eventually he took his little ride on Mcqueen over to the big McQueen and started to warm up. The parade was about to start so we eventually got him to sit in our patio chair and inch it forward to watch the parade. After the parade, Blake brought out our bluetooth wireless speaker and started pumping the John Mayer New Light and literally the Otis could not have been happier dancing with his friends. The joy in his face is just priceless. I live for these moments!!! One of my mom friends ended up calling our local fire department to see if a truck to come and wish Otis a Happy Birthday. When the fire truck showed up, the kids lost their minds!!!! So special that they help to support the community in so many ways. After everyone left, just my family came to the backyard for a Happy Birthday cupcake and pizza. My friend DYI-ed the CUTEST birthday hats with the help of this tape to keep it on theme. I ordered race car flag toothpicks that made the perfect topper for the cupcake. For our outfits, I ordered us custom kids hats and adult hats from reytoz. They come in both adult, kid and infant sizes and they are one of Otis’ fav accessories. I also ordered Blake and Otis matching shirts from the Disney store online. Otis, I will celebrate you ANY chance I get. We love you so much!!!!! Otis Outfit // reytoz hat / shopdisney shirt / childhoods clothing shorts / native shoes Kim Outfit // reytoz hat // LNA tank top / rag and bone shorts / APL sneakers Blake Shirt: shopdisney Lightning McQueen Impersonator / Lightning McQueen Ride On Car / MAC cutout / race car flag garland / race car theme balloons / 2 balloon / custom letter balloons / plates + flatware + napkins / race car toothpick flags / party favor Disney Pixar Cars stickers / party favor hot wheels / cones / clear gift bags / checkered tape for DIY Shop Disney Pixar Cars Theme Birthday Supplies: The post DIY Disney Pixar Cars Theme 2nd Birthday Party appeared first on eat.sleep.wear. - Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kimberly Lapides. Via Wellness http://www.rssmix.com/via Blogger http://kurtxwarren.blogspot.com/2020/09/diy-disney-pixar-cars-theme-2nd.html September 27, 2020 at 05:13PM |