So, do you remember how I went to Miami a year ago for my brother's wedding and was not super excited about it? I had this image of Florida (and therefore Miami) that it was was nothing but old people with no style wearing big white tennis shoes and fanny packs? And then I went to Miami and fell so totally in love with it and couldn't wait to go back?! Well, thanks to the coronavirus flight sales and an Alaska Airlines companion ticket, J and I are going to Miami on Thursday. WOOHOO!
I cannot wait to spend four whole days lounging on the beach, napping, reading, writing, zoning out, doing nothing, and having conversations that aren't interrupted every 20 seconds. It is going to be bliss. I am forever grateful to Lisa, my sister-in-law of nearly one year exactly, for showing me what a wonderful place Miami is! And a huge shoutout to my mom, who will have Coco and Theo stay with her while we're gone. That is seriously the best! I think it's officially a tradition now, and I hope that I will go to Miami every year at this time of year until I die. I really is the best medicine to be warm, to feel the sun on your face and body, and to get away from it all.
Because I've never been, I also looked at going to Hawaii because there were some serious fare deals there. But in the end, J and I agreed that we wanted to go somewhere with no learning curve and no time wasted getting oriented to our surroundings. We're going back to the same hotel, where we know the beach, the pool and the drill for getting set up; and we love that so much is within walking distance. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it and it still doesn't seem real. Six sleeps 'til Miami. Pinch me!
And, here are some links for your weekend:
A song for you, if you're in a listening to music mood.
I went live this morning on Instagram doing my hair and makeup. Watch it while you can! It's in my stories.
This CBD + Retinol oil is gentle, yet effective. Just mix a few drops with your night cream.
Would you plant a moon garden?
Switzerland has been hit pretty hard with the coronavirus. :(
As a result, the Minister for Home Affairs has urged people to stop kissing. So I'm feeling pretty vindicated for my own criticism of the kisses back in 2012! ;)
If you're looking for some clean beauty here are some recommendations (read this post if you missed it) .
The one Christmas present my kids are still playing with every day!
Enjoy your weekend and I will see you back here soon!
Earlier this week, I watched the documentary Toxic Beauty. This was not the first time I was exposed to information detailing the dangers of ingredients in cosmetics. I have heard all that before! But, it was the first time I felt compelled to scan the labels on all my shampoos, conditioners, dry shampoos, and deodorant. What I was I looking for? Parabens and phthalates. Also of particular worry was any product containing the words talc, and parfum or fragrance in the ingredients.
I heard about Toxic Beauty through a Vogue article whose title includes the film’s main question: Are Skin-Care Products the New Cigarettes? As Jessica L. Yarborough explains in the article, skincare products seem to be positioned to be the next health scandal as cigarettes were in the 20th century. It’s a similar scenario, one in which we have toxicologists and corporations telling us that certain products and ingredients are safe, when in reality, the science of the compound effects of using multiple lotions, skincare and hair care products per day paint a very different picture.
I found it horrifying to learn that the US has not updated cosmetics regulations since 1938 and that 1,300 cosmetic ingredients are banned in Europe while here in the US we only have 11 banned ingredients. Eleven! While it was very upsetting to watch, I highly recommend Toxic Beauty and I feel that it is especially relevant as our bodies and hormones change and become more susceptible to environmental factors as we age.
Do you keep your beauty routine clean? Is it sort of clean, sort of filthy (I’m looking at you beloved Donna Karan deodorant), or do you not pay attention to ingredients at all? I would love to hear your take on this.
(Image via Toxic Beauty)
Wow. We are told they don't count.
Just like that, in a few simple sentences, Maria pinpointed and made crystal clear exactly what I have been feeling for more than five years, but have never been able to fully or accurately articulate. Five years! Maria's words were so poignant and accurate, it made my jaw drop to read them. I re-read her caption several times, nodding my head in disbelief that I had never heard of disenfranchised grief before now. It turns out that disenfranchised grief is very much a thing and that it is the exact thing that has been weighing on me since I returned to the US from Switzerland.
I realize that not everyone experiences re-entry the way I did, but maybe you have. Based on what she wrote in that quick Instagram caption, Maria Latham definitely has. I can understand that from the outside looking in, it may seem genuinely frivolous or irrelevant, like it's not even a thing to those not experiencing it. My friends and family have watched me go through several deep depressions since I returned to the US and they can't even begin to genuinely connect those episodes with the grief and mourning I have been going through over losing Zurich and my life there. I get the feeling that their response to that is along the lines of "well, maybe, but, (add in something more concrete here, like finances or career) is the real problem." And just like that, what they unwittingly do is disenfranchise my grief, and make it not count. The grief of repatriation is very real and it's more than enough all by itself.
Throughout my repatriation journey, I have really struggled with this added dimension of being told, directly or indirectly, that my grief doesn't count. It has been maddeningly disorienting and isolating. As I have grappled with this, I have been able to isolate examples of my disenfranchised grief - times when (hopefully) well-meaning friends or family dismissed my feelings of loss. This has always felt terrible - and terribly significant! - but I have never been able to name it. It is so powerful to be able to name a feeling or phenomenon. Knowing that disenfranchised grief is an actual thing, and that it's what the debilitating feeling I have been experiencing all this time is actually called, makes it seem more accessible and manageable somehow. I'm also genuinely surprised that not one of the coaches, therapists, or healers I have worked with over the past five years has known or used that term.
Repatriating really is a lonely, difficult journey. So it makes sense that disenfranchised grief responses "tend to be more severe than those of death-related losses" doesn't it? How can we begin to process and move on with our grief when we're being told that it isn't even real? Does this concept resonate with you? If it does, please share your experiences in the comments below. And be sure to follow @iwasanexpatwife on Instagram. I always love her thoughtful and insightful posts and I think you will, too.
(Photo via Pinterest/PullCast)
Hello again, my lovelies. Being home with my sick girl Coco has been such a tonic to my soul. Through focusing on her, snuggling her, caring for her, and just being with her, I totally detached from the rest of my life. I didn't realize how much I needed that. Detaching is amazing in that it clears away all the noise and nonsense and, ironically, I really feel more deeply connected to the pieces of myself from which I had been feeling so lost and detached!
I thought that Coco would be ready to go back to school today, but as it turned out, she started complaining of an earache right as the doctor's office was closing yesterday afternoon and then I had to make the call to either take her to urgent care, or not. In the end, she was pretty calm while waiting for me as I was on hold with the nurse line, so I hung up, dosed her with a bit more ibuprofen (she's grown to a new dose since the last time she had to take it!) and got her to bed. J slept in Theo's bed last night and both the kids were in with me. It was a bit mad, I'll admit, but we all made it through and I'm keeping Coco home again today for good measure. We have family bingo tonight, so fingers crossed she'll be well enough to go eat dinner, play a few rounds of bingo and then come straight home for bed.
What are you up to this weekend? I hope it's just what you want it to be! And here are some links for you:
Can you get over this gorgeous photo of Luzern (above) from this honeymoon blog post?
I bought a New Moon course from Chani Nicholas and it's just as awesome as her magical book.
Coco and I are making slime today and it's just as outrageous as all the vloggers make it out to be on YouTube.
13 Unexpected Leap Year Facts (and leap year babies reading?)
The most binge-worthy podcast I've listened to in a while.
People (including me!) are obsessed with these gorgeous face oils.
I just ordered a cursive book for Coco and a printing book for Theo.
And, finally, please support Olga's beautiful, heartbreaking, personal project!
See you back here soon!
(Photo via Molly Yeh)
Have you heard of Cuppow? I thought that everyone and their dog had one of these genius little inventions. However, when I mentioned the amazingly perfect 8 oz. Ball mason jars we use as our kids water glasses in my Instagram Stories one day, I got tons of responses. One in particular was from a mom of a toddler, lamenting the fact that there's no way to turn the Ball jars into sippy cups. Mais non, dear friend, there is! It's Cuppow.
The Cuppow is a snazzy little lid that fits inside where the normal sealing metal lid would go on a mason jar, but it's a little coffee cup type lid. I use it for myself to turn a mason jar into a to-go coffee cup. It could also be used to make a jar into a sippy cup. The only thing you have to pay attention to is whether your jar is regular- or wide-mouth. Otherwise, easy!
Today I found a new use for it: sick day cup for drinking ginger ale on the couch. :) I don't know about you, but in our house drinking and eating on the couch are strictly forbidden. On sick days, I give Coco and Theo water in cups with straws. But I've noticed that straw cups tend to explode and bubble over if anything bubbly is put inside them. Problem solved with the Cuppow!
Of course, it could still spill, but the spillage would be slow and the damage minimal by the time it was scooped back up by the offender. I've been doing a lot to minimize our plastic use, and using jars as glasses has been great. They are also great for packing apple sauce in lunches (with the usual metal lid, of course) and for storing leftover sauces or condiments. I've also become obsessed with Stasher Bags. More on those in a later post.
Now all we need is for this beautiful girl to get back to 100%. As much as I enjoy our snuggles on the couch, I'll be happy when she's her usual happy self again. What are your favorite sick day hacks? Please share in the comments below!
Well, hello there, strangers! You probably thought I was never coming back. I mean, I thought I was never coming back. Life has been so busy and demanding and trying to prioritize and make time for everything feels like a fool’s errand. But! I’m happy to report that yesterday, pictured, I finished week 5 of my Couch to 5k app! OMG. Only three weeks left and I’ll be running 5k all by myself without stopping. As I go along through the program, my running time (naturally) keeps getting better and faster, and it’s pretty exciting to work through it and see that progress. :) I also figured out how to get it to work seamlessly with my Apple Watch, while listening to a podcast, and wearing my AirPods. Yes! I’m also so proud of myself for keeping on even through getting sick which set me back and slowed me down in December. Hooray for 2020! It’s off to a good start for me and I hope it is for you, too.
What are your plans this weekend? We are expecting 8-10 inches (20-25 centimeters) of snow today, so I see lots of sledding and snowman building in our not too distant future. The kids also have a pool party tomorrow and Theo and J are skiing Sunday, so it will be a busy one!
If you’re following along on Instagram, then you’ve been getting some updates and bits and pieces from me here and there. If you’re not following, hop to it! It’s where I’ve been spending time when I have time to devote to my online creativity and sharing, so I hope you’ll join me.
And, here are some links for you:
The Amazon Coat is on sale right now! I love mine and get compliments on it all the time.
However, if you live in NYC, maybe not.
Made me shudder. Okay, cry. Made me cry.
I love these 25 tiny habit changes.
Fantastic news from one of my favorite creatives!
Yes times a million.
Hot Penicillin. Because chances are you need it.
Yikes. Hidden Brain nails it every time.
Don’t miss out on the Polarn O Pyret winter sale!
On awe. :)
I am counting down the days to my trip to Zurich! Today I located my passport and put it in a safe place. Always the best first step toward any trip. LOL. And next I’m going to start packing a little bit. I have been stockpiling goodies and treats to take to my lovely hosts and mama group. I literally cannot believe that I am going. It’s been such a long time. I feel really ready. I can’t wait to give that place a huge hug and kiss straight from my heart.
Have a great weekend! And since I’m stepping back from the podcast a bit this month, I’ll see you back here Monday. Until then!
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