Friday, July 24, 2015

A New Begining

I haven't posted here in a few weeks because I have been busy working on my new project. A new blog called The Spotted Bulldog, named after my sweet girl Lola - because her skin is covered in black spots even though she has white fur.
I am putting travel mi amor to rest since traveling and vacation taking will no longer be something we can do whenever we want and probably wont be happening as often. I noticed that I wanted to post more about non-traveling things and most of my traveling content came from other articles I would read.


I hope you enjoy my new blog about motherhood, babies, some diy, travel and life in general. So head on over to The Spotted Bulldog and add it to your reader list!

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Where Are You Going in 2015?

Do you have plans to visit some of the Top 20 tourist destinations this year? We're on a traveling break until our little one get a bit bigger. Until then we'll be earning and saving our rewards points! Below is a list of the Top 20 Destination Cites for 2015:

1 - London
2 - Bangkok
3 - Paris
4 - Dubai
5 - Istanbul
7 - Singapore
8 - Kuala Lumpur
9 - Seoul
10 - Hong Kong
11 - Tokyo
12 - Barcelona
13 - Amsterdam
14 - Rome
15 - Milan
16 - Taipei
17 - Shanghai
18 - Vienna
19 - Prague
20 - Los Angeles


I have been to 9 out of the 20. 
How many have you been to?



Monday, June 29, 2015

Motherhood Monday ~ Things Not to Say to a Pregnant Woman

As you can see, I am trying to get back into the swing of things on this little blog of mine and get back to posting 3 times a week. This post was originally written for April 20th but that is the morning I went into labor so it never got posted. I didn't want the post to go to waste so here are a few things not to say to a pregnant woman:

You can google and find endless lists of things not to say to pregnant woman but the truth is someone is going to say something that is still going to offend you...even if its just a little. Here are a few I have I heard:

1 - How many do you have in there?! - I have one, yes one and I know I am HUGE! I don't need you to point it out for me.

2 - You look miserable. - Awe, thank you! You're so sweet! I know I look tired, again, you don't need to point that out.

3 - How much weight have you put on? - Jesus, are you eff-ing kidding me with that question?!?

I know I look different then my normal size 4/6 self, you don't need to point that out to me. I also know I look like I have beach ball under shirt, you SO don't need to point that out to me too. And I'm not sure what is worse, when these comments come from people you know or complete strangers. 

The truth is, is that everyone looks different and everyone's pregnancy is going to look and be different. Just google 35 weeks pregnant and see all the different sizes women can be. 

{Ladies, we all look great!; Source: Google: 35 weeks pregnant}
  



Friday, June 26, 2015

Free Homes in Italy

A lot of people dream of retiring to Italy. And this can become a reality if you're up for an adventure! The town of Gangi, Sicily is giving away free homes/buildings to replace its vanishing population. Gangi also has an amazing backdrop, Mt. Etna!

{Copywrite Alamy, source}
Of course there is a catch, and you can read about it here on Yahoo! Travel. But if you are up for some legal fees, paperwork and renovations that have to be complete in less than 3 years then I think you have found your ticket to owning some property in Italy!



Wednesday, June 24, 2015

5 Travel Essentials

Yahoo! Travel recently asked 5 travel experts what was the one item they never travel without. They were:

1 - A book
2 - Digital luggage scale
3 - Laptop
4 - Tumi roller bag
5 - Headphones

I agree with 3 out of the 5 for my personal preferences. Since the list was a total of 5 items here are my 5 items I can  never travel without (in no particular order):

1 - My Tumi roller bag
2 - Microsoft Surface (mini laptop)
3 - Camera
4 - Headphones
5 - Phone

{love my Tumi luggage!}
What are some items you can never travel without?



Wednesday, June 10, 2015

10 Attractions You Can Count On

If you are on a schedule here are some sights that you can set your clock to. I have been to two fo them (and hope to visit more in the future). See Travel Channel's original article here

Rathaus-Glockenspiel
In the heart of Munich, pedestrian traffic in the bustling Marienplatz square stands still at 11 a.m. as eager tourists crane their necks to glimpse the historic Glockenspiel, which sits atop the Neues Rathaus, or “New Town Hall.” The charming, 2-level clock’s 43 bells and 32 life-size figurines re-enact 16th-century scenes, including knights jousting and dancing the Schäfflertanz. The performance lasts about 12 minutes.

When to Catch It: 11 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. daily, March through October

{from my trip to Germany in 2010}

Changing of the Guard
Tourists assemble in front of Buckingham Palace to see the red-coated soldiers bark orders and march in a 45-minute ceremony in this quintessentially British display of pomp and pageantry.

When to Catch It: The guard begins assembling daily at 11:15 a.m., but get there earlier to secure a decent spot. Occasionally canceled because of heavy rainfall. 

Dubai Fountain
Set against the great Burj Khalifa Lake, a mesmerizing series of lights and graceful water jets makes up the great Dubai Fountain. At night, it shines so brightly that it can be seen from space.

When to Catch It: 1 and 1:30 p.m. daily — except Friday, when it starts at 1:30 and 2 p.m. — as well as every half-hour from 6 to 11 p.m. nightly

Old Faithful
Yellowstone is home to the majority of the world’s preserved geysers, in large part because it was America’s first national park, established in 1872. Old Faithful’s eruptions aren’t the largest or the most frequent, but true to its name, they are the most consistent — shooting 8,000 gallons of water up to 180 feet into the air about every 90 minutes.

When to Catch It: You can see crowds gathering on the benches and predicted geyser eruption times (plus or minus 10 minutes) on the National Park Service’s Old Faithful live cam.

Symphony of Lights, Hong Kong
The Symphony of Lights laser show claims the entire spectacular Hong Kong skyline as its backdrop. Divided into 5 parts, the 13-minute show builds excitement slowly, until the tops of the skyscrapers erupt with radiance. While tickets to the world’s largest light show are free it may worth the steep cocktail prices at a roof top bar to view the show.

When to Catch It: 8 p.m. nightly. Suspended in cases of severe weather.

Bridge Bats, Austin
During the summer 1.5 million bats emerge from underneath Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin. Hundreds of people gather to witness the world’s largest urban bat colony. The Mexican free-tailed bats migrate each spring from central Mexico and devour up to 20,000 pounds of insects on these nightly flights. 

When to Catch It: Crowds converge around dusk most summer nights.

Disneyland Forever Fireworks, Anaheim, CA
This year the fireworks display will join a new 1.5-million-light Paint the Night parade and World of Color water show as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration starting May 22.

When to Catch It:  9:30 p.m. nightly

Eiffel Tower Sparkles, Paris
In 1999 20,000 flashing lights were installed for its millennial New Year’s Eve celebration. Fifteen years later, those same lights make the tower sparkle for 5 minutes at the top of every hour.

When to Catch It: Every hour from sundown until 1 a.m. 




How many of these attractions have you been to? 


Monday, June 1, 2015

Motherhood Monday

Well its another Monday so that means time for a post about being a mom :D I cant decide if I want to call Monday's post 'Mommy Monday' or 'Motherhood Monday' what do you think?

Today I want to talk about breastfeeding. The hospital I delivered at is VERY pro breastfeeding - upon delivery your are even assigned a lactation specialist! They also offer a class on breastfeeding, a support group and they have a lactation store where you can buy all sorts of fun things that have to do with boobs! (Sorry, my immature self needed to say boob!)

I'm not going to get into my thoughts and opinions on breastfeeding but I will offer some tips and things that I like:

Nursing Bras/Tops - I have some tank tops from Bravado! and I love them. Cake is also a great brand and I have a few from them (I also have their PJs). I also bought some tops from Destination Maternity.

Pumps/Pumping Equipment - I selected the Medela pump from my insurance and it has worked out great. Medela is also the brand my hospital uses.

Having a hands free pumping bra is REALLY helpful and a must! Mine is Simple Wishes and the best part is its one size fits all.

Nursing pad are another item you'll need to buy. When I bought my first box I went with the store brand, don't do this. Get the brands that are known for breastfeeding: Lansinoh and Medela (they are much softer and designed better).

Supplements - Some times you may need a little help in keeping your supply up. I was pointed to these supplements: Fenugreek and Malunggay. I also tried the Milky drink you can buy at Destination Maternity but it was pretty nasty tasting.

Have a great Monday - I am off to take care of the little bambina!



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