A Girls Getaways Close to Home; Check Out the Grand Geneva Well Spa

May 14, 2018

I am a Chicago native, and for most Chicago folks we look forward to Spring and, of course, summertime CHI! However, stepping away from the hustle and bustle of the city is a great way to decompress and reconnect with nature!

I recently took a weekend trip with some girlfriends and drove up to Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. It was a quick 2 hour drive from the city! Lucky for us, one of my girlfriends has a house right on the water. Having a place that felt like home made our trip just a little bit better. We started our mornings with a healthy breakfast and ended our days with girl talk on the couch filled with lots of laughter!

Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva has a quaint downtown with boats, restaurants, and even a small beach! We set out to see Lake Geneva and try some of their yummy eats. While I didn’t love our dining experiences there, the feel of this small city is just what the doctor ordered.

The Grand Geneva Spa

One thing we knew for sure was that we were going to top off our weekend with some time at the spa. In doing some research, we realized that the spa at the grand Geneva hotel is rated the best in Lake Geneva. Of course we couldn’t leave without checking it out! Each one of us received different services ranging from seasonal farmhouse massages, to deep tissue services. We were greeted with a friendly face, and shown the amenities of the spa. The spa offers a whirl pool, sauna, steam room, and place to get your nails done! Since there were seven of us, we were given the Tranquil Lounge to sip on champagne and nosh on small bites while we waited. I did the deep tissue with Diana, I have to say she has fingers of magic! I would highly recommend requesting her if deep tissue is what you are into. The Grand Geneva certainly did not disappoint, we spent a little bit of time before and after our services just enjoying the amenities.

Thank you Lake Geneva for creating a lifetime of memories for my friends and I. Also, thank you Grand Geneva for giving us the rest and relaxation we needed to end our weekend filled with laughter and love!

Also, if you have not already, check out all the beauty tips we have on YouTube here!

Your Chick,

Sonia

At Home Spa Essentials:

Fashion

Get the Dirt on Dusters: How to Wear Them And Why They Rock!

April 30, 2018

The last thing I want to think about when traveling is the stress of packing, and I like to pack light. As a mother of two, the time I spend choosing pieces to fit in my carry on can be exhausting. This year I wanted to invest in pieces that are versatile, yet chic. Who would have thought a simple duster would end up being that versatile piece I was looking for?! This ended up being the perfect accessory for my recent trip to Raleigh. I was able to pack my most versatile clothing, A LBD (little black dress), a swimsuit, and a skirt (shorts do not do any justice on me) to pair up with my duster.

With my duster, I was able to cover up my swimwear by the pool and warm up by layering my duster in the evening when we went out to dinner. It also jazzed up my jeans and tank outfit!

My other favorite accessory to travel with is my Gucci belt; it definitely goes hand in hand with my duster. Whether it’s a quick luncheon with girlfriends or a MNO (mommies night out) I pair up my skinny’s with a cute tank and throw on my belt and a duster over the ensemble to give it that “extra touch.”

Date Night

My look for a sexy date night is pairing a solid tank dress with a print duster and Gucci belt to tie it all in. It’s amazing what adding a little something extra to a LBD can do.

I’m 5’4, 120 lbs and curvy in the right places. A duster not only completes my look, but covers me up in all the right places.

Your Chick,

Avani

Travel

Happy To Keep Austin Weird

April 4, 2018

We have all heard of it, everyone is moving there, songs are written about it… Austin, Texas!

Over Thanksgiving my family and I went to Austin. I have a cousin who lives there and he can’t rave more about what a wonderful city it is! With two kids, 5 and 7 years old, we were looking for a good balance of sightseeing and family-friendly activities.

The Hotel: Westin – Downtown Austin

We stayed at the Westin in downtown Austin. The location of the hotel was central to many of the the places we planned to visit. Being a Starwood member with Westin allowed us to upgrade our room to a suite for a comfortable stay in a new city.

I recommend renting a car when you visit…unlike other cities, like New York or DC, a lot of this city is best accessed by cars or ride-share services. Majority of the things we saw were a driving-distance away.

For those of you who have read my previous travel diaries, you’ll notice I like to recommend my favorite vegetarian spots.

The Eats: Uchi and Counter Culture

Uchi was a fantastic spot for both food and ambiance. Don’t be fooled by its label as a sushi restaurant, chef Tyson Cole whips up many delicious vegetarian dishes. Uchi’s dishes come both in the form of sushi and others variations! My personal favorite was the nasu sushi…..I’m still dreaming about it! This dish was a succulent eggplant dish that literally melts in your mouth. This restaurant is not necessarily family-friendly but our kids enjoyed themselves nonetheless.

Another restaurant I would recommend is Counter Culture. We came upon this restaurant on our drive back from the grotto (which I will touch on later). It was a small vegan restaurant with a quaint feel. The food was absolutely fantastic — they were able to mimic regular restaurant food with vegan replacements….it’s always a great feeling to know you can eat everything on a menu! Unlike Uchi, this was a much more causal spot. Don’t leave without trying their nachos!

Lake Travis

A MUST stop is Lake Travis. While I didn’t find the vegetarian food at the Oasis to be all that great, the views were simply breathtaking! We had a family sunset dinner on their outdoor terrace which made for a beautiful family memory…I would highly recommend this stop if you have time!

Family Friendly Activities

Because we were with our kids, we enjoyed doing a variation family friendly activities. Some that stood out were the bat cruise, canoeing Lady Bird Lake and paying a visit to Westcave Canyon and the Grotto.

The bat tour takes you beneath the bridge that is home to thousands of bats. If you take the sunset tour, as we did, you can see hundreds of them flying in and out. Needless to say, both adults and kids delighted to see the hustle of nature as it integrates with man-made architecture. As city dwellers we don’t get a lot of time to connect with the great outdoors so this made for a fun stop!

We took the kids canoeing at Lady Bird Lake – which is a clean and crystal clear body of water. The kids loved spotting turtles and fish all in their natural habitats. My husband and I spent most of our time doing the rowing, but the kids loved pitching in every now and again. Not a bad workout, honestly!

Finally we went to Westcave Canyon. They provide guided tours to the infamous “Grotto” (pictured below). This beautiful natural occurrence made for a beautiful sight and great teachable moment for our kids. Our guide was knowledgeable and respectful about nature, serving as a role model for our children. The hike there was easy enough for a 5 year old and the end result….seeing the Grotto, was the cherry on top! A must-visit, but make sure you call and book in advance!

“Keep Austin Weird” is a common phrase throughout the city. This is likely in reference to its diverse array of activities and food, enough to entertain populations from children to adults. I would venture to add “Keep Austin awesome!”

I would highly recommend this beautiful city for a great family trip! See where else we have wandered here.

Your chick,
Sonia

Lifestyle

5 ‘P’owerful Ways to Connect With Your Spouse

February 7, 2018

Please tell me I am not the only one who feels like sometimes life gets too busy…to the point that there are evenings when my husband and I are hardly able to chat in the evenings. I have spoken with my chicks and my mom about this and it seems normal for life to cut into relationships — but honestly, no one likes to feel like they are not ‘connected’ to their spouse or significant other (SO). Having been married for 13 years with two young children, it’s easy to let one busy evening become two nights in a row and then, before you know it, a week!

Here are some important reminders, the five ‘P’s, to keep your relationship on track and healthy:

Prioritize

Identify that you miss your spouse…this is an easy way to kick yourself back into gear. The best place to start is to communicate that longing. It helps get the wheels turning for you and for your SO. I tell my husband I miss him all the time, even when he is right in front of me. It lets him know that I am thinking about him and that time with him is a priority for me.

Secrets for winning at Relationships — Anil and Rina : Established in 2005

Plan

Remember, actions express priorities. So once you acknowledge that you miss each other, it is time to make a plan. We were so good about date nights in the beginning, but lately (in the last 3 years) not so much. This year, we want to find a way to get back to that place where we set aside time for each other. Making time to do things together (yes, without the kids and hustle of daily life) expresses priorities.

Play

Remember those little things you did when you had fewer responsibilities? In our case, it was watch a lot of movies, NBA basketball games, and walking around new parts of town. Those activities are fun, flirty, and lighthearted. Don’t just go out to a fancy dinner — go to sports bar and catch the game again, like old times. Play time together is just as important for adults as it is for kids. Remind each other of the easy, playful times amidst the weight of growing responsibilities with families.

Sonia and Badal Celebrating 10 Years!

Physical Contact

Do you know it only take 60 SECONDS of physical skin to skin contact to get the endorphins going? Take that playfulness further by sneaking in moments to flirt at home. These moments can be an unexpected hug or kiss in the kitchen, a slight touch of the hand as you walk by. Making sure to remember that even the slightest physical contact with your spouse can make the body have a positive biological response.

Pillow Talk

This one is great. It ties in with #2, planning. Each night, when the lights are out, it is nice to have a little recap. I tell my husband a quick story about the kids or myself. He will tell me something funny that happened at the office. We try to keep the exchange lighthearted (and phone free), to help us laugh together and end the day with a smile. Having this brief re-connectivity can help be a reset and recharge button for the relationship. I actually think about pillow talk throughout out the day and look forward to that moment of peace when it is just the two of us.

Bonus ‘P’: Poetry

When I first met my husband he would write me lovely snippets in emails, on cards, and on napkins (anything he could get his hands on!) from time to time, sneaking in a romantic thought here an there really drew me to him. Since that time, I have see many other relationships use this fun way to communicate with each other. Check out some of my favorite love poems written by my uncle in his book, The Start Of Something Beautiful. Maybe scoop up a copy for your honey for old times sake, or check out some of our other ideas for gifts. Here is a sample from the book:

Hopefully, you can use some of these tips. When I am on the same page as my spouse, I move through my day with confidence and positivity. When we are ‘off’, it affects me, the kids, my work, etc. Are you like that? Drop me a comment below on what you do to connect with your spouse.

Cheers,

Rina

travel