My kids started school today.  Although we will miss the lazy days of summer, they were ready for school to begin and so was I.  Maybe it is because I didn’t have much time out of graduate school before I got married and had kids, but I tend to measure time by the school year rather than the calendar year.  So the end of August/beginning of September is really like the start of a new year–So exciting!  So full of promise!   I can’t wait to sit down with my iCal and plan out a great year for myself.   Maybe I’ll even wander into Staples or Target and pick up a new notebook and pen.

My husband and I both take the kids to school on the first day and walk the youngest into the classroom.  And as always I take photos.  I have always done this; it is tradition.  My daughter happily smiled outside of school and inside the class room as well.  She’s an old pro in 2nd grade now, so we didn’t hang out too long, just long enough to get her settled and take a few shots.

Check out her cool new lunchbox from Lunchboxes.com

On the other hand, this is a photo of my son:

For the first time ever, he refused to let me take his photo on the first day of school.   Today is his first day of high school and I was trying to be sensitive by asking to take the photo in the parking lot with no one remotely nearby.   He willingly gave me a hug and kiss, but he was adamant about not being photographed.   My husband tried to hold his lunchbox hostage until he took the photo, but I told him to give up the lunchbox and let the boy go.  It was a bittersweet start of the new school year.  Let the boy go….I think that we will be doing so much more of that now.

As he walked away, I turned around so he wouldn’t see me cry.

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Stepping off the plane, New Mexico was a shock to our senses.  Immediately we noticed the clean, fresh smog-free air.  The weather was sunny and warm, but not humid and stifling like in Atlanta.  And the sky….we could see for miles!  My kids could really play the game “what shape is that cloud;” something that is hard to do living in a city like we do.  The architecture also was different from anywhere else that we had been, starting with the airport and continuing into Santa Fe.  Driving around Santa Fe’s commercial district we were surprised to see familiar stores looking very un-familiar as adobe buildings.  We screamed out the window and pointed: “adobe McDonald’s, adobe IHOP, adobe Starbucks, adobe Target!”  Once we left the commercial area, all we saw was desert–which we expected—but as it gave way to tress and mountains the higher in elevation we climbed, that was less expected.   All of it was beautiful and so different from the canopy of trees that makes up Atlanta’s landscape.

We vacationed in New Mexico because we were fortunate to be invited to Jane Fonda’s ranch, which has quite an interesting history.  Besides Jane, our housemates were her daughter, grandchildren and their father.  And I can’t forget Jane’s constant companion, Tulea.

The house is amazingly beautiful. (more…)

© 2009 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I recently spent 3 nights at the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, Florida.  As I have posted before, my family has enjoyed a couple of different Ritz-Carlton resorts over the last year, but this was my first time at this particular location.

Did you know that you can book vacation packages on the Ritz-Carlton website?  I booked my flight and hotel as a package for considerably less than if I had bought them separately.  The only drawback to this arrangement is that the reservation is paid in full at the time of booking and is non-refundable (however, travel insurance is an available option for purchase).  I was emailed my travel documents; it was all very straightforward and easy.

A short flight from Atlanta, a 30 minute taxi ride from Miami International Airport, and I was in Key Biscayne in no time.  Check-in was not so pleasant as my room was not ready (at 4:00 p.m.) and the desk clerk seemed confused and unsure about her duties, but at least my wait was nice in the opulent hotel lobby.

Finally I made it to my room and while it was very nice and newly renovated, it was small and dark; I wouldn’t be spending much time in this room.  No matter, I had come to Key Biscayne to be on the beach anyhow.   The bathroom, by contrast was a very nice size with a separate shower and bathtub and nice bright, lighting.  I had requested a balcony and received one; it had a “bay view”—the bay being way off in the distance—so it really was a view of the front of the hotel.  Since I wasn’t in my room but to sleep, I didn’t sit on the balcony at all.

(more…)

© 2009 – 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I’m new to the dog retail world and it’s very overwhelming; all I do is buy dog toys, chews, food, treats.  I even bought a life jacket for my puppy!  It’s like having a baby all over again, there is so much gear available; trolling the aisles of my local pet stores is quite fascinating.

So when we came across LickALots we had to buy one for Chili Dawg. Back at home we were eager to see if he would like his ice cream as much as we like ours.

Chili Dawg inspects it; hmmm…smells good….

And it tastes good too!  Hey Mikey; he likes it!

Chili Dawg thoroughly enjoyed the LicksALot and lapped it up in about 10 minutes.   I call it “doggie ice cream” but really it’s a healthy frozen treat as noted on the website:

The pedigree of this FROZEN lickable treat for dogs (think healthy dog ice cream) is the best of its breed. LickALots® are created using all-natural, ultra premium ingredients in a low-fat yogurt base. LickALots® provide your four-legged friends with the health benefits of wholesome natural ingredients and active yogurt cultures that assist digestion, aid nutrient absorption, boost the immune system and provide long-lasting benefits to your beloved companion.

Since then we bought more LicksALot for our home freezer and we bring one with us whenever we go out for ice cream or frozen yogurt.  While we are having our frozen treat, Chili Dawg has his too!

Um, okay, yes; I’ve totally given in to the fact that I am crazy about this puppy and will buy all kinds of special treats and fun toys for him, but so what?  Don’t judge me!

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Bummed that we weren’t going to the beach as a family this summer and very much needing some time alone, I thought that I would take a beach vacation alone for my birthday.  The last time I traveled without my family was over 10 years ago.  I am certainly not afraid of being alone; in fact I prefer it most times.  I have no problem going to the movies, out to lunch or museum exhibit by myself; I think that I am very good company.   Really I go a little crazy if I’m not allowed some mental and physical space and this summer was especially hard because my husband was working long hours and traveled a lot.   I was rarely alone—not even when I slept because my daughter had developed a bad habit of falling asleep in my bed.  Although I was a little apprehensive about leaving my daughter (who was not happy to see me go) and my dog (who I feared wouldn’t be fed for the duration of my trip), I was excited about getting in some quality “Me Time.”  As my day of escape approached, I became downright giddy.

So why did I become anxious the minute I stepped into my hotel room?  The 3 nights and 2 days ahead of me seemed endless.   Although I purposely chose a beach destination—because I love the beach and wanted to relax—now I regretted my decision.  I thought that instead I should have spent a weekend in New York where I could shop, go to museums and basically spend my time going and doing—where I could have an agenda.  As much as I crave quiet, time to think and a day with no agenda when I am at home, now that I had that, I was freaking out.

How strange and completely unexpected.

I sat down and analyzed what I was feeling (a bonus there: I could actually take the time to think about myself).   I realized that the last 7 years of my life have especially been hectic and self-sacrificing…..and I have gotten used to it.  What little time I stole for myself was in snippets and spurts; now a few days of unplanned time and no one to care for was foreign and unsettling.

This was ridiculous!  I had traveled Mexico and Europe alone!  I was always up for an adventure!  And this was only a Ritz-Carlton hotel; I had to get a grip.  “Explore the hotel,” I said aloud.  Yes, yes, that would give me something to do.  I found the pool, the hot tub, the boutique.  I toured the spa.  Moving my body and being “useful” calmed me down.   Finally I made it to the beach and saw what I came for: the ocean.   I exhaled.

I spent the next 2 days on the beach people-watching or hanging out in the water.   I had brought a notebook with me to record any profound thoughts—since I now had time to think–but none came to me.  I think that since my brain was finally able to breath a bit, it just needed a rest.  Sometimes I had on my iPod, but mostly not; I liked the sound of nothingness–hearing conversations, but not being a part of them, the ocean, the wind.  I read 2 books, watched 3 movies and listened to a live Cuban band in the hotel lobby while drinking champagne.   I did nothing in particular and wasn’t productive at all.

It was very, very nice.

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.