Bucket List Travels: Jackson Hole Part 2

Welcome back to the second part of the travel blog featuring Jackson, Wyoming and the surrounding areas! In part one we covered the arrival, airport and the beautiful White Buffalo Club Hotel. In Part 2, I would like to share some of the amazing eats we had while visiting Jackson and the surrounding areas.

First things first, let’s talk food! That’s what we all want to know when we travel somewhere, right?! What’s good to eat?! Let me just say, that for such a small jewel on the map, this little town is packed with dining. We wanted to try as many places as possible, so I will give you a quick list and review of the establishments we were able to get to during our visit:

Coffee Shops – Cowboy Coffee Company, This was probably one of my favorites spots during our stay. I am an avid coffee drinker (literally can’t even without it)! The atmosphere is cozy and inviting with both high top and low top tables, as well as a comfy seating areas with a sofa and chairs. Each morning, there was always the locals , as well as tourists to be found there starting the day off right with coffee, tea and or hot chocolate, while enjoying conversation amongst themselves. The coffee shop also offers several breakfast items, such as croissants and tacos on their menu. I personally tried the coffee, hot tea and breakfast croissants and all were delicious and served with a smile! To add to the charm of the coffee shop, it is pet friendly and we actually got to spend one of our mornings with one of the local pet “celebrities” and he was beyond adorable! 

Lunch/Dinner – The Local, So, we actually dined at this restaurant for Lunch one day and for Dinner another evening. Completely different atmosphere for each, but both were exceptional. The Lunch was a very laid back, casual dining experience. We actually ate at the bar top. We tried the Bison burger and the Pork Lettuce Wraps. Both were delicious. The Dinner atmosphere was a much more sophisticated atmosphere. The prices were much more expensive and the menu was highly refined to fine dining. We tried the chicken and the fish and they were equally as delicious. The wait staff was gracious and extremely nice.

Liberty Burger – This was another favorite of mine. The restaurant is two stories with windows across the front (so if you are lucky you get a table with a view).  The interior was decorated in a contemporary theme that was bright and the staff was friendly. The menu consist of a multitude of burgers with a variety of add ons, such as eggs, avocado, bacon, etc.  They also offer yummy shakes for dessert! 

Pizzeria Caldera – Who doesn’t love a great Pizza?! This little gem cooks everything from scratch in a stone hearth oven right before your eyes. Just walking in the front door downstairs, you can automatically smell the amazing aromas of the pizzas in the oven wafting through the air. In addition, they also serve a soup of the day and offer salads and pasta as well.  Like many of the restaurants near the famed Towne Square, the front is lined with windows, so you have a beautiful view of the town and the surrounding mountains while enjoying your meal.

Bubbas BBQ – You will definitely want to come here hungry! The portions are huge and you get plenty to eat. They also offer a salad bar option in lieu of your meal or you can add the salad bar to your meal. Let me just say that even the salad bar is abundant! My favorite two items were the baked beans (flavor was amazing) and one of their specialty items is a BBQ Bloody Mary! That’s right, you read that correctly! A BBQ Bloody Mary cocktail and it is delicious!

Dornan’s in Moose – , This restaurant is located right outside of Jackson in the nearby town of Moose. It is a local favorite and a historical landmark for the area. Many of the musicians that have come from this area got their start right here at Dornan’s. There is a     tribute wall in the restaurant with pictures and stories LUNCH

of the talented stars. The menu consists of a variety of food to include burgers, fish, steak and pasta among other things. One of the best qualities  of the restaurant is the  awesome view, as it is nestled at the bottom of the Grand Teton Mountains! 

Snake River Brewery –  This is a young, trendy atmosphere. It is a true brewery so there are actually huge stills within the restaurant, which is pretty cool to see. They offer a ton of different ales from the area, as well as specialty ales. There is something for every beer palette! The food menu is a bit on the light side, meaning it is fairly limited in offerings. Mostly finger type foods and or burger or American cuisine offerings. One of my favorite items on the menu was the pretzel with the cheese sauce! 

Fast Food – There is a McDonalds, a Wendy’s and a Dairy Queen in town for those of you that need your fast food fix! 

Please keep in mind this is just a quick summary of a few of the many great places to eat! You could literally plan a vacation based around just eating because there are so may great places to try in Jackson! Hopefully this list will enlighten some of you on meal planning and I would love to hear about your eating experiences in Jackson, so please feel to share those in the comments! Stay tuned for more on this awesome destination, as I will be sharing activities in the third part of this travel blog series! Happy Travels! xoxo- SheShe

Bucket List Travels: Jackson Hole Part 1

We all grow up dreaming of places we would love to visit, but very few ever make those dreams a reality. We put it off, thinking there will always be tomorrow or I just don’t have the time! This year one of my goals is to stop putting off those tomorrows and to make time for those “bucket list” dreams. To start out my list, I’m sharing the first destination on my list, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Yes, it’s a little piece of heaven tucked away in the gorgeous Teton Mountains.

Our trip to Jackson Hole was a winter trip, taken in late January. We flew into Jackson Hole Airport, which is located in the Grand Teton National Park, making it the only Airport in North America that is located in a National Park. On the descent into the IMG_2049airport you are surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and gorgeous winter foliage covering the mountainside. At first glance, it truly looks like a post card or something straight out of a movie. The airport is small, so upon landing, you exit the plane right onto the airport ramp and walk to the terminal. Once inside the terminal, you are greeted with Mimosas and a warm hello from the staff! Where else are you gonna get that kind of treatment?! You immediately feel welcome and invited!

A short drive down the rode from Jackson Hole Airport, is the little town of Jackson. Nestled in a valley right in the middle of the mountains! Jacskonsignjacksonsign2    You can literally look in any direction standing in Towne Square and see Mountain Ranges surrounding the quaint and ever charming, Jackson. Speaking of Towne Square, it’s a real spot in the middle of town.                                            Yes, indeed, a park, with a sweet little ice rink, park benches and nostalgic monuments. The ice rink actually hosts events in the winter season that you can go and watch. The Towne Square Park entrances are archways made entirely of elk antlers! As odd as it may sound, they are truly beautiful pieces of art and embody the history and charm of the town.  antlers towne square jh2  IMG_2050Jackson is widely known for the Elk that come down during the winter season to feed in the huge Elk Refuge located right outside of the town. The antler arches are made from elk antlers that are shed from the local elk and have been collected from the refuge once the elk head back up the mountain in the spring. Another cool factoid, is that the town boy scout troop gets to gather antlers each year from the refuge, post shedding and are able to auction a portion of them to go towards their troop. The remainder of the auction goes back to the Refuge. What an awesome sense of community this little town has going on! Love it! The town boasts LOTS of shopping, for all. There are several souvenir shops, boutiques, art galleries, candy shops and even furniture and interior design stores. You will definitely not be leaving empty-handed as there is something to be found by all!

We stayed at The White Buffalo Club Hotel. To say that this Hotel is charming, would highly understate it’s value. The Interior is decorated with furniture and décor that represents the rich culture of the great outdoors, while still being cozy and warming! We stayed in the Fireplace Suite, which keeping true to it’s name, had a unique fireplace that was two-sided. wbc fireplaceOne side was of course inside the sweet, while the other side was outside on a private balcony. The suite also offered an oversized bathroom, with a large custom tiled shower and large bath tub to soak in after a long day of fun in the snow. Not to forget about the enormous wardrobe we travel with, the suite had a walk in closet with plenty of room for all the “extras” you know you will need to buy while on vacay! The Hotel offers complimentary breakfast in the Restaurant downstairs, which boast a gorgeous fireplace surrounded by wine racks encased in glass.wbc breakfast The ambiance is beyond relaxing and cozy. It’s a great way to start your day! To top things off, the Hotel will also book any excursions you wish to do while visiting for you (such as snow mobiles, dog sledding, skiing, etc). The staff was extremely accommodating and courteous to us, always speaking to us and making sure we were take care of.  And last, but not least, the location was perfect! We literally walked everywhere from the Hotel. It is only a few short blocks from Towne Square and there are several notable eateries nearby. The White Buffalo Club Hotel is definitely a recommendation if staying in Jackson is in your future plans. You can find their website at: https://www.whitebuffalohotel.com/

Please check back for Part 2 of the Jackson, Wyoming Blog where I will be sharing some of the many activities there are to do while visiting Jackson and the surrounding area. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it! xoxo- SheShe

 

 

 

Catch Flights Not Feelings

Catch Flights

 

Let’s face it, although most of us love to travel for vacations, entertainment and even work, it can be stressful. I will be the first to admit, I am a horrible “flyer” and so I have come up with a few ways to eliminate some of the items that may lead to unnecessary stress when flying. On today’s blog we are talking about ways to reduce some of that stress, when flying for travel.

Be Early: This is especially important when traveling during busy seasons, such as holidays or when there is inclement weather either from you departure or arrival destinations. Being early gives you what I like to call “breathing room”. Upon arriving at the airport, if there are long lines at baggage check, or security, you have that extra time on your side to spare. And hey, once you get through security, you can always grab a coffee or a drink and …RELAX!

Be Prepared: This means leading up to arrival at the airport,  as well as at the airport. No worries, I’m going to walk you through it. There are several ways to make this experience easier upon your actual arrival, Starting with packing. Yes, pack in advance so you know how much luggage you will be checking and how much you will be carrying on board. Next, most Airlines offer an App that you can download on you cellular device to purchase your flights, track flights and even houses your boarding passes. This same application allows you to pre-check in for your flight. This is where it comes in handy to know the amount of luggage you will be checking as it allows you to do that through the application. I highly recommend doing this, as it saves you a tremendous amount of time upon arrival at the airport. You do not have to waste time checking in at the counter or kiosks. You merely drop your backs at baggage check and head on to security check. Another time saver is to sign up for Pre-Check or Global entry. This allows you to get through security screening quicker, as you are already prescreened. Some other helpful hints are, to remove your belts, jackets, shoes while in line to save time or do not wear a belt! Ladies, I highly recommend wearing pants with no bling, or heavy stitching, as this sets off the screening machine (I have fallen victim!) Yoga pants, leggings, sweats are all great options for moving quickly through security check! In addition, have your laptops out of your carry on, because they must go through screening separately. Remember, the quicker you get through, the more time you have to RELAX before your flight!

Carry On Etiquette: This one probably is a difficult one for some, as some of us feel like we “need” a million and one items in our carry on bags. The key word in this sentence is need. What do you really need to be comfortable in the terminal and on your flight, that needs to be in your carry on? These are important questions because, yes a carry on can slow up or hang up your travel experience if you do not know how to organize it. This is how I look at it. My go to carry on is my Large LV Purse. (pictured above) I usually carry a smaller clutch inside with my ID, Insurance cards, and credit cards. Also, my lip balm, hair ties, lip gloss, a pen/stylus and room to spare for my phone. Then, I carry my laptop and make up case and a folder with any paperwork (work related or personal that I am currently working on). Pure and simple. I have something to keep me busy on the plane or in the terminal and I also have some hygiene items in the event my luggage is delayed. Another upside to this is you are not holding anyone else up by trying to cram an oversized bag in the over head compartment or having to check a bag at the last minute because it does not fit. You will be a happier traveler for it!

These are just a few tips I have learned over the course of my travels. Hopefully some of these will be helpful to you. I would love to hear some of your tips and tricks for successful travel, so please fell free to leave comments. And always, wishing everyone safe and fun-filled travels! xoxo-

Journals are Life

Lights

Writing has always been one of my favorite things to do. Yes, I know how weird that sounds reading it and even saying it out loud. Most people think of writing as a chore and literally dread the thought. However, I would like to introduce you to a new way of thinking today on the blog.

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Epilepsy. To say that it was life changing would honestly even be an under statement. I was scared, angry, sad, I literally ran through every emotion imaginable. To be fine one day and wake up the next in the back of an ambulance with no recollection of how you came to be there is a whole new way of life. To add insult to injury, with each seizure, I lost memories. Precious memories, important memories, memories. Until this happened to me, I never knew or even realized the importance of a memory, a moment, an action, a word, all of it. This new realization made me sad and depressed.

One day, at one of my many doctor’s visits, he said something to me that resonated with me. He recommended that I start keeping a daily journal (of course, his agenda was for a health record), but it turned on a light for me! I literally went home that day and started writing.  Not wanting to lose another memory from this disease, I began using writing as a tool, but it has become so much more for me. I have found that it brings me joy to write down the events of the day, stress relief to express my feelings and frustrations, and peace to know that I have captured it all in my writing. If there ever comes a day when I can’t remember, I will have these precious journals to go back and read! And, who knows, I may never “need” them in this way, but they will always be a great read in the future! Hope this enlightens you or brings you a new perspective on journal writings! Please feel free to leave comments on your writing experiences, as I always love to hear from you! XoXo – SheShe

 

 

Organization Tips for the New Year

 

Organizing

 

We are a few weeks into the new year and most of us are knee deep in 2018 goal crushing strategies. Over the last year I spent a lot of time back tracking and felt like I was constantly behind both professionally and personally. It is a miserable feeling because you don’t feel accomplished, even when you are working your tail off! With all of that in mind, I made it one of my New Years goals to not spend another year living my life that way. I needed to get organized in order to find balance in my life and not work harder, but smarter and more efficiently.  I have put together a few tips that I am passing along to all of you that I hope will be helpful for those of you who may be struggling with balance in your life and may not know where or to begin organizing.

  1. Planners/Organizers:  These have become a staple in my life. There are so many different styles, types, brands, etc to choose from, but really any basic planner will work. I personally have found that the planners with a monthly view and a daily view work best for me. I can look at the entire month at once and also look at each day individually. They are fully customizable and you can add stickers for reminders, such as meetings, appointments, and so on. I actually got my current Lily Pulitzer Planner on clearance at Dillard’s with a gift card I got for Christmas! While having a Planner is key, the most important step is of course that you utilize it. This brings me to step two of the planning process. At the beginning of each month, I go ahead and fill out any due dates, appointments, and meetings I already am aware of for the upcoming month. This saves me time and energy through ought the month and also takes stress out of my monthly planning because I have a better idea of what the month looks like. Then, each Sunday I also set aside time to look at the upcoming week. I write down all of my goals for the week and even what days I plan on accomplishing them on or by. Again, this has helped me out tremendously as I am not behind the curve all week, but instead I am out front knowing what I need to get done. If your job is anything like mine, you have a million and one “extra” items pop up on your agenda on a daily basis that you did not plan for and the good news is that you do not loose track or focus of what you did plan for because you scheduled it out at the beginning of the week.
  2. Delegating: Yes, I know, we are all super heroes and do not need help. We can do it all or we will kill ourselves trying! I have learned this lesson the hard way and do not wish that on anyone. There are never enough hours in the day to get everything we want to get done and yes we will literally kill ourselves trying too. The great news is, we each have strengths and weaknesses. It is extremely important to know and realize this simple truth, as it leads to proficiency and success. You need to ask yourself a few questions:

a. Are there tasks I’m doing that can be done better or more efficiently by someone else?

b. Am I hanging on to these tasks out of pride or repetition?

c. By giving up these tasks, will it free me to be more efficient at tasks I am good, strong at?

The point being is, you can actually be more productive by delegating tasks that cause you to be unproductive due to lack of motivation, lack of experience, and procrastination, thus giving you that time to focus on tasks that you are strong in/at.

3. Closet Rule: I will be the first to admit that I am a clothes hoarder. I have been known to keep articles of clothing for years upon years and NEVER wear them! I will make every excuse possible of why I need to keep them and that I may wear them or need them at some point in the future! Well, here it is the future and I have still not worn them. So, without further a do, I decided it was time to do a deep closet purge. (I almost quit halfway through!) Don’t get me wrong, I have “cleaned” out my closet many times over the years but have never really organized it to a point where it was manageable. Here are the tips I used for this massive purge of my closet.

a. Have I worn the item in the last year? And if not, was there a good reason (ie, seasonal)?

b. Do I have an item similar or even identical to this item (ie, multiples)?

c. Do I have items with the tags still on them or that I have never worn? and if so, why? Not super crazy about the item, forgot I had the item, didn’t like the item after I bought it?

d. Are there items that someone else would or could get use or more use out of than me?

e. What frustrates me the most about my closet? Size, layout, functionality, appearance and is there any changes I can make to fix any of these frustrations?

After reviewing all of these questions and answering them, I was able to make some great decisions on organizing my closet. Some of the organizational changes that were helpful to me were color coding, organizing by type (such as hanging all jeans together), and organizing by length. I found it made it way less stressful locating items and much more appealing to the eye by making these simple changes.

In an effort, to keep my clean outs more manageable and less time consuming, I am also implementing a new policy of purging once a month. As much as my taste changes and as quickly as our seasons tend to change, I think this will help me stay more organized moving forward. Out with the old and in with the new!

4. Meal Prep:  Yes, I know what you are thinking. Not another diet plan! No, not at all. I am strictly talking about planning out your meals for the week. You have no idea the amount of time, stress and energy this is going to save you during the week. And who knows, you may even eat healthier because you won’t have to run through those drive thru’s on your way home after a ten hour work day!

I usually sit down on Saturday and go through my Pinterest boards or my Facebook posts to see if there are any recipes I am interesting in trying during the following week. Generally speaking, I try to keep them simple such as meals that I can bake all the ingredients together or make in the crock pot. Then I make a list of all of the ingredients and put a menu together. I either get to the store on Saturday or Sunday and do all my cooking that day. I place each day’s meal in to go containers for the week ahead. And Voila! You are done for the week!

These are just a few tips for ways I have been able to become more organized this year and I hope that they are helpful to you as well. Please feel free to share any tips you may have, as I would love to hear from you! XoXo –SheShe

 

 

 

Rock for Radiance

YOUNIQUE

 

Good Morning! As promised, this morning I will be sharing a few of my favorite beauty products with you. This is always so exciting to me because I feel like a little girl all over again, just discovering make up and the excitement of getting to try it all!

 

 

 

Today we are discussing primer, foundation and concealer. The basics and or staples for every girls beauty stash. Just as you have probably tried numerous brands and fads over the course of the years, I too have been through quite a few. I have come to absolutely love the foundation, primer and concealer from Younique.

I wear these three items daily, however, I would say that my style of makeup would be considered “Natural”. I do not care for it to appear that I am wearing a ton of different products or that my make up it caked on or applied in abundance. With that being said, theses are reasons why I really love the Younique brand for these three items.

The Younique Glorious Primer is a light and super smooth base to your canvas every day. It feels in all the lines and crevices and leaves your skin feeling super smooth and with a true glow. I love, love , love it! I have not found another primer that comes close to this one. The concealer I use for a “beauty” mark I have acquired from years of sun bathing in my younger days. It completely conceals it with just a little dab and blot and done. Now on to my favorite product of all, the liquid foundation! THIS stuff is pure GOLD! It is so lightweight that you don’t even feel like you are wearing foundation. To add icing to the cake, it only takes a few drops for complete coverage that lasts all day long! No need to apply more later in the day/evening because it looks fantastic all day!

I am hosting the Rock for Radiance Party right now on my Facebook if you are interested in giving these a test drive or if you want to look at some of the other great products they offer, I have listed some links below for your convenience! Stay BeYoutiful! Much Love! XoXo- SheShe

https://www.facebook.com/groups/421130051636512/

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/laniditcharo/party/8654336/view#.WloiJrpFy14

 

My Heart Shares

House cleaned, tree down, decorations put away and finally a moment of rest. As I sit here sipping my cup of coffee and reflecting on the past week and looking towards the week ahead, I can’t help but think of how blessed I am. While yes, I could complain about the time it took me to get the tree down or what a mess the house was and how having to spend my day off cleaning it, or I could be grateful for the ability to take the tree down and have a beautiful home to clean and share with my family. It’s all in how we react to our situations in life that matter. Positivity wins every time. There are so many that did not get to enjoy today because they did not wake up this morning or that do not have a warm home to come home to each day or a family to share it with. Heartshare

It is my true belief that we are all here to help each other out in whatever way we can. Kindness doesn’t cost us a thing. A smile, a kind word, a hug, a gesture and yes a gift if you can. You never know what is going on in someone’s life and what it can mean to them! I have created a Heart Share page on this site where I will be sharing organizations that I do a great job of giving back to our community and supporting many causes of all kinds. It is awesome to me that in our day and age they still are giving back to those that need it most! There is no greater joy than that of giving and giving from the heart. I hope you will take the time to check out my page and check out the organizations that I have shared and will continue to update it with! Much Love – XOXO- SheShe

ValYou! (Value)

B.W.BEACJThis morning on our OOTD post we touched a bit about value. To bring everyone up to speed in case you missed out on the post, we were discussing our value.  For such a small word, there is so much weight to it. Why on earth would you EVER place it in someone else’s hands?! My advice to all of you today is to know your worth and NEVER give anyone discounts based on their opinions of you.

It has taken me the greater part of my life to realize the importance of this simple truth. Growing up as a middle child, I was constantly striving for perfection to be “noticed”, because I was neither the first or the baby. My siblings were both taller and thinner than me, so naturally, I grew up thinking I was short and fat. (It didn’t help that they taunted me with the fatty, fatty, two by four – you can’t get through the kitchen door – song). This followed me into adulthood and I struggled with self-worth and worried myself sick about other people’s opinions of me. Am I too heavy? Am I too thin? Is this outfit too revealing or what does it “say” about me? Excuse my French, but that is bull! Case in point, if I’m having a really rough day because my epilepsy meds are kicking my butt and I’m just too tired to put on heels and a full face of make up and I opt for my chucks and a some Lulu joggers, I’m not lazy folks! FYI, there is more going on then meets the eye. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age where image is everything, or that is what we are led to believe. Intelligence and good character  are merely “extras”.

Then one day, I woke up and realized I didn’t want to feel that way anymore. With that feeling, I sat down and made a list of all the items I handle on a daily basis, and then a list of  all of my accomplishments in my life, and from there I moved on to a list of all of the people who depend on me each day, and so on and so on. It was honestly eye-opening to me. As I made these lists, I began to think about all of the tough times I have been through in my life, including loss of loved ones, failed relationships, and illness, that I have gotten through and am still going! I DO HAVE VALUE. I AM OF VALUE. Why in the world did I ever let others make me feel less of myself? I do not wish that feeling on anyone and that is why I am sharing this with you today.

My point to all of this is merely this, YOU HAVE VALUE. Your value is not based on anyone else’s opinions of you. They are not you. They have not walked in your shoes or shared your memories or lived your life. Only you have done those things. You know what you bring to the table each and every day and what you choose to leave in the pantry. I am here to tell you that being intelligent and having a soft heart are beautiful and worth far more than any make up or outfit you can buy anywhere! Never stop learning and never dumb yourself down for anyone. The same can be said for your heart, Never dull your shine because someone tells you that you are too bright for them. If anyone ever makes you feel like less of who you know  you are, the problem lies with them and not with you. Anyone that truly values you will never make you feel less than who you are or negative about yourself.  Yes, I know, that you will deal with some of these negative behaviors in your school, in your work, and even in your home, but the key is knowing that they are the problem and not you. Be proud of who you are, own it!

xoxo- SheShe

Up & At It!

Are you an early bird or a night owl? When are you most productive? These are important questions because knowing the answers can mean making the most of your time! If you enjoy rising early, spend that time wisely, like organizing your day while you sip on that first cup of ambition! Not to worry, if your a night owl, spend those late nights organizing the next day, that way when your head does hit the pillow, you sleep peaceful, knowing you are ready for whatever tomorrow brings! Xoxo- SheShe

Hello 2018

As we put another year to rest, we reflect on many aspects of our lives. Our personal, our careers and our relationships to name a few. What achievements were made, what led to those achievements, both personal and professional? What disappointments did we go through and what led to them? What relationships did we start and which ones did we walk away from and why? Reflection is a vital part of moving forward into the new year. In order to move ahead in the right direction, we must have a clear road map. Make clear decisions on what will work for you in 2018 that focus on your strengths, your ambitions and what it will take to make it happen. On a personal level, who is it you want to be, what type of person? Set aside time either daily, weekly or monthly to assess what changes you are making to become that person, a better you. What circles do you surround yourself with? Do they support you and your goals in a positive way or do they bring you down?  Make the decision to only surround yourself with people that are positive and have your best interest at heart! And last, but not least, show kindness! IT’s free, doesn’t cost you a thing to give and yet it can be the best gift you have ever given to someone! you never know what someone is going through and a simple act of kindness can literally mean the world to them! Wishing you all happiness, prosperity, and success in whatever you do in 2018! xoxo – SheShe B,WNEWYEARS2017