Yesterday we attended a horse show and fundraiser barbeque for The Rotary Club of New Providence here in The Bahamas. My daughter had never met a horse up close before so it was a great chance for her to see them and make new friends in the process! We are trying to experience new things here and this was definitely one.
We had a great lunch of bbq steak and all of the sides thanks for the Rotary Club and it was a beautiful day to get outside. We love to see how many amazing hidden gems are here in The Bahamas. Camperdown Stables is a not for profit location for riding and boarding horses. If you love riding horses and are visiting Nassau make sure to check it out!
When I was pregnant with my daughter a good friend told me to try to travel as much as we could when she was still a young baby. At the time of midnight feedings and a new baby we were just learning about, this sounded so overwhelming and staying at home seemed like the much easier option. Her reasoning for this was not only for the baby to become comfortable traveling while still young enough to adapt to it, but also because children under age two can fly on your lap (not as safe as purchasing their own seat with a car seat) for free. Once turning two they need their own purchased seat and are no longer a “lap riding infant”.
Since she was a newborn our family has been many amazing places and travel has become a very normal part of our lives with her. She is now approaching two and we just bought her first airline ticket with her own seat. It’s more expensive now and she will still probably prefer to lay on us but the extra room for snacks and in flight entertainment will be a nice change.
In the Bahamas I have had some of the most amazing local food I could imagine. The freshness and quality of the seafood is unmatched as well as much of the local produce. Since it is a group of islands, things take time to get here (produce and meat not grown locally), but you can find some wonderful food right on the islands!
Having Endometriosis and a special diet because of it, I try to eat organic, hormone/pesticide free fresh food as much as I can. I also try to feed my daughter and family this way. I am in luck because there is a great deal available. One major difference here from the USA is my favorite (and my daughters’s) – avocados 🥑. They are incredibly good for you (rich in nutrients, and are known to be a superfood) and quite popular, especially lately. Locally in the Bahamas, they can be known as “Pears” instead.
Being from California, I was confused at first, but when I was told by friends what they were, I was excited to try them. The local “pears” are roughly three times the size of American or Mexican Hass avocados naturally (much easier to make guacamole with! 😜). They are beautiful and smooth with a buttery creamy texture inside. The flavor is a little more mild than Hass or Bacon but they can be used the same way (guacamole, on toast, with salad dressing, eaten alone, made into ice-cream or milkshakes, etc).
Buttery inside
It is a good lesson for us all to give something new a chance (what I try to teach my daughter) – even with a different name – because you never know just how good different things can be, especially while somewhere new!
This week my family took a quick trip to Miami. We stayed in the financial district in downtown known as Brickell at one of our favorite hotels – SLS Brickell. It is perfect for doing business (many international consulates, financial and corporate offices are there) shopping, dining at amazing restaurants and it’s just a quick trip to the beach. The Brickell area is just over 1.19 square miles so everything is quite close.
Waiting at the airport for our flight
Now that she is 2 she needs her own seat but is still getting used to it
Great day to fly!
The hotel is well situated and walking to the Brickell City Centre for some great shopping is easy (even with a child and a dog). The staff is amazing and so helpful.
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While we were visiting we found two wonderful restaurants fairly close by that have quickly become favorites. One of which is The Salad Box that is a perfect lunch spot (especially for the health conscious). You choose all of the ingredients you want to put into your salad (or wrap) and it’s incredibly fresh and healthy. They also serve soup (both daily specials were great) and smoothies. Perfect for a quick bite and even takeout or delivery.
Salad comes literally in a box!
Trying soup, lemonade and salad
Exterior of Perricone’s
Our other amazing find was Perricone’s Marketplace & Cafe. They have a huge selection of gourmet Italian delicacies as well as a beautiful restaurant with a wonderful outdoor patio (with a wishing well Gianna was obsessed with). They serve fresh bread and a fantastic bruschetta and even have organic options available. We ordered the Penne Pomodoro (which they switched to angel hair for us because they are amazing!), “Gigi’s Eggplant Parmigiana”, and the daily special of Ravioli Stuffed with Mushrooms and a Marsala sauce which was fantastic as well! The atmosphere is wonderful and a nice oasis in the middle of the city.
We did some shopping in the Brickell City Centre which has a great variety of shops and something for everyone. My favorite is Diptyque for candles and fragrance (their new Rose Delight for Valentine’s Day was a must for me – see my previous post about my love of Rose smell & a less expensive rose candle!) and a customary trip to Victoria’s Secret for their after holiday sale. Even as a Mom, sometimes we need something just for us! There is a Zara that has stylish clothes for kids (and adults alike).
Deciding what to order from room service on our patio at SLS Brickell
I have never seen such a dog friendly city. There were so many furry friends of every shape and size. Multiple Starbucks, grocery stores and pharmacies (Publix, CVS, Walgreens, etc) are located within walking distance and between that and the numerous restaurant options a car really isn’t necessary. Between walking, Lyft, Uber and the automated MetroMover (the hotel also offers a house car for close trips for guests) everything is incredibly accessible.
If you are in the Miami area make sure to check out Brickell for a whole new kind of family travel adventure!
I’ve traveled quite a bit over the years to many different places. Different weather, different culture, different customs. These are some of the things they have proved useful no matter where I have gone. They can all be found on Amazon and I made a Travel List that has all of these and more. There is something for everyone no matter where you’re going or who you’re traveling with.
It’s here! The February Allure Beauty Box! If you didn’t see my last post about it I’m a big fan of subscription Beauty Boxes and have tried many. I love getting new products to try every month that I don’t know about previously. There’s no huge commitment to buying a big product you aren’t sure about yet. Other Beauty Boxes don’t have the quality or size of the Allure Boxes and for two months now I have been very impressed! There isn’t a ton of packaging and you get FULL SIZE products included in your box. This is my second month of my subscription to The Allure Beauty Box through Amazon. They Amazon have many types of subscription boxes on their site and Allure was my first to try.
When it arrived it was nicely packaged in the box it came in (with instructions for all of your products!) and items were wrapped in tissue paper. Not a lot of junk to throw away. As you can see from the photo 3 items are full size products (it seems you get 3 full size every month). I love that. No trial sizes here. Full size this month are Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion, Topicals Like Butter Hydrating Mask, and Mented Cosmetics Liquid Lips in Blood Orange. The shipping is free (unlike other beauty box companies) and the box is $23.00 and you can cancel at anytime. Since it’s Amazon it’s really easy, unlike some others. I’m excited to try these fun products and I think this would make a great gift for any beauty lovers in your life (or yourself!). Click the photo below to check it out for yourself. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. It has a disease that has affected me for most of my life and took many years of misdiagnosis to realize. It is a difficult chronic disease that affects 1 in 10 women worldwide but most don’t get proper diagnosis and/or treatment. Endo Specialists are very limited and Endometriosis at this time cannot be diagnosed without surgery and is very often misdiagnosed (it was for me). Visit my Endometriosis Page to learn more about my journey, facts from the World Health Organization, Endo Found and more. Here are some videos about Endometriosis Awareness Month, 10 Important Things To Avoid If You Have Endometriosis and Why I Eat Organic Food. Knowledge is power and the key to disarming this awful disease.
If you haven’t seen Sing 2 yet, you are in for a treat. Besides an all star cast, great music and fun dance numbers, the storyline is wonderful. With a small exception, the cast from the first one is back and a couple of new favorites are added to the lineup. It is in theaters but I am very happy to say (during the pandemic especially!) it is also available to rent on Amazon Prime now!
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. It is a disease I have suffered from most of my life, much of it misdiagnosed. See my Endo section on my experience with it here. It has affected every bit of my life from health, change of careers, motherhood, day to day life and so much more. The video below is a brief overview but the page has more information about what I’ve experienced and resources for those with it and their loved ones.
Since moving to the Bahamas we have been trying to see more than the normal tourist things you might see on a day in Nassau from a cruise stop. It has been really fun because it’s forced me to think outside of what Trip Advisor (although great) offers and find other events and places you may only hear about from locals.
It was a great event with something for the whole family! Food, music, crafts, games for kids, information about local events and museums and even a “History of the Bahamas Runway Show” featuring some of the local pirates who once lived here. We purchased both conch and cod fritters, local Bahamian Limeade and candied nuts from The Nutty Bavarian (they were really wonderful!).
It is an annual event so if you are lucky enough to be visiting Nassau when it is going on make sure to check it out and learn about real Bahamian culture and local fun!
by Jaimarie 