Links That Light Us Up

12th Edition

Hello, Woman on Fire!

We took a break last week to tell you all about Debbie’s recent visit with Oprah, and we hope you enjoyed her fun, three-part series 🙂

So now… let’s get right to it!

Best Baby Animal- The newest member of the Atlanta Zoo wanted to pop in and say hello. Check out the article here on The Huffington Post.

Baby Panda via Huffington Post Caters News

Best Paper Products- Who doesn’t love receiving a card in the mail, and who wouldn’t love something as beautiful as the card below in their mailbox? One of our very own Women on Fire Julia McLemore owns Green Ink Gallery where she creates gorgeous, fine-art note cards like the one below. These are our go-to note cards for sending a little joy and thanks to the people we love! You also can purchase larger versions of the cards and frame for your walls.

Cards from Green Ink Gallery by Julia McLemoreJulia McLemore

Best Breakfast Ever- With fall on the horizon we are itching to re-introduce pumpkin back into the kitchen. If you haven’t yet met Kristen of the inspiring food blog Dine and Dish, she’s about to blow you away with her Banana Pumpkin Breakfast Shake. Who said you can’t have a milkshake for breakfast?

Banana Pumpkin Breakfast Milkshake by Dine and DishDine and Dish

Best Conversation Ice Breakers- If you have a fear of awkward silences and rooms filled with strangers, this article could come in handy. The Daily Muse assembled 30 great conversation starters that are perfect for connecting with others. (We prefer getting to know someone over the transactional “networking.”) Do try these and let us know how they worked for you!

30 Brilliant Networking Conversation Starters via The Daily Muse

Best New E-Zine- Did we mention that we are going to Paris next year in collaboration with Girls’ Guide to Paris creator and Woman on Fire, Doni Belau? Well, Girls’ Guide to Paris just released the first issue of their much-anticipated E-Zine, filled with gorgeous photos, in-depth guides, and fun articles. Très magnifique!

Girls Guide To Paris New E-Zine

Best Cleaning Checklist- At Women on Fire HQ we have a tradition of “back-to-school cleaning” (even though no one in the house goes back to school any longer!) This roundup of unexpected places to clean from BuzzFeed may surprise you. Oops! We’ve been overlooking some problem spots.

32 things you should be cleaning but aren't via buzzfeedBuzzFeed

Best New Book to Movie Adaptation- If you haven’t read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak yet, hurry over to Amazon and get your copy! This story about a young foster girl in the midst of Nazi Germany who risks everything for her love of reading, and an unexpected visitor who is kept hidden in the basement. This story is powerful beyond words and the trailer gave us chills!

Best Hotel Hunter- This is our absolute Number 1 best-kept travel secret, that’s not so much of a secret anymore. Airbnb is a service that allows you to book a room, or full apartment or home directly from its owner. They have listings literally all over the globe, for every price. It’s similar to Yelp in that the locations and their owners are rated, so you can check it out before you book. We’ve had people on our team use it everywhere from San Francisco to New York, and Hawaii to Paris. If you’re looking to feel like a local, no matter where you go, consider ditching your hotel room for a more authentic (and often times less expensive) experience.

Airbnb- best way to travel!

That’s what we’ve got for this week! We hope you love the links and check back here on Friday for the next Ask Debbie Anything video!

Stay inspired,

xo

The Women on Fire Team

P.S. Did you miss the last Links that Light Us Up?

 

Where’s your next trip? Paris maybe?

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. ~ Saint  Augustine

I love that inspiring quote and use it often to give myself extra permission to do the thing I’m crazy for — travel!

To visit a new place, learn history and culture, see how others live, and get a new perspective on my own life exhiliarates me.  How about you? Do you love to go away and lose yourself (or find yourself!) in another place?

I’ve been to Antarctica, India and Egypt.  But I’ve never been to Zanzibar, Zagreb or Zurich. I sometimes worry I won’t have enough time in my life to go everywhere I want to go! What’s the next big trip on your agenda?

Wherever you go, I hope you will share your travel dreams with us so we can cheer you on — and maybe even live vicariously through you.

In 2012, one of the highlights of my travels was when Woman on Fire Doni Belau, the founder of Girls’ Guide to Paris, and I took a group of women to PARIS! It was life-changing.

For the women who went, they made lifetime friendships and figured out next steps in their lives, all while celebrating, devouring and luxuriating in what is so historic, gorgeous and feminine about Paris!

Because you are here, you know that being a Woman on Fire is about creating transformation in your life — and nothing does that quite like leaving your everyday environment to take a fresh look at yourself. All while surrounding yourself with a powerful and uplifting circle of support.

You’ve got to see this delightful video that Woman on Fire Meredith Schoenberger created from our last Women on Fire trip to Paris with Becky Adams, Lisa Umberger Arundale, Kim Davis, Jill Dulitsky, Angela Ittu, Susan Kruger, Tandi Musuraca, Michelle Whittaker, Jamie Eslinger, Doni and me.

Want to travel to Paris with Women on Fire?

Women on Fire are headed back to Paris in 2014.  And you are invited (just in case Paris is one of your big travel dreams, too!)

We will take 20 of you on two different trips (10 women on each trip) next April and May.  Many of you are already on our Paris list for more information.  If you’re not on the list and want to be considered to join us, be sure to let  meredith@womenonfire.com know your interest so we can be in touch with you.

Soon we will be sending everyone on the list a brief application and then registration will begin soon after.

I hope the video inspires you to think about your next trip — whether it is Prague, Patagonia or with us to Paris!

Have a phenomenal week and I’ll see Women on Fire members on our LIVE CHAT at 8PM Eastern on Tuesday. I’ll share tips on The Power of Your Story — And Why It’s Important to Share Yours.

Members also should receive this week September’s CD package 9 Questions To Ask Yourself To Live An Extraordinary Life. Hope you enjoy!

 

Links That Light Us Up

Welcome to our new feature “Links That Light Us Up.”

At Women on Fire, we are so fortunate to hear about or experience the latest in — practically everything!  From new recipes, restaurants and products to blogs, articles and books.  If it has a link, and we love it and think you would, too, we’ll be sharing here.

Let us know what you think and please feel free to send us any links that “light up” your life. 🙂

So, here we go …let’s start with something yummy!

Best Dessert — We’re ready to ditch the traditional campfire and say YES to S’mores any day (maybe every day). This S’mores Sundae was created by our own Woman On Fire member Phoebe Lapine.  Phoebe is a cookbook author and writes one of our all-time favorite blogs — Feed Me Phoebe.

Feed Me Phoebe's Smore's SUNDAES[pinit]

Best Desk Accessory — These Paris-themed pencils from Amanda Catherine Designs have us inspired to break out our stationery and communicate the old-fashioned way. Can anyone say Women On Fire Paris 2014?? (We are going…so stay tuned for a link on that in the future!) In the meantime, scribble away, mon amies.

Paris Pencils via Amanda Catherine Designs[pinit]

Best Summer Movie Guide – Congratulations to a Women on Fire favorite — author Judy Blume for her first movie release, based on one of her beloved books, Tiger Eyes. It’s terrific family entertainment! Head to the theater or rent it on iTunes. For all your summer movie watching, here’s a great guide to the blockbusters of Summer 2013.

Tiger Eyes Movie from Judy Blume[pinit]

Best New Travel App — What screams Summer louder than the idea of a ROAD TRIP!? Roadtrippers allows you to plan a road trip from start to finish, including best route, projected gas cost, restaurants, points of interest, scenic viewpoints, accommodations, etc. They also have hundreds of pre-planned routes for every part of the country. We’re sold! And we didn’t even have to be: it’s free!

Roadtrippers.com- best free roadtrip app[pinit]

Best Smoothie — This Tropical Pineapple, Mango & Orange Smoothie from Iowa Girl Eats looked so good, we ran to the store as fast as we could for the ingredients. How could we say no that gorgeous color!? (And, it was as heavenly tasting as it looks!)

Tropical Pineapple Mango Smoothie via Iowa Girl Eats[pinit]

Best Spot to Sit — How about a little virtual vacation? Check out these 30 places you’d rather be sitting right now. Jaw-dropping would be an understatement.

30 spots we would rather be sitting right now via Buzzfeed[pinit]

Best Puppy Picture — We just want to squeeeeze this little fur ball.

frenchie pup[pinit]

Best Print — Don’t these wine prints just make you happy?! Perfectly charming in any kitchen, they also would make an amazing gift. We think our resident wine expert Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach, would certainly approve!

Anatomy of Wine Prints[pinit]

Best ‘You Go, Girl’ Documentary — If you haven’t yet heard of MAKERS, be prepared to drop everything to watch these mesmerizing videos of illuminating women. These stories of trailblazing women will inspire you on your own journey. Here’s an example:

[pinit]

Let us know what you liked. Until next time, we hope these links light you up!

xox

Women On Fire

 

 

 

Back to the grind…or not?!

Happy 2012 to you and a huge welcome to all our new readers!

I’ve stretched out the holidays longer than I think the calendar intended. 🙂

I know it’s time to get back to work and start the New Year.  But…

Instead, would you like to squeeze out a few more delightful moments of the season and enjoy a little vacation together?!

I’d love to take you with Rob and me on our trip last week to Key West, Florida.

Wanna go?  You don’t need to do a thing!  Just settle in, close your eyes and take a big, deep breathe.

Now imagine … the sun is shining and a buttery breeze is warming your face as you arrive in the southernmost city in the U.S. – Key West.

First stop is our 5th floor hotel room at The Reach Resort and a long pause  to soak in the view. Can you even believe this is real life?!

In Key West, the scene is both gloriously gorgeous – and comically kitschy.  Can you hear the chickens clucking and roosters crowing?  Watch out! They roam free and dart about everywhere you walk.

Now, for a little breakfast.  Blue Heaven is the most popular morning restaurant but today we are going to La Creperie.  You know my rule that I never eat anything bigger than my head – but I make an exception – and I recommend you do, too – when it comes to La Creperie’s Nutella and banana crepe. YUM!

Did you read novels by the writer-of-all-writers Ernest Hemingway in high school or college?  He was quite a larger-than-life character in Key West and we are headed over to his house now.

He had several homes including this famous one in Key West.

For a man who went through four wives, Hemingway had remarkable staying power when it came to his profession.  A Nobel Prize winner for literature, he wrote every day from 6 a.m. to noon and then went fishing for the rest of the day.  Every single day!

The house is beautiful inside as we walk through each of its elegant rooms.

Unlike any other monument to a famous, dead person, aren’t you surprised how different this tribute to him feels?  It’s because it’s very alive! There are 43 cats prowling about – all descendants of Hemingway’s beloved cats – living here! (Check out one of Hemingway’s famous six-toed kitties hiding under the vanity off of his bedroom.)

Hemingway was a tall, large man and back in his day (he died in 1961) king-sized beds weren’t even introduced until 1958.  So he ingeniously lashed together two twin-sized beds to make this one below.  The headboard is a Spanish gate.  His bedroom remains as he left it. (The silky fellow curled up on his bed below is probably his great-great-great-great grandkitty.)

Now, for a really magical experience, we are entering the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory.  What an amazing surprise to have hundreds of these beautiful creatures flutter toward you and even land on your shoulders or arms!

Rob took some of the most magnificent pictures of his photography career here. Doesn’t it feel like you’re in a scene from a Harry Potter movie with all butterflies coming at you?

I’m starting to get a little tired.  How about you?

I’m thinking it’s now time to prop up your weary feet in a hammock and rest a while.  Let the soft ocean breeze gently rock you while you gaze out into the ever-changing colors of the blue-green ocean.

Happy and relaxed from your mini-vacation to Key West?  I sure hope so.

So, as you dive into your work, your life and your dreams this year, please know you can always return here for a quick trip to relax.  Five minutes floating away in paradise may change the course of a busy, stressful day!

I loved going on vacation with you — and I look forward to many more fun and joyous occasions  in 2012!

May your year be filled with good health, relaxing days and happy surprises at each turn.