Lifestyle

As hard as it is to believe, the first day of school is less than a month away in Fayette County. Although we want you all to fully enjoy the remaining weeks of summer, I would encourage you parents out there to take a little time and think about your strategy regarding your kids and money. Especially as the little ones get older, it might to be time adjust a few things and get them more involved and thinking about how money works.

• July 18, 2019

With the recent long Fourth of July weekend, many of you stopped and took time off to spend time with family and friends at the lake, ocean or golf course. Perhaps you found yourself reflecting on something – perhaps the first fireworks show you attended as a child, or your favorite baked beans recipe, or an other-worldly dessert your beloved grandma or favorite aunt used to bring to the celebrations.

• July 11, 2019

Tips & tricks for your next overseas getaway. 

Last week, we talked about saving for vacations and I shared the strategy I used when I was first starting out. This week, we wanted to talk about planning your dream vacation – once you’ve got the funds saved up, of course! So, we talked to Meredith Bley of The Travel Authority to get her tips and tricks for travelers, and find out her top destinations for overseas vacations.

“First, I always ask people some questions to get them thinking about what kind of trip they want,” Meredith said. “Do you want to focus on art and architecture, food and wine, history, or do you want to relax and take in the local culture and scenery?” She also encourages people to think about the pace of their vacation. “Some people want a fast-pace where they only spend one or two nights in each city, and some people like to have a base they can go back to,” she explained.

Meredith likes Spain as a European destination for its beauty and diversity of landscape and things to do. “Spain has 3 million acres of vineyards and 5,000 miles of coastline,” she said, making it ideal for wine lovers and beach dwellers alike. For those wanting luxury, the Basque region has more Michelin-rated properties than any other place in the world, she added. The country offers a moderate climate and is home to religious sites that are sacred to all three major world religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Muslim faiths, making it an ideal vacation destination for many different people.

Planning ahead is crucial, especially when traveling abroad, Meredith said. Working with a travel agent can get vacationers access to sites they probably wouldn’t otherwise be able to get into, she added. “The Alhambra palace in Grenada only allows a limited number of tourists each month, so if you show up without planning ahead, you might not get in. I can set up an itinerary to help avoid these kinds of pitfalls,” Meredith said. She also knows of a 10-room hotel in southern Spain that’s an inclusive, organic resort featuring vineyards, horses, and lots of other amenities. “They do no advertising,” so a simple Google search won’t get you a room here. Those looking for a city adventure need look no further than Barcelona, where several of the city’s architectural marvels, including the gothic church La Segrada Familia, require advance tickets. “Barcelona has become hugely popular,” she said.

Other favorite activities Meredith loves to recommend to her clients include traditional Spanish cooking classes and trips to local markets for the ingredients, and of course sampling the famous jamon (ham) from the region’s Iberian black pigs who are fed a special diet. “You can’t leave without trying the ham!” she said.

Of course, if what you’re looking for is simply drinking wine and people watching, well, Spain offers plenty of both.

Looking for more tips and insider access for your vacation? Meredith Bley is available at 513.645.1855, or Meredith.Mosser@TheTravelAuthority.com.

Now. I’m going to pack my bags.

• June 20, 2019

Those of you who know me know that I run at about 220 volts most of the time, whereas most of my friends and family seem to run on the more reasonable 120 volts (think, a 60-watt lightbulb). Sometimes they have trouble keeping up with my… enthusiasm for everything.

• May 24, 2019

A week from today, most of us will be gathered with family, friends and loved ones, enjoying whatever our respective traditional Thanksgiving feast looks like. Whether that’s turkey, ham, spaghetti (yes, some folks go rogue) or vegan lentil loaf, the day will probably include a bit of indulgence. And that’s okay. Most experts seem to agree that occasional indulgence is a good thing, and can help keep you on track with your healthy eating in the long run.

• November 15, 2018

Life is full of decisions. From deciding what to wear when we get dressed every day to what time to set the alarm for when we we go to bed, every day is full of choices. Some decisions are small with little bearing on life as a whole, and some are large with lasting effects. Sometimes, these decisions can haunt you for months or even years. You may wreck yourself on what is the right decision, the what ifs, and then worry in hindsight about what could have been. Finally, you picked a restaurant to eat at, and now you’re wondering if sushi really would have been better than burgers.

• October 18, 2018

We all know those people on social media who look like they have perfect lives and families where everyone always smiles and no one ever feels any stress. The truth, of course, is that in reality, well, those folks probably don’t look or feel so perfect. But even if we know that social media is one big mask disguising the craziness of daily life, seeing all those perfect, smiling images can make even the most confident among us feel a little inferior.

• October 11, 2018

A couple of years ago when my older son, Carter, was about 5, we went to Sesame Street Live! with a couple of other families. Carter had saved some money in his piggy bank and wanted to take some with him for candy. So, we got out some change and exchanged it for paper money. At the show, Carter was sitting with two girls about his same age when he spotted cotton candy vendor. My son flagged him down, and when the vendor got there, Carter announced, “Don’t worry girls, I got this!” At which point he paid $16 for about 4 cents worth of sugar and air.

• August 30, 2018

Everyone feels envious from time to time. It’s human nature, especially in this day and age of 24/7 media bombardment and celebrities who are famous for simply being famous. Everywhere we look, there’s someone who has more, bigger, better, stronger, nicer. While I would never advocate for “keeping up with the Joneses,” and despite the fact that envy is one of the seven deadly sins, I do believe that a certain amount of envy can be a good thing.

• June 7, 2018