Items for the Home - Sensory Delights

In this time of the lockdown, it’s the little things that count, whether that means a frothy cup of cappuccino or a heavenly scented shower. Focusing in on and being mindful of the sights, sounds, tastes, textures and aromas of different items in your home can take you away from this world that’s in dissarray, even for a little bit. The four items below are ones I highly recommend for their sensory delights. 

PowerLix Milk Frother Pro — There are so many things many of us who have been living under lockdown for 2+ months miss, including a cup of espresso with frothy milk. (And that’s especially the case if you don’t live anywhere near a coffee shop, and you don’t have an espresso machine at home.) One way to get a similar taste and texture sensation is to brew your coffee using a moka pot and then then foam the milk — including non-dairy such as almond or soy — using the Powerlix Milk Frother Pro. This relatively inexpensive device looks very delicate but it foams almond milk to a cloud-like texture in just 30 seconds. 

Rituals - Energizing Shower Scrub, Sweet Orange and Cedar Wood — Why not bring a bit of a spa experience into your home? This shower scrub, which is made of almond and avocado oils along with essence of orange flowers and cedar can be part of your morning mindfulness routine in the bathroom. The sugar in the product makes for a light skin exfoliant while the fragrance of orange flowers and cedar offers an invigorating aroma to luxuriate in. 

L’Occitane - Citrus Verbena shampoo — With all the time sheltering at home, I find it’s important to be mindful of pleasant scents, something that can bring a hint of pleasure to an otherwise boring day. This shampoo is made with extracts of lemon, orange and grapefruit, citrus fruits that offer refreshing scents that are reminiscent of summer. The shampoo is gentle, leaving your hair clean but not damaged even when used daily. 

Ginger Lily Farms - Apple Pear Hand Soap — With all the hand washing that needs to be done in the era of the pandemic, I needed a hand soap that was not going to irritate or dry out my hands. During the first month of lockdown, my hands became so dry, the skin began to crack and bleed. Luckily I heard about this vegan liquid hand soap that’s made with fruit extracts. Curiously, despite all the hand washing, my skin never felt so soft and the fragrance is pleasant but light. It only comes in a one gallon but it’s worth it. No need to search for liquid hand soap for quite some time. 

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Faroe Islands - Photos

I’m dreaming of the Faroe Islands, a windswept archipelago of 18 islands that’s snuggled in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Norway. It thrives on its main claim to fame: a reputation for a pristine environment, and awe-inspiring scenery. 

The weather can be dramatic with high winds and drenching rains. In fact, the Faroese have 40 words for “fog.” But no matter whether it’s foggy, cloudy, blustery, whether I was pelted with rain or sleet, or whether the sun was blazing, this is a land with an absolute peaceful beauty that I long to return to.

I visited four of the 18 islands and found that around every bend in the road is an idyllic scene of tumbling waterfalls, rushing streams, jagged peaks with birds soaring about, and expansive pastures where sheep placidly graze. 

A bucolic trail that takes about two hours to hike leads from the capital city of Torshavn to Kirkjubour, a waterfront village of turf-roof dwellings, cathedral ruins and Saint Olav's Church. It's here where Trondur Patursson, a Faroese sculptor, painter and glass artist, created the colorful gate in the photo below. 

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Resorts in Fiji - Photos

I’m daydreaming of Fiji, specifically Castaway Island, a resort on a private island, as well as the Nanuku Auberge Resort, which is set on the rainy side of the main island of Viti Levu.

At Castaway island, the North Beach is perfect for an early morning walk. Every morning, I walked out of my beach bure — a traditional Fijian bungalow — and jogged along the golden sands, or hiked a trail along the coastline, being mindful of the sensation of the breeze on my face, and the soft sound of the tide lapping on volcanic rocks.

Some days, at low-tide, I strolled around a rocky point to a more desolate strip of sand. Some people enjoy kayaking there as well. I dream of getting a massage at a portable table that’s occasionally set up along North Beach in a secluded area, far from the myriad water-based activities

Even a type A person (like myself) can easily get into a Zen state of mind at the Nanuku Auberge Resort where a sustainability and eco ethic prevails, including learning how to plant mangrove forests. This property is idyllic, whether it’s the accommodations that have private plunge pools, the creative cuisine in the al fresco restaurant, or the daily opportunities to learn first-hand about Fijian culture.

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Mauritius - SALT of Palmar resort - Photos

Memories of SALT of Palmar that’s set along the languid east coast of Mauritius. A stay at this placid property is all about embracing life, love and learning: love for the environment and the eco- and sustainability-focused ethic cultivated on the property that provides guests with super soft bathrobes made with 100% organic cotton and material from coffee beans, and flip flops constructed of sedge; living a day that begins with sunrise yoga and mindful meditation on the white sand beach; and learning a new skill, such as pottery taught by the same artisan who created all the creative ceramic dishware in their al fresco restaurant.

SALT of Palmar enwraps guests in a tranquil vibe that’s also full of whimsy and playfulness, especially in terms of its architecture. The basic structure is a riad-style complex with nooks and crannies and oculus windows and plant-filled courtyards. But the designers also imbued the resort with some strikingly wild hues and seemingly disparate patterns. This diversity reflects the country itself that’s a melting pot of cultures and cuisine.

One of my many fond memories: An oculus window reveals the peace that’s found in every nook and cranny at this property.

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Iceland - Reykjanes Peninsula - Photos

At this time, calming travel photos are welcome. Whenever I visit Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, I’m filled with peace and joy, surrounded by dramatic and pastoral landscapes — something I especially crave now.

Though the Reykjanes Peninsula is most noted for bustling Keflavik Airport, I roamed the landscape windswept seascapes and volcanic reminders. It’s  chock full of curious geological features. The second photo below shows off Gunnhver, a geothermal area where I strolled a boardwalk, surrounded by plumes of steam that pour from cracks in the earth. This area is named for Gunna, a female ghost that was said to plague the peninsula until she was thrown into a roiling hot spring. The thick clouds obscure much along the boardwalks, including any apparitions. .

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Any-Occasion Greeting Cards As We Self-Isolate

As we continue to self-isolate, many of us crave connections with others more than ever, to recapture some of the intimacies we had in the “before time” or maybe to reconnect with those we’ve lost touch with. Sure, we no long send cards and letters to friends and family whether to commemorate a special event or just to say “hi hi.” But at this time, receiving a handwritten card emblazoned with a landscape image that provides travel inspiration and satisfies some of our wanderlust might be especially appreciated. Each of my any-occasion greeting cards features one of my landscape, nature and travel photos from my around-the-world travels, including India, Corsica, Nicaragua and Israel.  Some of the cards are vertical and others are horizontal. (This montage represents a sample of the many photo images available.) They can be purchased singly or as a set of 5 or 12 or more different images. (When purchased, you’ll receive a random sampling of the number of cards desired.)

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Healthy + Flavorful Food Items While Sheltering At Home

As we in New York continue to socially distance and remain in our homes, going out (wearing masks) only when necessary for vital groceries or medication, it’s become more and more difficult to order groceries online, whether from Amazon, Pea Pod, Fresh Direct, to name a few, that require scheduling at odd hours or making scheduling attempts over and over again, often to no avail. Yet, as we are sheltered at home for what seems like forever, we crave healthy and flavorful food and beverages. Below are some small companies that take the frustration out of ordering specific items while also offering plenty of sensory stimulation.

Angelic Bakehouse  produces a variety of wholesome breads, including the Sprouted 7-grain with 3 grams of fiber per slice. The ingredients include sprouted red wheat berries, quinoa, oat groats and rye berries.

Elmhurst 1925 is noted for their plant milks, such as unsweetened almond milk that, unlike most every other almond milk on the market, contains only two ingredients: almonds and water. Among their myriad plant milks are: cashew, oat and hazelnut.

Devocion Coffee works with farmers in Colombia where the beans are dried and then shipped to the roasting facility in Brooklyn, NY. Their network is so efficient that just 10 days or so elapses from the point of origin to the cup. The result: a flavorful brew.

La Tienda is a source of tasty Spain-sourced marcona almonds, including the no-salt, oven roasted product that contains 3 grams of fiber per 1 ounce serving. For anyone not familiar with marcona almonds, they have a different flavor, texture and shape compared with traditional almonds. Anyone who has traveled to Spain will delight in these nuts and, for those who haven’t, they’ll get an introduction to a healthy, tasty nut.

Cook Unity is a company delivering healthy, nutritious, flavorful meals prepared by private chefs. You tell them what you like — such as fish — and what you are trying to avoid — such as sodium. Each week you’ll an aesthetically pleasant set of meals arrives at your door in a zippered, insulated and chilled shopping bag. You’ll even be able to track the delivery vehicle as it approaches your neighborhood and leaves it at your door.

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Quebec Maritime Photo - 4

In Quebec Maritime in the village of Sainte-Flavie, some 100 wooden human-like sculptures pepper the shore of the Saint Lawrence River. The sculptures traverse the landscape from the water to the land, with some appearing and disappearing with the tide.

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Quebec Maritime Photo - 3

In Quebec Maritime, art appears in some unlikely places. This contemporary sculpture, Le Cheval Noir, can be found in the town of Trois-Pistoles. And there’s an interesting tale associated with a horse and the adjacent church that, of course, involves the devil.  

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