Driving up to the snow his weekend?

I love a good snowboard run any day of the week, and it seems in the winter months a quick drive to Sugar Bowl, Northstar, or Boreal are in order. Only an hour away one would think I’d have no worries. But a few years ago we were hit with a freak snow storm, that turned into a white out, and we were stuck for many hours waiting out the storm. It gave me quite a scare when I realized how cold the car got while we waited. What I really needed was to have planned ahead and prepared a “Winter Car Safety Kit”

So if you’re planning a trip to the snow to enjoy winter activities: snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice skating, sleigh rides, sledding, tobogganing, snow play and of course downhill, telemark and cross-country skiing. Don’t stay home in fear, always go prepared.

Snow can be simple and FREE. The Sno-Park program is a safe, low cost way for the entire family to enjoy Placer County’s great winter wonderland. The program, operated through California Department of Parks and Recreation, offers snow-cleared parking lots providing winter recreationalists direct access to snow play areas, cross-country ski trails, and snowmobile regions.

So here ya go, a list of what I would keep in my car for an emergency in winter:
1. Jumper cables - batteries tend to lose their charge as the temperature drops
2. Road side flares - in case you do get stuck, this will help oncoming motorist to see you through the storm
3. A few pieces of cardboard or newspapers to help with traction for your tires
4. A small travel blanket - you don't know how long you will be out there (I keep a travel pillow too)
5. An extra pair of gloves - cold hands make it hard to work
6. Lock deicer - can't get home if you can't get into your car
7. Window ice scraper - can't get home if you can't see where you are going
8. A bag of sand - to help get the car unstuck from that patch of ice
9. Emergency tire chains - in case you MUST drive in a blizzard (see car owners manual)
10. A coffee can and some matches and candles - the heat of a candle will keep you from freezing
11. Some heat pads made for hunting - to put inside your gloves or shoes or coat
12. Some sort of cell phone, CB, or emergency calling device
13. Flash light with fresh batteries
14. A book to help you keep your sanity while waiting for help.

What would you add to this list?

For fun order your survival kit in a can $9.95 from http://store.komando.com/p-428-survival-kit-in-watertight-can.aspx

Some of my favorite snow spots in Northern CA:

Great shopping, dining and activities for those in the group that do not snowboard or ski:
Northstar at Tahoe Resort
www.northstarattahoe.com

Nighttime Skiing and kids park with tubing area:
Boreal Mountain Resort
www.rideboreal.com

Best place to take the kids:
Soda Springs
www.skisodasprings.com

Best place to hang at the Lodge:
Home of the Olympic Museum
Squaw Valley USA
www.squaw.com

Best Advanced runs:
Don’t miss the dogsled tours driven by beautiful and friendly Husky’s
Sugar Bowl Ski Resort
www.sugarbowl.com

Pros and Cons of Gift Cards

A gift card is a wonderful way to thank your tour guide or a special travel agent who has helped you. I love Gift Cards, and I hate Gift Cards...

You see it's fun and easy to give a gift card. It's also fun to use a gift card and pick out your own gift and get exactly what I want. But on the flip side, they are so easy to lose and some gift cards even charge you money each month when you don't use them! One thing is for sure, it's easier and cheaper to send them in the mail than any gift.



To see more of the pro's and con's click below link.

WITI - Holiday Gift Cards

Eat Healthy while traveling- Even if it's fast food

I get to travel a bit for work and find I am always rushing. So it is usually easier to stop at a Fast Food place and order something quick. In order to stay healthy and eat right I find myself studying the menu. And what do I find to eat?

Subway - Avoid the sodas and the chips, and stick to the fresh stuff Subway does best - choose healthy turkey wraps, make huge meat and cheese hogies out of the whole wheat rolls, and load up on the free veggies of your choice. Don't be afraid to ask for more tomatoes, bell peppers or olives - whatever floats your boat. This is actually nutritious food you are asking for more of, gratis. Don't forget to have the staff add salt and pepper, mustard, oil and vinegar, basil and a shake of grated Parmesan cheese.

Wendy's - Since they banned trans fats from their meats and fries, the Wendy's chain has shot up to the top of the list of healthy burger joints. Ask for the low carb burger option and you get a container to eat your bunless burger, along with extra lettuce and tomato, with a fork.

Arbys - This seems to be a somewhat macho food joint so I havn't eaten there yet. I'm told they have delicious chicken salad wraps with grapes and walnuts in them which I would love to try. Very good, even healthy. Also, Arbys has a wide selection of interesting salad choices.

McDonalds - The Golden Arches now offers some really decent salads, including the grilled Chicken Cobb Salad and fruit salads with walnuts. Drop the bacon from the Grilled Chicken BTL (wheat bun). You can get bunless burgers/chicken for low carbing. The fruit and yogurt granola parfait makes a great breakfast, snack or dessert -- I love it!

Taco Bell - Beans are loaded with fiber. Their "fresh salsa" - you have to ask for it - has Vitamin C. Beans mixed with rice actually make a complete protein. Get extra tomatoes (more Vitamin C) and lettuce (more fiber), add some chicken and rice to a tortilla and you're off with a healthy (and full) tummy for the day.

KFC - Get the chicken meals sans breading and skin, and add green beans with corn. Or try the Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwich. More good news - KFC has dropped the trans fats.

Pizza Hut - An okay salad bar completes this list of healthy food choices at typical American fast food joints. Since you only get one salad bar trip for your price, experiment with an engineering bent to get as much salad onto that small bowl as possible. This is an art form for many travelers.

Other Key Tips to Junk Food Joint Navigating:

•Avoid the Sauce
•Drink lots of water and avoid soda.
•Go for chicken and turkey choices instead of burgers as a rule for heart-healthy travel.
•Lean roast beef options are also better than burgers.
•Grilled anything is better than flame-broiled or fried.
•Avoid french fries, onions rings and any kind of "nugget".
•Ask for extra veggies.
•Have your meals in a bowl (without the buns) if you are low carbing or simply trimming extra starch from your diet. Ask for a fork, too.

Best Photos – Second Uses

When I travel I love to take photos. I can't wait to frame up a shot and try and figure out better and more creative angles. I am always working on sharpening my photography skills with my husbands Rebel by Cannon. I do frame some of my favorite and best shots in my home, add them to photo albums and give copies to friends for fun.

New this year I'd like to gather my all time top 10 photo’s and sent them to shutterfly.com to be made into cards. Runs about $1.50 per card. I also intend to order envelopes and then separate them into “sets” of ten (one each different photo.)

This year I will give them to associates, friends and family as a small token gift of appreciation. One that is personal and useful at the same time

Next I plan to collect some photos of grandkids and family to make into other personal gifts. My daughter Jenna gives such great gifts and I always find it fun to receive. walmart.com has the largest selection I've seen and the best prices too.

It’s a wonderful way to use some of those great photos you take on your travels and recognize someone or just simply for a special gift.

Consumer Reports Home & Garden Blog: Tip of the Day: Cutting back on dry-cleaning can save you money

For work I wear a lot of clothes that need to be dry cleaned. Here are some tips to save you money on cleaning your clothes.

Consumer Reports Home & Garden Blog: Tip of the Day: Cutting back on dry-cleaning can save you money

New Years Cards & Stationery | Shutterfly

A great idea I saw on shutterfly.com this year was the adorable New Year's cards. I think this may be the route I go next year. That way I can use a Christmas picture -- love it!

New Years Cards & Stationery | Shutterfly

Business Travel - It's a trade off

Seems like everyone is staying closer to home. In fact fewer Americans traveled for either business or pleasure, and they made trade-offs. I think we are all tightening our belts and watching our dollars.

Findings from The PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Trends Survey Tenth Edition highlight the trade-off trends:

Vacations continued to outpace shorter, long weekend jaunts this year, and more travelers were attracted to the convenience and savings afforded by purchasing combination travel and packages. Many of these consumers used Web-based traveler information, such as online video and podcasts, and metasearch tools to limit the number of Web sites they visited.

In times of economic uncertainty, long weekend travel is increasingly dominated by the infrequent traveler, who uses these short getaways as respites when a vacation is not possible. This proves particularly true when the proportion of self-employed workers increased (as it did in 2007), as these individuals have more limited time and fewer prescribed opportunities for leisure travel. Infrequent travelers account for an increasing share of business trips taken—now at 59%—as corporations become more rigorous about limiting the number of traveling employees and unnecessary trips.

The PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Trends Survey annual survey highlights a series of key online buying and shopping metrics. The report's table of contents, list of tables and methodology are available online. PhoCusWright's Global Edition subscribers may access the report at www.phocuswright.com.

I guess if I must go somewhere for business I need to work harder to extend or at the very least enjoy the new cities surroundings. All part of my goal for 2010.

Cutting Edge California

If you loved BBC's Planet Earth then you should stay tuned for their new masterpiece

Cutting Edge California

Why California? Because California is famous all over the world for blazing new trails. It is a place that forges new frontiers. A place for innovation

The series covers:

Natural Heritage
Energy
Buildings
The Ocean
Technology
Wine and Food

http://www.cuttingedgecalifornia.com/ for more information.







Check it out! Jonelle'

Mary Engelbreit - Home Companion

Mary Engelbreit

Posted using ShareThis


I love Mary Engelbreit. She has such good designs and a great sense of mixing old with new. I understand she has stopped the production of her magazine Home Companion. (One of my favorite -- I would grab at the airport for a good flight read.) She has retained ownership of the Home Companion name and brand, so we do hope that at some point in the future we are able to secure a new publishing partner to continue to deliver Mary’s inspiring style! Keep your fingers crossed!

On her web site she has developed some new pages. Pages dedicated to those of us who like to make things for our home. Some of the projects include:

Book Garden

Cosmetic Bag

Daisy Pomander

Flower Pots

Night Light

Out In The Field

Polka-Dot Scarf


Thank you, Mary for sharing your great ideas!




Jonelle'

IgoUgo...

I found a new site I had not seen before. It's called "I Go You Go" or IgoUgo. On IgoUgo, you'll find reviews of lodging, dining, activities, experiences, and resorts (timeshares).

Each traveler submits a journal and is also encouraged to include an overview, a summary of their entire experience. So while someone might post an account of his recent vacation to Los Angeles and review the hotel where he stayed, the museum he visited and every restaurant at which he dined, the overview will give you the highlights of this trip and helpful tips for your own visit.



So check it out. Read the reviews and make more than a gut decision on where you set out on your next vacation!

Make a Goal not a resolution

How many times have you heard this, “My new years resolution is…” and if you think back to what your past resolutions were, they’ve probably never followed through…
Somewhere along the way we give up. I think it’s because the word resolution indicates an abrupt change, something new and sudden, starting something we’re not accustom to. And more often than not people never stay with the resolution for the simple fact that change is hard, but sudden change is even harder.

Over the years I’ve asked my friends why they didn’t stay with their resolution and here are some of the answers I got.

• “I feel cheated”
• “It’s too tough, I just couldn’t do it.”
• “Well, I was going to do that, BUT…”
• “I was doing great until the …”
• “Well, I couldn’t because it affected the family too much”

Some of my own challenges include: The time frame is too short or there was involvement or dependency on other people or a poorly defined outcome or a vague strategy for how to get there. And nearly all my resolutions included unclear responsibility or accountability.

Most people don’t accept sudden change well and yet they make a resolution every year and set themselves up for failure, to me, resolutions are like diets, they have a beginning and an end…

But lifestyle changes are forever! I believe in having a goal because it involves lifestyle and it gives you something to work towards. Goals are about achievement, they’re about doing something new or better and they’re about improvement and accomplishment. I feel one should strive to be a goal-oriented person, because you’ll always be challenging yourself and keeping life interesting.

Here is an example of how to keep your eyes on your goal. A visual board with your goal and how you plan to achieve it.




GOALS:

I work toward them at my own pace and improved my life. One of my most recent goals was to stop yoyo dieting. I researched healthy choices, different diets and started eating better. I gave myself six months to lose six pounds and keep it of.
I exercised and walked regularly and watched what I ate so that I could achieve my goal AND I now know how to get back on the wagon when my weight starts to rise.
Of course, this wasn’t my only goal…I have had many. And yes some more successful than others. Below is a list of my past goals.

Top 10 Daily Goals:

1. Exercise
2. Stop Eating Out so much
3. Read More
4. Drink Water
5. Floss
6. Walk Dog Daily
7. Meditate / Pray
8. Eat Breakfast
9. keep desk clean
10. Update Blog

As for today's goals. I think I shall start working on better planning my travel. Learn to better use my frequent flyer options and plan to see much more when traveling for work. No more accidental sigh seeing, really plan venues to visit while in different cities.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. Remember this is a new goal and not a resolution. If you want to keep track of your goals online try:

http://www.joesgoals.com/

Wishing you the very best in your goals. Jonelle'

The Fashion Code

I love the way women share....

My friend Teddy Wade shared with me this link her sister shared with her telling how you can alter your clothes and train your eye to wear fashions that fit to your very best.

www.thefashioncode.com

You see, there is a perfect proportion 1.618 that defines the human face and body ect (for more info check leonardo da vinci or this website). Applying that equation to fashion, you can use this same principal to figure out, based on your measurements, where your hem length, coat length, sleeve length, neckline and other things should me.


See Sara and Ruth Levy apply The Fashion Code to look 10 Pounds Thinner, 10 Years Younger, & 10 Times More Stylish!
Watch how they do it on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZyO96DpgbU

I had a wonderful year in 2009!

I can't think of a year I enjoyed more than 2009. As I reflect I can see I had a year filled with work, family and friends.

It's a New Year

By the time New Year's rolls around I am getting tired of the California Cusine. I love to host a Mexican Style dinner and try new recipees that I have eaten on my travels. I simply love sharing these meals with friends and family.

Making the Best Mexican Recipes at Home

If you like to feed your family dishes which are both healthy and tasty you could do a lot worse than Mexican recipes since a lot of Mexican food is naturally low in fat and calories yet has plenty of flavor.

There are Mexican recipes for every occasion including Mexican layer salads for a hot day, elaborate desserts, and cakes for special occasions and all your favorite Mexican recipes like tacos, easy Mexican casseroles, empanadas and much more.

And to drink, why not try hot chocolate. Hot Chocolate is often served with lashings of cream as well as vanilla, honey, spices and more. In fact, Mexican hot chocolate is almost a meal in itself! The Mexicans have always known how to enjoy their food.



I get a lot of my Mexican Food recipes from my travels, but look for exact measuments and ingrediants at:

http://www.mexicanfoodrecipes.org/Mexican-Recipes/index.php

Now invite some friends over and say Bueno!