Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Visit-Green and Gorgeous

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

The Main Entrance

James Deering a well to do man in the early 1900's longed for a unique winter home built in Miami Florida. Rather than hire a well known architect he instead hired three young men and relatively inexperienced men to create his estate. The planning and construction by the 3 men lasted from 1910 to 1922 and the end result was quite unique indeed. Modeled after an old Italian county villa Deering made many large scale purchases of European antiques and then designed the home and grounds to house them. Vizcaya has been described as "the finest private house ever built in America." 

If you are in the area it is definitely worth the trip. The landscaped gardens are beautiful and the home is so unique it is hard to believe that people lived there at one time. If visiting in the summer months I would recommend going early in the morning to try and beat the heat and humidity a little bit. For some reason when we visited it was very quite and serene. I believe we only found ourselves running into another small group or two. It made it nice to see everything and be able to take our time as we walked around. I noticed that the website for Vizcaya says no photos are allowed indoors. When I visited that was not the case so you will see some indoor pictures here. 

As we were walking the grounds I couldn't help but feel a bit of deja vu as if I had seen this place before even though this was my first visit to Miami. Toward the end of the morning I figured it out. Jim Carrey filmed part of Ace Ventura at this home. Which made me love the place all the more. Enjoy the photos. For more information on Vizcaya visit their site here.

One of the many intricate doorways.

Stained Glass Windows…. and me. :)

Entrance to the large court yard in the middle of the home.

Decorative Ceiling

Ceiling and doorway

Another indoor room. I love the ship on the ceiling.

Staircase from the top.

Front of the waterside property.

Little lizard friend. This was as close as I dared get to him. I was sure he would attack.

Another water view.

Entrance to the Gardens.

Color Entrance to the Gardens.

Those are my favorites from the trip. LOVED LOVED LOVED these pools at the end of the gardens. Maybe it was because I was hot and thirsty. They looked so refreshing. I almost wanted to dive in for a swim. More like a wade I guess. They don't look very deep.

Crystal Geyser near Green River Utah-A Unique Trip Worth Taking

Ever been to the middle of nowhere? Want to? Green River Utah can feel like the middle of nowhere with it's desert landscape. Upon giving it a chance you'll find some unique places that you may be glad you took the time to find.

First stop. Crystal Geyser. Just off Interstate 70 you'll find the cold water geyser waiting to erupt. There is no set schedule other than "sporadically every 12-16 hours". So if you are lucky enough to see it consider yourself well, lucky. 

Getting it's power from carbon dioxide the geyser is a rare cold water geyser. Said to shoot up to 60 feet high but most often around 30 feet. 

The geyser sits at the top of the oddest orange and white rocks that are deposits left over from the geyser I am assuming. The geyser itself sits amid a pool of water that it always letting of a little bit of water. Kids love playing in it. So if you have kids be prepared for that. I couldn't get a clear shot of the pipe hole because there were always kids around it. There were adults there as well having fun walking around in the water.

Worth a day trip if you are in the area or plan to be in the area. Enjoy!

Items I would suggest bringing:

Water

Sunscreen
Sunglasses-It's bright!

Food if you'll be staying long

Towels

Water shoes if you have them-I was in tennis shoes and was fine but there were some parts I could not get to without getting wet. You can walk around barefoot as well.

Shorts and or swimsuits for little ones if weather permits.

Layers in case it is a warm

*Directions to get to the geyser from Green River follow the pictures.

Some children wading in the geyser pool.

Geyser water run off into the Green River.

Green River.

The Ground all around the Geyser. You can walk on it barefoot. It is quite smooth.

*To get to the Crystal Geyser, begin at the intersection of Main Street and Hastings Road driving east. Cross over Interstate 70 (do not get on the interstate) and turn left onto the frontage road. At mile 3.7, turn right onto the graded dirt road. Over the next several miles, you will pass through varied landscapes. Pass under the power lines and veer right at mile 7.2 to head west towards the Green River. After another half a mile, you’ve arrived at the Crystal Geyser. The mineralized water will not hurt you, but it is not potable. Even if you miss an eruption, the amazing mineral-formed travertine terraces are incredible to explore and view along the riverbank. Visiting this odd landscape, where the surface is wrinkled and pools of water linger, is reward enough for the short trip to the Crystal Geyser. Once you’re done exploring, return to Green River the way you came.

Click here for More Information on the Crystal Geyser

Some of the bluffs just outside of Green River.

DIY Frozen Yogurt "Dots"

When trying to teach my toddler how to eat I tried everything in the book. He only wanted milk. "Mashed potatoes," my mom said. "Anything with cheese," my mother in law said.  A million other things everyone else suggested. Nothing worked. I'm sure many people have had that experience with picky toddlers. One thing I finally figured out that he did enjoy was yogurt, especially when he was teething. He stopped eating it plain so I got creative. I froze it in little drops. I simply scooped yogurt into a ziplock back, cut one of the corners, and squeezed little dots onto a flat cookie sheet. Put them in the freezer for an hour or so and you have your own "frozen yogurt". So if you have a picky toddler give this a try. I put sprinkles on them sometimes just for fun, it seems to make it a bit more dessertish. 

The funny thing I found was whenever I served these at home or took them with me on the road the adults always had to eat a few. So sprinkles or not if you are looking for a healthy snack for the evening when the snack tooth comes a knocking try these out. Use any type of yogurt you'd like, squeeze and freeze… and enjoy! 

How Can Man's Best Friend Help YOU Lose Weight?

Lacking the motivation to take your favorite pooch on a walk? Not only will it benefit him/her to get some exercise and a change of scenery but you could burn some major calories.

 PedMD suggests that walking your dog will help him/her with weight control, their digestive system, reduce destructive behavior, strengthen your bond and increase trust, and drumroll…… will help your health as well.

Use the Dog Walking Calculator to figure out how many calories you are burning and you might be motivated to take your dog out more often. Regular exercise for you and him is definitely not a bad thing. 

Walking Suggestions:

Keep your dog on a leash for his safety and others.

Bring water for you and him if you'll be going far.

Dress for the weather. Layers are best so you can add or take away a layer as needed.

If you go at night bring a flashlight and stay in areas you are familiar with.

Have fun, your dog will love being out and about with you.

My Dog (below) loves to play and go on walks whenever possible. I have found that his behavior improves tremendously when he gets regular exercise. He stops digging up the yard, he is not as hyper, and I'm sure he feels better. Just look at his smile there in that second picture. :) 

Happy Dog Walking!

Best Beauty Products for a Happy Face

After making this list of my somewhat natural beauty products that I use on my face I realize that at a minimum I'm putting 7 different products on my face each day. While I have pretty good skin for the most part this is definitely something to consider. No wonder women seem to age faster than men sometimes. Look at all of the product we are using. In any case below are the products I use on a regular basis. If you are looking for new products maybe this will help you out.

I begin my day with a shower and just plain water on my face. I don't want to try it out with washing more than is necessary.


Day Cream/Lotion

$10.99 

 My dermatologist told me about this face cream. He said he purchased his at Costco from the Pharmacy. He is an older gentleman and has the most amazing skin. I purchased mine at Walgreens and have been using it for almost 3 months. I love it for my daytime lotion. It goes on thick enough to moisturize but is not greasy or heavy. I'm loving it so far. 

Concealer

$8-$10 available at any drugstore

I've tried different under eye and blemish concealers but I always come back to this one. For me it works and has a consistency that I like and wears the way I want it to. I use this under my eyes almost daily to cover dark circles and sometimes on blemishes.

BB (Beauty Balm) Cream

Most days I use this BB Cream to even out my skin after I use the concealer on my eyes. I prefer Beauty Balms to heavy concealers but that is just a preference thing. I don't like heavy concealers on my face I prefer a lighter coverage. BB cream stands for Beauty Balm as it is like a lip balm but for your face. There are several different shades available and most offer an SPF in them which is important to protect your skin.

Mineral Powder Foundation

$25.00 Alima Mineral Powder Foundation
http://www.alimapure.com/products/satin-matte-foundation

I found Alima by accident while doing internet searches for mineral powder. They are a certified natural cosmetic which I love. I'm in the process of trying to switch as many beauty products as I can to more natural things. Alima offers foundation samples for $1.75. This lets you find the shade you would like without purchasing an entire $25.00 container and have it not work. I ordered two small containers to try out and luckily for me I think one will work so I'm trying to decide which to purchase in full size. Coverage is great, I love that you can't feel it on your face. As a bonus they send you sample eye shadows for free with each purchase. I LOVED one of the colors they sent.

Bronzer

$11.95 available at drugstores

I switch back and forth between several Physicians Formulas Bronzers. They have quite the selection. I like this one The BAKED BRONZER WET/DRY APPLICATION for the summer months. You can control how heavy or light you would like to go. I've never tried to apply it wet so I'll have to give that a try but I do like it dry. Gives a nice color without being too sparkly. I like Physicians Formula products because they are Hypoallergenic and some are non comedic two things you should look for in products that are going on your face. 

Night Face Wash

$6.50-$10 Depending on the Drug Store

Over the years I have tried dozens of soaps for all kinds of skin tones. I've read recommendations from celebrities and make up artists and tried everything they have liked. In the end Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser works best for me. It is in a pump bottle so you decide how much you need. Pump, wash, and dry. For me this is not a drying soap but it works. I've decided I really like the foam cleansers over some of the liquids that get in your eye and stink or are so thick that you rinse and rinse and rinse and they never seem to come off. 

Night Cream

$2.50-$4.00 depending on location -Walmart

I started wearing cream at night about 10 years ago so I would have good skin. I have tried all kinds of night creams and quite honestly really liked most of them. Burts Bee's has a great night cream that I love buuuuut it is $25.00.  Which I realize is not bad in the world of beauty. Sometimes you get what you pay for. But my sisters introduced me to this Vitamin E cream and I love love love it. After I wash my face at night I use it on my face and neck. Maybe it is all in my head but I can almost feel it starting to work immediately. In the morning my face is so smooth. Give it a try it is only $2.50. 

*I keep this cream in my fridge so it will last longer. Supposedly creams can lose some of their potency if they are left in the bathroom with heat and moisture. They will last longer if they are in a dark cool place.