Camelbak

On any given day you will find me toting my camelbak water bottle all over. It goes to and from work with me, travels with me, sits by my bed at night, and generally is always nearby. I bought my camelbak when I was in the States for Christmas. I wanted an alternative to the metal water bottles (brr) and the nalgene bottles with the wide open tops (I always spilled!). My little guy has a sippy straw and I love it. It does take a bit of practice to figure out the technique for drinking but once you've got it you'll love it. It rarely leaks and washes up in the dishwasher with no problems.Mine traveled Europe with me and still looks great. I've got the 16oz one which is just the right size. Highly recommend!

Pantene Pro-V Spray Gel

Curly hair can be a curse and can also be a blessing. If you have curly hair you know exactly what I'm talking about. Those of us "blessed" with the spring, sprang, and sprung are constantly battling with our hair. We change products like we do our clothes. One day our shampoo does the trick and the next it's not working at all. For a whole week I'll use mousse and then I swear I'll never use it again. Creams, sprays, gels, etc...I've tried them all and I rotate through them regularly. I do, however, seem to repeatedly come back to this little number. 

It works great! I spray it on my wet hair, comb through, and then I'm good to go. It gives definition without crunch and it covers my hair (of which I am abudantly blessed) without me having to have gooey fingers. 

Casa Guadagno- Positano, Italia

My two friends and I stayed here the first part of April 2008. While it is challenging to reach Positano when you're on a budget trip all of our weariness faded away when we reached this charming pensione. We reserved our room through e-mail with the owners directly. They asked for an approximate time of arrival and we were about 6 hours later than anticipated. The owner met us at the door when we arrived as if we were his long lost relatives.

Our room was wonderfully clean and spacious. We awoke to the sun shining through our french doors. The balcony offered a view to die for. The whole city was visible as was the sparkling sea. The whole place is a maze of small stairways and charming balconies. It is clean and gorgeous!

Our hosts were extremely hospitable. They even fixed breakfast for us on the day we had to leave early. They provided a map and some suggestions of where to eat. Our room was cleaned each day and the sheets and towels were pristine. They even quickly got ice for me after I fell down the lovely marble stairs!

Internet was available downstairs and although they said they charged a small fee, we were never charged. We paid 90E for a triple room. I would definitely stay here again. The whole town is beautiful and well worth the challenge of getting there. 

Casa Guadagno's website

The Apothecary's Daughter

The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen
Reviewed by Melissa J. MacDonald
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Medical
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date:

Lilly Haswell is the brilliant daughter of Bedsley Priors’ local apothecary. Abandoned by her mother when she was but 15 Lilly works hard to care for her father and her simple-minded younger brother. While she toils away in her father’s shop her heart yearns for adventure and for answers to her mother’s mysterious disappearance. An opportunity for change comes in the form of a distant Uncle and Aunt extending an invitation to host her in London. While in London she is exposed to fashionable society and keeps her father’s less than prominent profession under wraps.

As eligible suitors begin calling and clues to her mother’s disappearance come to light Lilly is urgently summoned back to Bedsley Priors. Lilly returns to her small village to find her father ailing, Haswell’s apothecary being challenged by the new competition, and the business affairs in disarray. A planned fortnight visit turns into something much longer as Lilly takes over management of the apothecary. Women are forbidden to work as apothecaries so Lilly does what she must make it appear as if she is working under the direction of her very ill father. The local suspicious doctor seems to have a personal vendetta against Haswell’s and the plot thickens as disaster looms on the horizon. As the story heats up so does the competition to win Lilly’s extraordinary heart as three handsome men vie for her attention.

She’s just a simple apothecary’s daughter who enjoys an occasional unladylike run up a hill, coffee with her dear friend Mary, and gardening with her brother. Who will win her heart and could her mother still be alive?


This book is quietly captivating. You will find yourself keeping the candle burning to find out
what happens next. Lilly is a delightful character with a wonderful mixture of loyalty, stubbornness, dreams, and heartaches. She holds her cards close to her chest (annoyingly too close sometimes!) and you will be kept guessing until the end.

Klassen weaves a compelling story that will open your eyes to the little known world of the apothecary in the early 1800’s. The book is chocked full of historical information and you will feel as if you have temporarily relocated to England. Grab a mug of coffee and a warm blanket and be prepared to take a mini vacation to a time long long ago.
Rated PG for brief references to infidelity