Eat Play Love

It's the peak of summer and we all know the sun can be intense and hot, so it's important to protect our skin. The majority of us just want to focus on slicing watermelon, making a batch of fresh lemonade, and how in the world do I get all the sand off of my feet before getting back in the car... I've forgotten the sunscreen many times on our outings, then I find myself running into the store only to be completely overwhelmed by all the options in front of me. My go to sunscreen resource is the Environmental Working Group's Guide To Sunscreen, but if you don't want to be doing ingredient research right in the aisle of the store a really quick tip is to think, do I want a physical sunscreen or a chemical based sunscreen?



Physical Vs. Chemical Sunscreens

Physical sunscreens reflect the sun's rays with ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, there is no waiting for it to kick in it works on contact as it is a physical barrier. Physical sunscreens often…

Right now, I'm not doing laundry or haphazardly packing for my trip tomorrow. A few hours ago, I cancelled my flight to New York. I've never cancelled a flight before, a check in my first time for everything column. You may be thinking two trips to NY in a month after not visiting in 4 years? I know right, don't worry I'm thinking the same. My dad was scheduled to have surgery this week, but it's been postponed. There's so much more to the story, but now isn't the time.

Shortly after the credit appeared in my account, my mind began instantly wandering off about all the places I could travel to before I go back to work in August. How about California? Yes, please. We've spent the last three summers traveling to California and well, it feels like something is missing not dipping my toes in the Pacific Ocean. Travel daydreams are fun, but alas my airline credit is reserved for a trip to it's original intended destination, New York. I'm quite possib…

On Mother's Day a clunky wrapped box was placed on my lap in bed. It felt a bit too heavy for shoes, but I wasn't anticipating a new dish set, so my curiosity was instantly piqued. Alas, the reissued Vasque Skywalk GTXs I had been swooning over for months now were inside, they weigh in just under 3lbs for the pair. The Skywalks were really popular in the mid-90s when I was living in the Adirondacks and just the sight of them takes me back. I could not wait to get them on and out on the trails!


First I think it's important to share, I hike in Brooks running shoes. I have a light weight pair I love in the summer for hikes shorter than 7 miles and I own a worn out pair of Scarpa low cut approach shoes. I haven't owned proper hiking boots in years. When I put on the Skywalks they were as expected pretty STIFF, but not uncomfortable. I booted up and set out for my first hike, which turned out to be about 4 miles. I had a tiny hot spot on my right heel, mainly due to lacing …