Labor Day Weekend - Day 3

Delicate Arches, Arches National Park, Utah

A Day of Hiking and Driving

Day 3: Last day of the trip, we weren't expecting to hike, I was pretty sure just a few vista points, but the delicate arch was a 1.5 mile hike one way, and it was something we had to check off our "to do" list. I wasn't expecting it to be too difficult, but it was a strenuous hike, especially with the heat radiating off the steep rocks we were climbing. We took several breaks along the way, crouching in little islands of shade provided by the small trees and rocks but we finally made it and boy was it worth it.

Delicate Arch sits on top of a rock shaped like a basin, I was surprised that we were allowed to walk right onto the arch considering that there was only a 3 foot platform before you could slip and fall down the edge of the hill. I was literally holding my breath as I saw small children climb onto the arch to take pictures. I even saw some tourists running on the edge of the hill to take photos. Really people? take it easy. the words "I don't know if I approve of this" slipped out of my mouth, which met the playful scorn of one of my new friends! I guess since becoming a parent I have become extremely risk averse. It was in that moment that it dawned upon me that I am no longer a single entity and there are people who depend on me to be there for me- just a tad bit more scarier than the fact that I was on the edge of a cliff!

And that was it, we were starving after the hike, so we revisited our favorite little restaurant, the Peace tree for some sandwiches and smoothies before we hurriedly drove back to catch the flight back home. 

Random man made rock formations along the trail!

How was the overall experience? Awesome, I had agreed to spend the entire weekend with strangers and now we've become great friends. I learnt so much from them, we talked about everything, from careers, being women in the work place, to our families and life experiences, to blogging, fashion and travel. Everyone brought so much to the table, and it was just great to be a part of their lives with Moab as our back drop. Btw, if you love indie movies, you have to read Pricess Chimera's Realm, which is a great place for a review all things indie.

Thanks ladies for the wonderful weekend, it took a whole week to get back into the routine back here, looking forward to the next trip!!

Missed out on the previous days? Read what happend on Day 1 & Day 2

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How to Accessorize Fall and Winter Scarves

How to Accessorize - Fall and Winter Scarves

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As the days get a little shorter and the air a little chillier, we will slowly have to accept the fact that Summer is over. We do however have the winter fashion and the holiday season to look forward to. Scarves are the perfect accessory as we transition into the winter, we can wrap them around our necks over our summer outfits and then over our winter coats towards the year end. 

Pair them with statement earrings, chunky bangles and rings. These scarves perfect gifts for loved ones too.

I would love to hear from you, feedback is fun! Feel free to comment here or share with me on facebook.

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What are your favorite fall trends? What would you like to see more of? How is your day going? Anything really, trust me, i'm all ears!

Labor Day Weekend - Day 2

Arches National Park Vista Points, Moab 

Day 2: We spent the day in Arches National Park, Moab checking out the vista points and awesome rock formations. The air felt so clean and crisp, the clouds made an interesting backdrop against the red rocks. 

Double Arches 

Balancing Rock

Call me crazy, but at some places Arches reminded me of Disney Pixar's Radiator Springs. I've only seen this movie once (...a week ever since it came out on DVD).

In the evening, we booked the Hell's Revenge hummer sunset tour. It's basically a hummer ride along the rocky canyons, and sandstone hills in an area of the park called Hell's Revenge. We could see a lot of black clouds forming as we drove to the entrance of Hell's Revenge, but we weren't too worried, because it hardly ever rains in the desert.

Apart from the spectacular view overlooking the Colorado River and Arches National Park, we even saw dinasaur foot prints, which I thought was very cool.

Aren't the clouds awesome!!

The retired army vehicle took us on 50 degree sloping rocks and teetered on the edge of cliffs, it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. 

And, just as luck would have it, while it rarely rains in Moab, trust it to start pouring down heavily just as the sun was about to set. With the strong wind blowing the dust and the pouring rain, the temperature dropped drastically and we were treated to a backward descent from the rocky hill, and a speedy return back into town, our tour was cut short but it was exhilarating in its own right. Definitely highly recommended!!

Since we paid $5 more for the sunset tour, it seemed necessary to turn back and snap this picture. I'm sure my husband is glad he refused my request to take the SLR on this trip.

Got to love the iphone

Missed out on Day 1 of my Utah adventure? click here to read all about it!

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Headband Headaches

Headband Headaches

Is it just me or do others have the same issue?

Sans makeup - My mommy avatar

I don't wear headbands because they give me major headaches, especially behind the ears, I avoid them like the plague. But during my trip to Moab, Utah, I picked up a couple of pretty cotton fabric headbands, than can open up to look like a bandana. Moab is quite the hippie town and it inspired me to go a little boho. I tried them on in the shop for about 10 seconds and everything seemed perfectly fine, of course, that's plenty of time to know whether this style would be headache free right?



I found one of them on the bathroom floor as I was about to rush out to pick up the kids from day care (all my cool stuff belongs on the floor these days, it's my very own personalized lottery system that my children have devised for me, I never know which of my belongings will have the pleasure of being scattered across the house for the day). Anyway, I decided to put it on. I kid you not, within 5 minutes, I noticed my head throbbing, "I'm gonna fight this" I told myself, "I shall conquer the headband".  

Well, by the time I got home 15 minutes later, all that pressure was a little too much for me, it gave me a headache, triggered my sinuses and now I need a nice head massage. So much for boho chic...but they're so pretty...maybe I should loosen them a little....does this happen to anyone else? 

Labor Day Weekend - Day 1

Labor Day Weekend 2012

The Girls Getaway to the Beautiful Arches National Park, Utah 

It all started in July when a good friend mentioned that she was planning a vacation with a couple of her friends, and asked if I would be willing to join her, leaving the kids and husband at home for a few days. Did I need a moment to think about it or discuss with my husband?  No way, I jumped at the invite, I had no clue who the other women were but I knew this was my one chance to "be free", well for 3 days really.

So after a lot of emails and deliberation, myself and three lovely ladies chose Moab, Utah as our vacation destination. This trip was a real eye opener in terms of realizing just how much life has changed in such a short span of time.

I was flying out early Saturday morning, and I began packing my bags on Wednesday, I completely over estimated the amount of time it would take for me to pack for a 3 day vacation. When we visit friends in the bay, it typically takes 2 days to pack with an intense scramble at the end before we are set to load the kids and their paraphernalia into the van. All that effort for for just a one night stay. It's such an ordeal with the family, packing lunches and snacks, a cooler, wash the bottles, warm water, clothes for the warm weather, clothes in case it gets cold at night, estimate the number of diapers I need and the list goes on (and on and on...). I was pleasantly surprised when I was done packing within a few hours. Huh, fancy that!

Day 1: We spent the day literally unwinding from our hectic lives, it was like unfurling our bodies and minds from our work, familial duties and the unavoidable stresses of life. Was I nervous about leaving the kids and hubby back home? Sure, but what was worrying about it going to solve. 

This day was all about breaking the ice and getting to know one another (except for one girl, none of us knew each other). We ate  lunch at the Red Iguana, a Mexican restaurant in Salt Lake City. It seemed to be a popular joint, judging by the line of people waiting to be seated. It's tag line was "Killer Mexican Food", well, the tacos were typically what you would expect, the Mole, being an acquired taste wasn't such a hit for us, but the chimichangas were definitely "killer" if you like a lot of cheese. 

After that, we headed out to the Church of Latter Day Saints, two Sisters guided us around the temple, it was an interesting place to visit, the architecture was phenomenal and the discussion around history and religion was a nice way to spend the afternoon. 

My favorite part of the day was when we stopped at a Carl's Junior for coffee and sweet potato fries. What was supposed to be a quick stop on the way to Moab ended up being a 45 minute pow pow with the girls. It felt so nice to be able to sit at a table and not have to argue with a 3 year old on why he can't drink soda or have to deal with a one year old screaming her lungs out because she want's to climb on the table and knock off all the cups and plates. It was good old fashioned conversation without the trimmings of parenthood. 

Mind you, it's not like my family back home had decided to do with out me, oh no, thanks to whatsapp and its free texting services my phone was continuously pinging the whole weekend with messages from my husband, providing a complete running commentary on their lives back home without me, along with photos. Truth be told, I wouldn't have it any other way, it was nice to know that I was being missed by my husband!

Our dinner in Moab was at the Peace Tree Juice Cafe, they had a great vegetarian lasagna and other italian items too. This was such a great find and definitely deserved a second visit.

Tired from the early morning flight, and long drive, we headed back to the hotel room for a good night's sleep. It would be the first time in about 2 years without waking up to a foot hitting my face while having to sleep on my shoulder in a sliver of space on the left side of my bed, while a toddler sprawls himself in the middle.

Watch out for Day 2!