Breakfast Buffet

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  I've been so busy the past couple of weeks.  We had friends come in to visit, which was super fun, I've been helping a friend with some babysitting during the days, and my music students are full force in the afternoons/evenings.  However, because of my friends' visit, I've gained some awesome pictures of more fun things to do in Rio de Janeiro, which I'll post this week.  

In the meantime, I wanted to share this adorable, make-shift breakfast buffet that my husband created for our house guests' first morning here.

He thought of it all - hot water for tea or coffee, cream and sugar, cereal and milk (in an ice bath), sliced fruit, and fresh orange juice (which he made himself!).

Not pictured: scrambled eggs made by yours truly.

How cute is that?  It makes me want to have house guests every day! :)

Beijos,

Julie

Daily Life - Part 7

(The other day I asked my sister what she thought about my blog.  She said she wished I would post more pictures of "daily life in Brazil."  I immediately thought, "I post tons of pictures like that!"  And then I realized that most of the "daily life" pictures are on Instagram.  So, in case any readers out there don't have Instagram, I'm going to post a series of reviews.  If you already follow me on Instagram, these photos will be a repeat.  Also, some of these may have already been featured in previous blog posts, but I'm too lazy to figure out which ones, so they might also be repeats.)

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Part of beautiful Barra da Tijuca

The first thing we did when we got back from Sao Paulo 

Some old buildings in Centro

Double rainbow... view from our balcony after some rainfall

Me, feeling very frustrated and overwhelmed at the visa process

The Municipal Theater in Centro

View of Sugar Loaf from a taxi window

How they "repair" telephone wires in Brazil...

Beijos!

Julie

"Every time you use an apostrophe to make a word plural, a puppy dies."

Let's talk about apostrophes...

From Here

Use apostrophes as contractions (combining two words together):

It's = it + is

You're = you + are

I'm = I + am

Use apostrophes as possessives:

"That's Julie's dog." = that dog belongs to Julie

Exception = its (belonging to "it") "Don't touch its food or it will bite you."

You may NOT use apostrophes to indicated plurals:

"Merry Christmas from the Arthur's." - This sentence is incomplete... Who is "the Arthur?"  Merry Christmas from the Arthur's what?  The Arthur's dog?  My last name is Arthur, therefore Peter and I are the Arthurs.

Monkeys in Rio

Monkeys in Rio are like squirrels in the U.S.  Doesn't matter if you're walking down the a main road by your apartment or strolling through a park.  They just hang out everywhere.  Sometimes I forget that I'm living in the world's largest urban rainforest, and the monkeys take me by surprise! 

Which one is your favorite?

Beijos,

Julie

Parque Lage

I found some more pictures from our visit to Parque Lage about 6 months ago!  I don't know why I never got around to posting these!

Things to do (for free) at Parque Lage:
Have a picnic
Feed the monkeys (not sure if you're supposed to)
Explore the princess tower and the "caves"
Swing from hanging vines
Look at fishes in a small aquarium
Look at the beautiful art from the art school
And more - all while under the gaze of Christ the Reedemer.

The art exhibit that was on display while we were there

Parque Lage is right next to the Botanical Gardens (which we haven't been to yet).  It offers a nice reprieve from the hot Rio sun!

Beijos,

Julie

Daily Life - Part 6

(The other week I asked my sister what she thought about my blog.  She said she wished I would post more pictures of "daily life in Brazil."  I immediately thought, "I post tons of pictures like that!"  And then I realized that most of the "daily life" pictures are on Instagram.  So, in case any readers out there don't have Instagram, I'm going to post a serious of reviews.  If you already follow me on Instagram, these photos will be a repeat.  Also, some of these may have already been featured in previous blog posts, but I'm too lazy to figure out which ones, so they might also be repeats.)

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Boats in Paraty

My souvenir boat from Paraty

Red roofs in Sao Paulo

According to Peter, this was formerly the home of the man who discovered Brazil (Don Pedro), which is now a museum

Chocolate fondue

At a park in Sao Paulo (Parque de Independencia?)

Souvenirs from Campos do Jordao

The Swiss village, Campos do Jordao, in the state of Sao Paulo

Jungle-boy Peter, scouting out some shots

Beautiful view from our 6 hour bus ride from Sao Paulo to Rio

More from the bus window

Us on the bus

Beijos, 

Julie

Blog Makeover

You've probably noticed that my blog has a new look.  What do you think?  Do you like it?  Did you like it better before?  The previous look had many issues, but I did like the style and colors (more "girly" with gray and pink).

What do you think I should do?

A.  Keep this one for awhile

B.  Try to make a better version of the last one

C.  Neither.  Keep trying different ideas.

I want to know your HONEST opinion.  Don't be worried about hurting my feelings.  Trust me.  I want to know what you think!!!

Comment below!

Our Neighborhood

Here's a little peek at our neighborhood.  I'll try to get some better pictures to post soon.  I don't like walking around with a camera because that just makes me stand out more, and even though it's a safe neighborhood, I don't want to risk it, especially when I'm alone!

The fenced-in "Park of the Roses" (there are no roses anywhere) down the street from where we live.  On the other side of the park there are restaurants, a grocery store, and a shopping center.

The sidewalk out in front of our condominium. (Actually it's down the street a little bit, but same neighborhood)

Sorry for the blur, there must have been a smudge on the camera lens

You can see part of the parking lot of the school that's next to our condominium on the right, and there's another school on the other side of the street, on the left.

I love that there are green plants everywhere, even on busy streets!

The Expat Diaries - Travel Tips

Today I'm participating in my first link-up party hosted by postcardsfromrachel.com, lostintravelsblog.com, totheseablog.com, and rhymeandribbons.com! I'm hoping that this will attract a few more blog followers.  

Also, side note, it seems like forever ago when I mentioned transitioning over to a new domain... that is still in process!  I still plan on doing it, but I haven't had the resources quite yet.  But my goal is to get the site up by the end of the month.  You're going to love it.  :)

I'm supposed to share a travel story or tip.  So here we go.  This is actually a repost from about 6 months ago.  I never followed up with a Part 2, but I have plans to soon.

Julie's Tips for Traveling Overseas

- Part 1 -

I have traveled a lot around the world, and most recently moved with my husband to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  I thought I'd share a few things I have learned from all the packing, airports, customs, and eating I have done around the world.  I hope this is beneficial for at least one person reading!

1.  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Flying dehydrates you!  There are several reasons why I get dehydrated while traveling. You can't bring water past security and bottled waters are expensive in airports!  I often don't drink anything until I'm on the plane and the flight attendants bring around the beverage cart.  And then it's just a tiny cup of water.  I subconsciously don't drink a lot because I have the world's smallest bladder.  (These are all horrible excuses btw.)  Airplanes recycle air which is very drying.

Staying hydrated is important not only for looking and feeling great, but to keep your immune system functioning, flushing out toxins, regulating your bowels, and much more.  Drink lots of water before you leave!  Buy a water bottle at the airport and ask the flight attendant to refill your water bottle when you get on the plane.

Flying also dehydrates my skin.  I already have dry skin, so flying just makes it worse!  If you also have this problem, I suggest using a hydrating face mask the night before you leave.  I used a Mary Kay moisturizing mask and my skin felt amazing!

Contact Mary Kay Beauty Consultant Ruth Smith to order*

2.  Stock up on healthy snacks

A couple of days before we left I went to Whole Foods and stocked up on healthy snacks. Airport food is expensive, flights are long, some airlines don't serve meals and, if they do, they might be nasty, gross, or unhealthy.

A couple of items that saved my sanity this past trip:

An apple

Gluten Free Crackers

Vegetable chips (not the overly processed ones from Trader Joe's, but the actually real, dehydrated veggies from Whole Foods)

KIND fruit + nut Almond and Apricot bars

Click on the picture to purchase

Justin's Honey Almond Butter (Great on gluten-free crackers, apple, celery, etc)

Click on the picture to purchase

Other items you could bring;
Fresh veggies such as carrots and celery
Fresh fruit such as apples and bananas
Trail mix
Seed and nut mix (I like to mix almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, craisins, raisins, and chocolate chips)


3.  CALM

CALM is a natural supplement that does just want is says: calms.  This is great for people who suffer from bowel issues (any kind) that are aggravated by travel or other stressful situations, including packing, mentally preparing for a major life change, or anything else that may cause stress.  I have a canister of it at home, but I picked up a couple of individual packages to easily pack it in my carry-on.

Click on the picture to purchase

Thanks for reading!  Do you have any other tips you'd like to add?  Any travel problems in particular you'd like me to address in Part 2?   Leave a comment below.

* I am not receiving compensation from Ruth Smith or Mary Kay.  I mentioned the product because I want to bring awareness to my mom's business, and not for any other purpose or personal gain.

 Note: This post contains affiliate links.  Read my disclaimer here.