SeeSondraSlim

Whew!

January is here and Day 6 of the January Whole30 is almost over! While I’m not one for the pressure of resolutions…I am a BIG fan of starting the year off with Whole30.

Why? A few reasons:

The group support via Social Media

The Daily Updates and periodic emails from the official Whole30 site/social media

I feel like I’m starting the year off on the right foot….with self care and self…

You guys.

This last month has been an absolute whirlwind. I don’t know where August, let alone 2017 even went.

I was fortunate enough in August to be able to go visit my mom in Connecticut for her birthday, and while there, we spent two nights and three days in New York City. It’s become standard for us to hit the Big Apple whenever I come to visit (gotta love that its less than 2 hours away by…

Curvy Kate Star in a Bra 2017….I’m a Finalist! 

You guys.

I entered the Curvy Kate Star in a Bra competition week before last and I was super excited when I got an email last week to set up a time for a FaceTime interview with this amazing UK based brand! 

I learned I am one of the TWENTY FINALISTS! I’ll be flying to New Jersey in a couple of weeks for a “Live Audition,” and the photos from that photo shoot will be used for the official…

It’s no secret I haven’t been around!

June was busy with a trip to Mexico, and heading off to my highly anticipated trip to Greece!

Before either of those trips, work got especially crazy with new staffing policies that resulted in my existing 12-hour shifts becoming 16-hour shits 2-3 times a week. It’s been rough.

I’ve been home for a couple of weeks, and slammed at work. I have been a little…

Still going strong y’all! 

Still haven’t spent excessive amounts on fast food/eating out, still have room in the fridge (kinda), and still living for these convenient and delicious meals! Model Meals is really changing up my lifestyle in the best way! 

As usual, if you don’t see a photo it’s because I forgot before eating! (But I took photos of the next batch in advance, so week four won’t be…

Once again, Model Meals came like a thief in the night and left a box of happiness on my doorstep Sunday night! 

I pre-order my meals the Sunday before, so that I can ensure I get what sticks out as the tastiest on the menu! 

This week, I was super excited for the Green Chile Chicken Soup (I love soup and consider it a food group in its own right), and the “Paella,” and Beef Taco Salad! 

Here’s…

Model Meals Kitchen: My Review!

I’ve been a big fan of Model Meals for awhile now.

I started another round of Whole30 after getting back from Italy and starting to prepare for my upcoming photo shoot in Greece this summer.

In an effort to set myself up for success this time around, I decided to invest in Model Meals meal delivery to save myself some time, money, and sanity.

Working 12 hour night shifts on weekends, I have a…

Pisa, San Gimignano, Chianti, and Siena!

My first trip to Italy was the type of vacation where we had a lot of ambitious ideas for what we’d like to do, but got there having done so much at home that we ended up truly vacationing. Walking, drinking a lot of wine, eating a lot of food, and then drinking more wine….if it was too late for more caffe.

This time, we wanted to make sure we saw the things we didn’t get to see last time around!…

I’ve seen photo after photo of these 5 coastal villages-and yet I still wasn’t prepared for how amazing they are!

When planning this adventure, I actually opted to book this Day Tour through Viator (new customers get $10 off their order when you use my link!), because it eased a lot of the transportation concerns for us. We left at 7:30 in the morning from the Santa Maria Novella Train Station on a bus and drove just short of 2 hours to La Spezia, an industrial city just at the base of the mountains leading to 5 tiny coastal villages ranging from populations of 300-3000 people.

On this trip, we visited 4 villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Monterosso, and Vernazza.

The weather made for some overcast photos, but I like to think they still captured the beauty of the villages and the fascination that surrounds the brightly colored buildings and blue waters.

My favorite thing about taking tours like these, is that there is someone to guide you to the best photos and history in the area, but you also get the opportunity to explore independently and find your own gems. Plus, you’re sure to meet some interesting people-and even make some new friends!

Some of my favorite shots from this trip (PS, all of these photos were taken by Zainab and I on our iPhones!):

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When it comes to shopping, none of these villages really tickled my fancy. There are lots of small, rather pricey shops-which I’m sure ties into the whole “Population: 300” thing.

We did have an amazing blackberry tart at a small cafe in front of the ocean in Vernazza, some super strong caffe correto (espresso+grappa) in Monterosso, where I think we also found the small place that made fresh lemon slushes….and had an option to add vodka.

We added vodka, obviously.

I think moreso than anything, I was too busy taking in how beautiful and well-preserved these little villages were to get too preoccupied with the wares they offered. I saw a lot of the same kitschy and touristy trinkets and small bottles of liquor and oils that you can find most anywhere in Italy…so I stopped worrying about where to shop and what to buy and just enjoyed the ocean instead.

It’s worth noting that there is a train that goes from La Spezia into the villages. It’s very fast, and rather efficient! At the end of the day, there were at least 400 of us piled on the platform waiting for a train that was delayed over 30 minutes…and things got real. People were pushing and arguing and being rude! And it took FOREVER to get off of the train and to the meeting point with our bus because of the crowding and lack of manners!

But I had expected way more tourists and crowding, especially on a Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised at how we had a lot of room to breathe as we made our way through Cinque Terre, moreso during the first half of the day!

This trip really made me want to focus more on the Italian coast on my next trip (although I just have such a love for Florence, and will probably start/end there always), because it really is one of the most beautiful, natural wonders. Sprinkled with history and character, it really draws you into its charms!

Have you been to Cinque Terre? What were your favorite things to see and do?

Happy Travels!

Another Whole30: Week 1 Update

Man.

Remember how I kept saying during my first Whole30 last year that I was shocked at how easy it was? How impressed I was with myself for sticking to the script and making all of my meals and throwing parties while managing to stay compliant? Remember my post about Whole30 being life changing?

Well….this round isn’t that easy. My sugar dragon is my mortal enemy. My headaches were insane the…

My love affair with Italy started before I can remember, largely due to my heritage being partially credited to the country. I love authentic Italian cuisine, music, and culture.

This year, I took what I learned from my trip in Fall 2015 to try to make an even better experience possible, and I’m pretty pleased with how it all worked out!

For this adventure, I scored a $668 RT flight out of LAX and right into Florence, Italy where I planned to stay. I booked this flight last October, but I was tracking the flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight tracker/predictor site, since May!

Once my flight was locked in, I hit AirBnB to find the perfect apartment to use as my Florence launchpad for my Tuscany plans.

When I originally started planning, I didn’t even have a travel companion. But I had dates, tickets, and reservations….and faith that everything would work itself out accordingly. But of course, my amazing friend Zainab once again came through and was my travel companion!

Zainab and I outside the Cieto Chiarli Winery in Bologna

There is truly something to be said of friends who travel together. I look forward to more adventures with her…and we will succeed in stealing Alex away with us next time!

Once all of the most important arrangements were made, I had plenty of time to “map out” an itinerary of sorts, to make the most of Florence and the surrounding areas. Last time, we spent 4 days in Rome and 3 in Florence, and I regretted not having more time in the heart of Tuscany!

Ideally, I wanted a few free days to roam the city and re-visit some of our favorite things from the last visit (which actually weren’t places, but more along the lines of specific types of potato chips and candy bars, lol), and also a few days outside of the main city exploring-there will be more involved posts for each day trip, soon!

My favorite way to book Day Tours and experiences is using Viator, a site/app that books for you via the various companies across the world to get you amazing deals on even more amazing adventures. Get $10 off anything you book when you use this link.

Some of the highlights:

Day 1: Piazzale Michelangelo…and a GELATO FESTIVAL

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Day 2: Cinque Terre

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Day 3: Exploring Firenze: Profumo Santa Maria Novella and the best dessert espresso drink!

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Day 4: Pisa, San Gimignano, Chianti Classico, and Siena

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Day 5: Bologna-The Food Tour to End All Food Tours

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Day 6: More Romaing Firenze…Really Making Our Last Day Count! The Leather School, The Central Market, and more!

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Again, this is a mere taste of all we did! There will be smaller posts later with tips for all of these amazing places to see if you head to Firenze/Toscana!

Want to follow me on the adventures to come (only 53 days until I head to Greece)?

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I love to post my favorite shots on social media, and I always have behind the scenes fun on Snapchat! I’d love to take you along on my adventures! I still have Phoenix, Greece, New Orleans, Palm Springs, maaaaybe New York City, and San Francisco planned for this year!

Happy Travels!