Danielle Victoria

My moms whole life, her parents (my grandparents) had a cabin about an hour and a half away from their home in Red Bluff in Northern California. My mom has so many incredible memories going there when she was young, and I was lucky enough to experience those same special memories during my childhood. It was so magical for my mom to watch me play with pine cones, and in the little streams, just like she did when she was my age.

Unfortunately our family sold the cabin around 15 years ago and a few years later it burned down. We miss her dearly. And needless to say the mountains have such a huge space in our hearts, and I think it would be so sentimental to have a trip with her where we can just relive those moments and memories as adults while staying at beautiful space that reminds us of our cabin. After this last year I don’t know about you, but my mom definitely deserves a little vacation like this.

How dreamy is this Airbnb cabin I’m looking at in Big Bear, CA? And this second one outside Sacramento CA?

https://airbnb.pvxt.net/5b55W9

https://airbnb.pvxt.net/rnaa95

This road trip to see my family, could not have come at a better time. With my grandmas health declining, and not seeing my dad for a year, family time was much needed. I’m so grateful we were able to find these dreamy Airbnb’s along the way.

I can’t express how much I love staying at Airbnb’s. Instead of feeling like a tourist, you feel like you LIVE in the town you’re visiting. They both offered contactless check-in which was much appreciated, and the hosts went above and beyond to make sure our stay was memorable and clean/safe. They also let us know of all the restaurants, shops, and things to see in the area that they love and would recommend. The host for the one in Sebastopol, which was on a private vineyard, offered the wine they make from that vineyard! How amazing is that!

The one in Trinidad will forever be in our hearts... Vic, knowing this was my favorite town and means so much to me and my family, decided it was the perfect place to pop the question. I mean look at that view! We want to return to this Airbnb every time we go back since it is now such a pivotal part of our love story. Do you have any special memories at Airbnb’s? I’d love to hear them!

 If you’ve followed me over the course of this year, you’ve seen how I have been trying to findsmall ways to be more eco friendly and sustainable. Recycling was the first step in my journey way back in the early 2000′s when recycling really started  becoming popular. I remember collecting all of our soda cans in bags, and hauling them to the local recycling center with my mom,   and with the   money we earned, we would go get a treat like ice cream! I think it’s awesome that my mom made me associate doing something like recycling, with good memories like getting a treat. I can’t wait to pass this tradition on to my kids, and to teach them how important caring for the planet is.

For more tips on recycling click HERE

There are so many easy steps you can take to minimize your single-use plastic footprint. Here are my top 5 favorites:

Reusing take out containers as Tupperware4

 Recycling plastic water bottles properly

Reusing your plastic shopping bags or recycling them at local retailers

Supporting consumer good brands that use post consumer resins or recycled plastics

Holiday traditions are extremely important to me and my family. And this year is no exception. I’m so incredibly grateful Airbnb has created these Online Experiences as part of their site. Now we can still make holiday memories, just online! They have so many to pick from and for all ages so everyone in your family or friend group can find the perfect experience for them and their needs!

Here is a short list of holiday experiences I think would make awesome memories:

Learn to make pie crust from scratch

Meet Santa Claus in Lapland

Sing holiday songs with a broadway star

Create recycled puppets for the holidays

I understand that not being able to be with those who we love most during this time of year is hard on everyone. But how incredible is it that we have the technology to still be able to see them virtually and know we are keeping them safe and healthy? I feel so excited to create these new memories that will last a lifetime! Let’s be honest, none of us are going to forget this year, and now with the ability to have online experiences together, we can remember some pretty amazing moments.

With the holidays looking much different this year, getting creative with how to still have fun and give thoughtful gifts to our loved ones is more important than ever. Airbnb’s Online Experiences are such a unique way to spread holiday cheer! These experiences can take place anywhere in the world, and you can enjoy them from your own home. How incredible is that! Having a family member missing Europe? You can gift them an Online Experience from their favorite country. Maybe a cooking class, or a history lesson! They have a ton of kid friendly options too like meeting Santa or being read to by a famous author.

Here is a short list of my favorite holiday experiences that would make AMAZING gifts for anyone on your list:

Holiday cocktail class

Making and eating soup dumplings

Chop like a chef, knife skills class

How to throw a holiday dinner party 

Olay was nice enough to facilitate a video chat with dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henry (@drmichellehenry on IG) to help me discover which products would be best for my skin. My main concerns are aging and dryness. Dr. Henry was so knowledgeable and shared so many amazing skincare hacks with me. I felt like I was getting top advice, that I have always wanted from skincare professionals! For my concerns, she recommended using the Olay Regenerist Retinol24 MAX moisturizer as my hero product. This moisturizer is the anti-aging cocktail of my dreams, using vitamin B3, and retinol. Vitamin B3 brightens, hydrates, and smooths skin by encouraging surface skin cell turn over and regeneration, while retinol really targets reducing the fine lines and minimizing pores. For extra hydration she also recommended using Olay Regenerist Ultra Rich hydrating moisturizer which has shea butter, the same wonderful vitamin B3 as mentioned earlier, and amino peptides which are the building blocks of our skin cells! These peptides penetrate deep inside your skins surface to produce long lasting results. Needless to say after speaking with Dr. Henry, she really had me pumped up and excited to see these products in action. Say hello to better skin!

After integrating the Olay Regenerist Retinol24 MAX moisturizer into my routine, I saw results very quickly. More even skin tone, brighter + smoother skin, and a visible difference in my fine lines. Hearing a dermatologist like Dr. Henry recommend these products and break down what the ingredients do for our skin was such a cool experience. The best part about it is, you can pick these up at your local CVS down the street! Or CLICK HERE to shop online! Retinol 24 MAX Collection and Olay Regenerist Ultra Rich!

Airbnb’s online experiences are a game changer for this year when international travel had to be put on hold. From our home we can still learn about the culture, the food, and the history of our favorite cities. From taking a French pastry class, to learning about the French Revolution, Airbnb has an online option for whatever your wanderlusting heart desires! 

Here is a list of my favorite Parisian experiences they offer!

BAKE FRENCH PASTRIES IN PARIS

CREPES AND HAZELNUT SPREAD NEXT TO THE NOTRE DAME

FRENCH REVOLUTION INTERACTIVE JOURNEY

A FABULOUS DAY IN PARIS WITH A PARISIAN

AUTHENTIC APPLE CREPE WITH A FRENCH CHEF

SIMPLE FRENCH QUICHE LESSON

Til we are able to travel again, these online experiences are the perfect way to satisfy my travel bug. I mean learning to cook different cultures cuisine from my own kitchen? SIGN ME UP! 

I’ve teamed up with Airbnb to share the news about their new online experiences! We absolutely loved taking the Holiday Cocktail Class. How amazing is it that we could learn to make some spooky cocktails from a professional mixologist while sitting in our living room! I don't know about you but I’ve always wanted to take a bartending class, so I can feel more confident making drinks for friends. Well this class did the trick! How beautiful is this bourbon cocktail we made? With cranberry juice and a sprig of rosemary it made the perfect festive drink for spooky season.

Feeling very grateful that Airbnb has released these incredible online experiences so we can still create holiday memories during this year, when special moments are SO needed. They have a great selection to choose from including a ton of family friendly options so everyone in your family can get in on the fun, even the kids!

Here is a list of some of our favorite Halloween experiences they offer!

HOLIDAY COCKTAIL CLASS

PUMPKIN CARVING WITH THE PROS

SECRETS OF MAGIC WITH A MAGICIAN

SPOOKY STORIES WITH ALICE COOPER

FOLLOW A PLAUGE DOCTOR THROUGH A PLAUGE

HARRY POTTER VIRTUAL LONDON TOUR