What follows is a limited guide to a winter weekend in the Berkshires…with kids…amidst a pandemic. Feel free to post any questions or suggestion below if you’re considering, or have recently taken, a similar getaway!

Where to Stay in the Berkshires…with Kids…During a Pandemic…in the Winter

Pulling into the Wheatleigh at night during the holidays is a charming experience.

We’ve traveled to the Berkshires several times before, since it’s less than three hours from our home in New York City.

We’ve previously stayed at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, which is wonderfully old-school and has a particularly cozy bar, a good restaurant, and a gift shop your kids will love. Rooms during the winter months start at $335.

Pre-pandemic, we would often stay–and dine!–at the Red Lion in Stockbridge.

Last winter, when the Red Lion was fully booked, we get a room at the Wainwright Inn, which was a classic bed-and-breakfast and a short drive to Catamount Mountain, where we spent the weekend skiing. Rooms at the Wainwright start at $179.

This year, we decided to ski Butternut Mountain, and opted for the luxurious Wheatleigh for our accommodations. All four of us stayed in the Junior Suite with Balcony, with a king-sized bed and a daybed that they made up for us each night.

We really loved this hotel, and the kids kept saying that they felt like they were lords of our own manor. We never laid eyes on another guest, and the service was over-the-top personalized. The Weightleigh’s Covid protocols were also among the best I’ve found:

• all out-of-state guests are required to present a negative test taken within the prior 72 hours;
• everyone on-site is masked at all times–I appreciated that the staff’s masks fit over both their nose and mouth!;
• the hotel was at half-capacity, and it has only 19 rooms to begin with;
• all rooms were left vacant for at least 24 hours between guests.

The size of The Wheatleigh makes it an easy place to feel like you’re socially distancing while still being on vacation. The catch? Rooms start at $609.

Where to Eat in the Berkshires…with Kids…During a Pandemic…in the Winter

Indoor dining is open in Massachusetts, but we were still too spooked to partake. Luckily, we found Frankie’s in Lenox, just a few miles from our hotel.

The food is basic Italian-American, which is of course super kid-friendly; Wolfie took down an entire plate of clams and a massive serving of fried zucchini, pictured below. They had a nice cocktail menu and good IPA. Best of all, we had a little section of covered porch entirely to ourselves, complete with heat lamps.

We actually DID brave the indoors for one lunch in the The Wheatleigh’s casual lounge–it felt safe because we were the only people there. It was a rare treat to eat without a puffy winter coat on, and they even provided a mask holder, which you can see in the photo below. My kids recommend the sliders, and I recommend the mesclun salad because Wolfie liked the dressing and ate a big bowl.

Many of our meals were eaten in-room at The Wheatleigh, and they were invariably excellent. Breakfast is included for all guests with a $15 “tray charge” if you opt to have it brought to your room rather than in the dining room downstairs. You can see from the photo below that breakfast options include smoked salmon bagel and all manner of eggs, and that meals come with veggies including asparagus and mushrooms.

What to Do in the Berkshires…with Kids…During a Pandemic…in the Winter

The Berkshires is probably our favorite “local” skiing destination, so that’s been the focus of our days most times. In the photo below you can see that the rentals building at Butternut was pretty empty and felt safe to me (all employees were masked and they limited the number of families allowed inside at once).

Normally, I am a big fan of ski school for my kids; pictured here is Felix at ski school at Catamount last winter.

In non-Covid times, we’ve enjoyed shopping in the charming towns around the Berkshires. The Norman Rockwell Museum is also worth a visit. And if you’re into beers or whiskey, Moe’s Tavern in Lee is a must–the photo below is of me there in 2019.

Great Barrington is my personal favorite of the Berkshires towns, possibly because it reminds me a bit of my home town in Vermont (Montpelier). My kids love Robin’s Candy Store, which yes, is full of junky candy; it does have some old fashioned options like these chocolate covered almonds,

The most enjoyable moments of the trip were spent on-site at the Wheatleigh, where Felix and I had a couple’s massage, we played games in the room, and enjoyed cocktails and hot cocoa fireside on the beautiful terrace. I’d definitely like to return in the summer and not during a pandemic, but even in this weird time, it felt like a much-needed vacation.

The post Finding the Good Stuff in the Berkshires (in the winter, with kids, during a pandemic!) appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Disclosure: We may have received discounted accommodations, meals, or other experiences at the locations referenced in this review. As always, the opinions expressed in this article are wholly my own.

Four Days in the French Riviera Itinerary

We took a red-eye out of New York on a Wednesday evening, had a quick layover in Paris, and landed in Nice at about 10:00 a.m. Despite being warned against it, we opted to rent a car, and getting around was a breeze. One thing I love about the Cote D’Azure is how close everything is to the airport–as you’ll notice, we saw a lot with a trip of only four days in the French Riviera.

We spent our time as follows:

Day 1 (Thursday): We landed in the morning after an overnight flight, spent a few hours exploring Nice, and then headed to Cap Ferrat for dinner and an early bedtime.

Day 2: We enjoyed the outstanding services and amenities at the Grand Hotel, explored Cap Ferrat, and had a casual dinner in nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer before another early bedtime!

Day 3: We didn’t want to leave the Grand Hotel, so we lounged around all morning before heading to the hilltop town of Eze, where we explored the medieval village and then checked into the Château de La Chèvre d’Or.

Day 4: We drove the 45-minute route to Antibes for lunch, which was an unexpected delight. We then headed north for 30 minutes to check out Saint-Paul-de-Vence, before heading back to Eze to sleep.

Day 5 (Monday): Sadly, we had no time for anything besides breakfast and heading to the airport!

Note: While Monaco was within a 20-minute drive of where we were during our four days in the French Riviera, we scrapped it from our plans as you aren’t allowed to cross the border in a rental car.

Nice Highlights

I recommend just wandering around Nice, which is what we did immediately after getting off the plane. Most of our friends who have been to the French Riviera told us to skip Nice, but I thought it was totally worth at least a quick visit!

The market in the old town (along Cours Saleya) is open every day besides Monday, and was beautiful to browse.

We didn’t get a meal here other than a baguette in a random bakery, but I’ve heard amazing things about this organic/biodynamic wine bar, which serves healthful small plates.

We only spent a few hours in Nice, but I still feel we had enough time there. Some of the day’s highlights included:

Nice’s small streets have the classic European charm that you just can’t find anywhere else!

We found amazing marzipan in Nice and bought our kids a cornucopia of “veggies.” (Turns out none of us likes marzipan, so I probably wouldn’t buy quite so much next time!)

The best part of our time in Nice was walking around eating a baguette from a hole-in-the-wall spot.

Walking the promenade in Nice is a must, even if you’re visiting in the fall like we were.

The Nice farmer’s market is worth a stroll, even though every single “natural” soap was artificially-fragranced and failed my sniff test!

We didn’t spend a night in Nice, but Hotel Negresco was highly recommended.

Saint Jean Cap Ferrat Highlights

After strolling Nice for a few hours, we drove about half an hour to the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, which is now part of the Four Seasons group. Of all the places we saw in our four days in the French Riviera, Cap Ferrat was for sure the highlight, and this is almost entirely because of how much we fell in love with the Grand Hotel.

I wish we’d had more time to just enjoy the hotel itself, and if I were to go again, I would definitely stay at least three nights. Here is some of what we enjoyed most:

Our room was smallish but still felt super luxe.

The welcome “snack” at the Grand Hotel was amazing and pretty healthful–the dessert was mostly berries and lightly-sweetened cream.

The best part of our room was this tub with a view–I spent a lot of time in here, usually with champagne.

My second favorite place was this luxurious bed–anyone with kids knows the immeasurable pleasure of lying around with a newspaper in the morning.

October in the French Riviera is kind of the perfect temperature if you don’t like blazing sun.

If you go: Try the Garden Martini and the Bouillabaisse in La Veranda restaurant–both are excellent.

Breakfast was my favorite part of each day at the Grand Hotel. The green tea and the view alone…

Fresh juices, including some with vegetables, are part of each morning’s spread.

Breakfast always offered several healthful pots, including overnight oats, chia puddings, and unsweetened yogurt.

The vegetables were also an amazing part of every breakfast.

If you stay at the Grand Hotel, definitely walk the the hiking trails around the peninsula.

The hike offers lots of places to stop to admire the ocean.

The only town on Cap Ferrat, Saint Jean is tiny but worth a quick visit.

Daylon ordered a beer at a restaurant on the port, and it had corn syrup and tequilla in it. So skip that if you go.

We did one morning of training at the Grand Hotel–despite some jet lag, it was great and the views were killer.

Pierre Antoine was amazing, and the equipment was top-notch.

After we had our butts kicked, we were treated to the most incredible lunch at the spa.

Chia pudding, poke bowl, carrot soup, fruit and grain salad, and date stuffed with maple cream cheese.

A little rain couldn’t keep me from getting my toes in the ocean.

One of the very best facials of my life happened in this gorgeous room on the morning that we checked out of the Grand Hotel.

Villefranche-Sur-Mer Highlights

The tiny fishing village of Villefranche-sur-Mer is a very short drive from Cap Ferrat, and because options on the cape were limited (beyond the Grand Hotel), it was an obvious choice for dinner.

Unfortunately, it was raining the evening that we took our stroll around Villefranche-sur-Mer, but it was still charming.

We went to a small spot called Le Cosmo for dinner that I can’t recommend, but there were other restaurants that were probably better (L’Aparté looks promising!).

This classic little French Riviera town is charming even in the rain.

Don’t order salad at Cosmo. It was an odd combo of items, including lots and lots of bean sprouts.

Daylon once again tried to find a beer he could tolerate, and concluded that France is just not the place beer-drinkers

Eze Highlights

The hilltop village of Eze is impossibly charming, and definitely worth a visit. That said, I wouldn’t spend the night in Eze if I were to visit again—you can “do” the teeny-tiny town (it has only 33 permanent residents!) in a couple of hours.

We stayed at the highly-acclaimed Chateau du Chevre d’or, and it’s amazing how they’ve incorporated the hotel into the city itself. Still, this hotel just didn’t compare to the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, so I wish we’d reversed the order of our stay!

If you are in the South of France in the summer, nearby Eze Sur Mer sounds lovely. I was bummed that the healthful restaurant Anjuna was closed for the season during our four days in the French Riviera.

My photos hardly do justice to Eze’s charm, but you’ll see what we enjoyed most here:

The weather was gloomy when we explored Eze, but that only added to its magical feel.

Our room was sizeable but somewhat dark.

The bathroom was beautiful, but the plumbing was old and didn’t work perfectly.

The hotel grounds are stunning, and only accessible to guests.

It wasn’t pool weather, but it didn’t look all that tempting anyway.

We had dinner at the onsite restaurant Les Ramperts, and the clams were a highlight.

The breakfast buffet was healthful and I can imagine the views would be wonderful in warmer weather.

You don’t need to sleep in Eze, but you should definitely spend time wandering the straight-from-a-fairytale streets.

All of Eze’s shops are built into the walls of the medeival village.

Eze had some charming stores, including one with really sweet toys.

Restaurants in Eze are very limited, especially in October. My husband continued his search for a potable beer—and continued to fail at finding one.

Antibes Highlights

We only spent a few hours in Antibes, but if (when!) I return to the South of France, I would stay a night or two in Antibes. It’s super close to the airport, and centrally-located for day trips to St. Tropez, Eze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and more.

Antibes is also smaller and more manageable than Nice, but still big enough to offer plenty of restaurants, as well as an excellent Picasso museum.

My favorite Antibes experiences are captured here:

The sun came out while we were in Antibes, and it was glorious!

The Antibes market was gorgeous and weirdly devoid of other tourists.

Not my jam, but so very French.

Graze is a cool little organic spot for healthful lunches!

My Antibes experience was rounded out when the world’s longest yacht just happened to be docked there during our visit.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence Highlights

I didn’t think this was possible, but Saint-Paul-de-Vence tops even Eze’s charm. There’s not much to do in this town besides shop for art (none of which was really my style).

Still, I think it’s worth the trip for the simple beauty of the town itself, which appears to be plucked straight out of your favorite children’s storybook.

The Maeght Foundation museum is also well-worth a visit, especially if you’re a fan of sculpture. (The museum houses an impressive collection for its size, including works by Miró, Chagall,  Giacometti, and Calder.)

Aside from our visit to the Maeght Foundation, just walked around the village, as you’ll see here:

I did some more smelling of artificially-scented soaps all over Saint-Paul-De-Vence.

Every single street looks like this!

I have dozens of photos like this, where I tried to capture the crazy sweetness of this town, but you probably have to see it for yourself.

Have you been to the French Riviera? If so, please share your own recommendations for where to find the Good Stuff! And, if you have suggestions for what to eat/do/see in St. Thomas, Stockholm, or Copenhagen, please send them my way, as those are the next spots I will be visiting.

Stay sane,

PS: For those of you riveted by this storyline, Daylon finally found an actual IPA on the flight home. So he drank three.

 
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My husband and I are not theme-park people, but we can appreciate the magic of Disney, and decided that we had one trip in us before the kids were too old to appreciate this magic themselves.

Healthy Food at Disney World

We certainly witnessed plenty of Bad Stuff during this trip. (The plastic toys! The scented bubbles mysteriously blowing around! The 4-year-olds in makeup and hairspray! The mind-boggling amount of wasted food!)

But surprisingly, we also ate some legit delicious, healthy food at Disney World, and many of you asked me to share what we discovered.

Some Other Good Stuff at Disney

Before I jump in, here are few general notes on the Good Stuff at Disney World:

1. You are allowed to bring outside food into the parks so a Whole Foods delivery to your room before arrival is not a bad idea.
2. Because I’m basically a pescatarian, my meal recommendations are slanted towards meat-free dishes. In general, I think it’s a good idea to avoid animal products at Disney, since it’s unlikely that anything is organic/grass-fed/pastured.
3. If you’re a vegan, here is a great resource. This is another good spot to find info on vegan food options at Disney.
4. While the consumption and waste at Disney can be mind-boggling, there are signs that the park is taking steps to reduce its environmental impact. My brother’s family was staying in the Fort Wilderness cabins, where rather than small, disposable shampoo bottles, the bathrooms are equipped with large refillable toiletries. I asked one of our waitresses about the amount of food that is tossed every day, and she said they “compost all of it.”
   

   The more environmentally-friendly bath products in the cabins at Fort Wilderness.

5. One way that you’ll be healthier for having visited Disney World? The staggering number of steps you’ll take each day, even if you only the the parks for a few hours as we did.
   

   Each day we spent at the parks, we took more than 20,000 steps.

And now, onto the most healthy food at Disney World in the parks and resorts. Thanks so much to all of you who wrote in with your own suggestions to augment my list!

Healthy Food in Magic Kingdom

We didn’t visit the super popular Be Our Guest Restaurant, but many of you mentioned it as a good spot for healthful options, like a cannellini bean cassoulet with onions, red peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. Readers also recommended the tuna nicoise salad and a veggie-heavy ratatouille.

The Liberty Tree Tavern has a bunch of healthful kid options, like roasted turkey with veggies and fruit on the side.

The Liberty Square Market offers a range of healthful snacks, like fresh fruits and veggie snack packs, plus cheese and nuts. They also have the ubiquitous turkey legs at this market, and while they aren’t made of organic or high-quality meat, a turkey leg is a good protein-rich snack.

Cosmic Ray’s offers plant-based meatloaf and sloppy Joes, which many of you recommended.

You could also choose a build-your-own rice bowl at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn, which you can top with black beans and roasted vegetables for an affordable meal that packs a nutritional punch.

Note: it was hard for us to find a healthful breakfast in Magic Kingdom; I’d recommend getting a fruit or egg breakfast at your hotel rather than waiting to eat there.

Healthy Food in Animal Kingdom

The best meal I had at Disney World was the buffet at Tusker House. The vegetarian options were plentiful and included chutneys, samosas, curries, salads, plantains, stewed vegetables, tofus, and pilafs.

Round one of the Tusker House buffet, where vegan options are plentiful.

The Harambe Fruit Market is a great place for delicious, fresh tropical fruits.

Satu’li has some good vegetarian options, like a Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl with a crunchy veggie slaw.

Healthy Food in Epcot

This trip didn’t include a trip to Epcot for us, but many of you mentioned the following places for healthful food:

1. Sunshine Seasons food court is a popular choice with many of you. Some food choices you’ll get here is actually grown in The Land ride, and healthy options include fresh fruit smoothies, rotisserie chicken, a children’s meal that includes grilled salmon, a vegan flatbread, and a kale salad with quinoa and Brussel sprouts. For breakfast, you can choose overnight oats or a wrap with wild rice, sweet potatoes, avocado, and tofu. If I ever go back to Disney World, Sunshine Seasons is going to be on the top of my list.
2. The Garden Grill also uses food from The Land’s greenhouses—and the meals include unlimited servings of salad and veggies to go along with the main course.
3. Tangierine Café is another popular healthful Epcot restaurant. Visitors love the hummus, crudités, tabbouleh salad, saffron rotisserie chicken, and lentil salad.
4. Finally, people rave about the sushi and sashimi at Takumi-Tei, saying it’s fresh and delicious.

A Note About Drinking Water at Disney World

If you’re on a Disney meal plan, you get giant plastic mugs that you can fill with water (or soda! Yeesh). Better yet, bring your own plastic-free water bottle and refill it at the following stations:

In the Magic Kingdom

• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe

In Animal Kingdom

• Na’vi River Journey line
• Flight of Passage line

In Epcot

• The Epcot Experience

In Hollywood Studios

• Both restrooms in Galaxy’s Edge
• Smugglers Run line

Healthy Food at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood & Vine offers a welcome change from the many unhealthy buffets at Disney World. Here you’ll find tons of veggie dishes and carved roasted meats.

Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo serves a Felucian Garden Spread with hummus and tomato-cucumber relish.

Healthy Food at Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

We never made it to any water parks while at Disney World, but many of you mentioned Leaning Palms as a good vegetarian option in Typhoon Lagoon. They offer protein rich meals like a black bean plantain burger and a vegan sausage and rice bowl.

Healthy Food at Some of the Disney Resorts

If you happen to be staying at the Wilderness Lodge, as we did, the Whispering Canyon restaurant served us a delicious dinner, where we enjoyed everything from quinoa cakes to vegan sausage. The portion sizes (and wasted food!) were obscene, but the meal was healthful and tasty.

The skillets are part of an all-you-can-eat meal, but I can’t imagine anyone would have room for a refill!

We also ate one breakfast at the Grand Floridian (it’s a gorgeous hotel, by the way, if you are up for a splurge). There were lots of egg and fruit options, but if your kids get the pancakes as mine did, ask them to skip the sprinkles!

The Grand Floridian breakfast offered the ubiquitous Mickey pancakes with sprinkles:(.

Several of you mentioned the Beach Club Resort’s Cape May Café for it’s super fun clam bake. Visitors love the steamed clams and crab as well as grilled fish—plus the generous array of vegetable sides and salad bar fixings.

For a high-end healthful meal, one of you recommended the California Grill at the top of Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

If you’ve found any amazing healthy food at Disney World, please comment below.

Stay sane,

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Two weeks ago, I took a weeklong vacation to Lisbon and Madeira (without my kids!). Below are my tips for a week in these two locations in Portugal. Of course, my review has a focus on  healthful food, eco-friendly highlights, and wellness activities.

Here I am at the Pena Palace in Sintra, a great day trip from Lisbon.

Where to Stay in Lisbon

I was fortunate to be invited to stay at two super luxurious hotels in Lisbon: The Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon and The Olissippo Lapa Palace. The rooms, restaurants, spas, and services at each of these hotels was absolutely top-notch.

The orchid display in the Four Seasons lobby is breathtaking.

More gorgeous flowers in the Four Seasons Lobby.

Both hotels had thoughtful conveniences like outlets in the room, meaning we didn’t need adapters.

The entrance to Olissippo Lapa Palace is stunning.

The pool and grounds at Olissippo Lapa Palace are also gorgeous.

For a lower-priced accommodations in Lisbon, I would consider PortoBay Liberdade (which is still a five-star hotel), Casa Balthazar, or Martinhal if you are traveling with kids.

What to Do in Lisbon

There is so much to do in Lisbon that I found myself wishing I had a full week to explore. That said, four days was enough to get a good feel of the city. What follows are the activities I would consider “must-dos” for a first trip to Lisbon.

Take a Tuk Tuk Tour to See the Major Sites

As in any European city, there’s so much history and beauty to see in Lisbon, and we did 2-hour tuk tuk tour in order to see much of that. If I could do it again, I would definitely do a longer tour, as this wasn’t even enough time to see all that this city had to offer. Our tour driver was an absolute wealth of knowledge, so if you go to Lisbon, you should check out Tejo Tourism, and definitely request Hugo!

Our tour took us through the charming, maze-like Alfama area, including stops at Castelo de Sao Jorge, the Se cathedral, and the Portas do Sol viewpoint. 

For our second hour, we headed over to the Belem district, with stops at Torre de Belem and Jeronimos monastery.

Listen to a Fado Performance

You shouldn’t leave Lisbon without taking in a fado (the classic mournful Portuguese music) show. Everyone seemed to agree that Clube de Fado was the best place to see authentic Fado talent, and it didn’t disappoint. We opted to simply go for drinks (which you can do after 10:00 p.m.–but make a reservation!) because the food isn’t supposed to be very good.

Shop in the Unique Stores & Markets

I’m not a huge shopper when I travel, but….

We found adorable baby clothes, natural skincare, cool art, and more at the vendors stands set up outside at Time Out Market.

I bought a bunch of unique gifts at Real Slow Retail Concept Store and the 21pr Concept Store next door.

We loved stumbling upon Loja das Conservas, an entire store dedicated to tinned fish. (You’ll find lots of sardines in Lisbon).

See Some Amazing Art

There are several art museums worth visiting in Lisbon, but my favorite was the Berardo. It was manageable in size, meaning you can get in and out in an hour, but still home to pieces from some of the greats, like Dali, Picasso, and Warhol.

Take a Day-Trip to Sintra

If you go to Lisbon, a trip to nearby Sintra is a must; it’s less than an hour from Lisbon by train or Uber (we Ubered and it was only 30 euro), and is one of the more beautiful places I’ve been. See below for my recommendations in Sintra.

Where to Eat in Lisbon

I wasn’t blown away by Portuguese cuisine overall, but there were definite culinary highlights during my time in Lisbon, which included:

1) The weekend brunch at the Four Seasons.

There is just no way I can convey how incredible this brunch was, and these pictures definitely don’t do it justice.

This grill station was so great for both my carnivorous friends and me (I went for the salmon veggie kebob.)

Insane soup station.

One tiny portion of the vast sushi station.

Vegetarian side dishes also abounded.

The desserts at this brunch were truly art.

2) This poke bowl in Time Out Market.

There was also a cute organic gelato stand called Organic Break in the market.

3) Organic pizza at In Bocca Al Lupo.

There were loads of veggie options, and great salads, too.

4) Ceviche at A Cevicheria.

You obviously have to like raw fish to eat here (there isn’t anything else on the menu), but if you do, this place lives up to the hype.

5) Late-night falafel in Bairro Alto.

I admit it–a few hours after a my dinner of raw fish at A Cevicheria, I was hungry again. My friends and I were checking out where the young people party in Lisbon, which is on the streets of the Bairro Alto neighborhood.We stopped at a little spot called Atlantic Kebab, where I gorged on a really delicious falafel wrap.

The rest of our meals in Lisbon, including dinner at Palacio Chiado and desserts at Clube de Fado, were just okay. One of my friends loved the famous tart de nata from Pasteis de Belem, but it was too custardy for my taste. (Note that the line at Pasteis de Belem was crazy long, but our tuk tuk driver had a special touristic pass that allowed him to skip the line.)

Wellness and Fitness in Lisbon

If you are looking for top-notch workout facilities in Lisbon, then you should stay at The Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. I’ve never seen a more impressive fitness setup in a hotel, including a rooftop track with city views and pilates reformer machines.

I didn’t do much working out in Lisbon, but I did indulge in a ton other of self-care. The spas in both hotels exceeded my expectations.

At the Four Seasons, the Seven Hills of Lisbon massage was truly the best I’ve ever experienced, complete with foot scrubs and a face and head massage I haven’t stopped talking about.

At Lapa Palace, I had a custom facial with products all scented with only essential oils that left my skin markedly glowy.

Both hotels featured saunas, steam rooms, and pools (inside at the Four Seasons and outside at Lapa Palace).

Highlights from Sintra

As I said, you should definitely make time for a day trip to Sintra–in fact, I wish I had spent much more time there than I did.

Everyone is in love with Sintra it seems, and Lord Byrone famously called it “glorious Eden.” I’ve seen a European castle or two in my day, and the Pena Palace was perhaps the most beautiful to date.

We started at the palace and then took a tuk tuk tour down to the village, which had a number of charming shops.

If I could do it again, I’d spend the night in Sintra, definitely at the Tivoli Palacio de Seteais, where we had a beautiful lunch and a tour of the grounds and rooms. It was old-school luxury at its very finest.

If I return to Sintra, I will definitely book a treatment at Anantara Spa, at the Tivoli Palacio de Seteais. All the spa treatments are natural, the space is stunning, and they offer “Wellness Hour” specials of 25% off every day from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The reason I didn’t spend the night in Sintra is because I had a flight the next morning out of Lisbon. I said goodbye to my girlfriends and met my husband at the airport, where to took a 90-minute flight to Madeira Island.

Where to Stay on Madeira

One of the most luxurious hotels on Madeira, The Cliff Bay, generously extended an invite for my three days on this magical little island.

Check-in at The Cliff Bay includes champagne.

The Cliff Bay uses Espa products, which are Good Stuff! I didn’t need to pack shampoo:).

If you want to stay at a more affordable and very kid friendly resort on Madeira, I recommend the four-star Suite Hotel Eden Mar, which features suites with kitchenettes and pools/activities for families.

I was also intrigued by the brand new five-star Les Suites at Cliff Bay, which includes access to all the amenities at The Cliff Bay, but you stay in luxurious century-old homes.

Where to Eat in Madeira

Most of our meals in Madeira happened right at our hotel, The Cliff Bay, since we had the half-board meal plan (breakfast and dinner). The buffets changed daily, and offered lots of fresh, produce-heavy options. You also could choose to order a la carte, but we never did because the buffet was always tempting.

Other meal highlights in Madeira included:

1. Lunch at Taverna Madeira.

   I didn’t eat the prawns you see here, but everything else we ordered at this low-key spot was vegetarian. (Here is a list of other great vegetarian restaurants in Madeira.)

2. The tasting menu at Il Gallo D’Oro.

The Cliff Bay Hotel is home Il Gallo D’Oro restaurant, which recently earned its second Michelin star. The tasting menu is a worthy splurge, especially if you are there on a Wednesday night, when dinner is served over the ocean.

I could have made a meal of the butter alone, which included a red pepper, walnut, and seaweed variety–each more delicious than the one before.

Langoustine course.

Lobster course.

Wellness & Fitness on Madeira

Madeira is a hilly island, with tons of opportunities for hikes of varying degrees of difficulty. Doing a levada (waterways) walk is a must, and we loved the lookout point at the end of the easy and short walk in Ribeiro Frio. 

The pools and spa at The Cliff Bay offered lots of relaxation and toxin-free pampering (the spa uses the aforementioned Espa products). I also took a fun pilates class on the last morning of my stay, and water aerobics was being offered the day we left.

What to Do in Madeira

There are lots of driving trips you could take while visiting Madeira, where you can take half-day hikes or visit charming fishing villages. Because we only had a couple of days on Madeira, we only took one taxi trip of about 40 minutes to get us to a place where we could hike along a levada.

We spent the rest of our time either relaxing oceanside at the hotel or walking to various activities in Funchal, the only city on Madeira.

Some highlights are captured in these photographs.

Take a cable car from Funchal up to the small village of Monte.

In Monte, you can pay 30 euro for a ride down the super steep streets in these wicker baskets, which are greased with lard and actually felt like something of a thrill ride.

I wouldn’t say the CR7 museum (Cristiano Ronaldo is from Madeira) is a must for everyone, but we had to go since our kids are huge fans.

Although there aren’t beaches on Madeira, The Cliff Bay Hotel has ocean access, so we did get to swim in the Atlantic.

I’d recommend stopping at the super luxe Belmond Reid’s Palace for a tea or cappuccino.

1. 

   We took (and recommend) a tour of Blandy’s Wine Lodge, where I found a madeira vintage of my birth year.

The Bottom Line on Lisbon and Madeira

Portugal is an awesome country to visit, and–believe it or not–I found myself wishing I’d had my children with me on this trip, since it also felt like a very kid-friendly place. I didn’t take advantage of TAP airlines stopover program, but that makes another vacation to Portugal even more appealing.

Please share your own experiences in Portugal in the comments below. And if you want to read our reviews of other clean travel destinations, click here.

Stay sane,

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Below are my tips for a long weekend in Cape May with kids. As usual, there is an emphasis on healthful food, eco-friendly attractions, and wellness.

Where to Stay in Cape May with Kids

Because we were a big group with a lot of kids, we wanted a resort more than an inn so that we could do mostly on-site activities rather than schlepping eleven people around.

After researching our accommodation options, we chose to book at Congress Hall, which is the oldest seaside resort in the country. After spending four days at Congress Hall, I can say with confidence that it was super kid-friendly and worthy of recommendation. The staff at Congress Hall was excellent, the food was mostly good, and the beds and pillows comfortable (if not organic!).

For a lower-priced option, I thought the Beach Shack looked really fun. If you happen to go to Cape May without your kids, I think the Virginia looks really cool.

There were just a few things we didn’t love about Congress Hall:

1. The bath products, while from Beach Plum Farm, had conventional toxins in them–they were not actual handmade skin and hair products, despite the claims on the labels.
2. There was a wedding in the hotel on the Saturday of our stay and while the music stopped at around 11:00 p.m., it was pretty loud until then.
3. Some of our group stayed in the main hotel, and some in the Congress Place Suites, which had a king-sized bedroom, a living room with a pullout couch, and a small (but very pretty) kitchen. The suite was a little disappointing because of its small size–it was much smaller than it appeared in the online photos. Having the kitchen was nice, and we definitely saved money by making eggs in the morning in the room, but the room felt really cramped with all of us in there.
4. The food at Tommy’s Folly wasn’t good. The fruit cup was past its prime and I am fairly sure that my breakfast panini contained American cheese.

This was me for at least, like, two full days at Congress Hall.

Where to Eat in Cape May with Kids

Overall, my kids ate relatively well during our trip to Cape May, thanks in part to the fact that we fed them breakfast and several dinners in the room. (While the local Ace grocery store wasn’t exactly Whole Foods, we found organic milk, veggies, hot dogs, frozen pizzas, etc. there)

As a New Yorker, I am pretty picky about what I call “great” cuisine, but I have to say, the food at the resort itself was pretty good.

The clambake on the lawn of Congress Hall was a splurge but worth it.

Some meal highlights of our trip:

1) The avocado toast at the Blue Pig Tavern’s breakfast.

As a Brooklyn resident, I’ve had plenty of avocado toasts in my day, and this one with local watercress and radishes was one of the best.

2) Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop.

I mean, as a Vermonter I am obviously biassed, but you just really can’t beat a B&J’s cone on a hot summer afternoon, right?

My brother and I are were the only Vermont-born of our group, so everyone else got kicked out of our photo.

3) The Boiler Room.
These brick-oven pizzas aren’t organic, but were loaded with local veggies. The meat eaters among us particularly loved the arugula/prosciutto one. The salads were also locally-sourced and super tasty.

4) Okay, so I didn’t personally have this one, but a reader told me the the cucumber-mint sakitini at the Virginia is amazing (and relatively healthful!).

There also were some disappointing meals in Cape May, including dinner at The Lobster House and Beach Plum Farm breakfast (which sounded so good–like, grain bowls with eggs–but really didn’t deliver).

The best part of The Lobster House meal was this insane everything-bagel loaf of bread. The rest of the meal was kind of gross.

Wellness and Fitness in Cape May

1. Fitness: I had really big plans of doing the Beach Boot Camp offered by Congress Hall every day, but instead only did yoga on the beach one morning. It was a nice class, but a little hot outside even at 8:00 a.m. Lots of people were out jogging the short boardwalk in the early morning, so I’d bring running shoes if we went again. There is a yoga studio in Cape May, but we didn’t go there since the hotel offered daily classes.
2. Spa: A few of us indulged in beach massages, which were lovely but again a little hot. I might opt for the indoor version on my next trip. Other than that, the massage therapist was awesome, and used only essential oils for her body work.
3. Other activities: My husband and I took a few really pretty bike rides around our hotel and to Beach Plum Farm. You can ride bikes on the boardwalk only before 10:00 a.m. My parents brought bikes, but they also have them available right at Congress Hall.

What to Do in Cape May with Kids

1. As I mentioned, bike riding was a pleasant way for my husband and me to spend an afternoon, but the rides we took always took us on some busyish streets, so I wouldn’t have felt safe with my kids on bikes.
2. Congress Hall had a lot of fun activities for the kids, which are also open to the public.
   

   My kids loved the carnival at Congress Hall, including this fire thrower.

   

   The boys spent one afternoon making tie-dyed shirts at Congress Hall

3. Beach Plum Farm is a short drive away, and is worth a trip. 
4. My husband and brother took the boys to the arcade downtown during the hottest part of one day, and they all came home saying it was amazing.

4. We never actually made it to the zoo, but it gets rave reviews and offers free admission!

5. Of course, my kids hated the ocean and wanted nothing to do with the beach, so we spent most of our time at the pool. We rented a cabana for one day at the beach, but if I go back I wouldn’t spend the $125 since as a guest of Congress Hall you get access to umbrellas, lounge chairs, and food service for free.

Where to Shop in Cape May

Congress Hall itself has cute shops, with toys and souvenirs that are above average.

The Washington Street Mall is the main street in Cape May, and it’s a cute little pedestrian-only street. Lots of the stores are the usual tourist junk, but a few were worth popping into, including Cash & Clive and Whale’s Tale for toys.

Beach Plum Farm features a little market of gorgeous produce as well as an upstairs gift shop with unique items.

West End Garage is definitely worth a trip, too. It’s kind of like a mini Brooklyn Flea, and I found a gorgeous handmade bike basket for my mom in there.

The Bottom Line on Cape May with Kids

I was pleasantly surprised by how pretty and, well,…sort of hip Cape May was. Is it as charming as Nantucket (where I had traveled the weekend prior with college friends–and no kids)? No, but it certainly defied Jersey-shore stereotypes.

Please share your own experiences in Cape May with kids in the comments below. And if you want to read our reviews of other clean travel destinations, click here.

Stay sane,

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Written by Maia, President

To celebrate my husband’s 40th birthday, we took a family vacation to Costa Rica in early April. Below are my tips for traveling to Costa Rica with kids, including where to find the very Best Stuff if you like to include healthful meals, eco-friendly hotels, and general wellness as part of your vacation.

Best Itinerary for Costa Rica With Kids

Our vacation was nine nights long, and we broke it up as follows:

• Two nights near the Arenal volcano. Even though the volcano is no longer active, we wanted to stay in this region because my kids are obsessed with volcanoes. The area around La Fortuna is also famous for its naturally occurring hot springs, which I knew we would all enjoy.
• Two nights in the cloud forest of Monteverde, which features a unique ecosystem and is where my husband spent six months working as a guide twenty years ago.
• Three nights relaxing on the beach near Manuel Antonio National Park, which is famous for the wildlife and stunning ocean views.
• Two nights near the airport on a gorgeous coffee plantation in Santa Barbara de Heredia.

I can confidently recommend this as an itinerary if you choose to travel to Costa Rica with kids. Of course, I don’t know what we missed by skipping other popular areas like Tortuguero and Guanacaste. (Please comment below with your experiences in other parts of Costa Rica with kids!)

While we enjoyed having nine days to spend in Costa Rica instead of seven, you could definitely “do” Costa Rica with kids in less time—I think a week would be plenty, and in that case I would spend only one night near the airport and two instead of three on the beach.

This was the route we followed in our rented car.

Driving Within Costa Rica with Kids

Our driving route DID end up totaling 12.5 hours in the car. That said, the Costa Rican countryside was so gorgeous that none of us really minded the time spent on the road. Our longest drive (between Monteverde and Manuel Antonio) was four hours long, but we stopped along the way, and it wasn’t terrible.

This is what our bathroom stops looked like during our drives from one location to another.

Where to Stay in Costa Rica with Kids

We were lucky to stay in four wonderful hotels in Costa Rica–from an organic coffee plantation to a luxurious beach resort. All of them were kid-friendly and worthy of recommendation.

Near Arenal Volcano: Tabacon Grand Spa & Thermal Resort

We chose Tabacon Grand Spa & Thermal Resort for our stay in the Arenal area because it included access to the incredible hot springs for which this region is famous.

The accommodations at Tabacon were luxurious, we enjoyed spectacular views of the volcano, and the hot springs didn’t disappoint.

I was, however, slightly disappointed by what seemed like a somewhat half-hearted commitment to being environmentally friendly and toxin-free, especially compared to the other places we stayed.

In the Monteverde Cloud Forest: Hotel Belmar

When deciding where to stay in the cloud forest region of Costa Rica, Hotel Belmar was a no-brainer. Hotel Belmar is probably the “greenest” hotel I’ve ever experienced, from their on-site organic gardens to all (truly) natural bath products in the rooms.

Definitely take the garden tour when you visit Hotel Belmar.

My kids loved playing in the (pesticide-free!) grass by the lake on Belmar’s property.

Hotel Belmar is one of the most eco-friendly hotels in the world.

Disclaimer: Hotel Belmar provided a reduced rate for my accommodations. 

In Manuel Antonio: Arenas del Mar

In the Manuel Antonio area, we chose Arenas del Mar for its access to the beach. The staff made our stay especially wonderful, in spite of a Halloween crab infestation in our room!

We did spend a lot of money during our four days in Manuel Antonio, but we had fun doing it! Arenas is clearly more committed to being “green” than Tabacon–from bamboo straws to water conservation efforts, it was more environmentally friendly than any American resort I’ve experienced.

In the mornings, we were only people on the beach, besides a few groups learning to surf.

Golf carts driven by super friendly Arenas staffers are how you get around at Arenas del Mar.

Breakfast over the ocean was a perfect way to start every morning at Arenas del Mar.

Near the Airport: Finca Rosa Blanca

Our flight out of Costa Rica was at 7:00 a.m., and so I wanted our final couple of nights to be spent in a hotel nearish to the airport. We decided against staying in San Jose itself, and I was thrilled to stumble upon the breathtakingly beautiful Finca Rosa Blanca during my research.

Finca Rosa Blanca is touted as one of the most unique hotels in the world. My kids declared this room the best of our whole trip!

My kids loved Finca’s Rosa Blanca’s sweet dog.

The organic coffee tour was a definite highlight of my trip to Finca Rosa.

No plastic is involved in the production of Finca Rosa Blaca’s organic coffee!

Finca represented the coolest part of our stay—from the coffee tour to the room to getting to hear the owner, Glen’s story–which really highlighted his commitment to wellness and clean travel.

Disclaimer: Hotel Belmar provided a reduced rate for my accommodations. 

Where to Eat in Costa Rica with Kids

Overall, my kids ate pretty healthfully during our trip. There was plenty of fresh fruit, avocados, rice, and beans. You could get fruit smoothies everywhere, and they never had weird syrups or juices the way they do in America. Of course, every restaurant also offered dedos de pollo (chicken fingers), so they ate plenty of those as well.

Orchid Cafe in Santa Elena is worth a stop for lunch if you are in the Monteverde area.

As for the adults, I can’t say that Costa Rican cuisine is something I’ll be seeking out now that I’m back (not that any Costa Rican restaurants exist in New York City, as far as I know). That said, I did enjoy some good meals there, and it was easy enough to find vegetarian options.

I loved the vegetarian Casado at Arenas del Mar.

My children discovered edible flowers at Hotel Belmar!

Some meal highlights of our trip:

1) The food at dinner at Belmar, from the organic juice and smoothie bar to their excellent on-site restaurant.

This pineapple/mango sorbet was a revelation. Nothing but those two ingredients, frozen, and put through this blender/creamer thing. We had them several times a day.

I mean, have you ever seen a more stunning piece of avocado toast?!

2) The snacks at Finca Rosa Blanca.

These chips were all made from on-site, organic crops, from regular potatoes to yucca to yams!

3) The Green Room in Jaco (an otherwise kind of yucky surf town outside of Manuel Antonio).

My husband finally found beer he was willing to drink in Costa Rica.

The best vegetarian casado I had was at the Green Room.

Wellness & Eco-Tourism in Costa Rica

Obviously, Costa Rica is known for being a major eco-tourism hub, and indeed the country as a whole has an obvious commitment to sustainability. Costa Rica was also was a full of Good Stuff–from healthful food to wellness services.

Of the four hotels we visited, Hotel Belmar and Finca Rosa Blanca were the most impressive in terms of a true committement to sustainability, non-toxicity and wellness.

Here are some highlights from our trip.

At Hotel Belmar, I enjoyed a private yoga session, taught—at my request–entirely in Spanish!

Arenas del Mar had recycling right on the beach.

I had a great reflexology treatment at Finca Rosa Blanca’s spa.

What to Do in Costa Rica with Kids

Here are some of the activities we enjoyed most.

Ziplining at Selvatura, in Manuel Antonio area.

The La Fortuna Waterfall near Arenal volcano was a hike easy enough for us all.

Wolfie loved the butterfly garden at Selvatura, near Monteverde.

Where to Shop in Costa Rica with Kids

The gift shops at Hotel Belmar and Finca Rosa Blanca were standouts, with tons of local, natural products.

The Bottom Line on Costa Rica With Kids

Costa Rica is a perfect place to travel with kids, thanks to to its wide array of wildlife, kid-friendly hikes and outdoor activities, and access to the beach. If I you have a car sick-prone child, the roads around Monteverde are pretty brutal, but the driving otherwise wasn’t bad. If you’re committed to clean luxury travel, definitely consider a stay at Finca Rosa Blanca or Hotel Belmar. And if you want to relax pool- or ocean-side, my top pick is Arenas del Mar.

Please share your own experiences in Costa Rica with kids below.

Stay sane,

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Written by Maia, President

Recently, I tagged along with my husband when he went to Europe for a business trip. Our first stop, Budapest, had long been on my bucket list, and it didn’t disappoint. Thanks to its small size, we were really able to really experience the magic of Budapest in just two days.

Our trip began when we left the kids with my parents on Tuesday afternoon. As every parent knows, traveling is part of the vacation when you fly without children, and we were psyched even in the cab on the way to JFK. We had a quick layover in Helsinki, flew over the Alps, and caught a little more sleep before landing in Budapest.

The Aria Hotel Budapest

A quick cab ride later we arrived at the Aria Hotel, which was just as incredible as the reviews had suggested. Check-in was easy, the lobby was gorgeous and our room (in the “Classical wing”) featured charming street view, a luxurious bathroom, and an INCREDIBLY comfortable bed.

The heated rooftop bar, the High Note Sky Bar, offered spectacular city views.

During our stay at the Aria, we enjoyed the spa, including hot tubs and saunas, as well as massage services—I would highly recommend the entirely organic grapeseed oil facial.

The hotel also offers a wonderful complimentary breakfast, complete with cappuccinos and omelettes, and an equally impressive wine and cheese spread with live music each day.

Where to Eat in Budapest

Despite our quick stay, we were able to sample a lot of different cuisines in Budapest. As a non-red-meat eater, I didn’t taste a lot of the highlighted Hungarian food, but my husband’s overall impression of classic Hungarian dishes was, meh, so I don’t think I missed much.

One day we had lunch at the famous Gerbeaud Café, which seemed a bit overpriced for what it was. On the other hand, we had a delicious meal at Nobu the next day, where we split the lunch bento box and therefore didn’t completely break the bank.

We really enjoyed our dinner at the Michelin-starred Costes Downtown, despite the fact that all of my vegetables were swimming in heavy (albeit delicious!) sauces.

Our final dinner in Budapest was at a low-key beer café called Moosselen, where I enjoyed a surprisingly tasty lentil and cheese dish. We finished with dessert at the famous Central Café (AKA Central Kevehaz), which also featured live music.

If you have food allergies, by the way, the Hungarians seem super tuned into this risk: all of our waiters asked about any allergies we might have, and the menus had lots of information about potential allergens.

Getting Around Budapest

We spent each of our days in Budapest getting from place to place by Budapest’s easy public transportation system—from the underground train to the trams. We felt like big shots navigating the system while being unable to read a word of Hungarian, right up until the part where we didn’t pay for our ride before getting on the train and wound up with a hefty ticket from some extremely unfriendly city workers.

What to See & Do In Budapest

While I am sure Budapest is lovely in the summer, one major upside to being there in chilly and dark November was the lovely Christmas fair. We especially enjoyed perusing the stands of handmade toys (which were less than half the price of what you’ll pay for wooden toys here in the U.S.), and charming food vendors selling everything from mulled wine to roasted chestnuts.

Another highlight of the trip was our time spent in Buda. Since our hotel was on the Pest side of the Danube, we walked over the stunning Chain Bridge and then explored the hilly, historic Buda side of the city.

The incredible views from Fisherman’s Bastion shouldn’t be missed, and I thought The Hungarian National Gallery was the best museum this city had to offer. We also loved simply strolling the charming cobbled streets of Buda; our favorite was Orszaghaz utca.

Back over on the Pest side, one sightseeing highlight was the stunning St. Stephen’s Basilica, just a few blocks from the Aria Hotel. And of course no trip to Budapest would be complete with a visit to the thermal baths. We chose Szechenyi because it’s the oldest in the city.

All in all, Even though we only had a couple of days in Budapest, my husband and I both left the city with the sense that we’d really gotten a feel for both the historic beauty of Budapest—like the breathtaking parliament building when it was lit up at night—as well as what makes modern Budapest so special—from high end cuisine to cozy beer pubs.

Stay sane,

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By John, Certified Holistic Health Coach

Here at Gimme the Good Stuff, we have decided to take on a major renovation project we call “One-Eleven.” The goal is to take an old row house that’s been serving as an office and convert it back into a residence/showroom/retail space (more on how you can use this space in a minute).

Because we’re all about the Good Stuff, we are using nontoxic and sustainable products, materials, and processes as much as possible as we complete this project.

We’ll be removing ancient carpet, restoring the original wood floors, designing and installing a kitchen, and much more. Are we brave, or crazy, or both? Time will tell! As you can see from these photos, there it’s lots to be done.

As the de-facto construction manager, I will be blogging about the process to share the joys, challenges, and successes of taking a nontoxic approach to home renovation. We expect to learn a lot. We’ll share our tips and recommend the best products as we search for them and test them out.

One-Eleven is a three-story brick row home that’s three blocks from of the heart of downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The building is about 200 years old. For the past 30+ years, it served as a judge’s office. We want to convert it back into a home, though it won’t be a traditional home (see below).

Why Lancaster? Well, it’s where we (Maia’s parents) and her brother and his family live. It’s only 3 hours from her home in Brooklyn, and Gimme the Good Stuff is headquartered in Lancaster (it’s where our warehouse for the store lives), so Maia travels here often. Also, Lancaster’s downtown is enjoying a great renaissance. Millennials have discovered its affordable charms, as have retiring boomers suffering from McMansion-fatigue. It has been likened to Brooklyn. (Then again, almost every place is now likened to Brooklyn. Sorry, but there’s only one BK!)

Planning: Where Do We Begin?

Taking on a conversion and renovation project of this size is daunting. Even though I have decades of personal and professional experience with this work, I still get intimidated—I know what I’m getting into! Fortunately, Maia’s husband, Daylon, found a program called RoomSketcher that’s helping us visualize our plans. It lets us enter the dimensions of all the rooms and then design potential layouts, which you can then view from multiple angles and tweak as needed. It’s almost like the work is already done!

How YOU Can Use This Space

As I mentioned, One-Eleven is going to be more than just a beautiful nontoxic row-home when we are done with it. While we will certainly use it for short-term stays for our family, it will also provide a unique AirBNB experience. With the ability to sleep as many as 8 people, we hope One-Eleven will be a haven of clean living, even if only for a weekend! If you’re interested in a nontoxic mattress, and want to actually sleep on one before you buy it, this will be your chance! One-Eleven will also function as a warehouse for our online store and a by-appointment retail space, where–if you live near Lancaster–you can come to purchase your favorite natural products.

Follow Our Nontoxic Renovation Journey

We have a long road ahead, but we’re excited to share the renovation process with you. First up: tackling the floors. In my next post I’ll share the dirty details of why and how to get rid of old carpet (hint: it’s really toxic, and you’ll need to deal with a lot of staples!). I’ll also talk about how to restore old wood floors with a nontoxic polyurethane alternative, which is healthier for people and the environment.

We hope that our experiences can help you understand the unique challenges that come with taking a sustainable and nontoxic approach to home renovations. We also hope that those of you who are brave/crazy will share your own experiences with nontoxic renovation and construction!

Stay sane,

P.S. You’ll hear more about these brands later, but we owe a huge thank you to the companies who have donated nontoxic materials and products for this project, including Savvy Rest, Green Building Supply, Ecos Paints, The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company, and Coyuchi.

P.S.S. This space is now open! Reserve your stay here and email Suzanne to make an appointment to come test mattresses or purchase select items from our store.

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Written by Maia, President

Even those of us in wintery climates can’t ignore headlines about the mosquito-born Zika virus. The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency as experts scramble to understand more about the virus.

Zika’s certainly on my radar. My family and I are escaping the snow to go to the Bahamas next week, and in May, I’m traveling to Nicaragua for a wedding. I’m not planning another pregnancy, but many of my friends are worried about Zika. And apparently it’s not only a concern for women and their babies. Zika is also linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune condition that involves temporary paralysis and can be serious, even fatal.

What About Non-Toxic Bug Spray for Zika?

When it comes to fending off pesky mosquitoes, I normally shy away from chemical insect repellents and recommend this natural bug spray.

But Zika is a different story. To ward off mosquitoes carrying serious health risks, I would feel better with something stronger. Fortunately, experts are saying that you don’t have to resort to DEET, which is a neurotoxin.

Better Than DEET for Zika Protection

It turns out that Picaridin—a milder chemical–may actually perform better than DEET when it comes to Zika protection. Consumer Reports showed that Picaridin is more effective at repelling the Aedes mosquito, the type that carries the Zika virus.

Here’s more good news: unlike DEET, Picaridin did not cause cancer in animal studies, nor did it appear to lead to reproductive damage. It’s also less likely than DEET to irritate your skin.

Human studies on Picaridin are lacking, and Picaridin is by no means entirely non-toxic, but I would feel okay using it in a place where there are Zika-carrying mosquitoes, given the risks of this virus.

Check out Picaridin products like Sawyer’s Fisherman’s Formula, which you can get on Amazon. I would never apply this product directly to the skin, but plan to put it on our clothing when we are in mosquito-heavy areas.

Stay sane,

P.S. I also read that the Aedes variety of mosquito likes the smell of feet, so you might consider shoes and socks for yourself or your kids if you’re in a Zika-affected region of the world.

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