A Southern, Magical Weekend Get-a-way

Recently, we had the opportunity to visit Pine Mountain, Georgia, Home of Callaway Gardens. It is a 6,500 acre escape from the hustle & bustle of life packed with nature, history & truly something for everyone from swimming to stunning gardens, a Little Chapel, bike trails & even a zip line for the more adventurous! And that is just a small glimpse on how you can spend your day with family & friends! Depending on the season, special events are happening all of the time, all year round and there is even a full service Marirott on-site.

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We were doing a sneak preview visit  as I like to call it and will definitely be back for more! Now, keep in mind that it is in the middle of winter, so a little creativity is required for the outdoor pics, regardless, beautiful!

When we first arrived, we pulled off to the side of the road and took a short walk down to The Little Chapel that is nestled in the trees overlooking the lakeside. Little in size, but not in character as the outside is designed to resemble the 16th century Gothic chapels with a stone alter and stained glass. The Chapel is actually named after Ida Cason, who is the mother of Cason Callaway, founder of Callaway Gardens. The Chapel was open and empty, so we let ourselves in and were amazed with the absolutely gorgeous stained glass that lines almost two entire walls. Timing couldn’t have been better as the sun beamed in perfectly, making the colors literally dance on the ground & wall around us. Peaceful & breathtaking is hardly enough to explain this quaint little Chapel.

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Fun Tip: There is a free concert every Saturday & Sunday from 2 – 4 p.m. performed int the chapel on a rare, handmade Moller pipe organ. We were not able to catch this, but were told that the natural acoustic sounds could be heard well beyond the chapel! And yes, weddings still do take place here!

I would definitely suggest an entire weekend to explore Callaway Gardens and all it has to offer. With only a couple of hours to spare we made the best out of our time and are looking forward to our next visit  If you have a longer weekend, a nice drive & must see is also Plains, GA, home of Jimmy Carter and the BEST Peanut Butter ice cream you will ever find!  A little closer to Callaway Gardens and is a shorter stop is yet another little place to explore, FDR’s Little White House in Warm Springs, GA. Now that my friends is a weekend plan with a little history, lots of fun, the cutest downtown shops & some good eats!

Click to Explore Callaway Gardens

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Bonus Travel Tip: While in Plains, GA, there is a building that holds an antique store and a historical hotel above with rooms elegantly decorated from a specific decade. Decades range from the 20’s – 80’s, right down to the claw foot bath tub and the phone in the lobby!   

Click here to check out Plains Historic Inn

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These Nutballs Don’t Give Hangry a Chance!

I have this little issue that when hangry strikes it strikes HARD and my Luv tells me I am, ahhhem… I am hard to be around, when this happens, lol!  Yeah, yeah – so I try to avoid the crash for all parties involved.  I know I am not alone, here! Anyone else?!

The best part about the recipe I share below is that I make it right in my NutriBullet that is more often than not – packed in my suitcase. Priorities, right?! 🤣

Truth be told…

traveling and eating healthy does take some effort & planning.  It doesn’t have to be hard, though and I promise, the pay off of increased energy and improved mood is so worth it. You will probably save a little $$ as well not spending it on pricey snacks and feel healthier overall.

Hydration, sleep, exercise and limiting take – out are all helpful tips, especially when on the go and even more so when jumping time zones.

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HOW can it be easier??

  1. Save easy to prep recipes right to an album to your phone in the pic gallery. That way when you are grocery shopping, you have everything you need right with you.
  2. Carve out 15 – 20 minutes a week, before your trip, vacation, etc., to knock out the prep work
  3. Keep snacks in mind that don’t require much refrigeration, travel well, are satisfying and are semi – durable.  A few of my faves: nut balls (recipe, below), apples, mandarins (obsessed!), hard boiled eggs & carrot sticks.
  4. Keep a water bottle with you so you can fill on the go. A few tea bags in your bag are awesome to have as well and cost a fraction of the price of cafe prices, just ask for hot water and pay for the cup.

Convenience and time are so important.

Here it is:

Nutballs. Super easy, less than 10 minute prep time.

Make two batches at the beginning of the week & call it done. Nothing fancy, just simple and packed with nutrients. The kids will love them too!

  • Handful of cashews & almonds (any variety of nuts will do, I love walnuts & pecans too)
  • Unsweetened Coconut
  • Dried Tart Cherries or Cranberries
  • Chia Seed
  • Pitted Dates (Crucial ingredient…this is the “glue” that holds all of the goodness together)

My picture gives you an idea of about how much to use. I literally measure in handfuls and fill to the line on the cup.

Nutball Step 1
Combine all ingredients, pulse together a few times or until it appears like everything has been broken down nicely. You may need to add more dates if the batch is a little powdery, from the the nuts – it should look “chewy” for lack of a better description.

Roll in balls, place in container, refrigerate overnight.

Finished Nutballs

 They last all day in a little snack bag or container on the way out the door.

**  Have fun with this recipe, make it yours! Add flax seed, dried cranberries, any type of nuts, oats (regular or steel cut, uncooked) a little honey, scoop of almond butter or even dark chocolate morsels for a healthy alternative to satisfy that sweet tooth!

You can absolutely shape them into squares and use parchment paper so they don’t stick — I just don’t have the patience or ummm, square shaping skills needed! Plus, admit it, nutballs is kind of fun to say! 😉

Thanks so much for stopping by for a read, hope it was helpful.

Let me know in the comments if you have a variation of your own or / and if you try this one.

Enjoy!

Who wants some hearts?!!

Periscope Image

Let’s talk about Periscope!! Who out there has heard of Periscope?  Who wants some “hearts”, ha, ha, everybody does! And I am NOT just talking about for Valentine’s Day! If you haven’t heard of Periscope, you soon will. It is a fairly new social media platform that allows you to stream LIVE video that is then available for reply for 24 hours and then…boom, it is gone. It does NOT exist forever like so many things  we put out there  on the interweb. Pretty sweet idea. I actually love it because unlike so many other social media platforms, you can’t edit, airbrush, shoot creative pictures or hide behind the screen. Live, in the moment, just you, that little red button and your viewers.  Viewers get to comment  in a scrolling format, if you miss it, they can comment again in a scroll that continues to pop up on your screen in real time and you can answer your viewers instantly, in-between whatever you are scoping about OR you can take a Q & A at the end. The style is totally up to you.  The awesome part about Periscope is that it is totally interactive, and LIVE! I LOVE THE IDEA!! Hearts

The huge Periscope convention is being held this weekend in beautiful San Francisco and it has also been released on Twitter. Which means that you can scope and it will feed LIVE on TWITTER and you do not need the Periscope app! Oh, did I mention this is a phone only social media platform, yep, it is. I am by no means a Periscope expert, but I have been watching a couple of superstars that have taught me a thing or two and I am sharing….and learning! Shout out to @ChaleneJohnson, @rayhigdon, @1AlexKhan & @AngieLentzNASH for showing us the way. Hilarious – informative and entertaining, all of them!

A  few tips:

  • Share. As you are watching the Periscoper (not sure if I made that word up), and if you are loving what you are watching, share with your followers. You can share with all or share with specific people depending on what the content is and who you think may want to also join in. Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen to share and invite.
  • How do your followers know you are broadcasting live? The app (once installed) gives a little whistle to your followers to alert them that YOU are scoping! Remember, if they can’t tune in at that time, they have 24 hours from the time you record  to watch the replay.
  • And for those “hearts”….liking what you are seeing, hearing & learning — tap that screen!! Tap for hearts! Show the person who is doing the Scope that you are liking the content, a little positive reinforcement is awesome, so show the love!

Wanna follow me as I begin my Periscope debut, I may rumble, bumble & stumble — actually I know I will, but I am sure it will make for some good viewing!

Tune in @rbaus

Periscope

Now, go out there and make YOUR day a  good day!

~ R