Category Archives: holidays

#jbuliesblog supports #oohlabra w/@ideavillage at #NOEW2013 @silverlinecrm 18 Mar Wonderful job! Congrats @OohLaBra on #Leader $10k @salesforce @silverlineCRM Challenge!

Posted on March 2013 | 7 Comments
How can you show your support? By sharing on pinterest, facebook or twitter. Thank you.

How can you show your support? By sharing on pinterest, facebook or twitter. Thank you.

Congratulations Lisa!

jbulie’s blog would like to extend a huge well earned mega congratulations to hardworking real life sister, Lisa, at OohLaBra.com. Lisa McKenzie is supported by family and friends when awarded the first prize for the sales challenge presented by multinational player Silverline.

In March of this year there was a conference for entrepreneurs called NOEW that stands for New Orleans Entrepeneur Week. I was thrilled when my sister called me a few months ago to tell me that her company, Ooh La Bra was selected as a finalist for more than three contests as the most innovate product. That call put her into the top five contestants as an entrepreneur.

In the following months, I watched my sister practice her pitch down to the last detail, including hair, makeup, market share and future projections.

Lisa McKenzie with her partner Susan Bopp, and members of the Salesforce and Silverline teams at yesterday's "Salesforce Challenge". Ooh La Bra was awarded the top prize of a customized software application, valued at $10k. Thank you Salesforce and Silverline!

Lisa McKenzie with her partner Susan Bopp, and members of the Salesforce and Silverline teams at “Salesforce Challenge”. Ooh La Bra was awarded the top prize of a customized software application, valued at $10k. Thank you Salesforce and Silverline. #NOEW2013

She’s truly amazing to watch as her friends can attest.

To read more about the contest, follow my twitter feed by clicking here.

Right after winning she was contacted by ABC to be interviewed. You can read and see the interview by clicking here.


http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/video.html?freewheel=91064&sitesection=wgno_newswithatwist&VID=24656069

Here’s the official press release.
Global Corporations, Investors, Startups to Convene in New Orleans for 5th New Orleans Entrepreneur Week

PR Newswire | February 25, 2013 | 12:52 AM EST

National business executives, entrepreneurs, MBAs, and globally renowned venture capitalists will meet for the 5th Annual. New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, NOEW, on March 16-22, 2013 to share best practices and celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship.

Event headliners include Walter Isaacson, President and CEO of Aspen Institute,  Hamdi Ulukaya, President, Founder and CEO of Chobani Yogurt and Dana Mauriello, Director of New Business Opportunities for Etsy.

Additionally, representatives from Fortune 500 companies, the most prominent venture capitalists, and notable entrepreneurs will be participating, including:

  • Lisa McKenzie: Founder, President of Ooh La Bra
  • Jim Coulter: Founding Partner, TPG Capital, L.P.
  • Donna Fenn: author; contributing editor, Inc. Magazine
  • Nick Friedman: Co-Founder, College Hunks Hauling Junk, College Hunks Moving
  • Patti Greene: Professor Babson College; National Academic Director, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
  • David Hall: Revolution Ventures
  • New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
  • Mary Matalin: Political Consultant
  • Kathryn Minshew: Founder, The Muse
  • Wendell Pierce: star of HBO’s hit show Treme
  • Bridgette Sexton: Google for Entrepreneurs
  • Margaret Spellings: Former U.S. Secretary of Education; Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Advisory Council
  • Alan Weinkrantz: Global PR Expert
  • Tina Wells: Founder, Buzz Marketing; Huffington Post blogger; Black Enterprise columnist
Lisa McKenzie, Founder and President of Ooh La Bra an amazing person. We support her as she is a finalist at NOEW2013.

Lisa McKenzie, Founder and President of Ooh La Bra an amazing person. We support her as she is a finalist at NOEW2013.

New Orleans has one of the most dynamic and engaged entrepreneurial ecosystems in the world and NOEW is its premier showcase event. NOEW is hosted each year by The Idea Village, a 12 year old nonprofit that identifies, supports, and retains entrepreneurial talent in New Orleans. The week-long event is the culmination of The Idea Village’s nine-month Entrepreneur Season, attracting thousands of attendees.

This year, NOEW is expected to gather 3,000 of the nation’s most innovative business leaders, financiers, entrepreneurs, and students to support New Orleans entrepreneurs through over 55 events.

Highlights include Capital Pitch Competitions, which will award prizes ranging from $100,000 to a personalized, guided tour of Silicon Valley’s investment community, and an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Summit that will engage global partners to discuss best practices for sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystems.

All seminars, workshops, and keynotes are free and open to the public on a first come, first served basis.

These events range from one-on-one counseling sessions to specialized workshops on legal and marketing practices. Registration is open at http://www.ideavillage.org

SOURCE The Idea Village

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Posted in art gallery - if you're new start here, family, happiness, holidays, Inspiration, Italy, journal, learning, lists, motivation, relationships, teaching, travel, writing

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Christmas Music is in the Air

Posted on December 2012 | 7 Comments
So so cute! Rockin' Santa strawberries and cream cheese.

Santa strawberries.

So I’m just going to start playing into the Christmas spirit with a fun light post. I’m endulging myself and my blog visitors.

Do you guys remember the song On the first day of Christmas?

Well, the countdown has begun. I like Christmas music. My favorite Christmas song is All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey.

I’ve made a CD I play for the kids in the car on the way to school and work that includes Jingle Bells, White Christmas and all of the classics. The kids LOVE the Alvin and the Chipmunks version.

There are so many beautiful songs for Christmas. What’s your favorite? I’d like to hear.

Have a happy day.

Julie

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Posted in family, happiness, holidays, Inspiration, Italy

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Swim away from the cake — updated motivational technique.

Posted on July 2012 | 5 Comments 
Hi friends. Welcome.

I am putting every ounce of myself to becoming a better blogger, writer and communicator.

Swim away from the cake!

More importantly is that I am trying to make a positive change in life.

Thank for visiting if this is your first time here. Welcome back visitors, feel free to leave comments, I truly appreciate them. 

What motivates you?

My best friend kicks my bum in tennis and probably anyone elses. When we were playing at university we were great partners. We spent our time between matches actually doing cartwheels on the court.

We were paired up with a couple of strong guys who were so serious about tennis. One day our coach pulls us aside and assigns us new partners. Not those guys, Not those guys, we chanted — they’d kill us at tennis.

Sure enough, we  found fantastic new partners, the super strong guys.

I’m building bridges here.

Stay with me folks. There IS a reason I’m telling you this.

The reason is this. I like to find what is behind someone’s motivation. Is it someone who comes over, puts your hand on your shoulder, smiles, and says good job, or is the person who gets behind you and yells ‘DO IT!’?

Ti voglio TANTO bene.

Ti voglio TANTO bene.

When I was on swim team in high school, my sister was my best motivator. She’d follow me back and forth across the lanes and scream ‘Go, Go!’ Her coaching strategy was swim toward the chocolate cake and away from the shark.

Just pretend

Be a kid and pretend you are the best. Walk across the room at this moment as if you have a cape on your back, I don’t care if anyone’s watching — all the better. Our mind will literally follow suit.

When my best friend and I were back playing singles tennis, she’d say Julie  — You’re going down with such conviction, I had no other choice then to believe here. Guess what? She usually won. She still does.

The point is, get out there, do your best.

Go! Go! Just get out there and do it! Be the positive change you want to see. That’s all we can ask, isn’t it?

Have a positive mental outlook and a strong belief that you can win. If you don’t believe in yourself, well then, I do. Go!

Have a nice day and thank you for visiting.

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Posted in family, holidays, Inspiration, journal, motivation, teaching, travel, writing

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Reach for the moon. ☆ If you don’t make it ~ at least you’ll be in the midst of stars.

Posted on July 2011 | 7 Comments
When they say you can't, show them differently.

10 x No = YES!

Here’s a story I learned when I was young.

There’s a bunch of fleas put in a jar. They keep jumping super high. In fact, fleas can jump 60 times their height! The fleas are now in the jar jumping so high so high.

Then someone comes along and puts a cap on the jar. Bump bump bump. The fleas hit their heads. Ouch. They change their behavior and say in a tiny flea voice I will only jump as high as this lid. Ouch ouch ouch.

Then someone comes along and opens the jar. What do you think happens? Do the fleas jump super high or do they jump just as high as the lid?

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. ღ ॐ Friedrich Nietzsche ♡

Unfortunately they only jump slightly lower than lid. You know why? They learned they couldn’t jump any higher.

The point of the story is that we are all little fleas that can jump 60 times our height.

You can jump higher.

Please don’t let ANYONE ever tell you that you can’t do something that benefits yourself, humanity, your team or someone you love.

Even better do something for an enemy. Forgive them.

More Peeps?! WT~@#?

Surely a vanilla green tea with honey day today.

Tell me when you want me stop talking about this but I have a good number of visitors here. I think that’s unbelievable.

I just don’t know when I am going to get used to thinking I’m talking to more than my husband or children. Still it just floors me. I googled the question How many people visit your blog?

I keep getting referred back to one site and I found an interesting chart saying they get 20,000 visitors per week. I’m not buying it. Maybe they are. I just don’t know of any personally.

I am sure somewhere someone is. If so be brave, come forward, leave a comment. One guy said he got like I don’t know 250 per week when he wrote an iphone review. Probably.

Cough cough cough bull…bull. bologna.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Welcome new readers. I hope you become a regular visitor.

The bottom line is I am completely satisfied with the positive feedback I am getting and the steady increase in visitors. Thank you.

Do you like email – I don’t so much.

What do you think about the box that reads: If you are new you might want to consider adding me onto your email subscription? I wish someone would explain that to me. I personally don’t like email so much.

I do all of my communicating between my friends on facebook. What am I going to do with a HUGE list of emails? Sell them to marketers? No. Why? So they can send me junk mail that I trash?

I’m not going there. Am I wrong in thinking if someone wants to see what I am up to they can go to my site or drop me a line? People know how to bookmark, don’t they? Argh.

The first week I was blogging I added myself as a subscribe to my newsfeed by email button. I kept getting letters from myself and it was awful.

Reach for the moon. If you don’t make it at least your are somewhere amongst the stars.

☆

Have a great day and thanks for visiting.

Julie

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Posted in happiness, holidays, Inspiration, motivation, teaching, writing

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I ♥ my readers. Great minds can make anything happen when working together.

Posted on January 2011 | 9 Comments

Each time one of my readers leaves a comment I’m scared to look at it. I sometimes can’t sleep thinking oh great I’m going to wake up and some nut in cyber world is going to have written something mean on my blog and I’m going to have to delete it. Instead I wake up and I see words like excellent and exceptional.

Bike today.

I’m getting to know you all better and I thank you so much for participating in life, love and laughter. You guys are my extended students outside my classroom. I’ve particularly liked meeting people who need help on their endeavors like web site advice feedback. It’s nice to have found a fun creative place to play.

Whenever I’m in a classroom situation my students generally flock to me for information. Why is that? Even when I was little I remember the teacher asking me to explain simple concepts to the other students. I can only attribute it to the fact that both my mother and my grandmother, bless their hearts, were teachers.

If you have read my entire blog you will have seen that I used to write travel diaries from when I was younger. I travelled to Europe mostly before I moved here.

Back to you. My reader’s comments.

My first comment on my first post was from my friend from high school who I call double G. That’s for Gigi. Isn’t that the coolest name – Gigi? She said she’s adding me to her RSS feed. I seriously had never heard of that so I had to look it up on Google. I then read my comment from Pam at Bored Cook and she said Excellent. I felt like I got a good grade on a paper.

It's all an illusion.

One of my favorite comments comes from the nicest guy named Jeff. He wrote I find it hard to believe this isn’t the most popular self-improvement blog out there yet. I about flipped. I’m a new at this. I’d say it’s luck and passion. I also like to laugh and love to write. You guys made my dreams come true for getting 1,000 hits under two months. I’m aiming for another 2,000 in two more months. Does that sound about right to you?

A couple of years ago I was working at a Jr. High School here in Italy. You know what my students like to do? Before I walk in the class they like to write on the blackboard Prof Angelos is the Best. They also like to pass me decorated graffiti like notes written Angelos on them. The kids are 12 years old and so smart.

More Reader’s Comments

It’s your uncanny way of never “seeing” the obstacle of things and situations that make you a great motivator for me. Anne Marie

Your writing style feels like I’m sitting in your living room drinking tea and shooting the breeze. Jeff Burke

I love reading your blog! Miss A. Topp

The articles here are fantastic. Shane Mosley

Hey there. You might be new, but I enjoyed your commentary. Dr. Tom Bibey

Cool and funny tips! … I like the way you write and you have another regular visitor in me! Tomas Z.

Truthfully, this was a really outstanding post. Rosa Planting

You must be a wonderful teacher being who you are. Jeff R

Strong Voice. Shufina K., contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle

Not all reader’s comments have been positive.

On about my third day of blogging I tried adding my blog to a search directory and a guy said he though maybe I was writing satire. I had to look that up. If I’m writing Satire I’m unaware of it. That particular comment is not on my blog because he wrote it on the web directory.

Is this a positive or negative comment? I’m undecided.

The other comment I’m not sure was good or bad was a friend of mine on facebook. When I wrote I’m getting teary eyed when I see babies in strollers Tim wrote Careful, Nietzsche felt the same way about horses.

That comment was so above my head. Maybe some of you readers can explain it to me. I looked it up on wikipedia and it said Nietzche ended up in an insane asylum.

Before this starts sounding like too long of an undeserved Booker Prize speech I just wanted to say you have all been wonderful motivators for me. I write about motivation because I like to get my students thinking. I like to see them smile. I like a good laugh. Life is good. Life is wonderful.

Two quick and funny stories I’d like to share with you.

The first is about my holiday experience at school last week. The school was closed due to snow so the remaining teachers sang and danced. It was a moment I wished lasted forever. When is the last time you can imagine teachers singing and dancing in a teacher’s lounge? Kind of crazy.

And the second

I embarrassed myself on Sc.tt’s website that you can see to your right on my blogroll. I introduced myself as an English teacher and then I misspelled a word. I wrote back to ask him to please not publish it. I wrote through not threw. By that time it was already on his public New’s Feed. No going back. I then went to comment on one of his articles he wrote on a FOO camp – I had never heard of that so again I had to look it up. What I saw was a picture of a beautiful house and a bunch of tents in front of it.

It was hosted at a guy’s house named O’Reilly. I commented that I couldn’t believe Bill O’Reilly wouldn’t invite people in to his house or host them at a nearby hotel. Kind Scott corrected me saying it’s publisher Tim O’Reilly. Who would have known? I tried a third time to correct my mistake by telling him he ‘sited’ O’Reilly four times without giving the first name so my mistake was honest. By the time I hit the return button I saw I wrote sited instead of cited.

For the third time in a row I saw my name on the new’s feed calling myself an English teacher. Oy Vay says my sister. Oy Vay.

When travelling we always run into funny stories of miscommunication. Would you like to tell me yours?

Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Julie

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Posted in happiness, holidays, Inspiration, Italy, learning, motivation

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Pre Holiday Jitters ~ Is there a gift wrappers pre hab?

Posted on December 2010 | 5 Comments

Hi guys and welcome to my blog.

Christmas Shiner

Christmas Shiner

How are you? How is everything going in your pre holiday worlds? Hope you are welcoming the upcoming season with joy in your hearts. I know we joke on facebook and in conversations that we feel like we can’t get it all done but at the same time, I think we know in our heart of hearts that it’s really all going to be okay. Are you with me?

It’s all about the journey, right? Hopefully we are enjoying it.

I’ve been thinking about this blog and why I started it. I haven’t yet quite figured it out. I’m almost certain it has to do with spontaneity. I believe some things are inexplicable, like where children come from and how plants grow. Also how wounds heal. Who would have known.

I can precisely remember when I got my first cut on my finger and I thought, oh no, now what. I’m going to have to live with a cut on my finger for the rest of my life.

It was my sister, Lisa, who explained to me that God made us in a way that we heal. I was sort of shocked. She explained how a cut would stop bleeding because the blood got harder, dried, made a scab and in a couple of days it would fall off.

you inspired in me as a small child

you inspired in me as a small child ♡

Wow!

Just like that!

When I hear things like that I just am awestruck. Sometimes I have a young student in class shout out something to the fact that they are non believers in God. I just couldn’t fathom a life without religion and belief. How else would we answer the questions about where babies come from and how wounds are healed.

How the Internet is Changing our Lives.

I think with access to information available to anyone with an internet connection and nearly immediately people just want to learn. I think they like to learn and like absorbing information.

When I was a kid I learned like a sponge. I’m a little bit slower to learn as I get older yet I think people love to learn.

What floors me.

What floors me is that the more I learn, the more I connect, and reconnect with my readers and old friends, I find that people generally have a loving attitude. I find that most of the information that is shared is out of a loving heart with good intentions.

That is the choice I made.

Well, that’s about all I got for now. I just wanted to leave you with a few quick thoughts. I’ve had some REALLY stressful last few days. I found myself stuck in traffic and in situations I didn’t want to be in. I felt uncomfortable at meetings I wished I wasn’t in. But at the end of the day I felt thankful.

I felt thankful for my job, for my family, for my house, for my car, for my friendships, for my blog, for the ability to communicate, for my health and the list goes on and on. I felt thankful for having a blog, being able to write and paint, having readers and having a creative outlet.

Hope this post finds you lovely, lucky and in love. Have a happy relaxed easy joyful pre holiday season.

Julie

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Time flies when you’re having fun.

Posted on December 2010 | 8 Comments

If you miss love, you miss life. ♡

Hey guys, thanks for stopping by my blog to check in on what is going on in my part of the woods. I appreciate the click. I haven’t written I believe for a couple of weeks although I still see a steady stream of visitors clicking over here. So thank you.

How ARE you? What is up? ‘Tsup out there?

I’m starting to freak out that Christmas is around the corner. First of all, can we just all agree that the Christmas decorations in the stores go up WAY too early? I know I’ve seen them since Halloween. It seems somewhere or another I catch a glimpse of how many days are left until Christmas. This countdown number is helpful and stressful.

I just LOVE the Christmas season yet I put a lot of pressure on myself as a mom and wife to make the season special. This includes the magic touches that I think make all of our lives special: cool decorations, candles, the Christmas tree, the lights, the pressies, the perfumes, the food and the music.

I am getting rid of the old to make room for the new.

That’s always a joy and a challenge. My kids seem to be growing WAY too fast. I keep hugging them to try to keep them from growing but they just squeeze by. I try to be a good mom and every day seem to fall short of that goal. I don’t know HOW my mom did it. It just seems like you need an ENDLESS amount of patience.

It also seems like there is NO knowing when the joy or sorrow moments are going to come. They just happen so you have to be ready for them. I suppose I can say this is teaching me to be a bit more elastic. I remember in my young single days living in my rent control apartment in Santa Monica how I liked everything just so. I liked to alphabetize my spices. I liked to have my clothes in my closet divided by type and color.

Ha ha ha.

{Those were the days my friend.}

We thought they’d never end. I remember my mom sang that when we were little in a play she was in. We have always been involved in theater and art. How wonderful.

I think the most wonderful thing about being a kid was seeing my mom’s art on the walls. In one of her classes she copied a Picasso. It was so cool to see the picture on the wall painted from different perspectives. In some way I think that gave me courage to pursue painting.

When I’m in the classroom, I like to tell the kids that we are ALL artists. We are ALL creative. God made us that way. I think anyone can do anything they set their minds out to do. It just takes will, patience and perhaps repetition.

You Can Do Anything

You can learn to paint, speak another language, construct houses, construct cities, cook, program, play ANY sport, even solving puzzles with a bit of conviction. I believe in you. I know you can do it if you set your mind to it.

What would you like to do if you could? I was thinking about learning how to knit a scarf for Christmas. Ha ha! As if I have time. :) In the mean time, I hope this little post finds you smiling, lovely, appreciative, lucky and in love.

Have a wonderful day and God bless.

Julie

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Nice to get away — nice to come home.

Posted on August 2010 | 5 Comments

Hey guys,

Every Three Minutes

We got back from our second vacation. Boy are these kids in Italy spoiled when it comes to summer vacation. I spent the last two summers in California, so this is a new experience for me — that is, staying here. The kids have spent tons of time at the beach playing. Then they came home and we all left for the mountains for a week.

I love coming home after being away. You get a fresh look at things. It’s peaceful and calm.

What I didn’t expect would happen is that da boyz would grow up over night. When they were littler, I heard my name called non stop round the clock. Then suddenly, seriously, from yesterday to today,

silence.

It’s a crazy silence. It’s beautiful and sweet, but boy do I miss them. They have been out playing with their friends and haven’t come home for any reason what-so-ever. I keep going outside and asking them if they are hungry. I have hamburgers ready for them in the oven. It’s so sad that we love our kids with all of our hearts and then they grow up.

My mom told me that all of my life. She said, you’ll see, one day. Now I see. So?! What’s the point? We did a good job? Yes, we did. Still, the silence is loud, the burgers are ready and today, now, at this moment, I miss my boyz calling me, bugging me, every three minutes.

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Posted in family, happiness, holidays, Inspiration, Italy, travel, writing

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Reporting Live ~ Back from My Italian Seaside Vacation

Posted on July 2010 | 2 Comments

Like This!

Hi guys, welcome back. New visitors, welcome. You might be new here, so please make sure to add a bookmark, add me on facebook or follow me on twitter at jbuliesblog.

✩ ♥ ❀ be a better person ✩

I just now am relaxing down to write about my latest vacation days at the beach with my family, old and new friends. I spent twelve total days at Marina di Ravenna on the Italian Adriatic Coast. Also, I had four visitors come by to keep me and da boyz company that included two great friends from Bologna, and my husband and mother in law when they weren’t working.

How do you feel about camping? Do you like to have your vacation in a five star hotel, at the lake waterskiing, or do you prefer camping? I think camping for kids is a great experience. As adults, I think we get used to our comforts.

Since I walked into my home only three hours ago, I have what I call fresh eyes on the entire vacation. Even though we had a fantastic time, this is one of those vacations when you kiss the floor when you walk into your house.

all work and no play makes jb a dull boy ✿ ♫

I joked a couple of weeks ago because I said I won’t be too sad about not going to California this summer because I’m consoling myself going to the Italian Riviera. I got a couple of laughs out of that. Now I’m going to give you the entire story, the good, the bad, the heat.

The good.

I finished two books. Yay! I love to read. I finished The Power of Now by Eckhart Toole and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Both were excellent. I came home to some great news.

love and friendship have no limits. ╰☆╮

you inspire me ╰☆╮¤°.¸¸.´¯`»¸¸.·☆ Thx Tana!

For one, my friend Tana has dedicated a blog article to me and I love her for that, so sweet. Another friend of mine, Liz, bless her heart, sent me the film Julie & Julia because she knows I don’t get to see films here for months after they come out.

Next time, when I go on vacation, hopefully I won’t have to be without internet for five days. I didn’t bring my camera, because quite frankly I had enough on my mind caring for two rather small kids.

Okay. The trip.

We went to a place called Marina di Ravenna which is found straight east of here. You can drive it in about an hour. We stayed at my mother in law’s camp ground that is private. BUT there is NO running water in the camper, or better yet, no drainage. Well, there is running water, but I didn’t use it because I didn’t want to empty the containers by hauling waste. Yikes!

The GREAT parts.

I like to think of six impossible things before breakfast. ✿ ♫

I like to think of six impossible things before breakfast. ✿ ♫

We were walking distance to the beach that took no more than five minutes. My mother in law has a reserved umbrella set up with two chaise lounges available for the summer season.

Who is coming to keep me company?

The nonna is working so she has left the camp site to our complete disposition. That is so overwhelmingly nice of her.

Here in Italy, the kids have entertainment. The way it works is that you can leave your kids with counselors at the camp ground park 10 to noon and four to six. I never did though, except yesterday when my kids did some coloring.

In the evening around 9:00 p.m. there is music and dancing. The kids love this because they are free to roam around the camp ground. Literally, I think there were about fifty kids running around playing hide and seek. They found some cats. They exchanged t shirts. They made friends. They played endlessly.

The WORST part.

There was no running water. Or, as I said, I didn’t use the running water in the camper. That meant to brush our teeth we had to walk about three minutes down the gravel path to a common bathroom. Sure, it was super clean and organized but I just hated having people look at me while I brushed my teeth. I ended up brushing in the camper. Ugh.

It wasn’t so easy to get my kids to brush either.

Great

The Adriatic sea water was clean, salty ~ the air good for you. The kids got a little inflatable boat and spent hours upon hours playing in the light waves while I read.

Bad

There was too much sun and I don’t like being tan. I seriously don’t like being out in the sun too long. I stayed in the shade as much as possible worrying about my kids getting too much sun.

Great

Watching my boys being brothers. I cannot emphisize how happy that makes my mother’s heart. My little guys were playing billiards together, helping each other. Every time I look, they are together. We all spent HOURS on bikes. That was super cool because there was a shady bike path.

Overall

A nice Italian vacation on the coast? Well, why not. I liked it. I just have certain things I cannot live without, like internet, like my washer dryer, like running water, like a cool place to hang my hat.

Next time

Time share of course. I married a man with a time share. We still have two or three more weeks of vacation coming up and love my honey, we get four and five star treatment from here on in. Yay. We plan on going to the mountains to cool off and to Umbria that is just striking.

Well, thanks for reading, thanks for your comments.

My question to you is this. Camping? Can you take it? Does it build character? Best holiday? Worst holiday? Any stories you care to share are appreciated.

Julie

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Posted in happiness, holidays, Inspiration, Italy, journal, motivation, relationships

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