Living La Buena Vida

Valentine’s Day:The Passion of Tunisian Food & Pottery

Ginny Mees — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:53:45 +0000

Unlike other North African cuisine, Tunisian food is typically quite spicy. However it can also be quite easily toned down to accommodate guests’ palates. Because it is usually accompanied by harissa, a spicy Tunisian red chili sauce, it can be added ahead of time or left on the table for personal preference. Since the spiciness of the meal also has a traditional meaning of love behind it, why not serve up some Tunisian passionate food for your loved one this year for Valentine’s Day? According to Tunisian folklore, the spicier the meal, the more the woman who prepares it loves her man. So

Handpainted lead-free Tunisian Bowl

the heat of the meal also represents the heat of her passion for him. It is believed that if the wife starts preparing bland meals for her husband, than too, her love is waning.

We have included some fabulous Tunisian recipes for you to try, some spicy and some not so spicy, along with some beautiful Tunisian bowls for serving up the passionate meal to your loved one. You may also consider giving one of these beautiful hand-painted Tunisian bowls to your special love: they come in many shapes and sizes. Since they are lead and cadmium free, they are oven, microwave and dishwasher safe . In addition the large bowls have a couple of holes on the back to make them part of your home decor when not in use for cooking or serving.

According to Wikipedia popular ingredients included in Tunisian foods are: garlic, anise, saffron, cinnamon, caraway, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, white pepper, black pepper, red pepper, cloves, onions, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, capers, celery, turnips, potatoes, chili peppers, cucumbers,eggplants, lemon, oranges, figs, dates, olives, apricots, quince, hazelnuts,

pinenuts, peanuts, parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, rosemary, bay leaves thyme. harissa, rose water.

Tunisian Djerbi Rice is a mild rice dish that is easy to prepare

Tunisian Djerbi Rice

400gr basmati rice
200 gr beef, thinly sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
handful chickpeas
3 finely chopped onions
1 pack fresh spinach or frozen spinach
3 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp dried Turkish mint
1 heaped tbsp tabil spice
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper

Method
Fill the bottom pan with water and bring to the boil. In a big bowl mix all the ingredients together with your hands. Once the water is boiling fill the top pan with the rice mixture and steam for about 1hr. Stir every now and then to make sure the rice is evenly cooked.

TUNISIAN BAKED CHICKEN

Tunisian Baked Chicken

4 whole chicken breasts, split 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. paprika pinch of cayenne pepper 1/2 c. chicken broth

juice of 1 small lemon 1 small lemon, thinly sliced

pimento, stuffed green olives, halved 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Wash and pat chicken dry. Combine flour, salt and pepper on wax paper. Turn chicken into flour mixture, coat evenly. Shake off excess. Saute chicken, a few pieces at a time, in oil in a large skillet. Remove the pieces to a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish as they brown, arranging them in a single layer. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add onion, garlic, cumin, paprika and cayenne to skillet. Saute until onion is slightly softened. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil and pour over chicken. Arrange lemon slices on top. Cover. Bake in preheated oven 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with olives. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with harissa.

This Valentine’s Day spice up your life with some Tunisian cuisine and the passion inspired Tunisian bowls. We have tapas sets, small, medium and large bowls. These high quality products come in many patterns and are an inexpensive way to add color to your life! LivingLa Buena Vida is an attitude.

Defining Presentation

Ginny Mees — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:39:34 +0000

Taste…the ultimate deciding factor in sourcing olive oils for my international culinary shop. But taste alone does not a gift make. When buying for La Buena Vida in addition to the quality of the item, the packaging, design and labeling are all

Infused olive oils from Azada in small tins

equally important. Especially in challenging times, people want to give a unique quality gift without spending a lot of money.

During a recent trip to Barcelona, my friend Monique and I stopped into a local Tapas bar and found an incredible Spanish olive oil for taste, design and packaging. It is unique in that the packaging is not your typical dark bottles, but rather a white labeling. This gives it a fresh, eye-catching pop! Since the oil makers at Azada are keenly aware that light is the ultimate enemy of bottled or tinned olive oils, they have brilliantly used a white UV protection coating on the bottles to ensure the quality of the oil is not compromised, and giving it a fresh new twist. These charming tins of olive oil infused with either lemon or basil are also perfect for adding to a small bowl for the perfect dipping gift with P-R-E-S-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N for under 20 euro. Making someone smile with a tasty gift of food combined with a small Tunisian bowl…is wonderful. I have often heard it said that it is not the gift that matters…which is very true, and especially when the gift is packaged and presented with style.

That’s Pinterest(ing)!

Ginny Mees — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:24:11 +0000

Pinterest(ing): Something you like enough to Pin

I enjoy social media and embracing the newest thing to take us all by storm is sometimes daunting! However, (P)interest is an important strategy for your life and your business…and the sooner we jump on board the better off we will be. This is a case of the early bird getting the worm in terms of presence. According to Nancy Messieh in 10 Tips To Get the Most Out of Pinterest For Your Business:

Before taking a look at how you can put Pinterest to work for you, it’s worth looking at why you shouldn’t be ignoring Pinterest. First and foremost, the numbers speak louder than anything else. In the past six months, visits to Pinterest grew by 4000%, receiving an amazing 11 million hits in just one week. Pinterest has also proved to be a great way to drive traffic to your site, and in some cases, has out-performed Facebook. According to Adage, in December, Shannon King, the General Manager of Time Inc’s magazine Real Simple said, ”Pinterest is a huge source from a referral standpoint, even beating out referrals from Facebook in the month of October.”

Aside from the stellar traffic that Pinterest receives and generates, its users are far from passive. Pinterest’s audience is highly engaged and can easily contribute to your social media campaign going viral. In fact, with Facebook’s latest Open Graph announcement, users can now post their pins directly to Facebook. Pinterest brings with it great SEO value, as Search Engine Land has pointed out, because you can link back to your own site, and it has the ultimate viral potential because of the nature of user interaction on the site.

Think about it like this: when you find something great, you share it with your friends, colleagues and family…right? Well, Pinterest just made it easier, much more visually appealling with pictures & video and much more focused! We are already seeing things we like in our life, and we share it verbally, or through Facebook, twitter, linkedIn, etc (and if you are not doing this, then that is another discussion altogether)…but now the uber tool is Pinterest. So now that you know WHY you should do it (and by the way did I mention it is FREE!), let’s show you HOW. If you do not know how to join, just click here and request a Pinterest invitation and you are off…it is as easy (and addicting!) as that.

Getting Started…here are some important tips to create a strategy focused presence:

1) Create your Board Titles: this is how you will categorize the interesting things you will want to share. Pinterest has provided suggested categories for you and here are some additional ideas for you to review while deciding how to incorporate your unique business strategies to Pinterest. (Caution: be careful not to make it all about your business, or you risk becoming the dull bore at a cocktail party droning on about him/herself!)

Recommend books, movies and music that you like or find
Keep a wish list of countries or cities you want to visit
Make a list of places you have been
Keep a desired list of books, movies and music for the future
Your favorite quotes or inspirations
Create a list of things you want: this will make shopping for your friends and family much easier when they list things they like
Create a list of your favourite foods, recipes, etc
Create a board your icons
Create a “Best Of” Board: Best ideas you have seen in action
Gift ideas, again when you family or friends share your ideas, you know they like them

2) Add the Pin It button (aka bookmarklet) to your Tool Bar: This will make your moving your found pictures from the web much easier to quickly add to your Boards, creating vivid content that is solely your own! In order to do this follow the instructions on Pinterest or click here.

3) Select Items for your Boards: Just hit “Pin It” when you find an interesting item while browsing the internet. All available pictures, videos, etc will pop up and you just select the one you want. It must be accompanied by a comment (this is a real tool for making impressions, and increasing the “stick” factor). Also promoting items with a price is very important. If the person likes what they see, by double-clicking on the picture they will be taken to the website of origin…just imagine what can happen quickly when something of interest goes “viral” in Pinterest!!!

4) Select your Sharing Audience: this is a quick way you can obtain followers, and share ideas with an established network. Just select your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN networks, and you can select when, what and how much you want to share. Important to create a wide variety of interests and posts to gain the greatest presence.

So the next time someone tells you something pinteresting…don’t just share it…pin it!. Living (and Pinning) La Buena Vida

If you are a regular follower, or would like to be, of Living La Buena Vida just click here to follow me on “>Pinterest.

My Top 5 (Unexpected) Barcelona Moments

Ginny Mees — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:54:57 +0000

Last weekend I had the pleasure of joining fellow blogger and friend, Monigue Rubin to Barcelona. This visit was not the first for either of us, so we looked for off the beaten path, less traditional opportunities for adventure. We did not tour Barcelona via the double-decker bus, as we both had in the past, and although we did stroll up and down Las Ramblas from our lovely hotel, Hotel Bagues, we also both relished in the discovery of some local recommendations from a couple of Monique’s colleagues. As is the case with many big cities, there is simply too much to see and do in one visit, and often times the surprise find, will come from an unexpected place and time.

5. La Boqueria: Our Saturday morning stroll through this covered, but open air food market is a feast for all the senses.

Candy & Nuts as ART

The colorful displays of fruit and vegetables arranged as towers of mangos, pears, apples, avocados vie for attention. Candies, dried fruits and nuts appear as a rainbow of color to entice, not just with the smells, but also the visual display of texture and color. Each stall uses their own artistic flair to display the otherwise redundant products for sale. Whether it be the unique stall we visited with a pile of brown and white eggs, olive oils, coffee, honey and pastas or the seafood square with 6-8 stalls of every possible fish, shellfish or squid. This is no ordinary farmers market, but could be a celebration of colors and art as unique as if they were each prepared by Spain’s very own Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso or Antoni Gaudi. A MUST SEE…the prices were very good, and the market was full of locals picking up needed produce, meats, oils, and sweets.

4. Fundacio Joan Miro: In all fairness this gem came about a year ago during a short new years visit with my husband,

The Barcelona Series

son and mother who was visiting from the USA. We were staying at a friend’s house in the neighboring seaside village of Sitges and my mother had mentioned wanting to see the Miro museum. (I must preface this with the pertinent fact that my mom is an art history buff, and as we were only on vacation for a few days, my immediate reaction was to suggest we drop her off). But because I now live in The Hague and my mom in the Pacific Northwest, I don’t have as much time with her as I would like, so my rational side got the better of me and I volunteered to go with her, while Paul and Bailey went to tour the Barca futbol stadium. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement…I loved it. We waited in line for about 15 minutes, but once inside it is an amazing museum not to mention the wide array of mediums representing Miro’s passions. From sculptures, to lithographs to paintings on bronze, he experimented with many forms of art. More importantly his foundation and museum were built to promote young artists, and so many works of art from other artists are on display here. One of my particular favorites was a mercury fountain by an American artist, which is in a glass encased courtyard since the mercury is poisonous. I did the walking audio tour with my mom, and found that the four hours we took to enjoy this contemporary art collection, was a highlight of that trip.

3. Tapas Tasting: while many people, including myself, love tapas (or small plates as they are also known) it was explained

El Xampanet on a Typical Saturday

to us by (local) Carlos that there is an art to this. I have typically gone to one restaurant and sat for several rounds of tapas, and of course wine. Carlos guided us on Saturday afternoon through several neighborhoods in old Barcelona, and then we stopped at El Xampanyet in El Born, a charming, crowded typical tapas bar. It has been there since 1929, and when we arrived it was standing room only. The two brothers at the bar offered us a smile and a glass of Cava, along with Catalan bread and sliced meat. (Come to find out later the name of the place means sparkling wine). Carlos then explained to us that the traditional Catalan will visit several tapas places and enjoy the unique specialties and a glass of something before moving on to the next one. So Monique and I made it our plan on Saturday to do as the Catalans do. Not far from there, we visited Set De Gotic, another colorful, crowded tapas bar, where we enjoyed a glass of Rioja and the special meats of this popular place. But after sampling several places, by far our favorite is Bar Lobo. We were told about this place by three different people: Monique’s friend, Ana, from Vueling Airlines, the concierge at our hotel and after posting a picture and “checking in” (yes…they have free wi-fi) I heard from friends in the US who have a place in Sitges, this is also one of their favorites. The artichoke chips are unbelievable! We liked it so much we went back twice, and if you have been to Barcelona you know this means something since there are a plethora of great restaurants!

2. Segway Touring: As a novice, I was a little bit apprehensive of riding a Segway around Barcelona for 2+ hours, but it

Barcelona Glides Segwaying

was a wonderful way to explore Roman Barcelona, the small streets of the Gothic quarter, the old harbor, the Columbus statue, the royal shipyards, the Ramblas, the Barceloneta, the Born quarter, the beach and the Olympic harbour. . We started out by meeting the owner of Barcelona Segway Glides, Edgar, at Plaza de San Jaime and then walked to his storage/office. He showed us the simplicity of riding, stopping and turning. We spent about 20 minutes getting familiar with our Segway, and then we were off. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to see these areas, without a lot of walking. Given the historical information we learned from Edgar, the views and the unique manner in which we traveled, it is well worth the 60 euro investment for the 2 1/2 hours. I particularly enjoyed his sense of humor along with his knowledge of Barcelona. When we return, which we will, I will be doing this again with my husband and son.

and my TOP Barcelona Moment, which is the same from all my trips….

1. Roaming The Roman Ruins: the enormous historical perspective gained from getting “lost” behind the Roman walls of

Barri Gotic: The Gothic Quarter

old Barcelona and the Gothic Quarter is huge. As an American with a paltry 200+ year old history, I cannot help but be engulfed with this sense of insignificance. (We actually started this trip to Barcelona with a quick side trip to the lesser known city of Tarragona about 60 km away. During Roman times, Tarragona far outshone Barcelona in both size and importance. Today, the amphitheatre, aqueduct and many other-not so ruined-ruins remain impressively intact). Old Barcelona has many narrow, old alleys and streets filled with cafes, boutiques and galleries. No cars or Segways allowed here, so it is a great place to put the map away and roam as the Romans did…look up, absorb the architecture and try and imagine life 1000 years ago. For me this is the essence of Barcelona.

Living La Buena Vida in Barcelona. (Thanks Monique!)

A Smiling Resolution

Ginny Mees — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:33:56 +0000

In 2012, I decided to commit to “smiling more and helping others smile more”. This is my new year’s resolution. It seems my inherent definition of a smile is to spread happiness and joy with this physical act. Making a new year’s resolution may come easy…most of us easily commit to “losing weight”

Resolutions Can Make a Difference

or “reducing alcohol consumption” in January… Or any number of other self-improvement commitments: time-management, saving money, etc. It has always been a traditional part of the clock ticking into a new year. At face value (excuse the pun) this appears to be an easy thing to do…however I have found it requires a tremendous amount of concentration and specific targeted action.

The first challenge is in letting my petty upsets move to the recesses of my mind, and in doing so I must strategically focus on all that is good. It also means I must allow negative people and their energies to bounce off me, because otherwise they infect my ability to smile more and bring happiness to others. This part of my resolution costs me no money and in these tough times, smiling is even more important than ever…primarily because it is FREE and it makes a huge difference in people’s daily lives. It is the one gift that keeps on giving.

The second, even more important aspect, of my new years resolution is redirecting wasted energies and efforts toward providing good to others…in one word: PHILANTHROPY.

Phi-lan-thro-py: according to Wikipedia is defined as:

the love of humanity“—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of “what it is to be human,” or “human potential. In modern practical terms, it is “private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life“—balancing the social-scientific aspect emphasized in the 21st century, with the long-traditional and original humanist core of the word’s ancient coinage.

There are numerous ways to support charitable works and organizations without spending a lot of money. I believe it is important to find the organization that speaks to your heart. For example, when we lived in San Francisco, we supported two local non-profit organizations: The Bay Area Crisis Nursery (an organization started by a nun: focused on reducing child abuse, by providing a safe haven to children who’s parents are facing homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, etc.), and also the Bay Area Food Bank (providing food for the homeless and hungry).

Now living in The Hague, I was recently introduced to a Thai Orphanage named Sarnelli Housein Nongkai, Thailand. It was started and is run by Priest Father Michael Shea. Their mission spoke to my heart:

"Lyn" at Sarnelli House first in 2006 then in 2009 with Father Mike

Sarnelli House is an orphanage for abandoned children and children with HIV/AIDS. We work in the spirit of love where the children can find a purpose in living and be nurtured as they grow to adults.

The thought of bringing smiles to children from afar, who have been otherwise cast aside warms my heart, and thus this has become my new endeavor. With a couple of other friends we are organizing a charity event to raise money for this heartfelt organization. If you are so inclined and would like to participate in this worthwhile organization you can visit the website above. Or you may join us for our fundraising event on the 10th of March in The Hague, or you may provide a donation for our silent auction…nothing is too small, and all of these proceeds go directly to the orphanage. These proceeds will help to deliver and create daily smiles for the children depending on the Sarnelli House organization.

It is in this spirit that I share the information about this Sarnelli House Dinner-Auction-Dance on the 10th of March to be held:

Parish House Koningen Marialaan 2 Den Haag

“REACH OUT” Charity Event for The Sarnelli House Orphanage

Live band / Disco
Charity Silent Auction
Asian Buffet dinner (includes red/white wine, beer, mineral water)
Tickets € 50 Limited tickets!! For ticket sales contact: hartigan@live.com

2012 is a year for smiles. With a smile I believe we can change the world for the better. We can dissolve differences into discussions, and show our innate ability to overcome poverty, end world hunger, intolerance and violence. Happy New Year to you and yours:

A couple of smiling quotes to ponder:

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile. ~Author Unknown

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. ~Charles Gordy

Top 5 Gifts To Get A Smile

Ginny Mees — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:22:53 +0000

Christmas is a time of giving. Every year we struggle to find the perfect gift for our loved ones. Making a choice year in and year out of what to give can be difficult, and especially during times of economic hardship. I believe that making people feel good with humor in tough times is the solution for both the giver and the receiver. While doing my buying for La Buena Vida this year, I focused on inexpensive gifts that are both practical, funny and yet inexpensive.

Here are my 2011 Top 5 Gifts to Get A Smile, all of which are under 25 euro:

Diamond Oven Mitt

1) Diamond Oven Mitt: A high quality neoprene oven mitt sure to make her giggle when she sees the bling! The outside of the oven mitt features a women’s hand with a significant “diamond” ring on the wedding finger. This fun gift will make kitchen safety glamorous, and will provide many laughs throughout the year.

Priced at 10,50 euro

Plaid Hip Flask

2) ”Burberry” Hip Flask: For the gentleman who has everything: a flask with style. This handsome flask will add panache while sipping a brandy or whiskey on a cold wintery day. For sure this gift is something they do not already own…make him smile! Also available in Scotch plaid, and a pink “Burberry” plaid for the girl who sports a flask.

Priced at 9,95 euro

Fun Cake Server

3) High Heel Cake Server: This fun cake server will be used at every party. For the shoe loving girl. Do you know a “Carrie Bradshaw” or “Imelda”? This is the ideal gift for them: sexy, comfortable and stylish. And it even serves the cake well….she can have her cake and wear it too!

Priced at 15.95 euro

For The Serious Musician Chef

4) Mix Stix: Do you have a “Rock and Roller” in your family who also likes to cook? Let him or her rock out in the kitchen with these great wooden drumstick spoons. One end for rockin and one end for mixin! There will never be a dull moment in this person’s kitchen.

Priced at 12,95 euro

I'm Hot Coffee on The Go

5) I’m Hot Traveler Coffee Cup: This well made Coffee-to-go cup has a cozy message: Hold Me Tight…I’m Hot! With ceramic on the outside, stainless steel on the inside, and sipper lid the coffee will also be HOT! Large enough to help get a commuter awake before they arrive at work.

Priced at 24,95 euro

While finishing up your holiday shopping this week, keep your sense of humor, and give the gift that keeps on giving…SMILES!

Drop into La Buena Vida for these, and many other unique fun gifts priced for everyone. We have special hours to help with your hectic shopping days and nights: Mon. 9:00-18:00, Tues & Wed 9:00-20:00, Thurs 9:00-22:00, Friday 9:00-19:00 and Sat, Christmas Eve: 9:00-14:00.

Living La Buena Vida all year through with a smile. Happy Holidays to you and Yours!

Christmas Markets in The Hague

Ginny Mees — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:27:51 +0000

Nothing says Christmas like a charming Christmas Market or Holiday Bazaar. These gezellig festivities offer many home-made crafts and goods not always found while traipsing through The Noordeinde or Passage, and certainly at a much lower price. Half the fun in a holiday market is that they typically are held 3-4 weeks prior to Christmas when people are still full of the holiday season joy, having not yet been

Typical Outdoor Christmas Market

beaten down by the barrage of commercialism in advertisements. The history of the Christmas Market (Vienna, Salzburg and Cologne to name a few) is well known, with some markets such as the Dresden Christmas Market dating back to the 1400′s, but did you know we have some of our very own Christmas Markets right here in Den Haag? In November the American Women’s Club held their annual Holiday Bazaar at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel which was a huge success, helping support their philanthropic endeavors such as breast cancer. Last weekend was The St John-St Philip Church Christmas Market which had a fabulous assortment of goodies, loads of smiles and which supports the efforts of the church.

And it is not too late, there are a few more events coming up:

This Saturday, the 3rd of December will be The BSN Winter Fair (one of the largest markets) found at The British Primary School located at Vlaskamp 19 in Den Haag. Bring the children and let them shop at the indoor fair for unique, homemade, charming gifts and they also have loads of other kids’ activities, including the pre-requisite Santa chat and pony rides!

Too busy on Saturdays? How about a Wednesday? The Hungry Mind Community Centre also has a Christmas Market on Wednesday the 14th of December from 8:30-17:00 at SPORTSPARK OCKENBURGH, WIJDAELERWEG , DEN HAAG

This holiday season share in the festive holiday spirit unique to a holiday fair, and enjoy quality time with your family.

Spending less money, while giving unique gifts, and supporting a good cause at the same time…hope to see you there… Living La Buena Vida in The Hague!

Top 5 Festive Foodie Gifts

Ginny Mees — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:18:03 +0000

Are you looking for an inexpensive, but special gift for the holidays? It’s time to consider some food options which will appeal to all cultures, palates and age groups! When shopping this holiday season, why not offer your recipient the tasteful gift of food. Consider the following five “foodie” gifts which are all under 20 euro:

Buon Natale!

Number 5: Tri-colore Italian Pasta (6 euro) Nothing says Buon Natale like a lovely package of Piccola TriColore Italia Farfalle Primavera, Tri Colore Fettuccine Italiano or the charming Fantasia Mediterraneo pasta. These all natural pastas are made with beetroot, spinach, lemon and other natural coloring ingredients…yummy and festive. Pair it with a jar of Pesto Genevese or Pesto Rosso, and fresh parmigiano, and you are still under 15 euro!! Share this well known Italian delight with friends and family alike!

Number 4: Monin Sirop Taster Set (15 euro) Bring friends and family a set of Le Sirop de Monin, with five flavors

Tasty Flavorings

(Caramel, Vanilla, Hazelnut, Gingerbread, Chocolate Cookie) and wish them Noel! Many people think only of these syrups for flavoring coffee drinks during the winter, which is there original use. But they have also been savored by many either over ice cream or an added flavoring for warm milk instead of just a hot chocolate. These French flavoring syrups have been produced for more than 90 years, sold in more than 100 countries and are sure to spice up anyone’s life! You can also add a bag of Italian coffee which brings it to just under 20 euro.

Award-Winning Truffles

Number 3: Booja Booja Dairy free Chocolate Truffles (15 euro) This award-winning English chocolate treat is sure to put a smile on your loved one’s face while saying Happy Christmas! They are rich, smooth, mouth watering, and (get this!) dairy free, organic, gluten free, cholesterol free,raw, soya free and have no added sugar….how can this be good you ask? It just is. A gift that absolutely no one would know also had these positive traits, because the flavor is rich with the taste of Ecuadorian chocolate. My personal favorite is the Champagne Truffle…daringly decadent, and dairy-free!

Number 2: Wild Hibiscus Flowers for Prosecco or Cava (13 euro) hard to imagine improving on a fine

Hibiscus Flower with Bubbly

glass of bubbly but this is a winner! Give your special someone this smile-producer: a small pot of eleven edible Hibiscus flowers from Australia. To step it up a notch add an inexpensive bottle of Spanish Cava or Italian Prosecco, and ring in the holidays with style! Sure to please every time. It can also be used with sparkling tea or lemonade for the non-alcoholic gift. An usual idea, that has become this years’ number two gift-giving idea!

Drum roll PLEASE>>>>>this years NUMBER ! GIft GIving Idea for under 20 euro….IS……………………

Creating Beautiful Cakes

Number 1: The Cupcake Kit from aTable (20 euro) Give your children the gift of time this year…Spending time baking with your children teaches them many important values such as math, quality appreciation, time management, patience and of course the eating them after all the work is the “icing on the cake”. This special kit allows for all the fun without the hassle. With everything you need to make 15 gorgeous cupcakes: from the cupcake mix, to the colorful cupcake forms, to the icing, colored marzipan, and 2 different colored sprinkles for decorating. Young or Old, whoever participates will feel like a child again! It’s the Year of the Cupcake!

Needing some other special guidance or personalized service this holiday season? Drop into la Buena Vida in The Hague and let us make your gift-giving more affordable, extra fun, and less stressful. Living La Buena Vida is a state of mind!

Girl Time Is Like a Good Workout

Ginny Mees — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:54:36 +0000

Cyndi Lauper had it right with the title of her 80′s hit: “Girls Just Want To Have Fun!”. When we girls get together we just want to sit around, chat, laugh, eat, drink and did I mention laugh??? Maybe it is because of the doom and gloom constantly found in the news that makes me want to sit and enjoy the sisterly friendship of girlfriends over a glass of wine. But there are also scientific findings to support this activity can provide women a healthier life.

Whatever the reason, it is interesting that men don’t have that same need to connect with their guy friends like women do…my husband finds great release in watching a voetbal match or (worse!) Formula 1 race. Probably this is related to our social nature, in that we tend to solve problems by talking things through. Whereas men tend to resolve things alone in their caves. Just ask Dr. John Gray, author of the well known “Men Are from Mars, and Women Are From Venus”, amongst other great books. According to Dr Gray:

The “wave” is a natural cycle for women that is centered around their abilities to give to other people. When they feel full of

Our Girls Are Good For Our Health

love and energy to give to others their wave is in a stable place. When they give to others (and don’t receive the same amount of love and attention in return) their wave begins to grow until it eventually crashes. This is a time when a woman needs the love, listening, understanding and reassurance of those around her (including self love). Once she is rejuvenated (by getting the support she needs) she is able to rise like a wave and once again has love and energy to give.

Finding support in the company of our girlfriends is also mutually beneficial. We don’t try and “solve” the crisis, we give support and reassurance which not only helps the sister in need, but it also rejuvenates our own maternal need to give support and love. Isn’t this a wonderful innate support system? A recent post that has gone viral, regarding a Stanford Psychiatry Lecture:

“The last lecture was on the mind-body connection–the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends. At first everyone laughed, but he was serious. Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality “girlfriend time” helps us to create more seratonin–a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel about certain things or how their personal lives are going. Jobs? Yes. Sports? Yes. Cars? Yes. Fishing, hunting, golf? Yes. But their feelings?–rarely. Women do it all of the time. We share from our souls with our sisters, and evidently that is very good for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym. There’s a tendency to think that when we are “exercising” we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged–not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!

Girlfriend Power

So what if you are new to a town, or uprooted from your “support” system? Finding a new one takes time and energy. If we wait for someone to find us it could take forever. Getting out and about is key: join a sports club, or find a coffee place you like and ask if they would organize a morning coffee once a month…inviting people to drop in and chat. Another great source for interim support is the plethora of support organizations available online…for example Girlfriendology, an “online community for women based on inspiration, appreciation and celebration of female friendship. Basically it’s an inspiring, positive, supportive community of women who are or may become girlfriends”. Also Facebook is a great way to stay in touch and interact daily with our girl’s far and wide.

What about planning a “girlfriend getaway” with your treasured girls? I just did for next March with a group of my supportive friends, all of whom are relatively new to me, since I have only lived in The Hague for the past few years. But I know that the weekend will provide a much needed respite for all of us busy moms, wives, daughters, sisters, and entrepreneurs! The great thing is that we help one another, while we serve our own needs. Love to all my girls around the world…yes you know who you are, and I want you to know how much I treasure our friendship!

Looking Good at 125 Years Old

Ginny Mees — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:02:06 +0000

Surviving and thriving for 125 years is a real challenge, but not for Lady Liberty who stands as tall as ever, and is still a beacon of hope for many looking to America to provide shelter and a better life. Yesterday, Friday, the 28th of October, was the 125th anniversary of our Statue of Liberty who stands for the freedoms our country provides its people.

It is easy for us all (whether living in the USA, Europe or anywhere in the free western world) to focus on the (very real) problems we face

Lady Liberty Looks Good

today: The continuing stories of the Occupy Wall Street movement remind us daily of the downside of capitalism: where greed becomes the end all, and the well-being of humanity is no longer the focus. It also saddens me to read the stories of violence against gay and lesbian youth because somebody decided the Bible says it is okay to hurt people in the name of religion, not to mention the very real lack of equal rights within this same community. And I could continue to go on and on about the problems facing the western world in 2011. But instead I would like to examine how liberty as a concept is doing 125 years after she was presented to the US, from the people of France, in 1886. According to Wikipedia:

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture onLiberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an icon of freedom and of the United States.

Of course there are significant challenges facing the daily implementation of our core fundamentals according to our Declaration of Independence, but in general I think it is fair to say, that freedom is still the focus of countries not living with these same benefits. After our Arab Spring this year we have also seen the fight for freedom throughout parts of Northern Africa. Not the least of which is the end of human injustices dealt by the Libyan regime under Muammar Gaddafi for 40 of those past 125 years, and now just this month the people of Libya are finally ringing the freedom bell after the demise of their dictator. Then there are the masses of refugees in Africa moving for food, water, health care and other humanitarian basics…so in my humble opinion the search for freedom is alive and well worldwide.

What would Lady Liberty say if she could speak? Probably, she would acknowledge that we have come a long way: Hitler was defeated, albeit after thousands of people had perished under his regime, the policy of apartheid is no longer law in South Africa and so many other dictatorships have been destroyed during the past 125 years. We now have the first African American President in the USA, despite segregation in the first half of this century. Would she be satisfied with the path “freedom” has taken in America? I am not certain. If the greed, which has been illegally and immorally fostered in the name of “capitalism” or “free” markets, were to continue at the expense of humanity: health care for everyone, education for everyone, equal rights for everyone, then I think the very foundation set by our founding fathers are at risk. The good news is we are able to exercise that very freedom of speech to communicate our displeasure, and we can learn from our past mistakes.

As we celebrate our lady looking proud to stand for FREEDOM, let us also consider the many faces of freedom and how we as individuals can help support the overall goal. Happy Birthday Liberty, and may the next 125 years see even more impressive acts of freedom.