We here at Skimbaco Lifestyle often choose to be silent when bad things happen, or when there is a political issue, or even a natural disaster. It’s not because we don’t care, we do, but Skimbaco Lifestyle is not a newspaper, we are not in the front lines reporting, and we are not taking a strong stand when it comes to politics, or religion for instance. I hope YOU take a stand, YOU fight for the causes you believe in, and YOU take action. I hope you come to us to find a silver lining for your day, or to be reminded that our world indeed is a beautiful place.

Boston Strong

I wanted to dedicate one post to Boston, and publish a few of my Boston photos. Boston is an amazing coastal city to visit, and it is surrounded by gorgeous small coastal towns. I hope you put visiting Boston in your travel list this summer to support a city, which went through a horrible terror during the Boston marathon. Did you know that the week following the Boston marathon usually is the most lucrative time of the year for many small business owners in the area due the visitors who come to the city for the marathon? Many small business owners were counting in for the business of those days.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino declared free parking on the surrounding areas of Boylston Street for a few days after the area opened again to encourage locals to go back to the Boylston Street area, go to the restaurants, shops and get involved in the recovery effort. The free parking time is all over by now, but it is just one of those things that shows how the city wants to get back to normal business as soon as possible. I hope you consider visiting Boston this summer to enjoy the best the city has to offer and give them the support they deserve.

Here are a few of my suggestions what to see and do in Boston.

Awesome things to do in Boston

Visit the Little Italy of Boston in the North End, and have as authentic Italian food as you can get on the US soil.

Visit the Faneuil Hall Marketplace for fun Boston-flavored shopping. The Faneuil Hall Marketplace was built already in 1742, but throughout the years fell into disrepair, but finally restored in 1976 and it has been a vital landmark and loved by locals and tourists alike ever since. The marketplace is full of shops, restaurants and the Faneuil Hall Marketplace is known for their street performers entertaining the visitors. The statue of Samuel Adams stands majestically in the front of the Marketplace.

The Faneuil Hall Marketplace is a great spot for getting a cup of coffee from the Red Barn Coffee Roasters, and your Boston-souvenirs, like the Red Sox fan gear.

South Boston, also called Southie or Sobo, is another great historic district to visit, and you can find Dorchester Heights there. Dorchester Heights was and is remembered in American history for an action in the American Revolutionary War known as the Fortification of Dorchester Heights. The South Boston is one of America’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods and still remains the “European district” of Boston with Irish, Polish and Lithuanian communities.

You can’t visit Boston without visiting one of the many Irish Pubs, and you don’t even have to go to South Boston to enjoy a Guinness.

Walk the Freedom Trail and discover the history of Boston. The Freedom Trail is a walk tour of Colonial Revolutionary time Boston. The walk tour takes you to several buildings of notice, like the Massachusetts State House pictured above. The Trail takes the visitor to 16 historical sites in the course of two or three hours and covers two and a half centuries of America’s most significant past. You can follow the Trail by the red brick or painted line in the streets of Boston.

If you stop at several sights and museums, you can even take two days just for discovering everything on the Freedom Trail.

One of the stops on the Freedom Trail is Paul Revere House. It’s downtown Boston’s oldest building, built in about 1680, and one of the few remaining from an early era in the history of colonial America. My kids liked learning about Paul Revere and also seeing how people lived back in that time.

After all of the walking in Boston, I really wanted to jump on one of these awesome-looking trolleys with Boston Trolley Tours.

Boston is full of gorgeous parks – and like you already guessed, famous statues and history. The Christopher Columbus Park overlooking Boston Harbor is a great picnic spot on the walking distance of the Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

Last but not least… Enjoy the Boston Harbor itself at the Long Wharf. Stop for dinner at the Chart House in the marina, it has the best dinner options with great surroundings. The kids love the New England Aquarium in the Central Wharf, next to the Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel. I highly recommend the hotel itself by the way, perfect spot for sightseeing Boston and the views from many rooms are spectacular.

How to get to Boston?

Did you know that it only takes three and a half hours to get to Boston on Acela Express train from New York City? Amtrak has scheduled train service to Boston from New York and other points in the Northeast Corridor. The Logan Airport is located in East Boston and you fly directly to Boston from most major cities/airport hubs in the US, and also from the largest hubs of Europe.

Iceland is perhaps at its best as an adventure travel destination, but my visits have been always short, and the main purpose has been to have a short relaxing stop between the USA and Europe. Yes, I admit, I go to Iceland for a great spa and swimming experience, and for the amazing sea food. Maybe one day I will actually adventure too, but one thing is for sure: I will return.

Read my Iceland recommendations of two hotels where to stay, and two airlines how to get to Iceland on my previous post. Also – the first two suggestions here are not actually in Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon is about 30 minutes away. Many call it an expensive tourist trap, but we have visited it in wintertime and it hasn’t been too crowded on either time, and we absolutely love it.

1. Swim at Blue Lagoon
It literally is possible to have a 6 hour stopover in Iceland and take a quick shuttle or taxi from the airport to go swim at the world famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. An experience you will remember a lifetime. Just be warned: you might get hooked.

2. Eat at the LAVA restaurant
The LAVA restaurant in Blue Lagoon is an experience of its own. The minimalistic restaurant looks amazing, and the food is worth every penny. The ox tail and duck for dinner is excellent, but my favorite is the turbot with lemon sauce.

3. Listen to music at Harpa Concert Hall
Reykjavik got a new concert hall two years ago, and I highly recommend checking out the events held at Harpa during your visit. The building itself is a piece of art, and worth visiting for a tour. On the evenings the entire building is lit up and has dancing lights like Northern lights.

4. Go whale watching
You can catch whale watching boats from the Reykjavik harbor and spend a day at the Atlantic watching the majestic marine mammals. Check out Elding for whale watching cruises.

5. Enjoy fusion food at Tapas Húsið
Speaking of whales – is it horrible of me next to suggest actually eating some? Right at the Reykjavik harbor you can find Tapas Húsið, an excellent Spanish style tapas restaurant where you can get small plates of tapas prepared according to many global cuisines, including traditional Icelandic cuisine. And yes, you can get whale tapas here. The food is so good that it gathers tourists around the world and locals alike, and if you want to sit downstairs, table reservations are recommended. I even bumped into an Icelandic friend there, Hjörtur Smárason, an Icelander living in Denmark, who only had a few hour stopover in Reykjavik on his way to Greenland and he stopped at the Tapas Húsið with his travel companions from around the world.

6. Take a walk to Grótta Island
Grótta island is just outside Reykjavik, and you can walk there during low tides. The lighthouse on the island is a great landmark, and the view from the island to Mt. Esja is stunning. It’s a perfect (short) walk to the island to take photos, enjoy the scenic view, see the lighthouse and bird-watch.

7. Eat sushi at Suhsibarinn
Eating sushi in Iceland is a must for the fresh seafood available. I was trying to find a sushi place to eat and found 3 best places to eat sushi in Reykjavik from I Heart Reyjavik website. The food was excellent and especially the “Magic roll” was indeed magically good. Tip: they have a street side restaurant/take-away joint with only one table, go there first and they will most likely recommend you their nicer 2nd floor restaurant and give you a discount coupon for the meal.

8. Check out the Sun Voyager statue
The Grótta Island is on the south side of the city, but the north side is equally worth the visit and a walk. Pass the Harpa concert hall on the way and head to north side of the city. You can view the Mt. Esja also from there, and see the Viking ship sculpture Sun Voyager by Jon Gunnar Arnason. During the 20 minutes we were taking photos of the Sun Voyager, a group of young college students gathered around the statue and one of them got naked and climbed on the top of the statue while others were snapping photos. I don’t recommend getting frisky with it, but posing with Sun Voyager is a thing to do when in Iceland.

9. Shop downtown Reykjavik
The downtown area is relatively small, but full of shops, coffee shops and close to the city hall you can find a small Tjörnin lake, and it’s juts gorgeous with ducks and swans swimming in it. Several Kaffi & Te coffee shops have free wifi and excellent coffee. Our favorite was Eldur and Is coffee shop, where they served Italian style ice cream and French style crepes, a winning combination.

10. Go boat watching in the Reykjavik harbor
I love boats, and this time we unfortunately didn’t get to do a whale watching tour although I love them. A walk in the harbor was enough for me. You can watch the fishing boats, big and small to leave and arrive the harbor, as well the tourist boats and even a Danish military vessel was docked in the marina.

Every June, my family loads up our SUV with suitcases, sand chairs and fishing poles and makes the four hour drive to the North Carolina coast. It’s my favorite week of the whole summer. I love feeling surrounded by family in our little beach cottage, but nothing compares to the magic I feel walking along the beach, picking up seashells and listening to the waves crash along the shore.

And almost as wonderful as our actual beach trip is the preparation for it. My gym membership card is swiped more than usual in hopes of achieving the elusive “beach body,” and I spend at least two weeks packing beforehand, making sure I have every outfit planned down to my shoes and earrings. A new bikini and a new beach bag are two purchases that must be made in advance.

This summer, Target has all you need for a stylish vacation at the beach. You can’t go wrong with any of the towels from their new beach collection, but I’m simply in love with these fabulous ikat beach towels!

Ikat Lux beach towel in green

Ikat Lux beach towel in whipped papaya

Xhilaration Lavada Slide Sandal

No beach trip is complete without a sand chair, floppy straw hat and a great pair of sunnies. Yes, looking amazing on the beach is a priority, but so is our health! Sun protection is a must, so don’t forget to lather up with a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. I personally love Neutrogena’s ultra-sheer sunscreen, which won’t irritate your skin.

Beach Chair in Red

Merona Floppy Hat

Merona Rubberized Sunglasses in Tortoise

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock

Pack a good novel or a fun magazine, and you’re all set for a day at the beach. And if you’re on vacation, you might as well add a cold drink. (I recommend a piña colada, but really any icy beverage will do!)

It’s time for springtime – how are you getting ready for spring and summer?

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.

My family spent some time in Asheville, North Carolina, exploring the Biltmore Estate last month. My children did well exploring the 250-room mansion that was built by George Vanderbilt in 1895. I shared some inside tips on touring the estate with kids this month on Skimbaco.

It was a frigid 25 degrees on the day we visited, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time and getting the most out of our visit. After touring the house, we skipped the gardens and went straight for Antler Village, which is also included in your estate admission ticket.

Antler Hill Village

This charming village matches the architecture of the estate and houses the estate’s Outdoor Adventure Center, Antler Hill Farm, the Winery, the Biltmore Legacy Museum, and a few shops and restaurants. This is the place where children can be children and have a little fun.

So what if it was a chilly 25 degrees. My children went through the children’s maze not once, but twice, and would have done it again and again if their parents didn’t want to go to the winery to get warm. This free, fun-filled activity is made up of 500 trees and is patterned after a traditional boxwood maze. And it’s really not that easy to find your way out, either. We did, though, and went up the short hill to Antler Hill Farm.

Antler Hill Farm

This area on the Biltmore Estate will provide lots of entertainment for adults and children of all ages. After touring the mansion where our children had to be on their best behavior, it was a delight to see signs that said, “Please Climb on Me!”

Visitors here can immerse themselves into 19th-century farm life by stepping into the everyday life of families who lived on the estate raising livestock, tending crops, and working at Biltmore Dairy in the 1890s. The Barn in Antler Hill Village—once the social and work center for these families—is alive again with blacksmiths, woodworkers, and other craft demonstrations. There are crafts for the kids, educational videos, and a display of farm equipment through the years. A highlight of our visit was watching the blacksmith get ready to close shop for the day.

Kids will also enjoying getting to know some of the livestock on the farm. We stepped in right before the animals go in for the night, and they all were ready for dinner. The farm is open daily until 5 p.m.

The Biltmore Winery

Biltmore’s winery was originally a dairy barn, and guests who enter from the village take a walk through the cellar before getting into the complimentary tasting room. Now, many may think this is not a place for children, but they were very welcomed and even got complimentary grape juice. We only tasted a few of Biltmore’s wines because our two children can sit for only so long. I particularly enjoyed Biltmore’s Cardinal Crest, a red wine. This is an easy-to-drink wine with hints of blackberry, cherry, and oak. I think it’s great for sipping while cooking dinner.

I liked it so much that I had staff send some back to the room for me to take home. That is a perk of staying on property. Biltmore will pack up purchases from any of their shops and send them to your room at the Inn free of charge.

Biltmore wines are available in 21 states and online in the virtual wine shop.

The Biltmore Creamery and Cedric’s Tavern

When at Antler Hill Village, you must make room for ice cream or other sweets. It was too cold for me on this trip so I warmed up with a cappuccino, but Biltmore’s ice cream is an old-fashioned delight. The creamery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It also serves pastries and cupcakes.

Cedric’s Tavern is Biltmore’s newest restaurant. Named after the Vanderbilt’s beloved St. Bernard, this family-friendly restaurant serves up fresh pub fare with a field-to-table emphasis. On tap are Biltmore’s own brews, and I’m a big fan of Cedric’s Brown Ale now. The house specialty is fish and chips, which get four thumbs up from my husband and son. I chose the mountain trout, and it was exceptional. Dinner for my family ran just over $100, and in the evenings live entertainment abounds.

We did splurge on cocktails, after-dinner “Toffee Coffee” drinks, and a shared dessert for the kids. I have always been a fan of dining on the Biltmore Estate, and my experience at Cedric’s was delightful.

Also in the village is the farm-to-table restaurant, The Bistro, which highlights local ingredients in season. This restaurant is a little more formal in atmosphere and in cost, but it is also family-friendly with a children’s menu.

The Spring Biltmore Experience

With 8,000 acres, the Biltmore Estate is nature’s playground. The Outdoor Adventure Center, located in Antler Hill Village, can help your family plan hikes, biking trips, float trips down the French Broad River, and much more. Biltmore is truly a vacation destination, and the perfect time to get a start on your outdoor adventure is during the Estate’s Festival of Flowers season which is now  through May 31.

To plan your visit to Asheville, North Carolina visit Biltmore Estate.com and Explore Asheville.

For more on my N.C. travels and a look at the Inn at Biltmore, located on the Biltmore Estate, visit the Hines-Sight Blog  for more stories. Be sure to follow me on Instagram @Hinessightblog for more scenic photos of my travels.

Disclosure: I was a media guest of the Biltmore Estate, and received free Estate admission, and discounts to stay on property.  All food costs associated with this visit were my own.

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Muppets will take over Europe

My kids and I have at least three things in common when it comes to movies. We love musicals (Mamma Mia!), we love the Muppets and above all, we love to watch movies and say “I’ve been there!” or mark the filming location as one of our must see places. It’s needless to say that I was pretty excited to hear that the Disney’s “The Muppets …Again!” movie takes the Muppets gang on a global tour, and we can travel around Europe with the Muppets as in the movie they will be selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. The movie won’t hit the big screen until March 21, 2014, so with luck kids and I are not just able to say “I want to go there” but “I have been there” by the time the movie comes out.

Disney tells a little bit more about the movie and how the mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. I can’t wait to see Tina Fey playing Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Ty Burrell playing an Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.

Bali Inspires

Last week I posted about our stay in Bali at the Westin Nusa Dua Resort with the children, today I will share more reasons why to travel to Bali.

So what is there to do in this paradise island? Everything is my answer.

First, of course comes the beach – silky sand and clear, warm water, snorkeling and kids favorite – beach combing for seashells. So many little pretty seashells they found!

Tropical Paradise on a dime

Unlike Hawaii and many other popular destinations Bali is still cheap, meaning that a family of five can take a private glass-bottom boat-trip to the turtle sanctuary and snorkel for a total of 3-4hours, and all for less than $50. The added bonus is that you can negotiate (and you should always haggle) right on your beach and the boat comes to pick you up from your beach. The turtle sanctuary is a bit commercial, but we all still loved holding and feeding turtles of all sizes, so this a definitely recommended.

Any trip of course includes some shopping too. The beach has licensed sales people offering their goods and they are not pestering much, which is what happens in other parts of the island a lot. They have some cute saris, dresses, and jewelry at bargain prices: except to get a cute bracelet for well under a dollar and a dress for under $5 USD. And talk about friendly and trusting people – you are always greeted with smile and kind words. When we had no money with us on the beach, we were told just to pay tomorrow; so unusual in today’s society!

For more serious shopping head into the city of Ubud, where you have hundreds of stores lined up with all sorts of lovely local things. For garden and other furniture you also have a lot of choice and they’ll do international shipping. Oh those treasures!

Stunning Culture in Bali

If you love culture Bali is great for that too – there is a mix of cultures and religions around you, although island is mostly Hindu and you can literally see temples almost in every house for there are over 200 000 temples on the island. They are just breathtakingly beautiful is all I can say. The local bus system is not that great, so the best and easiest way to explore is to hire a car for the day: for a mere $50 USD you get a driver for 10 hours and he’ll also act as a guide for you.

Depending on how long you stay at the island I’d recommend a walk through the rice paddies, a hike up the Kintamani volcano, a visit to the monkey temple and the oldest temple called Besakih, the Mother temple – and seeing Balinese Kecak Dance at sunset in Uluwatu temple (but go early as tickets sell fast and it’s a bit crowded).

In general, whenever you see something nice just ask your driver to stop for a moment. Do remember though that this is a tropical region and that it rains often and a lot; but normally not for long periods. When we trekked the Besakih temple it was raining cats and dogs, but the water was warm and kids just loved waddling in ankle-deep water. Just think of it as another adventure!

Get ready for your adventure with this great Bali sightseeing guide and fall in love with Bali!

Real Christmas Village

Merry Christmas from Sweden! Today I am virtually taking you to Vadstena, Sweden, to see a Swedish medieval town to come to its Holiday glory. It felt like we were inside a Christmas village decorative set, Vadstena is a great little town to feel the old-fashioned “Christmas village” spirit. Vadstena is in Östergötland County in Sweden, by one of the large lakes, by lake Vättern, around 30 minutes west from Linköping where we live. Vadstena is one of my favorite places to visit during summer for the lake views and for boat watching by the guest boat dock by the Vadstena castle, and I would have never guessed that Christmas time in Vadstena even tops the summer.

The inner town of Vadstena has keept its medieval street system, and most car drivers know to stay away from the cobble stone streets. Almost every house here is a sight of interest in itself. Very few towns are so well preserved as the medieval town of Vadstena. You know how in the US they create a “Christmas village” of shops only geared towards the Holiday shopping crowd, like the Santa’s Wonderland we visted in Bryan, Texas last year? Vadstena is nothing like it. No over-powering amount of Christmas lights, no loud Christmas music, and even the shops are the same ones that are open year round, where the locals and tourists alike shop all year long. It’s a real town, not a make-believe Christmas village, making you oddly feel like dreams come true.

The day we visited Vadstena, it had snowed on the morning, and it snowed a little while we were there, and as I watched the snow fall, I felt like I was living inside one of those beautiful snow globes. In fact, the tourist in my on a staycation visiting a town close to home wanted to buy a Vadstena snow globe to remember the day of. Of course there aren’t ones, because Vadstena while is a tourist attraction, you can’t find the tourist shops, and that’s the entire beauty of it. Vadstena is the real deal. What you could buy from Vadstena though… Christmas trees. They were in the little square nested between the town hall and the Apotek, the old drug store and pharmacy museum.

The Vadstena rådhus, the town hall, was built in 1490, and it’s between the town market place and the Vadstena castle. You can find the most charming cellar restaurant in the cellar of the town hall. They were fully booked for the day we visited Vadstena, so we just ate in one of the other many idyllic restaurants in town, in fact cross the street from the Rådhus Cellar, watching the beautiful building and the shoppers walking by.

Right down the street is also my favorite bakery and cafe to stop for ice creams during summer and get some bread to take home any time of the year.

We spend the entire day in Vadstena, Christmas shopping and visiting the Christmas market in the castle (keep reading – pictures from the castle coming too!), and I was cursing the short Nordic days and it getting dark already early on the afternoon, and I felt like I hadn’t taken enough photos while the lighting was still good. Silly me… the town turned even more beautiful after the dark and as the snow reflected light from the simple Christmas lights.

Oh by the way, don’t be fooled by the idyllic store fronts and lack of tourist souvenirs, and think that the shopping in Vadstena isn’t anything to worth mentioning. Quite the opposite. The small stores include design stores with modern design favorites from Alessi to Design House Stockholm and from the clothing boutiques you can find the Barbour jacket and latest from GANT, with better selections than you’d find from your typical mall department stores in the US.

Vadstena Castle Christmas Market

It wouldn’t be a real European Christmas village without a castle, right? Vadstena Castle is one of Sweden’s best-preserved castles from the era of Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. Vadstena castle was built by King Gustav I in 1545 as a fortress to protect Stockholm from enemies from the south. The fortress consisted of three smaller stone buildings facing the lake Vättern, three ramparts, a courtyard, four circular cannons turrets and my favorite: a moat. The moat serves as a guest dock for the boats (even sailboats) of the lake during summer, and it’s quite a sight to see the boats around the castle.

The Vadstena castle Christmas market is a lot like any other Swedish Christmas market, like the one at Ekenäs castle – artisan products, handmade gift items, and glorious Holiday food. The old cellars of the castle had Holiday goodies table after table. You could really get the old time feeling – the cellars were dark, and cold, stone walls exposed and you could imagine there could have been a Christmas market like that every year for the past 400 years. You can see from the picture below how dark it was.

Whether you are feeling like you are transported back in time, or you feel like you are inside a charming Christmas Village or in one of those happy Christmas movies, the Scandinavian Christmas in Vadstena, Sweden, feels quite like a fairytale.

Happy Holidays to you and your family, may you have magical moments wherever you are spending the Holidays!

PHOTO ALERT: This post has ton of Holiday photos, don’t look if you don’t want to feel the spirit of Christmas.

Ekenäs Castle in Linköping, Sweden

You may have heard the name Ekenäs before, but do not confuse the IKEA furniture named Ekenäs with the real deal. The Ekenäs Castle (Ekenäs slott in Swedish) is one of the best preserved renaissance castles in Sweden with its three impressive shingled towers and annual jousting tournament and Medieval festival where you can still feel like in the medieval times. The Ekenäs castle is located outside city of Linköping in Östergötland, in South-East Sweden, only 20 minute drive from our home.

The Ekenäs castle is a privately owned castle, but visitors are welcome year-round, however, the castle itself is only open during the summer and the guided tours are only held during the summer visiting hours.

Christmas market at Ekenäs Castle

During Christmas time, the Ekenäs castle hosts a Christmas market, and bus-loads of people from all around Sweden gather to shop for Holiday foods, handmade Christmas gifts and drink hot mulled wine, glögg, and enjoy Christmas music and horse rides. There is around 11 dollar entrance fee to get to the Christmas market (children are free), but it is so worth it. This year the snow hadn’t come yet, and the weather was nice and crisp for walking around the castle grounds and shopping for artisan products and eating the Holiday treats.

Christmas Market Foods

Speaking of the holiday treats, let’s get down to the Holiday foods found at the market right on the start. You typically find roasted nuts, preserves and jelly and assortments of holiday candy like fudge in every Christmas market. The Swedish Christmas markets are bountiful in their food assortments and in addition you can find fresh artisan bread, smoked salmon, sausages and ham, and mustard to accompany your Holiday ham. In addition to the best fudge you’ve ever had you can find handmade peppermint sticks, marzipan and licorice.

The best about all this food: you will get to try it all. All food vendors give out food samples and you can get teased by these amazing flavors and then stuff your shopping bags with the Holiday treats.

In addition to the food vendors who were selling their goods at the booths set up in the castle barn, they had several different locations for coffee and cake, or for other lunch options like fish hamburgers or hot dogs. Scandinavian Christmas isn’t complete without mulled wine, glögg, and you can buy that too in several flavors (like chocolate, pear, berries and whiskey). In the castle cellar you can get glögg tasting and try the different glöggs with saffron biscotti.

Christmas Market Goods

There are some handmade craft markets where I feel shame for the sellers for the products they sell… and then there are European craft markets. You could find gifts for everyone in your list at the Ekenäs Christmas market. There were of course plenty of traditional Scandinavian Christmas ornaments made out of straw and elves and trolls in all shape and material. The quality of the handcrafted cutting boards or fruit bowls was amazing, and the wooden toys were still made like decades ago. Lamb skins and slippers made out of felt, knitted socks and gloves and crocheted scarves. And the gorgeous candles made in unbelievable shapes. Booth after booth handmade artisan products.

The craft booths were set inside a dark barn or inside the castle’s dark interiors, where there was no electricity and the light was set up with the help of generators. You really felt like you were transported back in time when shopping in the dark.

Christmas in Swedish Countryside

If the foods and the goods didn’t get you hooked yet – the ambiance in the castle and the beauty of Swedish countryside does. You can smell the burning wood in the fire pits mixed with the scent of roasted nuts while you watch children horseback riding and listen to live Christmas music. The Christmas market in the countryside is equally a romantic Saturday date destination as well a family attraction. Simply said – you can’t help but feel the spirit of Scandinavian Christmas.

Santa is already in town

What we learned this year – Linköping has it’s own Santa. We saw this same white bearded Santa playing music in every single Christmas market we visited this year, and at the mall and the town center. I literally felt the past 6 weeks that this IS the real Santa and he just keeps following us.

This is just one part of Scandinavian Christmas magic, I hope you visit us the next year and come and see it yourself.

I talk a lot about luxury vacations here on Skimbaco. It’s my travel beat. Yes, I love posh hotels, spas that pamper, traditional afternoon tea, and farm-fresh foods that delight the foodie gourmet. But, please … I’m not dripping in diamonds and dropping $100 bills everywhere I go.

Far from it.

Sometimes, I think people don’t pursue a luxury experience because they think it is unobtainable or not affordable.

I live a very simple lifestyle in Raleigh, North Carolina. I have two children, and, truthfully, life can be kind of chaotic on most days and very far from luxurious. But I try to put a little luxury in our outings as well as education and fun. Why? Because it makes me happy.

Fun

As Katja mentioned, now is the time for outdoor outings before it gets too cold. Fall is the perfect time for pumpkins, outdoor concerts, and the N.C. State Fair.

Education

OK. A State Fair may not be a luxurious destination by a textbook definition, but by the time one pays for rides, games, and treats, the outing will rival a luxury price tag. And, of course, the fair has lots of educational components, which I think are extremely important for children.

My kids loved seeing craftsmen at work. North Carolina is known for its pottery. A little town called Seagrove in the eastern Piedmont is known as the pottery capital. These potters create true treasures.

And, well, the fun just comes naturally at the State Fair. Ride after ride.

Luxury

I recently completed a 10-day detox/cleanse, and I simply decided not to partake in fried Oreos or roasted turkey legs on this outing. Instead, I indulged on a freshly made, homemade mini white chocolate baguette from a local French bakery for our late afternoon snack. Yes, anything French adds a little “ooh la la” luxury to an agricultural event. It was worth the calories, too.

So, this mama fought crowds, stood in line, and smelled stinky farm animals. It was time to end this affair and add some more indulgence and luxury to our experience.

We walked straight past the food midway and went for the charm of a local eatery in downtown Raleigh. The Busy Bee café does not have a children’s menu, and we did not care. We didn’t go there for a children’s menu. We went there for the atmosphere, experience, and delicious homemade food. My children are learning that there is an eating world outside of children’s chicken tenders, even though neither one of them tried my Mediterranean Cous Cous. They are learning to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy their surroundings, and seek new experiences.

My son even ordered a salad with his burger. OK. I admit that my daughter only ate hand-cut potato fries, but my children were still happy. We were happy, and they loved the fact that my husband and I were taking them to places that we used to go to only when we had a sitter, and left them at home.

Well, not any more. I’ve finally decided that it is possible to experience luxury, education, and fun in my outings with my kids right now, instead of waiting until they are grown to really start living. We’re living life to the fullest together as a family, and I love exposing them to some of the finer things in life at a young age.

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My first Disney Cruise

I was on my first Disney cruise trip on board Disney Magic this summer, on a cruise from New York City to Canada. I knew I would have fun, because I was getting to spend time with my grandkids, daughter-in-law and daughter. I was curious if the trip would be as great for an adult as it was for the kids for being a Disney cruise. My concerns began to evaporate as we drove up to the harbor gate and were guided through our check-in quickly and easily. We boarded the famous ship at about 11:30 a.m. Going early gave us almost an entire extra day on the ship. People had packed swimsuits in their backpacks so they could go swimming right away.

Our first stop was a lunch of fresh seafood, salads, and amazing desserts at Topsiders Buffet. I was surprised at the variety and quality! After we checked out our suite-like stateroom we went up on the breezy deck. I played some spirited ping pong games with our excited kids until time for the Disney Magic to sail out of New York City harbor. We were on the maiden voyage up the New England and Canada coastline. There was a New Year’s Eve style fanfare; the famous ship’s horn playing the sounds of “When You Wish Upon A Star,” as we passed the National September 11 Memorial, the NY skyline, and the Statue of Liberty. We couldn’t help but being in awe.

Fun for adults too!

On Tuesday we had a great time being pampered at the adults only restaurant Palo. Our Champagne brunch was really impressive. There was an impressive choice of fresh seafood, desserts, salads, fresh pastries and also an omelet and entrée bar with chefs cooking our favorite choices. While we enjoyed the first class brunch, the kids had fun on a scavenger hunt, including a pizza lunch.

Every night was spectacular. There were family themed Broadway quality shows that included Disney characters “Villains Tonight,” and a great Cinderella production, all with top notch singing and dancing. My grandson’s recommendation, “The Avenger” 3-D movie, was a hit with all of us. In addition to the Broadway style shows, you could enjoy late night entertainment with adult comedy, and stage shows.

Early mornings my daughter and I went to work out by taking a spinning class, or walking the treadmill as we looked out over the Atlantic Ocean. The Spa was luxurious; warm tile loungers, and hot rock massages. Later we couldn’t resist jumping into the adult only pool, nearly deserted most days.

Pirate’s night in the Parrot’s Cay, a tropical themed restaurant, gave us the opportunity to don our eye patches and parrot head scarves. Another dinner, and the kids’ favorite, was at the Animators’ Palate. The room actually changes from black and white to color during the meal, with changing Disney characters on the walls and ceiling. Very cool! We liked having the same servers with us every night. Even though we changed to a different dining room each night, they moved along with us. They did everything from cutting up the kids’ steaks, to telling us a joke or giving us a puzzle to solve, plus of course, making us feel that we were the most special guests ever! The service was supreme in every area of the ship.

Disney fun for the whole family

We rocked to popular Disney movie tunes at the deck parties each night, singing and dancing with Mickey and other Disney characters. Several enthusiastic adults and thrilled kids were dressed in costumes, and Disney characters on every deck, ready for picture taking and hugs. Even if you’re not into it yourself, it is a blast to see the happy children. We also loved the art lining the walls of the ship. You couldn’t help but feel the energy. The whole ship resonated happiness! Bring your mouse ears, or if you forget there is, of course, a pretty complete Disney store.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! We found plenty of ways to pamper ourselves and the kids. There was an abundance of entertainment to make us all happy, and the food was spectacular. We were sad to see it end, and can’t wait for July 2013, hoping to be next on the Disney Magic Cruise sailing from Barcelona, Spain!

Guest post by Donna Presnal.
Living life to the fullest, Donna Presnal, after 30 years teaching elementary school, has changed career paths, and is now a freelance writer. As an essayist for the Texas Magazine, The Front Porch, she contributes whimsical short stories. Donna lives in Texas with her hubby of 40 something years, and trusty golden retriever, Sophie. She travels all over the world, as well as in Texas, because as the saying goes, Texas really is a whole other country.