Every time I walk along Cabrillo Boulevard, I find myself stopping at a specific spot near the marina. It is a breathtaking little waterway tucked between the boats, a view that never fails to remind me how fortunate I am to live here. While most people only catch glimpses of a backdrop this stunning during […]
There is a moment, about halfway down the long sweeping driveway of Sensei Porcupine Creek, where the rest of Southern California simply evaporates. You are driving through Rancho Mirage, but suddenly the arid desert floor gives way to a stunning, lush paradise that feels entirely tropical rather than desert. This 230-acre private estate belongs to […]
The week before we dropped our son off at college, we had the great joy of being at a dinner with a large group of his friends and their families. One of his friends made a joke about someone’s summer tan peeling and teasingly suggested he should have injected it instead. I needed clarification. These […]
There is something so moving about a community that rallies to lift its neighbors during life’s most daunting moments. Yesterday, that collective spirit took center stage right here in Montecito. Friends, neighbors, and advocates gathered at the beautiful Jenni Kayne boutique on San Ysidro Road for a special “Shop for a Cause” event. Ten percent […]
The past 12 months felt heavy with our son’s upcoming departure for university. The marathon of applications, studying, testing and waiting finally gave way to victories; getting into a college he loved, Prom, Graduation, and senior trips. Then, the final days of summer arrived. And while he will always have a home here, my daughter […]
In the last few years, it has become increasingly more important to me to find workouts that are sustainable as I am getting older. Swimming, weight training, walking and yoga continue to be leading contenders, but I felt that something was missing from my repertoire. Something fun. Like always, I started doing some research and […]
Last week my husband and I were taking a walk through London’s Battersea Park. Trying, and failing miserably to survive the heat wave, we left for our walk bright and early. Eschewing breakfast in favor of the morning cool, we took a break at what promised to be a cart offering fresh juices and cold, […]
As a board-certified health coach, I often find myself bridging the gap between clinical health data and sustainable behavior modifications. During this past year, it has been evident that we need these bridges more than ever. With an onslaught of information available at our fingertips 24/7, the amount of “health tips” we are being offered […]
The other night I was at a graduation party and a man visiting from New Zealand asked our little group, “Why do so many people here have such light eyes?” To which I replied, “Didn’t you know? It’s in the water.” We all laughed, but it got me thinking and, as always, I needed to […]
A few years ago, I was at a meeting of my former book club. We were discussing our prior month’s selection when one of the women commented, “I listened to it all week and really enjoyed it.” It was a particularly intense and tedious novel that I remember finding pretentious, but I resentfully plugged through […]
“How was your Mother’s Day?” I asked a dear friend. “My kids slept until noon. Then woke up and TEXTED me if I could make them breakfast.” “How was your Mother’s Day?” I asked a client. “My daughter texted me a picture of her dirty laundry pile and asked if I could do it before […]
When I was growing up, we had a weekly show called Movie of the Week or Hallmark Movie of the Week or Afterschool Special or something equally 1970s. Invariably, there was either inappropriate content for a seven-year old, or worse, adults sending a not-so-subtle message to the youth of the day. “Kiddo, there’s no free […]
My parents’ favorite pastime was arguing with each other. The earliest indicator of this was my name. My Dad wanted to call me Deanna and my mom wanted to call me Diane, or some version of that truth. Hence, Deann with no “e” at the end. Or Dean with two ‘n’s. “Dean, party of 2.” […]
Last week I overheard a teenage girl talking with some friends. No, not talking. Gossiping. It was full of vitriol and intimate details about other teens and adults as well. She was spewing information left and right. Information that could ruin lives. It was disturbing and mean and made even more so by the fact […]
A round 15 years ago I made a new friend. At the time, she was in her 70s and proudly declared that she didn’t cook anymore. She and her husband ate out or ordered in most nights and if her adult children came over, they could cook if they had the inclination. At the time, […]
The other day I was working with a client who has been battling debilitating insomnia as a side effect of a chronic illness. As part of our check-in, I asked her how she had been sleeping since I had last seen her. “Well, last night I only got about six hours,” she replied. “Six hours!?” […]
In a world of destination spas, Cal-a-Vie in Vista, CA, can certainly hold its own in this ever-growing luxury sector. This small but mighty 500-acre health spa makes each occupant of its 32 villas feel as if their every wish can and will come true. Just driving up to the Italian-style villa to check in […]
Do you have a moment in your day that highlights how fast time is passing? For me, it is at night when I turn down the covers of our bed. It seems I just did this and yet, intellectually I am aware that it was closer to 24-hours ago. Recent studies have shown that one […]
As they placed the electrodes onto my hosed down vest (to help the electrical current conduct more efficiently), images of every spy movie I had ever seen flashed before my eyes. My host and local resident, Jillian Muller, gleefully shouted at me to fire up my glutes and to crank it up. And fired up […]
Recently I came across a note that my mother wrote to me 29 years ago right before she died. My husband and I had just gotten married and for us, it was the beginning of everything. For my mother who had been battling breast cancer for two years, it was the end. The letter was […]
When my kids were very young, an old friend of mine gave us the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. The book is a classic and can be found on most bookshelves of anyone with children, and often on those without. The story is about the relationship between a boy and a tree. They […]
The other night I was at a meeting and two different people at the table were doing the clickety click clack of their pens. You know what I am talking about. It is an unconscious habit, like whistling and passing gas, that only brings relief to those doing it, and annoyance to those around them. […]
Like millions of other acolytes, I was among the literary lovers who began reading the Harry Potter series prior to them being brought to cinematic life. In my mind, Hermione was pronounced, “Her-Mee-Oh-Ne.” Not being English (at least by birth), I had never heard the name before and only had my (lack of) wits to […]
Last week, a dear friend of mine drove her eldest child off to college. It is every parent’s dream – your child is healthy and strong enough to leave the nest, to embark on their own adventures, to experience independence and to become whoever it is they are supposed to be. It is a testament […]
Like many of us, I will occasionally (ok, more than occasionally) find myself walking into a room only to realize I have forgotten why. We have come to accept this as a normal part of aging. But should we? While I was listening to a Diary of a CEO podcast the other day, I was […]
When I started graduate school, my children were three and five years old, so each semester I would escape to The Ojai Valley Inn for two nights as a “Am I Crazy, What the Hell Was I thinking” reset. Last week, I went back with my daughter after a seven-year absence and driving up the […]
Recently I was watching a clip from Chicken Shop Date which, if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend for an occasional fix of content junk food. The host, Amelia Dimoldenberg, was talking with the actor Andrew Garfield about relationships – when they began to muse over the “hilarious” notion of sharing a bed with […]
A few years ago, I ran into a couple that my husband and I knew from our “pre-kid” lives in Los Angeles. They were visiting Montecito and had ridden their bikes to the lower village to have lunch together. As they walked into the restaurant, their hands found one other, instinctively entwining by their sides. […]
A few years ago, I started noticing that people, specifically those under the age of 35, were frequently and erroneously using the word “perfect.” I shared this with friends who later cursed me because they, too, started noticing the same phenomenon. And trust me, once you notice, there is no going back. The genie will […]
A few months ago, I attended a Talkcast at Jane Restaurant downtown. According to Jane Chapman, founder and co-host, “Talkcast is a podcast club” that meets at Jane on the third Wednesday each month. I had heard about these women-only events before, but whenever I went to buy a ticket, they were always sold out. […]
Recently I attended a party for a dear friend. It was a well-attended gathering and a wonderful chance to reconnect with old friends from my two decades in Montecito. However, I was gravely concerned at how many women were alarmingly thin. This wasn’t “Oh, I have started to do Pilates” thin. This was, “Is this […]
My daughter and I have an ongoing joke that isn’t a joke, that we are always nice to Siri or our Google clocks – just in case some form of Artificial Intelligence takes over the world, and they might favorably remember we were the ones who always said please and asked them how their day […]
When experiencing skin concerns, it is common to seek out a dermatologist. They are, after all, skin doctors. They will ask what is ailing you and prescribe a treatment that usually involves one or all the following: creams, laser treatments, chemical peels, Dermabrasion, medications, surgery, and more. When I recently brought my son to see […]
“Permission to move granted.” When I read that line in, I Know I Should Exercise But, the new release by Dr. Diana Hill and Katy Bowman, I was intrigued. To find out more, I went to a workshop they were hosting at Yoga Soup, where the authors put their movement where their mouths are. The […]
Avarice. Avidity. Cupidity. Covetousness. Voracity. Ravenousness. Rapacity. Gluttony. “Greed” actually comes from the Greek word, “Voracious,” meaning, always hungry for more. Different names, same ugly monster. Greed – the sibling to Envy – is often referred to in mythology, literature, and religion… and not in a good way. Recently, I had the misfortune of being […]
“911. What is your emergency?” The phrase we so commonly hear in TV shows and movies and yet hope to never hear ourselves. Until we make the call. Until we need the reassurance of the voice on the other end telling us that help is on the way. With the recent fires down in Los […]
“Not for me, thanks,” our friend told the waiter who was about to pour his favorite red wine into his glass. “I don’t drink anymore,” he shared with a somewhat smug look on his face. This wasn’t the “I’m an alcoholic” moment of old. Neither, “I am trying to cut down,” nor “I don’t drink […]
The splashing of the fountains and the stunning backdrop of Santa Barbara created the perfect setting for PALMA Colectiva’s Wellness Faire on January 18, held on the rooftop of the Kimpton Canary Hotel. I had the good fortune of being there not only as a writer covering the event, but also as an exhibitor offering […]
I can always tell when my husband is texting with his main group of friends (aka, The Core), his smirk and the mischief in his eyes give him away every time. They shamelessly partake in a level of silliness normally reserved for the enviable obliviousness of 10-year-olds. Their level of creativity, wit, and friendship toward one […]
I have always taken an odd amount of pride in the fact that I am not a competitive person, often even a bit smug about how primitive and foreign I find the very concept. I am just not that interested. Nope, not bothered at all. Until I compete, that is. Some years ago, a dear […]