We’re well into our “new normal,” with social distancing, a lot more home cooking, too many virtual meetings/parties/reunions, and a whole lotta fear, anxiety, sadness, and confusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I decided to dust off the ol’ Rebeccammendations to “Rebeccammend” a curated list of information, free resources, and initiatives that have come across my inbox, desk, and social feed by amazing people I’ve come across in my work and life. I’m amazed by my community, and hope this growing list helps support many of your/their initiatives, and helps give you ideas on what to do when you feel stuck – at home, in your career, on how to spend the next hour, or day.

Have something to offer that others could benefit from during the pandemic? Feel free to email me and I’ll consider it for inclusion. While there’s a plethora of information about the illness itself, and there’s already confusion on which news sources to rely on for the facts, my Rebeccammendations list focuses on community resources and ideas that will help, inspire, heal, connect in an effort to help us feel a bit more unstuck and less lonely. It’s all about community, learning, and growth in a time that feels slow, on pause, stagnant, and maybe even hopeless. I’d love to hear what you find most helpful and will do my best to continue to spread the word about what y’all are doing to serve our community and world.

Here’s the list> Rebeccammendations: Resources, Support, & Ideas in Times of Healing. There are 3 tabs: Guest Book, Resources, Recipes. The best part? I’ve opened it up for comments – leave a comment and sign the guest book tab if you stop by and share your thoughts on what’s listed. Community is collaborative, after all.

Stay well, keep giving, help others, and join me in believing in a better tomorrow.

With well wishes,

Rebecca

The post Community Sourced Resources to Help, Inspire, Heal – Curated Rebeccammendations List appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

This is an exciting update! BIG thanks to my colleague and friend, Kelly Nash, founder of Lipstick & Ink. Our current careers at Salesforce brought us together and we quickly learned we have so much to connect and collaborate on! I was so honored when she invited me to join her back in my former home of Chicago this coming October for a career development event and workshop, kindly hosted by Salesforce. We’ll get to know Kelly and her career advice, and host an interactive workshop featuring The Knock Method℠, my 5-step methodology for building positive and long-lasting career relationships. We’ll explore our own personal brands, uncover what makes someone else tick, and provide solutions for each others’ career challenges so attendees walk away with ideas and knowing a group of professional go-getters that will boost your careers right away.

Get ready, get excited! SIGN UP>

The post Chicago Event 10.3.19 – Making Your Mark: Building Thriving Career Relationships appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

(Traveling to Israel and need a cheat sheet? I’ve updated my Travel Restaurant & Rebeccammendations cheat sheet too with the best of this list.)

Also, I noticed each meal (or snack – let’s be honest, we probably nibbled or sipped on something about every two hours – my tour friend Amy can attest), contained so many more ingredients than a typical meal at home does, without adding a ton of calories. For example, I ate tuna, cucumbers, hummus, fruit, and sometimes something sweet at almost every breakfast in Israel. At home, I go for granola, berries, almond milk on most days. It helps that the vegetables are washed, cut, prepared, and just available on the epic breakfast spreads Israel is known for at hotels and restaurants, but it’s inspiring me to pick back up on our weekly “chopfest” on Sundays where we chop lots of vegetables for the week for salads, snacks, and sides with meals.

If your mouth isn’t watering yet, I can vouch that the olive oil is fresher (olive oil groves paint the hills of Israel in the Northern Galilee region), the spices have more of a bite, and the hummus is exponentially creamier than the store-bought kind resting in our refrigerators.

Before I get to the list of 30 foods and drinks to enjoy in Israel, I’ll mention a few surprises I learned on our Israeli food and wine tour:

1) Israel is home to an award-winning sheep and goat cheesemaker, Shirat Roim (which means “Shephard’s Song”), having won awards in three cheese world championships and a feature in the World Cheese Book! The factory, shop, and tasting room (which are beyond adorable), are located at Kibbutz Lotem (near a winery we also visited) in the Western Galilee region in the north of Israel, and run by Michal Mor Melamed, who has produced this award-winning cheese over the last 10 years (it’s new!). Isn’t this adorable?

2) Not all food is kosher in Israel, including many of the wines we tasted which appear to a broader audience.

3) Israeli’s don’t mess around with breakfast – it’s a sight to see! Check out just a snippet of the best breakfast spread we enjoyed at Mapu inside the Prima City Hotel in Tel Aviv.

4) You can eat as much Israeli food as you like and never get sick of it

So, here we go for the 30 Israeli foods and drinks list, organized by category:

Spreads

1. Matbucha – A Moroccan roasted tomato and green pepper dip rich in a deep red color, and with slight bitter and spicy notes. Our favorite was at Chakra in Jerusalem.

2. Hummus – A staple in Israeli cuisine, hummus is a dip made with chickpeas, tahina (sesame paste), spices, olive oil. The best we had was at Hummus Abu Dubi in Tel Aviv (they had 5 different hummus varieties! We went with roasted mushroom) and Abu Elias in Akko, a quaint fishing port town rich in history.

3) Tahina – Creamy sesame paste spread, also known as Tahini. It’s in and on everything in Israel, like this cauliflower (bowl in the middle) we had at Gush Etzion winery on our final evening.

4) Za’atar  and spices – I quite possibly felt most at home in Israel at the spice shops in the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem. Why?? Because it instantly inspired me to get into the kitchen and spice things up! We went for the za’atar, a spice mix with sesame seeds, oregano, sometimes garlic and other spices – it adds earthiness and a welcome bitter sprinkle to breads, fish, olive oil, and even pasta! We also scooped up some smoked paprika. We loved how the spice vendors welcomed us to take a pinch and sample spices straight from the mounds.

Breads

5) Focaccia – no idea why I consider this an Israeli food other than we had it across the country and it was perfection. Crunchy outside, soft inside, sprinkle of salt and olive oil, and all around toasty. Perfect vehicle for dipping in the matbucha (#1 above), olive oil, and even hummus!

6) Sourdough – Sourdough is going through a revival right now. It’s all over Instagram and home cooks are baking it left and right! Why?? I had no idea the traditional significance until we visited the bakery,  Pat Bamelach, in Gush Etzion. The magic of sourdough is in the “starter”, which means that when bakers make sourdough bread, they take a piece of fermented dough from the batch the day before, and use it to make the next batch. It’s a kind of continuity that also characterizes the Jewish culture, known as ‘l’dor va dor’, or “from generation to generation”. Check out the history of sourdough, the first form of leavened bread and originating in ancient Egypt. It’s also good for your gut (if you’re not gluten free). We had fun making sourdough pretzels at the bakery. Mine came out pretty pretty!

7) Pita – The most characteristic bread of Israel – used to fill with falafel and vegetables, or dip into hummus. The freshest we had was at Hummus Abu Dubi in Tel Aviv. It was soft, doughy, and a bit chewy!

8) Falafel – Protein packed golden fried crispy protein balls made of ground chickpea, sometimes pea powder, and spices.

Beverages

9) Limonana – This was my favorite new find in Israel! In the hot Mediterranean sun, this lemon, mint ice slushy cooled us off! And, there’s something about the mint in Israel that’s just more fragrant, and fresh.

10) Arak – Ross’ favorite beverage is licorice-laden Arak (pronounced ah-dak). Mixed with soda water, lemonade, or your favorite mixer, it’s refreshing over ice for a summer cocktail!

One of our favorite cocktail bars was Imperial in Tel Aviv, a craft cocktail spot that transports you to another era. The bartenders were so charming!

11. Israeli Wine – You can’t have a Food, Wine, Culture tour without wine! We had so much fun tasting the local wines from vineyards across Israel!

12) Coffee and Tea – It’s everywhere! From the sweet ice coffee treats at Aroma (not pictured), to Turkish coffee served after a meal, you can get a caffeine boost to enjoy more of Israel. Turkish coffee is dark, sometimes has grounds in it, and often is served with sugar in it. I loved the dried herbs, fruits and flowers used as herbal tea and sold at the market!

13) Fish – Fish is a key component of the Mediterranean diet and there’s nothing like fresh fish from the Mediterranean! (Especially living near the mountains in Denver far from any major natural body of water). This whole roasted sea bass with roasted tomatoes, olives, garlic and stuffed with rosemary at Chakra in Jerusalem (recommended by our taxi driver!) was muy memorable!

14. Cheese – Definitely ranking in my top memorable dining experiences was a cheese-centric lunch at Shirat Roim cheesemakers on Kibbutz Lotem in the Galilee region of Israel. It’s award-winning and the lunch was not only picturesque, but wonderfully indulgent and special.

This is a real photo of our lunch table!!

No idea what this dessert was below but it had cheese in it and it was the most buttery, decadent delight!

Desserts

15) Chocolate – Chocolate and raw cacao was a part of our tour! We made these raw cacao cups with fruits, nuts, maple syrup and toppings of our choice at a cooking workshop. We also had a Valrhona chocolate and wine pairing at Tishbi Estate winery! I brought home a bar of the dark Albinao and am still munching on it

16) Kataifi – This greek walnut and almond (sometimes pistachio) pastry in syrup or honey was everywhere in Israel! There’s a shredded-wheat texture and then you bite down and get a sweet, gooey flavor. I dipped it in the coffee and it was pretty much the best thing ever.

17) Baklava – Similar to the Kataifi, baklava, honey, nut, flakey, honey-y phyllo dough pastries are so inviting, and the displays were geometric works of art!

18) Nutella  – No photos of this one since we know what it looks like but this chocolatey hazelnut spread is everywhere in Israel, especially on breakfast spreads.

19) Rugelach – If you’ve never had a rugelach, you’re missing out! It’s basically a filled, spiral croissant made of flakey doughy triangles. I learned how to make them growing up with my Mom and sisters with cinnamon and sugar – they’re so fun! These chocolate rugelach at Marzipan bakery has word of mouth worldly acclaim. This one is so gooey, it’s like a brownie batter meets a glazed donut. When it’s warmed up, it’s just melty goodness.

20) Fruits, nuts, dates – They are everywhere in Israel! In the markets, in every course at meals, and full of antioxidants, proteins, and nutrients. Dates are a staple and some of the best in the world. Date honey is also an alternative to bee honey and it has a lower glycemic index if you’re watching your sugar.

21. Babka – No photo of this one but basically a bigger loaf-sized braided pastry version of rugelach. The chocolate babka on the hotel breakfast buffets were a nice sweet note ending to start the day.

22. Halvah – A Middle Eastern soft, slightly grainy, dessert that resembles fudge, and does, in fact, come in many flavors, made of sesame paste, sugar or honey, lemon, salt, and vanilla. Make a visit to Halva Kingdom in the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem to taste the different flavors and buy way too much halva than you can go through.

23) Grapeleaves – Friends from the tour will laugh at this one because we ended up making these twice on the tour. We’re pretty good at them now, even though they’re not my favorite food. It was fascinating to learn how to season the rice, boil the vine leaves, and roll them up before they’re cooked and the rice expands inside to make a chewy pillow. You can use this method with any green or filling, so maybe we will get creative at home!

24) Vegetables  & Salads – Maybe the key to a long life is eating vegetables in the morning and with these fresh puppies, you didn’t have to twist my arm! Not to mention, I felt hydrated because of my high cucumber intake – haha. The tomatoes were so juicy and sweet and salads, including Israeli salad (chopped tomatoes and cucumbers with olive oil and lemon juice), were part of just about every meal.

This Akko market tour guide Yotam, was the best. Look how happy he is picking up this most massive of all cabbage heads!

This early mini arugula salad at Mashya in Tel Aviv was in my top 3 things eaten on this trip! The packed bed of tiny arugula leaves uncovered a surprise of labneh (yogurt), dates, and the most tart lemon I’ve ever tasted! All together in one bite, it spoke to my tastebuds like nothing else.

25. Bourekas – Also no picture of these but savory pastry dough-filled baked bites include everything from potato to spinach to mushrooms. They were on every breakfast spread and a welcome change from my typical granola breakfast.

26. Beets – These were also everywhere, and a beet hummus we ate in Klil was the creamiest, most vibrant spread ever! (Still looking for the recipe in my luggage)

27. Cauliflower – Roasted cauliflower was on several of our dining tables in Israel! Spiced and prepared differently than in the US (no buffalo sauce on cauliflower for this girl), it has a meaty texture to fill you up, while still feeling light.

28. Olives & pickles  – In addition to the freshest olive oil, olives and pickles are a starter for almost every meal and quite refreshing on a hot day!

29. Sushi – This goes along with the fish mentioned above, but we had some delectable bites of sashimi and raw fish in Israel. We were also introduced to these sushi sandwiches, fresh fish layered between layers of toasted rice. It was a fun snack or meal that we’ve never come across before!

30) Staples & Starches – Each meal was served with so many sides, spreads, and complementary flavors! Spiced or flavored rice was almost always served at every meal, and we had two crispy sweet potato salads on the last day – a fun challenge to try to make in the kitchen!

Lasting Memories and Flavors…

We can’t believe what an incredibly tasting, fulfilling, meaningful, and fun tour we had in Israel. I’m working on documenting my top Israel travel and restaurant Rebeccammendations for my travel spreadsheet. Still savoring the last of the nuts and chocolate we brought home, but these memories will last forever. Until next time…Shalom.

The post Israeli Food Guide – 30 Things To Eat and Drink in The Land of Israel appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

What if you have multiple interests or varied areas of expertise?

A couple of years ago, a colleague and friend, Ryan, asked me to connect for an informational interview while he was navigating some career changes. One question he asked was, “You seem to have many interests and areas of professional experience, just like I do, which can make it difficult for the job search. How do you focus them?” I was really glad he asked this question because I totally fall into the camp he described. At the time, I had just redesigned my website, expanding it from just entertaining-related content and ideas, to include other facets of my life, career, marketing, design, and travel.

My answer to Ryan was, try to find a common thread among all of your interests. For example, each of my blog topics and interests revolve around practical ideas you can bring into your own life, and bringing people together to create more human connection (marketing and dinner parties can have the same outcome!)

Also, like a chameleon, play up the different  pieces of your personality and life in contexts that apply. For example, when meeting a chef at a restaurant, mention you cook and write about food on your blog. When at a professional networking event with marketers, you can relate on your marketing experience and different brands you work with. Simply highlight each passion when the right time and place calls for it. And, you’ll find that you’ll attract the people who are interested in specific aspects of your work, creative projects, and portfolio, so those niche audiences will self-select the parts of you they can relate to!

Also, if you highlight a totally unrelated passion of yours in a job interview, it can make you stand out, and find others at the company with the same interest. In other words, sometimes highlighting the unexpected and showcasing all of you exemplifies the multi-dimensional human experience, and how awesome that you like to indulge in different interests to make the most of your life on this planet!

But really, should I pick a lane?

Sure, many people and companies are hyper-focused. But, it’s also SO common for both to step outside of their traditional. And, the more well-rounded you are, the more opportunity you have to connect with more people since you’ve essentially doubled or expanded your possible audience segments! I mean, how often do we see actors start their own apparel line, like Sarah Jessica Parker, Eva Mendez, or Fabletics by Kate Hudson. Or, video producers Palmer West and Jonah Smith, who founded Aether Apparel. How about the fact that Ellen, talk show TV host, has a lifestyle brand. ED by Ellen, and even makes bed sheets! (True story, I tried to buy them but they were sold out.)

How about multi-faceted authors? Reese Witherspoon just launched a new cookbook:

And Adam Grant is a Wharton professor, but also a podcaster, blogger, and author:

And, those left and right brained ambidextrous unicorn chameleons? Leonardo DaVinci was both an artist and a scientist, who developed flying machines based on bird flight, in addition to his most famous paintings like The Last Supper. Sure, he was known more as an artist, but he didn’t have social media to showcase his full self at the time (insert eye roll).

Bottom Line? 

Chameleons are everywhere. We blend in in multiple environments, we have lots of interests and a thirst for life. I’m writing today, starting a cooking class this week, and have a work trip around the corner.

I dabble in photography, travel to stay grounded, and I’m an extroverted introvert (check it out it’s a thing). If you can relate to having lots of dimensions, styles, hobbies, and talents, you are in good company! And, you get to drive your direction, add a new skill, pursue a new profession, have a non-linear career path, and craft your own story. While you’re Owning Your You, feel comfortable in your own skin, even when your environment changes. Blend in, or stick your neck out, celebrate your chameleon self and keep defining who you are – definitions are meant to be broken!

And just when I was pondering writing this post or not, I turned to chocolate (don’t we all turn to chocolate to answer life’s questions?), and the answer lied within the wrapper. It reminded me that our wrapper can change, and our story can evolve, but one thing remains the truth, you are you no matter what. This year, embrace what makes you, you!

The post For the Chameleons appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

When putting together the menu for our Christmas Eve dinner, we extended the Latin theme and incorporated homemade empanadas. I had no idea how easy they would be to make – and fun too! I came across this empanada recipe from Laylita and the recipe was spot. on. No adjustments needed, it really directed us to make just the perfect crispy, proportional filler-to-crust, and comforting mini empanadas.

These empanadas – or maybe we should call them “empanaditas” were just a tad bit smaller than I anticipated, but this was based on the size of the bowl we used to cut the dough circles. I guess I envisioned them being bigger, but the small ones were a bit more like dumpling size and perfect bite-sized snacks for a casual gathering. This recipe made about 18 empys, so we’d definitely double the recipe next time to double the quantity without adding too much prep time.

Our empanadas went just perfectly with this vinegary, herbaceous, garlicky chimicurri recipe from Know Your Produce.

How to Make Empanadas

1. Make Your Fillings and Let Them Cool – We made 2 kinds of empanadas – beef and vegetable. We made the beef filling by simmering ground beef on the stove with onions and garlic. The vegetable filling was made by sautéing fresh spinach, onion, garlic, and chopped mushrooms. You’ll want to make sure you strain out any excess liquid before stuffing the empanadas to get the crispy shell and avoid soggy bottoms.

2. Make the Dough – (From Laylita)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water or milk, adjust as needed to obtain a soft and smooth dough

Instructions

1. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor.
2. Add the butter and pulse
3. Add the egg and the water or milk (in small increments) and continue pulsing until a clumpy dough forms.
4. To make the empanada dough by hand, follow the same instruction but use your hands to mix the ingredients together.

3. Assemble the Empanadas

1. Split the dough into 2 large ball, flatten slightly into the shape of disks. The dough can be used immediately or refrigerated until ready to use (1-2 days max).
2. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate).
3. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator/freezer to use later.
4. To assemble the empanadas or turnovers, place a spoonful of the filling on the middle of each empanada disc. The amount of filling will vary based on the size of the empanada, but in general, it’s easier to seal an empanada that isn’t overstuffed. Also, the more you make empanadas, the easier it becomes to stuff them to the max and still seal them properly.
5. To seal the empanadas, fold the disc and seal the edges by pressing the dough with your fingers. If you’re having a hard time sealing the edges, you can use brush the inside edges with egg white, it will act as a glue for the empanadas. You can also use a fork to help seal the edges, just press the top of the fork against the edges. To make the repulgue or churito, the curl type seal, use your fingers to twist the curl the edges. There are also empanada molds that you can buy and will help seal the empanadas. (Note from Rebecca: I just tried to pull a piece of the edge over my thumb and repeat the pattern, which made more of a ruffle, than a twist. I have some work to do here.)
6. For best results, I recommend refrigerating for at least 30 minutes the empanadas before baking – this also helps them seal better and prevents the filling from leaking out. (Note from Rebecca: you can also make and fill them ahead of time, put them in the refrigerator on baking sheets, covered with plastic wrap, then take them out to brush with egg and bake the next day.)
7. If you want your empanadas to have a nice golden finish, then you can brush them with egg wash (a whole egg whisked or egg yolk plus a few drops of water whisked).
8. Bake the empanadas in a pre-heated oven. I usually bake them at 375F-400F, the temperature will vary based on the oven and the size of the empanadas. I bake the smaller sized empanadas at 375F. The baking time also varies (again based on the oven and size), but it’s in the range of 18-25 minutes – the empanadas will be ready once they are golden.

4. While the Empanadas are Baking, Make the Chimichurri Sauce  (From Know Your Produce)

I love red wine vinegar so much, this garlicky, herb sauce is just so fresh, flavorful, and easy to eat by the spoonful!

5. Serve up the empanadas and chimichurri with your favorite Latin condiments and nibbles

We made the dough, filled, and pressed the edges the day before our dinner party. We kept them in the fridge and they stayed set just fine! The day of the party, we brushed the outside with a scrambled egg to get the golden brown, crispy texture on the outside.

We served the empanadas on wooden and white platters, alongside three different salsas, plantain chips (Trader Joe’s are the best!) and the chimichurri. They can be served room temperature.

We also served a veggie platter to freshen up the spread.

Check out the inside vegetable filling of this empanada after I took a bite!

So, are you inspired? It only took about 1 hour to make the empanadas the day before, and about 30 minutes to bake them the next day. So easy and an easy way to please your guests and your appetites! We’ll be making these again for any occasion, but Christmas empanadas, or Empanavidad, may just become a new annual tradition! Happy Holidays, folks!

The post Empanavidad: Easy Argentinian Empanada Recipe appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

1. Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens

At only $16/adult, the holiday lights at the Denver Botanic Gardens provide a leisurely and festive walk through the grounds, with fun light displays to guide your path. We couldn’t help but wonder how many hours or days it took to decorate the trees and even water with coordinated light displays that are truly a work of art. After a hearty holiday meal, this was a great activity to keep the family moving and get in some exercise in a most magical setting. It took about 30 mins to walk through the full gardens.

Here we are with my mother in law, Sue, who celebrated Thanksgiving with us.

This reminds me of Disneyland!

2. Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory Tour 

A short drive to Boulder can be “fruitful” and maybe even your “cup of tea”. As three avid tea drinkers, we had a fun stop at the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory for a free tour and abundant samples! Notice us posing like the characters in the Sleepytime Tea box image. And, no, the cat wasn’t real. The free tour runs at the top of every hour (sometimes more during the holidays) and you may even get to see the factory production in progress. You will see the equipment, where tea leaves and bags are stored, and clear your sinuses in the oh-so-sensory Peppermint Room. A tea-riffic idea for guests in town or just a cozy and fun activity. Their gift shop is pretty awesome too for picking up last minute drinkable and kitchen-y holiday gifts.

3. Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse 

Since we hadn’t had enough tea yet at the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory, we made a stop right after for our afternoon tea reservation at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. As soon as we discovered this cozy, artsy, tasty destination in Boulder, I immediately Googled “Dushanbe” and discovered that the Boulder Teahouse was a gift from its sister city, the capital of Tajikistan. Afternoon Tea reservations can be made at least 24 hours in advance, and it is served between 3-5pm. Dinner reservations are accepted. Breakfast and lunch is first-come, first-served and they have a full menu you can order from outside of the Afternoon Tea package.

The ornate ceiling with light peeking through was eye-catching, and the tiered finger foods were just as beautiful and delicious!

They make a mean carrot cake!

Who doensn’t love tiered snacks? And don’t the tiers immediately make them more beautiful, am I right?

Afternoon tea is an instant mood booster. Or, maybe it was the sugar rush. I love this photo of my happy Mother-in-Law, Sue!

Look how cozy this space? Yes, please! It’s so fun to feel transported to a faraway land with the exotic trees, lights, wooden stilts leading up to the ornate ceiling, and open space.

4. Happy Hour at Uchi Denver 

You say the word Uchi, I’m there. I’d like to think it was both coincidental and lucky that Uchi Denver opened just after we moved to Denver, since Chef Tyson Cole’s masterpiece of a Japanese restaurant hails from Austin, my former home and college town. Its menu is adventurous, every dish carefully strategized and executed, and it’s just a treat! Speaking of treats, dinner at Uchi can be spendy (although worth it and our visit was for a special occasion), but a great way to taste the menu in a more approachable way is to hit up Happy Hour between 5-6:30pm daily.

This bite was topped with pickled mushrooms – very intriguing and unique!

This crispy toasty rice in a hot clay pot was just a bowl of cozy goodness.

Even the art sets a bold tone (and a nice photo background).

Check out the greenhouse protecting the restaurant up above. 50% of the menu is sourced from the greenhouse and the rest supports neighborhood restaurants and schools. Sustainability for the win!

5. Hike & Explore the Small Mountain Towns like Estes Park, Colorado

Nothing says free fun like an outdoor hike in a beautiful spot and Denver, and the surrounding areas, has no shortage! Apparently Estes Park, the Eastern basecamp of Rocky Mountain National Park, is the most visited mountain village in Colorado, and Rocky Mountain National Park is the fourth most visited National Park.

On the way to Estes Park, we drove through the quaint town of Lyons, Colorado. We stopped for the restroom near Main street and came across an adorable fruit, snack, farm stand. Look how quirky it is! Inside, the small shack was teeming with dry goods, fresh produce, local honey, spices, and even green chiles roasting on a tiny toaster-like roaster.

We picked up a few snacks and some amazing salsa for our adventure – as much as the cash we brought with us could purchase. Can’t wait to go back! Don’t forget to stop in the little mountain towns for fun discoveries as you explore the Colorado terrain over the holidays. You may even pick up your latest holiday spice or some last minute gifts!

Wishing you and yours a fun, festive, and bright holiday season in Denver, Colorado (and beyond)!

The post Top 5 Denver Holiday Events and Activities (and Boulder Too!) appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

This time of year may also be a time where we’re experiencing burnout from a full year, a long stretch without holidays, and it feels like everyone is just ready for a break! Along with feelings of burnout, may come feelings of inadequacy, or not feeling good about yourself, and maybe even, inefficiency, or feeling like you haven’t accomplished enough.

According to Psychology Today, when answering: What does burnout feel like? It’s described as: “feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment”.  This may also be the time of year when we realize we haven’t checked off some big to-do list items we set out to do at the year’s start when we defined our New Year’s Resolutions, which can make us feel disappointed. Can anyone relate?

Well, we can say goodbye to those not-so-nice feelings, and say hello to a new way of looking at what we have achieved at the end of each day. By breaking big goals into smaller actions, it feels much more achievable to feel positive, successful, and happy! Psychology Today also highlights ways to overcome burnout. Some of my favorites include:

• Reinforce effort, not outcome. Remember to reinforce yourself for trying rather than only for the end result.
• Take breaks between big projects. Burnout puts your mind and body in a weakened state, so avoid jumping from one stressful, time-consuming project to the next in order to give your mind and body a chance to recover.
• Just say “no.” While you’re “recovering,” avoid taking on any new commitments or responsibilities. I know you have to live in the real world and there will be some things that you just can’t get out of doing. But [we] have a bad habit of saying “yes” when they can say “no.” Resist that urge.

Setting boundaries and adopting a new outlook is a great place to start. So, I put together a list of questions we can ask ourselves at the end of the day (or even in the morning for some inspiration), to help us appreciate wins, small and not-so-small. In the new year, let’s resolve to lift each other up, celebrate our efforts, even when they may take time to materialize into what we define as success, and ask ourselves how we felt, acted, contributed, created, and lived.

And now for the list…

New Day’s Resolutions:

1. Did I learn something today?

2. Do I help someone?

3. Did I meet someone new?

4. Did I smile?

5. Did I smile at someone?

6. Did I think of a new idea?

7. Did I create something?

8. Did I save someone time?

9. Did I thank someone?

10. Did I thank myself?

11. Did I move my body?

12. Did I nourish my body?

13. Did I answer someone’s question?

14. Did I touch, see, smell, taste, or hear nature?

15. Did I recycle something?

16. Did I laugh?

17. Did I make someone else laugh?

18. Did I call someone who means a lot to me?

19. Did I try something new?

20. Did I try something I’m a little afraid of?

21. Did I ask someone about themselves?

22. Did I say no, thank you to something that didn’t feel right?

23. Did I put someone before myself?

24. Did I find beauty in the ordinary?

25. Did I have a true conversation and listen without response?

26. Did I make a difference for someone who needs help?

27. Did I take breaks for peace of mind/body?

28. Did I forgive someone or myself?

29. Did I contribute to a team?

30. Did I have fun or do something that makes me happy?

So, did you answer yes to any of the above? What questions would you add to feel happy, satisfied, and accomplished when you go to bed tonight? 

The post How to Feel Accomplished at the End of the Day: 30 New Questions to Ask Ourselves appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

Did you know #givingtuesday has been in full effect since 2012 and according to Vox and Chronicle of Philanthropy via Wikipedia, donations annually have increased exponentially to ~$250 Million in 2017? Amazing! But, we can do more!

Earlier this year, I wrote about creating an annual Giving Plan. It’s a personal plan designed to help us focus each year on the areas, organizations, or causes where we’ll make a difference. For example, this year we focused on children, education, and medical efforts. One project I’ve been involved with this year includes mentoring and teaching at YearUp to provide young adults with education about personal branding and career development for a brighter future. I was thrilled to present my 8 step method for building thriving career relationships, The Knock Method, at their Job Search Workshop in Chicago earlier this year.

A personal annual Giving Plan helps us find ways to give that are in line with our areas of focus, and prioritize how we help others. A Giving Plan also helps us account for natural disasters or events that may come up that are unexpected where we want – or need- to help throughout the year.

Giving Tuesday is a great time to dust off that old Giving Plan and refocus our giving based on what our communities, cities, and important causes need at this point in the year. It can also help us with ideas for where to contribute if we feel inclined to give our time or monetarily on Giving Tuesday this year.

Even if you haven’t given much thought to how or where to help this holiday season, here are some ideas on how to help this Giving Tuesday! And, it doesn’t take much to participate. You can give volunteer time, money, or even just a couple clicks that will pass on some love and support to those who may need it this year.

Top 10 Giving Tuesday Ideas: Where and How to Amplify Your Giving

1. Donation matching. Does your employer or company match donations? Many of us may not realize that our companies will match donations that we, as employees, make personally. Check out these resources from Double the Donation to learn about the opportunities we have if we work in the corporate world to work with our companies to increase our personal donations to make a bigger impact on our world. If you work for a non-profit, Double the Donation has tools you can incorporate into your website so that donors can look up their company when giving a donation to see if it can be increased through corporate matching. How handy is that?

2. Get a group of friends together to contribute to a larger gift, like adopting and granting a specific wish to a child with medical challenges. According to Make a Wish Foundation, you can complete the form at this link to be connected with a donation specialist and find a specific wish to grant – teaming up with friends or family can help make that wish even more special for a child who needs extra special love this season.

3. Donate Airline Miles. Have some airline miles from rewards credit cards or recent travels? Share them with organizations and individuals who need them for medical emergencies, meaningful travels for veterans traveling to DC to visit memorials and honor their service, or even children with terminal illnesses that would have a trip of a lifetime with your help! Make a Wish highlights ways to donate airline miles and Southwest Airlines supports several organizations of your choice where you can donate travel miles and points.  I just donated and it only took a few minutes!

4. Move for Hunger. Are you moving soon? Book a mover that is part of the Move for Hunger network, which will pick up your non-perishable food items in your pantry that you won’t move with you, along with your boxes of belongings, and take the food to a local food bank so it doesn’t go to waste.

5. Macy’s $1 Matching Program – Write a letter to Santa on the Macy’s website and Macy’s will donate $1 per letter to Make a Wish up to $1 Million! A fun, easy way to help with kiddos!

6. Make the most of your time scrolling on Facebook. Facebook & PayPal are partnering to match donations up to $7 million! Learn more about how to use Facebook for fundraising to help important causes, and Facebook may match the funds you raise!

7. Help young adults achieve a brighter future at YearUp, an organization that helps bridge the opportunity divide by providing education and job resources for young adults. Help amplify your gift by donating today, and The Salem Family Foundation will match your gift dollar for dollar. If 500 gifts are accepted, they will donate a significant additional gift to the organization.

8. Sign up for a volunteer project during Christmas, or the winter season. Donating time and skills is a great way to spend some downtime this holiday season. Use VolunteerMatch to discover volunteer opportunities and projects that need your help. Not only has VolunteerMatch connected 14.4 Million volunteers to projects or ways to give, and supported 122,000 nonprofits, they have measured that 4.2 million volunteers are needed across communities and organizations connected with their site. Be one of the 4.2 million volunteers they are looking for to lend a hand!

9. Donate unused gift cards to local organizations in need. Looking for an excuse to clean out that miscellaneous drawer or your wallet? You may come across some old gift cards that you haven’t used yet. If the expiration date hasn’t passed, and you haven’t used them in awhile, consider dropping them off at a local organization for food, clothes, or other items to make someone’s day!

10. Buy a gift that makes an impact. Shopping for holiday gifts already? Consider Packed with Purpose, a thoughtful, socially conscious company that curates gift sets comprised of products from companies and organizations that have a higher purpose. Not to mention, they’re cute and tasty too!

11. Help families who are experiencing early child loss. Support the Rhett Sullivan Foundation, founded by a dear high school friend who has experienced unimaginable loss and is helping to provide comfort and guidance to others who have similar experiences.

What have I missed? What are your ways of making a big impact on Giving Tuesday? Share in the comments for us all to learn how to make a bigger difference!

The post Giving Tuesday Ideas: Top 10 Quick Ways to Make a Big Impact appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

Place Settings

This year’s table is all about warmth from the charcoal hue of our Pottery Barn Mason dinnerware and almost matching napkins from Cost Plus World Market. It’s about mixed metals, including Chilewich Metallic Lace Placemats in Gold that add a little shimmery textured background for sleek silver Villeroy & Boch New Wave Flatware with thin stems and a little twist at the top, providing dimension and structure so you don’t lose your grip when digging into that turkey or sweet potatoes! The last touches include the modern, slim, single line etched Vera Wang Wedgwood Bande collection glassware. Their simplicity doesn’t take away from the other elements of the table, and instead, add a light, airy sipping vehicle with just enough charm for the dining experience. I just love these glasses!

Centerpiece

I’m usually a sucker for fresh flowers. And, how can you resist some luscious petals adorning the Thanksgiving table? Well, whether you’re saving space or looking for a simpler, more streamlined look to leave more room for the real stars of the show – the tasty dishes – centering your table around seasonal produce can still add that freshness, life, vibrancy, fragrance, color, and design to make your table inviting and exciting!

Recently, I’ve found that adding elements of life (like we did in our kitchen console design in this year’s One Room Challenge) to design bring in dimension, breath, texture, and some down-to-earthiness that’s just simply a necessity. Similar to adding fresh herbs or uncooked vegetables to a warm recipe, it brings freshness that’s also comforting and reminds us of where our meal came from. This year, we added a leaf collected from our street as the trees shed this Fall, a fresh cranberry for color, and well – because Thanksgiving, and Satsuma oranges (Japanese tangerines – aren’t the color and stems delightful?) nestled next to each other on a simple Noritake Kona Wood Rectangular Platter.

Monochromatic design with pops of color might just be my thing!

A little cranberry on top never hurt anyone!

Here’s the view so you can imagine being at our table.

A couple more views for fun!

We’ll end here on a shot that captures layers of texture, color, still design and elements of life, and of course, a little sparkle.

I hope this inspires you to make special out of simple, bring the outdoors inside, marry textures and metals, add pops of color, and find ways to express yourself through dining and food with loved ones this Thanksgiving! Happy Turkey Day, y’all!

The post Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.

• Why is doing more better?
• Does doing more make us feel better?
• If we keep trying to do more and more, will we ever get to a place of satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment?

Deep thoughts for a Tuesday, I know. In case you need a little push (or pull back), I’ve decided that we should take a stance that looks productivity in the eye and focus on meaning instead. Let’s let go of productivity (sometimes).

The holidays are a perfect time to pause on productivity, mostly because they usually provide a break or some much needed time off from work. And to those who are working this holiday season – thank you for providing relief, support, care, and services to keep things running. But, let’s talk about efficiency. If productivity is about producing more, efficiency is about making the most out of what we have – time, energy, emotion, balance among competing priorities.

5 Ways to Pause on Productivity, and Embrace Efficiency

Efficiency is about:

1) Honoring Commitments. Cordially mentioning you need to end a call to get to another commitment, instead of going over time, then not giving enough to the next activity.

2) Time Blocking, Including Time on Social Media – Designate specific times for specific tasks, which the time-blocking tracking app, Toggl, suggests can improve your…you guessed it…productivity by 150%. One tip they provide is to leave your desk when you complete a goal, instead of based on time, and another is to communicate your hours in the office in auto-responder emails and to colleagues to set expectations. One thing I’m trying to do more of when sharing something on social media, is to do it during downtime, after guests leave our home, after we leave a restaurant, or between tasks or events, instead of during them. Hello bathroom breaks!

3) Being present – Dedicate to the task, situation, experience at hand, then move on.

4) Knowing your own natural cadence of when you’re thinking clearly, most creative, have the most focus, and taking time away when you know you need to recharge. For example, I’ve been reading When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink.

It highlights our own natural rhythm, which in most cases means we have energy in the mornings, there’s a slump mid day, then another peak in the afternoon. Personally, I create my best work between the hours of 8am-2pm, find myself needing to recharge between 3-4pm, then I get another peak burst of focus between 4-6pm, and sometimes, even again late at night around 10pm after a dinner or social break. Pink suggests if you know your peaks and valleys, you can maximize your time according to that flow.

5) Accepting procrastination, or giving things time to breathe before knocking them off of your to-do list, which can produce some of the best work. The is one of the ideas that lies between the pages of the recent book by Adam Grant, The Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World.

Check him out to learn more about how creative ideas emerge and lifestyles of those who create them.

In case you’re not familiar with Adam, I’m kind of a superfan because his research is so relatable to our everyday lives and challenges we have with work and life. I even had the pleasure of interviewing him a few years ago, which I share in my The Knock Method workshops, featuring my 8 Steps to Building Thriving Career Relationships. Sign up here for more info on upcoming workshops in Denver and Chicago.

How to Push the Breaks on Productivity

You may be thinking, this sounds great and all, but I have a non-stop to-do list at work and home that just can’t stop. Don’t worry, I think that all the time too. However, just being mindful about those times where you feel you’re hamster-wheeling can make you take a step back, breathe, and truly focus on one – or a few things at a time. Here are a few ways to boycott Productivity and still live your life your way:

• Set boundaries, and communicate them (respectfully) to those expecting bottomless energy from you, which can help you feel more in control, and actual regain control of your schedule, time, and exertion.
• Designate specific times for activities that nourish you. Add that yoga class to your work calendar, or go for a walk when you feel the stress pile up. Don’t worry, a few moments away can help you come back with a clear mind.
• Ask for space or say no to plans when you feel taxed. Listen to yourself and get to know that feeling, that intuition, or lightbulb, that tells you when you need a night in, or a few moments of quiet.
• Extend your goals to accomplish in a week or a month, versus an hour or a day. I find that if I have a list of key things on my to-do list, if I give myself a week to accomplish them, versus a day, I’m more likely to complete them and less likely to be hard on myself for not getting to it if I have “one of those days”.
• Find activities to get lost in. Get into a state of mindfulness (being present). I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who’s never missed a meal. Why? Because I’m always conscious of the time, thinking about what’s next, and being “on” all the time. Not that I’m encouraging missing a meal, but there’s something very exciting, comforting, and nourishing about immersing yourself in activities you get lost in, where you lose track of time, and just relish in that enjoyment. This article by Alyssa Barbash Ph.D, highlights the benefits of being present by “letting your mind steal time from you.” Whether running, painting, stepping away for vacation without wifi, listening to music, playing sports, or writing, get lost. One activity where I can get lost without looking at the clock is cooking. Check out my recent post on 6 Cozy Fall Recipes to Warm You Up if you need some ideas! Don’t worry, you can let those around you know you’re stepping into that world, and have them check in if you’ve been immersed for too long and… it’s time to have dinner.
• Turn the screens off and go have fun!

What do you think? Can we get away from this “productivity mindset” and still accomplish our goals, still achieve success, yet enjoy our days and moments more? Wishing you and yours an un-productive Thanksgiving holiday!

How do you get away from productivity and still move forward? Share your tips!

The post Why is it All About Productivity? appeared first on The*Rebeccammendations.