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FRENCH GIRLS: WHAT, WHERE & HOW THEY EAT TO KEEP IT SLIM & TRIM

This post needs no introduction. You guy shave met Ingrid so many times, as you know our story. & if you don’t…

I found her on a friend of a friend of a cousin’s sister’s page or something when I was deep in an Instagram stalk like 4 years ago. I liked her feed immediately ( if you want to see, go DEEP into her Instagram ). She was super open with sharing recipes, skinny hacks, & diet tips. As Ingrid would say, she “wasn’t stingy” with her tips. I liked the vibe.

So I followed her on Instagram, silently watching her skinny recipes from afar for years.

HERE’S HOW CRAZY LIFE IS GUYS: I was in Monaco AND SAW HER AT THE HOTEL WE WERE HAVING LUNCH AT. I whispered to Michael that “THAT was THAT girl I followed on Instagram!” Michael looked at me like I was fucking crazy. But first things first, I had to see what she was eating…from a distance. LIKE MOVE MICHAEL- YOU’RE BLOCKING MY VIEW. Creepy? Come on, we’ve all been there. I wanted to see the whole thing. Like what was she eating to get those abs? Was she having protein? What kind?

Anyway, I wanted to see her in action- I love her philosophy of substituting & modifying foods. It’s something I’ve been about FOREVER. Her lifestyle is just inspiring.

But back to what she was eating.

You can bet your ass it was greens to start, some protein, fiber, & a glass of wine!

I didn’t say hi because I didn’t want to interrupt ( wait, let’s be honest here. What would I say? Hi, I’m Lauryn & I have followed you online all the way from California for the last few years…& eer, I happened to run into you in France? Oh, and can you cook me your skinny Spanish rice? I’m available for dinner ). So I didn’t say hi.

But I did DM her on IG. & we became friends. Now I train with her & do THE METHOD®, cook her recipes, & we met with our husbands in Monaco & Morocco. She’s become such a good friend & is constantly providing so much value on her channels which we love.

I’ve been so impressed with how she has taken an idea then launched her Simply Gangster Chic inulin, adjusted it from consumer feedback, & brought in other products. Products like her rose oil, amber rocks, & cookbook.

I cook with inulin all the time. In fact, yesterday I made skinny pancakes with it & it creates this thick consistency, almost like you’re cooking with flour, but it’s actually artichoke fiber so it makes your gut feel great.

If you don’t know what inulin is you have to check it out.

“Inulin is a nutrient which cannot be digested or absorbed in the body, meaning it is classed as a fibre. It is also one of the best known sources, as it boasts almost 90g of fibre per 100g! Inulin can also be obtained through foods such as asparagus, onions, garlic, artichokes, chicoree root, acacia and sweet potatoes. This vegan-friendly nutrient has received masses of attention recently from both the scientific community and media outlets due to its versatility, qualities. It has gained so much recognizance from doctors & health practitioners, such as Dr. Stephen Gundry, Dr. Axe , Dr. Hyman and many more.” source

You guys know I put this in my coffee every day. If you want to know more about it stalk the morning ritual here.

With out further ado, welcome back Ingrid de la Mare Kenny, the badass behind Simply Gangster Chic & THE METHOD®. In this post you can expect Ingrid’s tips on mindful indulgences, how to chill at lunch like a chic French girl, & how to add inulin into your life.

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So, I am part French, but when it comes to eating I’m 100% French for sure, and that’s by choice. Why? Because when I moved from NYC to Monaco, I realized these French people have their shit together, and by their shit I mean they have figured out that CORTISOL levels are everything, especially when it comes to keeping it low while consuming their 3 meals a day. And so, it’s as much what they eat as how they eat that makes the French waistline enviable to fast-paced, diet conscious Americans.

Here is a break-down of what 3 days of eating is like for oh so French moi! I purposely chose Thursday, Friday and Saturday, to help make the distinction between week-days (workdays) and week-ends.

THURSDAY

I start my day with an early workout with my client Ella, so that’s the perfect day to elect as an Intermittent Fast 8pm-1pm (16 hours) — you can read how I intermittent fast right here on TSC.

I prepare my Simply Inulin Metabolic Boosting Coffee (Here is a video of how to prepare it)– Having simply inulin coffee doesn’t break your fast if you make sure that your plant-based milk is free of gums and only contains 3 ingredients: nuts, water & salt — it’s really important, to realize that plant-based milk can and will not only disrupt your fast with obscure ingredients like xantham gum or lecithin (a chemical word for modified soy), but it will also most probably cause gut inflammation.

I will slowly sip on my coffee, pre-workout and possibly finish it or have another post-workout.

But what happens if I wake up hungry? Surprise, surprise! I EAT, I am French so whatever my ghrelin hormone wants I am going to give to her. Why? Because your ghrelin hormone needs to be satisfied, short of doing so you will raise your cortisol levels and cause insulin resistance (aka Stubborn Fat Deposits in and around the midsection). But enough with the science.

I will attempt to satisfy my hunger first with a bowl of berries (they are high in fiber and very satiating) and often that will do the trick. If it doesn’t work I will have my French Chocolate Chip Cookies made with tahini & Simply Inulin (ps: Dr. Gundry said that inulin is the solution to avoid weight gain, terrible digestion and prevents the bad bacteria from taking over your waistline). It’s rich in fatty acids which balances the hormones, high in fiber with the inulin (and that cancels out some of the carbs too) and it’s a gut health aid because it contains potato starch (instead of flour). Potato starch is a resistant starch that arrives in the colon intact, good bacteria feeds on it, producing beneficial short-chain fatty acids. Resistant starch carries many benefits: it strengthens the gut, burns fat, and protects against colon cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Anyway… keep in mind I’m having a simple cookie today because it was meant to be an intermittent fasting day and I got hungry. The cookie for sure will keep me going until lunch at 1 pm.

♡ 1pm – Lunch

Where? Away from my desk and from my work place. Usually a pleasant (outdoorsy if weather permits) setting and during the work-week a less noisy environment.

How Long? In France, lunch breaks can last up to 2 hours. My lunch is usually 1h or 1h 15 mins and that is non-negotiable. I purposely do not schedule any appointments or meetings during my lunch window (it’s not difficult to do so because everything is closed, except restaurants and everyone is sitting having lunch).

How? Never ever on the go. Never ever in plastic bowls, plates or utensils. No such thing as walking and eating at the same time in France. And no such thing as eating out of plastic. If I take-away, I will transfer my food to a china plate. NON-NEGOTIABLE (definitely avoiding endocrine-disrupters).

What? Unlike Americans (according to an array of French waiters in Paris and the South of France) who are indecisive about what to eat, and will study the menu from top to bottom for a while, and debate on what to eat, I, as the very French person that I am, know exactly what I like to eat, and what I need to be eating. It will catch my eye immediately on the menu.

Starter – L’entrée: I start with an artichoke salad, with arugula and shaved parmesan. And I will have 2 bites of the bread soaked in olive oil while I wait for my order.

If I am not working out that afternoon with a client and I’m just going to the office or meetings, I’ll have a glass of white wine. A glass of white wine halfway filled is not going to get me buzzed.

Main Course – Le Plat de Resistance: What more food? Yes! Salad is not a meal in France. And it often comes served in a dessert size plate as an appetite opener. We don’t feed on salad and frankly if I wanted to chew on salad all day every day I’d be a fucking cow.

So my main will be: A veal escalope in a light lemon sauce (it’s really an Italian dish I love that is in every restaurant in Monaco) and it’s always the size of my hand. I am not a fucking accountant and I don’t bring a scale or calculate the gram amount of my protein either. I usually have it with a side of seasonal veggies. What veggies? The French don’t just pre-determine, because they will only serve you what is of the season, they don’t modify vegetables genetically to occur and grow during their off-season. So at the moment, it’s often cauliflower, peas (and yes we ain’t afraid of peas they aren’t your American sweet peas) and asparagus. They never serve just one veggie, because variety is KEY to rub your leptin (satiation hormone) the right way. If there is one or 2 potatoes luring around in that plate I will happily have it and I will not have any qualms about it. Whoever is scared of potatoes doesn’t know how to live the life of a normal human being.

Dessert: I often skip it. Instead I will ask for an espresso Longo and add a dash of inulin to it, and have the one bite-sized dark Italian chocolate cube they serve it with to satisfy that sweet tooth.

♡ Snack

It is not unusual for me to not have a snack. SNACKING is very disruptive to a healthy appetite according to French culture. As a matter of fact, the snack “le gouter” is something typically reserved for children after school. The French (myself included) pride themselves on honoring the 3 meals of the day as very ceremonial, satisfying and sufficing events in the day.

If I ever get hungry, it is usual an indication that I did not have the right dietary intake of nutritious food that I should have had.

♡ Dinner

First of all, I cook at least 5 nights a week for my family. The table is set with china, pretty cutlery, candles and some light music in the background.

We have dinner around 8 pm, and we all sit together and start engaging with conversation before we even grab our forks and knives to eat.

A typical Thursday night dinner in my house will be:

Main Course: Veal Kefta Meatballs made with my Moroccan Spice “Simply The Best” Ras El Hanout. It contains 30 pungent spices, and spices are life when it comes to gut-health. It Improves the efficiency of your digestive system. Spices have been used throughout history as digestive stimulants. In recent times, studies have shown that many spices stimulate the liver, resulting in it secreting bile that has a higher percentage of bile acids. The result: it makes your food more satisfying, satiating, and most importantly so delicious with a prep time under 20 mins.

I serve them (everyone gets the amount that covers the size of their hands) with my String Beans á l’étouffée (it’s very important and so beneficial to cook the veggies for about 4 minutes covered – not boiled and not carbonized-sauteed either- to keep the vibrancy of the vegetables intact, as the visual and texture are 60% of the neuro-signals of satiation sent to your leptin hormone. While not overcooking vegetables also keeps the nutrients and notably the fiber intact.

At dinner time, the salad is typically served after the main course, not before, to not ruin one’s appetite, and disrespect the cook by doing so. But most importantly because the French believe consuming the salad after the main facilitates digestion, and absorption of minerals in the salad. It is also said to aid sleep when consumed after the main course.

Salad: Lately we have been obsessed with Mache salad, with a light tahini, Argan Oil (from Morocco) and lemon dressing, with a handful of pine nuts. This insures a mandatory intake of fatty acids so crucial to hormonal balance, and natural weight control and weight-loss. I (like most French people) believe 2 tbs of cold-pressed 1st quality olive oil or Argan oil per day aids with gut-health and overall weight control. No French person ever got fat from the liters of olive oil they are known to consume weekly.

Dessert: In the evening I need dessert… that is usually when my sweet tooth rages so I satisfy it by taking my health in my own hands. Every few days I prepare what we have now renamed “sex-bombs” (one of my clients’ husband compared them to the climaxing effect of good sex) – They are a 10 min preparation Praline Buttercup-like small bite with tahini, potato starch, fiber syrup, praline chunks and Simply Inulin to UP the fiber and lower the net carbs, covered in Simply Inulin melted 70% dark chocolate. One suffices, as it is the exact amount of bites you need to apply my CHIC BITE RULE (3 bites: 1 to say BONJOUR, 2 to ENJOY it, 3 to say AU REVOIR )

FRIDAY

♡ Breakfast

I will intermittent fast again, as I often have a morning work-out scheduled on Fridays (btw working out on an empty stomach is key to make sure I burn fat for fuel and dig into my reserves). So I’ll have my Simply Inulin Coffee.

♡ Lunch

Same set up and scenario as the day before—

Appetizer: I’ll have a French string bean salad with a light French vinaigrette dressing and tomato cubes.

I will probably skip the wine for lunch today- There is that French je ne said quoi about intuitive moderation.

Main Course: A filet of sol meunière (it’s a light French sauce with lemon and a dot of butter), served with seasonal veggies and a tiny bowl of potato purée or a bit of Ebly (buckwheat rice substitute often served in nice restaurants)

Dessert: Depending on how I feel I may have a café gourmand, which is an espresso served with the restaurant’s best desserts served in tiny bites. Chic Bite Rule makes it totally worth it and has no impact on the waistline.

♡ Dinner

Main Course: Strips of chicken, grilled shawarma style (with my Simply the Best Spice), with my homemade hummus (as a dip), and a side of my Mediterranean – Israeli salad (Tomatoes – I always remove the skin, cucumber, olives, red onions, lots of lemon juice and some olive oil, and mint ) – I may serve some french-fry like sweet potatoes grilled in the oven with a dash of olive oil and garlic powder (we usually have 2-3 pieces each to satisfy the itch).

Salad: My ASPARAGUS SEXY SALAD, with my French truffle vinaigrette, and seasoned with mixed seeds and herbs.

Dessert: I also always have some of my Simply Inulin Truffle balls dipped in matcha, pistachio or cocoa powder (prep is similar to the praline buttercups).

SATURDAY

Yay to the freaking week-end !

♡ Breakfast

I never ever intermittent fast on week-ends as breakfast is a privileged time with my kids, where we get to hang out in the kitchen and prepare fun food, and have a lengthy breakfast and chats.

I’ll make my Simply Inulin Pain Perdu aka French Toast Brioche (it’s gluten free, flour free and low carb and it’s a food with health benefits).

And I’ll have my Homemade Simply Kefir COCONUT lactose-free PROBIOTIC yogurt (which I prepare myself from our Simply Kefir Grains and ferment at home). It has 18 to 58 billion live probiotic populations, it’s amazing for the gut, and if the scientific saying that WEIGHT LOSS is in the gut is true, then this is definitely the secret weapon. It’s delicious, and because of its probiotic properties, it satiates me faster than a commercial yogurt.

I will often prepare some eggs on the side with Simply Inulin in them for added fiber. And have literally a bit of everything (the size of the palm of my hands)

Of course I will wash it all down with my Simply Inulin coffee because I crave it every morning from the second I wake up.

♡ Lunch

Usually it will be a bit later, like 2pm. We will go to the sea port and have a salade niçoise (and no I wont remove the eggs), and share a bruschetta (it’s a sort of Italian bread with fresh tomatoes and melted mozzarella cheese). It’s the week-end; I have no problems consuming bread when I feel like it, especially when I have time to digest it, but it’s all in moderation so sharing is key.

I may have a frozen yogurt, or just skip dessert.

♡ Snack

NO SNACK AT ALL –But if it’s a rainy Saturday afternoon and I’m at home watching a movie, I’ll sit and meticulously pit some dates and fill them with a pecan nut and eat my little date/pecan sandwich (2-3 are more than enough and it’s healthy. Yes dates are healthy and so are pecans).

♡ Dinner

Usually on Saturday nights we go out to dinner. That means I will have access to some of my favorite foods.

Appetizer: I will have a shared plate of lobster pasta (and in the restaurant the pasta is fresh here in the south of France, which makes all the difference in digestion). We usually ask for 2 salad-sized plates and we share. It’s best as an appetizer, as it is a great way of not relying on a non-nutritious food to satiate my hunger. Instead I satisfy my craving and feel happy.

Main Course: (The Plat de Resistance)- The source of nutrition part of the meal and the most important.

I’ll have grilled Camerones (big shrimps) with garlic and parsley, served with petites legumes (young veggies, little peppers, little zucchini flowers) and a Sauce Diablo (which is a classic French compound sauce made from a demi-glacé flavored with shallots, white wine, vinegar, fine herbs, English dry mustard or French Dijon mustard, black pepper and cayenne pepper and garnished with parsley).

♡ Dessert

I’ll have a French pastry (usually I share with Gil, and I’m completely satisfied following my CHIC BITE RULE), lemon meringue or a praline pastry called Paris-Brest. Unless we are at La Petite Maison in Nice (where we took Lauryn and Michael to lunch when they came to visit us), in which case I’ll share the white chocolate mousse and wild strawberries (if in season).

Now, it does seem like I do eat well right? And I don’t count calories… that’s because I’m completely unscathed at the thought of eating REAL FOOD. Sweet potatoes and olive oil don’t scare me. I view them as food with benefits and I eat them with intuitive moderation and without any guilt. Taking the stress out of eating real food, is the well-known French-nonchalance … aka low cortisol levels, aka better digestion and less inclination to create stressful hormonal issues that cause insulin resistance and midsection weight gain for the most disciplined dieter and salad-only eater.

Taking your time to eat, minding your environment (noises, soothing lighting, pleasant company), paying attention to your posture, keeping forearms on the table, holding both fork and knife at all times during the process, and taking moments to enjoy the company and conversation with your table mates, can take inches of your waist. It’s a FACT otherwise known as the French paradox.

♡♡♡

Once again, THANK YOU Ingrid for coming on the blog!

If you guys want to know more about Ingrid you have to check out her episode on the Him & Her Podcast. She really gets into the nitty gritty of her life, & let me tell you, it’s TRÈS INTERÉSSANT. She talks prison, divorce, hardships, & how she came out on the other side.

If you want to read Ingrid’s other guests posts, I got you covered:

Check out all of Ingrid’s other posts on TSC:

♡ Wet & Dry Muscles

♡ 10 French Wellness Tips

♡ Skinny Rice, Fiber & Why Scales Lie

SHOP THE POST

Source: https://www.theskinnyconfidential.com/what-where-how-french-girls-eat/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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memorytile0-blog · 5 years

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Cusco Peru Travel Guide

A few weeks ago, Jason and I had the amazing opportunity to visit Cusco, Peru – including a trip to Machu Picchu! Of course Machu Picchu was on our bucket list, but honestly I wasn’t sure when we would get there since we have 2 young daughters…getting to Peru is enough work, but then to Cusco and then to Machu Picchu is quite a journey and test of patience for little ones. So, it just didn’t seem like our Machu Picchu aspirations would be realized anytime soon, so….when the opp presented itself for just to two of us to sneak away for a week, we of course said YES! We had an amazing time (definitely also check out our Peru Highlights on Instagram Stories for more videos, etc!).

If a trip that includes adventure, relaxation, history and great food + cocktails, sounds right up your alley, then Cusco, Peru may just be right for you! While we were there, I was surprised by how many DMs I received on Instagram letting me know of your hopes to someday visit and questions of what exactly you should do when you visit. So, to help those of you with aspirations of visiting Peru, I’ve created a closer look at our itinerary to help you plan for your own travels….I hope this helps!!

When to Visit

We traveled the first week of May and the weather was just perfect as it was mid fall for them, but cooler winter weather had yet to arrive (remember they are in the southern hemisphere, so their seasons are opposite from those of us up north). The weather was in the low 60s and sunny during the day and a bit chilly in the evenings (so do pack layers or plan on picking up some warm Peruvian alpaca clothing to keep you warm when the temps dip!). Overall great weather – except for the rain storm we encountered at Machu Picchu but more on that later! :)

Getting There

Getting here can be a bit of a trek depending where you are coming from. Since we are in Los Angeles, for the trip there, we flew from LAX –> MIA –> Lima – > Cusco. On the return trip we were able to fly from Cusco –> Lima –> LAX . No matter how you cut it, plan on a very full day of travel likely in the range of 12 – 16 hours of flights and waiting at airports. We flew American for the first leg and LATAM for the rest of the legs. Cusco is in the same time zone as Central Time so that was definitely nice, not too much adjustment for those of us from the US.

The Air Up There

The elevation of this city is no joke…. Cusco is 11,200 ft above sea level, which causes many visitors to experience varying degrees of symptoms of altitude sickness, or ‘soroche’ as it is known locally! For reference Los Angeles is at 285 and Denver is 5,280 ft. We had heard a lot about adjusting to the elevation and to be honest, I kind of thought people were overreacting, but it is LEGIT! Definitely prepare to spend the first day adjusting to the altitude.

The gracious team hosting us at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco was really helpful in this department…..as soon as we arrived, they had Coco tea for us in the lobby, then chicken noodle soup in our room and encouraged we take a nap to adjust….turned out to be a great plan. They recommend drinking this tea if you start feeling dizzy from the altitude. A nice bonus of staying at the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco, they pump oxygen into their hotel rooms to help those of you feeling the altitude to adjust!

Where to Stay

We were hosted by the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco (seen above in the first photo) and stayed 5 nights – which I think was the perfect stay. Just long enough to see everything we wanted to see in Cusco and Machu Picchu, but no so long that we ran out of things to do. It was also about the perfect amount of time to adjust to the altitude before heading home ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The JW Marriott El Convento Cusco is a delightful blend of historic grandeur and modern comfort. Housed in a restored 16th-century convent in the heart of Cusco, the boutique hotel also features two exhibition halls with ancient Peruvian artifacts that they discovered when building the hotel! If you stay here, be sure to take a tour to learn of the Incan structures unearthed when as they planned to open this hotel.

The hotel is in a great location – just a short 5 minute walk to Cusco’s main square – the Plaza de Armas.

Above is Panchita! She is the cutest alpaca that spends her weekday mornings in the courtyard of the hotel to greet the guests!

Dining at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco

Breakfast was included each morning with our room…..LOVE that! Otherwise we typically end up wandering around for quite a while to find a good breakfast, it’s so much easier when you can have a tasty start to your day where you’re staying. They had a really great breakfast buffet including: fruit, eggs (made to order any way you’d like!), breads, smoothies, coffee and more. And if you’re anything like us, you’ll be happy to find quinoa and chia everywhere!

There are 2 restaurants at the hotel: Qespi Restaurant and Bar, and the Qespi Bar. We ate at both several times. The Bar is more causal and great for lunch or cocktails. We had the BEST (srsly) empanadas here! I’ve had empanadas a few times before but had never been that impressed….totally changed my mind here and now get what the fuss is! SO GOOD and highly recommend them here if you visit Cusco.

Also LOVED the cocktails here! So creative and delicious. Definitely grab a drink at the bar!

Another fun activity we did at the hotel?

Ceviche making! A chef walked us through the process of making ceviche (they use trout in Cusco!) and we got to eat our hard work, SO tasty! They also offer Pisco Sour cocktail classes that I think would be fun! We ran out of time to try this one but we did drink quite a few Pisco Sours and fell in love with the drink of Cusco!!

Cusco

Cusco is such a lovely town! I loved all the colorful textiles, alpacas around the city and stumbling into cute shops.We took a Walking Tour the second day we were in Cusco which was a great way to see the city. The tour was booked through the hotel and we explored the Qoricancha (seen below) as well as the Cusco Cathedral in Plaza de Armas

Best Market to Explore – San Pedro

One day we explored the San Pedro Market in Cusco. It’s just a quick 15 minute walk from the hotel and you can expect to find a bit of everything here! Lots of food vendors, textiles, art, smoothies and more! I just LOVED all the textiles in Cusco. We bought amazing pillow covers for our patio. Lots of amazing rugs as well! If I had brought a bigger suitcase I think I would have left with a rug as well!!

Must Try Cocktail – the Pisco Sour!

This is THE drink to try here. I’d never heard of it before but we tried one the first night there and I was hooked! I think I had one (maybe even more ;) every day – ha! The Peruvian pisco sour uses Peruvian pisco as the base liquor and adds freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, ice, egg white, and Angostura bitters.

We went here the last night we were in Cusco. Such an amazing view of the city! It is a bit hard to find in a small alley, but only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We had a Pisco Sour (of course!) as wall as their Cocaine cocktail (Pisco quebranta, coconut cream, pineapple juice, coca syrup, rocoto, and ginger) which I would highly recommend!! That is the cocktail seen below…

Jason + I stumbled into this restaurant (after our first choice of Greens was closed for a private party) and it was the best happy accident! The decor was totally our style – a bit boho, a bit beachy, lots of colorful textiles…..we even asked them to open one in LA!

While the decor and vibe is pretty important to me, food is what makes the experience complete….and this place has AMAZING (and so pretty!) food!! It was a modern take on Peruvian, which I loved since it was totally unique from anything I’ve had in LA. We actually went back again for our last dinner here since we loved it so much! The restaurant has 2 floors – the first time we sat on the top floor at the bar so we could watch the chefs prepare the food (always love doing that!) and the second time downstairs which had a super rad vibe as well.

What To Order

Cocktails – we had the cocktail of the day which had Pisco and Passionfruit and some other things – yum!

Causas – these were so unique and SO GOOD! Seen below….they are whipped Peruvian yellow potatoes layered with different things. We had the Causa Limena (layered with shredded chicken breast and avocado and then topped with olives, eggs and capsicum) and the Causa Andina (this one was topped with crispy fried local trout and avocado and topped with chilli mayo and pico de gallo).

For lunch the first day we also had:

Pumpkin soup (amazing!!)

Beef Anticuchos (Peruvian skewers). Everything was SO GOOD!

For dinner the second night we had:

the causas again (they were that good and so unique!!)

the Lomo Saltado (this is Peru’s famous stir fry!) Beef with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and pisco served over quinoa. Seriously getting so hungry writing this….

Day Trip to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and declared one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World,” according to Frommers. – and it’s easy for me to see why…this was the main reason we decided to take the trip and honestly I was worried we would be disappointed, but we definitely were not. I mean…just WOW…seriously awe-inspiring, especially when you realized how hard it is to get here! You could definitely spend the night in the town right outside Machu Picchu…but if you are looking to keep things easy (meaning you don’t want to deal with moving hotels) and you don’t plan to hike to the top (the 8 hour hike), then a day trip is totally do-able and I would definitely recommend!

I got lots of DMs on Instagram about how we did it. Again, JW Marriott El Convento Cusco was amazing helping us out…..we literally booked everything through them so we didn’t have to worry about anything. Be aware, travel to/from along with a tour is a looong day, but again – worth it! We woke up at 4am to hop a 5am car from the hotel to the train station. Our train left at 6:30am and we took the Peru Rain Line . It was a 3 1/2 hour train ride – which yes, this is long, but the ride was super pretty!!

One of the many gorgeous views from our train on the way to Machu Picchu….

We arrived in Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu) around 10am. Our entrance ticket (which we had bought ahead of time – very important to do this as they have a limited number of tickets for each day as they want to prevent overcrowding there) was for 10:30. You get a 4 hour block from the time on your ticket. From the train station we took a bus up to the Machu Picchu entrance. It’s about a 20 minute ride. (Note for you hard core adventurers, you can opt to hike the Incan trail….but that’s a whole other experience that will add a full da to your Machu Picchu visit) Then you are ready to enter!

When you first enter, you just walk a few minutes and you are greeted with this view…

Seriously awe-inspiring, right?!?!

We had a guide with us who shared more about Machu Picchu as we walked around the mountains. I loved seeing the ruins up close and personal – oh, and there were alpacas just roaming around!! Yep, loved it all :)

Well, then the rain came! A major downpour which was not my favorite, but luckily we had time to walk around and see the majority of Machu Picchu before the rain began and everyone either ran for the exits or huddled in the ancient structures for cover.

The rain was coming down pretty hard – and we had been there already for about 2 hours – so we ran like crazy and made it out just in time for lunch and well deserved pisco sours. We had a late lunch in town there (unfortunately this was our least favorite dining experience of the trip, so I cannot share a recommendation on where to eat after you’re done exploring) but there are lots of options here. Our train ride back was at 5pm and we arrived back at the hotel around 9pm. And…..on the trip back, I’m not really sure how to explain this….but as we were unwinding we were all surprised by Saqra dancers as they danced their way up and down each car and then turned the event into a fashion show of versatile alpaca that was then available for sale. I’ve never experienced something like this before, but if you take the late train from Mach Picchu you might find yourself a unique buy!

Upon returning to the hotel, had a late dinner at the hotel restaurant to reflect on our day and see if we could understand what happened during the Saqra dance and then called it a night!

Another tip: plan a massage at the Spa at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco for the morning after your Machu Picchu excursion! Perfect mellow way to relax. Love travels where there is a good mix of adventure and relaxation and Cusco is SO PERFECT for that!

Day Trip to the Maras Salt Mines and Moray Ruins

The Maras Salt Mines were another spot I was super excited to visit. Comprised of over 3,000 salt ponds, it’s a pretty amazing view to see this unique quilt work of salt ponds spilling into the Sacred Valley. The Salt Ponds can look different colors (shades of tan, cream or white) depending on the time of year…

We again booked a driver with the hotel for 5 hours and he drove us to the Maras Salt Mines, Moray Ruins and then a quick stop in the town of Chinchero. We drove first to Maras – best to get here earlier since this spot was getting pretty crowded as we left.

Hard to tell in this photo below, but that is all 3,000 salt ponds from a distance…pretty crazy to drive up through the mountain and suddenly see these!!

Moray is believed to have been an agricultural microclimate laboratory that the Incans used to test how well crops would grow at various elevations. We really enjoyed walking around here as well…so crazy to see this all in person!

On the drive back to Cusco, we stopped in the town of Chinchero for a short break. Maras is a little over an hour from Cusco, then Moray is about 20 minutes away. I would plan to spend at least 30 minutes in each spot. You could definitely spend more, but that is the minimum you would want to spend in each spot. Chinchero had so many cute alpacas so had to grab some more shots of them!! Can not get enough!!

Weddings at JW Marriott El Convento

You say you’re adventurous and looking to exchange vows in Peru, then JW Marriott El Convento Cusco is where you must do it! We were lucky enough to attend a vow renewal while there! Of course loved that Panchita (the hotel alpaca) was a guest as well :)

The Vow Renewal included the traditional Andean Ceremony which is started by the inaugural cleansing ritual done with incense and floral essences. This cleanse is essential as the couple needs to have open and pure hearts for their union to the Pachamama and to each other to be true and strong to last a lifetime. The Shaman then addresses the couple and explains the importance and significance of the union. Here he will also speak about the commitment of spending life together as a couple and in partnership and blessing of the sacred spirit of the Sacred Mountain (Apu Saqsayhuaman).

An offering to the Pachamama, Mother Earth, is prepared as an act of gratitude for its land, fruits and boundless benefits it grants us. The offering consists of most elements that Mother Earth provides: seeds, sweets, flowers, wool, metal, beans, etc all presented on coca leaves. This ritual allows nature to bless the couple’s union through the customs that our ancestors passed on from generation to generation. The offering is shared with the guests present as witnesses. The Kintu ceremony is culminated with the traditional grouping of 3 perfect coca leaves, done in tribute to all the offering that the Andes convey.

At the end of the ceremony emblematic bracelets woven by hand are given to the couple as a symbol of the ritual and their union. Such a lovely ceremony!!

credits for the wedding photos: photographer: Rebecca Yale Photography // planning + design:MegaWatt Events // linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // paper goods: Fat Cat Paperie — all other photos in this post by Green Wedding Shoes

This was such a fun trip! Thanks again to the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco for hosting us and sharing why Cusco, Peru would be an amazing place to vacation and/or honeymoon!! If you have any questions, please leave in the comments! Have any of you been? Would love to hear your favorite parts of your trip as well!!

Source: https://greenweddingshoes.com/cusco-peru-travel-guide/

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Ariana Grande Wrote an Apology to Pete Davidson in Her 'Thank U, Next' Video

Ariana Grande dropped her highly anticipated music video for "Thank U, Next" on Friday (November 30), and it had all the early-aughts nostalgia fans expected plus a few surprises. The biggest one was probably Kris Jenner, who appears during one of the Mean Girls segments as Regina George's mother. Obviously, she looked iconic.

But there's a blink-and-you-missed-it moment that happens early on in the video—also during a Mean Girls montage—that's just as surprising. It turns out Grande's "Thank U, Next" Burn Book is filled with notes and musings about her ex-boyfriends. Most are lighthearted and funny (she writes Big Sean, her boyfriend from 2014 to 2015, could still "get it"), but her message to Pete Davidson—her latest ex whom, remember, she almost married—is a bit more serious.

"Sorry I dipped," Grande writes to Davidson, opting for "SRY" instead of the whole word. "I love you always." (She also wrote "HUUUUUUUGE" at the bottom of his page, which...we'll let you interpret what that means.)

See the sweet message for yourself, below:

PHOTO: Republic

It's a short but telling message. The last time Grande referenced Davidson in public was right before she dropped the song "Thank U, Next"—when she seemingly subtweeted him after he joked about their engagement. "For somebody who claims to hate relevancy u sure love clinging to it huh," she tweeted (and later deleted) at the beginning of November. Her note in the video, though, suggests there's still love between the two of them.

Check out some fan reactions to the video, below:

This is the second music video Grande has released this month. In early November she dropped the visual for "Breathin'."