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4 Effortless Steps to Add Signature French Flair to Your Friday | Bastille Day
Friday is Bastille Day, France's version of Independence Day, and one more good reason to celebrate a summer Friday, with a dash of French flair. Traditionally, aside from watching fireworks and attending dances at fire stations, the French prioritize a leisurely meal celebrating with family and friends.
Fortunately that type of celebration also fits a warm summer evening in July! So round up a few friends and do Independence Day part two - French style. Here's how to get started...
- Stock the Ice Bucket with Rosé and Champagne
- Assemble a elegantly Simple Cheese Plate
- Slice up a Baguette and Arrange a Selection of French treats (macarons, eclairs, tarts)
- Place some Flowers in a vase and Stream some French music
Vive La France!
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How to Bounce Back from a Fun, Festive & Indulgent Weekend (And Make it All the Way to Friday!)
You ate. You drank. You stayed up late. You had lots of summertime, July 4th fun. For four days straight! And now you're back. Wednesday is your Monday this week. But the part that makes this "Monday" all that much bearable is that the weekend is only 24 office hours away. By the time lunch time rolls around you're already on your way to the weekend. Well played, 2017 calendar, well played.
Despite this positive take on things, If you still need a couple more ideas to help you bounce back from a fabulous weekend and get to another, you'll want to check out Real Simple's article on just this very subject.
Ready-made for you by Real Simple on this Wednesday / Monday, and packaged and delivered to you by Inspired by Dawn. We're always thinking!
Happy 3-day Week!!
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6 Simple Ways to Give Your 4th of July Celebration an Instant Style Upgrade
Are you hosting a 4th of July long weekend celebration? Maybe a simple bbq, pool party or a full-on fireworks extravaganza (be safe, please!)? With many enjoying a rare 4-day weekend, it's time to break out the red, white and blue and celebrate in patriotic style. Here's how to celebrate the 4th with signature style...
Style & Function - Add a little sparkle to your July 4th celebration with this instant backyard style upgrade. String lights are the ultimate style and function combo for infusing instant ambiance to your the 4th celebration and beyond!
Rosé, White & Blue - Add a bottle or two of the "it" wine of the summer - rosé - to your beverage choices and keep all your guests happy.
Festive Dessert - Berries and ice cream are an Inspired by Dawn go-to for summer entertaining and this recipe makes it perfect for a 4th backyard bbq.
Patriotic Sangria - We loved this recipe because of it's simplicity, and that we usually have most of these ingredients on hand. Cheers!
Star Spangled Decor - For the non-DIYers (like us!), spread out this table runner and let the party begin.
Stars & Stripes Style - Stylishly chic ideas for how to celebrate in enviable style. Everyone will be asking you where you got your dress, sandals, (fill in the blank).
Happy 4th!
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Ultimate Road Trip Guide: 3 Things To Do Before Leaving + Other Essential Tips for Making the Most of Your Road Trip
Summer is officially here! The calendar and the temps in many parts of the country agree. And with the start of summer, many families embark on a classic summer road trip. While stops are planned and reservations made, there's still a few things you should do before you pull out of the driveway to begin your adventure. Here's a quick checklist to ensure you, your travelers and your car stay healthy and safe:
- Take your car for a check-up - Ensure tires and brakes are in good working condition, oil changes are up to date, and windshield wipers are effective. Issues can always arise but try to minimize them on the front end!
- Prep an emergency kit - Ideally this is your insurance kit that nothing will happen, but it's better to be prepared. Here's a good essentials list from Parents Magazine on what to include.
- Keep medications & EpiPens (R) handy - Make sure you've got any needed medications, or even EpiPens, handy for all travelers. Pick up a couple Style Rx designer pill box cases to store everything in and keep them easily accessible in a glove compartment. Also, remember to pack an extra days dosage just in case your trip gets side tracked.
Here's some more great tips for surviving and thriving on your road trip...
- How to keep little ones entertained
- How to eat healthy on the road
- What to do for your home before your vacation
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Travel Rx: 5 Health-Related Reasons to Plan that Summer Vacation Now
In case you needed any more reason to actually plan and take that summer vacation then how about recent findings that travel is actually good for your health? At Inspired by Dawn we've always believed that travel and health go hand-in-hand but a recent article more definitively makes the link for all of us.
A number of studies are proving that those who make travel a priority experience real improvements in mind, body and spirit. The health highlights include:
- Reduced heart attack / heart disease risk
- Less stress
- Enhanced creativity
- Increased happiness & satisfaction
- Lower risk of depression
One of the most fascinating points is the heart health link with travel in the NBC article...
"The study found that women who vacation at least twice a year show a significantly lower risk of suffering a heart attack than those who only travel every six years or so.
The same is true for men. Men who do not take an annual vacation show a 20 percent higher risk of death and 30 percent greater risk of heart disease."
Given the health upside, it's more than time to carve out that vacation. So mark your calendar, submit your time off request and get started planning. Because even the planning gives you a happiness boost! Win-win.
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Still Planning Your Summer Travel? Here's Your One Stop for Summer Travel Inspiration
Are you still trying to decide on where to travel this summer? If so, read on. Inspired by Dawn has rounded up some of the 'best of...' lists for summer travel to give you lots of vacation inspiration and help make sure you use up those hard-earned vacation days. You deserve them. See where to enjoy them...
- Worldwide destinations, with a couple of U.S. locales thrown in, where your dollar will go far from Forbes Magazine
- Domestic and international destinations that Travel + Leisure has declared the best places to travel in 2017
- National Geographic rounded up their best destinations list based on the months of June through August, and what type of adventure you're looking for
- Stay closer to home and explore a variety of U.S. destinations that Lonely Planet has selected for 2017
- Hoping to travel with the family this summer, here's Conde Nast Traveler's picks for summer family vacations
Now it's time to start packing. Here's what to bring. Enjoy!
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Need an Instant Summer Style Update? 4 Trends to Grab Now
Unless you have a budget set aside for every season, you're probably wondering if there are just a couple of easy style updates you can make to kick off summer. Well we were thinking the same thing. So we scoured the internet, and a few catalogs and (gasp!) brick and mortar stores for a handful of summer style updates that you easily incorporate and update your warm weather wardrobe. These are the key trends we found:
- Bare Shoulder - Whether it's a top w/ one shoulder or a dress that is totally off the shoulder, this is an easy item to pick up that immediately embraces warm weather
- Ruffles - On swimsuits or blouses, a well-place ruffle is as easy way to update your style for summer
- Espadrilles - From wedge sandals to slides to classic espadrille style - esparto rope just seems to scream laid-back summer style
- Fringe & Tassels - They define an instant update, often in vibrant colors. Find them on tops or try a fringe or tassel earring or tie a vibrant tassel onto your go-to summer tote
Summer Essential | Sunscreen - How To Choose One You Can Use All Summer Long
Summer starts this weekend! Well, maybe not technically, but close enough. It's time to prep for summer fun with an ounce of prevention. Few things can derail a fun summer day than a sunburn, to say nothing of the long-term health and aging-effects. Which makes sunscreen a summer essential for everyone, all summer long.
So how do you choose a good sunscreen that will protect you all summer? Here's a few tips from the American Cancer Society...
- Look for "Broad Spectrum" Protection - This means the product is protecting you from both UVA and UVB rays. So it prevents sunburn and it provides increased protection again skin cancer and premature aging
- Start at SPF 30 - This level of sunscreen filters out about 97% of UVB rays and is a recommended starting point for most people
- "Water-resistant" is a good option - But remember there are no "waterproof" sunscreens and all sunscreens need to be reapplied at least every two hours and after swimming, toweling off or sweating
Here's a few more usability tips:
- Remember that sunscreen is only helpful if you use it. So choose one that you like the feel / smell of and apply religiously
- Shake your sunscreen before applying to ensure the active ingredients are blended
- Toss out old sunscreen. Just like medications, many sunscreens now have expiration dates so check them and discard if they're pass their prime.
Happy start of summer!
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Traveling Abroad this Summer? 7 Must-Dos Before You Go
You love to travel, right? You're always up for an adventure - near or far. Well, with a strong dollar and increasing airline capacity, especially for European destinations, perhaps an overseas trip is part of your plans this summer. And if not, maybe you should start booking.
But you also know an extended overseas trip takes a bit more planning. There's all the things you should do before you leave your house for any trip - click here for a handy vacation checklist. But traveling to a different country comes with a couple more To Dos before you leave. Below are our best tips to set you up for success for wherever your passport takes you this summer.
- Alert your credit card company - You don't want them to put an unexpected fraud hold on it when they suddenly notice charges in a foreign country - by you!
- Notify your cell phone provider - You'll want to understand how you can and should use your cell phone while abroad to avoid any astronomical bills on the back end.
- Double check your passport - You've done this already, but check again. Make sure your passport is not set to expire within the next six months since some countries can refuse you entry based on a too-soon expiration date.
- Make a copy of your passport - Keep a copy of your passport with you but apart from your real passport when traveling. Just in case...
- Don't forget power converters - Buy or borrow power converters that will enable you to charge and use your devices while you're at your destination.
- Bring jump drive for photos or files - If you're visiting friends or family while on your trip you may want to toss in a jump drive to carry or bring home photos or files. It beats lugging around a laptop.
- Pack your medications and vitamins in your carry-on - Pack essentials - including medications - in your carryon. You don't want to end up inadvertently separated from something you have to have for your health.
Sunday Celebrate Mom & Women's Health by Making This One Appointment
You already know Mother's Day is Sunday. But did you know Sunday is also the start of National Women's Health Week? It's the 18th annual week where we're all encouraged to make our health a priority. And since we're a company that truly believes in women's health ( + a little style!) we like to highlight it for our followers.
Sunday and the rest of the week is a great reminder to give ourselves permission to take care of ourselves. Take the steps, however small, to get healthy and stay healthy. Here's a few suggestions...
- Definitely make that doctor appointment you've been putting off too long
- Recommit to moving daily and / or eating healthier
- Make sure you take your vitamins or medications daily, as your doctor advises
- Carve out a few minutes each day to regain balance - meditate or pray
- Make sleep a priority and seek healthy ways to manage stress
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