Tag Archives: bed

Things We Like: Island Time

Post by Kyle St. Romain.

I recently returned from a trip to Hawaii, and it was better than I could have ever hoped. Living in Southern California isn’t all bad, but it doesn’t compare to the natural beauty that Hawaii has to offer: warm, clear, emerald waters; exotic beaches; ample sunshine; fresh produce; and, most importantly, island time.  All of these ingredients, and more, are what help make Hawaii a little slice of paradise where you can let your worries drift away.

What Is Island Time?

Understandably, the concept of island time can be hard to grasp if you haven’t experienced it. That said the basic idea of island time is that when you’re on an island, surrounded by the gentle rhythms of the ocean, time slows down.

On the islands, people don’t seem to be in as much of a hurry, and things happen when they happen. Traffic amounts to getting stuck at one of the few stop lights, and the idea of island time even seems to be a legitimate excuse for running late — at least for tourists. Island time is a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of city life, which is probably what makes it such a treat for vacationers.

When you’re on island time, you can do all the things you love at your own pace. Even if you’re only set on soaking up some Vitamin D and watching the tide come in.

Island Time Helps You Reconnect With Nature

For me, a large part of the magic of island time is due to a stronger connection with nature. On island time, the sun decides the length of the day, which starts when the sun comes up, and ends shortly after it goes down. In fact, one of the evening rituals we grew to love was watching the sun slip below the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of the coveted “green flash.” Looking out over the endless ocean helps bring some perspective to life, giving you a better sense of what really matters.

Island Time Helps You Sleep Better

Ben Franklin says it best: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” While I’m still working on the wealthy and wise part, the practice has certainly made me feel healthier in just a couple short weeks. Back on the mainland, the adage goes more like, “Late to bed and early to rise, makes a man tired, grumpy, and unwise.” Such is life.

Adding to the relaxing effect of island time are the island sounds, especially those near the coast like the sound of the waves crashing onshore. To me, this is the best way to fall asleep and is an environment I one day plan to make more permanent.

The idea of island time can mean a lot of things to different people and not everyone enjoys it the same. So, what do you think about island time? Do you prefer the amenities and activities of city life, or do you too yearn for a slower-paced, more relaxed lifestyle? Maybe the contrast of island time and city time is a story of yin and yang, and the two need to exist in balance with each other. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

If you’re interested to see more photos from my travels, feel free to check out my Hawaii set on Flickr. I think some of them really came out great!

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Breakfast in Bed: Banana Pancakes

Post by Alison Hein.

My friend Lisa over at momalamode.net is full of creative ideas about food, fun and fashion. Almost a year ago, Lisa suggested I make Banana Pancakes in line with our Food Songs initiative. She kindly provided a link to Jack Johnson’s sultry song.

Sorry, Lisa, that it’s taken me so long to get around to this. The recent combination of rainy day weather and an overabundance of too-ripe bananas finally spurred me into action.

I like to use honey instead of sugar in my Banana Pancakes – its mellowness lets the pure fruit flavor shine through, and prevents the pancakes from becoming too “cakey”. Leave some larger pieces in your mashed bananas, if you like, for rich texture. Mushy bananas are wonderful for pancake batter, but be sure to have some perfectly ripened specimens on hand for the topping.

Lots of options for variations here, too. Add a little peanut butter to the batter (kids love this), or some toasted nuts on top. But there’s one thing you shouldn’t mess with – be sure to tune into Jack Johnson’s Banana Pancakes while you relish in your sultry breakfast in bed.

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium overripe bananas
¼ cup honey
2 cups milk
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces (one half stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 to 2 tablespoons butter, for cooking pancakes
2 firm, ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

Preparation
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Peel and mash overripe bananas.

In separate bowl, stir together mashed bananas, honey, milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Gradually add banana-milk mixture to dry ingredients. Slowly add melted butter to batter. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into batter.

Place pan or griddle on burner over medium to medium high heat. Melt a small amount of butter in the pan for the first pancake. Ladle batter into pan and cook until small bubbles appear throughout pancake. Flip once with spatula and continue cooking until golden brown, one to two minutes, adding more butter and adjusting heat as necessary. Keep warm while making the remainder of pancakes. Top with banana slices. Serve hot with drizzled honey or real maple syrup.

Makes 12 to 14 4-inch pancakes.

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Bedroom Design: Trundle Beds

Post by Stephanie Noble.

A few weeks ago, I was settling into the couch after putting our almost two year old to bed. I was listening for the squeak of the mattress as the little man did his nightly trampoline routine that he did to wind down at the end of the night. He would generally jump for a few minutes while talking to himself, then go to sleep. I waited for the jumping, but it never came.

Instead, I heard a knock from his door, “Mamma, Daddy, Mamma, Daddy?” Our wee one had jumped out of the protection of his crib straight into the toddler sleep transition.

I went into his room, put him back into his crib and asked him to show me how he got out. He said, “One” and put his first leg over the railing. “Two” brought both legs over and my baby was suddenly dangling over the side of his crib. “Three” he jumped down and yelled “Hurray.”

His latest milestone was not greeted with the same enthusiasm that his previous accomplishments have been met with, so he kept yelling “Hurray” until I finally agreed with him with a hollow, “Yeah.”

We borrowed his cousin’s big boy bed and assembled it. I’m now going to share the parenting secret that nobody filled us in on. “Toddler sleep transition is so much worse than new born sleep deprivation.” Two years ago there was a schedule to the waking up, it was dependable and once the little man was full he’d go back to sleep.

Our toddler wakes up and thinks because he can get out of bed and wander that it must be time to get up and get started with the day.

The past month has seen us readjusting how we live to teach him how to sleep again. Currently, we alternate nights of responsibility so we know that even if we only get four hours of sleep one night, we’ll get a full night the next. That helps, but it’s still hard to go back to being mentally fuzzy most of the time.

When the call comes for parental attention, the responsible parent take the comforter off the bed in our room, throws it down on the floor in our son’s room and then sleep on the floor for the rest of the night with the boy. It’s like camping every other night. A joy at two, aching joints for the over forty crowd.

We decided that the whole camping out thing is getting old and have started looking for a trundle bed. It would be helpful not only during this time of transition, but also when he wants to have friends stay over later on. Everything in a small living space has to pull its multiple duty weight.

I was looking at the Charles P. Rogers website to get some ideas.

Here is my favorite.


I like the Chambord because it looks sturdy and would transition well from toddler to kid. It would also work later on in a library/guest room if we ever live in a bigger space. It also looks a lot more comfy than a comforter on the floor.

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Things We Like: Underwater Hotels, Pt. 2

Post by Kyle St. Romain.

A while back, I wrote an article highlighting several underwater hotels that provide a lucky few with an unforgettable experience. While many of these sub-sea accommodations are well outside the budgets of even the privileged classes, underwater hotels are still something I expect to become more popular (and hopefully more affordable) in the future.

Home to some of the world’s most luxurious places to sleep*, Dubai looks to be leading the way in the underwater hospitality market as well. Specifically, Polish company Deep Ocean Technology (a recurring name when it comes to underwater construction projects) recently announced its plan to construct the Water Discus Hotel beneath the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Dubai.

The plan calls for an 11,000 square footdisc, or chamber, that will house 21 guest rooms some 33 feet underwater. The structure will also utilize a second disc located above the surface for added amenities. Together, the teo disc structure will offer a diving center (complete with air locks and a decompression chamber), a spa, gardens, and a helipad above the surface for guests arriving by air. The structures are also movable, which allows the hotel to relocate as environmental policies and economies change.

If you’d like to read more about the plans for the Water Discus Hotel, check out Deep Ocean Technology online @ http://www.deep-ocean-technology.com.

I’m still fascinated with the idea underwater hotels, and can’t wait for the opportunity to experience one – even if only for a quick day tour! Are underwater hotels something you’d like to experience? Let us know in the comments below.

*Did you know each suite at the Burj Al Arab (often credited as the most luxurious hotel the entire world) comes with a gold iPad? You don’t get to keep it, but you’re free to use it as a sort of personal concierge throughout your stay. Dubai is also home to one of the tallest buildings in the world, the largest shopping mall, and the biggest man-made island. Yeah, everything’s a bit over the top there.

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Breakfast in Bed: Hush Puppies

Post by Alison Hein.

Nearly 20 years ago, I took a trip to Charleston, South Carolina. I was quite taken by the stately, historic homes, tucked sideways to the street and blanketed by lush, secret gardens. The marketplace was a plethora of sights, scents and sounds – local artisans weaving sweet grass baskets, aromas of intricate spice blends, and faint lingering chords of street musicians. But most of all, I was entranced by the deep-fried mini-cornmeal cakes playfully called hush puppies. And at every restaurant we visited, I was rewarded with a steaming basket of these little babies before even seeing a menu.

Last month, I returned to Charleston, and was disappointed with the evident lack of hush puppies. When I inquired where they had gone, I was reminded that Charleston is now THE food destination in the US, and weren’t hush puppies just a tad passé?

Upon returning home, I decided to make my house THE food destination for breakfast in bed, starting with a basketful of hot, crisped hush puppies and a side of homemade honey butter. Yumm.

Hush Puppies
Oil for frying (4 to 6 cups)
2 cups corn meal
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 large egg

Equipment
Deep-fry or candy thermometer

Preparation
Pour oil at least 2 inches deep into a small, heavy pan. Heat over medium heat to approximately 360°.
In a large bowl, combine corn meal, baking powder, sugar and salt, stirring to mix. Add milk, cider vinegar and egg and mix well. Batter should be slightly thicker than pancake batter.

Use a teaspoon to measure batter. Carefully drop a teaspoon of batter into the hot oil for each hush puppy. Dip spoon into clean water after each hush puppy. This helps the batter to drop off the spoon easily. Cook about eight to ten hush puppies at a time, allowing oil to retain its temperature.

Fry the hush puppies until they have reached a deep golden brown color, about 2 to 3 minutes. They tend to flip over on their own, but give them a little push with a spoon if they don’t so they cook evenly. Remove hush puppies from pan and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with honey butter.

Honey Butter
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey

Preparation
Add softened butter to small bowl. Stir in honey and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTE: Monitor oil with candy thermometer to maintain stable temperature.

Makes about 4 dozen.

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