a lifestyle, family and travel blog
Over the last 18ish months, I've become a pro at packing for Palmer. Whether it's a short trip to visit my parents in the suburbs or a week long vacation, I've got you covered! Continue reading for a full check list on what to pack for every occasion!
I thought it would be fun to do a roundup of all the books I posted in 2020 and list them in order by my ranking. If there was a tie, I ordered them how I would recommend them. Hopefully this helps narrow things down if you're looking for a good read in 2021. Continue reading to find out what my favorite book of 2020 was!
I really enjoyed reading about Kya's journey from orphan child to accomplished woman in Where the Crawdads Sing. The beginning of the book brought out all my protective mama instincts and actually had me quite angry but I was proud to watch the protagonist overcome her challenges and learn how to fend for herself.
I got hooked on açaí bowls after I visited Hawaii for the first time and was disappointed to find so few options when I arrived home to Chicago. That was years ago and since then açaí bowls have definitely risen in popularity but still, the majority of what you find at cafes or smoothie shops are all infused with tons of sugar. Continue reading for the recipe!
Kevin and I took advantage of a generous offer from my parents to watch Palmer while we snuck off for a mini getaway to Kohler, Wisconsin over New Years weekend. If I'm being honest, this trip was a welcome respite. I'd been feeling off since New Year's morning and this trip, however short, was the [...]
![New Year, New Me! [Introducing: Kara Vallari]](https://karavallari.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/megelisephotography-46.jpg?w=720)
As I look forward to 2021, one of the things I want to refocus on is creating content for this blog! Initially, I started it as a way of recording my travels [Must Love Travel Blog > Jet Set Darlings] but as my life continues to evolve, I've expanded it to include other things I'm passionate about including, motherhood, reading, cooking/baking and fashion. Therefore, it only felt necessary to rebrand my blog to be more all inclusive and so, I'd like to introduce my new blog: Kara Vallari.
After typing up our Safari experience, I decided to break it into two posts because each leg is pretty unique. If you haven't already, be sure to read Honeymoon Part II: Tanzania Safari in the Serengeti before diving into this post as it provides more context on how/when we arrived in Tanzania and our first few days on Safari. We traveled with andBeyond for both legs and absolutely loved our experience in the Serengeti. For more details on our trip to Ngorongoro Crater, keep reading!
I haven't read an Emily Giffin book since Something Blue and Something Borrowed years ago and was a bit skeptical I had aged out of Giffin's demographic but I really enjoyed The Lies that Bind. Click through to read my full review of The Lines that Bind.
Once Palmer was born, it was really important to us to establish family traditions that we carry forward year over year. Yes, around the holidays, but also in general for our family. Most of our family traditions are still fairly new but others we've brought from our families growing up. This year our holiday traditions may look a little different due to COVID but we're more excited than ever to experience all of them with Palmer again now that she's a little bit older. Read on for more details or inspiration!
As I mentioned in my original post about Planning a Safari in East Africa, there's really not much to do since the Safari company you select organizes the entire thing [at least that was our experience]. We simply provided a rough budget, ideal travel dates, where we were coming from and where we were going after and andBeyond did the rest! It really is ideal for a honeymoon since so much planning goes into the wedding and reception. Read more about our experience on Safari here.
KARA VALLARI 