Provence, France + Crestone, Colorado: Feelin’ Frahncey?

Another great review on Apple Podcasts!

5 star rating!!

“The friends you wish you had: These two are so cool and funny. But the magic is in their natural banter. They are immediately likable and you’ll wish they were your besties bringing over the wine on a Wednesday…”

Check out our newest video series!! WHISKEY, WATER & WINE!

Have you checked out our other podcast, The Daily Happy? Subscribe to our daily 10-minute ‘wake you up, wind you down’ session that reflects our #whatsyourhappy affirmation - there is something to be happy about every day, and while we are not here for ignoring the world around us, we are here for bringing the inspiration and the joy!

AND WAIT FOR IT…..

We now have a website for our web series, Live from [Blank]! Check out our latest episode from Kansas, Missouri, and follow along! And if you’re up for a great laugh, watch Lulu and Alison on their Curateur Unboxing video!

Alison has been using Buff City Soap, a locally owned soap store’s detergent for a month and she loves it! She and her daughters love the fresh cotton scent and it comes with a wooden spoon and smells like the way you want the world to smell! She is also obsessed with the dryer balls so you don’t have to use dryer sheets.

Lulu is currently obsessed with dried fruit of all kinds! She especially prefers the mushy apricots and sugared dried ginger with a dark chocolate chaser. Next time she and Alison share a hotel room, she’s going to prepare a pairing of dried fruits and drinks!

Alison longs for a better piano for her home. Maybe a new electric piano in a wooden case? Or maybe a used upright, cuz that’s more grown up and you can feel the sound waves coming out of the actual instrument and not a speaker.

Our Lulu may be an introvert, but she’s currently wishing for more board games in her life. She just has no one to play with. Unlike me, who is more than happy to play Trouble all night with that magical clicker ball, she’s longing for the challenge of a complicated board game. Just don’t bring her puzzles.

Alison chose the beautiful region of Provence, France for her 10K day this week. She stayed at the Chateau de la Gaude aix en Provence. And is this ever the place where you can get absolutely everything you desire in just one place! It is a 5 star hotel that has been called a “…timeless place in the heart of the vineyards overlooking the Sainte Victoire.” The owner had a dream of “…reviving this sleeping beauty of an estate” and “has successfully transformed it into a unique place of life and conviviality, promoting a certain “art de vivre” around the worlds of wine, art and gastronomy.”

Choosing the Suite Mademoiselle, Alison enjoyed an oasis of peaceful beauty, a soothing escape, and the view of the French garden. No need to leave the grounds as she was able to enjoy gastro delights such as the Omakase menu from Kaiseki- Octopus, tempura, edamame, deer tataki and vegetable role play. Yeah, not sure what that means, but it includes squash and passion fruit! Chef, really! Getting cheeky in Provence! Gotta love the French!

Inspired by a list of the top places to think, Alison chose to customize her 10K day around these locations.

One: The shower: She partook of the wonderful spa treatments at THE SPA VALMONT! She opted for the facial and tailor-made massage, back scrub & nail polish. Thusly inspired to wrap herself in luxury and relaxation, she brought her Lush Sleepy Shower Bomb, Lärkstaden Shower Oil, Moonbeam Body Therapy Polish Exfoliating Sugar Scrub and Ellis Brooklyn Marvelous CBD Extra Rich Body Lotion Cream to add to the luxurious experience.

And just like the genesis of 10K that was created on the NYC subway, the #2 best place to think was public transportation. So, Alison decided to purchase the Interrail Pass where she could customize her European travel experience to the fullest via train! #3 on the list for places to think was movie theatres, so she took some time to enjoy some Cinema-Utopia. Then she moved on to #4: Rooftops! So, off to the Rives Dor hotel she popped for a bottle of Champagne Maison Deutz. But, that only made up half of her budget, extravagant as it was, so she added Lulu to her day to round her 10K day out to just under 10K!!

This week, our favorite 10K introvert decided to go to Crestone, Colorado, which is like Sedona but quieter, less tourists, much smaller. It’s home to several world religions, including Hinduism, Zen, Catholicism, Tibetan Buddhism, and New Age, each with its own (or, in some cases, several) spiritual center. She stayed at The Daydream Inn, with a certified dark sky (can they certify that kinda stuff?), a fireplace, wifi, a 60’s styled bathroom and a ‘to die for’ record collection that is mentioned in several rave reviews.

Lulu has decided this is a relaxation 10K day, so she has ordered a set of four 1990s vintage lion and urn Versace velvet pillows for meditation, not just for her but similar to Alison’s 10K day, she’s bringing Alison along in 1st class on United Airlines to join her for her own customized relaxing 10K trip! They caught brekky at Grammy’s Kitchen then headed to the Crestone Ziggurat, a large structure first built in ancient Mesopotamia out of sun-dried bricks.

Knowing her ‘friendternal twin’, Alison so well, Lulu knew that she, herself would need music on the journey on the ziggurat and that Alison would want silence. So, she got them both the Ultiimate Ear Fits Buds to enjoy the meditation time as they prefer. They visited the Bajabi Ashram, gave both she and Alison a $200 budget for dinner, separately. Although, they did enjoy lunch at The Oasis Restaurant and moved on to the Abbey Winery, where they enjoyed some wine tastings and both came away with “one responsible adult” bottle of wine.

The 10K ladies may be besties but they have different ideal relaxations spots. So, Lulu stuck with her ‘certified dark sky’ for star gazing and sent Alison to Valley View Hot Springs where Alison was SO excited for the clothing optional hot springs! Not a luxury cabin, Lulu made sure Alison would be warm in her Northface One Sleeping Bag, the Nanoloft Puffy blanket and the Zpack Pillow bag. She got her a Bamboo cutlery set to help with whatever culinary delights Alison chose to use her $200 dinner budget on. And Lulu even split her 4 pillow set of Versace pillows with her!

Since Alison has the ‘clothing optional’ experience of the warm bubbling natural rock ponds, Lulu thought she should have a fancy robe to wear back to her cabin. She found a gorgeous Versace baroque that she got one each for the two of them. Whilst wearing her robe, Lulu used her Oberwerk telescope to fully enjoy the stars in her ‘certified dark sky.’

Alison thinks this is the most wonderful time of the year! She’s happy for the holiday feelings and time off of work to spend with family and friends.

Lulu loves Thanksgiving and the holiday time makes her warm and fuzzy! Crank those Hallmark Christmas movies, my friend!

CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:

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