Tiffany's ELSA PERETTI® Heart Necklace

Tiffany's ELSA PERETTI® Heart Necklace ($600)

I am loving the beautiful simplicity of this necklace.

For Mother's Day, my husband and son gave me the ELSA PERETTI® Open Heart Pendant in sterling silver (medium) and 18k rose gold (small) from Tiffany & Co., and I wear it pretty much every day.  (You can tell that by the dullness of the silver chain and heart in the picture above. Oh, well.  I can polish them.  What's the point in having 'things' if you don't enjoy them?)

My mother, who passed away two years ago, had given me the large Elsa Peretti Open Heart Pendant (this links to the medium 18k gold heart; I can't find the large on Tiffany's website.  Weird.) and I wore it all the time.  Sadly, it was stolen.

There are few items - houses, clothes, books, or jewelry - that hold sentimental value for me. That heart pendant from my mom, though... I just loved the way it looked and felt around my neck, and I loved that it was from my mother while the world assumed it was from a boyfriend. I see pictures from the past and notice my heart pendant and feel a pang of sadness.

My sweet, thoughtful husband wanted to replace my stolen heart necklace but knew he couldn't, so he got this one for me.  It is reminiscent of my mother's gift to me, and the larger and smaller hearts symbolize my husband and son.

I enjoy wearing this necklace because of what it means to me and because I love the casual and simple look of the hearts.  They are not precious or gaudy, so I feel at ease wearing the necklace to the grocery store and other not-so-glamorous spots where most of my life happens.  It is really comfortable to wear, physically, too.  I get anxious wearing some necklaces because of their weight on my chest.  Silly, maybe, but I feel like I can't breathe.  This one feels light on my chest and makes a nice jingle sound on occasion.  I like to play with the hearts, rubbing them between my fingers when I'm thinking or nervous, or sliding them back and forth on the chain.  They're smooth and pleasing to touch.  The chain is the perfect length.  I'm (almost) 5'1" tall and the hearts hit just below the collar of my t-shirt.

If I were to change anything about this necklace, it would be the silver chain.  I would prefer a gold chain because, well, because I prefer gold (I am a Leo ) and would like the look a little more. Also, I'm afraid I will break the chain while polishing it, as needs to be done with all things silver.

Overall, I highly recommend this necklace.  I think this is a great gift idea for someone you love.  (It was for me!)  I feel like the price point is reasonable and it could be a nice graduation, sweet-sixteen or birthday present, if not the all-encompassing I Love You present.

Are you thinking of buying this necklace?  Do you have one and love it (or not)? I'd love to hear your comments!

Thank you for reading my blog.

~ The Pampered Wife

Four Seasons Resort Orlando

Four Seasons Resort Orlando ($549 - $5,000+)
Orlando, Florida

July 2016

I am head-over-heels in love with this resort.

I have to start by telling you that I am a huge fan of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.  I've stayed at several Four Seasons - all right, many - and this is my favorite one to stay in.  What I mean by that is, while I may prefer to vaction at other locations,  this is the Four Seasons where I like to do a stay-cation and never leave the hotel.  Really, I never want to leave.  

This resort has everything you (or at least, I) could want.

One thing that I love is that this Four Seasons is on Disney Property but lacks all the annoying Disney theme-y stuff.  (Maybe that's just me who doesn't like the in-your-face-you're-at-Disney thing.) 

My family has stayed at several Disney Resorts and this is the only place we ALL want to stay when we go to Disney, or anywhere near Orlando.  In fact, my 10 year-old son's gushing about this hotel is the reason we stayed here this last visit instead of at a Disney-themed hotel.  (My son and I had stayed here before but my husband had not.  He's not willing to stay elsewhere now. Yay!)

There are subtle touches here and there that are reminiscent of Mickey Mouse's ears and some other things, but you have to look to find them.  Very tastefully done.  Also, there are some character-visit opportunities on the property if you DO want that experience.

Artwork in a hallway outside the spa; One of the subtle decorations with circles, reminiscent of Mickey Mouse ears. 

All of what you would expect from a Four Seasons, like excellent customer service and hospitality, as well as beautiful rooms, grounds and furnishings, and good restaurants are here, but somehow this resort has more.  It is so heavenly that the lack of a club level or club room doesn't even detract from my desire to stay here.  (I get how obnoxious that sounds.  I would be embarrassed by how I sound if only I didn't feel that way. So, I'll keep my blog's name!) Maybe it's because everywhere I turn, I am catered to.  Sitting by the pool - any of the pools - I am brought towels, cold water and extra cups.  Complimentary sunscreen is provided at several kiosks.  When we rented a cabana, four free adult beverages were offered (or was it one per adult? in which case there were more... obviously, I indulged and, thus, cannot recall).  Also, the iPad in the room makes scheduling massages, room service, any request, really, so simple.  You hardly have to speak or type, and poof, voila!

I think you get the idea.

So I will list some (more)  fantastic things that I love at this Four Seasons but you really need to go to the website - Four Seasons Resort Orlando- or just go to the resort! - to see the full extent of this place:  adults-only pool ('nuff said!), lazy river with a great current and small and large inner tubes, kids' club and activity center(s) with stuff kids really want to do, good shopping, gym with equipment and a variety of exercise classes (I took morning yoga outside and it was ohhmmm...) and, of course, an indulgent spa.  

With the exception of the spa, most or all of this is free for guests. Oh, and you can enjoy fireworks three times nightly from the roof-top restaurant where you can see Epcot's, Walt Disney's and then Hollywood Studios'.

I hate to sound like a commercial, but this really is a luxurious world unto itself where everyone in the family can relax, enjoy and have fun.

Clean, sparkling, lazy river with the perfect amount of current.

A lounging area near the lazy river.

Night shot from the rooftop restaurant of the adults-only pool.

Pull-out couch made up for the kids was as comfortable as the king size bed.

Arrival surprise for (male) kids in our room upon arrival - kid-sized bathrobe, pirate's hat and eye patch, plastic sword (not pictured), and scavenger hunt booklet that finishes with free ice cream.

Seating in the hallway outside the spa.

I am remiss that I did not photograph our room, suite, cabana or more of the hotel.  I was only going to blog about the spa here, not the resort itself, because I hadn't been to the spa until this visit.  (Yes, that's right - I so enjoyed the rest of the amenities, I didn't even bother with the spa!)  But then I realized that the spa piece is only a small portion of what's to be enjoyed at this property, so I had to write about the resort on its own.

Negatives of the resort can be anticipated; Cocktails are expensive (think New York prices); The food is somewhat pricey, as well, but it is worth it.  The Four Seasons' restaurants are competitively priced with meals I've had at The Contemporary, The Polynesian and The Animal Kingdom Lodge and I would quickly depart from those resorts and drive 20 minutes to eat at the Four Seasons instead.

Not surprisingly, it was easy to please the pickiest of children at Ravello (the Italian restaurant downstairs) as well as more sophisticated palates.  I would expect the same to be true at the other restaurants at the resort but don't know for sure.  My son eats a wide range of foods and enjoyed all the restaurants.  Catering to the finicky was a concern at only one meal (with guests) during our stay, which was at Ravello.

I'd love to know what you think about Four Seasons Resort Orlando.  Do you love it as much as I do?  Have you been?  I'd love to hear from you!

Thank you for reading my blog.

~ The Pampered Wife

About Me

I am a very lucky woman.

Some years ago, I met a sarcastic, mistrusting, terribly intelligent and witty man with the sexiest smirk and deep hazel-green eyes.  I thought he was interested in me but he never asked me out.

Years later, our paths crossed again. I was older, wiser and more confident; I made it brick-wall clear that I was interested and hoped he was, too.

We engaged, married, housed and child-ed. (The order of these things is not what's important, here.  ;)

But life was not easy sailing. My "smirker" was not easy-going or amenable to change, and I was impatient and angry.  We fought a lot.  There was much crying (me) and brooding (him).  We both loved each other and our son and wanted to be together, so it didn't make sense to split up.  Instead, we stuck it out, compromised and redefined our roles, expectations and perspectives.  (Yes, I married a man who did all that to stay married.  No, this is not a made-up fairytale.  Starting to see why I'm so lucky?)

Today, I can say with sincerity that I am married to the kindest, most thoughtful and generous of men.  (He's still smart, funny and sexy, too!) Among other things, my Sweet Smirker is often surprising me with spa appointments just because he loves me and wants me to be relaxed and happy.  At his behest, I get massages, facials and pedicures.  (Again, this is for real, people!)

So, I think you'll agree that I really am a very lucky woman.  After reading my blog, I think you'll also agree that I really am ... The Pampered Wife.

The Bruce House Inn ($119 – $159)
Cumberland, Maryland
July 2016 

    

    

I've been to Cumberland several times and always wanted to stay at this place, but it’s always booked. Turns out there’s a reason.  If you’ve ever been to this town, you know it’s really difficult to find nice places to stay.

The Bruce House Inn  comes highly recommended and is well-rated, so I was pleased with myself for having planned in advance enough to secure my (& family’s) stay.  (Pre-planning is not my forte.)

As an aside, this place is big among bicyclists. (I am not a bicyclist.)  The inn is a red brick federal house that was built in 1840 on a block of similar homes. It has five rooms, all of which have a private bathroom.  I did not know about the bathroom situation  before checking in and was pleasantly surprised (read: thrilled) by that fact. I noticed all rooms also have a fireplace of some kind, which would be nice in wintertime.

The hostess/owner is friendly, relaxed and easy to be around.

Oddly, I had the opportunity to stay in all but one of the rooms. The excluded room – the George Washington Room – is the only room on the second floor, where the kitchen is also located.  There are two rooms on the first floor and two on the third.

There are many great reasons I would recommend this B&B. First, we were greeted with delicious chocolate chip cookies. (I wish I took a picture of them!)That’s a no-fail good start in my book. (I wonder if the cookies were from Jennifer’s Desserts, a local place?  They looked like her cookies and were crispy on the outside and the chips were melted and gooey.)

This picture was taken at Cafe Mark where they sell some of Jennifer's Desserts goods.

Second, the breakfasts were great. Each of my family members requested something different to eat at every meal (I’m sure the hostess loved us), and all meals – including gluten-free vegan waffles (not pictured) – were delicious and came with a lovely bowl of fresh fruit.

Third, all the rooms were different and lovely and clean. (Maybe my ‘third’ should be ‘first’, but dessert and breakfast are two of my very favorite things in life, so third, it is.)

I was glad to see the bath products, BeeKind, are eco-friendly, natural and support honey bee and sustainable pollination research. For me, the products say a lot about the place and, here, positively influences my overall feeling  about the inn. The products smell and feel wonderful, too.

Now I will give more detailed observations of the rooms.  Since I gave my overall review, and it was positive and I will happily stay here again, I will give my nit-picky comments with the gist being that the first floor rooms are great and the third floor rooms are less so.  (What I am trying to say is, You should reserve the top floor so that the bottom is available for my family and me ;)

FIRST FLOOR ROOMS
  The Robert Bruce Suite: I only have praises for this suite so move on if you’re looking for nit-picks.  (This is rare for me; enjoy it.)  Alright, I do find this suite to be masculine and dark but I’m not sure that’s a criticism.

The Robert Bruce Suite is large with beautifully paneled rooms, a nice sized sitting room, side dressing room, window coverings that seal out the light (wooden blinds and curtains), great air conditioning and ceiling fan, comfy bedding, ample storage and it’s at the back of the house, so it’s quiet. 



Mmmmmm…. Nice and cozy here.

Sitting room. There is also a couch. The bathroom is to one side and the bedroom to the other. The little dressing room is seen in this photo.

The "fireplace" is in the sitting room.

There is a bathtub and shower like in your bathroom at home.

  The Columbia Bruce Room: This room is light, bright, airy and relaxing.  It feels feminine to me after being in the Robert Bruce Suite.

This room also has wooden blinds and curtains to keep out the light, a ceiling fan, great air conditioning, a little sitting area, and a comfortable bed.
  

  










It has a nice sized stand-up shower, no bathtub.

This room was surprisingly quiet given that it abuts the dining room and main hallway.

This shot is taken from the Robert Bruce Suite.  The Columbia Bruce Room is the open door to the left.  The next doorway is the dining room.

Looking up the stairwell.

The dining room.

THIRD FLOOR ROOMS

(Before I start in, I need to apologize for the small amount of photos.  I promise to do better in the future. I learned a valuable lesson, though.  I will be quicker next time – My family settled in before I snapped pics and you would have seen piles of clothes, shoes and electronics; not what you are looking for!)

La Salle des Freres: This room is large and spacious (think, bonus room or finished attic space), has central air and a window unit but still stayed a bit warm for my taste.  I'm guessing this room is a bit cold in the winter, too, because there's a floor heater provided.  The wind coverings are a lacey fabric, so if you are light sensitive (I am), you will be bothered by the outside street lights and awoken early (I was).

Lacey curtains and heater.

The cute cast iron tub has a shower, which is nice, but it’s so low that even a petite person has to bend to get her hair wet.

The armoire.

There is an armoire provided for storage but one door was stuck closed (painted shut? I really don’t know…); and there’s storage for hanging clothes but no drawers, which was annoying.

Lastly, one person I met who stayed in this room said some of the ceilings are so low that he almost hit his head, although the varied ceiling height added to the quaintness for me.

What I did like about this room is the fresh color, the king sized bed (the downstairs rooms had queens), the open space, and the sense of privacy being on one end of the top floor.

The Crow's Nest: This room is much like the other one on this floor except half the size, no window air conditioning unit, and it has two single beds instead of one king.  It does have an oscillating floor fan = this rooms even warmer than the other.  It has the same lacey window coverings = same light sensitivity issues.  Same shower situation, too.  The comforters were rough (they were probably new and will soften with time and washings), but it was too warm to use one, anyway, so I guess it didn't matter.  

The Crow's Nest bathroom

Bottom line: This room would be perfect for the kids.

Same bathroom from another angle.

Have you been here?  Would you like to go?  I’d love to hear from you!!
Thank you for reading my blog.  
~ The Pampered Wife