Are You Ready to Venture Back Outside Into This Uneasy World?

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I think we can all say that this decade has not gotten off to a great start. this is quite an understatement. But maybe in a less impactful way, we needed this.

  • We started off the year with the loss of our beloved Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the other victims of that horrific helicopter crash. But it made us, as a city, and a country, come together and mourn a man, a father, a hero, and hug our children and each other a little tighter, and appreciate life for how it can be taken away in the blink of an eye.

  • Then came the pandemic. This wasn’t an L.A. issue, or an American problem. This was and still is a worldwide calamity that has affected every human being on this planet in one way or another. But though it has had horrific consequences on our emotional and physical health, as well as our pocketbooks, in many ways this virus made many of us to get back to our core values… family and the basics of life. We were forced to slow down and breathe, for lack of a better word. Instead of running from one place to the next, instead of being trapped in our cars, or wishing we were somewhere else while stuck in another conference room meeting, we stayed in pajamas all day and worked on puzzles, cooked another loaf of banana bread, and binged watched numerous TV series TOGETHER. We got to know out kids a little better, understand the meaning true meaning of compassion for those we will never have the chance to meet, and we reached deep down within ourselves to figure out how to pivot not only our careers but our lives. Hopefully most of us will come out of this quarantine with a deeper understanding and appreciation for each other and the world we are lucky enough to reside in.

  • As we are still dealing with how to live in the world with a virus that is not under control, we are being slapped in the face, again and again, with racism that is still out of control. How in this day and age we still have bigotry, hatred, and disgust based on the color of one’s skin is not something we should be dealing with any longer on such a massive scale. Have we not made any progress since the Civil Rights Movement? How is this even tolerated, or allowed to exist at all? We have Freedom of Speech but have we let this freedom go too far? It’s not okay for a parent of a black child to live in fear that their son or daughter might become a hashtag one day. It’s not okay for others to stand by and let white extremists march in the streets because our Constitution has given them this right to do so. It’s not okay for our government leaders to use inflammatory words that may cause further anger and frustration on one side, or incite lunatics to use violence on the other side. We need to be educated, peacefully but strongly protest, stick up to these bullies, whether they are on the street or in Washington, let them know we will no longer tolerate their hatred, and be a role model for future generations. Our youth are impressionable. We need to lead by example and our leaders need to follow this lesson as well. NOTE: If you would like to do your part to help wipe out racism, check this out: Justice for George Floyd.

Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. Now on to the fun stuff…

VIRTUAL IDEAS

  1. Ride the Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel

  2. Funnel Cake recipe from the Santa Monica Pier

  3. An awesome game/TV chair

  4. Take an amazing online cooking class

  5. Dollywood cinnamon bread recipe

  6. Virtually take a gondola ride in the Venice canals

  7. Take a virtual tour of Buckingham Palace

  8. Believe it or not but here is a healthy Twix candy bar recipe

GIFT & PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS

  1. The best guacamole keeper

  2. Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate

  3. Microdermabrasion at home

  4. You'll never forget to drink water again

  5. This is awesome for losing tummy weight

  6. Seal your bags with no more chip clips

  7. Don't touch buttons or open a door with this keychain

  8. This gadget got my daughter to finally fold her clothes

  9. Print out your iPhone photos at home

  10. Love these cozy Ugg socks

  11. Best egg poacher

  12. A book about stuff every cook should know

  13. Awesome lotion for all over your body (and bum)

  14. My daughter's favorite lip product

For more virtual and gift ideas, please reference my past blogs.


KIMBERLY’S FAVES

  1. I still have my Make-a-Plate from when I was a child and I did this with my kids as well

  2. Learn about the world’s most fascinating and obscure trivia: Atlas Obscura

  3. I love this amazing Facebook cooking site: Chef's Club

  4. Take the guesswork out of cooking and subscribe to these websites: What's Gaby Cooking and Smitten Kitchen

  5. I am in love with this candle making kit: Siblings.co

A PARTING NOTE

Thank you for reading my blog. You will be notified by my newsletter (please remember to sign up if you have not done so and spread the word… THANK YOU!) when my next blog is ready for you to read and digest. If you have anything you’d like me to add, comments, or suggestions, please contact me directly at kimberly@laanyday.com.

PLEASER REMEMBER, L.A. ANY DAY is here for all your Los Angeles needs:

  • Daycations, staycations, and vacations

  • Friends and family coming in town (for fun, weddings, business trips, Airbnb, and more)

  • Long and short trips

  • Individuals to large tour groups

  • Hotels (exclusive concierge or luxury packages)

  • Corporate gatherings

  • Just to see the best of L.A. or to be a tourist in your own town

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram (Instagram.com/laanyday) and Facebook (Facebook.com/laanyday).

Thank you for your support. Take care, be safe, and stay well.

~ Kimberly 🌞🌴💕

All images courtesy of L.A. Any Day, LLC 2019-2020.

Kimberly Jaffe