by Sandra Crittenden

I'm still using this towel and I'm still loving it! As originally seen at RelaxedYoga.com I received this towel* for review purposes from Shandali's marketing department on Friday, October 24, 2014 right after I got home from teaching my yoga class. I opened it up, looked it over and thought it looked like the towels my husband uses to wipe off the cars-only bigger, I put it aside until my next class. I do like to use mat covers or yoga towels so I was excited to try it even if it didn't look particularly special on first sight. The next week, I used it for the first time in an over air-conditioned class so perspiration problems weren't in play, I did not get to test it for that purpose. I thought it felt nicer than I had expected. I decided I liked the dark gray color as well, I felt that it wouldn't get dirty looking. The next time I used it was in an over heated class so I can vouch for its non-slip ability; it is absorbent, your hands and feet s...

As I prepare for some Hawaiian island travel later this month, I keep thinking about our trip to Jamaica last spring. My husband and I took our college-age daughter and one of her friends on a beach vacation to recover from mid-terms. We stayed at the  Secrets resort in St James on beautiful Montego Bay . We thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing stay at this hotel. We thought that the grounds were beautiful, the rooms were comfortable and the wide array of cuisine options on-site made it a fantastic destination hotel. In addition to that, they have a spectacular co-ed spa with multiple indoor water features, pools and saunas where we each enjoyed a stress relieving massage. The hotel also has a long stretch of beach with beautiful scenic views. We spent almost all of our time at the resort venturing out only a few times. We left to enjoy a day of snorkeling and sailing, to have dinner on one evening at the House Boat restaurant which is famous for their Caribbean lobster and on one m...

I am a freelance writer residing in the Houston suburbs who writes primarily about wine. Often, I have other tales to tell that I don't sell or that don't work within the parameters of my other blog, Wine Thoughts. I decided to create this blog space to re-share some of my local in-print writing and to create a space for other stories that I want to share which are almost always about food, wine and travel. I am always out and about, always seeking the good and always excited to share the good things about my hometown, Houston. Follow this blog as I travel around looking for the best here and elsewhere!