Life in retirement gives you the flexibility and freedom to make some really great choices! ​​ give praise to the Lord, our father savor the joy of sharing life with the ones you love enjoy the beauty of nature and simple pleasures choose happiness at every angle use timeless wisdom share your beliefs embrace new opportunities strive to expand knowledge embrace the present, respect the past, and look forward to an amazing future be a blessing to others make your health a priority; live a healthy, active lifestyle! This is the philosophy my husband and I strive to live by since we both recently retired and got married just two short years ago. What an incredible journey it has been already! We enjoy simple pleasures like taking a few days to camp in the mountains even if it is just a short distance from home. There is nothing like spending a few days in the woods on a beautiful lake to enjoy hiking, cooking, and swimming in the lake. Waking up with my husband, Doug, in our Airstream with the whole day ahead of us to explore or do nothing is one of the most amazing pleasures of life! As much as I enjoy fashion, I also enjoy wearing simple clothes to enjoy leisure activities on hot days in the summer! We set out in our most comfortable clothes for hiking to see a waterfall. BEST HIKING OUTFIT: SPANX SHORTS AMAZON TANK DOLCE VITA SNEAKERS Even Lili, our little dog, enjoyed exploring the woods and eagerly welcomed a walk in a small mountain stream to cool off from the heat. We finally found the magical waterfall, complete with a swimming area at the bottom where families were enjoying playing together. The coolness of the air and smell of the fresh water brought me back to visits to the mountains as a child and during my kids' childhood years. Like a kid, I had to kick off my shoes and get the full experience! Now, can't you just feel that cold water on your feet? Simple pleasures.....we need more simple pleasures in life!

Celebrating our 2nd anniversary at the Valhalla Resort Hotel in Helen, Ga was amazing! The only thing better than being together is being together at a resort that treats you like royalty! J Crew Striped Blouse Lilly Pulitzer White Shorts Straw Hat Michael Kors Sandals It wouldn’t be resort wear without the hat! Summer is heating up in Ga! Ok, now I’m ready to go! Oh my goodness! It looks like a castle… and yes, we are still in Georgia! The Valhalla Resort Hotel is a pet friendly, no kids resort. Upon arrival, we were met by the staff who took care of everything including greeting us with champagne! Doug really enjoyed maneuvering the mountain curves with the top down as we made our way to our anniversary destination! The resort, staff, views, pool, and everything was over the top elaborate! From the moment of our arrival, we knew we had found the perfect resort to spend our 2nd anniversary. Lili felt like a princess in our pet friendly room that opened to a fenced yard and was complete with special treats! The room was very luxurious with a king bed, fireplace ( if needed!), a nice sitting area, plush robes, and all of the conveniences you could imagine in a room. The bathroom was equally luxurious and big! Michael Kors Sandals Amazon Tank Top Amazon Shorts Straw Hat Mornings were spent having a wonderful breakfast overlooking the pool as we planned our day We spent part of our mornings exploring the beautiful area around Helen, Ga. before heading back to enjoy afternoon pool time. Venus swimsuit & coverup Skechers Cali Sandals Straw Hat The pool was so relaxing and we loved having the staff serve us drinks and lunch by the pool. It has been a long, cold winter and these sunny days were such a breath of fresh air! We even got in a game of Pickleball, or as I like to call it- “chase the ball”! The view from the Skybar was gorgeous! Together is the perfect place to be! Having been together for 3 years and married for 2 years, we are blessed to know the meaning of “together is the perfect place to be!” We dont take our marriage for granted whether we are cooking together at home, traveling in our Airstream, or taking our daily walks around the lake. I thank God everyday to have Doug in my life and pray we have many more days to explore, laugh, walk Lili, and discover simple pleasures as well as hidden gems. The Valhalla Resort is definitely a hidden gem!

It is June in Georgia and starting to really heat up. Nobody wants to heat up the kitchen with a hot oven. This is just the meal when you want a quick, healthy delicious meal that packs protein, includes fruits, vegetables, and even includes those healthy multi-grains we often forget to include in meal times. Salmon glazed with a bourbon glaze served on top a bed of quinoa and brown rice served along with browned cabbage and a healthy white bean, citrus salad is just the power meal you are looking for. Salmon Bourbon Glaze 2 Tablespoons of bourbon (in the sauce, not your glass! But hey, no judgment here) 1/3 c. soy sauce (low sodium) 1/3 c. maple syrup 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger 2-3 tsp. chopped fresh garlic black pepper Combine all ingredients and simmer on stove top while preparing other dishes. Browned Cabbage 1/2 head of cabbage red pepper flakes Italian Seasoning Garlic Powder 4 cloves of garlic chopped Slice cabbage in 1/2 inch slices, sprinkle seasonings on top Heat 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil in skillet; add sliced cabbage and chopped garlic. Cook uncovered to let it brown, turn and brown other side of cabbage slightly. Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Quinoa and Brown Rice You can cook any quinoa and brown rice, but it takes some time. If you want a quick dish, use Seeds of Change quinoa and brown rice. Heat in skillet with additional garlic and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes. (Yes, we love garlic; it makes almost anything taste better) White Bean and Citrus Salad 1 can of white beans (They are a good source with calcium and protein, so don't omit them) 1 red onion 1 grapefruit 1 Navel Orange 1 Tablespoon of lemon zest or lemon juice 1 Tablespoon of olive oil Drain white beans. Add drained beans and chopped red onion (1/2 c. to 1 cup depending on how much you like red onion). Cook over low to medium heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in a bowl with slices of grapefruit, navel orange, and lemon zest/juice. Salmon Slice 2 salmon steaks into 4 pieces Season with salt and pepper Drop salmon steaks into bourbon glaze for 1 minute Heat 2-3 Tablespoons of Sesame Seed Oil in skillet Take Salmon steaks out of glaze and place in skillet Cook on medium heat 2-3 minutes each side ( do not overcook) To serve: Spoon quinoa/brown rice mixture on plate top with a salmon steak. Spoon a spoonful of bourbon glaze on top. Top with chopped green onions if desired. Serve with browned cabbage and a bowl of citrus salad. Yum! Enjoy!

Small fruit....big smiles! It's blueberry season, my favorite season just after strawberry season! What is better than strawberry pie? Blueberry muffins! We ventured to Blue Ridge, Ga where we set out to go blueberry picking. My husband, Doug, and I went to an orchard where they provided you with a basket, a wagon ride to the blueberry field, and acres of the most amazing blueberries. We picked our fill and then were told we could graze in the blackberry field to taste some of the first berries of the season, just a hint of what is coming next! It will be another week before the blackberry fields will be open, so enjoy the blueberries now! Aww fresh blueberries! Time to bake away. I made two peach blueberry pies with my Healthy Pie Recipe and then began searching for a healthy blueberry muffin recipe. I initially started with Healthy Blueberry Muffins by Love and Lemons. Love and Lemons is my 'go to' for many recipes Initially, I made the recipe with only one adaption (I used Stevia instead of sugar.) Doug, the taster, reported the muffins could be a little moister and sweeter. So with his encouragement, I made four changes to the recipe: 1) added 1/4 more almond milk, 2) replaced the 1/2 c sugar with 1/2 c. maple syrup and 1/2 c. Stevia, used 1 1/2 c. blueberries instead of 1 1/4 to add additional blueberries on the batter after putting batter in the pan. I also replaced the 1/2 tsp of cinnamon with 1 tsp of Apple Pie Spice (contains cinnamon, cardamon, and allspice) and added 1 tsp of lemon juice along with the zest. This adapted recipe put a smile on Doug's face and passed the taste test! Healthy Blueberry Muffins (Inspired by Love and Lemons) 3/4 c. King Arthur all purpose flour (+ 2 Tablespoons- including a little for dusting the blueberries) 3/4 c. King Arthur whole grain flour 1/2 c. + 2 tablespoons aluminum baking powder 1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/4c. almond milk 1/4/ c. extra-virgin olive oil 2 large eggs 1/2 c. maple syrup 1/2 c. Stevia (sugar substitute) 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries Preheat oven to 400 degress F. Place cupcake liners in muffin pans or grease muffin pans. In a medium bow, combine flours, baking powder, Apple Pie Spice and salt. In a large bow, whisk together the almond milk, olive oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Dust the blueberries with 1/2 tsp flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of pan. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir. Gently fold in 1 1/4 the blueberries. Use 1/2 c. measuring cup to fill 12 cups in a muffin pan to the brim. Drop remaining 1/4 c. blueberries on top of the mixture in pans. Bake 17-20 minutes or until muffins spring back to the touch. I baked 2 sets of muffins exactly 17 minutes and took them out of the oven to finish cooking in the pan and they turned out very moist. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from pan with a knife around the edges. Cool on rack. Store in a a covered container for 2 days or place in the refrigerator or freezer. I love the flavor of the Apple Pie Spice, lemon zest, and lemon juice. It adds extra flavor to the muffins and these muffins are super-moist! Don't miss blueberry season! It is starting in an orchard near you soon! Be there and have a blueberry kind of day!

Every southern woman loves a good pie! How do you keep that petite figure and enjoy pie? My healthy lifestyle change of eating all natural foods led me on a path to make recipes I could enjoy without jeopardizing my health and adding pounds to my petite frame. With strawberry picking season, came the creation of this new healthy recipe: I call it Belinda's Healthy Pie. It can be made with various fruits. My husband loves the combination of grapes and apples, but he also loves the combination of banana, pear, and apples. My favorite is the strawberry/ blueberry pie. I'm looking forward to making a strawberry rhubarb pie, peach pie, and cherry pie. The best part: the pie has no butter and no sugar! This recipe can be adapted to your favorite fruit, so go ahead my dear....eat the pie! 1st step: Pick fresh strawberries when possible! There is nothing better than freshly picked fruit! (Click to shop pink rain boots) Strawberry/Blueberry Pie (with a healthy pie crust) Pie Crust 1 cup whole grain flour (King Arthur) 3/4 cup all purpose flour (King Arthur) ..some all purpose flour is needed for consistency 1 tsp salt 1 tablespoon stevia 1/2 cup olive oil 3-5 tablespoons of ice water Mix both flours with salt and stevia. Mix olive oil and 3 tablespoons of ice water. Mix olive oil/water mixture with four mixture. Add ice water as needed to get desired consistency for pie crust. Roll out pie crust between wax paper and transfer to pie plate. Mold pie crust to make a pretty pie crust. Bake pie crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes prior to adding the filling. Filling 2 cups sliced strawberries 1 cup blueberries 1/2 cup Stevia 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg Mix filling together and let sit while you make pie crust and oatmeal crumble topping. Oatmeal crumble topping 1/2 c. oatmeal 1/2 c. whole grain flour 1/2 c. stevia 1-2 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup 2 tsp Apple Pie spice consisting of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves 1/2 c. olive oil Mix all ingredients together until it becomes crumble (adjust olive oil as needed Add pie filling to pie crust, drop oatmeal crumble on top of pie. Cook 25-30 minutes at 350 and ENJOY! It thickens up and has a better consistency on the second day after it has been refrigerated over night. (Just warm up before serving to your guests.). I hope this healthy dessert recipe will be beneficial to your journey of health as you increase healthy eating habits. Shop Amazon for these great pie pans! ( I may earn a small commission for any purchases made through my blog/website/instagram) Click image to shop for these pretty freezer to oven pie pans Click the image to shop these glass pie pans. Click the image to shop these aluminum pie pans to share your pies with friends. I may earn a small commission on purchases made through this website/instagram as an affiliate. There are no additional charges to the purchaser. Follow my website: belindapetitefashionover60.com for more southern chic petite fashion styles and health/beauty tips:

We entered the beautiful rolling hills of the vineyards. As gorgeous as they were from a distance, the close up view was even more amazing with clusters of grapes hanging on the vines ready for harvest! We rode bikes through Sonoma valley to get an up close and personal experience with the vineyards and had a lovely picnic while watching Lili browse around and inspect all of the new smells of different plants. Lili was in heaven! We visited the oldest vineyard in California, Buena Vista Vineyards , established in the late 1800's. It had a distinct European flair with the architectural and grounds. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed sipping wine while relaxing and while browsing the property The homes along the way were so perfectly manicured. In Napa Valley, we visited a modern winery/ vineyard. The architecture was totally different from the vintage winery we visited the previous day. Beautiful roses lined the walkways and vineyards. We drove to St. Helena, Ca and visited the Raymond Winery. We tasted amazing wines in the Crystal tasting room. Just like the name implied, the room housed elegant chandeliers, crystal wine glasses, and beautiful mirrors. Lili said she felt like a princess sitting on her 'crystal' chair!♥️ Our host, Leo, was fun, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience extra special! Im not a big wine lover, but their wines were by far the best I've ever tasted! Lili loved the big goats housed at the vineyards! We took a "sip and stroll" through Beringer Vineyard. It appeared to be an older winery with ancient architecture and beautiful grounds. Afterwards, Doug treated me to the most amazing date night at a nice restaurant, Farmstead, and we had the most incredible dinner! We even splurged and had dessert, something rare for us these days! It was so special! It was delicious! Umm, more recipes to explore. My handsome husband, Doug; Im so blessed! It is Saturday, Oct 14, a gorgeous sunny day, and we are moving our Airstream, "Gracie" on down the road. The next stop will be close to Monterey and Carmel By The Sea. We are looking forward to more adventures as we travel down the coast to San Diego.

Day 14: The scenery changed from bright green, yellow, and orange to desert mountains as we drove from Crested Butte to Glenwood Springs , Co. We also experienced a temperature change from 33 to 90 degrees on Wednesday . Yesterday, we set out on an awesome bike ride on the RioGrande Bike Trail. This is a 42 mile paved bike trail, most of this trail was an abandoned train track from Glenwood Springs to Aspen which captures amazing views as it meanders close to the rushing river and through small towns. We rode over bridges, through all kinds of neighborhoods, and were amazed at how the architecture of some of the most upscale homes were using old tin on the outside. Lili loved the ride! Her little feet would start moving as if she was pedaling to catch up whenever I got too far ahead. Pops of Fall colors were peeking out! We rode for 4 hours; Im not sure about the distance. Well, we did not make it all the way to Aspen, we wanted to get back before sundown as it cools down pretty fast especially with shorts and tee shirts. With the elevation change from about 10,000 to about 5,000 a big change from Crested Butte! we definitely had more energy! With news from Rick and Ryan about the crimes in Grand Junction, we decided to head to Steamboat Springs today. They have not killed an elk after 10 days of hard back packing 7 miles into the mountains. With both having tags for Montana, they headed for better hunting. Hopefully, they will see some elk in Montana! Its is Friday and time to wake up the baby girl, Lili. She is such a trooper. Doug and I were just talking about how grateful we are for each other, our love, and our ability to explore God's creations in our little Airstream with our little family, lili (dog) and Fred (betta fish). We hope you are finding some joy in reading about our journey. Thank you Jesus!

Durango, Co after the long drive through the windmills of Texas and the res clay mounds of New Mexico, was a real breath of fresh air! You could just feel the cool, crispness of the air with no humidity. HTR Campground was nice! They could not help it if the creek was dry! We still got a creekside site, then set out to explore the historic district of Durango. Durangos's historic district was a bustling tourist town with unique shops and restaurants. We had a blast! We had our first meal out in a week, which was a nice break from cooking. Temps fell during the night and we woke up to a chilly morning- perfect for a bike ride! The Animas River Bike trail did not dissapoint with its amazing views. We finally got to try out our ebikes on the hills - no more pushing my bike up the hill! Some Fall surprises were scattered along the way. Doug and Lili coming up the trail. Durango Hot Springs Resort and Spa.: Over 20 different hot springs many pools of all sizes 99-108 degrees-- so relaxing!

Days 4-6: Making the drive through Arkansas to Hastings, Ok was smooth riding as we admired miles of farmland dotted with large windmills. Oh my! ALOT of cows are in Oklahoma! I immediately felt like I should be decked out in full western wear complete with stirrups on my boots! Now that's a blue sky! Beautiful sunflowers danced im the wind along the roads! These lush green cedars paired with the bluest of skies were a sight as we ventured out for a bike ride to explore! The campground was big with 180 campsites. Only a handful of campers were seen as we meandered our way through the park to the back of the campground bordered by a beautiful large lake. As gorgeous as it was, we were astonished to see NOT One. Single. Person.!! We preferred the campsite next to the one reserved, so we decided to set up camp and ask about it the next day. After all, the place was pretty much empty. The next morning I saw an older lady walking towards our camper. "Doug, it's a person!" Excitedly, we opened the door and said "Good morning!" She replied " Do you know you are in the wrong site?" Uh-oh are we in trouble? Thats the look Doug and I exchanged as he told her we were just about to come to the office to check on it. She said she would have to go back to the office to see if it was ok. ( remember only a handful of sites occupied out of 180😳). I told her what a lovely campground it was and we saw her face soften into a smile. Yay! Not going to campground jail today. Our son, Michael, joined us for dinner at camp the first night and the next night we drove to Byers,Tx to visit him. The sunset was amazing as the clouds changed to look like delicate paint strokes in the sky. Seeing Michael was the highlight of this part of the journey. Seeing the smiles on both of their faces was priceless! We are looking forward to visiting with him on our journey back and hopefully mining for diamonds in Arkansas! Day6- Howdy folks! Here we are- all packed up, work- out complete and heading out of cow country towards Colorado with a stop- over in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Hope you come along with us!

Turtle RV Park. Eufala, Ok Day 4: After driving 5 hours from Memphis, we spent the night at a gem of a private campground, Turtle RV Park. The place was immaculate! We were not expecting such a nice place out in the middle of nowhere. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise and a nice, cool temp! Windy and cool!! After a good breakfast and a good ol' workout utilizing our airstream, picnic table, and resistance bands, we explored the grounds. Nevermind the hair- we haven't got that far yet😆Hey! You have to use what ya' got! Lol. Resistance bands are light, easy to pack, and give a good work out! We explored the campground before heading out to our next destination. The pool setting was unique with palm trees made from medal. It looked very cool! They had a pickleball court (we haven't played yet but we have heard that it is pretty much mandatory for our age group and we will definitely give it a whirl soon. ) Lili loved the dog park complete with one tree and a fire hydrant. She wasn't sure what to do with it! After packing our protein shakes, nuts, and fruit for the day, we hit the road headed towards Hastings, Oklahoma. We are so excited to see Michael O'Dell at our ( hopefully) lakeside camping spot for the next few days just 3.5 hours away!

Graceland! Wow! We arrived at the Graceland RV Park and Campground with so much excitement! Even though they didn't have our reservation, they had a site for us. Browsing around the office/store, I kept seeing "TCB" on the souvenirs. "What does that mean?" The clerk said, "Taking Care of Business...with a flash." Oh my, I remember ZZ Top's song of Taking Care of Business, but I must have missed that! It was hard not to dance our way to Graceland as they played Elvis music leading up to the ticket stand. We wiggled in our seats as we watched the Elvis early day films when he made his big debut on TV, shaking his leg and making all the girls squeal. Entering Graceland that was purchased for $102,000 by Elvis, you immediately imagine him sitting on the beautiful sofa playing his guitar. We were told his family often gathered around the grand piano to sing hymns. His parent's room was downstairs. He brought his parents and his grandmother to live with him. Elvis and his family had very little before he made it big and he shared his wealth with his family, taking care of them even after he was gone. His mom died at an early age in her 40's. His Dad, Vernon passed away just two years after Elvis and his grandmother died the following year. Aww, the kitchen brought back childhood memories for Doug and me. That harvest gold refrigerator, dark oak cabinets, and the small TV sitting up on the counter were just like back in the day. We could just imagine the staff cooking up some southern fried chicken and making Elvis' peanut butter and banana sandwiches. My favorite room was the forest room complete with a waterfall and fur-covered furniture. Green shag carpet lined the floors, ceilings, and even the walls on the stairs leading up to it for good 'sound'. My guess would be this is where he entertained indoors! .... a whole lot of shaking going on. He also had a TV room, complete with 3 TVs on the wall, a large bright yellow bar, pool room to play pool, and a beautiful dining room set with his and Priscilla's china. We were told the food flowed 24 hours a day since Graceland had many visitors at all hours. The backyard was a retreat for horse back riding, football, golf cart riding, and so much more. It was clear to see Graceland was a safe, fun, resort for Elvis to come home to after a tour! We viewed Elvis' final resting place along with other family members, who most also died at a young age. Doug noted how driven Elvis had been all of his life. We were told that his dad had asked him if he wanted to be an electrician or a plumber. Elvis replied, "singer". HIs dad said he had never seen a singer make it and Elvis said 'he would'. Across the street, they had museums that housed many of Elvis' cool cars, motorcyles, boats, and other toys. His 2 planes were parked beside it. The Lisa Marie was a stunning commercial jet that had been purchased from Delta and remodeled to include a lavish living area, conference room, bedroom/dressing room, and even 2 gold lined sinks in the baths. It was definitely "Graceland' in the sky. We were told LIsa Marie's 9th birthday party was held in the sky with a large birthday cake on the conference table. We had an absolute blast! We left Graceland feeling like we had a real connection with the Presley family. If you get a chance to go, do it! Even better, if you can attend during the Christmas season, they will have it decorated and I believe it will be magical! The journey continues in our Airstream, Gracie, named after one of my very special speech students I worked with during my last year in the schools. Now, down the road with my 'hunk of burning love", lol!!!

California or Bust!! Here we are one year, 3 months, and 5 days later after our wedding, all packed and heading out to California with many trips along the way! First stop is Graceland in Memphis, Tenneesee. "Whatever I will become will be what God has chosen for me."- Elvis Presley