Definition: Gypset
​Characterized by their need for alternative travel and lifestyle, Gypsetters fuse the ease and nomadic style of a gypsy with the sophistication and global reference of the jet set. Gypsetters are entrepreneus, artists, designers, surfers, and yogis who embrace the unconventional and wanderlust, living a high-low freelance approach to life, playing and working from boats in bohemian enclaves such as Ibiza and Kenya, or catching a wave in Nicaragua and Montauk.  Some of us having the freedom to move around to different cultures slowly, immersing ourselves into them completely. While others move at a more rapid pace traversing the globe on a constant wanderlust high trying to find that next perfect break, remote enclave or exotic culture.

Speaking of travel, people often ask if I go on special diets or starve myself before hitting the beach or photo shoots, 
I figured that if they are wondering, some of you might be as well. 
So this month, I dedicate our Lifestyle series to Global Diet into how I maintain my healthy eating regime while away from my own kitchen, as well as some tips to help you to do the same. 
I believe it is all about moderation, portion control and a balanced lifestyle. 

TRAVEL DIET TIPS:

• Always bring your own healthy meal on the plane, don’t rely on the airline for healthy options. Also, bring your own snacks like protein bar ( my favorite: Go Macro Bar and Genuine Health Fermented Protein Bar ), almonds, walnuts, apples, banana, carrots and celery. 
• Note that depending on where you’re traveling, you may not be able to carry fresh produce and even some packaged food items with you. Customs are very strict with this, but it should be okay as long as you consume it all before you land. As far as domestic flights go, I have never had any problems.
• Drink A LOT of water while traveling, your skin and hair will thank you later.
  
• After getting settled in at your destination, try to stock up on a few groceries from the nearest grocery store. If your hotel room has a fridge, clear it out and re-stock it with your favourite fruits and veggies.
  
• At the hotel don’t be afraid to ask for a customized meal, especially when ordering room service, most of the time they will be accommodating. Order something delicious, fresh and healthy rather than the chicken fingers and fries.
  
• It’s easy to gain a few pounds on vacation because you want to live large, eat and drink as much as you want. I am all about eating delicious food in moderation so I just keep my portions in mind, you don’t always have to eat everything on the plate, especially in the U.S where the portions are big enough for 3 people!
• Google organic and healthy restaurants in your area and go on an adventure or ask your hotel concierge for recommendations.  With the new health kick trend in large cities there are so many great restaurants opening up that won’t necessarily be in your hotel.  
• When looking at restaurant menus, treat them just like you would when eating at a restaurant at home. Look for dishes that are baked, grilled, raw, braised and steamed rather than those that are sauteed, deep fried, battered, or labeled ‘crispy’ (this is usually just another word that means deep fry!)

Eat well, Travel Often!

Author: Angelique

The trick to stress-free air travel is to be able to roll with the punches. The trick to being able to roll with the punches when flying is a well packed carry on! 
Please keep in mind that each item listed is only used to represent ideas. It is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.

We also recommend putting a fresh shirt, comfy pants and panties in your carry on as well, because you never know whether your luggage arrives with you. 
Aside from all the goodies, this month we asked Gareth Nock, Toronto based fitness guru, to show us the best In-Flight Exercise to help you stay active and relaxed as possible. 

xo, Casa Lovina

Are you feeling the winter blues? February tends to be the most depressing month of the year.
However, there are a few simple ways to shake off the blahs, stay happy and feel less deflated this winter. 

1. Create A Beachy Mood Music Playlist 
We know it can be boring and frustrating walking or waiting in the cold but if you are listening to music that reminds you of a fun beach or summer day, it makes it way more enjoyable and bearable. 
This month we picked "Summer Saudade" by Calamity Jade for our playlist. It's an eclectic mix blending classic bossanova and new batucada funk and sweet samba. Hopefully that will put a bit of heat back into your winter. 

2. Get Out In The Sun.
You already knew that a stroll outside on a beautiful day is a good thing. Breathe in the brisk air and see your warm breath when it hits the cold. Say "Hello" to the sun. Studies have shown that exposure to the sun aids your brain in the production of serotonin, a chemical that acts as a natural antidepressant. If you need a stronger dose, a mid-season vacation to a warmer climate might be the boost you need to see you through to spring. 

3. Jazz Up Your Outfit
Winter is all about embracing layers, thick materials like wool, acrylic and other knitted accessories. Sometimes this means sacrificing style for warmth, but that doesn't mean you can’t jazz up your outfit with bright colours and add up some cool accessories. When you feel tired or down, even a few breaths of colour will give you what you need. We realized that colour does change your life in wonderfully positive ways. 
Dare to be colourful! Dare to feel great!

4. Keep Your Mood Lifted with Wintertime Yoga
Don’t let the worst of the winter months get the best of you. You are responsible for your own happiness, so take charge, relax and let go. This month we asked Pam Condotta, Toronto based Yoga expert, to show us the best way to recharge and keep our mood lifted with "Yoga for Energy"

5. Stay Social
Though it’s tempting to hibernate and avoid going out completely in the winter. Force yourself to go out and maintain your social activities. Instead of lolling around on your couch marathoning Game of Thrones, 
why don't you organize a fun movie night with your friends. Perhaps a Mexican themed movie potluck with "Nacho Libre" or "Y Tu Mama Tambien" . Another fun social activity is to host our Trunk Show.

These simple tips help you to not only get outside of yourself but also help you get more involved with others. Not only will you increase your own happiness, but this will encourage those around you to do the same.
Remember good vibes are contagious!

There is a place in this world where we all belong

Where we can be as free as the wind and as reckless as the waves

We could sleep on the sand and walk the shores

Where the water will love us and we will care for it

Where we can swim forever into the depths of the sea

And explore the places where people have never been

And share secrets with the coves and have a family of miles of seawater

See creatures of other worlds and beautiful kelp forests

That’s where I would be forever and ever

I wish I could be there, live there

Soon I will be at the sea and live with the creatures

Soon that will happen.

Dolce Far Niente! Alas, I cannot take credit for this phrase. If you have seen the movie Eat, Pray, Love then this phrase might ring a small bell in your brain. The Italian mentality relating to this phrase is much talked about.

A few years ago while I was sitting on a beach in Southern Italy, I noticed a man kicking a soccer ball down the shoreline. He kicked it a few feet at a time, nothing too strenuous, just a nice bit of play in the middle of a glorious sunny afternoon. It struck me as unusual that this man would take the time to do this. It was as if he had all the time in the world at his disposal and the only thing he cared about at that moment was kicking that soccer ball.
Now let’s ponder this for a moment or two. Such poetic phrases aren’t they? In the North America we refer to this as killing time, a crude and brutal term that implies wastefulness. Yes, North Americans are a nation of overachievers and multi-taskers. Now don’t get me wrong, I can multi-task with the best of them, but every so often I think of that man, kicking that soccer ball, and I yearn for a little down time of my own.

A term such as the art of doing nothing implies something more than sitting in a lazy boy in front of a television set. It demands more from us. The art of doing nothing and doing it well could be realized in many ways.

For some it may be reached by drinking wine on the deck while listening to the cicadas or by lingering over several cups of coffee with an old friend. No box wine or instant coffee will do. For some it may be accomplished by sipping tea by the fire, with a cat softly purring nearby, or by watching a baby sleep. For others the art is practiced by taking the time to share a story or two with the locals at the market. People watching at the piazza, a swing at the park, and making animal creatures from play dough would all qualify.

I know what you are thinking. None of the above mentioned things are nothing, and they are indeed something. L’arte di non fare niente implies spontaneity and doing a thing for nothing more than the pleasure of doing it. The man on the beach was not out to refine his technique, burn carbs or impress the ladies. He was kicking that ball for no other reason than the sheer enjoyment of his solitary movement along the water’s edge, and that my friends, is a beautiful thing.

xo, Angelique @Casa Lovina

Video Source: Eat, Pray, Love

Being a beach bum is a state of mind. It does really help to have a beach to bum on, but many of us can’t do that year round. Probably one of the most well known beach bums is Matthew McConaughey. I know, the girls love him. I do like the parts he plays in "Dallas Buyer Club" He's an electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease. OK, enough of Matthew McConaughey.

A State of Mind

It’s a state of mind that separates the wannabes from the true beach bums. A wannabe loves to be at the beach, and loves the whole lifestyle, for a little bit, or because it’s cool. After that, they can’t take it anymore. The true beach bum lives it all the time. I work full time. I’m also good at what I do. But I can still be a beach bum. You don’t have to live right at the beach in Florida, Jamaica, California or the Caribbean to be a beach bum.

I know, I’m sure there are those out there that will disagree with me, and you know what? Good. Disagree with me. I want to know if you think a beach bum is something different. This is just what I’ve found in my years of experience.

Jack Johnson is the King of Beach Bums

To prove my point, would anybody argue that Jack Johnson isn’t a beach bum? I didn’t think so. His music is the soundtrack to the beach. But yet, he works extremely hard. Writing music, writing books, touring, that’s not an easy, laid back life, yet he does it. It’s all in his state of mind.

How to be a Beach Bum

Of course nobody’s perfect, even at beach bummin, but we all try. How do you become a beach bum? Well, relax. When things get crazy, and you think you can’t handle it, relax. I myself have a hard time with this, but I’m getting better. You can’t change the situation, but you can change how you react to it. I know, That sounds so cheesy and cliche, but hey, it’s true.

Life isn’t easy, that’s why God made the beach. It’s His way of giving us an escape. Personally I think that the Caribbean (and Jamaica especially) is proof of that.

Live Your Life, and Enjoy It Too

So if you want to be a beach bum, just relax. Take it easy. You still need to work, but work at something you enjoy after all You Only Live Once so make the best of it.

See you at the beach,

xo Angelique @CasaLovina

First dates are so awkward. There is often much anxiety and over-thinking about where to go, who will pay and what to do after the “dreaded dinner-date.” Figuring out what to wear and what shoes to go with it can take hours, especially if you really like him! Let’s be honest, we know there are others just like us who have tried on everything in the closet twice, while thinking how can I possibly get to know who he really is in a loud restaurant or bar and when will we have the opportunity to kiss?! And…how long can I possibly stand to wear those shoes that are going to kill me! All of these real fears, anxieties and first date jitters can be relieved by making your first date a beach date.

The ocean or if you are in Toronto the lake, naturally puts you both at ease and instantly creates a fun atmosphere. Lying on a beach blanket in your favorite boyfriend jeans, a flirty top, natural beach-glow makeup, while munching on some deli treats brings you closer, offering intimacy and room for conversation. Building a bonfire together or playing Frisbee, collecting shells, going for a walk, watching the sunset, noticing if he walks past a piece of trash or picks it up, getting to meet his dog and checking out his feet (haha we know you will) are all important clues about how he attracts or repels your chemistry. If the date is not going well, like he is a poor sport at Frisbee and treats you like an inferior athlete, walks past that piece of trash, his dog is obnoxious and his feet are even worse, then just after sunset you can say “thanks and let’s go.” But if you like him …there is no better place than the beach after sunset to make out with a hottie.
How to plan that perfect first beach-date:
1. Tell him the beach is your favorite place and ask him to meet you there so you have a getaway plan, just in case.
2. Don’t tell him what to bring and see what he does or doesn’t bring. This will give you clues as to who he is and will show him that you are not controlling.
3. When you meet there don’t haul a bunch of stuff down to the sand. Keep it simple, like you just happen to have your beach gear in the back of your car, which you do, right?
4. Make sure the food is uber simple. No plastic forks or messy sauces.
5. Lastly, we suggest our playlist for your music.