Travel Detox

If coffee wasn't such a treasured ritual in my morning routine, I could stop drinking it right now. I've found a smoothie that gives me so much energy I don't even need my morning americano. The Glowing Green Smoothie was created by nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, whose famous fans and devoted smoothie drinkers include Drew Barrymore, Dr. Oz, Fergie, Josh Duhamel, Olivia Wilde, Kerry Washington and Owen Wilson.

Packed with dark, leafy greens and naturally sweetened with fruit, this green smoothie boosts your energy level, cleans your body of harmful toxins, oxygenates your blood, supports your immune system, stimulates your digestion and brightens your skin. It's also the ideal pre- and post-travel detox. I'd like to think it cancels out the happy hour fries, cocktails and erratic international eating. If you're craving it on your travels, ask for it at your hotel; many take custom room service orders and some resorts even have smoothie stations similar to omelet stations. And if you're in LA, visit Snyder's Glo Bio juice and smoothie bar. Oh, did I mention it's delicious?

My take on the Glowing Green Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup coconut water (try ZICO Natural 100% pure coconut water from hand-harvested Thai coconuts)
• 1/2 bunch spinach, rinsed
• 1/2 head romaine, rinsed
• 4 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 pear, cored & quartered
• 1 green apple, cored & quartered
• 1 banana, peeled & halved
• 1/2 lemon (juice & grated rind)

Instructions

1. Fill blender with water, coconut water, spinach and romaine, and blend until smooth (30-60 seconds depending on your blender).
2. Add celery, apple and pear, and blend until smooth.
3. Add banana and lemon and blend. Add 1/4 cup water if too thick.

* Yields approximately 60 oz (4-5 servings of 12-16 oz)

* Nutritional information and original recipe here

* Mix it up a little; vary ingredients with chard, kale, cucumber, cilantro, or parsley * Tastes best cold and can be stored in fridge up to three days or frozen and thawed overnight

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

[photo by @heatherlovesit]

Morocco :: Dar al Hossoun

[trip style = budget conscious + sun]

{Editor’s Note: Over the holidays we’re pressing pause on our inflight schedule after a busy year traipsing between cities like Palm Springs, London, Miami and Morocco. We'll resume our regular Tuesday/Thursday route January 7th. Until then, look for updates on Trip Styler’s Instagram and Editor’s Diary. See you in the New Year, and from all of us on the TS crew, happy holidays wherever your journey takes you.}

I've been a Moroccan design lover since I was old enough to flip through the pages of Vogue Living Australia. When I visited last week, my eyes and my lens were blinking at snap speed processing the colors, textures and shapes that have made Morocco an Elle Decor darling.

While my trip took me WAY beyond design---4x4ing the Western Sahara, sipping vino in wine country and visiting an argan oil cooperative---I wanted to whet your palate {and your palette} with some fabulous interiors I shot at Dar al Hossoun, a French-owned, 16-room garden lodge in Taroudant, Morocco. Rooms start at $150 a night and include WiFi and breakfast. At this price, you can live the Elle Decor dream.

PS. I had a half-day snafu with my camera's SD card, so all of these shots were taken on my iPhone 5.

[gallery columns="1" type="slideshow" ids="15770,15769,15768,15771,15774,15777,15778,15775,15772,15776,15779,15780"]

[photos by @tripstyler]

Fashion Friday :: Red and Green Reimagined

[trip style = any]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

There's something endearing about even the tackiest Christmas light display---blow-up snow globe on the lawn, reindeer on the roof, blinking lights and all. I feel the same way about Christmas sweaters, battery-powered Santa brooches and Frosty the Snowman ties. December is the only month we can get away with wearing red and green together. My favorite way to dress festively is to take those colors and move them a little to the left {to the left}. Let's call them olive and cabernet. Those are my Christmas colors---reimagined---and also my top holiday meal... These looks are perfect for a cozy cabin getaway, hot chocolate date, après ski, or wherever your plans take you this holiday season.

Now What To Wear?
Men (clockwise from top left)
J.Crew homespun henley, Gant by Michael Bastian the mb down vest, Wallace & Barnes cpo jacket, New Balance mustard 574, Billy Reid military chinos

Women (clockwise from top centre)
Pendleton the portland collection north plains tunic, Aritzia dennis hat, Current/Elliott the vintage sweatpants, Madewell driftstitch sweater, New Balance high roller 574, Artizia meribel vest, Corgi for J.Crew cashmere socks

More Fashion Friday
Santa, Style Icon
Shop Seattle
November in New York

[graphic by @heatherlovesit]

Homeward Bound :: Weekender Bags

[trip style = weekend getaway]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

Weekenders are the Goldilocks of the bag world, sitting pretty between totes and carry-ons. They're juuust right for quick jaunts home for the holidays, cozy mountain retreats, or sunny escapes.

A good weekender bag is roomy enough for a few costume changes and rugged enough for a beating in the trunk or overhead compartment. Look for features like handles AND detachable shoulder strap, plenty of interior pockets and zipper closure. Bonus points for water-repellant fabric, dark colors to hide dirt and leather that gets better with age.

Travel in style this winter with any of the eight durable and design-forward weekend bags shown above at price points you'll love ... and love to hate.

top row: Stephen Kenn encounter collection travel duffle, WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie hartsfield weekender tote, Filson small duffle bag middle row: JADEtribe maroc traveler, Lo & Sons the catalina, Baggu weekend bag bottom row: Joshu + Vela xl boat tote, Clare Vivier leather weekender

[graphics by @heatherlovesit]

Trip Styler's Best Stays + Sips of 2013

[trip style = any]

Every year I sleep in hotels of all designs, shapes and sizes. Many delight, some throw curveballs and a few are downright disappointments {aka. the naughty list}. This year I took it upon myself to chronicle the standouts in categories ranging from architecture to amenities and service to spa treatments, plus a few dining hits that shouldn't be missed. Here are the winners.

Best Overall Encuentro Guadalupe, Mexico - Twenty rectangular lofts sit staggered between desert brush and boulders on a steep hill overlooking grapevines in Mexico’s wine country. Inside each minimalist muse is a blank slate bathed in white—white paneling, white tiles, white duvet—and lit by Edison-style bulbs. Wooden furniture completes the space and makes an appearance on the pod’s front porch around a clay, wood-burning fireplace.

Best Design Encuentro Guadalupe, Mexico - See above. Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai - The scale, stature and sizzle of this 405-room resort sends you into a Nirvana-like state with every glance. The Standard, Miami Beach - While I can't recommend you stay at The Standard Miami---the service is on-again, off-again---you should take a peek at its gorgeous, vintage design. Templar Hotel, Toronto - A subdued and stunning collection of villas in Toronto's fashion district. Hotel de Glace, Quebec City - The most awe-inspiring ice palace I've ever seen. I wanted to kiss the walls!

Best Service Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay, Lanai - Every single staff member stopped in their tracks to speak with me and ensure my stay was comfortable. Four Seasons Resort, Whistler - Their attention to detail was so perfect, the staff went beyond anticipating my needs and became BFFs with my dog.

Most Pleasantly Surprising Stay Vive Hotel Waikiki, Oahu - Opened in summer 2013, the Vive has the friendliest staff---Trip Styler Sis hurt her knee and they asked her multiple times if she needed ice---and great Honolulu 2.0 touches like included breakfast and free WiFi. A great option for a budget-boutique stay two blocks from the beach. The Pearl Hotel, San Diego - The Pearl's Jet Age charm extends to their staff, who were the cheeriest group of gals I've ever encountered!

Most Exquisite Stay Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas - Discreet and decadent, serene and spacious, the Mandarin is without a doubt one of my top 20 stays of all time.

Best Hotel Bed The Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino - Straddling the 49th Parallel and the divide between a centuries-old coastal rainforest and the open ocean, this Travel+Leisure hall of famer—the only one of its kind in Canada—delivers low-key luxury on a gold-plated, Douglas fir platter. I'm quite certain I'll see the Wick Inn's dreamy beds in heaven.

Best Hotel Bathroom Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai - Clad in light grey marble, the vanity is decorated with a pounded copper sink and lit by twinkly Moroccan lights. Two steps lead up to the bathtub and into another world. Big enough to bathe a baby elephant, the bath area is a room unto itself topped with a golden dome. I even considered sleeping in the tub one evening! NOBU Hotel, Las Vegas - The bathroom had me at its tall, white sink, big enough to fit a three-year-old, yet it was the four-quadrant design separating the sink, toilet, shower and vanity with sleek wooden slats that made me want to sing an ode to NOBU in the shower.

Best Hotel Shower Lava Lava Beach Club, Hawaii {Big Island} - Every cottage comes with a private, lava-encased outdoor shower spouting water from a bamboo shoot.

Best Hotel Pool Treats Parker Palm Springs, Palm Springs - Boozy cocktails, bunches of berries and hot chocolate are just a few of the treats delivered to your pool-side lounger. Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay, Lanai - Where else does Dr. Shades pop by to clean your sunglasses while you snack on complimentary canapes like prosciutto-wrapped beet?

Coolest Hotel Amenity NOBU Hotel, Las Vegas - Forget standard slippers, NOBU offers guests fluffy flip flops. Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas - Rooms are adorned in fresh-cut flowers. The Ampersand Hotel, London - Where raiding the minibar stacked with sparkling water, juice and cookies is free---and encouraged. Parker Palm Springs, Palm Springs - If you request a wake-up call, it comes along with a silver carafe of coffee served in gold-rimmed cups.

Best Upcycling Program Caesars Palace properties in Las Vegas sanitize all left-behind guest soaps, melt them into new molds and deliver them to families in need around the globe.

Best Spa Treatment Turkish Hammam at the Talise Ottoman Spa at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai - The treatment started with a full-court press scrubbing and cleansing splashes of water. As my Turkish towel-clad attendant ran a soapy bubble bundle from my feet to my shoulders, I felt like I was floating, weightless, on top of the clouds. Ali'i Experience at the Spa Without Walls at the Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii {Big Island} - My treatment started with a lomilomi hot stone massage in a beachfront cabana and ended with warm coconut oil slowly trickling down my head. It felt so Hawaiian it was as if I was dancing the hula at Mauna Kea’s summit. West Coast Lifestyle Package at CHI Spa at the Shangri-La, Vancouver - With cashmere robes and sheets so luxurious you want to rip them off the bed and wear them as a scarf and spa suites sporting infinity soaker tubs with embedded light therapy, the four-hour West Coast Lifestyles package starts with a private yoga class {so Vancouver!} and is followed by a sea kelp soak, a body wrap with mud flown in from China and a seaweed facial {or massage}.

Best Restaurant Luce, Portland - Simple, cool, fresh and perfectly Portland.

Best Beverage South Shore {rum bar} at The James Royal Palms, Miami - I'm not the hugest fan of rum, but the Hispanola with three lemon wedges, egg white, mint, sugar and a dash of bartender love rocked my cocktail world.

Best Dessert France Pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando - The chocolate macaron, ice cream edition {find it in the ice cream shop}. Bearfoot Bistro, Whistler - A dessert-meets-magic show, where cream and liquid nitrogen mingle to form their famous Nitro Ice Cream.

Best Coffee Shop Barista Parlor, Nashville - An industrial-design coffee shop, where the java is brewed in a lab {before your eyes} and breakfast is served with handkerchief napkins.

[photo by @tripstyler at encuentro guadalupe]