My Family Vacation in Newport Rhode Island!
July 23, 2010
Mario, Avery and I all went to Newport Rhode Island for a week-long family vacation recently.
I had never been to Newport before and didn’t know what to expect. Upon arriving we were all staggered by the remarkable beauty and rich history of the town!
We joined my great friend and her family on her 150ft yacht for our 6 day trip. We were docked at 41N, which has a great hotel and restaurants inside and out. The outside restaurant played fabulous music and had an incredible almost life-size chess set which Avery and Mario enjoyed.
Mario and Avery playing Chess. Look at the size of the pieces!!
The best experience for us was doing the Cliff Walk. In fact it was so much fun we did it twice! We would start out on the very top by the ocean and huge cliffs, which was actually similar to hiking in Aspen. The views were so spectacular and so were the homes!!
Cliff walk.
View from the cliff walk.
We had the opportunity to tour a local landmark – The breathtaking Breaker’s Mansion. Would you believe i was still furnished in the same manner as the 1800′s when the Vanderbilt family resided there?
I have never seen such opulence and decor. The house was larger than life with gilding and rooms upon rooms. Personally I would have been nervous to ever sit on a chair if I lived there!!
Breakers Mansion - The most majestic home of all!
We also got the chance to play tennis twice at the Tennis Hall of Fame. They have beautiful grass courts. Mario and I played against Avery and a pro which was so much fun and so different from playing on clay.
Heading to play tennis of grass courts.
Me on the top deck by hot tub - Needed after tennis!!
We really enjoyed being on the water. Avery would water ski and do wave boarding and we all went jet skiing. We would take the boat out for short day trips as the water was rough and even though one day it rained we still had the time of our lives!
Mario and Avery taking the Jet Ski out for a spin
Avery wake boarding.
Hanging out on the 3rd upper deck of the yacht.
Oh and did I mention the food on the yacht?!! The food the chef would prepare for us was so amazing that we only dined out twice locally! But we enjoyed our visits to the town because everyone was so nice and the stores and restaurants were all fabulous.
Mario and I enjoying the evening on the boat.
Amazing Newport sunset!
There’s nothing like eating el fresco and watching the sunset with family and great friends.
It was really one of our best vacations ever!!
p.s. – I will be posting many more pics from my trip and other summer events to my Facebook Fan page in the upcoming weeks. Become a member so you can view them!!
xo,
Ramona
My Hyperhidrosis Treatment with Dr. Sharon Giese
July 2, 2010
Dr. Sharon Giese - http://www.drsharongiese.com/
I have gotten so many questions and comments about my underarm sweating/ veal chop procedure (lol) that I realized I need to share the experience with everyone.
I have had this condition of excess perspiration since I was 21 years old.
It was so embarrassing to see huge round sweat marks and worse was how it ruined all my silk dresses /tops and wool and cashmere sweaters. They would stain and never come out!!!
Now for the more technical terms. This condition is formally known as “Hyperhidrosis”. According to google health, Hyperhidrosis “is a medical condition in which a person sweats excessively and unpredictably. People with hyperhidrosis may sweat even when the temperature is cool or when they are at rest”.
When Dr. Giese, whom I trust implicitly, first suggested I try her Hyperhidrosis Treatment with internal ultra sound under local anesthesia (she is only one of a few that do it} I admit I was nervous.
How much would it hurt? Where would the sweat go, would it be unhealthy? What would the recovery be like?
I decided to first try a prescription deodorant called drysol. Well you can only use drysol at night, then you have to wear a T-shirt. I tried it for a while but I would forget some nights and I don’t like sleeping in a t-shirt!!
So back to Dr. Giese I went.
I asked her will I sweat more somewhere else if I stop sweating under my arm?, is it unhealthy to kill these sweat glands? She assured me there would be no negative consequences and she was right there has been none!
She told me I would have no pain, as I am a nervous nelly when it comes to pain and guess what there was NO PAIN during the procedure.
She told me there would be discomfort after and prescribed pain killers.
But guess what…I did NOT NEED THEM, I only took 3 advils and I had just done the procedure when i was filming at the Four Seasons for lunch with Jill and Sonya asking them to come to St John for the RHONYC.
The only drawback for me was that i could not work out my arms for 3 weeks, but it was well worth it.
I no longer have sweaty underarms, I no longer have huge wet marks. Do you know how embarrassed I was every time I would film…certain clothes would sweat up and now that is no more, it’s all gone.
Botox would have been the only other option and that averages $1500 – $2500 per session every 8 – 10 months! This procedure costs $4500, took only 30 MINUTES and provided PERMANENT results!!
I am SO HAPPY with the results. I highly recommend this procedure to anyone and everyone!
Avoid painful injections and save money by visiting Dr Sharon Giese. In fact, if you make an appointment with her office in the month of July and mention my name you’ll get a discount!
She is the best in whatever she does, she is a perfectionist!!
To learn more about Dr. Giese:
Visit: http://www.drsharongiese.com/
Or call: (212) 421-3400
Hope this helps!,
Ramona xo
Credit: Google Health
Tips on How I stay Healthy and Fit
June 10, 2010
Since the airing of my trip to St. Johns on the Real Housewives of NY , I have received amazing comments on how great I look and tons of inquiries as to what I do to keep my body looking healthy and fit.
So I figured it would be a great idea to share with you all a few key tips that I have followed over the years.
My Tips for A Healthy and Fit Body
1. Fist and most important – you are what you eat!
I feel that in order to stay consistently healthy and at your ideal weight, one must eat healthy as a way of life. I never dieted because diets only offer temporary results.
Breakfast
Oatmeal with Blueberries – This is such a great way to start the day. Not only does it fill you up but its also healthy! The oatmeal provides your body with fiber and the blueberries are rich in antioxidants which help to support the immune system. I also have 1 large mug or 2 cups of green tea both at breakfast and at dinner time. It is rich in antioxidants and helps to promote a healthy body.
2nd Option – 1 Egg, 1 slice whole wheat toast and a side of fresh fruit. For fresh fruit I always have blueberries and strawberries.
Runing late – if i’m in a mad rush…I still try to eat healthy by adding blueberries to Raisin Bran Cereal or yogurt with sliced banana and berries.
Lunch
Lunch for me is always a salad with mixed greens. The greener the leaf the better (spinach is really the best).
1st Option – Mixed greens salad with grilled chicken or fish. I always try to have at most, 4-5 oz. of protein with my salads.
Snack
When I snack, I never snack on chips or anything junky. I try to have low fat yogurt, my favorite being Yoplait Light Fat Free Yogurt. Its only around 100 calories, it has zero grams of fat and plus it tastes great!
Dinner
I believe dinner should be 3/4 vegetables and 1/4 protein.
1st – I always begin with a salad or at a restaurant if I don’t want to start with a salad, i’ll pick a vegetable appetizer or tuna tartar
2nd – I always have steamed vegetables as well. Asparagus, string beans, broccoli etc.
3rd. For proteitn – Grilled fish/chicken/ pork or turkey. I only have red meat about 4 times a month.
Ive found that the key with Protein is small portions. I also try my best not to have any carbs at dinner and we only cook with olive oil (no butter).
I also always have wine with dinner. Its been proven that 1 or 2 glasses of wine with a meal is very healthy and its a lot better than drinking vodka or tequila.
Dessert
If I do dessert, and I try to stay away from it but if I have to 
, I have low fat frozen yogurt topped with fresh fruit. My favorite brand is Turkey Hill Vanilla bean…it tastes just like ice cream! and if at a restaurant, I’ll just take 2 bites from my husband’s plate. After all, we all need something sweet sometimes.
My one decadent indulgence its when its that time of month, I stop at Crumbs Bakery and get their mini vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing and a hazelnut coffee.
I hope these tips work for you and I will will follow up with my work out regime soon.
All the best,
Ramona xo
Working With The Africa Foundation
May 19, 2010
Hanging with the upper school girls. Don't they look great?
We are now in Damarland Namibia but I wanted to share these pictures which I was able to take on our community visits last week.
We saw a total of 6 different schools which the Africa Foundation has helped to build. It is so important for EVERY child to recieve an education as well as a good meal each day – that is why we are working to get more kitchens built along with schools.
Having a little fun with the school children.
Me with the little children at day care.
Helping the kids fetch water.
New kitchen we just built - "Food for the body to feed the brain" - af.org
While I was saddened at first for the conditions that these children have to endure, their amazing positivity and hospitality showed me that you can truly make the best of any situation. They enjoy going to school and are so appreciative for everything the Africa Foundation has done for them. Please visit africafoundation.org for information on how you can help today.
For more updates on my trip keep checking my blog, become my fan on facebook and follow me on twitter!!
xo, Ramona.
*Africa Foundation works in conjunction with &Beyond Foundation to provide aid for the children of Africa.
The Dunes of Namibia…
May 18, 2010
We are now in Namibia at camp Little Kulala. This is a desert retreat. We had a full day of guided drives through the towering dunes. Tomorrow we continue on to the Desert Rhino camp. I have included some photos of where we are staying, so you can feel like you are here with me on my Safari.
Africa is such a beautiful continent with so much to offer…
Namibia Desert
Wildnerness Safaris 'Little Kulala
Wilderness Safaris' Little Kulala
Be sure to follow me on twitter and become a fan on my facebook page for pictures and other updates from my trip!
xo, Ramona
Photos courtesy of Wilderness Safaris.
The Real Housewives of New York Premieres March 4th!
January 28, 2010
The premiere you have been waiting for is almost here! I promise you this will be the wildest season and there are so many surprises I can’t share with you yet, but check back as I will be discussing the episodes throughout this year.
In the meantime, check out the clips Bravo! has put up on their site. This season is going to be so hot!
Welcome to my official blog!
January 14, 2010
Welcome to my official blog!
I have received so many requests for my opinion on business, beauty, health, fitness and family that I thought it was finally time to start the conversation with all of you in one centralized place. I also wanted to use this platform to thank all of my fans for all of your support these last few years. As we get ready for the premiere of Season 3 on March 4th, I can tell you this will be our best season yet and it is chock full of surprises!
Be sure to bookmark this page and check back often, I will be updating my blog often with photos, stories and lots of tips. Please comment! I love to hear from all of you.
xo Ramona
