Travel Essentials

I have become somewhat of a travel pro given all the miles I’ve logged throughout my career, and I’ve been traveling a lot in the last few months. Sometimes I’m lucky to be accompanied by the girls, but lately I have been travelling alone quite a bit. When I go on the road, I always bring my “essentials” with me. They make the trip just a little easier, and I thought it would be fun to share them with you so that next time you plan for a trip, you can be well prepared – take a look at my top five favorites list below and let me know what you think!

1. Wireless headphones: I love them because I have the freedom to move around. Whether on the plane, with my kids or working out I love having them.

2. Longchamp Le Pliage Medium Tote: This might be my favorite item. I take it everywhere I go. I usually travel with a backpack and I need a handbag once I arrive at the tournament. It is the perfect size to fit whatever I need for the day and small enough that I can fold it and put in in my suitcase. So great! I have the black with brown handle so I can match it with black or brown shoes.


3. Convertible travel blanket: This is great. Sometimes I don’t want to travel with a sweater and often it is so cold on the plane that you just need a blanket. It also doubles as a pillow if you don’t need something to cover you up.

4. Backpack: I used to travel with a big purse but I wised up and now I travel with a backpack. SOOOO much easier and my hands are free. Nowadays you can get super stylish ones since it is on trend. I use a Tumi backpack that I got on sale. They are a bit pricey, but they’re great quality and worth every penny, especially if you get them on sale! It is practical and has a lot of pockets.

5. Baby wipes: I always travel with baby wipes, which are useful for so many things, especially any spilling that happens on clothes.

Oh, and please know that this is my list of favorites for traveling solo – when I’m traveling with the kids, the list grows exponentially!

Smell the Roses

This past week I had the honor of playing in the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic. It was an incredible event in honor of a great young woman who unfortunately passed away in a car accident last year. I had the honor and pleasure of staying with Danielle’s father, Mike Downey and his wife Jen Downey. My golf performance was, once again, not great, but it was an emotional week that put so much in perspective. 

Danielle Downey was a fellow LPGA Tour player and a friend who always lived life to the fullest.  She was always the life of the party, making friends wherever she went and always putting a smile on the faces of her peers.  I knew Danielle for many years through junior tournaments, college golf and later on tour.  She was an incredible talent on the golf course, always playing with such ease, but most importantly she is remembered for her talents off the golf course:  her ability to connect with people and make people laugh, and her loyal and loving nature with friends and family. 

I am so happy I had the opportunity to stay with Mr. Downey.  I cannot imagine the pain he must feel every day for the loss of his daughter.  When he talks about Danielle you can see in his eyes how much he misses her and how painful it is to have so many incredible memories, yet be unable to make new ones because her life was simply cut too short.  I was also lucky to meet Danielle’s sisters and hear more about Danielle’s stories and how the tournament came to life to honor their sister. 

My stay with the Downeys last week really touched me and put a lot of things in perspective.  I have a very big goal ahead of me and even though the past six months have not been the best competition wise, I remain hopeful that my golf game will improve and I may have the chance to play in the Olympics.  I was reminded this week to enjoy the journey as I go along and to not overlook the memories I am making and the people that have been crossing my path, both old and new.  It also reminded me what the most important things are in life - my family and friends. I am still incredibly driven towards my goal and I am working harder than ever to achieve it, but I will also take the time to smell the roses, love my family and enjoy the journey every step of the way.  Life is just too short to do otherwise.  

Avocado Obsession Continues: Avocado Basil Pasta

Avocado Obsession Continues: Avocado Basil Pasta

Yes, here I go with my avocado obsession again! I wanted to share another go-to recipe that is healthy and super easy to make and this one just kept coming back to my mind.  Stella loves pasta and so does Adam.  I was looking for a summer pasta recipe when I came across this one at my friend Barbara’s barbecue. It is easy to make and so incredibly delicious!

Photo courtesy of Dairy Made Easy

You will need:

8 ounces bow-tie pasta or quinoa penne pasta

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 medium avocados, diced  2 tbsp olive oil

2/3 cup loosely packed basil leaves, chopped      
2 garlic cloves, crushed                            
¼ Tbsp kosher salt & pinch coarse black pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta as directed on the package

2. In a large bowl, combine avocado, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic s&p.

3. Add hot pasta to bowl, stir to combine;

4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve right away or at room temperature

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!!!!

Happy Father's Day

On Sunday is Father’s day and I am so bummed to be away from my family. I am lucky to have some amazing men in my life. My father, Lutz, my brother, Alex, and my father-in-law, Ned, are all amazing dads and I would like to wish them all a happy father’s day.  However, I want to take this opportunity to focus in and thank my husband, Adam.  Adam is by far my better half.  He is incredibly kind, smart and very funny.  He is my number one supporter and has been amazing throughout this crazy journey.

Going back to playing professional golf has created a lot of stress in our lives.  Having to move to Florida in the winter (well, maybe not such a bad thing considering the Boston winters), travelling two weeks out of every month for tournaments and my practice schedule has taken a toll and changed our family dynamic. Oh, and throw moving to a new house in Massachusetts on top of that!!!! It is INSANE.  I used to be the main caregiver for the kids, but Adam has had to fill in in my absence.  He has an incredibly busy schedule with the Red Sox, but not once has he told me that I could not do something.  He is my number one supporter and changes his schedule around all the time in order to make sure I do what I need to do in order to improve my golf game.

Adam is the kindest and most sympathetic person I have ever met.  He always puts his family’s, friends’ and co-workers’ needs and feelings above his own. He is kind to others without expecting anything in return and always 'wants to make others happy.  I admire him so much for that.  He never leaves a conversation without asking the person if they need anything or if there is anything he can do for them.

He is an incredible father to our two girls and always manages to make us laugh.  Seeing him with our daughters melts my heart every day.  I am definitely the crazy, loud, and disciplinarian one between the two of us. A lot of times he comes back from work just to read a book to Stella or tuck Luiza into bed and then goes right back to the office.

Marriage is hard work.  Like many couples we have our differences and our marriage is not perfect. However I am lucky to be able to say that the most stressful times always bring us closer together.  I love him with all my heart and I learn from him every day.  One of my best friends’ mothers once told me that we should marry the person, whom we would like our kids to resemble.  I can only hope that our girls are just like their dad…that would be an incredible gift.

My First LPGA Event!

First and foremost, I want to apologize for taking a hiatus from any sort of social media, including my blog, for almost two weeks. Life has been crazier than usual since we decided to move to a new house.  We are moving this week and getting all of our ducks in a row has been a challenge, BUT WE ARE MANAGING!

My most recent post was a preview of my first LPGA event at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.  First off, I need to thank Tim Erensen, tournament director, and Karen Gozzi, from ShopRite, for giving me a sponsor exemption.  THANK YOU for the amazing opportunity to play on the LPGA again.

I did not know how I was going to feel about going back to an LPGA Tour event. It had been a LONG time and many questions popped into my head.  Will I be so nervous that I won’t be able to stick the tee into the ground? How will my family life fit into a tour event?  Am I too old for this comeback?  I was very anxious about going into the week.  Well… I have to say that being back on the “big” tour was the most comfortable I have felt throughout this process. In a weird way I felt right at home.  I knew where everything was, what I was supposed to do, and whom to talk to if I needed a little help.  It was incredible!

Highlights of my week:

-Hanging out with Paul, our club Guru on Tour.  Paul always welcomes me with open arms and he was definitely Stella’s favorite. She loved going into the club repair van for her daily “candy” fix!!!

-Dinner and practice round with my dear friend Karrie Webb.  Most of my friends from the LPGA have retired. However Webby is still kicking major butt out there. So great to catch up and play with her. I just love watching her play and laugh about life.  Just love her.  

- Myrtle the Turtle.  I found a baby turtle on the course during the pro-am and we took it back to the house to show it to Stella. She was excited until I put it in her hand. That was it for her.  We released Myrtle back into the woods. We will never forget Myrtle the Turtle

-I missed the cut but I felt like I played very good golf.  The best golf I have played since I have been back. I need a lot more work but I know I can play and that my game is not too far off.

-The best part of all was having my family with me and realizing that my kids and hubby fit right into my life on tour.

Can’t wait for the next two weeks of tournaments!!! So much more to come!!!

Avocado Toast, My New Obsession

Photo courtesy of seedsnsmiles.com

Avocado has become my best friend in the last few months.  Adam and I started incorporating it into a variety of dishes, especially at breakfast.  It has many health benefits including healthy, natural fats and antioxidants and I have fallen in love with it.  One of our favorite recipes is avocado toast in the morning!!!

I love having a piece of toast in the morning.  I used to put a little butter on it or add olive oil, but when Stella and Luiza were born I had to give up dairy because they both had trouble digesting the protein in dairy products.  So when I saw this recipe for avocado toast I decided to give it a try and I totally fell in love with it!!!

Here is how I make my avocado toast:

1/2 an avocado

1 piece of toast

Pinch of salt

1/8 of a lemon juiced

Olive oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

I toast my bread and drizzle olive oil on top of it. Then, I take half the avocado and mash it in a small bowl.  I squeeze the lemon into the avocado and mash it a little more, adding the salt.  Then, spread the mashed avocado onto your toast and sprinkle with some red pepper flakes. If you don’t like spicy food you can leave the red pepper flakes out.

It is so delicious and this has become one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast with my eggs or if I am hungry mid afternoon.  There are also a lot of other ways you can make avocado toast.  Would love to hear how you make yours!!!

Trial & Error: Feeling Overwhelmed

Sorry I have been on hiatus for the last two weeks.  A lot has happened and I felt like I needed to take a few weeks off in order to gather my thoughts and just take control of my life a little bit!  This journey has been a lot more overwhelming than expected. Trying to be a good mom, dedicating myself to golf again, and figuring out what tournament schedule works for me and for our family has not been easy.  

When I started playing and traveling again I had to give up a lot of the control I had over my kids’ everyday lives.  I remember when I had Stella; I was there for every single milestone. I left her for the first time when she was around a year old.  When I was not working, I loved knowing exactly what happened in my daughters’ days even if I was not around 100% of the time.

I was away all last week and came back to my youngest, Luiza, looking so much bigger and my oldest, Stella, telling me things she had done during the week that I had no idea about.  It made me sad because I felt like I was missing out on so much. I have not taken her to school in over a week. Before I started playing I NEVER missed one day.  I don’t have time to make them a freshly cooked meal every night and I always loved to cook for them.  Nowadays there are weeks that I don’t even see a single poopy diaper from Luiza!

In addition to that, I have also had to transition into becoming a different golfer. When I played on tour before I dedicated 90% of my time into becoming the best golfer I could be. Now there are days when I only have a couple hours to practice. I am not complaining - I have just had to adapt.  I have reached out to many former players and asked them how they became more efficient in their practice routines (I will divulge some of their tips in future posts!) I feel like their advice has helped me a lot and I cannot thank them enough. 

It is all a transition. I have had to evolve as a golf player and parent and become a better working mom.  I know it will all settle down once I find my ideal routine and travel schedule.  Until then we will go through a lot of trial and error.  OH BY THE WAY DID I MENTION WE ARE MOVING???!….to be continued….

Symetra Tour Profile Blog

I was honored to be featured recently on the Symetra Tour website in an article that highlights my return to professional golf (you can read the full story here: http://bit.ly/1H4Ps8s and a snapshot of me in 18 questions: http://bit.ly/1COWzfj).

It paints an accurate picture of our daily lives - with Stella encouraging us to have nice long days by waking up every morning at 5am like clockwork – and showcases the unique experiences I face as a new mother on tour.

And though it’s true that my day and training schedule are unlike many other professional golfers, all of us have lives outside of golf and strive to balance training hard and competitions with spending time with family, friends, and on outside interests. My interests just so happen to talk back (or at least one does!).

I hope that this peek into my day can bring a knowing smile to many other working parents and athletes out there. Thanks, Symetra!

Traveling With Two Kids

I have always loved traveling.  As a family we traveled a lot when I was younger. I took my first solo plane ride from Brazil to Germany when I was 8 years old; what were my parents thinking?  So it is no surprise that I chose a career that has taken me all over the world.

Well... traveling with two kids is a whole different story. Words can't express how hard it is to travel with two kids to a golf tournament. The amount of stuff necessary to travel with them is insane. It takes so much organizing and planning ahead and I am not the best at organizing or at planning ahead so maybe that is the problem! I am not the only mother that does this and many parents travel with a lot more kids than I do, but I don't know how they do it. Hats off to them!

There has never been a dull moment when traveling with the girls. On our way back from Orlando recently, I accidentally threw my wallet in the trash together with the bag of food I bought for Stella. It was only in Boston that I realized what had happened - total panic!   And there was the other time when I took Luiza in the airplane bathroom to change her diaper and she peed all over me. I started to crack up because I knew I did not have another shirt. Result: I smelled of pee the rest of the trip. Lesson learned. Now I never travel without an extra set of clothes.

I am sure I will accumulate a lot more little stories along the way and it will not be the last time I get that panicked feeling. This is our life on the road and I have learned to expect the unexpected and to adjust and adapt. Progress!

I would love to hear your stories about traveling with your kids and any advice you might have!

My Family

Since I have two weeks off before my next event I wanted to come back home to Boston.  I have been on the road on and off since December 19^th and it feels so nice to finally be back home, even if it is for a short time.  I am happiest when I am home with my family… nothing in the world makes me happier so I thought I would introduce you to my pack, my world, and my loves.

My hubby, Adam Grossman:

Adam and I met in 2006 through one of my best friends, Alex Messore, who was my agent at the time. We both went to Duke University and graduated in 2002. We met right before I got injured in 2007 and he has been my rock ever since.  We got married in 2009 and he is the main reason why I am able to make this comeback. He is always incredibly supportive and thinks of others before he thinks of himself.  He’s an amazing father, husband, and the best human being I have ever met. I am so lucky!

Stella: 

My mother always said that when I had kids I would have a little girl that was exactly like me and I would pay for all I made her go through.  Well… that little girl is Stella.  She is mini me with big brown eyes, is incredibly active, and loves life. Her favorite things are dancing, playing any kinds of sports, and of course FROZEN… please, make it stop.  She is Ms. Independent and incredibly stubborn like her mommy. Her smile melts my heart and her hugs and kisses are delicious. 

Luiza:

I was always worried if I was going to love my second baby as much as I loved Stella and then I met Luiza, who, let’s be honest, is mini Adam.  When she arrived I had to do a double take because I was expecting my second child to look like Stella and… I was WRONG.  We call her our little Gringa with her beautiful pale skin and light eyes.  She is the happiest baby and was sleeping through the night at 3 months old… Stella still does not sleep through the night. I love her smile so much and just could not imagine our family being complete without her. 

Bubbles and Gorby: 

Bubbles is officially my first child.  I got him in 2003 and he has been with me through my life’s major milestones.  He was there when I got my LPGA Tour card, played on tour, got married, and had kids. He is truly my partner in crime. 

Gorby is the star athlete in our family.  He can play with a ball and run and catch a Frisbee mid-air all day long.  He is incredibly protective of the girls, especially Stella, and is Adam’s best buddy.