How much did you miss going to the movies during lockdown? Are you happy to curl up in front of the TV at home, or is watching a movie just one element of a bigger experience?

Like a good book, stepping into an alternative screen-based world is a wonderful escape from everyday worries and niggles. Through the screen, we meet new people, get to know their personalities and quirks and, if the movie’s good, can quickly become immersed in their life.

Of course, as well as getting to know the characters, we often also find ourselves stepping into new locations, some unfamiliar, and others that may even transport us back to a place that is steeped in memories.

Experiencing Matera, James Bond Style

The latest James Bond film, No Time to Die, has catapulted me straight into the atmospheric, winding alleyways of southern Italy’s extraordinary town of Matera. This is a location that we know and love but unfortunately, have been unable to visit during the past year or so.

On our Southern Italy walking tour, I never tire of wandering through the town’s historic ‘Sassi’ district, or indeed of our hike outside the city where we look out on the gorge below and on the streets through which James Bond manoeuvres his Aston Martin DB5 with predictable ease.

Not surprisingly, the town, with its warren of twisting lanes, preserved cave houses and rock-hewn churches, is no newcomer to movie sets, with previous appearances including the Italian crime mystery thriller Io non ho Paura (I’m not Scared) and Mel Gibson’s biblical drama The Passion of the Christ.

The Italian Lakes in Movies

In fact, if you’re a James Bond fan and an Italophile, you’re rather spoilt for choice when it comes to movie locations. Lake Como, and specifically Villa Balbianello, is the location featured in Casino Royale, while neighbouring Lake Garda and Siena in Tuscany provided some spectacular backdrops in Quantum of Solace.

Perhaps you’re missing Tuscany’s gently rolling hills and picture perfect hilltop towns? Under the Tuscan Sun will transport you straight to the unmistakable landscape of olive groves and lush vineyards, providing the ideal antidote for anyone hankering for a taste of traditional Italy.

Big chunks of the movie were filmed in and around Florence and Cortona as well as in the gorgeous medieval town of Montepulciano. Crammed with elegant Renaissance palazzi, enchanting piazzas and ancient churches, the captivating town is a regular stop for wine aficionados thanks to its famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines.

If seeing it on the big screen isn’t enough for you, you can explore the local countryside and taste the wines of Montepulciano and neighbouring Montalcino on a new gastronomic walking tour of the region.

Actually, Montepulciano was also used in the filming of the sequel to the vampire saga Twilight, New Moon, which confusingly, is really set in another Tuscan town, the slightly lesser-known town of Volterra.

Just 30km from Volterra stands San Gimignano, a Tuscan heavyweight which features in the ever popular Zeffirelli-directed Tea with Mussolini. Even with a cast that includes some of the biggest names in the industry, including Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Judi Dench, the backdrop of those iconic towers and traditional Tuscan views are quite unforgettable.

Another popular Tuscan film location is the impeccably planned Renaissance town of Pienza, set in southern Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia. Scenes from the Oscar-winning film The English Patient were filmed close to Piazza Pio II in Pienza and in an abandoned convent nearby.

For visitors today, the artisan cheese shops are certainly a very good reason to stop here but then who could resist a town with street names such as Via del Bacio (Street of the Kiss) and Via dell Amore (Street of Love)?

Filming in Abruzzo

All of these locations may already be familiar territory for you but what if you want to get a glimpse of a lesser-known region of Italy? The Abruzzo, in central Italy, is essentially undiscovered by tourists and provides a wonderful backdrop to several big-hitting movies.

Scenes from the 2010 film, The American, were filmed in the Abruzzo, with a couple of locations providing some serious competition even for George Clooney!  Amongst those used, several feature in our tour of the Abruzzo, including the medieval village of Santo Stefano, the magnificent lunar landscape of Campo Imperatore and the sugar-almond producing town of Sulmona.

The Abruzzo also steals the show in the 1985 American fantasy film LadyHawke. Rocca Calascio, a ruined mountain top fortress in the Abruzzo’s Gran Sasso national park, was the location for the monk scene in the film.

If you thought it was imposing on screen, nothing prepares you for a real-life visit to Italy’s highest fortress which is set at 1500m above sea level and provides awe-inspiring views across the region.

What’s your favourite ‘destination’ movie? Have you ever visited any of the locations featured here? Have you ever been influenced by a movie to visit a specific location overseas?

Are you rolling your eyes yet? Weight loss? Fun?! If you are like lots of people, you may think that losing weight is anything but. Surprise, suffering is not required!

Most people look at weight loss as a punishment for their “crimes” or a necessary penance to endure. It’s this mindset that creates diet mentality – short-term thinking that creates short-term results.

While this frame of mind might seem minor, it’s likely the biggest thing standing in your way. When we are trying to change behaviors, we need to find some way to enjoy the process, or we have a difficult time maintaining the habit.

Yesterday, my friend asked me what my next blog was going to be about. I spouted off this idea about making weight loss fun, and he looked at me like I was crazy.

He challenged me with, “What about hunger pains? How do I make those fun?” I paused, and countered, “What if you congratulated your body and appreciated it for using fat that you had stored for its fuel? That is a party in your brain, that’s fun!”

He continued to look at me like I was insane, much like the look I’m sure you’re giving this page right now. Stay with me here.

What Science Says

In his book, Tiny Habits, B.J. Fogg explains how he found in his research that positive experiences reinforce habits. He says that “pleasure can reinforce a behavior and make it more likely to happen in the future.”

He says there is a neuro-chemical reason for it:

“Good feelings spur the production of a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger in the brain) called dopamine that controls the brain’s ‘reward system’ and helps us remember what behavior led to feeling good so we will do it again.”

Fogg believes that the theory of repetition creating habits is an old myth. “Emotions create habits. Not repetition. Not frequency. Not fairy dust. Emotions.”

We have probably been using this science all of our lives, without even realizing it!

I think we intuitively know and use this theory. Think of how we try to get babies to eat something new. We pretend like the food on the spoon is a “choo-choo train” to make it fun. How about the very popular “Silent Game” that we, as parents, use to make being quiet some kind of sport.

Putting Fun into Weight Loss

So, where do we start? Below are a few ideas to help inspire you to think of your own personal ways to make weight loss fun.

Ensure the Change You Are Trying to Make Is the Perfect Intensity

Not too hard, not too easy. If it’s too easy, such as only having 5 doughnuts a week as opposed to your current 6, it may be too easy. And is that really fun?

It is definitely not fun if it is too hard. If it feels stressful or impossible, it is likely too hard. Ask yourself how you could make the change easy and doable, so that it becomes a fun challenge.

Don’t Take the Process Too Seriously

Keep your sense of humor about the whole thing. Our thoughts around food can actually be amusing, if you pay attention.

Our brains trick us into thinking things like: “Food makes everything fun,” “She will be offended if I don’t eat it,” or “Just this one won’t matter.” Try to catch your brain offering these illogical excuses and laugh at yourself. These thought processes are normal, and most people have them.

Make It a Game or Competition

Try challenging yourself to create a string of successes, much like the Silent Game! For example, see how many days you can go without eating chips, then keep a chart or put stars on your calendar. Or, for you competitive folks that love to win, start a step counter competition with your friend to inspire you.

Schedule an Off-Plan “Joy Eat,” and Really Enjoy It Fully

You can’t start eating healthy and well with a snap of your fingers. It will take time. But while you wait, you can schedule an off-plan event. Look forward to it, then eat every single bite with joy.

Add Music to Anything You Are Doing That May Not Seem Fun

Play your favorite playlist while preparing your healthy food or exercising. Also, dance badly if necessary!

Bring the Fun

Don’t expect someone else, an event, or food to be fun. You be the fun when you need it.

The Real Trick!

People who know me, know that sooner or later I’m going to say that we’re really just making it all up, because I think when it comes down to it, we mostly are. We talk ourselves into things all the time with clever stories about how fun they will be, or how it will be beneficial to us.

If you do this consistently, you really do start to believe it, and then you can make this skill really work for you. The real trick is to make the choice to decide that your weight loss journey is fun. The science shows that this kind of attitude will help you create new habits.

If you are thinking about telling me that weight loss is just not fun and that I am a crazy person, just remember that you are making up this story. Weight loss can be enjoyable, you just have to decide that it is. Simple as that.

Have you created a habit by talking yourself into it? What habit was that? Do you see yourself doing the same when it comes to weight loss? What are some of your ideas to make healthy eating fun? Please share them below. I bet you can come up with more than your friends!

Billie Eilish does things her own way. When it comes to her career, she’s way more about the surprises than the constant social media teases. It’s a strategy that has worked for her and today, she did it again, surprising fans with the announcement of Billie Eilish Fragrances and its first launch. The fragrance is called Eilish and it comes out this November, just in time for holiday gift-giving.

“This is a scent that I’ve been chasing for years and years,” Eilish wrote on Instagram. This is my favorite smell in the WORLD. Fragrance has always been such an enormous part of my life and existence since I can remember, and it was a dream to create this scent and bring my ideas to life. This has been one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done.”

Hew new fragrance line was created with Parlux Fragrances, Ltd, which issued a press release stating that Eilish is involved in all aspects of creation, “from the creative vision, to the bottle design, the packaging, the campaign, and of course, the scent itself.”

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Source: Instagram

Speaking of scent, the vegan and cruelty-free fragrance is said to be warm and cozy with opening notes of sugared petals, accented by juicy mandarin and red berries. The heart of the fragrance features soft spices, rich cocoa, and creamy vanilla. There are base notes of warm musks, tonka bean, and sleek woods. The sleek bottle was inspired by the singer’s favorite parts of the body: the chest, neck and collarbone.

“I wanted it to feel like a warm embrace,” Eilish said in a statment. “Like what it feels like to feel your blood rushing through you. It’s a scent that I’ve been chasing for years and years and years. It’s my favorite smell in the world.”

Yup, I need to get this on my body STAT. Luckily, we can all grab it this November on billieeilishfragrances.com.

Leva Bonaparte’s Pink Bow Dress on Instagram

Southern Charm Instagram Fashion 2021

Pretty in pink! According to Instagram some of the Southern Charm ladies had an all-pink fête the other day. And while we’re having a difficult time choosing a favourite look from the event, I think it’s safe to say that with her pink mini dress Leva Bonaparte was definitely the belle that was best in bow.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to See Her Asos Design Dress

Click Here to See Her Asos Design Shoes

Click Here For Info on Madison’s Dress

Photo: @LevaBonaparte

Originally posted at: Leva Bonaparte’s Pink Bow Dress

I know what you’re thinking: A whitening strips sale? Should I really care? Yes, duh? Have you seen how expensive these beauty essentials usually are? As part of Amazon’s Epic Beauty Haul event (a massive sale where everything from salon-quality hair tools to celeb-approved cleansing devices is discounted ahead of the holidays), some of the most beloved and top-rated teeth whitening kits are discounted for nearly 50% off.

And, drumroll please, Crest’s iconic strips are on sale for the lowest price they’ve been all year. Now, that’s certainly something to smile about. These whitening strips have a whopping 39,000 perfect ratings, and can arrive at your door by tomorrow (depending on when you buy it, of course).

Now, it might seem superficial, but having a smile that you’re proud of can make all the difference throughout your day. When you feel good showing off those canines, you have a contagious confidence that is more than deserved. Plus, now that we’re all getting vaccinated and it’s a bit safer to be around people outdoors without masks on, it’s a special occasion to showcase your pearly whites.

RELATED: TikTok’s Favorite Skincare Line Has An Anti-Aging Cream That’s Better Than La Mer

Below, check out the different (but top-rated nonetheless) teeth whitening kits on sale now at Amazon. But be forewarned: These discounts end tonight!

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Courtesy: Crest.

Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips

Usually $48, this beloved whitening kit is on sale for today only at $28—a 42% discount as big as the one on Prime Day.

With this kit, you not only get 20 daily treatments that can remove stains from the past 14 years (!!) of your life, but you also get two additional hour-long express treatments that can truly save the day ahead of dates, presentations, or any other special occasion.

Shoppers say these strips are so effective, you’ll be able to “see a few shades difference in the first two days.”

They’re simple to use, too. Simply apply the top and bottom strips to your teeth and keep them on for a half hour. This is mindless, especially when you carryout the process while watching Netflix or doing chores. After the daily treatments are complete, you’ll be left with shiny, bright teeth that you’re proud of. (Head’s up: If you have sensitive teeth, reviewers recommend taking a few days off between treatments.)

Courtesy: Crest.

Crest 3D White Whitestrips

Looking for a professional-quality whitening, but hate the dentist as much as the rest of us? Get the best of both worlds by using Crest’s at-home whitening kit. It uses the power of light to produce the fastest results of any of the brand’s products. Usually $70, this kit is also on sale now for its lowest price all year, and costs $40.

To use this, you apply the whitening strips as you would typical ones, but instead of stopping there, you place the small light device around your teeth. It’s shaped similarly to a mouth guard, so should fit around your teeth comfortably with ease.

Though using a light might seem intimidating, Crest made it easy. The tool will automatically shut off when it should be removed, so you don’t have to guess or keep a timer to make sure that you get the best results. These strips are so effective, it takes only 10 days’ worth of hour-long treatments to get results that last for up to three years.