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At 37, I'm pivoting. After 15 years of sharing the aesthetics that inspire me—the fashion, the design, the entertaining—I'm finally asking why any of it matters. This is the essay where I stop hiding behind the beautiful and start claiming what I actually am: a therapist, a writer, and someone who knows how to find beauty even in the darkest moments.

The story behind the hardest reservation in Mallorca — and how persistence, kindness, and a bouquet of flowers got us a table at El Olivo.

Euro summer has become the epicenter of travel from May to September — and I get why. Unlike most trends on Instagram, this one always lives up to the hype for me, despite the fact that we ruined Positano. But it's where we travel, it's the approach to living we take once we arrive there. Whether you basked in the charm of Èze, actually read a book at the beach in Santa Margherita or stood in awe while touring Athens — it's a way of life. Whether you received a passport stamp

A Mallorca hotel guide from a therapist who travels to feel, not to sightsee — Hotel Cort in Palma, maximalist Grand Hotel Son Net, the possessió charm of Hotel Es Port in Port de Sóller, and Belmond La Residencia in Deià, and the version of myself each one made possible.

This outfit was a dream because I actually did dream of it. Meant for another evening with another backlit backdrop per slide 4 on my Canva-made Mallorcan itinerary, I was supposed to wear this sparkly see-through number on the swanky rooftop bar of Hotel Jumeirah. However, to avoid a hike up the hillside and a meltdown from my five-year-old, we settled on a well-reviewed paella spot along the pedestrian pathway, savoring the golden hour with gelato afterwards, my extended ar

A therapist unpacks the invisible labor of planning a beautiful family trip to Mallorca — and everything hidden inside one word: "nice."

You Don't Need a Party. You know I love a birthday — my own especially, being a Leo (of course) — but really, I love the ritual of celebrating. A birthday is an anniversary of a life, and like any anniversary, it can be both inspiring and overwhelming. As a therapist, I know they quietly prompt reflection, introspection, motivation, and sometimes loss. As a hostess, friend, mother, and daughter, I know they come down to one thing: making someone feel seen. And feeling seen is

There's a word for the opposite of a trigger, and almost no one uses it. We all know what a trigger is by now — the term has fully escaped the therapy room. A trigger is a cue that drops your nervous system into threat: the tone in an email, a certain song, the smell of a hospital. Your body reacts before your mind has voted on the matter. The lesser-known truth is that the same system runs in the other direction. The polyvagal researcher Deb Dana gave that direction a name:

The Tradwife Novel That Blames Women.

Excerpt: 8 tips for styling a maximalist buffet table that looks abundant without feeling chaotic — from fruit towers and silver serveware to caviar with potato chips.

My child asked for a pirates and cheese themed birthday party—And I delivered

Travel truly reinvigorates us, and despite my penchant for finding the most storied and beautiful places around the world, most of what I am looking for actually exists less than two hours away. Short excursions are an underrated luxury I find as I scroll through Instagram, my eyes dazzled by yet another glamorous beach off the rugged coastline of Italy with the promise of the best linguine alla vongole you’ve ever had. And while I might sound like a complete and total hypocr

Growing up in Chicago I lived for summer. For three months out of the year we could reliably count on good weather—along with some humidity and summer storms but also genuinely warm nights spent completely outside. Come June all the sudden everyone is Chicago had a convertible, every restaurant boasted patios larger than their insides and boats on Lake Michigan magically appeared along the sparkling city skyline. With an August 12th birthday, everyone always was eager to cele

I sit here this morning, writing at 5:30am on a Wednesday, before my son wakes up, and I start seeing back to back therapy patients. This is the only time of day I have the wherewithal to form a fully fledged thought and make a plan for my weekly content on now several social platforms including Instagram, Substack, Shop My, Pinterest and my original blog turned brand website, MonicaGisele.com. The things I like to share range from detailed accounts on why I chose a hotel roo

We found a truly feminine countryside retreat in the Napa Valley! Located right across the street from Bouchon on Yountville's main road, sits one of the newest editions to the valley's high bar for hospitality. I felt like I was on set of a Nancy Meyers film about a feminine girl finding love in wine country! The design is whimsical and feminine, a nice addition to the typical earthy and refined palletes we are most accustomed to seeing in the Napa Valley region. I loved how

Yountville is officially my favorite place in the Napa Valley! I have been to Napa twice before, both times the main purpose being a wedding and so didn't really get the chance to explore much. So when Parker's spring break came around I figured the drive north into wine country would be an esay retreat and I am happy to report it truly was. Since Arthur has been busy with work, my mother and I decided to take Parker ourselves to Napa Valley, to explore the charming town of Y

Arthur and I had the pleasure of attending an event last week with perhaps the best theme yet–Retro Riviera! Of course my mind instantly went to Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren. Summer travel for me will always be inspired by the culture of Italian and French Riviera in the 50s and 60s. A time well captured in film of these movie stars; conjuring images of a vintage convertible swirving through the sparkling coastline of the Mediterranean through chic villages.

Like photography, floral arranging is something I've been taking amateur shots at for a while now. And I can't imagine I am the only one! It's both a practical and beautiful skill to have, a practice you can completely immerse yourself in—no screens required! So I decided to throw a floral arranging party for my son's school fundraiser and the other moms and I had such a great time gathering with one another and learning new skills from the talented Jelena from Viola Floral

I am now on ShopMy!