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Wine & wellness in midlife

Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle
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Welcome, I'm Donna!

Writer | Traveler | foodie | Mother

I’m a Gen X mom of four, a Marvel geek, wine nerd, writer, and creator of Dangerous Cupcake, a Southern California lifestyle blog about wellness in midlife. As my kids enter different stages of their lives, I get to do the same — learn a new instrument, get out and have fun, love Disney, try new adventures, and not let my age define anything. This stage of life is pretty amazing. I love being mom, wife AND Grammy, and midlife isn’t a bad word. Join me in changing focus and enjoying life during our next phase, without totally starting over. However you do it, life is short, live a little dangerously.

Donna@dangerouscupcakelifestyle.com

Rancho Cucamonga, CA Inland EMPIRE

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Travel. Food. Wine. Cocktails. 🐾 🏁


Wellness & fun for midlife women.

Donna B | Wine & Wellness | Writer

dangerouscupcakelifestyle
We don’t usually get to stay in the shadow of a We don’t usually get to stay in the shadow of a volcano, but when we do, it’s at Arenal Springs Resort and Spa in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. The days there start early, with the sounds of macaws outside on our patio, only outshone by the view of the amazing volcano. I headed to yoga with a sound treatment, followed by an amazing buffet breakfast that included all things Costa Rican…and an omelette bar, smoothie bar, juicer buffet, and parfait station. And the fried cheese and yucca hash browns! Keep the coffee coming, it’s strong and delicious. We enjoyed some hammock time in the shade, got a lesson in making coffee in a Vandola in Kahului Coffee Shop (one of the three on-site restaurants) from Julian, and spent hours in the pools and hot springs, interrupted only by lunch at the swim-up sushi bar. Carlos, Wendy and the team kept the cocktails coming then! Dinner the first night was at Segreto, an Italian-themed eatery with live music; night two, I had an entire red snapper at Ti Cain, the Costa Rican restaurant. We ended our nights back on our balcony, listening to more nightlife, drinking red wine that the team left us on our first day to celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary. (Isn’t that towel animal arrangement adorable? And we loved the dessert!) Arenal Springs Resort is not all-inclusive, but you won’t need to leave at all once you arrive. The souvenir shop will have all your travel and gift needs covered (at better prices than we found most places) and there’s an onsite gym and game room attached, so the kids can stay occupied while you get in a workout. Yoga is free to all guests, and there are a couple of adults-only areas in the hot springs. If you want to go do excursions, the hotel is on most lists for pickups, so you won’t need to rent a car, and the concierge will help you if you do want a taxi. They’ve got all your needs covered! 
#CostaRica @arenalspringscostarica #LaFortuna #ArenalVolcano #VisitCostaRica #TravelCostaRica #PuraVida #Vandola #Volcano #TravelBlogger #TravelBlog #Wine #Sushi #Bourbon #HotSprings #Spa #CostaRicanFood
This gem of a restaurant in Manuel Antonio, Costa This gem of a restaurant in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, is a must-visit destination if you want incredible food, fantastic service, and an amazing view — and if you go on a clear night, that sunset! Ronny’s Place came highly recommended, and we could easily see why. It’s off the beaten path, but within five minutes from the main streets, which just adds to its charm. We got a taxi from Hotel Costa Verde, and it was about a 15-minute drive with normal downtown traffic. We had a 5pm reservation (and reservations are a must) and got the best table along the edge, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, where we watched boats coming in for the night. Picturesque and gorgeous. 
Hubs got the coconut breaded shrimp, and I got an entire lobster — and I ate it ALL. We started with octopus carpaccio, and ended our meal with the famous Ronny’s original flaming show. It’s caramelized bananas served with vanilla ice cream, and it was so much fun to watch! (And it tasted great, too!) We also had a few cocktails; we weren’t driving, and we lingered without any rush, and it was perfect. Costa Rica offers so many things that help you create memories, like the food, the wildlife, the terrain and adventures, but the people are the best we’ve ever met from everywhere we’ve traveled. Ronny’s Place is another example of that. Go visit — and make that sunset reservation! @ronnysplace #ronnysplace #manuelantonio #manuelantoniocostarica #costarica #costaricafood #costaricatravel #visitcostarica #puravida #lobster #cocktails #sunset
Are you ready to walk to help raise money for the Are you ready to walk to help raise money for the CHOC Foundation and to help the families who receive compassion and medical care at the CHOC Children’s Hospital? This year’s amazing CHOC Walk in the Park is going to take place on August 3 and all walkers will get to stroll through both Disneyland AND Disney California Adventure! Last night’s CHOC Walk kick-off event was sprinkled with Disney magic from beginning to end. (I mean, it was held across the street from the parks!) We got to meet this year’s incredible CHOC Walk Ambassador, Belle Wuich, who you can find and follow at itsbelliebelle, and we had the privilege of dining with the talented Jeff Granito of @JeffGranitoDesigns and his beautiful wife and some fellow Disney fans and influencers. We met Choco Bear, Belle, and even took home signed artwork from Jeff, who designed the logos you see in all the promotional materials. Thank you to the CHOC Foundation, Disneyland, and the Anaheim Hotel for such a fun evening! Walk with us on August 3 and sign up today at CHOCWalk.org! @chocfoundation @chocchildrens @theanaheimhotel @disneyland @tammyev @mrtodaygroup #chocwalk #chocwalk2025 #chocchildrens #disneyland #disneymagic
Wine break! A few weeks ago, we attended the Festi Wine break! A few weeks ago, we attended the Festival of Forgotten Grapes, a tasting event at the amazing Mica Studio in Los Angeles, featuring over 260 wines and almost 70 wineries. We got to speak with the winemakers, try as many kinds as we wanted, and we even got to taste grapes we’ve never even heard of before. After four hours of tasting, we placed our wine orders, which as a VIP ticket holder, were delivered for free to our home! These wines were just a few of our favorites: Angeleno Wine Company’s Alicante Bouschet, Paso Secco’s Sparkling Grenache Blanc, Andis Wines Barbera d’Amador, and Giornata’s Barbera. (Can you tell we love Barbera?) I could have added so many more to the list, but we need to drink faster because our huge red wine cabinet is stuffed to the gills and our white wine fridge is just a few bottles away from max capacity. Great excuse to drink wine more often, right? Each of the above wines was spectacular and I have plans to visit some of the wineries coming up in the next few months. We enjoy both white and red varietals and I can’t wait to dive deeper into more forgotten grapes. 
Next year’s festival date is already in place — March 28, 2026 — so put it on your calendar so you don’t miss it! @festivalofforgottengrapes @andiswines @pasosecco @angelenowine @giornatawines #wine #sparklingwine #redwine #whitewine #festivalofforgottengrapes #winetastings #winetasting @wearemica #losangeles #californiawine #wines #winewriter #winegeek #winegirl #wineries #winery
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