For many, the word “vacation” and the thought of lying on a pristine beach taking it easy don’t go together at all. Given how many hours we spend at our computers, sitting in offices where perhaps the most exciting thing that can happen is the arrival of a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, is it any wonder we yearn for the jaw-dropping sights and pulse-quickening adventures of the great outdoors? If you dream of using your senses as they were meant to be used and maybe even seeing great creatures in the wild, you need to visit Big Animals Photography Expeditions. Started by photographer Amos Nachoum, whose explorations have been featured in National Geographic and on the Discovery Channel, this travel company limits the number of guests to give each participant the chance to move about and take pictures (under Nachoum’s expert tutelage, if desired) and, most important, to leave the wildlife and their habitat undisturbed: “Our goal is to see, photograph and interact with the most imposing inhabitants of the animal kingdom, and to observe special behavior such as predation, migration, nursing, and parenting.” Choose from scuba diving and wildlife adventures in Antarctica ($9,950 and up, plus airfare); a once-a-year month-long expedition to Africa, which includes an encounter with the great white and the whale shark, in addition to the traditional “big five” (lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos and elephants) for $40K plus airfare: or witness a 1,000-mile sardine run over the Wild Coast (east coast) of South Africa ($5,900, plus airfare). Even if you aren’t a photographer or long-time diver, you are welcome. All you need, says Nachoum, is a passion for nature, the spirit of adventure and a desire to step beyond the typical experiences offered by the usual travel agency. Large sums of disposable income are also helpful. If you go, we suggest taking a pair of focus-free Bushnell binoculars (sale price: $59 to $83) because you don’t want to waste a second focusing. An excellent photography book to get you ready for the trip is The New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography: How to Get Close and Capture Animals on Film.

Sometimes, a single website is worth its weight in trendy little gold clutches, and Stylehive.com is one such place. It is kind of a Facebook for style and fashion junkies of all stripes – from clothing to purses to makeup to home furnishings to artful décor and on and on. It features the web wanderings of its busy style-bees as they continue their never-ending search for the coolest new thing to buy or admire. If you want to check it out, you can look at the day’s most tagged, or most popular, items spotted on the web by the hive’s bees in lots of categories – from furniture to fashion. Yesterday, for example, folks tagging items in the fashion category liked a cute sequined tank dress by Abaete on sale at Bergdorf  Goodman (and it’s marked down to $248). In the Unique category, there was a bit of buzz about a cute little owl ring that’s for sale at ReVision Jewelry for $24.99. You can look at words of wisdom from the hive’s most popular members and what they (and their followers) are coveting today – like Lisanne816, who has more than 100 followers and yesterday was showing them all a zingy pair of mouse-faced Marc Jacobs slingback slip-ons that are $325.

Most of us know there are professional organizers: people who you pay to come and get rid of your clutter and organize your life. If you are a messy person, you may have wondered about the musings of such people. Perhaps you can glean some organizing insight from their words. You should, because they’ve designated January as “Get Organized” month. We’ve come across some blogs written by professional organizers. White Space is written by Cynthia Ivie, the owner of an organizing business. She started her business in ‘98 and now has 100s of clients and 7 professional organizers on staff, her website says. Her blog is nicely designed (of course) and offers thoughtful ideas on the advantages of time management and a simpler life. Jeri Dansky just began her career as a professional organizer, and on her blog she offers advice on an array of ways to store your Christmas ornaments, new and interesting staplers and 7 gentle alarm clocks. Living an Organized Life is a blog by professional Cyndi Seidler. Her blog has some interesting ideas, although at first glance it doesn’t give one a sense of her personal thoughts. This blog has some fun ideas in it, although you’d never guess it from the name: Professional Organizing - Custom Living Solutions. But author Joshua Zerkel has interesting tidbits about new products, chronically late people and references to other articles. Organized with Style is the name of both business and a blog. They offer whimsical posts, such as a suggestion to photograph all your Christmas decorations that you really liked this year, or to bring all your spare change to a Salvation Army kettle instead of your bank. An Organized Existence is written by Michelle Lynn Goodfellow, a organizing pro from Canada. Her site has a easy-going, casual feel to it, like this recent post about organizing piles of paper “and other stuff”. She has lots of wisdom under the category of “coaching” and answers the universal question we wonder about professional organizers: “Have you always been this way?” Her answer: “Yes. Eat your heart out.”