Here’s a good gift for the person on your list who can’t be tied down: eta’s new Luggage Locator. It’s a small gadget that attaches to a bag and allows one to locate a lost bag from up to 60 feet away. The device comes with a remote control that emits a radio frequency to set off a series of beeps and flashes from the locator, ensuring a traveler can locate her bag quickly and painlessly.
The Luggage Locater (remote and receiver) is priced at $19.99, includes a one-year limited warranty and comes in four different colors. It’s also water resistent.
The company also makes the Luggage Locator Pro which allows you to program multiple receivers with the same remote so that you can find all of your bags at once. The LL Pro is $24.99; additional receivers are $14.99 each. The LL Pro comes with a one-year limited warranty as well.
For those divas out there who can’t wait to break out the muck boots, head to the community of Seabrook, WA the weekend of December 11-14, 2008 and get 20% off the rental of a cottage. According to a Sunset Magazine writer, Seabrook is the “place for clamming,” and while this Northwest rite of passage is messy and time-consuming, it’s said to be a lot of fun. I’ve personally never been clamming but it seems like a good time, plus the people of Seabrook seem really happy to introduce newbies to the past time and are very eager to help you get started. Check out this blog on clamming in Seabrook for a list of required equipment and tips on clamming. For more info on the December special and others check out Seabrook Cottage Rentals’ Fall/Winter Specials. Happy Clamming!
During the holidays, there is always at least one person on the list who is difficult to buy for. He or she usually has everything they need, and if they want something, they don’t wait for someone else to give it to them, they just go out and buy it themselves. For these individuals, I suggest giving a gift in their name to an organization that works to protect our oceans: Oceana. This year marks the organization’s third year of its holiday gift giving program and all proceeds go toward Oceana and protecting the world’s oceans.
Here’s how it works:
Holiday shoppers may visit www.oceana.org/adopt to symbolically adopt one of ten marine creatures, including a dolphin, shark, sea turtle, octopus, seal, penguin or polar bear.
After selecting, you’ll be directed to an online fulfillment page. There are various donation levels depending on how much you are able to give, and in return for the donation you’ll receive either a matching cookie cutter or plush toy. Donation levels range from $35 to $150. If you ship before Dec 15th = FREE shipping
It’s also possible to personalize and frame the adoption certificate, and to have gifts specially wrapped. Great family gift.
Our oceans are becoming dangerously polluted, which not only threatens all of the marine creatures who make their homes in the water, but it threatens humans as well. If nothing else, we should work to save 70% of the world’s surface because we’re being selfish.
Perfect for the eco diva! These sweatshop-free tees are made of eco-friendly, sustainable materials and are printed in water-based inks and low impact dyes with positive messages such as LAUGH OFTEN, LIVE MINDFULLY and CHOOSE HAPPINESS. Tees for Change has also partnered with Trees for the Future so that one tree is planted for each tee that is sold.
The organic cotton and bamboo tees come in six different styles for women, men and babies and are priced from $24-$46 each. Many of the products are made in the U.S., and those that aren’t are certified fair trade. Also, for a limited time the company is selling organic cotton t-shirts adorned with the message STAY STRONG, with a percentage of the profits go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
I can’t believe that this year is almost over and winter is creeping in like a long-legged spider through an open window. The weather in San Francisco has been kind to us with warm days and cool, calm nights. So, my friends and I have been taking advantage of this gentle autumn and all the fabulous events San Francisco has to offer.
Wednesday night: I hosted a lovely cocktail party at my home in SOMA. I had around 15 friends over and we chatted about everything from our new president to the crazy economy.
Friday night: Our neighbor Matt got one of his iPhone applications approved by Apple and now he is selling “Buzz Buddy” for .99 cents a download and he had 100 downloads in the first day. So, we went out to celebrate with a group of our friends at Tres Agaves on Townsend Street in San Francisco. Tres Agaves is known for their incredible selection of tequilas. As my friends know, I don’t drink tequila since my “come to Jesus” experience a few years ago.
Celebrating Matt's new application for Apple - the Buzz Buddy
Saturday afternoon my husband treated me a lovely afternoon of shopping at Union Square and Westfield mall. We enjoyed a big pasta lunch at Little Joe’s on Mission Street, then we strolled over to Bloomsdale’s where I tried on a ton of sun glasses until I found the perfect Doir sun glasses with Swarovski Crystal.
Donning my new rock star shades, we headed to Neiman Marcus where I was the lucky lady who scored a pair of classic Christian louboutin stilettos. I was feeling so Sex and the City!
That night, we went to a performance at the OmniCircus at 550 Natoma Street at Russ. Natoma is the street that we live on, so it was just a short skip, hop, and a jump to the performance. The best way to describe OmniCircusis, hum…. Robo Cop meets Shakespeare on acid! It is a grassroots group who creates an odd cabaret of live performances, video, robots, and musicians. I highly recommend attending a performance – we’ve got to support out local arts scene, darlings. Their next Show is on Saturday December 13th. I would attend, but I’ll be in St. Kitts.
Sunday was my favorite day. I spent the afternoon with my dear friend and confidant David. San Francisco was shining bright that day, so we drove my convertible over to Sausalito for late brunch at Cavallo Point.
Teresa Enjoying Sunday Brunch at Cavallo Point
Cavallo Point is the newst hotel in Marin County and it is nestled in a cozy meadow right under the Golden Gate Bridge. They have a wonderful restaurant with plush chairs on the porch, overlooking the meadow and bay. Also there is a wonderful healing center and spa and a hotel with 68 historic and 74 contemporary guest rooms and suites. Virtually all rooms feature stunning views of San Francisco, the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge or the Marin Headlands. Our brunch was basic, but the view, champagne and company was stellar.
Sunday night, David and I were VIP guests to the opening of Dame Edna’s performance in San Francisco. I lived in Melbourne, Australia for 5 years – where Dame Edna was birthed by the comedian Barry Humphries – so I couldn’t wait to see the Dame live. The performance was fun, but not the place to go with your girlfriends if you want to meet straight men. Oh, the boys were hot, but they played for the other team. FOR TICKETS: http://www.unionsquaretheatres.com/dameedna.html
After the show, we went to the after party at Le Coloniel for champagne and passed hors d’veours. I chatted with Greg Archer for most of the evening, trying to come up with a new online show idea. Greg is a doll and I’d love to do some on-camera work with him.
After the champers and crab cakes, we ended the night with a lovely glass of rose at A16. A16 is a restaurant and wine bar named after the highway that transverses the Southern Italian region of Campania. So you can imagine, the food and the wine are wonderful!
So, that was my week in review. How about you, what did you do?
This holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service is offering commemorative stamps to celebrate Nutcrackers as well as a new traditional stamp featuring the work of artist Sandro Botticelli, called Virgin and Child with the young John the Baptist. Perfect for giving bland envelopes a little something extra!
Holiday Nutcrackers
Madonna and Child by Botticelli
When Patti sent me the information on these holiday stamps, I began to wonder about the origin of the practice of sending holiday greeting cards. It’s one of those things many of us do, but I’d never thought about why. Turns out, the tradition of sending Christmas cards began in Victorian England as a way to spread holiday cheer without having to write time-consuming letters, which makes sense if anyone has ever noticed the denseness of Victorian-era correspondence. The first Christmas cards, printed in black and white and colored in by hand, were condemned because they held an illustration of a family raising a toast to the recipient, and therefore were believed to be advocating drunkenness. We’ve definitely gotten less uptight since then!
MIAMI (November 24, 2008) – The end of the year is approaching with the hectic holidays right around the corner. There’s no better way to unwind but with a getaway for Christmas, New Years or just an escape from the ordinary to these magical European cities. Splendia, a unique collection of international luxury and character hotels, showcases the amazing deals at these stunning properties: Swissôtel Berlin, Hotel Hesperia Madrid and Prague Imperial Hotel, valid through December 31st, 2008.
Swissôtel Berlin package rates start at $143 a night
Guests can treat themselves to Berlin’s winter spirit on the well-known boulevard Kurfürstendamm peppered with exquisite boutiques.
Winter Dream or New Years Package includes:
• Accommodation of choice
• Complimentary breakfast
• A bottle of Prosecco upon arrival
• Guaranteed late check out until 4pm on departure day
Hotel Hesperia Madrid rates starting at $200 a night
The hotel has a privileged location on the Paseo de la Castellana in the shopping and business area of the city. It offers exquisite design that harmoniously fuses modern and classic elements.
Body & Mind Package includes:
• One 20 minutes massage
• Tickets to Metropolitan fitness and spa
• Fresh flowers, fruit and more
Romance Package includes:
• One night’s accommodation
• Complimentary buffet breakfast
• Welcome cocktail
• Romantic decoration, candles, strawberries, chocolates and more
Prague Imperial Hotel rates start at $182 per night
The newly opened five-star property is blessed with an exemplary Art Deco architectural design and the historic charm is due in large to the original building dating back to 1914.
• Guests who book three nights or more enjoy a 10% discount.
With a range of features that vary from distinctive interior design and landmark architecture, to the latest eco-friendly facilities, Splendia strives to offer its customers inspirational hotels around the world.
It’s been almost 2 months since I visited South Dakota, but lately every time I get stressed about an inevitable airplane delay, meeting a story deadline, or watching the not-so-slow demise of my stock market holdings, my thoughts return to Besler’s Cadillac Ranch, located along the beautiful Redwater River in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I’m not sure if it’s because of their peaceful surroundings, the slower pace, the warmth and hospitality provided by the whole Besler family, or just the good-looking manly cowboys working there-providing such a welcome change from San Francisco’s typical male who is hard at work getting in touch with himself and his feminine side- UGH!
So I’ve been thinking…who wants to join me on one helluva fun Girlfriend Getaway to Sunny D.-where the men are men (with good looks, hearts and values-some might actually call you ma’am and tip their cowboy hat) and the Wild West is alive and well. Or if you go for the more modern type- either in Harley bad-boy form or wealthy & just trying to be bad, you’ll find no shortage of them either at the nabe town of Sturgis during their big Motorcycle Rally.
But back to the ranch. Here’s what I’m planning…we could set up base-camp at the ranch, which has acres of beautiful grounds to explore, brand new private cabins (or campgrounds for those who lean in that direction–certainly not me!), lots of horses for riding, and their own rodeo champion “Horse Whisperer” who is amazing. We saw him whisper sweet nothings to a horse that had never been ridden, gently rub him all over, then take complete command, saddle him up and ride him all within about an hour’s time. Just imagine what he could teach our men!)
There is a huge new Bar/ Barn for partying and Rosemary Besler is a superb cook. Too bad her son is married-what a doll- but he promised he has a lot of single friends and they even have a cowboy band…to serenade us under the stars.
I asked them if they could teach us some Basic 101 Cowgirl stuff and no prob…we’d:
- learn how to saddle up and ride
- watch the horse-whisper work his magic
- learn how to rope, shoot, hunt, fish, shoe a horse and ???
- go inner tubing down their river
- campfires under incredible star-filled wide open skies
- take in a real rodeo
- have a gala cowboy dance at the barn with some two-stepping ( *who knows..if you get real lucky, the Besler’s even have an adorable wedding chapel.)
And of course, we wanna look nice so we’ll take a mosey into town for some mani/ pedi’s and massages using the local wild berry products. After which we’ll check out Sturgis’s art scene- which is hoppin’ and get fitted for some real cowboy boots.
I want to wait until the weather warms up…so lemme know who wants to come with.
Salts from the Saltistry are exotic, colorful, not fattening and affordable–in other words, the perfect gift! Choose from 5 flavor-infusion gift sets starting from novice flavors such as Herb Grey and Smoked Chili up to the connoisseur set featuring Fennel Pollen or Preserved Lemon salts- $18.
For something a little classier you can trade up to a gorgeous handcrafted saltbox made of cherry wood….a modern version of the old salt cellar. $45.
Got a free-spirit to buy for? Check out their cool “Jurassic Salt” Rocks, that are mined in ancient salt beds deep within the Himalayan’s. Each set comes nestled on a bamboo dish with a special Japanese Grater and three Salt crystals. $25
I swear there’s something for everyone on this site. Visit www.saltistry.com
Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website. Their goal is to help eliminate poverty by giving small non-profit loans ( starting as little as $25) to entrepreneurs in developing countries.These entrepreneurs usually can’t go to a bank for a loan because they don’t have enough money to make a deposit or have any collateral for the loan.
But it’s not just the size of the loans that’s different. What’s really unique is how this system makes lending personal. You know who you’re lending to and why they want the money — and you will get periodic updates on their business or project, along with the status of repayment.
This is one gift that keeps on giving– the ultimate recycling. Once the loan is paid off, the money goes back into the givers bank account and they can re-gift their money to another entrepreneur. Plus you’ll be teaching your child how to care about others instead of themselves, as well as how to research, use math skills, decision making, etc.
One example of a loan:
Ms. Djabo Tezi ASSAO (in pic above) is 50 years old and the mother of a family of four. Her work involves selling shoes and common consumables. She started this business in 1998 and gets her supplies from the Agoè marketplace. Currently, her stock of grocery items is almost exhausted, and she would like to renew the stock by buying 3 sacks of rice, 4 boxes of sugar, 2 drums of oil, and 2 boxes of spaghetti.
