Are there really such things as coincidences? Or was this just part of a giant plan to get me to look at things a bit differently and push me to write what I have been putting off for years?
Who is Frank?
And We Are LIVE - Suki & DeLuco Tour Co
[et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"]
So you see, there was method to my madness with all the distillery tastings I have been doing!
It's been a bit hectic getting the site ready and the Zozi booking engine integrated, but we are actually thrilled it has come together so fast. We are hoping that the tour will be on the Zozi Marketplace today and soon on Viator, which is part of TripAdvisor.
Of course, there is still a lot to do - paperwork etc. The first tour is scheduled for June 4, the first weekend after Memorial Day, so I will be hustling to get it all done!
Ryan is coming up this weekend and we will "run the route," right from the Bremerton ferry, so he will have the full picture. He will meet the distillery people and see the sights (and weather is predicted to be good!). We will also meet up with our, we hope, gourmet picnic lunch provider.
Then on a weekend before our planned launch and when our van is ready, I am planning to grab some friends and do a "test tour."
Want to come?
[contact-form][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
Girls on Board with Acorelle
When Betsy and I were planning the Moorings sailing trip to Belize, we thought it would be fun, seeing as our crew was to be all women, that it would be fun to have some girlie stuff on board. Among the goodies we packed along with us were delightful, all natural perfumes from the French company, Acorelle.
[su_pullquote]Acorelle perfumes are crafted under the principal of olfactology, thanks to the essential oils which act on the cycle emotional sphere of the brain to restore balance and harmony, for more well-being.[/su_pullquote]
I don't wear perfume much as I really try to keep away from all the synthetics and chemicals that are usually loaded into them. And so many people are allergic to
perfumes so to be an enclosed area and be responsible for someone's sneezing and wheezing is not something I want to do.
On reading about Acorelle products, I was thrilled to find out that they are all created from natural active agents from readily-available organic sources, and based on aromatherapy principles. To maintain the Ecocert certification, the products must all be manufactured in a responsible, sustainable way, another plus in my mind.
As we travel so much, I was particularly interested in the Parfum Roll-on. So handy to slip into a purse for those long flights.
When the products arrived, first of all I was very impressed with the lovely packaging. Simple, colorful - and minimal, so they were easy to pack for the trip. And then, of course, I had to try them out! I love how the perfumes are based on aromatherapy and categorized into energizing (Dynamisant), balancing (Equilibrant) and soothing (Apaisant). The Perfume Discovery pack has 9 different 1.5ml tiny spray vials. I zeroed in on the Absolu Tiare, to remind of Tahiti! But over the following days, I tried out all the different scents, finding my favorites. The Tiare remains my favorite, and Betsy went for the Patchouli Roll-on, which reminded me too much of the 60s!
Beauty Evening On Board
It was a beautiful, tropical evening in Belize and we had plans to go ashore for dinner. The perfect time to try our Acorelle!
The samples were handed around, with all nine of us selecting, trying and then choosing a different scent! The main comments were about how natural they smelled and when the ladies learned more about the company and how only natural and organic ingredients are used, they were very complimentary.
I left the Discovery out for the duration of the trip and by the end, almost all the vials were gone! Secreted in various duffle bags!
Back home, I did a "blind test" with an unsuspecting friend who is very sensitive to scents and perfumes. I used a liberal amount of Fleur de Vanille (Vanilla Blossom) on a day trip. As I didn't get any kickback after a whole day in the car, I asked her if she had noticed that I was wearing perfume. She looked surprised but said she hadn't noticed! Obviously, the natural ingredients hadn't bothered her sensitive nose!
[su_box title="The three pillars of Acorelle" box_color="#f9c5c5" title_color="#990808"]The three pillars of Acorelle:
• Aromatherapy: The power of essential oils is used in every formulation so that none of the plants’ energy is lost. The result is effective products with concentrated active agents from plant sources.
• Body: Nature has given every woman one unique body for her whole life. Acorelle creates beauty products that are adapted to the different rhythms in a constant quest for balance and harmony.
• Woman: Acorelle responds to women's needs by tackling specific problems, linked to the cycles of life and the seasons: fragrances, hair removal, baby products, care for first fine lines.[/su_box]
[contact-form][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]
Endless Estrogen Goes Boom!
The finished look!
A month or so before this amazing trip to Belize, I discovered Boom! by Cindy Joseph and after reading about her philosophy about women and aging, I decided to order the product and give it a try. Of special interest were the small, lipstick-style applicators which I thought would be perfect for traveling.
My package arrived and right off I loved the packaging; small, compact and simple, definitely my style. And then when I tried the Glo moisturizer, I could feel my skin softening. Quite remarkable! When I used the color stick, it went on smoothly and gives a really natural look.
So...
I thought of our nine ladies, between 43 and 67, going on the charter in Belize and thought, "What a fun way to test the product in an unusual setting," and contacted Boom! In short order, a package of arrived with a selection of products to try.
The girls were thrilled and one late afternoon, after a long day of snorkeling, exploring and sun on the Endless Estrogen Moorings 4800 catamaran, we broke open the moisturizers and color sticks and had a party. With lots of oohing and aahing, the overall consensus was great.
Lu Ann, the designated makeup artist commented, "It goes on so easily!" Others commented on how smooth it felt and others loved that it is unscented.
Even though we were in the tropics, with temperatures reaching into the 90s, the product in the tubes didn't melt at all, maintaining a good texture, and the tubs of Boomsilk, everyone's favorite disappeared into their cabins.
Personally, I love having the Glo Boomstick in my purse and handy for a quick skin pick-me-up. The Boomstick Color is just enough to brighten my skin and occasionally I use the Glimmer for a bit of pizzazz!
Thank you, Cindy, for giving this boatload of girls the opportunity to experience your wonderful products!
Journey Dry Bag - Essential Boating Gear
With all the electronics we carry around each day, I was concerned about my new iPad Pro, my iPhone and various cameras. So when I was offered the opportunity to test a dry bag from EcoDept, I jumped at the chance.
The dry bags come in three sizes and I chose the 20 liter one - seeing as it was blue and had a seaweed graphic on it! Appropriate for the Belize sailing trip, I thought!
When it arrived, I was impressed with the packaging and the fact that it didn't have that awful plasticy rubber smell. It was almost completely odourless, a big plus.
The bag is also much sturdier than I had imagined, a definite plus when it comes to protecting electronics. And even though it was the smallest one available from EcoDept, my iPad Pro actually fit in it very comfortably.
On board, the bag became my go-to bag as we made trips back and forth between shore and the big Moorings catamaran, either by inflatable or kayak. And the rest of the crew was happy to toss in their phones and cameras, knowing the equipment would be safe and dry.
I know it's not a use the bag is designed for, but I used it coming home for my wet and salty bathing suits and beach towel!
Overall, I think the Journey Dry Bag is a great sailing gear addition for anyone serious about protecting their electronic equipment and other precious items. Granted, I didn't try to dunk it underwater, but I imagine that should it go overboard, it will keep the content dry and float nicely until retrieved.
The bags are available on Amazon and priced from $20.95 - $28.95
Countdown to Belize
Things are moving along nicely!
Whoo hoo! My new Underwater Olympus T-5 camera came today and is getting charged up! For a small, underwater camera, it sure has a lot of features! I can't wait to try it out!
But the most important thing is the house/cat sitting problem is sorted out and I have a couple coming from Austin! They responded to my post on Trustedhousesitters.com and I actually had a lot of people respond and I worked it down to this couple. There was an older lady (ha! My age) in France who sounded really nice so I have kept her info for next time. So that's a load off my mind especially as they will take me to the shuttle and we will rendezvous at the airport when I get back and have the car.
I went for my bi-annual eye exam and am quite impressed with myself! My vision has barely changed and the optometrist has this brand new fancy camera that can take images of the inside of your eyes - front and back of the eye and can tell if there are any issues and I have none! He was very complimentary, said "You must eat very well," and went on to explain how the back of the eye turns yellow with age and it is where the cataracts form. But I have no signs of any nasty stuff. It was actually interesting to see the images and he explained the whole thing. I ended up spending a lot on new glasses but they are essential.
So now with my new prescription I can get the bifocal snorkeling mask! No point in having a good camera if I can't see to focus. Today I went to the dive shop in Puyallup and got a mask fitted. Now it gets sent to California for the prescription lenses. It was funny talking to Mike, the guy at the store. He asked if I was going on a trip and when I told him Belize, he said, "Can I come?" I laughed and said, "It's a boatload of older women!" He came right back with "I'm an older guy!" Hot to trot, I guess! I think this boatload might be more than he could handle!
I discovered this new skin care program and decided to find out if they would be interested in having all the Belize Babes check it out. And yes, they would like to and are sending a bunch of goodies to take to the boat. I had ordered some for myself and it also arrived today. Boom! by Cindy Joseph! is an interesting story. She was 49 before she was a model, then moved on to develop this line which is all natural and is geared to the "Pro-Aging Revolution," meaning staying away from makeup that just makes you look older than you are! It's very minimalist and feels good!
I had a late call on Friday afternoon from a couple for Airbnb this weekend so ended up busting my butt to get things tidied up and sorted out for them to arrive later on after 5. Luckily for them, the weather seems to have cleared a lot - at least for now - so they won't be drowned when they get here. Really nice people! This experiment is turning out well.
Never Lose Anything Again
Dynotags are a Cool Way to Label Your Stuff
Sometimes you don't even have to leave home to have an adventure! My latest excitement is what I found during my recent internet "travels."
I just discovered these very cool QR-enabled tags called Dynotags that you can attach to all nature of things, so you never lose anything again. (And who hasn't lost a bag when traveling, or left your keys somewhere when someone else was driving? And not because you are in the granny/grandpa bracket, either!)
Dynotags have your unique QR code on them so anyone with a smartphone (or computer because there is a unique web site address too) can scan your code and all the pertinent info pops up, like your name and phone number so your belongings can be returned to you.
How cool is that!
One of the best uses, I think, is the one they have for pets. You know what it's like when you see a lost dog running around on the street. You call him over (and hopefully the pooch isn't too freaked) and look at the collar and see - a license and not much else, which is really no help at all. But with a Dynotag on the collar, you simply whip out your phone, scan the code and call the owner immediately. Done deal. Dog goes home happy and safe, owners thrilled and the poor animal doesn't have to spend time in at the lost and found, waiting to be rescued.
There are various styles, like the medic alert-type, which is very cool, as first responders can scan the code and immediately have access to whatever information you would want someone like that to have. Such as: allergies, medications you take, your doctor's contact info and naturally, you emergency contact. You decide what is visible to the scanner and all your other info is kept private.
The uses for these smart codes is endless, really! I keep thinking of ways they can be used. The stickers can be used on phones, computers and there are even special ones for sports equipment. So when you have a lousy golf shot and toss the offending club into the weeds and walk off the course, whoever finds it can scan the code on the shank and your temper tantrum is discovered! Ha!
I am so taken by these (I LOVE technology) that I have added a couple to my eBay store, so check it out and help fund Granny Susu's travels!