Category — Travel Corner

Hi all

I just had one of the best facials of my life at the Amici Salon and Spa in Winter Park Florida. The aesthetician was extremely knowledgeable and asked the right questions to make sure that my skin care needs were taken care of. She also provided useful suggestions for my skin care in general. As the mask was doing its magic she massaged my arms, hands and shoulders sinking me into a cocoon of relaxation. And most importantly the extractions did not hurt and my face did not look like a combat zone afterwards. I did just a basic facial because I had to be on camera the next day but I am eager to get back for the full monty. For those of you who wish to know who this wonder is her name is Vanessa m. Ratzlaff.

The salon address is 480 N. Orlando Ave Ste 112 Winter Park Florida and the phone number is 407-695-9901

I also had a manicure here and the woman really new what she was doing. My nails looked fabulous and they dried in under 30 seconds. And I had a blow out which left my hair soft and bouncy.

Now this salon is a tad bit pricey, they have to be to pay the rent in Winter Park, but the entire staff is wonderful. For example, while I was there I whipped out a brand new credit card that I had just approved. I had just used it at a gas station with no problem and yet as soon as I tried it at the salon it was declined. I had to call the credit card company twice to get them to take off the security hold. Apparently first time credit card use at a gas station is usually a sign of credit card fraud. Anyway the staff at the salon was fantastic. They were solicitious and patient while I dealt with the credit card company ( of course I was put on hold several times).

Needless to say, I will return to this salon and I have subsequently shredded that particular credit card. If you are looking for a caring environment to be pampered in do try Amici Salon and Spa. It is a salon with a staff that seem genuinely glad to see you each and every time.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

Hi all

All that time in the hospital made me realize something - I need a vacation. Some relaxing R& R to get myself back on track. So of course I began surfing the net for possible vacation spots. The few times I have been to California I loved it, so a trip there is high on my list. I started my search there with San Francisco, a city that many of my friends rave about. I can almost hear the trolleys. I just need to get the theme of Rice a Roney out of my head and it may be a top pick.

Anyway, while I was surfing I found a San Francisco Sightseeing tour company that seems to really have it together. You can go on a San Francisco Motorized Cable Car Tour or they will even take you up to Monterey and Carmel. My dad has been to Carmel on several occasions and every time he gets back he swears that he is going to close his business and move out there.

And of course they have wine tasting tours of Sonoma and Napa, an absolute must in my opinion. I mean how can you go to California and not take a tour of the wine country? Anyway I just wanted to pass on the info and direct you to their Trusted Tours eNewsletter

Let me know if you head out there and what you think of the tours. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all meet up one day and take these vacations together?

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

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Hi all

As many of you know I love to travel and I love a good deal. Whenever I can I find great deals on four and five star resorts or timeshares I go for it and let all of my friends know, as well. I don’t believe in paying retail for fabulous vacations and I don’t think that you should have to either.

In my quest to find a fantastic deal for my next vacation, I stumbled upon a company that specializes in four and five star luxury vacation packages. They offer a membership package that guarantees that you can stay in any of their four and five star resorts worldwide for a price starting at $298 for an entire 8 days and 7 nights. And the best part is there are no black out dates! Also they guarantee that you will never pay more than $799 for an entire week at any of their luxury resorts, after you become a member. They can even arrange luxury cruises and airfare for you, as well.

Needless to say I started investigating and even called up one of their members to see if it lived up to the hype. From everything that I have heard and seen their members couldn’t be happier. Plus their customer support is absolutely amazing. Many questions that I asked were answered within ten minutes.

I was so blown away that I joined straight away and intend to book my first vacation in the next couple of weeks. I just have to sift through my 5000 choices, pick one of the many locations that I have been dying to go to and book it. I am almost giddy with excitement.

Anyway I thought I would pass the information on to you. Here is the site:

http://www.globalresortsnetwork.com/luxurytravelnow

Also feel free to email me at Stockoptions101@yahoo.com if you have any questions. I may not have all the answers but I know who to call to get them for you.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

P.S. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we all bumped into each other on one of these luxury vacation trips?

Hi all

Ok, last week I helped a friend find a dream vacation in Pennsylvania and this week another friend called and wanted to know what she could do for a week, without breaking the bank. My first thought was a cruise. All meals are included. Most cruises provide entertainment. You can sun yourself by the pool, gamble inside in the casino, take exercise classes, have tropical drinks at the bar, or indulge at the buffet. Everything is included in most cruise packages except the alcohol and excursion activities.

I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise a few years ago and had a blast. There were so many activities that I couldn’t even do them all in a week, the entertainment was fantastic and the food was gourmet and delicious. Plus the staff was so nice. And did I mention that the men I met on board were very helpful with the suntan lotion?

So anyway, back to my search for my friend. In the process of doing my online research I found a great site with some real summer deals: cruises They had 7 night European Cruises for $795 and Alaskan vacations for about $500.

With prices this reasonable I may just surprise her and meet he on board. If you have never taken a cruise, seriously consider it. You will be amazed at how pampered you feel.

Sincerely, Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

Hi all

A friend of mine was searching for an affordable place to take her husband for a romantic weekend. They live in New York and don’t want to travel too far. So, as usual, I hopped online and started a search.

They had already been to the Poconos and Atlantic City so I expanded my search and stumbled upon this site: Pennsylvania bed and breakfast

Pennsylvania is fairly close. They can probably find a bus or train to get them there, if they don’t want to fly and the scenery there is breathtaking. Plus bed and breakfasts can be soo romantic.

I stayed in one in New Orleans and had better service than some of the five star hotels I have been to. Plus the owners usually know all the best places to go to in their community, places that most tourists will never hear about.

If you have never stayed in a bed and breakfast, seriously consider it. Go online and search, then look for reviews of the bed and breakfast that you think you might like to stay in. Just realize that it will be like staying in a favorite relatives home - one who is actually glad to see you and won’t be too nosy if you come home late.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

Hi all

I went to the Patrice Bourgier Salon Coiffure in Miami Florida for a blowout and ended up having an eye brow wax and lip wax that was absolutely amazing. Margie, the technician, was so precise that the eye brow wax didn’t hurt at all! The lip wax hurt a tiny bit but not as badly as my other experiences with waxing.

She spent extra time afterwards with the tweezers and scissors and then use a cold roller on both my eyebrows and lips to get rid of any inflammation. Normally I am red for hours afterwards but I had very little irritation after this wax.

I highly recommend the Patrice Bourgier Coiffure Saon on 64 SW 10th Street if you are ever in Miami. The eye brow wax was $20, the lip wax was $10 and because Patrice did my blow out himself the blowout was $50. The number of the salon is (305) 374-4247.

Book ahead if you can, as they do tend to get booked rather quickly. Relax and enjoy a relatively pain free experience that will leave you looking and feeling better than ever.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

Hi all

As you know, I live in sunny Orlando, Florida - home to the world’s biggest and most charismatic mouse. Anyway, I was on a plane home from a mini vacation in Austin, Texas and I overheard these parents talking about the hotel that they were staying at down here. I know it well, as my sister and her family stayed there recently. The prices are sky high and the rooms are so well used that she and her husband were not impressed. The only part that they liked for my niece was the pool area.

In many cases a Orlando vacation rental is a much better way to go. You end up paying less for either a condo or a home, have your own kitchen and end up saving money in the end.

Think about it.

1)You buy your own groceries, instead of paying a fortune on room service and the mini bar. 2) You skip paying the parking and valet fees. 3) There isn’t a gift shop for the kids to spy and start begging. 4) You can actually have more money to spend in the parks, which is what you have been saving up for in the first place.

If I didn’t live down here, that is the way I would go. There are plenty of really nice rentals available down here, with a pool area and many have transportation to Disney. What else could you possibly want?

I apologize for my rant. I just hate seeing you all conned out of your hard earned money, when you could be putting it toward having a fantastic vacation with your kids.

Sincerely, Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

Hi all

For those of you who know me, my idea of adventure is to pull out a map, close my eyes, point and head on out. I love new places, meeting new people and trying new cuisines. I am not really an adventure traveler though. I don’t dive out of airplanes, bungee jump or have any desire to do anything that may cause myself bodily harm.

That said I recently heard of an adventure tour that has even my pampered self intrigued. It is the Kilimanjaro climb tour by tusker.com. Imagine climbing this mountain or taking an adventure tour with an absolute stud of a man.

Eddie Frank is one of the top Kilimanjaro guides and absolutely dreamy in my humble opinion. He has those rugged good looks that make me go all weak in the knees.

He has over thirty years of experience guiding this tour and it is known as one of the safest tours of its kind. So other than the rapid heartbeat you may experience as you follow up after him or one of his guides, your health and safety needn’t be a concern.

Now I will warn you that you will be sleeping in a tent on this tour but they set everything up for you and provide you with food, water and a mattress. But if you can stand a few creepy crawlies and want to get in shape and have fun, this tour may well be for you.

Let me know if any of you decide to take this tour. I would love to hear all about it, as I wade through my closet looking for a comfortable pair of hiking boots and singing “Climb Any Mountain.”

Sincerely, Caterina Christakos -founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

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Hi all

A friend of mine just bought some beaufort nc real estate which kind of surprised me. I had never even heard of Beaufort North Carolina. Now her moving there means that I, of course, will have to visit so I began to research what there is to do there. And I found out - surprisingly a lot.

The part that stirred my interest was the ghost tours. I love to scare myself silly on spooky tours. Apparently Beaufort has quite a few ghostly tales for all you thrill seekers out there. Among their claims to fame are Blackbeard’s house and the old burying ground, a three hundred year old cemetery. On the tour you find out all about the pirates that used to haunt this town, so to speak, haunted houses and spooky phenomenon. How cool is that?

There are also the standard things to do like shopping, eating, historical tours, etc… but, as for me, I am looking forward to the thrills and chills. I will let you all know how it goes.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls