Great Deal at THE Hotel Las Vegas

Next week (after putting on the San Diego Family Fair), we head off to Hilton Head, SC. And since my mom is helping me with the kids almost every day this week, Steve and I decided to send my parents on a little get-away of their own... the swanky "THE Hotel," part of Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas!

Check out the amazing deals we found on Travelzoo: THE Hotel for $110/night (usually $300/night for a suite) with free transport to the airport, free upgrade to a 600 or 750 sq ft suite, 2 for 1 spa access, 10% off meals and 2 for 1 breakfast at the House of Blues. I think you have to book the hotel by Sept 30th to get the suite upgrade. Airfare was $230 roundtrip on Southwest, about what you'd pay for gas each way there!

THE TIP: Always check these two websites when making travel plans: www.Travelzoo.com for the best deals and www.TripAdvisor.com for candid reviews and photos from other travelers.

About Marriage and Bark Bowls

Yesterday was lovely; I attended a bridal shower in Coronado and got to see dear friends and so much love among Beth, her sister and some pretty amazing women in their lives... and we were even blessed with the most beautiful weather -- blue skies as the "something blue" to be :)

Congratulations Amy, for picking such a terrific guy (some of you got to see Marcel during his San Diego performance with Tales of Banyan). And congratulations to Marcel for not only getting a great gal to marry but one with such good taste -- I could not get over the unique items on her gift registry!

One gift that we all just had to pass around was the Crate and Barrel Bark Bowl - an eco-friendly bowl made from a solid piece of mango wood, it still had the most amazing woodsy, smoky smell and was a piece of art.

So the "Bark Bowl" is now on my holiday wish list, along with the corresponding "Twig Servers," which are such a quaint little pair that I'm reminded of this young couple and the marriage advice I offered them on a card at the shower...

THE TIP: What I wrote to Amy, "You have already done the most important thing, which is to pick the right guy! Now just be sure and treat him like your boyfriend from the very day he becomes your husband." XOXO

Launching a Business...

I taught a class this morning that actually combined two classes I have given before ("Building a Business for Long-Term Success" and "How to Get the Word Out").

The people in the class were pretty amazing -- an author and career coach, an entreprenur developing a great must-have bag, an artist, a financial planner... it was amazing that although we came from so many different backgrounds and have such different businesses we were all on the same page when it came to the excitement, challenges, obstacles and definition of success.

We had lengthy discussions about how to measure success and I loved the quote one woman shared from a mentor: "Find success at the speed of balance."

As I shared marketing outreach strategies and tactics learned from working at places like CNN and one of the oldest PR firms in town, it was extremely gratifying to see the confidence building for each person to call up an editor or reporter and share their press release and unique offering. We all promised to stay in touch and track the progress of each business, which I know will each be successful.

THE TIP: You cannot be successful if you run your business behind a computer. It is one thing for people to receive your emails, but a tremendous benefit for your contacts and for you to engage in community and networking activities as you get out there and have fun "working" :)

Self Defense

I wish that was me, though that's how strong I felt during the self defense class I took Saturday at West Coast Martial Arts Academy (thanks to my Stroller Strides instructor Wynne for setting up the class for our group!)

The instructors Steve and Eric were outstanding, covering a difficult topic with seriousness and some humor. They explained how to avoid getting a dangerous situation and then had us practice various self-defense mechanisms.

It was great to take the class with other moms, and I feel much better know being armed with the knowledge and some moves that could help me in an unthinkable situation. I'm thinking of adding this class to the catalog, it really is a must-do for all women.

THE TIP: One of the most effective techniques I learned was how to use balance in order to get away or strike once with effect.

Free Disney Ticket on Your Birthday!

Thank you Sandra for this awesome TIP: Click the link below for a free ticket to Disneyland on your birthday!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/WhatWillYouCelebrate/index?name=WDWCelebrationsOverviewPage

I just signed up Steve and I, and even the grandparents so they can take the kids for a great day "on the mouse" - cool :)

A Fashionable Fall

We had a great class Thursday night: "A Fashionable Fall" taught by Michelle Fuller-Wigg at the W Hotel. Michelle recently moved to San Diego from New York, where she worked for Self Magazine, Harper's Bazaar and designer James Coviello.

Presented through a series of photos fresh from Fall 2008 runways, she led a class covering all aspects of fashion (from designer's inspiration to what can work in your closet today). And she also shared insight from her days on fashion shoots with people like Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet.

The W's Agave Lounge (formerly Magnet) was a perfect spot, allowing us to enjoy appetizers and drinks as we also enjoyed the class -- thank you Brent, our dedicated and very stylish server!

Also thank you to Sephora, who set us up with goodie bags that included their must-have lip glaze and bare minerals i.d. product. The take-home bags also included 20% off VIP cards from Cache, a VIP book from Carlsbad Outlet Malls, drink and app gift cards from Red Circle and other hip and high fashion treats...

We raffled off the best gift of all -- a two hour in-home consultation from Michelle, who is a stylist, personal shopper and closet consultant. The winner also gets free admission to the next "Shopping With a Stylist" class at Fashion Valley.

Click here to see more photos from the class. and stay tuned for the next one at the W: "A Fashionable Winter."

THE TIP: Michelle says "Accessories follow the rule of three -- don't go overboard."

And, "The most important thing in fashion is ALWAYS fit! Get to to know a tailor."

Favorite New Restaurant

I just returned from Minneapolis and found my new favorite restaurant... 112 Eatery, loved it, loved it, loved it.

Maybe it was that this came as such an unexpected surprise (we were at a conference and restaurants near convention centers are hardly ever breathtaking). Or maybe it was the good company - hadn't seen my boss from GovPartner in about a year and was meeting our client from Abu Dhabi for the first time. Definitely it was the fantastic Russian River Valley bottle of wine that we polished off!

The food was just outstanding -- click here to read a review and visit their website for more info (http://www.112eatery.com). I ordered the marinated tenderloin for dinner, but just LOVED the lamb scottadito with goats milk yogurt (pictured above) that we had as an app.

Tell me if there is a restaurant like this in San Diego... or share your favorite hidden gems that make your mouth water!

THE TIP: Most people expect veggies to be kind of boring, but I have been finding some amazing vegetable dishes lately -- like the cauliflower fritters at 112 Eatery. Veggies absorb and then release so much flavor, have such unique textures and are good for you, so skip the potato skins or calamari and order a veggie appetizer next time you eat out!