As I entered our balcony stateroom, I was bombarded with the smell of cigarette smoke that was so bad that my allergies instantly flared up to the point where I couldn’t breath out of my nose and I REFUSED to unpack my bags due to the fact my entire wardrobe would smell like I was the one who actually smoked the entire pack myself right inside my suit case…YUCK!

Next best thing to do is visit the concierge/guest desk right? WRONG! When I explained what had occurred the women said that the ship was full and there was nothing they could do for me and informed me that this ENTIRE ship is a smoking ship and anyone can smoke in any of the rooms, as that is fine but it is my allergies and comfort for the next 16 days. that I care about not everyone else. I had suggested they change the bed linens which are stored in the room the night before, thus smothered in smoke, and they could not find the time to do it. I again went to the concierge/guest desk LIVID (because it wasn’t like this was a weekend and or a couple hundred dollar cruise) only to be “ok we’ll send someone up” away by the desk concierge.

Needless to say one of the housemen came and sprayed air freshener, like that was going to help, and it didn’t. So I grabbed the guy again and said you need to do something about this!!! I again returned to the concierge/guest desk and she was not sending me away again with out results. She called for someone to bring an air purifier to my room and it was there for the ENTIRE stay, it did freshen it up to a tolerable levels in addition to changing the linens.

On the Island Princess they also had seating times, which we are not accustom to sailing primarily on Norwegian cruise lines and had to be seated with strange guests who talked about world war two the whole time and then got sick from the food at our table. I again was NOT happy. This all occurred the first 24 hours of our cruise!

They did offer some good acts and entertainment, but could not make up for the bad taste we already had gotten in our mouth for the cruise line, as disappointing events kept happening throughout the length of the crusie. We were happy to see land when we finally got to some, and we STAYED off the ship as much as possible.

Needless to say the whole cruise was an extremely disappointing experience aboard the boat donned the “Love Boat”

Would I ever sail aboard princess cruise lines again you ask? The answer is most defiantly NO!

In my experiences the NCL crew goes above and beyond to please the guests. Most everyone aboard is pleasant and upbeat. Most of the cruise ship fleet is brand new or newly renovated and gorgeous! They have great itineraries offering amazing destinations and different length cruises to choose from. NCL also has (on most ships) 12 different restaurants to choose from with open seating, which is rarely found on cruise ships. Many different state of the art bars and lounges to visit too! The onboard ship activities are excellent as well with their shore excursions.

They offer all sorts of port education on board BEFORE you get to the port so you can make the most of your time on land, as well as offering maps of the port cities highlighting specific points of interest which is VERY helpful. In addition they host latitude member cocktail hours and special parties (frequent cruiser program) with the captain as the host and special interest events like art auctions and special dinners.

Norwegian Cruise Line makes it more than worth your while to sail with them. So when your booking your next cruise check out www.ncl.com for great deals and itineraries!!

• 27 Dresses: Rated PG 13-Totally funny and a happy movie! I would see it time and time again, just great and doesn’t encourage bad behavior like most movies these days. I recommend this movie to anyone, guys and girls.

• Little Miss Sunshine: Rated R-Not so funny until the very end and even so it is only for a quick minute. Defiantly not a must see that is for sure.

• Good Luck Chuck: Rated R-Oh SO funny especially with Dane Cook the comedian! However it is not even close to appropriate for those who are young or offended by intimate scenes, as there are MANY!!! Otherwise EXTREMELY funny and romantic and highly recommended for sarcastic and mature audiences!

More recently released movies (you can also click on the blue highlighted titles for full descriptions and customer reviews on any of the movies) I have seen were:

• Delta Farce: Rated PG 13-With 2 well known comedians starring it has to be funny. It was “gently” funny with mature humor in it that young children would not understand in which makes the movie that much more funnier. Its not a must see but it will be worth your while if you do.

• I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry: Rated R-You would think with Adam Sandler and Kevin James that this movie would be an absolute crowd pleaser, however I was severely disappointed. I don’t think it was even close to good and it was more like a drama in a way then a comedy. Don’t wait your time seeing it.

• Knocked Up: Rated R-This movie was funny while at the same time sheds light on the “joys” of pregnancy. Some women were offended by the movie and some of the scenes finding it offending or making fun of the stages and hormonal rages of pregnant women. In reality there is some truth behind it all, in turn making it funny with some seriousness thrown in.

• License to Wed: Rated PG 13-Funny Funny Funny! I think this movie was just hilarious and kept me laughing most of the time I would see it again and again!

• Music and Lyrics: Rated PG 13-This is a great sweet romantic comedy that kept you at the edge of your seat. I would see this movie again, I really enjoyed it!

• Because I Said So: Rated PG 13-This is an interestingly funny movie especially for anyone who grew up with a controlling mother as they will appreciate the comedy!

• Georgia Rule: Rated R: I really was disappointed with this film as it was portrayed to be much funnier than it really was. It also has sexuality and a lot of swearing in it and does not set good examples for the younger crowd. Disappointing is all I have to say

I love comedies and I will review more new release reviews as I see them

It is so so good and tasted just like cotton candy, however *beware* because it is a very thick syrup unlike others syrups that tend to be VERY thin being found at Kohl’s and other market pantry’s, so use it sparingly and TRUST ME a little goes a LONG way….all I have to say is if you like cotton candy you have to TRY it…you won’t be disappointed!

The sad news: sorry I just checked and as of right now you can’t get it online, so you will have to go to the store to purchase it. It is usually found in the seasonal department and I know for a fact that it is out in the Southeast US, however I do not know about the northeast and west. Nothing like a good ol’ glass of cotton candy…MMmm (if you decide or have already tried it let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I do)!

Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Sunblock Gel contains patented helioplex technology, which is a broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection on top of containing SPF 45. It is also the #1 Dermatologist recommended sun care product and comes in a Fresh Cooling Body Mist as well.

Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Sunblock Gel, and Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist are hands down the best sun care product I have ever used. I love the fact that it is non greasy, oil free, and non-comedogenic so it keeps my face and skin clear of breakouts while providing me with ample coverage. I also like the fact that is a gel base and so it is a light weight gel and spreads quickly and evenly so I don’t miss a spot. It is waterproof (but ALWAYS reapply ANY sunblock or sunscreen after swimming for ample protection) it also doesn’t “melt” when I sweat so in turn it doesn’t run into your eyes which is a HUGE benefit! Get some today, you won’t regret trying it!!!!

It is extremely entertaining and the graphics are great. It resembles the old Mario Kart but with a 21st century spin! With the game you get a steering wheel in which you place your Wii remote and steer it like your car, which to any man makes it that much more fun. You have the choice of your player and your “kart”

Mario Kart is immensely entertaining when playing with a group of people as well, so move over old board games, because Mario Kart just came to town!!! ENJOY and GAME ON!!!

Please be advised that these are tried and true methods but may not work for EVERYONE as everyones teeth, teeth conditions, and other oral conditions, such as hygiene are different. Also note that some of these whitening methods contain HIGH ACID CONTENT which corrodes (damages) the tooth enamel if used to frequently so please practice with caution and/or contact your dentist (as I am not one) with any questions or additional information that may benefit your personal teeth whitening process.

• A recommendation from my local dentist is that you get your toothbrush wet, dip it in baking soda, brush for a minute or two, and rinse with diluted hydrogen peroxide (3%). then brush teeth as normal. It is safe, you will see amazing results in about a week! This method works because the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are the essential ingredients in white strips, so you achieve the same results for much less

• According to a statement made by Tyra Banks,  Catherine Zeta Jones rubs strawberries on to her teeth to whiten them. So to see if it seriously works and for tried and true proof, Tyra tried it. Behold the truth to the claim….YES it worked and it whitened!! Apparently the key to having this work is brushing about a half hour after the strawberry treatment.

• Crushed strawberries and baking soda does work (it can do damage to your enamel on the teeth due to the acid and sugar content in the strawberries so don’t use it too often and be careful!
  You need:
  1 ripe strawberry
  1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  Directions: Crush the strawberry to a pulp, then mix with the baking powder until blended. Use a soft toothbrush to spread the mixture onto your teeth. Leave on for 5 minutes, then brush thoroughly with toothpaste to remove the berry–baking powder mix. Rinse. (A little floss will help get rid of any strawberry seeds.)

• Rubbing the backside of a dry orange or lemon peel on your teeth…LOTS of acid content so be careful!

• Using a mixture of lemon juice and salt is said to work. However please be advised that lemon juice being an acid will wear away your tooth enamel over time so please be careful when trying this method.

• Brushing the teeth every night with apple cider vinegar will help to remove stains nightly while helping the whitening process.

• On aluminum foil,  spread a paste made from toothpaste and baking soda and cover the teeth with the aluminum foil. Leave it for an hour and brush the teeth afterwards. Repeat this twice a week.

• Eat Celery!!! This helps remove plaque from between the teeth and is a natural teeth whitener!

Please try the peroxide methods first, as these are the safest on your teeth. ANY acid or acid containing fruits or products, such as lemon juice or peels, orange peels, and strawberries will wear away at your tooth enamel over time so I do not highly recommended these methods to be used frequently!

To keep teeth whiter and brighter avoid coffee, tea, and soda as they all leave stains on your teeth over time. I hope this teeth whitening information will help the ones who have always wanted to whiten their teeth but couldn’t afford or fit the whitening treatments or strips into their budgets.

To start they post beautiful pictures of their hotel online, my advice, do not judge a book by its cover, otherwise you will be greatly disappointed! Read on…

The Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Studios stated on their website to having just done a million dollars in renovations in their hotel however the light fixtures were awkwardly hanging off the ceiling due to not being correctly fastened and missing fasteners. The linens were dirty many with stains. The shower fixtures almost fell off the wall when I turned them on. Upon entering the room we found all the garbages full, which I was not too happy about. Our toilet ran (LOUDLY) all night and you could hear the guest in the above, below, and to the sides of you. Someone had also broken the ONLY manual lock to our room previously so it did not offer much comfort.

When we had called to make a reservation, the front desk could not provide us with a rate of any rooms there at the hotel and in turn transfered us to another person who wasn’t very friendly. Later on when we had called for directions to their hotel, the front desk sent us to an answering machine to leave a message and they’ll get back to you…needless to say that was completely unacceptable, so I called back and asked if the person speaking worked at the actual hotel, when they said yes I explained what had happened previously and that I needed directions, in turn I got an attitude with abrupt directions…not good customer service if I might add.

You also have to pay $9.00 a day for parking your car, $10.00 a day for internet, and $3.00 for use of the in room safe. FYI: There is a free (green and looks like a trolley car) shuttle you can catch for $1.00 right outside the hotel that will take you all over International drive (there is so much going on on International drive, lots of malls, stores, restaurants and outlets stores and mall) so take this if you can. It is a about a 20 minute walk from the hotel to Universal studios and you have to cross 6 lanes of traffic so grab a shuttle for this trip as well. Also NO continental breakfast

The pool and hot tub were big however it must have been spring break cause there were SO many teens and small children in the hot tub.

The hotel staff was very unpersonable with the exception of maybe two. It was not the greatest hotel I have ever been to and for the price I would not return. I was really disappointed.

I have a friend who researches the differences between replicas of all kinds and the real authentic items. She does this pretty much for a hobby and clearly has the means ($$) to do so. She does this by buying the authentic bags, glasses, and jewelry and then goes to NYC and picks up the same replica items and brings them home and dissects in and out and to the stitching and screws used on the two items.

Her favorite bags to buy and compare are Coach bags. In her researched studies the ONLY thing that was different in the two bags were the thread color on the inside of the bag, yes INSIDE the bag. All hardware was stamped and they even had the serial numbers on the inside. Not all bags were this close in comparison but they were ALL extremely similar and to the even the store clerks at Coach were not identified as knock off bags.

She did not find the Louis Vuitton replica bags to be up to snuff. The hardware was super cheap on some of them and would eventually show wear and tear, unlike the authentic Louis Vuitton bags.

Tiffany’s jewelry replicas were identical and no one could notice any bit of difference between the two.

Chanel Jewelry and sunglasses were a similar story. Some of the replicas were not totally up to par, but most jewelry and sunglasses she found and compared you could pass off to a Chanel store worker and they would say it they were authentic.

So if you are looking for high quality bag but can not afford it fresh out of the store or you are on a budget, look at a high end second hand/consignment store and you can find one there. Whatever you do, do not buy a bag on ebay if you are adamant on getting and authentic bag, as many high quality replica bags are sold EVERYDAY on ebay.

***FYI: There are several different types of replicas/knock offs sold on ebay:

• There are the cheap replicas, also known as knock offs most commonly found at the shopping mall kiosk or on the streets of big cities across America, Mexico or Caribbean, that are not considered “high end” or “Triple A (AAA or A+ replicas) that you can tell from afar it is not authentic

• There are also the high quality (also known as: high end, triple A, AAA, or A+ replicas) most commonly found tucked in the corners of New York City and San Francisco’s China Towns and on ebay, and very frequently sold as “authentic” some going as far as providing a receipt and shopping bag from the store. Always know who your doing business with.

I guess it is inevitable that these manufactures can make such a similar bag and get away with it with the reality being benefiting the ones who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford a designer look, let it be jewelry, sunglasses, or a designer bag, to finally be able to do so.

Let it be known that I am not promoting the replicas of any product. However, the reality AGAIN is that in this day and age where everyone judges you on your appearance to what you wear, I think every one NOW has a chance at LOOKING like your living a luxury lifestyle.