Zombies & Marshmallows

Lots of good stuff happening this week. First ... a cool little surprise ...

Inn The Kitchen made the FoodBuzz Top 9!

Neat-o!

A friend of mine from college called last week and we talked for hours catching up. He gave me a recipe for marshmallows that I thought was impossible to do, until I tried it. Check out the FoodBuzzed recipe here.

The next cool thing.

Yesterday we had some training on riding a little two wheeled gadget, that, quite frankly, looks like you should just fall flat on your face. The Segway. Standing on it for the first time was a little reminiscent of a toy I had growing up that looked like a model for Saturn ... the pogo ball. It had a ring around the ball that you'd stand on ... try and keep your balance ... and then grip the ball between your feet as you jumped up and down. Well, luckily once you just trust the technology and step onto a Segway it's a whole lot easier! And fun! Check out a couple of TwitPics from our ride.

Our two-wheelin' was in preperation for giving a tour to Orlando's 67 Days of Smiles couple, Kyle & Stacey. They're visiting our little town of Mount Dora later this weekend and they picked the best time to come ... it's the 25th Annual Craft Festival this weekend.

This year they'll be a little spookie Halloween twist ... a Zombie crawl. I'm not big fan of zombies, so when Brian asked me to record some video of them I got a little squeemish. It's been interesting doing my video "research" for this since I usually watch scary movies with my eyes covered by my hands for the thrilling parts. But I've found I can get at least get through it when the sound is turned off. I'll have to let you know how it goes!

--Rachelle

A Weekend in San Francisco

When you’re trying to see the world … and I do mean THE WORLD … in one lifetime, sometimes you gotta squeeze the most you can out of one weekend. The 24,901 miles around the globe is a lot of ground to cover with your own two feet. So I’m a big fan of weekend trips to big cities such as NYC, Paris, and Rome.

Life is short, so when a friend invites you to a party, even if it’s on the other side of the continent, you should go. This friend happens to be one of the top food bloggers, Jaden Hair with Steamy Kitchen. So even if San Fran wasn’t enticing enough alone, tasty morsels of chocolate and silky wines are more than enough reason to hop on a plane. We packed our suitcases for a spontaneous weekend trip to San Fran full of serendipitous moments and excellent food. And now from experience I can tell you that food bloggers definitely know how to throw a party. I’ll tell you all about the serendipity, the food and how to squeeze a big city into three days … so follow along

First, the cool coincidences ....

Serendipitous Moment #1: Meeting the Murphy Gooooooode guy, Hardy. And he really truly is a “goode” guy. Brian submitted a video for their Lifestyle Correspondent contest awhile back and it was awesome to meet the winner. Not only is he a brainiac about juice of the vine, he’s got some rockin dance moves as well. He satisfied our pinot envy with a lovely glass of red. Cheers Hardy!

Serendipitous Moment #2: We love wine, as if that wasn’t obvious. On several occasions we’ve had the opportunity to meet Gary from Dutch Henry Winery at wine dinners here in Florida. We knew from conversation they were from California, but didn’t know exactly where. Napa covers a lot of ground. So, we decided to look them up. Only an hour drive outside of San Fran. Wow! So of course we had to plan a road trip to Napa.

Serendipitous Moment #3: The same week we had the crazy idea to pack our bags and head to San Fran, I had received an email from the Glass Mountain Inn in Napa from a Twitter friend @Juliesnapa. We thought, “Well, we’re already going to Napa for some Dutch Henry Wine, let’s see if this B&B is close by.” And would you believe … it was only …5 minutes … literally 5 minutes … from Dutch Henry. Wow. I couldn’t have planned that if I tried! Julie is a trained chef and instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone to boot, so I was uber excited to get to spend some time with her. She gave me an awesome recipe for croissant bread pudding that will be posted on InnTheKitchen.com later this month.

Now I’m sure you’re wondering how in the heck we even saw San Francisco with all this wine and food talk. I’ll share with you our itinerary and key places to see recommended to us by travel and food socialmedialites.

Next: San Francisco in a Weekend -- Day 1 Itinerary

Girls Night Out & 80's Trivia

Martinis.

80's Trivia.

More Martinis.

Sinful cheesecake.

Could there be a more perfect girls night out?

I recently had a group of friends over for a night out in Mount Dora. We laughed, we ate, we drank, and we walked ... eh hem ... I mean ... crawled home. Well, not quite so literally. Would have ruined our dresses. But you get the picture.

Instead of a boy-style pub crawl, we did a pinkies up wine/martini crawl around Mount Dora. We ended up in the upstairs lounge of Goblin Market. First of all ... Mike just happens to be the best bartender in Lake County. Plus, he's charming to boot. Second ... The upstairs lounge of Goblin looks like an traveler/adventurer's library. Stacked with books, candles, games and the mysterious Magic 8 Ball we settled into the couch in the corner and ordered a round of martinis. Everything from a peach Bellini martini to German chocolate cake with a swirl ... and then one of us girls classed it up with a bud light. (wink) The desserts were melt-in-your-mouth sinful ... but the 80's Trivial Pursuit is what really rocked!

Here are 10 of the best. Study up on these before heading to Mount Dora, challenge your friends to a drinking game of Trivial Pursuit and WIN!

1) What 80s pop queen got her start on Star Search, but did not win (she came in second)?
Tiffany

2) What was the name of Punky Brewster's dog?
Brandon

3) What was the name of the school mistress in The facts of Life?
Mrs. Edna Garrett

4) What actor was famous for the line "nanoo nanoo"?
Robin Williams for his character Mork from Ork

(bonus if you tweet a photo of your hand showing the "nanoo nanoo" symbol!)

5) Who shot J.R. Ewing?
Sue Ellen's sister, Kristin

6) What is the name of the Dukes of Hazzards car?
General Lee

7) In Knight Rider, what does K.I.T.T.'s name stand for?
Knight Industries Two Thousand

8) In "Family Ties" who was Alex P. Keaton's idol?
Richard Nixon

9) What planet did Alf come from?
Melmac

10) What ws Balki Bartokamus' occupation when he lived in Mypos?
Sheep Rancher/Herder

I'm having way to much fun with these ... here's 5 more for a bonus ...

BONUS #1: Who was the famous TV painter from the 80's?
Bob Ross

BONUS #2: What was the name of the home that Sofia Patrillo lived in before moving in with her daughter on the Golden Girls.
Shady Pines

BONUS #3: Name 3 Popular Fashion Styles from the 80's.
Parachute Pants, Neon Paint Splashes, & Reebok Hightops

BONUS #4: What was the name of Magnum PI's suave superspy alterego?
Sebastian Sabre

BONUS #5: What is MacGyver's first name?
Angus

For an even bigger trip down memory lane ... check out: http://www.liketotally80s.com


The next day I pampered myself with a pedicure for all the walking and a massage to keep the relaxing effects of the martini going.

No, that's not a picture of me to the left. I have a rule ... no makeup, no clothes, no photo.

Anyhow, with all the spas around I thought ... this would be an AWESOME bachelorette party! Except ... on this particular instance ... we were celebrating two divorces. Oh well. Whatever the occasion ... new job, bride-to-be, newly divorced, or just because. I would put martinis and pedis in Mount Dora on your list.

--Rachelle

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United Broke My Guitar

It seems I keep finding lots of funny videos about flying lately.

This one is an extreme example of why customer service matters. After having a bad experience with checking a guitar as luggage, this singer wrote a song about it ... and so far it has over $2.5 million views on YouTube.

I was a little nervous flying with my camera last week. Luckily, I didn't share his experience.

Destination: Oklahoma City

Just got back from a fabulous 3 day trip to Oklahoma City. The Heartland Hospitality definitely lives up to it's reputation. I've never met a warmer, more friendly group of people.





I was there shooting video for a destination guide and I was actually pleasantly surprised with how much there is to see and do.

All kinds of ways to get your inner Cowboy going ... the western winds, the scent of leather, custom boots & chaps (I tried on a purple pair. You'll have to wait for the video to see that!), and the quintessential steakhouse, Cattlemens. Celebrating it's centennial in 2010, this restaurant has seen it's share of card games and Clint Eastwood-types. Smack dab right next to Oklahoma's Stockyard City, you're sure to get the freshest, tastiest steaks in the country while rubbing elbows with real cowboys. They don't call it Cattlemen's for nothin! If you're feelin ballsy, be sure to try their house specialty, Lamb Fries.

And the cuisine is not just all meat and potatoes, although the meat and potatoes are pretty darn good! I would also recommend having a slice of peach pizza and sipping homemade lemon cello and at Trattoria. The lemon cello was even better than I remember it in Sorrento, Italy. I swear!




The ultimate quencher and adventure for your tastebuds is Pops on Route 66. This cool little gas station in the middle of the road trip has over 500 types of soda including unusual flavors such as celery, jalapeno, and mint julep. It's difficult to choose just one fizzy drink. With all the many colors and flavors you've got to grab a six pack and fill 'er up.

Starting to notice a lot of food references here? It's a good thing I love running just as much as I love eating. One more for my sweet tooth ... Sara Sara Cupcakes. Our first night there we ordered a green tea cupcake an some coffee to enjoy on their front porch. It was the best comfort food and quiet ending to a long day of travel.


We also explored downtown OKC's hoppin art scene. We stood in awe of the largest collection of Chihuly Glass and enjoyed live music during Cocktails on the Skyline at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. You can also catch an independent film from the Sundance Institute Art House project at the restored historic Noble Theatre. Be sure to look up in awe of the Chihuly Waterford Crystal Chandelier in the theatre lobby.


One absolute "must see" is the National Memorial. This is something every American should make the trip to visit. An inspiring story of hope and survival weaved through thoughtful symbolism honoring those who were killed, those who survived, and those came to help in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building . The most memorable for me was the Survivor Tree. And gosh darnit I can't believe I didn't grab a picture of it! Probably because I was focusing on the video. Ah well. You'll just have to go see it live in person to experience it. After quiet reflection overlooking the Field of Empty Chairs, the Survivor Tree invokes a powerful feeling of strength and renewal that we all look for in our lives.


And there is so much more than I could possibly fit into one blog post. The Paseo Arts District and the unique and intimate dining experience at Paseo Grill. The beautifully renovated historic boutique Colcord Hotel. Rowing and cycling at the Chesapeake Boathouse. I loved Oklahoma City. The food, the culture, and most of all ... the people. Can't wait to visit again!

--Rachelle

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Carry On Travel

Flying out to Oklahoma tomorrow and Brian gave me a really weird look when I told him I consider flying a "spa day."

I know ... I know ... you're now wrinkling up your nose and questioning my sanity as well.

Here are my reasons:

A) It's a brief technology detox. I'm completely unconnected while in the air. No phone. No email. I can get lost in a book or movie without any interruptions and not feel guilty about not checking-in on things.

B) If I packed you a little "Jet Pack" the way I make 'em ... you'd feel pretty pampered yourself.

Here's what I stash away in my carry on Jet Pack ...

Note to Scott Gorman: betchya don't have THIS in your camera bag! ;o)

1) Biodegradable Travel Booties: This takes the "ick" out of going through security. With nearly 90,000 pairs of bare feet walking daily through security lines while their shoes are being scanned in a plastic bin ... wouldn't you rather have an extra layer between your skin, socks and the floor? Big bonus ... they're biodegradable so you don't have to feel the green guilt of using something once and then tossing it.

2) Airbourne and Juice Plus. I swear by it. Changing time zones and not getting enough rest can wreak havoc on your immune system. Last time I flew to Seattle I was awake for 26 hours due to the long flight, layover, time zone change and awesome late dinner plans I was not going to miss! As long as I've got these in my arsenal ... knock on wood ... I've never caught the flu or sniffles while travelling.

3) Giovanni Towelettes. Okay, after the first two you're now you're thinking I'm a germophobe. But really, this is aroma therapy in a tiny one inch packet. After spending the day getting from point A to point B ... a rub down with one of these on your face, neck and arms is the next best thing to a shower. Grapefruit Splash is especially refreshing. Nothing like the scent of citrus to feel clean. Added bonus ... they're organic and biodegradable.

4) After a psuedo in-flight shower with a little eco-friendly towelette ... this is the next step in waking up and feeling semi-fresh upon your arrival. Solid Perfume. I like Pacifica since it's compact and made with sustainable ingredients and natural oils. I also really liek Badger Balm headache soother. It smells like fresh peppermint and also doubles as a headache reliever (rub into your temples) or cuticle cream. Want to make your own, learn how at: WikiHow Make Solid Perfume

5) Eyemask and earplugs ... because really, how else are you going to catch a snooze ?

6) Tea & Coffee. I pack I own stash of tea bags for the plane. Greet tea. Mint tea. Earl Grey. Jasmine. Chocolatte Green tea (this one is my favorite). I usually bring a variety since once I open one up I usually end up sharing with passengers around me. I also bring a couple of mini gourmet coffees for the hotel.

7) Dental floss, toothbrush and tootpaste. Don't ever forget this in your checked luggage. One day of bad weather and delayed flights leaving you in a city you weren't planning on spending the night in ... you will never pack this in your checked luggage again.

Speaking of checked-luggage ... become a carry on queen (or king) and never check again. My friend Elizabeth just tweeted that she paid $15 for checking in one bag.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I always max the carry on limit. I never check. Here are 3 more things that I carry on, pack light and still have everything I need ...

8) Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille Soap. Their label advertises 18 in 1 uses and they're not kidding! This is a traveler's must have. It's shampoo. It's face wash. It's body wash. It's laundry detergent. It's dish detergent. It's toothpaste. Etc. Etc. Etc.

9) For the ladies ... Aveda Envirometal makeup compact. It has all the essentials you need in a thin little gadget that slips easily into your back pocket. The dual foundation contains sunscreen ... two-in-one means one less thing to pack. And it's refillable. Yay!

10) One color scheme of clothes. The more you can mix and match getting 3 outfits out of one, the better. Add a pashmina to use as a blanket, belt, scarf, shawl, etc and you've got plenty of options with very little packed.

###

Fun way to fly ...

Wish I would have sported the extra $40 to fly SouthWest after watching this video.

And the kicker is this was a flight to Oklahoma City! Ha! Headed there tomorrow.

Red, White & BOOM

What a relaxing evening last night ... hotdogs ... frozen slushi lemonade ... sitting high up on a grassy hill enjoying fireworks.

I love the 4th of July.

Bare Essentials Safety from New Zealand Air

Oh my.

I wish more ads were this fun.

Or that air travel could be that interesting!

Love the comment in the end ... "I do love a man in uniform."

Travel Trivia Tweet Contest

Today I posted my favorite Top 10 pieces of Travel Trivia @Travelblggr.

Some are hysterical ... ALL are TRUE!

The 10th person to email TremainStreetCottages (at) gmail (dot) com all 10 of my trivia tweets will win a BOGO night at Tremain Street Cottages.

What is a "BOGO" night, you ask? BUY ONE night, GET ONE free.

How to participate:

1) Follow Travelblgger

2) Find all 10 Travel Trivia.

3) Email them to TremainStreetCottages (at) gmail (dot) com along with your Twitter ID.


Happy Tweeting!

--Rachelle

Favorite Travel Quote of All Time

This to me, is the reason I love to travel. To have ordinary things seem fresh and new.

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” - Bill Bryson

One of my weird quirks is that I love to go grocery shopping in foreign countries.

Something about seeing a slice of life that you can't find in a magazine or travel brochure. The smells, the colors, the produce, what's popular, how things are labeled. It's usually the place that I buy all of my souvenirs to take home.

French lip gloss.

Kinder Eggs (the toy inside always makes me smile like a kid).

Wine.

It's the little things we take for granted when we're at home. I think travel brings us right smack dab into living in the moment ... which is where we should always be in the first place.
--Rachelle

Such A Wimp ...

Soooo ... I've been wondering why my shoulders have been killing me today.

And then Brian showed me photographic evidence of why ... am I really such a wimp?

Could a 3 lb camera really make my shoulders sore?

I guess it's more from being a work-a-holic and carrying it around for over 8 hours. Doing anything physical for that long is sure to be a work out ... but I was having so much FUN and was so absorbed in the process that I didn't notice my arm fatigue until today.

Ah well. Being a tourist in your own backyard can be hard work ... but someone's gotta do it!

When the videos are posted I'll include a link for you to enjoy.










--Rachelle

Movie In The Park & Mother's Day

This post is going to be like my past weekend. Cram in as much as possible in not nearly enough space/time to do it all in.

It started out relaxing enough ... as weekend's should. Movie-in-the-park picnic. This is one of the things I love about our little town. On every 2nd Friday, everyone brings out their camp chairs and blankets and packs a basket and cooler to head to Donnelly Park for a movie. Kind of like a drive in ... without the cars. The way the park slopes down toward the lake makes a nice natural amphitheater where everyone has a good view. Even though it's May, the weather cooperated and gave us a nice cool breeze off the lake. Thankfully too, the bugs have not emerged yet from their Winter sleep.

The flick was Wall-E. Entertaining. Cute. But glad I saw it in the park where I had other entertainments such as wine, pizza and star gazing.

The rest of the weekend was a whirlwind after that. I'm glad I had a moment to steal away and have some breakfast with my family for Mother's Day. We met downtown at the new Cuban restaurant. Cuban breakfast was new to me ... loved it! We all tried a tortilla espanada. It was a "gift from Spain" as the owner described it.

Pretty much a savory pancake ... eggs, potatoes, red peppers, onions, Spanish sausage. My step father is Latin and explained that a "tortilla" in most Latin cultures includes scrambled eggs. It was served with toasted cuban bread with a light mojo garlic and butter sauce.

Delicious.



After that it was back to work.

It's odd that I had a "Monday" today relax and catch up. Very weird to call Monday relaxing.

The kicker was that I "had" to get a manicure and pedicure today. Had to.

Okay.

Twist my arm.

Make me.

The irony is that it so I can vacuum tomorrow ... YUP! Only, it's for a commercial. Not at our Inn. I WISH I got paid the same to vacuum our Inn. That would give cleaning a whole new meaning.

Ah well. Off to bed to rest up for my vacuuming.


--Rachelle
www.TremainStreetCottages.com

From Brooklyn Beer to Argentine Tango ...

Having dinner with friends.

Slowly sipping and savoring some great wines.

Dancing barefoot in the living room.

Wait ... is it Friday? This is waaaaaay to much fun for a weeknight?!

Last night we walked over to our b&b neighbors, John & Arthur at the Adora Inn. I never pass an invitation for dinner when Arthur is the chef. He can make something as simple as pasta and have the flavors dancing across your tongue. But, then again, he is Italian, so I shouldn't be surprised that his pasta is the best I've ever tasted.

Anyhow, Arthur's lifelong friends Gayle and Tom were in town visiting after spending the past year traveling. Last time we saw them, we were all in Italy celebrating Arthur's 60 birthday. In fact, I don't think they've been back to the states since that birthday party. Gayle explained her reason for coming back was she needed her "Arthur Fix."

These are my favorite kind of evenings. Sipping wine while exchanging travel stories and moments of inspiration.

Tom's most recent moment of inspiration included spirits ... of the liquid kind. Making gin and whiskey. The conversation reminded me of my grandmother's stories about making booze in their basement to survive the Great Depression and the risk they took to do so during prohibition. But Tom's vision is much bigger than my grandmother's basement. And, unbelievably, will be the first distillery in NYC since prohibition. As co-founder of Brooklyn Brewery, the idea has already garnered a lot of press.

So we spent some time contemplating catchy names for his gin and whiskey. Unfortunately, every name we came up with was already taken. Creative AND original is hard to come by. Ah well, we'll keep deliberating.

Every once in awhile the conversation would lean into the heated discussion of politics. But we always seemed to bring it back to our shared passion for traveling.

After the name-that-gin game we graduated to planning more trips around the world. You never know where a conversation might lead after a couple of bottles of wine.

We ended up deciding to meet again in Argentina for 2010 and dancing tango in the living room in anticipation. And that's where my inspirational spark ignited. Brian and I are going to learn Argentine Tango.

T ... A ... N ... G ... O

Brian and I actually met in a Samba class. He was competing in ballroom and I was just looking for good looking guys that could dance. That was my excuse anyway. We used to dance 3 and 4 nights a week, but since moving to Mount Dora and taking on being Innkeepers there has been little room for dancing between the many loads of laundry and the fact that the space in our small cottage doesn't leave much room for a spin without knocking your knuckles into a wall. Now we mostly just impress our friends dancing at weddings and events. Nothing formal.

But that's all about to change. We're going to learn Argentine Tango for our trip to Argentina. I've often thought it would be fun to learn the dance of each country. Last year, I joked with my friend Beth that we were going to learn some Irish clogging for the sole purpose of dancing it on a bar in an Irish pub.

I think this dancing theme will probably make it's way into all of my travels!

--Rachelle
Tremain Street Cottages

Rub the Buddha

Finally ventured out of the house and into the real world after hiding out in my bedroom with the flu. We walked downtown and met some friends and my family at Mount Dora Sushi company. While I didn't quite trust my stomach enough to try sushi just yet, a bowl of rice and some green tea did the trick.

It was nice to get out of the house and get some fresh air. Thankfully, the weather has stayed cool and breezy much longer than normal this Spring. I even needed a light jacket when the sun went down. In Florida. In April. Wow.

The Buddha in the Zen Garden wore a pair of shades and a taunting smile ... as though he was challenging me to having a good time despite the work load I had been going over in my mind to catch up on after being incapacitated for a couple of days. I had to rub his bald head for luck!

The music was relaxing. Live jazz by Cool Dean with interludes of a CD called Freaks & Icons by Dzihan & Kamien between sets. The cd really enchanted me. The songs reminded me of the story I lost myself in this past week ... Twilight ... sort of sexy, yet mysterious and suspenseful. I'm a new fan of Dziahn & Kamien. You can listen for yourself below.



At the end of the night, we walked home. I Love that we can do that. I know I write about that a lot ... I guess I don't want to ever loose my appreciation of it. It's a hard lifestyle to find in Florida, a pedestrian friendly community. Despite the drive sometimes, I'm glad we moved to Mount Dora.




--Rachelle
www.TremainStreetCottages.com

At the Copa ... Copa Cabana ...

Okay ... I apologize. I just got that song stuck in your head, didn't I? Oops! So sorry. Here a better song to have on instant replay ...




Last night we a fabulously fun time. First we walked downtown to Yappy Hour ... a mix and mingling of wagging tales and wine. Gotta love a happy hour where you can bring your pooch! Our furry princess stayed home since she doesn't play nice with the other kids. Instead I brought along our video camera to record the fun.

After playing at Yappy Hour we strolled down to the new Cuban restaurant Copacabana and indulged in some of my favorite Latin foods ... tostones with mojo ... Cuban coffee ... and of course some ropa vieja.

When the caffeine jolt kicked in, we trodded back uphill to Mount Dora's Ghost Walk. Because I was still towing around my camera ... they offered me a ride in the antique hearse ... I passed. Maybe next time. In the front seat. Without the scary music to creep me out. That's a ride you only want to take once in your life, ya know what I mean?

The Ghost Walk is actually more entertaining and informative than frightful. Unless ... of course ... you're looking for it to be scary ... just ask and they'll turn up the chills a bit. Personally, I've got a vivid imagination and enjoy my sleep at night so I preferred the light and lively tour.



Good times! I love being a tourist just a few blocks away from my front steps.

--Rachelle

Miles of Fun

Just got home from running the Corporate 5K in Orlando.

The event was HUGE ... 11,000 people walking, running and jogging along. There were beer tents and bagels, bananas, upbeat music getting people pumped up and going, live bands on street corners and downtown restaurants handing out water and fruit.

My favorite had to be the people sipping wine and having lawn parties watching the crowds puff by.

It was definitely more of a party than a race ... but sometimes it's not how fast you cross the finish line ... and instead how much fun you had along the way!

Three miles of fun today. Two hundred and forty more to go in my training for Key West's half marathon.

--Rachelle

Going Green ... Saving Green ... and Getting High

It's hard to think about saving the environment these days when everyone's focused on a different kind of green ... the money saved in their wallet. It seems like in this economy, fashionably speaking, frugal is the new black.

But there are inexpensive things you can do and still "go green" that save you green moolah as well as the environment.

I write for a local magazine called Pulse where I discuss the local "Green Scene." In the next issue I highlight five different categories where you can conserve money and the environment.

The 5 categories include:

Cleaning Green

Saving Water

Saving Power

Shopping Local

Enjoying the Environment

I've covered green cleaning tips in this blog before, including using simple household items such as vinegar and baking soda. (Links posted below)

Christopher's Inn All Purpose Cleaner

Eco-Friendly Cleaner Recipes

But my favorite tip in this article is the very last one, getting out and enjoying the environment. Not only is it a good reminder of why we should conserve energy, water, etc. It's a great reason to get outdoors in this great springtime weather and relax.

I've recently taken up running to train for a half marathon and I love it. I know what you're thinking ... "Rachelle, how is THAT relaxing???" Really though, it's given me an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy all of our trails, meandering neighborhood sidewalks and gorgeous lake front. I can't tell you how many times this month I've had the opportunity to watch the sunrise or sunset on Lake Dora, taken in a deep breath of blooming honeysuckles or jasmine, or been inspired by a bunch of children running and playing in the yard watching them be one hundred percent in the joy of the moment. One couple of cute entrepreneurs even had an old fashioned lemonade stand. If only I had my camera on me while jogging I would have blogged about that lemonade all on it's own! What a refreshing stop, in more ways than one.

The point is, a runners high comes from much more than the exercise ... it's also what you see on the journey. If running's not your thing, get out and go for a walk, take a nap under a tree, go to a park ... just get outside.

Here are a couple of recommendations for what to do in and around Mount Dora ...

Eustis
Trout Lake Nature Center: A 230 acre natural wildlife preserve, nature trail, boardwalk and museum. www.troutlakenature.org

Mount Dora
Lake County Waterways: Go on a sunset cruise or explore the Dora Canal. www.lakecountywaterways.com

Tavares
Lakeside Kayaks at Tavares Station: Beginner and intermediate paddlers welcome to explore the Dora Canal by kayak. www.lakecountyfl.gov

For my complete list of tips in each of the 5 categories listed above, pick up your copy of Pulse Magazine locally in Mount Dora, Tavares or Eustis. Or, send a subscription request to:

PULSE
1111 N Grandview Street
Mount Dora, FL 32757

--Rachelle

March's Morning Yawn

The month of March is always a breezy reminder of what I love about living in Florida. The orange blossoms sweeten the air ... azaleas and jasmine in bloom. I know it's cheesey to talk about the weather ... but WOW is it amazing right now ... warm enough to enjoy the outdoors yet cool enough to not sweat. We're surrounded by orange groves here in Mount Dora, and every time you walk outside right now you can get a slight hint of their sweet perfume scenting the air.

"Springtime is the land awakening.
The March winds are the morning yawn." --Lewis Grizzard

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" ~Robin Williams

I love the quote by Robin Williams. It reminds me of one of our neighbors that is very involved in the community and plans some of the most fun events. He ends his emails with, "peace, love, prosperity, and party party party!" reminding us that you never really need a reason, only a place and time!

Is it still a little too chilly where you are at the moment? Join our party, come visit one of our Inns in Mount Dora and experience springtime!

--Rachelle

Barefoot Waterskiing

I love an inspiring story. And yesterday I happened to hear of one in the family. My grandmother invited me over to an impromptu coffee at her house to meet up with my cousins who were serendipitously stopping by on their way up to Lake City.

These type of impromptu meetings are always my favorite. Especially when it involves good news or a fun adventure.

So first, the good news ... My cousin Keith for the second time just became the World Overall Champion in barefoot water skiing. Congratulations Keith!

I must have missed that water adrenaline gene in the family ... because last time I went skiing I couldn't even get my butt out of the water! Ha! Mount Dora once had a water skiing elephant ... but that's a whole other story!

Anyway, the adventure will come next. I'll have to plan a trip down to Winter Haven to participate in Keith's Ski School and learn to ski. For more information about Keith or the ski school visit ... www.KSOBarefoot.com

--Rachelle