First, get yourself a bottle of Ozarka Spring Water - the bottle density and shape are perfect.  Don’t refrigerate the water - keep it at room temperature.

Next, warm yourself up with a nice hot bath or shower - you know the kind that leaves you with the need to cool down afterward?  Always in the past I would end a hot bath by laying down under the ceiling fan. 

On this day, I had a half empty bottle of room temperature water on the night stand.  I was so toasty from the shower that it sounded appealing, so I asked my love to roll it down my back beginning with my neck. 

You can’t imagine how nice it felt on my warm skin.  It was cool, but not shockingly cold - very nice.  We took turns for the next 30 minutes or so - rolling the bottle down one another’s backs and buttocks.  It was soothing and relaxing - a very nice finishing touch to our precious together time. 

I highly recommend it!

As you enjoy the beautiful scenery, you should also be sure to enjoy the food of the area. An episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay featured a throwdown with the owner of The Lobster Dock, which is well known for crabcakes made mostly of Maine ingredients.

The Lobster Dock’s Menu

Pamper yourself, honey!  Spend some time really thinking about your  best assets.  What do you bring to the company that is valuable?  Is it your attitude, your knowledge, your get-it-done spirit, outstanding customer service skills?  Whatever it is, make sure you know it.  Carry that knowledge with you always.  Explore a few opportunities with companies that would benefit from what you have to offer. 

You only have yourself to gain.  Even if you don’t leave your current company, confidence can contribute heavily to job satisfaction.  Once you are somewhat happy in your role, you will be much more equipped to relax and enjoy some of the true pampers that I’ve shared on this site.

Mini-pamper:

Take those painful shoes off when you’re sitting at your desk.  Who’s going to know?  I’ll tell you who!  Your feet - and they will love you for it!

Here are some common things that every pampered princess should know when she is pregnant.

• Rest
• Remember to exercise (gentlly)
• Make healthy meal choices
• Replenish yourself with plenty of water
• Revitalize your body with prenatal vitamins
• Read and Research - Information is your best friend

What you don’t know…

Here are some pictures of Passion as some of the names she goes by during the day:

Bad Troubles, Warshade - in battle


Bad Troubles, Warshade and Fury Spectrale, Peacebringer - artistic pose


Bad Troubles, Warshade -hovers in the golden sky in squid form


Bewtz, Controller - poses with a false idol


Bad Troubles - battling the Clockwork King dressed like Daphne


Troubles, DB Scrapper - dressed to Kill Bill meets cool hover guy


Naked Angel, Defender - in battle with Arachnos

It is a treat just walking the streets and taking in the sights.  Here just some of the treats awaiting you there:  

• Statue of Liberty
• Ground Zero
• Empire State Building
• Stock Market Exchange
• Hot Dog Stands
• Delightful Coffee Shops
• Ford Theatre
• Macy’s Department Store
• Time Square
• Paramount Building
• Toys-R-Us

New York City isn’t that far from Atlantic City for your inner gambler.


New York is a representation of the “melting pot” that America is known as. It’s a good opportunity to try something a bit different from another culture. I recently watched an episode of “Throw Down” with Bobby Flay, which in which he challenged the owners of Caracas Arepa Bar to a throw down. The results looked delicions. I definitely plan to give them a try the next time I visit NYC!

What’s an Arepa?

Gift It!

You’ll proabably want to save this type of gift for someone special.  You’re looking at $500-$1000 for this get-away, unless you happen to stumble across a last-minute special.  Of course, the more you want to do and the fancier the hotel, the more it will cost you.  At any rate if you can spare the splurge, this one is fun!

 I’ve done a little research and found a delightful combination of fun and relaxing activities that are sure to revitalize and pamper any frazzled princess.

I discovered a combination of places that, depending on your budget and your mood, can fill your time with food, fun, a place to sleep, and relaxation.   The nice thing about these places is that they offer a variety of activities and they are not too far apart, so you can combine your activities across these two places to design your own unique agenda.

First, I’ll tell you about a little place I’ve discovered called Ramekins.  It’s an inn that is really more on the lines of a bed and breakfast.  The little fatty inside of me loves the food theme of this place, from the events to the decor.  What I liked about this place is that they offer cooking classes - and by some well-known chefs.  

 The rooms range from $135-$250 per night and the classes range from $50-$250, depending on the class and the chef I presume. 

Next, consider MacArthur Place Historic Inn and Spa.  Well, the name pretty much says it all.  Beautiful rooms and lots of pampering is what you can expect here.  They offer a delectable spa menu that will allow you to order up the perfect pamper to help you relax or revitalize, depending on your need. 

The rooms here are a bit pricier, ranging from $349-$575.  Spa treatments can range from $118 for single treatments to full packages up to $345.  A romantic couples packages is also available at a total pre-tax cost of $490.

The onsite restaurant, Saddles, is a nice restuarant offering a full menu of items common at most steak restaurants, as well as simpler items like burgers and ribs.  A couple dining in the restaurant can expect to pay anywhere from $50-$200.

For your convenience…

Ramekins:  http://www.ramekins.com/

MacArthur Place:  http://www.macarthurplace.com/

Gift It!

I couldn’t find anything about gift certificates on the Web sites, so the best way to gift this one, is most likely by ordering pamphlets and purchasing either, VISA gift cards or good old fashioned cash.

 I like to do this by adding something with a little sparkle to my every day attire.  Whether it’s a pair of star-studded over-sized sunglasses or a shirt that sports a little splash of sequins, I like to add a little pizzazz here and there.  I may carry a sparkly bag or upgrade my pedicure to include the little flower with the sparkling flower.  It can even be as simple as sparkling body lotion to give my skin a shimmery glow or glistening deodorant. 

It is important not to go overboard, or take to a higher level of tacky.  The point isn’t necessarily for others to see and appreciate the glamor.  This is ALL ABOUT ME, really.  It’s a self-pamper of sorts.  :)  I am in touch with my inner diva even if nobody knows but me!

Passion’s Every Day Glamor Items:

• Jergens Soft Shimmer Skin Radiance Moisturizer
• Clairol Herbal Essences Shimmery Nights Spray Gel (for hair)
• Secret Platinum Clear Gel Berry Sparkle Deodorant
• SuperModel Shimmering Fragrance Mist by Victoria Secret
• Fossil Sunglasses (studded with sparling faux gems)
• Sequinned anything (tank tops, purses, flipflops, t-shirts, etc.)

Gift It!

I think you could have fun with this one, by making someone “diva for a day.”   You could put together a collection of glamorizing items.  Some can even be silly.  What a fun gift for a girlfriend who’s knocking on that next decade of her life.  The price-range can be managed by the items that you add.  Keep it simple with sparkly lotion and sunglasses, or go all out with an entire collection of items.  You could even include some glamorous diva slippers and a pair of silky pj’s.  If you find something a little bazarre, it might make for even more fun! 

Years of walking around in bare feet left my poor little tootsies dry and rough.  I tried all sorts of lotions and creams to soften them up, but without luck.  Recently I tried the simplest thing you could imagine.  I made up my mind I was going to try this one more time, and THIS time with PERSISTENCE!  I didn’t want to waste a lot more money on it, however, seeing that I hadn’t been terribly successful in past attempts.  I picked up a tube of Sally Hansen 18 Hour Cracked Heel Creme  at my local Wal-Mart, of all places. 

What I realized is that my impatience has been my worst enemy.  If you persistently use the product, you will see results within a week.  I forced myself to be persistent, which I haven’t pulled off in past attempts, and I was amazed that MY FEET could feel THAT SOFT! 

Although the product is touted as being specifically for heels, I used it on the entire bottoms of my feet. 

I put footies on immediately after applying the lotion in the morning before work, so that I wouldn’t loose the lotion walking around bare-footed.  If I wore sockless shoes to work, during the day I would slip them off at my desk and slip the footies back on.  If I had to leave my desk I switched back into the shoes.  It was kind of a pain, but it kept my feet pampered, which was my goal.  Luckily, I don’t have many reasons to have to leave my desk so I didn’t have to make that switch very frequently.  I also applied it as I slipped into bed every night. 

If you use this stuff religiously, you will be amazed at the results you can achieve in a short amount of time.

Gift It!

You can give this away in a gift basket full of other goodies, such as nail polish and foot scrubs.  You can even give it with a gift certificate for a pedicure, for the after-pedicure upkeep.  It’s sure to make someone’s feet soft and happy.

 Being a lover of gadgets, I pined away for one of these new gizmos.  Since I use Sprint, however, this one wasn’t an option for me.  I went for the alternative, Sprint’s Touch Phone.  It is reasonably similar, although it doesn’t do the automatic screen-switch-a-roo.  Still, it’s pretty cool.  If you’re in the market for something new and fun in the way of phones, you should check out either of these.  I love that I can watch television, surf the Internet, and check my email from virtually any location. 

Gift It!

This is one of those rather expensive items.  If you’re looking for something really special, this is one to consider for your favorite gizmo-lover.  Price is in the $500 neighborhood.