Stowed Away By Pirates in St. Augustine

Remember the old movies where the princess stowed away and was harbored by pirates? Bueno, it doesn't just happen in the movies. Yes, this princess (Cuban American Princess-CAP) was stowed away by pirates during her stay in St. Augustine. AAaaarrgh you ready for the tale?  Sorry, couldn't resist.

It happened long ago, during the mythical days of the American Latino Heritage Fund Roadtrip.  The Princess had been traveling for hours with her trusty stead, and  it was time to rest. Night had fallen and she was weary from her travels, but where to stay?  According to her map, the next stop on their journey was the fabled St. Augustine, land of history and riches.  The Princess had visited this place during her childhood but that was too many moons ago and of course it had changed. The streets were dark and quiet- except for laughter.  A strange sound at this hour of the night, however she followed and found herself here.

The Pirate Haus Inn 

Pirates?  

She was too exhausted to question and ventured in.

Being no pushover, the Princess, although dizzy from cansancio and looking up those stairs, was determined to find lodging and continued upward.  She followed the laughter and found

Si, she had found a place among friends, for although she was a Princess, the pirates could see the spirit of adventure within her and welcomed her to their haus.  Together they would create many tales and memories, make their own mark on history, pero era tarde, it was late.  Mañana she could explore her surroundings, but for now they showed the Princess  to her quarters.-  it was time to rest.

So, did y'all like the story of the Stowaway Princess?  Queee? JU SO FONII!!!  Of course it's based on true events-  Here's the video showing her quarters...

Si, a very real and  very fun place to stay when you're in St. Augustine.  Babushka spent two enjoyable nights there and would have continued enjoying the Captain's wonderful pancakes.

For this alone it's worth the trip.

; )

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

P.S.  Meet the Captain on BB's YouTube Channel, and of course more pics on Feibu. And while you're there, visit  The Pirate Haus   and St. Augustine 

P.P.S.  Mil Gracias to the maravillosa Ms. Barbara of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau for arranging this stay for BB. 

P.P.P.S.  The opinions/tale expressed on this post are my own.  The compensated accomodations did not sway the review of  my stowaway.

Home Sweet Hogar - Vivemejor Lounge

A place to relax and just enjoy the company of others while still being able to hear yourself, this was the Hogar Vivemejor Lounge during Hispanicize 2012.  A place to learn, but also to just "be". Cozy, charming, acojedora- home.  In some ways it truly was like home. Except it was clean. And there was always someone cooking, or sharing.  JU SO FONII!!!  Ok si, you're correcto. It was nothing like BB's home, but it was calming and welcoming and I visited daily.  And I learned a lot.  Look at the schedule of events, the different types of showcasing and tell me if you wouldn't have been there daily too!

Yes, that's the actual scanned in picture of Babushka's schedule.  In particular, there was the info Dra. J. Lima-Maribona gave me; her recommendation on a skincare line for us beauties over 40 - Pond's Luminous Clean. The doctor was one of my favorite speakers- very straight forward but with a wicked humor; she's wonderful.  I enjoyed her presentation and answers so much that when given a chance to speak with a Unilever Spokesperson I chose her- even above the chefs. So you know she has to be good.  And so were the products they gave out to attendees (another reason I was there daily).  Heje Got to the point that the marvelous Edelman reps had a bag ready for BB each day.  Y to top it off?  BB won a gift basket!!  Oh yes I did-

Now isn't that purty? And I got the Luminous towels the Dra. recommended.

SCORE!!

But what exactly did I score???

         Caress Endless Kiss Body Wash

        Caress Passionate Spell Body Wash

         Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Total Care Shampoo & Conditioner

         Dove Hair Style + Care Frizz-Free Shine Cream-Serum

         Dove Toning Body Cream Personal Wash

         POND’S Luminous Clean Wet Cleansing Towelettes

         Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner

         TRESemmé Split Remedy Shampoo & Rinse-Out Conditioner

         Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise

         Knorr Granulated Chicken Flavor Bouillon

         Ragú Old World Style Traditional Pasta Sauce

Nice score huh?  They've asked me if I'd like to give a review of the products- but of course!  Bueno, this will be a family affair because BB believes in sharing the wealth and gave products out to my daughters and daughter in law.  Except for the food.  The food was all Babushka's.

Starting from the top of the list, the Caress Body Wash.  Gave this to my youngest because the vanilla scent always makes me hungry, and BB needs no help in that department.  As it is, every time My Little One goes by I want a cookie.  She loves it- the body wash and the torture it brings me. 

My eldest received the Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Total Care Shampoo & Conditioner and is now stalking her nearest CVS for a constant supply.  She's even kept the sample bottles I brought so she can refill them because "you never know'.  She also tried the Frizz Free Shine  and the Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner on La Princesa's hair.  The Frizz Free does shine, but she's so inquita it's kind of hard to apply it properly, but the shampoo & conditioner are "excellent".  Thank Goodness, because the hair is as unruly as she is!

BB claimed the Dove Toning Body Cream Personal Wash and the Luminous Clean Wet Cleansing Towelettes.  First of all, the scents of the products? Heaven. Both products are supposed to leave a healthier skin/glow, but I don't know if it's because I scrub so much due to the scent or what, but I'm a glowin'!  Actually, the Luminous towelettes have clay in them and I only use them once a week for a truly deep cleaning- yes, they're that potent.  Babushka really doesn't use foundation too much, it's more the eye area that gets the emphasis, however if you do wear face products this would be a great addition to your daily beauty cleansing. For me, I use the Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes with chamomile & white tea as my nightly cleaner; divine. And I got a whole bunch of packets at the Vivemejor lounge.  Oh yeah.

My DIL, daughter in law, is a TRESemme user and was very happy and appreciative of the shampoo & conditioner she received.  She didn't really have many split ends, but her hair was healthier and looking great.  As I stated- she was very happy with the TRESemme.

And now the foods.  Yum, Yum, and YUM! Yep, that about covers it. Except to say there's no beating the taste of Hellman's, the fufu de platano I made with the bouillon was killer, and my lasagna made with Ragu?  Let's put it this way, if Sweetie hadn't already proposed to me he would have after he tried the lasagna.  

Y ahora it's your turn to try the products.  The marvelous people of Unilever are sending two dancers of Babushka's Baile a box filled with goodies.  You choose if you'd like the Beauty or the Barriga (Belly) box.  Tough choice, I know.  

The entries.  Please leave a comment for each  one you complete along with your email address.  I will announce the winner on October 6th- so you have until 11:59 on Friday the 5th to enter.

MANDATORY:  Go to BB's Feibu page and under this post say which product you'd like to try.

Extra Entries: 

Like ViveMejor on Feibu   

Go to Vive Mejor and let them know "Bohemian Babushka sent me!"

Follow @BBabushka on Tweety.

Follow @Vivemejor on Tweety.

Like BB's video on YouTube.

Subscribe to  Bohemian Babushka's YouTube Channel.

Buena Suerte- A lucir y comer bien; 

Good luck- let's look & eat well.

oh- now isn't that just sooooo BB?

; )

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

  

Bella Bradenton- It's All in the Details

So, hopefully you've all read the American Latino Heritage Fund Roadtrip Recap, which told of parks and history and things like that, bueno, now let BB tell you about the beauty and hospitality I experienced during that trip.  Y'all know Florida has the reputation of being a sunny, beautiful state with beaches a lots of hospitality, and nowhere is that more evident than in Bradenton.  Ahora, we have lots of beaches, but not all of them have the kind of hospitality I experienced here, and arriving at 3 am that's a very nice thing to experience.

Handwritten welcome note.

Nice Florida beach homey decor

And believe it or not, though La Tata who is very afraid of them wouldn't believe me, I found it very comforting to have my own Guardian Gecko.  At 3 am after a long drive it's nice to feel acompañada and  looked after.  Queee? JU SO FONII!!!  Ok si, it was late and I was tired, pero still, if Mulan can have her dragon I can have my Gecko.

In the morning George was gone. 

But of course I named him, he gave me peace through the night 

and brought me a beautiful morning.

For BB My Beautifuls, it's all in the details.  The wonderful people  of Tropic Isle did a marvelous job of surprising me with lots of details.  From the handwritten note, to the fancy folds,

to the complimentary gourmet breakfast they gave me.

Mind you My Beautifuls, my room had a refrigerator, microwave, stove, toaster oven and all the utensils/dishware you could possibly want or need, yet they gifted this Vieja Viajera with a marvelous meal. Love that attention to detail.

And I loved Ms. Anitra.

Babushka was bombarding her with questions and verifying answers.  Ok si, it was more like repeating myself because I couldn't remember her answers, pero what do you expect after just 4 hours of sleep?  She was una muñeca, never losing her patience, always professional yet friendly at all times.  Just darned nice.  

Actually, the only negative thing I can say about my time in the Tropic Isles Beach Resort in Bradenton? 

 It was too short a stay.

; )

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

P.S.  Thanks to the lovely Ms. Tara of the BACVB for finding these accommodations. Not only is the Tropic Isles family friendly, but it's pet friendly too.  I was originally going to stop at Bradenton from Miami (dog rescue/intervention- a story for another post) but had my interview rescheduled so I went straight home to Tally.  No hay mal que por bien no venga- There's always a silver lining, and mine was staying here.  Sincerely hope to bring the family.

P.P.S.  Naturally there are more pictures on my Feibu and my YouTube Channel has a video I made on Tropic Isles.  Heje  I'm liking this, I really am.

P.P.P.S.  All pictures, opinions and craziness are my own.  The compensated articles did not dictate them.  

Salsa- Up North in The South?!?!

I had just come back from Miami and I realized I had done the unthinkable. I hadn't eaten any pastelitos nor had I danced to any latin music. Queeee?  Unthinkable right?  Increible pero cierto.  And here I was back Up North in The South and already craving what I had overlooked.  Bueno, the pastelitos ok, I had had enough sweets while down there pero the baile? I really didn't want to wait until my next trip to Miami.  Turns out I didn't have to.

"Salsa in an Airplane Hanger with the Tallahassee Salsa Dancers" read the Feibu event invitation.  Now BB had been to prior Latino functions and though they were nice they were very hometown and the participants eager and sincere, but obviously volunteers; still, I wanted to show solidarity and encourage more of such events so I bought the tickets.  So glad that I did.

Not in Kansas/Tally anymore!

The night was perfect.  Clear skies and a slight chill in the air, one of those nights I moved up here for.  Now what I didn't expect nor move up here for was the Latinidad, but it's definitely caught up to me!  First, it was in a real airport hangar and upon arrival you could hear the salsa playing, smell the cigars smoking, and see the party goers dressed to the nines in high heels, vests and fedoras. Say Queee??  In Tallahassee?  JU SO FONII!!! I was back in Miami- only better.  A class act with no pretentiousness; haven't seen that in Miami for a while.

The Locale

The Dancing

The Friends

Mia, Maria y BB

The Swag

My Little One showing the insides of "pea pods" were actually chocolates!
You know I had to do a shout out of that right??

The Sponsors

No this isn't a sponsored post, but I was so impressed by the professionalism, by how well organized and executed the event was that I had to say my thanks to the sponsors.  It's about time Tallahassee embraces the Hispanic culture in its' town and kudos to the sponsors for realizing this.

Sweetie & BB by a Classic

"HAVANA NIGHTS"  was memorable and maravilloso.  

Cuban, Alegre y Classy.  Ok Si, that describes the event too.

; )

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

P.S.  Of course there was food. Hola, it was a Cuban night, there had to be food.  But also of course that meant BB was too busy eating to take pictures of it, but it was good- even a 2 am chicken and waffles treat. Ok, not exactly Cuban fare, but we're in The South and it was Delish.The main organizers American Advertising Federation's Tallahassee Chapter,  did a phenomenal job and we were most impressed.

P.P.S. Speaking of food, my friend Mia- pictured w/BB -just inaugurated a food venue, Island Pound Hounds.  Look at her website http://www.islandpoundhounds.biz/   CREATIVITY & YUMMINESS!  Make sure to catch her if you're ever up this way.

P.P.P.S. Since this event, there was a first time major happening in DOWNTOWN Tallahassee.

Allright Tally!  Ya era hora.

BB2U

A Quickie Post for some Quickie Cash

So... y'all know the Gallina Vieja's birthday was September 1, and since BB's so attached to her, JU SO FONII!!!  ok si, the pun was intended, I decided to celebrate the whole month. And what better way to celebrate than to share with My Beautifuls? And one of the best things to share?  Dinero!! So quickly, here's the info they want us to share. Read, Rafflecopter, then let me know if you win. Simple.

Welcome to the September Extreme Cash Giveaway! Babushka's Baile has teamed up with Oh My Gosh Beck!, Life With Levi, Children Teaching Mama, HotCouponWorld, For Him and My Family, The Frugal Free Gal,  Money Saving Lisa and other awesome blogs to give all our readers the chance to win a $400 cash prize!

This giveaway runs for a whole month, so you will have plenty of time to get through all the entries. There are also daily entries available so be sure to come back every day to grab as many entries as possible!

Giveaway is open worldwide and ends October 15th at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buena Suerte y don't forget to tell me when you win.

; )

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

El Dr., My Gentle Soul is now 6.

El Dr.- 6 years old

El Dr., my eldest grandson, turned six on June 6th.  Yes, he was born 6/6/6.  I know what you're thinking, but in reality he's the gentlest, shyest child.  Queee? JU SO FONII!!! Yes he's related to BB.  Ok si, definitely takes after his dad's side of the family.

Maybe it's because he was born with so many medical problems, maybe it was because he was overwhelmed by the family he was brought into, or maybe it was always to be his way, but this child has a soul of gentility.  He prefers the quiet to chaos and being with La Tata above all things.  Have you ever seen a 6 year old play all day with a 90 year old and be thoroughly in heaven doing so?  A truly special child. Not that he doesn't like children his age or parties mind you- especially when they're for him.

And yes, he can be the typical child when asked to 

"Smile for the camera just one more time."

But his true essence, his utmost joy (besides being with La Tata) are babies.

You can see it in his eyes, hasta el alma brilla- even his soul starts to shine. 

::sigh::

 Allright, maybe he's more pediatrician than plastic surgeon material.

; )

But whatever the material, it's good, it's gentle, 

and it's growing up way too fast.

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

50 & Hitting it out of the Park!! The continuation...

HOLA,HOLA,HOLA My Beautifuls! This is the second half of my 50th Birthday Celebration at the Disney Parks. For those who didn't read the first half, we'll wait a moment- you must get the full flavor of the day.

Ok, ya? Seguimos- Let's continue where we left off.

Bueno, soaked but feeling soooo much better, Sweetie and I had a quick espresso and continued on to Epcot. Queeee??  You thought I could have continued on without that? JU SO FONII!!! Thankfully they now had espresso kiosks all through the park.  Oh yeah.

5:00 arrived at Epcot

Sweetie wanted to go to the World Showcase first- specifically Morocco 

       

What I think he was hoping for were belly dancers... 

  

   

What he got was BB's belly dancing. 

I was starved. 

And in the mood for eggroll; so to China we went.

On the way we passed by:

Italy- Italia

  

                      

Germany- Alemania

 

I almost succumbed to a perfect pretzel, but my roots won out.

Eggroll on my mind, we continued to-

China- China

and here's my own version of Peking Duck

Now how do they know BB always has food to give them?

Next stop was the Original part of Epcot- 

where they try to predict the future, so they're always renovating,

but in that prediction they don't forget their past.

ESO!!!

As my friend Luis Sung said- Walt Disney was a genius and an inspiration.

And speaking of the Original Epcot-

the Giant Golf Ball!

Ok si, I know- it's "Spaceship Earth" pero be truthful- 

who hasn't called it "The Giant Golf Ball" ?

No matter what you call it though- it's beautiful.

Yep, by the time we saw "Living with the Land" it was already night time, and though the Magic Kingdom was closing at 11 pm we knew we had to skedaddle over. So we took the ferry.  Ok si, not the quickest way perhaps, but it was nice to slow down a bit.  Not that we weren't doing that naturally, but you know what I mean.  

Now what would a trip to The Magic Kingdom be without a pic of Cindy's Castle?

It really is bella and awe inspiring.

And now to the other extreme- Sweetie had never seen

The Pirates of the Caribbean ride. so I obliged.

Hoping of course that it was updated to include Capt. Jack Sparrow. 

It was.  Oh my.

; )

Unfortunately by the time we got to this park I couldn't take a picture with my favorite- Pocahontas, 

but I was happy to have found this on the way out.

Happy, but as you can see, exhausted.  It had been 12 hours and it was time to go home. 

Amazing.  The moment we left the Magic we felt our age.  But there are pluses to that. The windshield wiper of Sweetie's car had broken, the clip that kept it together had somehow fallen.  You know that old joke about women fixing everything with a bobby pin?

Ready now to go home I noticed the parking lot and number where we were.

Peter Pan, the little boy who never grows up and 49- the last year to be "young" ?

Bueno, if tonight's adventure is any indication of what growing up is, BB's ready.  

I traveled, visited old friends, saw new sights, ate well, had fun, 

was with a loved one and looking forward to the next moment.

Si, Growing up- but never growing old.

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen. 

P.S.  Grateful to Hispanicize and DisneyParks for the free park hopper passes. And thanks to Sweetie for making sure I didn't pass out. Once again, the remarks, pics and tired feet are all mine.