Wednesday, February 23, 2011

52 goals....


Check this out from two blogs I have fallen in love with, A peak at Karen' world. & Cheap Therapy,
this is what they came up with,  This is right off of Cheap Therapy's blog and it is such a great idea, I would love for all of you to do this. 

"Let me poorly introduce you to PROJECT 52.  No, it has nothing to do with alien research or government issues.  It has everything to do with goal making and dream chasing.  Karen and I have committed to making 52 goals for 2011 and to work our way through it all, one week at a time. 

"I know.  We are crazy.  But wait, it gets better. We want you to join in on the fun!  We're going to bribe you with really great giveaways and other fun things. The greatest thing is you don't have to 52 things.  Only me and Karen.  You can do as many or as few as you want. So now who is with me (other then Karen)"

& now me too! 




Photobucket

1.  Write a real letter one time a month & send it in the snail mail. It is a lost art.
2.  read more books.
3. Go to a book club
4. Get a passport for hubs and I.
5.  Get things on our credit cleared off.
6.  Re-decorate the guest room.
7. Re decorate my office & TV room.
8. Re decorate and have a grown up bedroom.
9.  Travel to new places.
10.  Join Gym & go three days a week.
11. Plant a flower garden for beautiful summer bouquets
12. open and etsy store.
13. plant a garden.
14. Craft more often.
15. Get all my pictures printed and scrapbooked.
16. re do my tupperware cupboard.
17. Attend a blog conference.
18. Meet more bloggers.
19. Reach 500 followers and throw a big giveaway.
20. Dive into my book and really get it going.
 21. Find an new editor & if I have to self publish my book.
22. Host a dinner party.
23. Have many summer BBQ's.
24. Host a Kingstongirl event monthly (2/12)
25. Have a 1 year anniversary party in April!
26. Make an appointment with a life coach...get direction.
27. Cook a meal a few meals a week.
28.  Learn french for conversation. Call my 5 year old nephew who is learning it as well and use it with him.
29. Do more blog posts again.
30. Take a dance lesson.
31.  Take a picnic with the Hubs.
32. Visit the San Jaun Islands.
33. Take a creative writing class.
34.  Go to the dentist!
35.  Try Zumba
36.  loose 30 lbs.
37. Stop drinking diet coke.
38.  Be more of a loving wife to hub's
39. create & live on a budget
40. pick one day a week to do all the cleaning on ( so don't have to do more the that)
41. watch all the star wars movies from start to finish in one day.
42. Do yoga again.
43. Meditate daily
44. Stop saving so much crap.
45.Spend less time daily on Facebook
46.  Set business hours and days off & stick to it.
47. Have a baby
48. create a weekly menu and eat out less
49.  step it up with following through on things.
50.  Go and visit my grandparents more often then I do.
51.  make my evenings less stressful and go to sleep at a good time like 10ish!
52. make an appointment for an accountant. 

Monday, February 21, 2011

What to do to travel on the cheap side.

A trend that is catching on fast is the trend to swap house's. Yes if you saw the movie Holiday you know what I am talking about, having a small idea of what we are talking about, and what that means. Here is a small run down of what you need to know.  What I want to do is teach you how easy it is to truly swap houses. 

You start off by uploading a listing of your house, apartment or Condo. Make sure that you tell about your house, showing the pictures that make your home what would make it a place that others would want to visit. Just make sure you tell them that Jude Law isn't part of the deal. 

There are so many wonderful benefits with a house swap, one is the fact that most times they through in the use of their families car & that you can cook anything that you would normally at home. Always being able to save money on your vacation when you get rid of the per night cost of a hotel, eating and the over cost you sometimes get charged at the car rental place. 

Hub's & I had done this a few times in the past, I find that when we stay in a home instead of a hotel in a town that we don't know much about we are completely tuned into the local attractions and the home town feel.  You seem to feel like you are staying with an imaginary friend that let's you have the inside scoop of the good, the bad & the ugly in a town. 

You can use a service, some like couch surfer, HomeLink international, swapnow.com, homeexchange.com, just to name a few. I like the idea of a service so that you have a little extra protection. We used swapnow in the past, 
being much safer then a craigslist ad. 


First take great updated photos of our home, add details that you want  someone to know, like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, interesting thing that they might need to know. Make sure that you put some fun facts about your neighborhood.  After you do your part its the time for the fun part,  you can start looking at the fun places you would like to go. Then you can start to work on your swap! Slowly you will get a few emails here and there. Until your perfect swap comes up. 
Make sure that you are nice to the people that you are trying to swap with.  Searching for a home exchange is not the same as booking a room or a hotel. They are not there at your service. Try to think how you would want to be talked to and what you would shut down to if you were being talked to in a way you didn't like. Being friendly in your emails and being warm will go a very long way. Always answer fast when you get an email respond early & as fast as you can just like you would like them to do for you. Waiting is never the easiest thing when you are trying to plan a vacation. 

If you have children, don't be shy about telling the people that you want to swap with, tell them your concerns about childproofing, ask what might be a hazard. If your a big foodie and plan to use a kitchen you need to ask what they have as far as equipment they have. The more honest and prepared you are, the more you will be happy with your swap. 

We live in the country but we are close to the city, so I always leave the people that are coming to stay in our house a list with a ferry times, take out menus,  things to see and do for free or with the kids. Great places to have night out in the town, stopping at my favorite place to eat at Mor Mor, down town Poulsbo, or going to a great movie at the firehouse in Kingston. I always leave what most hotels leave, a book of all the information that you need or would want to know. Also a contact information sheet with a few friends of mine in case of an emergency, this way they can be a local for the short time that they are in our town, making it easier on everyone.

Another thing you should always do is set your expectations. Setting bounds is the rule to have a successful swapping. Walk through your home and jot down all the things that is note worthy, like our garage door can open from the car but not close.  We always add the things that are off limits. We have one room that we leave locked with a key that we only have the copy of.  How you would like them to leave your house, we always ask kindly for them to leave the sheets and blankets inside the washer. We always leave a welcome note, and a nice bottle of wine with some cheese and yummy bread.  

No matter what you do it will feel great to stay at a place that is a home away from home with a price that is cheaper the a hostel! In our economy this is the smartest way to do a family vacation. One last tip, call and check in with your insurance company and ask them what you need to know and what you need for coverage for a little extra protection. 

Enjoy & Keep traveling!!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The new 80's Prom!

We are bringing back the 80's! Come join us for a wonderful time. We will be dancing all night. You can get tickets locally at 
Liberty bay books in Poulsbo,
 Lucky star in Kingston, 
Tease salon in Bremerton & 
Relax massage & Spa in Silverdale at the Kitsap Mall. 
We will also have pictures at the door. 
Some great things for giveaways from some great local businesses! 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Show your loved one you love them....


A night at the Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle.
Being able to celebrate our Valentine’s Day together on a night under the beautiful clear cool crisp Seattle sky enjoying on of the best dinner & show I have ever been a part of. As a lover of all things in the Art’s this was the perfect way to spend a romantic and fun night with the “hub’s” It will be something we do over and over again to celebrate special occasions. 
The production that we were able to see was called the Radio Free Starlight. It held its ground with the buzz we had heard about what we would be seeing on a night at the ZinZanny! I feel when we were able to watch Teatro ZinZanni. enjoying the 5 course meal and 3 1/2 hours of fun all the while enjoying the "live" radio broadcast in Radio Free Starlight. The show will be playing at Teatro ZinZanni from now until May 8, 2011. So even if you can’t make it for your sweetheart you have a little time to take that love of yours to see this show. 


We were one of the first couples there, being able to enjoy looking at all their items that their boutique has to offer. It was an amazing selection and nothing to expensive. There was something for every budget, it was great to buy a few trinkets. I always get a few staples at each event or place that we stay.  


I have been going to Las Vegas for years. My parents started taking me as a small girl, my dad is a gambling man, well when he was in tournaments and we were always spending our time at one of the many Cirque du soleil shows so when I was told about how the ZinZanny shows were a lot like that I knew that I would love this, or I would hate it, well after the show I realized I loved it. 


from the start to finish we had the most amazing time  Celebrated Northwest chef Tom Douglas, designs our dinner menu for Teatro ZinZanni.. Tom DOuglas is the Executive Chef and owner of Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s Seafood, Lola, the Palace Kitchen and, most recently, Serious Pie restaurants here in Seattle, he never let's us down, I have eaten at most of the places he owns here in Seattle. This dinner was no different. The meal was made only by someone as talented as Chef Tom Douglas. 


The menu that we were able to enjoy this evening started out like most dinners with the Appetizer, a delicious plate waiting at our seats a yummy, Smoked Salt Spring Island Mussels, Brie, marinated artichoke hearts, shaved red onion, and cucumber spears. Drizzled with light Balsamic vinegar.  Followed for another wonderful show stopper a wonderful rich and filling Soup a Carmelized Sweet Onion Soup, seasoned with thyme, sage and Italian parsley in a beef-based stock. Festooned with Beecher’s Pike Street Gruyere toasted crouton.
The third plate was a wonderful Salad, I especially liked the beats that we thrown in the salad they were a wonderful balance to this dish. I would love to remember every detail so that I could re create this dish over and over. 
Starting with a Crisp arugula and red butter lettuce, lightly dressed in classic red-wine vinaigrette, sprinkled with Laura Chenel chèvre and toasted green pistachios and topped with roasted red baby beets.


The main course that "Hub's" and I both decided to have was the mouth watering Prime Beef Tenderloin Northwest prime cut beef from the Double R Ranch in Okanagan, slowly roasted to medium rare perfection and dressed with a savory merlot demi sauce, served over olive-oil and herb oven-roasted celeriac and seasonal vegetables. the beats were amazing. The other two maindishes that were offered were Steelhead fish or a Mushroom Strata, that smelled and looked really well. Ending on a high note with the food was the wonderful 
dessert a High Frequency Molten Chocolate Cake With a dollop of crème Anglaise, if we could have given the dessert a standing ovation we would have! 


The wonderful cast was as follows.... 


Duffy Bishop retakes center ring as Madame ZinZanni, owner of the tent and singing star for Radio KTZ. along with her co-star comedian Joe De Paul broadcast nightly into the stars and maybe even to Mar’s! You will feel like as you are watching this with as much fun you are having you are truly out of this world!  
The amazing cast that entertained us. ( Thank you to the ZinZanny office for letting me use their photos & their staff bio’s ) 
Bernard Hazens
CastBernard has been thrilling and amazing crowds for the past four years with his one of a kind act, a dynamically choreographed combination of acrobatics, juggling, and Rola Bola.  Bernard made his first Teatro ZinZanni appearance in 2005. Since This past winter Bernard returned to Germany for Roncalli’s Panem et Circenses in Essen. He has also appeared on television numerous times. When he was juggling, on top of a table, with round moving objects on top of one on top of another adding another with each passing act. I couldn't even watch him up there, I had to peak from in between my fingers! He was a great part of this night! 


CastDanielle Rueda-Watts launched her career as an aerial acrobat, Danielle can be seen on silk in the "razzle dazzle" scene in the hit movie musical Chicago, as well as being the featured aerialist in the documentary of Michael Jackson's final tour, This is it. Danielle has been in two different Cirque du Soleil productions; the cabaret style Zumanity and the Beatles show Love. When watching her make her way from the ground to the rafters no matter what was going on around her or in other parts of the show, if she was on stage my eyes wouldn't leave her. She was completely captivating. 

Duffy Bishop
CastRecently the subject of a documentary ("Who Is Duffy Bishop, and Why Isn't She World Famous"), produced by Seattle's Bryan Johnston, and back from a whirlwind summer tour with her band, blues singer Duffy Bishop is delighted to once again entertain under the magical Teatro ZinZanni tent. Duffy is a hall of fame member in both the Washington Blues Society and the Oregon Cascade Blues Association. In October 2010, Duffy was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cascade Blues Association. Duffy has been with Teatro ZinZanni since 1999. Her voice gave me chills and I would love to have a show to go to where I could just listen to her and her band. The pipes on this lady were out of this world. If you haven't heard her sing you are sadly missing out. I loved her and she was so friendly coming up to us and shaking our hand and thanking us for coming to the show. 
Joe De Paul
CastCanadian actor, writer, teacher, director and clown Joe De Paul has always had a gargantuan appetite for performing. A veteran of numerous Cirque du Soleil productions, including his debut as a clown in the North American tour of Dralion, Joe’s unique physical comedy has brought him critical acclaim in various circus’s and cabarets. The National Theatre School of Canada. He has written comedy and directed for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. He is the first thing you see when you see the start of the show, his take on Gonzilla had me laughing so hard that at one moment I thought that I was going to pee my pants in public for the first time sense I was in preschool. There is something special about him and he has the kindest eyes I trusted him until he called me out on stage! ( more to this in a minute) 

Juliana Rambaldi
CastHailed as a “bright-voiced beacon” by the New Yorker and lauded as “Radiant!” by The New York Times, soprano Juliana Rambaldi has earned international critical acclaim for her many roles with leading opera companies across the United States and abroad. Being that she lives in Seattle with her family, this made me want to support her no matter what, I mean this is out girl! Well little did I know what a breath taking voice and a smile that fills the room, her talent bubbles over and the way she grabs hold the crowd had me in awe, as she was interacting with a nice man that played along maybe a little too well when he decided to grab her ass! I knew she was trying to play nice back but he was led back to his seat in a hurry. :) 
Mrs. and Mr. Maier
CastForever getting caught up in unpleasant and highly embarrassing situations, Mr. and Mrs. Maier solve their dilemmas through sheer force of will and grim determination and their naïve and gentle nature always wins the day. Sabine Maier and Yogi Mohr, the creators of these delightfully comic characters, have lived and worked together since 1988. After studying circus-skills and performing arts in Brussels, Paris and Bristol, they have put their stamp on many of the most innovative circus and theatre productions as comedians and with their hilarious trapeze act. Based in Berlin they have toured the world together for over 20 years -- and always with their three children! A part of the "ZinZanni family" from nearly the very beginning, they have appeared in 8 different productions in Seattle and San Francisco under the Teatro ZinZanni tent. The best part of their act to me was when she sat in the middle of the room as he sang "I just want your extra time and k.....iiiiiiisssssss," By prince. As he juggled and danced for his lady. They were a delight and with out any speaking parts his little Mrs, was side splittingly funny! I didn't know how she could keep a straight face and be so funny all at the same time! Loved them!
Mat Plendl
CastTeatro ZinZanni welcomes the return of multi-media performance artist Mat Plendl, who brings his own form of magic to the tent in the form of a hula-hoop! Combining elements of mime, dance, physical comedy and virtuoso theremin playing, he’s created a theatrical showcase that’s won acclaim worldwide. Mat became the U.S. National Hula Hoop Champion at age 13 on the Dinah Shore Show, and made his professional debut at 24 on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Soon he became known as “The World’s Greatest Hula Hoop Artist”, and went on to appear throughout the Americas, Europe and Japan. His TV credits include Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee, Donny and Marie, Jerry Lewis MDA telethon, Merv Griffin, and many more. He was the serious face and MC of the night, His singing number was great and he kept me engaged in the production all night. He was a delight to listen to. 
CastManuela Horn, also known as the Austrian Amazon, is a yodeling, dancing, acting comedic force of nature. After small roles in independent movies and her own children’s TV show, she turned her 6’ 2” height into an asset as a comedic host for corporate events, and galas across the globe. With her cache of characters, with an appearance in the movie “Rent,” while continuing to wow audiences in the spiegeltents of Europe with the dinner cirque company Palazzo. The TV show “America’s Got Talent” found Manuela in 2009 and inspired her to expand her repertoire. Manuela is currently recording three albums, an Oktoberfest party album, an Alpen Rock comedy album, and a tribute album to the classic yodels of her childhood.  I hadn't heard a person yodel that good in years. My Grandma use to yodel and it made me miss her, but she was so funny to watch and being as tall as she was and then she added the extra hight with high heals, made me wish for longer legs even if it would just be a inch or two!  I loved the whip part of the act that she did. Picking the littlest guy in the crowed next to him he looked even smaller then he truly was. She was a delight to watch and I look forward to watching her in other productions that she is part of.  
Our beautiful night was full of laughs and most of those laughs were at my expense. As I said in the post a little earlier, Our new and dear friend,      Joe De Paul made eye contact with us from the very start, came around our table that was at the font and center of the dinning room, at a small table  for just the two of us. I tried not making eye contact with any of the actors  hoping that this would make them think nope let's not pick this one. So when we were picked in the first 20 minutes for Joe De Paul to sit next to me and move chris out, we thought it as funny but didn't think we would be asked again. I was wrong!!! Half way through the night My new bff Joe De Paul grabbed my hand and asked me to come on stage and scream! Not thinking that I was going to do a whole entire act with them because of my scream! 
So that isn't even the worst part. The worst part is that the guy he pulled up there with me looked and smelled as if he just spent a year looking for Edward Cullen in the deep forest of the Olympic National Park. Yuk!  Also my name is now Dr. Brown Cow, ( Because before I knew what I was thinking I was asked what my favorite Ice cream was.) All in all I had a wonderful time and was pretty proud of myself when I went to the ladies room, and a few ladies told me I did great! That I made them laugh as much as the cast did. 

I loved my night out and can't wait to go back they have other events all of the time other then the dinner theater, they have latin dance nights, Zirkus Fantazmo that is a great show for children age 5-105! Mezzo Lunatico which is an adult review that is from 11:00pm to 1:00 Am in the morning, # Mezzo Lunatico is a 21 and older event and may contain adult themes and nudity. Tickets are $25 with a two-drink minimum. Doors open at 11:00 p.m. and the show runs from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. I know this is the one show Chris and I will go to on one of our trips to Seattle. 

No matter what age your are or what walk of life you are from this is a place that you can see a show and fall in love with the Arts! :) 






Friday, February 11, 2011

Hotel Vintage Park in Seattle.........


Over Valentines day, you should do yourself a favor and go and spend it at the Hotel Vintage park. That is what we did this week. As you know I have a small love affair with the Kimpon properties. They didn’t get even close to letting me down. 

As a travel writer, I wanted to make sure that I pulled out the stops with a romantic stay somewhere with "hub's" Being that we have stayed in some pretty amazing places made it that much more of a challenge. Then I decided that I would see if we could go over night to Seattle. A perfect place for you to find a cozy coffee shop that you can tuck into just to escape the rain, allowing you to cuddle up to your loved one in that cozy corner of the coffee shop or wine bar. Where ever you go in Seattle you will feel the romance. Especially the Hotel Vintage Park nothing feels more romantic then a night here. 

When you step off the sidewalk from 5th Ave, you feel it instantly, the feeling of nostalgia, class and warmth like coming back to visit an old friend. Now add the The theme to this wonderful hotel that is centered around the Wine country.  Washington proudly has five hundred wineries, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found in all 50 states and in more than 40 countries. Washington's wine country produces a strong and dynamic variety of wines with an emphasis on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

As always with the Kimpton Properties add their personal touch to their hotels, so seeing all the attention to details was no surprise, when they ran with the theme highlighting  the wine country in each room a local winemaker lend a hand to the décor of the hotel. Each room’s artwork is handpicked from Washington winemaker and vineyard photos, label-work, and images of the vintners at work making the walls of each room, Making you feel like you are right in the middle of a winery.  Room’s don’t just boast of wine labels, the décor has borrowed colors directly from the wine fields of Washington with rich red, yellow, & golden colors, and the dark under tones of rich purple grapes. 
During the nightly wine reception the Concierge talks about all the wines, along with that they share the wines of the world with a  booklet along with a guide to Washington State Wines and winery locations. Washington State wines are served Monday through Saturday and on Sunday; At the time of the reception the Kimpton Wines of the World are served to the guests that would like to be part of the wine socail.  Even better is when the Washington winemakers attend and share information during their wine hour, they will often talk about their wine making process. When we went to the lobby to enjoy our wine hour we couldn’t even get in it was that popular!  A fun thing that the Staff does here is all employee name tags list the name of the employee's favorite wine or local winery under their name. 

What I love about staying at the Kimpton is that each Kimpton Hotel has a distinct personality and a soul of its own. This one is centered around the wine, the Alexis around art, others are centered around literature, well-being, and architecture. Each unique as the people that cross the threshold truly promises adventure, inspiration, still  offering the familiarity and style that only a Kimpton can bring. 
Our guestroom was on the 9th floor, In room 904 & it captured the romance of Washington's wine country with the  rich golds of the wallpapered walls, and warm rich reds that run in the drapes, and the fun and wild carpet that is in all of the rooms,  the fabrics and the custom-designed furniture, I loved the paisley patterned purple couch and lavender wing back chair,  I secretly wanted to back a truck up and pack them home with me.  The King size bed was very comfortable and the room was the perfect setting for our romantic weekend. Sitting in bed with the drapes open watching the city lights dance on the dark waters of the sound, with the peek-a-boo view of the ferry going in and out of port.  All the while we got to look at the amazing & brilliant designed Seattle library.  Drinking the Wine that they brought up to us when they did their turn down service. Taking it all in was just what I need to do and how I need to feel.  

When we woke up the next morning and headed down to the main lobby where we enjoyed reading the paper and the cozy fireplace while  waiting to enjoy our wonderful breakfast, at their onsite restaurant Tuilo where the food is as good as the atmosphere. 


Loving how conveniently central located this hotel is, as it is  nestled in the heart of Seattle, its easy walking distance of theaters, restaurants, Pike Place Market and the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, making Hotel Vintage Park an ideal place for you to stay.  You can rest easy when you drop your car off to the valet, The access to the valet parking is by a car elevator, from right beside the lobby, with that you can rest even easier the night of your stay. 


 Among the many amenities included in every guestroom are:
Plush pillowtop beds
Down and hypo-allergenic pillows
Private mini-bar in all guestrooms
Flat panel LCD TV's featuring on demand movies & Nintendo (for a fee)
Aveda bath amenities
Amenities of home including hairdryers, irons and ironing boards, 100% cotton oversized bath towels and fun Kimpton animal print bathrobes ( one of these stays I will take a picture of me in one of these robes! maybe even buy the warm and fuzzy socks. 


Your stay here starts off like a wine tasting your might not know what you are in for at first but when you find that favorite wine you know you will be in love for life. 


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

What or who is Kingstongirl???


What a fun weekend, this past one was. We did some really fun things. I went to review Tetro ZinZanny, It was so fun. I think it would be great to go again with a big group. Stay tuned this week for my full review it is going to be a fun read! 
Saturday I was in my first big wedding and event show! Learning a lot of  wonderful things, about what my faults are and my strengths. What I need to work on and what I need to try and change.  I loved meeting so many great people, so many wonderful contacts. I look forward to all these amazing new thing that are about to happen in my life. You know when you are standing right before something amazing and you know through the bottom of your soul that things are about to change? Well that is what I’m feeling like.  My entire life is about to change I can feel it. 
Over Saturday I was asked by some of the new people that didn’t know what Kingstongirl was?! Who I was?? What I was selling?? What have you been living under a rock? You have to know what and who Kingstongirl is?! Right?? So I thought in this post I would tell you what I do and what Kingstongirl is all about.  To get some people to even stop and talk to me I had to yell out at them "I'm not trying to sell anything!"
It started almost a year ago when I was trying to get my writing to a new level, instead of it just being a hobby for me. So I looked around thinking what I have to write about that would make a small difference. Then my mom who was new to facebook wrote on the local newspaper facebook page, telling  them that they need to have me spice up the boring paper that people just gaze over. Two weeks later I wrote my first monthly article about women in business in our local community. 
Then I decided that I was going to write about what I love, traveling! I love anything that has to do with travel and decided that this and doing reviews on fun and new things going on in and around the local area or the areas that I traveled too. 
So I guess here is a quick run down of what I do. 
1) I'm a freelance writer first off! Working on a series of travel books. :) This is my baby and I am so excited to go on a book tour.  Hoping that the path will lead me to becoming bff's with Tori Spelling. 

2) I pick places to get groups of people together. I believe that if you take money that you would spend in a big over paid place like wallmart and go and spend it over a few locally owned places each month. It will truly make a big difference in the big picture of things, maybe it isn't feeling that way now but in time it will. 

3) I'm a planner, with OCD and this makes my crazy little mind focus on something else besides endless amounts of worry and stress.  Making it a fun way to get groups of women to meet for a girls night out, do a movie night at my favorite theater in my area, wine tastings, and so on.... I want people to get out and do something fun. I know that people are reserved on what they spend their money on but you have to get out there sometimes and do something fun!  I try to keep the cost down for all of my events. 

4) I network, network, network. I want to meet & work with new people all the time, trying to always grow as a person and as a brand.  I want to be the go to girl. "where you need to go when you need to know."   

5) Being a travel review writer my entire goal is to be the West coast "Samantha Brown" I want people to know of great places to travel but not only that I want them to have an entire experience when they do. I like to talk about where and what to go see and do on their weekend in Porland or their over night in Seattle  to not only be about the hotel but a nice dinner, a new place to see and check out a production at the fifth Ave! It doesn't matter as long as I give you a run down of what you should try. 

6)Word of mouth is the best or worst thing that can happen to a business or a a person, so the word of mouth that people talk about me I want to make sure is wonderful, fun & only positive! 
I try to make sure that I give fair and truthful review.  

7) In the past year In my communities I have seen more places close then I ever thought that I would, hearing that more are in danger all of the time to close, so doing reviews are just a little way for me to give back to the places I love. I have a big mouth and I like to be able to use in to talk the places I like up!

8) I'm also on a weekly radio show called Outlaw radio and have to say that K-dawg is one of my favorite people and I love that this has brought me to many friendships but this one I have with Kevin has to be one of my favorite! :) 

There are more things that I do but this is just a taste of who I am. Oh and another question I get asked is Why did I name myself Kingstongirl??? 

This is why, in the time when Kingston, Washington was just starting to be homesteaded, our family(my Dad's side) moved there, settling in at the time in a place that was then known as Apple Tree Cove. 5 Generations later and our family's history still runs deep here. My pride of being who I am & where I came from made me decide that I needed to give my history and my town a nod of  thanks and love! I am proud of being a Kingstongirl! This is what made me use this name! :) 

Stay tuned for another amazing year of great adventure with Kingstongirl :)