
Let Luxe Personal Concierge make your free time free again. Here you will find tidbits on travel, interesting facts, and life lessons that will hopefully entertain and inform. Whether you need a personal assistant, travel or event planner, mobile notary, or something else, we put time back on your side. Turn over your to-do list and we get it done for you!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Best Ballpark food in America

Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Be Your Own Bartender with In (hotel) Room Cocktail Experience
Traditionally, hotels have taken pride in offering services that let travelers
sit back, relax, and enjoy. However, recently an increasing number of guests are
seeking experiences where they can call the shots and create memories and skills
that last long after their trip has ended. The James offers a new in-room
mixology experience that goes far beyond the mini-bar and lets guests become
expert mixologists in the privacy of their own suite. This is DIY, with a twist
- literally!Every room at The James is now equipped with all the supplies needed to create bespoke cocktails, including a pint glass printed with recipes crafted specifically for In-Room Mixology. Guests can order the In-Room Cocktail Experience as part of The James In-Room Dining menu and a perfectly proportioned set of liquors and ingredients will be delivered. In addition to the cost of liquor consumed from the Pantry, the tray of accoutrements is $28. Customization is what the experience is all about, and guests can choose whether they would like to prepare the drinks or watch and learn from an expert bartender for a private mixology lesson.
The James takes the inspired mixed drinks of New York and Chicago's nightlife scenes and brings them exclusively for guests to savor in the warmly modern rooms at the hotel. (The James Royal Palm also is set to open later this year in Miami, and this program will be offered there as well). Guests may not be able to take the bright lights of these cities home with them, but they can savor some of their after-hours specialties again and again once they've enjoyed the In-Room Cocktail Experience.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Want To Be A Rock Star?
SETS UP ETERNAL DIGS IN LAS VEGAS
LEGENDARY ROCK GODS ROGER DALTREY, ALICE COOPER, WARREN HAYNES, DAVE NAVARRO, SAMMY HAGAR, GENE SIMMONS AND MORE SIGN UP FOR “CAMP”
NEW YORK, NY – There’s one fantasy that even Las Vegas couldn’t deliver…UNTIL NOW. Beginning this fall, anyone who dreamed of becoming a rock god can sign up for the wildly acclaimed Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp for the best up-close, life changing encounter with legends like Roger Daltrey, Dave Navarro, Sammy Hagar, Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, Vince Neil and many more. Celebrating 15 years of making rock star fantasies come to life, the Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp announces its permanent home in Las Vegas, marking the hottest new attraction in town.
“What I love about Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp is watching these people learn so much in such a short space of time and having fun,” says Roger Daltrey of The Who.
“They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” says David Fishof Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp Founder, veteran music producer and author of the forthcoming book, Rock Your Business: What You And Your Company Can Learn From The Business Of Rock And Roll. “But with Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp’s new permanent home and “Rock Star for a Day” program, what happens in Vegas stays with you for a lifetime.
UPCOMING CAMPS
Iconic rock legend Gene Simmons of KISS will kick things in Vegas at the Camp’s new location in conjunction with the MGM Grand; Simmons will headline the October 10-14 camp, along with special guest rock stars including Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne guitarist, Black Label Society), Vince Neil (Motley Crue) and Sebastian Bach (Skid Row). Campers will take the stag nightly at the MGM Grand every night.
Additional camps are scheduled throughout the 2012-2013 season; headlining the November 7-11 camp as a “salute to the blues” will be Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers) and Jack Bruce (Cream) followed by Roger Daltrey who will headline the January 23-27 camp featuring Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction.) Kicking off on President’s Day week none other than Alice Cooper will headline the February 14-18 camp with Sammy Hagar headlining the March camp taking place March 6-10.
Coming to Vegas to have some fun? The Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp offers an unmatched encounter called “Rock Star For a Day” which is the ultimate rock star package. Visitors to Las Vegas can now be submerged into a 2 to 3 hour jam session with famous artists and musicians, performing songs from a set list, your personal requests or original songs. Sessions will be held at the Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp’s world-class headquarters with private rehearsal rooms equipped with the best instruments and equipment. Your own personal jam session will be recorded allowing you to take home a live version of your experience. Transportation will be provided, as will a personal tour manager, expert technician, and roadie that are insured to give you the full “Rock Star Experience.” The only thing you will have to worry about is hitting that next note or landing that chord with your favorite rocker. No matter your experience level, novice or advanced, you now have the chance to create something that some people only dream of accomplishing, and you will have the session recording to prove it.
The 10,000 square foot Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp will be based at 3485 W. Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas.
For registration, pricing and additional camp information, call 1-888-762-2263 or visit www.rockcamp.com.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
New Hotel in Downtown Vegas, baby....

Monday, August 27, 2012
Those Gummy Bears You All Have Been Waiting For
3 cups vodka (the Costco equivalent of Skyy)
1 13”x9” glass baking pan/dish with matching plastic lid
-Set aside 1 package of the gummy bears to compare your drunkies to the gummies later.
-Eat 1 package while opening all the other mini-bags, or in my case your husband eats it.
-Pour 1 cup of vodka evenly over the pan of gummy bears and stir them all up really good. Make sure every bear is touching some of the vodka.
-Put the lid on the pan and put the pan in the fridge.
-Stir the gummies again in the evening or before going to bed.
-Pour another ½ cup vodka evenly over the gummies and stir them up real good.
-Put them back in the fridge with the lid on the pan.
-Stir the gummies again in the evening, gently separating any gummies stuck together.
-Pour another ½ vodka evenly over the gummies and stir again
-Put the pan back in the fridge with the lid on the pan.
-Stir the gummies in the morning and you will notice the vodka is all soaked up again. Pry any stuck together gummies apart gently with your spoon.
-If you test one at this point you will notice they are not super strong but the middle is still a little hard, so there is room for more vodka!
-Pour another ½ cup vodka evenly over the gummies and stir them up.
-Put them back in the fridge with the lid on the pan.
-Stir the gummies in the evening and separate the stuck together gummies.
-You will notice by this time all the liquid is gone. There may be a “film” or thin “slime” in the bottom of the pan and that is fine.
-I forgot to do anything to them.
-Put the lid back on the pan and put them back in the fridge.
-In the evening stir the gummies and put the last ½ cup of vodka in, pouring evenly over all gummies. By this time you will notice they have grown quite a bit from their original size. Separate any stuck together gummies.
-Put the lid on the pan and put them back in the fridge.
Day 7
-Stir the gummies gently, by this time they have soaked up about as much vodka as they can take. The center of them should not be hard anymore. Separate any stuck together. -You should notice that the gummies have grown over 50% larger than their original size.
-If all the liquid is gone, and only that film or slime is on the bottom of the pan, they are ready to eat! If there is still a little liquid, put them back in the fridge for a few more hours. Otherwise, enjoy your drunkie bears!
-Don’t use a super cheap vodka and don’t use any over-proof liquors like 100 proofs or ever clear. It seems your mid-line vodkas work well. I also heard other liquors work well like flavored vodkas and rums. The theme seems to be to stay with a mid-line liquor in that 70-80 proof range.
-Make the gummies in a glass dish. Plastic dishes may lead to mushier gummies. And the glass assures a true flavor.
-The gummies can be transported for short periods of time without being cooled, but any longer than an hour or so you may have mush on your hands.
-After your gummies are ready to eat, they can be frozen and are delicious too.
-Most of all – ENJOY!!!
-As always, these are an adult treat meant for only those 21 years of age and older. Gotta get that disclaimer in there somewhere.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Bedbugs: The Unwanted Souvenir
Bedbugs are one souvenir you don't want to bring home.Check Your Room. If you don't want to let the bedbugs bite, thoroughly inspect your room for signs of infestation. Henriksen advises placing your luggage in the bathroom when you first arrive in your hotel room, because there's no place for bedbugs to hide in most bathrooms. Next, says Henriksen, "Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for pepper-like stains or spots or even the bugs themselves. Adult bedbugs resemble a flat apple seed." Also look behind the headboard, inside chair and couch cushions, behind picture frames, and around electrical outlets. If you see anything suspicious, notify management and change rooms (or better yet, establishments) immediately.
Request A Different Room. If you do have to change rooms, don't move to a room adjacent to or directly above or below the site of the bedbug infestation. "Bedbugs can easily hitchhike via housekeeping carts and luggage or even through wall sockets," notes Henriksen. "If an infestation is spreading, it typically does so in the rooms closest to the origin."
Cover Your Bags. Even if you don't see any signs of bedbugs, you should still take precautions. Never place luggage on a hotel bed or floor. Use luggage racks if available, and place your suitcase in a protective cover. Even a plastic trash bag will suffice.
Keep Everything Off the Floor. Despite the name, bedbugs lurk in many spots, not just where you sleep. Always be vigilant when you travel. Avoid putting your personal belongings on the floor of an airplane, bus, train, or taxi. Keep your small bag or purse on your lap at all times, and seal your bigger bags inside plastic or protective covers before checking or storing them in overhead bins.
Treat Your Luggage and Clothes After Travel. "The best way to prevent bedbugs is to remain vigilant both during travel and once you return home," says Henriksen. The National Pest Management Association offers the following checklist to make sure you leave the bedbugs behind:
• Inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house, and vacuum all luggage before storing it.
• Consider using a handheld garment steamer to steam your luggage; this can kill any bedbugs or eggs that might have hitched a ride home.
• Immediately wash and dry all of your clothes—even those that have not been worn—in hot temperatures to ensure that any stowaway bedbugs are not transported into your drawers or closet.
• Keep clothes that must be dry-cleaned in a plastic bag and take them to the dry cleaner as soon as possible.
• If you suspect a bedbug infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional promptly. Bedbugs are not a DIY pest, and the longer you wait, the larger the infestation will grow. A trained professional has the tools and knowledge to effectively treat your infestation.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Ship Mate - Another App Find
Any of you who love to travel know that planning and anticipating the trip is also part of the trip itself. We had planned two cruises with my husband's family for over a year aboard Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. I had decided I wanted to be as paperless as possible as well as very organized since I was the travel agent for our group. I found several apps that were helpful in achieving these two goals, one of them being Ship Mate for Royal Caribbean. This app helped me keep a countdown of days until my cruises, plan my cruise and activities during the sailings, it helped me meet others on our sailings via the "Chat with Others" feature, and it let me keep deck plans right on my iPhone to view whenever I needed them. The feature I used every day while cruising was the "Daily Planner" that reminded me of ports and times, excursions, parties, shows, etc. This app is so powerful and I look forward to using it the next time I cruise and using even more of the features it offers. Check out what Ship Mate can do for you while planning and sailing.The cruise industry has consistently served the U.S. with one of the most preferred vacation options for decades. Despite the poor economy, passenger growth has averaged over 7% since 2000 and customer satisfaction has far exceeded other vacation categories. Cruise ships offer something for everyone. One of the only complaints from cruisers is that there are too many options, particularly for first-timers. Passengers feel overwhelmed with the number of activities and locations throug
hout the ship. This frustration is exacerbated at the ports as cruisers are bombarded by solicitors and options. The solution to this madness – the Ship Mate mobile app.
Ship Mate's motto is, “don't wait to start your cruise.” Available for Apple and Android devices, the mobile app encourages users to start enjoying and preparing for their cruise months before boarding. Users are able to virtually explore every corner of the ship with detailed deck maps, location descriptions and colorful pictures of the ship's many attractions. The app also contains detailed information on over 800 ports worldwide, including weather, history, maps, web cams, and advice on where to go eat, drink and shop. Some ports even offer exclusive Ship Mate deals simply by showing the app. Cruisers are using Ship Mate to take advantage of the limited time that they have at each port.
You'll likely find yourself opening the app on a daily basis to check your Countdown, Ship Locator, and Deck Cams. Feel the excitement build while tracking your ship as it navigates the planet, bouncing from oasis to oasis. And use the live web cams to transport yourself from that stiff, ergonomic desk-chair into a warm, poolside cabana. You'll know the exact number of days (or hours) until your vacation becomes a reality by using Ship Mate's personalized Cruise Countdown feature. For the “Type A” cruisers out there, Ship Mate offers some handy utility features like the interactive Packing Checklist, Budgeting Feature and Customizable Itinerary.
If the information that you're looking for isn't in the app, you'll likely get help from fellow passengers using Ship Ma
te's Chat feature. Cruisers are eager to share their knowledge and to meet others in the ship and port-specific chat rooms. You'll also get unbiased reviews throughout the app left by previous ship mates – and don't forget to impart some cruise wisdom of your own once you're back on the mainland.
And the best part about Ship Mate – it doesn't require internet access. You can turn it on “airplane mode” and avoid the outrageous fees charged by cruise ships. There's a version for every major cruise line - just search for “Ship Mate” in your app store.
Become part of the Ship Mate community by following them on Facebook, Twitter, or their Blog.
I cannot recommend an app like this for your next cruise vacation enough. It has everything you need to keep you organized and informed all in one place.