There were so many stand out brands/ product lines I loved. A couple worth highlighting are:

HydroPeptide
HydroPeptide’s products are amazing! I love their Eye Authority cream! It is super smooth, so moisturizing and has a soft, luxurious feel to it. And, it left me sans dark circles under my eyes in Las Vegas! I’m trying out a few more and will give an update soon.

What I also love about this company is that it believes epigenetics, gene expression and how genes are turned on or off, is the wave of the future for skin care. It uses peptides as messenger molecules to promote cellular health, and changes the epigenetic state of the skin to a younger state so we can maintain the fountain of youth! Visit www.hydropeptide.com for more info.

Naturopathica
Naturopathica is all about using natural and organic products to promote healing. I tried their Bio-Energy Lift Serum and absolutely loved it – my skin felt refreshed and reenergized almost immediately! I also love that this company uses clean cosmeceuticals, like plant stem cells and antioxidants, and botanicals, like plant extracts and seed oils, to produce results naturally. Visit www.naturopathica.com for more info.

ISPA is always inspiring. The general session on the first day featured Brene Brown, whose TEDx Houston talk, The Power of Vulnerability, became one of the top 10 most watched TED talks in the world! John Ondrasik spoke the following day, and gave us a wonderful performance (see below). I was amazed to learn that he actually wrote his Grammy-nominated hit “Superman” in 45 minutes! That’s talent. Ondrasik’s story was inspiring; he told us failure is the key to success, and listening. And he also said, “if you can’t win the game because the rules have changed, change the field of play.” On the last day of the conference, Simon Sinek closed the general sessions with a powerful talk on what it takes to truly be a leader. Three powerful keynotes. I’m not sure how they’ll top this next year, but I look forward to finding out! ISPA 2017 is set to take place Oct 16-18 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. Stay tuned!

P.S. Also inspirational was Mind In Motion – a mindstyle clothing concept founded by athlete and motivational speaker on personal empowerment, Leigh Weinraub. The mission? “To unlock the potential within each of us to love deeper, carry one another forward and become our own greatest champions.” They asked attendees who they are grateful for? My answer – my hubby, of course. See pic below.

#TBT – What will #Jeter to do after he retires from the #Yankees? Check out my CNBC interview from 2008 when he talks to me about his plans after #retirement… including marriage, his Turn 2 foundation, etc…

My memories of our overnight tour of Napa Valley wine country last September are wonderful… it was sunny and warm with gorgeous vineyards and delicious wine.

Upon arrival at the beautiful Vintage Inn in Yountville, we were welcomed with a delicious (and complimentary) bottle of Napa chardonnay.  Yountville is a lovely town, and a culinary delight. It’s home of amazing restaurants like the French Laundry and Bouchon, where you’ll also discover wine cellars and tasting events just steps away from your Inn!

We visited many wonderful wineries in the area.  We learned that even if you didn’t call ahead for an appointment, they would usually try to fit you in… After all, these wineries are raking in the cash with their tasty tasting tours.

Who were the winners and losers in my book? The Cakebread winery felt more like a factory to me, although I am quite fond of their wine. Cosentino in Yountville was one of my favorites. I’m currently sipping a glass of wine from one of their tremendous bottles…which was so conveniently delivered to me directly from their fabulous wine club!  Paraduxx also topped my list, both for its gorgeous outdoor setting along with its delicious Paraduxx “Z” blends and Duckhorn offerings.

On my next trip, I’d love to sip some wine in beautiful Napa Valley again… and stay for just a little bit longer.

The City of London was a true delight during the 2012 Olympics. I’ve never experienced London when the Brits were so courteous and helpful to strangers as they were during the Olympics.

Surprisingly, London was not overly crowded.  Many chose to leave town to get away from the anticipated madness… But, London was anything but crazy.  The unfortunate twist?  Hotels and event tickets were extremely overpriced, thus leaving a glut of empty hotel rooms in the market and available seats at many events, which unfortunately couldn’t be resold.  It was a treat for those like moi looking for a hotel room at the last minute.  Thanks to online site Hotel Tonight, we got a steal at two different hotels:  1) Thomson Hotel in Belgravia, next to all the lovely shops and  just minutes from the bustling Sloane Square. 2)  My Hotel Chelsea, a charming boutique hotel in the heart of Chelsea.   At noon each day, Hotel Tonight lists last minute deals on its site for high end luxury hotels in cities around the world. If you have flexibility when you travel and are looking for a deal, it’s worth checking out the site.

As for the Olympic events, I was fortunate to go to the women’s beach volleyball quarterfinals.  The atmosphere was magnificent, as beach volleyball was played right in  the city center, and overlooking Buckingham Palace.  It was a beautiful site. What a fabulous day it was for the USA!  I saw the two U.S. teams advance to the semifinals. Defending champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh quickly beat Italians Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti in just two sets, and Jennifer Kessy and April Ross defeated a Czech Republic team.  I also had the pleasure of enjoying the Prestige Pavilion, where we sipped some champagne ahead of the first match, and then had a lovely sit down supper with wonderful hosts prior to the second match.  It was a fabulous experience all around!

I recently visited the beautiful island of St. Lucia, and with its dramatic mountains, lush rainforest and white sandy beaches, it is truly a magnificent place.  The twin mountains or the Pitons – the Gros Piton and Petit Piton – and their valley, the “Val des Pitons”, in the southwestern part of the island, create a spectacular site.  Some describe it as the place where “heaven meets earth”.  O, The Oprah Magazine claims of the five places you must see in your lifetime, a visit to the Pitons is at the top of the list.  UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site.  St. Lucia has also been called the ‘Helen of the West Indies’ – as captivating to guests as Helen was to Troy.

We stayed at the gorgeous Jalousie Plantation, Sugar Beach, in Soufriere.  The resort is set on one hundred acres of lush forest, directly in between the famous Pitons, and also features a beautiful white sandy beach.  We experienced the famous drive in volcano, botanical gardens and waterfalls – all just minutes away from the resort.   The sulphur mud bath was certainly quite hot… and fantastic for the skin!

As we further explored the area, we got a taste of the unique and delicious local fruits and vegetables.

With so much to offer – whether you’re up for hiking Gros Piton (2619 feet high), ziplining, whale watching, scuba diving, kayaking, or relaxing on the beach, a trip to St Lucia is an adventure.  And back at the Jalousie Plantation, the view from our luxurious grand villa was amazing.

Each villa has a modern and elegant design, and everything is in white… yet the resort retains a colonial-like feel.  I loved our oversized outdoor plunge pool (each villa has its own private pool on a terrace).  The amenities at Jalousie Plantation are wonderful; the Rainforest Spa is so charming, and its treehouse treatment gazebos overlook the famous Gros Piton.  Jalousie features two fantastic restaurants – the elegant Great Room, which offers an old world colonial charm in a candlelit setting, and The Bayside Bar and Restaurant, which is a wonderful open-air sea side dining experience.  After dinner, guests may venture to the Cane Bar, a specialty “glowing white” rum bar.  Jalousie has almost completed a multi-million dollar renovation, at which point it will be rebranded as The Tides Sugar Beach. (Sugar Beach Residences will also be up for sale!) The resort is owned by Roger Myers, former accountant to the Rolling Stones.  Jalousie Plantation is one place I will never forget… and I’ll be sure to stay longer next time around.  Perhaps then I’ll check out one of their eight new luxury beachfront bungalows… which are just steps away from the water’s edge. Photos are below:

The next resort we visited was Jade Mountain, also in Soufriere.  We took a 15 minute water taxi from Jalousie Plantation to Jade Mountain. (I highly recommend taking water taxis or helicopters in St. Lucia whenever possible,  in order to avoid the bumpy, winding roads with steep inclines/ declines throughout the region).  Jade Mountain is unbelievable – it’s secluded and set high up in the mountains, above its 600 acre beach front sister resort Anse Chastanet.  Jade Mountain’s architecture is bold and unique, with individual bridges leading to the infinity pool sanctuaries and stone faced columns reaching up to the sky.  Jade Mountain is a very special place – each sanctuary has only three walls – there’s no fourth wall!  You are completely exposed to the elements, with an infinity pool which makes you feel as if you’re floating out to nature.  Infinity pools range in size from 450 to over 900 square feet, where the size increases in relation to the room type – Star, Moon, Sun or Galaxy.  The sanctuaries truly have unrivaled views of the Pitons.  Each of the spacious open-air suites with 15-foot ceilings has its own individual design… and of course each is extremely private.  Many agree that there’s no need to ever leave your room!  Perhaps it’s one reason so many couples and honeymooners flock to this resort.  It’s a fabulous resort to enjoy St. Lucia’s breathtaking vistas from your indoor-outdoor abode:

We then ventured up north to our final venue – Cap Maison.  It’s approximately a ninety minute drive from Jade Mountain to Cap Maison (and the roads are much better in this part of the island).  Cap Maison is located above Smugglers Cove beach in Cap Estate on the northwest coast of the island.  The villa suites are spacious and modern, and include a large kitchen, dining and living area – this place is great for larger groups or families where you can also enjoy a private outdoor pool overlooking the beach.  You may recall seeing Cap Maison during one of the rose ceremonies from an episode of the reality TV show, “The Bachelor”.  Since then, Cap Maison actually offers a “proposal package” to help others pop the question.

We took a scenic helicopter ride from the north of the island back to UVF airport – it was a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend it!  We flew over St. Lucia’s spectacular rainforest, and arrived at our destination within 10 minutes.  St. Lucia is truly captivating, I now understand why travel press often call it the Caribbean’s most romantic and beautiful island.

I recently returned from a lovely weekend at the W Retreat & Spa, Vieques Island (Puerto Rico).   Upon my arrival at Vieques airport,  I was immediately greeted at the W airport lounge and soon after whisked away to the W Retreat & Spa.  The friendly staff graciously upgraded me to a beautiful, chic oceanfront room – which was stylishly designed with colorful artwork and a luxurious sunken tub.

The W Retreat & Spa is beautiful and stays true to W’s signature style – it features a secluded private beach where you can get away from it all, two outdoor pools with a bar so you stay hydrated all day long, and poolside cabanas (useful while catching a break during sporadic sunshowers in PR).  And if you ever wonder “who’s gonna ride your wild horses”  (as Bono would say) – W Vieques has the answer.  Wild horses gracefully mill around the property and even make appearances during morning yoga sessions!   Relaxing hammocks appear throughout the property where you can just chill, take in the ocean breeze, and catch a snooze.   Pamper yourself with a massage overlooking the ocean at the Away spa – (I met the lovely new spa director, Jennifer Findlay, who said to stay tuned for more exciting yoga and spa offerings going forward).  And if you’re a fan of glowing sea creatures… the Bioluminescent Bay Tour will wow you with bright critters while kayaking all around.

Check out my video from W Vieques:

P.S.  If you’re planning a visit be sure to check out Vieques Airlink,  unless of course you fancy a long swim from San Juan…

When I toured the Zappos headquarters in April 2010, I discovered some interesting factoids…”Zappos” is derived from “zapatos” (it translates to shoes in Spanish);  employees walk 8 to 12 miles a day picking stock from static racks; 1 out of 60 UPS shipments is a Zappos item; $128 is the average spend per order; 35-40,000 orders are placed per day on average;  75% customers are repeat!  In 2008 Zappos reached $1 billion in gross merchandise sales for the first time… and despite the economic downturn, Zappos is still growing… And what was Hsieh’s first business?  It all started out with a little pizza company.

I spoke with Hsieh immediately before his keynote. Take a listen:

One of Angela’s favorite poems from Ralph Waldo Emerson resonated with me, so I’m sharing it with you:

Success…

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was inspired after speaking with Bert Monday afternoon – he told me optimism may be your most powerful tool to realize your dreams.  Take a listen:

My favorite quote from Bert?  “More than anything it’s about disposition. It’s not about what you have or where you are, it’s more about how you view the world.”

Bert Jacobs was presented with the Alex Szekely Humanitarian Award at ISPA this year, and he’s certainly most deserving…

If you haven’t been to Kohler, it’s a lovely little town with a warm and friendly mid-west kind of vibe.  The Food & Wine Experience attracted many from the local area to experience some of the top wines and celebrity chefs right in their own backyard.   Celeb chefs and presenters included: Alex Guarnaschelli, Executive Chef of Butter and the Darby; chocolatier and pastry chef Jacques Torres; Jon Ashton of CW’s The Daily Buzz; Emmi-Roth Kase USA’s Regi Hise; Stefano Viglietti of Trattoria Stefano; Bart Vandaele of Belga Cafe; Charlie Trotter; Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern.  If you’re a golfer, you surely know Kohler is home to Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run – two beautiful world class golf courses that have hosted PGA Championships, U.S. Women’s Open, among other tournaments.

Some of the highlights from the weekend?  My favorite event was Taste of the Vine at the Kohler Design Center on Friday evening, hosted by Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin.  Guests nibbled on Wisconsin cheeses and Kohler chocolates while tasting wines from numerous vintners, including Domaine Serene, Ste Michelle Wine Estates, Caymus, Charles Krug, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Duckhorn, Rodney Strong, Trinchero Napa Meritage, Twenty Four Wines, among many others. The venue was ideal – who wouldn’t love viewing all the fabulous products and designs at the Kohler Design Center?  And, let’s face it, where else can you have an amazing night surrounded by 100+ toilets?

I learned how to pair up chocolate, cheese and beer at the lovely Craverie Chocolatier Cafe – the Kohler chocolates are so yummy!  A refresher seminar on Rioja wines with Dominic Guerrieri of FOLIO Fine Wine Partners where we tasted different blends of tempranillo, garnacha, mazuelo and graciano grapes brought back fond memories of living in Barcelona and Seville.  At the Grand Tasting event, there were, once again, many different wines to try.  Two of my favorites were from Duckhorn Vineyards – the 2007 Paraduxx Napa Valley Red and the 2008 Napa Valley Merlot were both delicious!

Kohler Waters Spa was certainly a fantastic highlight from the weekend!  I pampered myself with two treatments – a 50-minute massage (which was delightful) and an 80-minute Complete Harmony Treatment – incredible!  It’s one of Kohler’s newest treatments, and I was pleasantly surprised.  The treatment started with a wonderful facial cleansing and exfoliation in the Stillness room.  I then entered the Harmony Wet Treatment room for a full-body hydrotherapy exfoliation using Kerstin Florian’s Aromatherapy Turkish Body Scrub under the KOHLER Custom Vichy shower. The Vichy shower was absolutely amazing, and it was also specifically designed by Kohler. Next, I took a 10-minute relaxing bubble bath with Olaive Chardonnay Bubble Bath. And last, but not least, a full body moisturizing treatment was applied in the Stillness room, concluding this luxurious treatment.  What a treat! I highly recommend the Complete Harmony Treatment the next time you are in Kohler.

And, I was welcomed back to my room after a long day of meetings with delicious chocolate truffles – one of my all time favorites… that’s the kind of personal touch I love.

ISPA President Lynne McNees says “seventy percent of spa-goers are women, and the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 230,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2011 alone.”  That’s scary, and stressful.  McNees adds “…the spa industry provides a nurturing and relaxing environment for healing the mind, body and spirit.”

And it’s not just women who develop breast cancer. It’s rare, but men may also get breast cancer.  San Diego 10News Live anchor Bill Griffith first told me about his battle with breast cancer many years ago during our CNN interview. I too, was surprised to meet a man with breast cancer.  Here’s a link to Bill’s journal entries if you’re interested learning about his story.

Okay, so who are the do-gooders?

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston partnered with the Ellie Fund to support its “Do Good Campaign” helping local families in the fight against breast cancer.  This month, a portion of the proceeds from the Oriental Essence massage will go to the Ellie Fund.

Spa Gregorie’s in Newport Beach, CA is still going strong with its “Greet the Day” program – the spa provides services for those going through cancer treatment, in addition to accredited oncology massage training for therapists working with cancer patients.

Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore in Santa Barbara, CA, is offering a pink grapefruit massage and giving 10 percent of the proceeds from each treatment to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

At Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin, 10 percent of proceeds from select treatments – the Radiant Glow Organic Facial and the Signature Manicure/Pedicure – will go to Breast Cancer Recovery, which offers healing environments for women.

And you can help the cause by purchasing specific beauty products this month!  When you purchase Skin Authority’s Touch Transforms Kit for $59, Skin Authority contributes $5 to Look Good… Feel Better, an organization which helps cancer patients improve their appearance and self-esteem.

Jane Iredale will donate 100 percent (yes that’s right, 100%!) of the proceeds from its Roses & Lollipops lip duo to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national support organization.

As Murad, Inc states, “your skin loves moisture, your heart loves a good deed.”  Murad will donate 10% of proceeds from the Hydrate for Hope duo, its Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture product, to the City of Hope for breast cancer and women’s cancer research programs.

Stay safe from the sun with Soleil Organique’s organic skincare line! Soleil Organique will donate 20% of all purchases to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for the month of October.

Buy Eminence Organics’ Sweet Red Rose Whip Moisturizer (which helps rejuvenate skin while minimizing fine lines) and the company will donate $5 from each sale to the Breast Cancer Foundation.

And, 5% of profits from HydroPeptide’s PINK kit will go to the American Cancer Society and the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

If you or your organization helps raise awareness for cancer or other causes, I’d love to know about it! Please email me at wendy@wendyfurrer.com.