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Monthly Archives

August 2018

August 24, 2018
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Let Your Taste Buds Take You to Paradise

By | Article, Blogs, Food

DO YOU MISS THE FEELING of sitting on a tropical island, cold drink in your hand, sun on your skin, staring at the clearest blue waters? Do you need a break from your busy schedule to just be able to relax like you’re on a vacation? I think we all do. So, why not try and recreate those delicious frozen drinks that you got to enjoy while relaxing on vacation, to give you that moment of pure bliss?

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Here are 10 frozen drink recipes that you can indulge in at any tropical resort!

Pina Colada

pineapple, banana, coconut milk

Tropical

mango, banana, strawberries, pineapple, coconut milk

Orange Obsession

orange, mango, strawberries, orange juice

Island Breeze

peach, mango, banana, strawberries, guava juice

Passion Paradise

mango, strawberries, peaches, pineapples, guava juice, orange juice

Strawberry Refresher

strawberries, banana, pineapple juice

Berry Good

strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apple juice

Mello Mango

mango, peach, pineapple juice

Hawaiian Holiday

banana, pineapple, strawberries, orange juice, pineapple juice

Papaya Perfection

papaya, pineapple, coconut milk

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Whichever drink sounded the most delicious to you, just add a scoop of ice and blend these ingredients together for a cold, fruity, delicious smoothie break that will bring you back to paradise!

 

(TIP! If you really want to take the edge off, you can add of shot of whatever alcohol your taste palette desires! Like, coconut rum, tequila, or vodka.)
August 22, 2018
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5 Most Beautiful Caribbean Sunsets

By | Article, Blogs, Destinations, Places, Vacations

ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR THINGS that nature presents to us every day is the last hour of sunlight. We can all appreciate that a sunset adds a moment of admiration and gratitude to our emotions. We are thankful for the beauty in this world that we get to witness on a daily.

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So for that, we put together a blog of the 5 most beautiful sunsets in the Caribbean, that everyone should take the time to experience at least once in their lifetime.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The weather is consistently gorgeous in the Dominican Republic, with year-round sunshine. Even though you can see amazing sunsets all around the island, the best spot is in Punta Cana. The sun sets every day around 7:15 PM, except for in December, during their winter solstice. The sun will set around 6:00 PM, the earliest. During these sunsets, everyone will experience orange and pink colors blending together, painting us a picture of the most brilliant sunset.

Negril, Jamaica

Jamaica gets to enjoy consistent 13 daylight hours a day. The vernal equinox is from March to June, where the sun will stay out longer and set around 7:15 PM the latest, but most of the year sets around 6:00 PM. Everyone gets to witness the sky transforming from soft shades of blue, into mixtures of purples, pinks, and oranges.

7-mile Beach, Grand Cayman Island

This beach was voted one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Interestingly, isn’t actually 7 miles, in fact it’s only five and half miles long. This crescent shaped shore is a stunning setting for their purple and orange sunsets. So unique, so mind blowing, and just all around an unforgettable moment. During their Winter Solstice, the sun sets around 6 PM, but during their Summer Solstice, the sun sets 2 hours later, around 8:00 PM.

Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos

This island is recognized for its crystal clear, tranquil blue waters, white sand beaches, and dreamlike sunsets. During their winter solstice, the sun sets around 5:00 PM, and during their summer solstice, sets 2 ½ hours later, around 7:30 PM. No sunset is the same. Some will illustrate colors of orange and purples, and some will display yellows and blue. It is a breathtaking location to experience a sunset.

Havana, Cuba

Not only is this island filled with tons of culture and a lively atmosphere but has also blessed us with some of the best, sky melting, sunsets. During the summer solstice, the sun stays out almost 3 hours later, then during the winter solstice. The sun normally sets around 5:30 PM, but during the summer, sets around 8:30 PM. The sky melts into shades of red and orange, reflecting over the city.

To visit one of these locations, connect with a Travel Specialist!
August 17, 2018
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Passion: The Real Meaning of All-Inclusive

By | Article, Blogs, Industry

The founders of Karisma’s El Dorado Spa Resorts and Hotels, Joe Martinez and Delores Lopez, believe that being a gourmet-inclusive resort means more than just providing the best guest experience possible.

Commitment to superior customer service and creating opportunities for growth have been at the heart of everything they have built from the founding of Lomas Travel in 1981, to the rise of El Dorado Spa Resorts and Hotels.

I would challenge anyone to find a poor review of any of their resorts.  The reason?  Passion.

Sr. Martinez and Sra. Lopez’s passion and dedication to their employees, guests, partners, the environment, and the future can be described as nothing less than all-inclusive.

Take for example the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Hotel occupancy dropped to 9% and management told Sr. Martinez that he risked potentially losing $9 million if he didn’t cut costs and layoff a sizable portion of is staff.

His response?  Not a single person was let go.

“When you have thousands of employees, you have a moral responsibility, a moral obligation, a duty to them,” he told Travel Weekly. “When times are good, they help you. When times are bad, they need you. So, we decided not to let anyone go. It’s about maintaining hope; That’s important.”

Additionally, Sr. Martinez and Sra. Lopez’s have received recognition for their commitment to the environment and preserving the beautiful coast of Mexico for future generations to enjoy.

Both Lomas Travel and El Dorado Spa Resorts and Hotels funded the construction of what will be the largest artificial reef in the world upon completion:  Kan-Kanán.  Its purpose is to reduce the impact of natural erosion and aid in the restoration and continuation of a marine ecosystem which includes thousands of species.

You can taste their passion for the environment…Literally.

One of their resorts, El Dorado Royale, is home to the largest sustainable greenhouse in the Yucatan.  It provides all of their resorts produce and herbs that are completely free of unnatural pesticides, which gives gourmet-inclusive a deeper meaning than just being delicious.

“Going green is not just a concept, or just a bunch of words…  Going green is developing high quality products, free of chemicals, and free of pollution,” said Sr. Martinez.

Additionally, El Dorado Spa Resorts and Hotels uses energy efficient lighting and air conditioning, solar panels, detergent-free laundry, and uses a water-filtration system which enables them to recycle 92% of their water for reuse.

The passion they have for the future goes beyond the planet, but also for educating and creating opportunities for Mexico and its children.

They have partnerships with local schools where children are brought to the El Dorado Royale Riviera Maya green house and are educated about the environment as well as various learning opportunities for its employees, such as English proficiency classes.

The passion that Sr. Martinez and Sra. Lopez have for excellence comes from being people-focused and a desire to make the future brighter.

With every turn they have focused on creating jobs for Mexico, supporting its culture, protecting the environment, and creating an atmosphere where travelers not only feel safe, but like family.

Creating a world-renowned brand like El Dorado Spa Resorts and Hotels by Karisma is something that is only achieved by having an all-inclusive passion; which is something Sr. Martinez and Sra. Dolores have weaved throughout the entire El Dorado experience.

Click here for more information on all of the El Dorado properties!
Ready to experience El Dorado? Connect with a Specialist!
August 16, 2018
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Be Environmentally Friendly On Vacation

By | Article, Blogs, Food for thought, Tips & Tricks

WE ARE CREATURES OF HABIT, when it comes to our personal items or our homes, we maintain a consistent agenda to keep everything well maintained and spotless. We don’t want to live in filth, so for example, we keep dirty clothes organized in a hamper and wash them when the hamper gets filled up, we wash our dishes to be able to reuse them, take the garbage out, preserve a garden or lawn, recycle, and so much more. So, how come when it comes to vacationing, we lose sight of our sanitation and admiration?

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Don’t pause on being respectful and environmentally friendly because we desire to be pampered on vacation. We should treat mother Earth the same way we would handle our own homes because Earth is our home base! Respect the environment and mother Earth and the locals will be thankful.

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Clean Your Trash!

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Just because a housekeeper comes into the hotel room to maintain all the rooms, doesn’t mean it is respectful to leave everything a complete disaster for her to clean or because there are landscapers, they will clean the trash off the land. Especially when it comes to trash! Use a garbage can. If you are walking through the halls of the resort or outside walking the paths to the beach, find a garbage can, don’t just throw your trash onto the ground and if the locals recycle, then you recycle as well. Keep the environment clean, so that it will maintain its beauty. Be respectful to the employees and the resort.

Bring a Reusable Water Bottle

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Bring a reusable water bottle with you when you travel. If it is empty, it will pass through TSA with no problem. But, by bringing your own bottle, you are saving plastic bottles from being used. Which is great because it requires fossil fuels polluting the air to break down plastic in the landfills. So, think green about plastic because you don’t want the beautiful environment, clean air, and breathtaking oceans to be polluted and ruined.

Think Local

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By supporting local business; like farmers markets, local restaurants, souvenir stands, and much more; you are supporting local agriculture which means that they don’t need to outsource to other countries for branded products. Plus, you are keeping the locals happy, supporting their culture, and learning about their history. It is a great way to show them that there are benefits to tourism.

Choose Green Activities

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Earth-friendly activities are great for being environmentally friendly. Plus, they are also super fun. So, look into activities like snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking, biking, and hiking. Not only do you get to try new activities, but this is another great way to learn about their culture and what the land has to offer. Most importantly! It will reduce your carbon footprint. (NOTE: A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouses gases produced to support your activities.)

Use Biodegradable Sunscreen

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Save the coral reefs! Save the oceans! Every day we need to remember and appreciate our oceans because without them, we wouldn’t have beautiful beaches to explore all over the world and we wouldn’t have gorgeous marine life to discover. By wearing biodegradable sunscreen, you are protecting the oceans ecosystem.

Continue to think green and keep our environment alive!

August 15, 2018
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Minerals of Mexico

By | Article, Blogs, Food for thought

SIXTY MINERALS HAVE BEEN CLAIMED IN MEXICO; which means that’s where they were first found and studied. Mexico has been mined dating back to pre-historic times and continues to produce substantial quantities of prized minerals. It is one of the top 3 countries for largest suppliers of collectable minerals; Brazil and the US included. The intrusive igneous rock formation, geological events, and semi-arid climate of Mexico have worked together to create this mineral paradise.

Amethyst is one of the most effective stones for healing, that’s why it received the name,” All-healer.” The energy is transformed into positivity and love. It is the healer of anxiety. It transmits neural signals through the head of calming and peaceful energy to soothe the mind, which then soothes the body. Amethyst was found in Vera Cruz and Guerrero, Mexico.

Fire Opal was born in the volcanoes of Mexico. It is when water meets the lava, hardening into a stone of vivid reds, oranges, and yellows. Fire Opal enhances creative energy, facilitates change, and guides progress. They protect against danger and empowers oneself to remove from a toxic situation.

Rosasite is a striking blue mineral, deeply calming and allows one to speak with clarity and with truth. It is useful for memory recall, support, strength, and sustainability. Rosasite is found in Durango, Mexico.

Golden Apatite enhances the vibration of mental clarity and strength of will. It brings a spiritual energy to the mind motivating faith and passion for life, and implanting a sense of self-worth and confidence. It gives balance to the mind and restores any emotional damage. This golden mineral was claimed in Durango, Mexico.

Grossular garnet empowers all things nurturing from Mother Earth, empowerments, hope, encourages gratitude, social growth, and service to the community. It is also the stone of appreciating abundance. Grossulars colors vary from sunrise to the greens of the earth and is found in Sierra de la Cruces and Coahuila, Mexico.

Topaz, the “crystal of potency,” radiates gentle soothing, healing, stimulating, and recharging powers. It empowers strength, inspiration, truth and forgiveness, and confidence. Increases faithfulness in love and friendships. It is all things needed to build a stable environment. Topaz was claimed in Tepetate, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas, Mexico.

Pyrite, often called “Fool’s Gold,” because of its shiny, gold exterior is actually the stone of hidden fire by striking it against metal or stone. Pyro means fire. This is the masculine stone of action, will, potential, stimulating idea flow, confidence, and persistence. It is also a shield against negative energy, emotional attacks, and physical harm. This talisman was found in Zacatecas, Mexico.

Silver is the mirror of emotions, the mind, love, and healing. It brings advantage, patience, and perseverance to the wearer. The metal is reflective, so it reflects any evil intent, like magical security, back to the sender. This energy is a magnificent conduit. There is a large abundance of silver all over Mexico, like Zacatecas is Mexico’s leading silver producing state, then Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora, Coahuila, and San Luis Potosi.

Danburite helps to “let your love light shine.” The love energy of this crystal brings serenity and peace to the heart. It relieves emotional pain and increases acceptance of self-love. Danburite will fill your life with love, happiness, and spiritual enlightenment.  It is mined in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Wulfenite is the stone of creativity and transformation. It helps the hard worker to overcome pessimism, procrastination, and self-defeating attitudes. It encourages determination, clarity, and inspires creative thoughts and ideas. This crystal is found Durango, Mexico.

Those are just 10 stones listed out of the 60 mined in Mexico. Some other stones are opal, rhodochrosite, legrandite, creedite, adamite, acanthite, pyrargyrite, boleite, polybasite, stephanite, floural, pyrrhotite, galena, smithsonite, goethite, calcite, hematite, hemimorphite, paradamite, mimetite, anhydrite, cumengite, stibiconite, agate, gypsum, cassiterite, scorodite, arsenopyrite, barite, and many, many more!

When you go to visit the Karisma Resorts in Mexico, the Vassa Spa at the Azul Resorts and Naay Spa at the El Dorado Resorts, are filled with healing crystals. They are placed in dishes, water fountains, scattered all over, if you keep your eyes open. Close your eyes, place your hand in the dish, and let the crystals energy pick you. Don’t be afraid to ask the locals about the minerals and their properties. They might be able to help you locate where you can mine your own crystals too!

August 9, 2018
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How to Survive Traveling with Toddlers

By | Article, Blogs, Tips & Tricks

WORKING IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY, it is our duty to make sure all aspects of travel are covered, from planning the perfect romantic getaway to packing hacks to traveling with children… We cover it all.

Traveling with children is not my forte because I personally don’t have any, so I took the time to interview my closest friend, Kelly, who is a wife, mother of 3 toddlers, and 2 dogs.

The Dodaro family is constantly going on road trips from their hometown in New Jersey to Nags Head, NC, Hershey Park, PA, Chatham, NY, Pittsburg, PA, Washington DC, and Sykesville, MD.

I asked her, “how do you survive vacationing with 3 kids, who are 5, 3, and 11 months?”

Kelly’s response, “Keep them entertained.”

Below are Kelly’s 5 tips on how to survive traveling with toddlers!

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Tip #1: Pack LOTS of snacks! Nobody wants to hear “I’m hungryyyyyy” or “I’m thirstyyyyy” for hours. Hungry turns into hangry (hungry angry) and there’s nothing worse than 3 hangry little kids screaming and crying in the car or on a plane.

Tip #2: If you are into electronics, which these days it’s hard not to be, make sure the iPads are fully charged. Throw on a movie, give the kids some snacks, and you are guaranteed at least an hour and a half of semi-peace and quiet. If a movie isn’t cutting it, download some free kid-friendly games that will keep them entertained.  This will make them happy and more importantly will keep them from bugging you every 5 minutes.

Tip #3: If you want to work your child’s brain activity, play some verbal games that keep them thinking.

  • For example play the “I’m going on a picnic..” alphabet game. Each person takes a turn picking out an item they are going to bring on the picnic using each letter of the alphabet. (i.e. I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing an apple. The next person would say I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing an apple and a banana.) The key is to remember each item that was said and recite them all back when it’s your turn.
  • Another game to play is “I’m thinking of an animal.” One person thinks of an animal and gives clues about them. The players can ask yes or no questions and guess until they come up with the correct animal. It’s a lot of fun and makes children think and learn new things without even realizing it.

Tip #4: Coloring books and crayons/colored pencils/markers are always a simple solution to keep kids entertained.

Tip #5: What child doesn’t like a dance party? Make a playlist of your child’s favorite songs, crank up the volume, and dance the long car ride away of if you are on a plane, give them headphones and let them entertain themselves. They have fun, you have fun, and honestly, it’s funny watching your little kids create their own dances.

“These things work for my family. Hopefully they can help some other families as well. Good luck with your children and safe travels!” – Kelly Dodaro

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August 8, 2018
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Pinching Pennies to Poolside in Paradise

By | Article, Blogs, Business

There are so many cliché mottos based on living your life, such as,

YOLO (you only live one)

live your life to the fullest

live your best life

live, laugh, love

and probably so many more!

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The reality is that it’s easy to say these mottos, but ask yourself the question, are you really living your best life, or living life to the fullest?

I’ll let you think about that one.

For me, as an example, I can honestly say I wasn’t living my dream life. I was working long hours in the restaurant industry as a waitress for almost 10 years, working my butt off to just skimp by with tips. I didn’t know if my bills were going to be paid on time and the amount of money I made at the end of a 4-hour shift or 10-hour shift changed on a daily basis. It was inconsistent and just all around rough.

What kind of life is that?

That’s not living your best life. That’s living a life of stress, fear, disappointment, and struggle.

I am 26 years old with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English. Call me a millennial, but I am just trying to live my life and be happy.

I knew that after finishing college, I probably wasn’t going to have my dream job right away.  But, if I had known that I was going to spend the next 10 years of my life, waitressing, I wouldn’t have buried my head in student loans. And if I had known that after 10 years of waitressing, I still wouldn’t have a job that I wanted to turn into a career, I wouldn’t have left living with my parents and emptied my bank account just trying to pay for rent.

Wu Tang Clan said it best, “cash rules everything around me.”

This day and age, so many of us are living a life, pay check to pay check, just trying to get by and survive. You can’t get a job because you don’t have any experience on your resume, but you can’t get any experience because you can’t get a job! It’s heartbreaking that we spend more days as slaves, rather than spending our life creating new memories, going on adventures, or growing in a spiritual way that spreads positivity.

We are fighters. We are warriors. We are survivors.

If you are tired of living a life of struggle, rather than a life of memories and adventure…

I have a solution for you.

A solution that will enable you to live your best life, travel while working based on your own time schedule, free from financial struggles, and joining a community of people who have the same beliefs and desires as you.

My solution, work with Luxevo Vacations.

All it took was someone to give me a chance, someone to see what I was capable of doing in my career field, and for someone to say you’re hired, for me to break through my dark cloud of misery and to experience the light of hope.

I am now the Lead Copywriter and WordPress administrator for our LXVN Magazine, and social media assistant. I have been working with Luxēvo Vacations for only 6 months and I have been on more adventures with this group of people, than ever in my lifetime, and they just keep on coming.

Luxevo Vacations gave me that chance to live my life and they will do the same for you.

We are just a group of ordinary people who understand that life can be a struggle, but it doesn’t have to be. We all came from different backgrounds; customer service, construction, fresh out of college or high school, or no education at all, so we get it.

Life gets busy, bills have to be paid, family has grown up and moved around the world leaving you with no time to see them, you’re so busy you don’t have any time to take a vacation or even just a personal day, but not here.

At Luxevo Vacations, they give you the freedom to travel, to work anywhere in the world, on your own time schedule. Their trainings help you learn about ins and outs of the travel industry, selling travel, and becoming a top Travel Specialist. This is the kind of career opportunity that can take you from struggling, to being completely debt free.

So, now let me ask you this…

Are you ready to change your life?

Are you ready to live your best life, be free to travel, work on your own time schedule, become free from debt, and join the Luxevo Vacations movement?

We want to change the way people work. We want people to completely live their best life to the fullest, traveling the world, creating memories, and to just be happy. It is time to stop merely saying those cliché mottos; its time to live them.

You may be thinking, “that all sounds great, but I want to know more”.  If you are ready to embark on this new life adventure but just need a little more information…

Sign up for Luxevo Vacations Founder, Burt Kramer’s FREE live webinar today!

In his webinar, Burt shares his “Three Secret’s for Success Selling Travel”, as well as his vision for creating an opportunity for people looking to live a more fulfilled life by working in the travel industry.

 “I have spent over 15 years in the travel industry working with thousands of travel agents perfecting a proven process that’s allowing ordinary people to break into travel and become successful and fulfilled,” Burt said.

Seizing the opportunity to work with Luxevo Vacations was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

It changed my life, and it can change yours too.

Register here for Burt Kramer's Webinar!