Rehoboth Gems

Last weekend, I ventured North to Rehoboth Beach to hit the outlets with my son and his fiancée.  We were out early enough that we didn't run in to traffic or crowds.




Two-tone Ray Ban Wayfarers in Ivory at
 Sunglass Hut in Rehoboth

At the Sunglass Hut store (Tanger Seaside), I found these crazy cool two-tone Ray Ban Wayfarers.  Knowing that my daughter scratched hers, I Face-timed with her to see if she wanted me to pick these up as replacement shades.  She did.  And, I must say, she looks great in them!  These retro-look shades come in two-tone green and yellow as well.




Nicola Pizza Leftovers!

After stopping at a few more outlet stores on our quest to find the perfect bachelorette party dress, we headed to Rehoboth Avenue to check out Downtown Cowgirl and a few other boutiques.  We were starting to get hungry and wanted a quick bite before our meter expired, so we stopped in to the original Nicola Pizza on 1st St.  Believe it or not, I have never had a pizza from Nicolas!  Since they're known for their Stromboli (Nic-O-Boli, as they call it), that is the only thing I've ever had there.  Now, I'm sorry that I didn't discover it sooner.  I am a Grottos Pizza fan and always will be, but this is a new favorite.  The service was pretty bad, but it's a tough time of year to staff a beach business (students gone and crowds still here) so I'm giving everyone a pass.




Cooling Foot Scrub from L.E.H. Soap Company
 in Rehoboth Beach

After lunch, we went down the alley next to Bella Luna and discovered L.E.H. Soaps at 127C Rehoboth Ave.   After walking in this good-smelling shop, I felt like a kid in a candy store!  It's filled with tons of hand-made soaps and body products, the prices are great, and the salesperson was eager to explain the products and offer samples and suggestions.  I purchased a 5 oz. jar of Cooling Foot Scrub ($8.95).  I tried it last night and was thrilled with how smooth it left the bottoms of my flip-flop damaged feet and the tingle of peppermint that lasted hours after I scrubbed.  This is definitely a product I will be stocking up on!


I'm really looking forward to cooler days ahead and being able to stroll through Rehoboth at my leisure without crowds and parking meters.  There are so many cool stores and unique products and, let's not forget, there's an ocean at the end of the street.  It is, without a doubt, one of my favorite places at the beach.




Labor Day Already!

I don't think I'm alone in believing that this summer went by way too fast.  It seems like only yesterday that I was stocking up on sunscreen and trashy romance novels.  While I love autumn at the beach, I am going to miss the long days, watching the sunset after dinner (instead of before), and people-watching on the beach on a crowded Saturday afternoon. 

I'm heading down tonight to say good-bye to summer and enjoy the beautiful weather that is predicted.  I will take a few more outdoor showers (love that) and sit on my patio until well after midnight with my citronella candles burning.

There are a few things I really want to do this weekend:

1.  Visit El Galeon Andalucía.  This is something that I wanted to do weeks ago, but couldn't because I was sick.  It heads out of OC on Monday, so I need to check it out this weekend.

2.  See Blinky the Fish on the sand in Ocean City.  Apparently, FX is promoting The Simpsons with a giant, inflatable Blinky on the beach near the boardwalk on Saturday 8/30.  I'm not a big follower of the show, but I've heard Blinky has three eyes due to the polluted water in which he resides.  I'm hoping this doesn't give the ocean in OC a bad rap because I actually think the water looks cleaner than ever!

3.  Fill my Fisher's Popcorn container.  If you keep your Fisher's bucket, you can get $1 off if you take it there for a re-fill.  Since I won't be at my beach house next weekend, I need some delicious beach popcorn to munch on up in Wilmington!

I hope everyone has a safe and sunny Labor Day Weekend!

August 22-24 Beach Weekend

I'm heading back down to the beach tonight and expecting a lazy, rainy weekend (which is exactly what I need after the week that I've had). 


Although summer is almost over, there is still so much to do at the beach.  It's Jeep Week in OC, which will bring Jeep enthusiasts from all over to gather for various events on and off the beach.  And, after looking at the weather forecast, having 4 wheel drive may come in handy!


If you are planning a visit to the DE/MD resort areas this weekend, you can take advantage of Ocean City Hotel Week, which runs through August 24.  This promotion offers special discounts and free night stays at area hotels/motels.


Friday night (8/22), you can catch a FREE concert at the Bottle and Cork in Dewey Beach.  The Bayside Tigers will perform their "Saved by the 90s" show at 9 PM.  You can travel back in time while listening to covers of Sublime, Weezer, Alanis Morisette, Backstreet Boys, Nirvana, and more.


Lastly, if you are looking for a place to dine this weekend at the beach, please consider a SoDel Concepts eatery.  SoDel's founder, Matt Haley, died tragically earlier this week while on a humanitarian mission to Nepal and Northern India.  As well as being a fan of his restaurants, I was greatly inspired by the story of Matt Haley's heroic struggle to overcome the obstacles in his life, as well as his generosity to those less fortunate.  Donations in his memory can be made to by visiting www.theglobaldelawarefund.com

Beach PDA: Get A Room

Inappropriate PDA Encounter #1:  I had to look twice.  I'm not weird.  I just wanted to be sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.  It was 2:30 AM and my husband and I decided to go on a late-night grocery run to the Food Lion on Coastal Hwy in Ocean City.  On our way home, we noticed two figures moving on a balcony of a certain motel that has blue light bulbs outside of each room.  A couple was fully engaged in...well...we'll just say that they were "doing it".  It didn't matter that it was Memorial Day weekend and the streets were still filled with people leaving the bars.  It didn't matter that their balcony was only on the 2nd floor and very close to the street.  It didn't matter that they were making really good use of the cheap, resin furniture that wouldn't be cleaned before the next guests arrived. 

Inappropriate PDA Encounter #2:  Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when my daughter and I went to the beach at night to see the super moon and meteor shower combo.  We noticed a dark mass near the surf on the brightly lit beach.  As we got closer to the water, it was clear that it was two people doing God-knows-what on the sand.  Whatever they were doing required them to be on top of each other.  Not wanting to see any more than one super moon that night, we walked in a different direction from where they were.

Inappropriate PDA Encounter #3:  Last weekend, there was a young couple sitting in front of my family (and a million others) who couldn't keep their hands off of each other.  Every time I looked at them, they were making out, wrestling in the sand, or caressing one or more parts of each others bodies.  It got so intense that everyone in our area of the beach got eerily quiet and started looking at each other and shaking their heads.  Little kids were snickering as their parents hushed them.  How did this couple not know that they had become a spectacle?  It didn't take long before their hormones got the best of them and they left to finish what they started on the sand.

I know that the beach (especially at night) can be a very romantic place.  Combine that with some drinks, bikinis, and a "I'm on vacation" attitude and you can get a little caught up in the moment.  What I don't understand is why people are not realizing - or, maybe, not caring- that there are close to a million people on the island right now and WE CAN SEE YOU!! (And, sadly, you don't look nearly as good to us as you do to each other)  They say that love is blind, but it doesn't make you invisible!

Did these people not learn anything from couple on top of the Chipotle restaurant on Main St. in Newark a few months ago?  Or the couple in the apartment above the Piazza in the Northern Liberties section of Philly during the World Cup?  Do they really want to become the butt of jokes on late-night TV and morning radio?


Just because Ocean City has a stripper working a pole on the boardwalk doesn't mean that we need to trash up the rest of the town.  Keep it clean, people.  Try to remember that there are children watching and save the heavy petting for a private place...I mean somewhere where no one can see you...that kind of private place.

Ocean City To Consider Ban on Short Term Single Family Home Rentals

Tonight, Ocean City's Planning and Zoning Commission are set to discuss the possibility of banning short term rentals of single family homes in certain neighborhoods in Ocean City.


Since I own a home in one of these "certain neighborhoods", I must say that I'm upset about this possibility.  Although my home is not available for rent, I would like to think that, if I ever wanted to, I would have that option.  The potential for rental income from this property adds value to my investment, whether I choose to do it or not.


My neighborhood also has condos and townhomes in it. After spending my first summer there, I have noticed that the majority of the noise is coming from those dwellings.  This new law wouldn't affect those units.  How does that help the noise level in my neighborhood?


Two weekends ago, there was a group of people on a porch across the street from me until at least 4 AM.  They weren't incredibly loud, but I could hear pretty much everything they were saying.  What did I do?  I went to bed with my air conditioning on and fell asleep.  I can honestly say that it was the first and only time this summer that I experienced any sort of noise after midnight.


These people are on vacation.  They're connecting with family members or friends and having a good time.  When you own a home in a resort area, you have to expect that this is going to happen.  Personally, I love the sound of a group of people having a good time (within reason).  I would hope that no one has a problem when I sit on my patio with my kids or my friends at night with my party lights and candles!


Of course, there are extremes and no one wants a rowdy group making noise all night and disturbing a whole street that is trying to sleep.  Cases like this can be dealt with by the police, if necessary.  Since January 1, 2013,  there have been 13 noise violation complaints from rental properties in the neighborhoods targeted for this ban.  Seriously?!  Does this really warrant a total ban on the rental of single family homes?


In a couple of months, my neighborhood will be so quiet that I will be able to hear the waves crashing on the beach.  I honestly think that makes it worth a couple of loud weekends during the summer!

Pole Dancing and Other Fun Family Entertainment

Good Monday Morning!  I'm back to work and moving sort of slow because I'm still in "beach" mode.  This past weekend had beautiful weather and the crowds are starting to die down a bit.  I suppose a lot of kids are back to school already or are getting ready to start this week.


My 17 year old niece joined me this weekend and, after some time on the beach Friday afternoon, we had to stop by a few of the coolest places to shop in OC.  We started with Quiet Storm on Coastal Highway, where we found all of their summer clothes on sale and some cool things for Fall.  Next, we stopped at KCoast on 35th & Coastal which also had some cool Fall items and sale prices on summer items, then headed to West OC to shop at the Tanger Outlets, where my niece found a t-shirt for $3.99 at Aero.  On the way home, we stopped at Ron Jon Surf Shop and Alexis Jade (next store to Ron Jon).  It was sort of a whirlwind tour of all of the places that a 17 year old girl would want to shop in OC!


Saturday night, we took my niece, my sister and her husband to the OC boardwalk.  It was so crowded that they had closed the inlet parking lot.  The Free Henna Tattoo stands were not as plentiful as the last time I was there (apparently, there was a sweep of some sort), but the newest attraction - a female pole dancer wearing a bikini - had the boardwalk completely clogged at 2nd St.  Personally, I don't have a problem with this.  Many people in OC do.  Here's the full story:  http://www.wboc.com/story/26301886/ocean-city-pole-dancer-speaks-out.  She wasn't really dancing (I didn't hear any music) and she was just doing some tricks on the pole - not unlike the physical feats that were taking place near the inlet done by a young man with chains and a ladder.  Are people discriminating against this woman because she's female and pole tricks are, primarily, done in strip clubs?  She was no more scantily clad than most women on the beach during the day and her moves were more acrobatic than sexual.  If I had small children with me, I suppose I could keep walking to have their photo taken with the obviously unlicensed snowman from the latest Disney movie (which I do have a problem with).  Lighten up, people.  Summer is almost over.  The pole dancer will go back to her club in DC and you have a whole year to recover from the sight of a beautiful (and very flexible) woman twisting around a pole for 5 minutes.


Traffic is getting better.  Nights are getting cooler.  Crowds are getting lighter.  This is the best time of year at the beach!  Can't wait to head back in a few days!

Meteor Showers, Super Moon, and Birthday Cake - August 8-10 Beach Weekend

I've been swimming with a bit of a broken fin these past few weeks.  This cold/flu has really taken a lot out of me.  I don't think I've slept this much since I was in high school!

Last weekend, the rain was the perfect remedy for me.  It kept me in the house and off of the beach.  I had nothing to do but sleep and rest.  It was wonderful.  So...I didn't get to do any of the fun things that I had planned on doing, but I felt almost all better by the time I went home.

Today was a great beach day.  A bit hazy but not really crowded and the temps were perfect.  I spent a lovely afternoon on the sand and followed it up with some down time at the beach house.  Tonight, my daughter and her husband will be joining us.

Apparently there is going to be a Perseid Meteor Shower tonight, along with a Super Moon.  My daughter and I plan to head to the darkest part of the beach at around 2 AM tomorrow to catch the action.

My son-in-law's birthday is on Sunday and we will be searching for a decent birthday cake in the resort area.  We tried Harris Teeter a few months ago for my husbands birthday and it was "ok".  Last week, I sampled some cupcakes from Bake My Day on Route 54 and...meh.  Tomorrow, my daughter and I are heading to Rehoboth to see what goodies we can find up there.  Perhaps we'll try Cake Break on 1st St.  I've walked by several times, but never stopped in.  Finding the perfect cake is a tough job, but someone has to do it, right?

Here's hoping for more beautiful weather and a wonderful weekend.  Enjoy!!