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travel tip:

Did you hear about that new study that just came out? It states that fasting may alleviate the effects of jet lag. Apparently some hot shots at Harvard concluded that since daily sleep cycles, behavior and metabolism are all governed by something called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (say that five times fast), which in turn is governed by sunlight. The scientists, who studied the behaviors of mice found that the “feeding clock” actually overrides the “master clock.” And when one forgoes meals, he is actually overriding the part of the nervous system that is in sync with hour, light and darkness.

OK, got that? Yeah, I’m not so sure either. But I do think it is interesting that fasting for a 16-hour flight will help alleviate the effects of jet lag, especially tiredness. While napping for a few hours on your long hauls can mess up the body rhythm nation and have you feelin’ all groany and groggy. But I’ve got one question: Did American Airlines sponsor the study? That way they don’t need any excuse not to feed us in the friendly skies…

Posted by Jenna at 5:11 p.m.

club wed:

Since I got engaged, I’ve been making up for lost time with the lady doctor and the gastro guy. (T’ain’t no way in Hades I’m going be all m-squared bloat-o monster on my big day.) The obligatory small talk always comes around to “Where have you been?” (I’m a championship MD avoider), “Oooh! What a pretty ring!” and “What’s your wedding theme?”

And this is the scene in the movie when I have to say: “My wedding theme is no theme. My theme is a nice, pretty wedding.” It isn’t that I’m anti-theme or anything, it’s just the thought of emblazoning everything from my save-the-dates to the escort cards and multiple-tiered cake with starfish and shells gets me as excited as the prospects of sitting in a tollbooth. And while (yes, Mom) I realize that having a theme may make my planning a little more cohesive and perhaps a bit easier, I just think it seems a little hokey and unnecessary.

Case in point: The Eyeliner Wonder Twins AKA the Wentzes. They had an Alice in Wonderland–themed wedding complete with a crazy cake featuring a hat, tea pot, stopwatch and a pot of flowers on top. I don’t know, guess I’m being all judgy-facey here, but does anyone else find this a little childish? (Bluebelle Madonna AKA daughter of Ginger Spice just had a similarly themed birthday party—she’s 2 b-t-dubs.) And does anyone else remember that episode of Newlyweds when big sis Jess had an Alice in Wonderland cake at her bday celebration? I guess it comes down to me just not digging it. But I’m wondering, what are you other brides thinking—is it a yea or nay on the theme?

club wed:

Remember that CIA statement a while back? Well, as far as the blogging goes, I’ve really been keeping up with being totes on the DL re: wedding stuff. So I figured it was time to break my silence and get you gals up to speed. The first order of biz: I’ve got a date and a place. June 28, 2009. (I know soooooo far away!) My parents, Novio’s parents, one of his Hermanos and the happy couple, of course, took a tour of two top spots. Since I’m not much of a food person (I eat it I just don’t get all I heart Batali on people), my biggest deal-breaker was the site. I feel like people recongnize pretty flowers and good food, and they certainly remember the dress (Oh Em Gee. How gorge was Jenna, daughter of an axis’, dress!?!?), but the one thing peeps talk about 4evs is the locale. The one we decided to go with had super-duper views and a total sense of place, which is basically what I do for a living…

But I’m wondering what other brides are thinking (besides the girls in the office, I don’t really have a bridal community), what are your big-day priorities?

Posted by Jenna at 11:35 a.m.

Dónde estás? Is that what you’ve been asking of me? I’m so supa sorry. I’ve been working, working, working like a little bee to get you the best honeymoon advice and Bridal Guide Exclusives! deals on the planet. (Not to spill the beans or anything, but be on the look-out for an extra-special Venetian honeymoon and even free stuff from Disney!).

I’ve also been planning my own bridal bash, and…drum roll, please…making an impression on the morning news. Oh please, no it wasn’t a Cops-esque sit. I was waxing poetic about what I know best—traveling trends and romance. That’s right, little ole moi was one of those experts you see blabbing away.

Check out the segment here (click on honeymoon travel), and for more info on the fabu destinations I discuss—Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand and NOLA, pick up the July/August issue of Bridal Guide. It’s on stands ahora (that means now).

xoxox

Posted by Jenna at 12:48 p.m.

global goss.:

Bordering on Hannah Montana inappropriate alert, The New York Times aka the source for “All the News that’s Fit to Print” ran an above-the-fold cover story (!) on the Sunday travel section about—are you ready for this—the rise in nude resorts. Jeez, talk about letting it all hang out on your vacation. Now regular readers of this blog know that I’m sooo not into this kind of talk, but the fact that a "reputable" paper would spend more than a gazillion words on the trend made me feel a bit compelled to share the news.

According to the article, the days of au-natural nude getaways equaling natural, granola-type hideaways are about as out as not having a sex tape. It seems that these days, folks that prefer to be in the buff also want the luxury experience to boot. And there’s a host of resorts to cater to these sorts of free-from-clothing-seeking customers.

On Mexico’s Maya Riviera, clothing-optional peeps can stay at the all-inclusive Hidden Beach Resort. It’s got beach butlers, multiple pools and rose-petal turndown service starting at $215 per person per night. And the guest rooms at Sea Mountain Inn in Desert Hot Springs, Cali have flat screen TVs, high-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and down comforters. And the property even has a day spa. Rates start at $269 a night.

website watch:

There are a thousand and one ga-jillon travel websites out there, and figuring out which one to trust can be a major time-suck. That’s where I come in.

This might be as earth shattering a fact to believe as the one where I honest to Ganesh tell you, I don’t watch Gossip Girl, but personally I’ve never been on a cruise. That doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate cruises. I think they are a total bang for the buck and they totes let you hopscotch without having to worry about accommodations, meals and entertainment. So when I get asked the inevitable, “What do you think of X cruise line?" or “Have you heard about a Hawaiian active itinerary?” questions from my fellow brides to be, I send them straight to my fave cruise source—Smarter Cruising with Clark Norton.

My pal Clark has been on so many cruises, I doubt if there is a single dude on earth that can beat him. (OK, maybe I’m being a little CW dramz but you get the point.) Clark’s blogs and free newsletter give the heads up on serious deals at sea, insider cruising tips as well as some really fun ship and itinerary reviews. And I know that photo there on his site is a little dorky, but trust me, this guy’s a cool cat. I trust his tips, picks and disses and so should you. Ahoy!

global goss. & steals and deals:

Attention all-things celebrity lovers: I’ve got a deal for you! How would you like to have a primo destination wedding at a luxe beach location prepared and produced by one of the top wedding coordinators on earth—Preston Bailey—for under $6 grand-ola? What? You say it’s not possible, well, I’m here to tell you it is. And yes, you're welcome.

Simply book a Preston Bailey Signature WeddingMoon package at any of the 12 Sandals locations across the Carib and you’ll get to have a celeb-style celebration. (Preston is a FOO, FOM and FOD [that’d be super tight amigo of Orpah, Martha and the Donald]. He produced red carpet gabber, Melissa Rivers’ wedding, as well as that of Catherine Zeta’s to her old man.)

The dealios include floral arrangements, table décor, a cake and other fancy fun stuffs created by wedding wizard, Preston Bailey. The latest offering in the collection is called the “Caribbean Sunset Collection” and it reflects—you guessed it—the colors of the tropical sundowners. The flowers, table settings, et. al are all hot pinks, golden and bright orange. ’Member that beautiful bouquet I got a few weeks back yup, that’s the ticket.

For all of you out there who are all “more pics of the subcontinent, what gives?” I’m sayin’ don’t be a hater. This trip was truly the adventure of a lifetime. (For a day-by-day narrative of the time I spent touring the region on the Deccan Odyssey train ride, don’t forget to pick up the Sept/Oct issue.)

In the meantime, I’ve got some snaps to share….

I know you are going to think I’m a crazy lady, but this is a Jewish temple, which is located in the heart of Mumbai. India is home to eight (!) major religions. (Wild, right?) So you can find a place of worship, no matter what your preference. The Goa region, for example, is home to a ton of Catholics, and in the North, there are many Sikhs and Muslims. Oh and another so not smarty-pants thing. Madonna visited this temple two weeks after I did—I’m that much of a style setter.

To continue on the religion kick, here are some shots of the awesome Jain temple we toured. This one is made of wood. (I know!)

With our fantastic July/August 2008 issue long gone (and boy was it a lot of work. Keep your eyes peeled for it: There’s some fabu info on romantic destinations across the globe, including one of my fave places Valencia, Espana; a super in-depth roundup of the best beaches across the Caribbean; an unbelievably cool Hawaiian honeymoon giveaway, plus I scored some big budgeting and money-saving tips for you all out there.), I’ve been a little slow on the upswing to get the next one moving. And quite honestly, I’ve been procrastinating a bit on writing a story on my Darjeeling Limited-esque adventures in India. And to get inspiration, I sifted through the few hundred photos my amigito Daniel took of our two-week jaunt across the Maharashtra region of the subcontinent. Here are some (ok a lot) of my faves, that totes probs won’t make it into the issue. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

guest blog:

Here’s a fun fact you didn’t know about this fierce intern—I’m a blackjack dealer at Harrah’s in Atlantic City. I bet you weren’t expecting that one.

And here’s my personal crash course for all you beginners out there.

First and foremost, don’t gamble with money that you can’t afford to lose. And you never go into a casino thinking that you will walk away richer. Seriously, how do you think casinos stay in business? And unless you’ve got an advanced degree in all things NASA, I’d stick to the basics.
At Harrah’s, I deal on the tables that play with eight decks, but you can find tables that play with one or six decks, too. The fewer amount of decks you play with, the better your odds of winning. Just know that the six-deck tables are only in the high-limit section. Before I continue, please remember these are just GUIDELINES, which means, just because you follow them doesn’t mean you’ll always win. Got that? OK, let’s move on.

Now the object of Blackjack is kind of like the Price is Right, you’ve got to get as close to the number 21, without going over.

The best cards for a player to have are the face cards, because they have a value of 10. Aces have a value of one or 11. So, if you’re dealt an ace and a four, for example, you’ve got five or 15 (AKA soft15). The closer the value of your first two cards is to 21 the better chances you have of winning.