Joy of duty-free shopping

I'm psyched. I'm heading over to Grand Bahama this weekend on Discovery Cruise Line.

Aside from the obvious benefits - a chance to get away and relax at the Taino Beach Resort (I hope they have my hammock waiting!) and the magnificent feeling of being out on the ocean at this time of year - well, there's also the fact that I can do my holiday shopping tax-free.

Yeah, we get our tax-free days for hurricane season and back-to-school, but I'm looking forward to the great deals (especially on jewelry) in the Bahamas - and, oh yeah - did I mention duty-free?

What makes this cruise even more special is when you stay at either the Flamingo Bay Hotel at Taino Beach or the Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht Club, Discovery will donate a portion of each ticket price to benefit cancer research at The University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (my pet cause) through The Papanicolaou Corps for Cancer Research.

It's a win-win-win.

Go ahead, be impulsive - join me this weekend. Call Discovery at 888-213-8248.

Chocolate the new fruit?

Actually, I've just learned that chocolate is and always has been considered a fruit. Just one new tidbit from Mike Maunder, executive director at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables. I was talking to Mike about their new exhibit opening Saturday, 'Lichtenstein at Fairchild'. That's right, sculptures from famed pop artist Roy Lichtenstein blended in with the beautiful gardens at Fairchild. It's sure to be a sight for sore eyes - and Fairchild is a wonderful, peaceful place to chill for the weary shopper.

By the way - Fairchild hold's their 2nd Annual Chocolate Festival next month. Check back here for details!