Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Dosh Means Cash, Don't Lose Out

I’ve been writing a lot about Dosh here and it seems that a lot of people are listening. This month, the Dosh app is celebrating giving $100,000 in cash back.

That’s not money from a contest, it’s free money to those who have used the app to do things they would normally do every day – shopping, travel planning, eating, and enjoying local activities.  

For a limited time (thru 11:59 pm, Sunday, October 1), you can also get cash without even doing those activities.  One of the best features of Dosh is that you don’t have to work for your cash back, it will record anything you’ve put on stored credit cards. If you are a new user and store your credit card this week, you will get $10 cash for the first one, and $1 each for the second and third.  This is in addition to the $5 you earn instantly for completing the sign-up process.

It’s also a good time to remind everyone to not forget Dosh when it comes to back to school shopping. Sign in and look before you go anywhere. You can pick up school supplies at Walmart or Target, shop for school clothes at The Gap (or one of the newer stores available for cash back, such as Hollister and Forever 21).

After your back to school shopping, check Dosh for local restaurants you can visit with all that spare time and money. Earn cash at while you eat at restaurants.

For those weekends and after school times, Chuck E. Cheese is also still offering 5% on Dosh

While I don’t have young kids, I do shop at Target or Walmart, who is currently offering free two-day shipping on orders over $35. I have used that offer more than once to order non-perishables when I didn’t have time to go shopping. I got great prices and cash back on Dosh.

I know many people are concerned about the devastation in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico from the hurricanes. One way you can help is to donate your dosh cash to The American Red Cross. Just go into your Dosh wallet and select it as the charity you’d like to give your dosh money to.

One last reminder about the Dosh app: please update it and check it often. New offers are constantly being offered and will continue to be. Holiday shopping is just around the corner and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to get money for doing what you do anyway.




This is a sponsored post. 


Wednesday, September 20, 2017

A Full Final Day in Nova Scotia

It had been an exciting trip to Nova Scotia, a place I hadn’t visited in many years. 

My daughter, Sam, and I would be heading back to the States, but first we had a lot to see and do with our group at Fox Harb’r Resort.

We packed up our things and said goodbye to our one-bedroom suite. The view would definitely be missed.

The group convened in the Cape Cliff dining room for another delicious breakfast.

After we ate, Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director Shane Robilliard met with us to talk more about the cuisine of Fox Harb’r.

Chef Robilliard talked about how much he loves the opportunity at Fox Harb'r to work with the ingredients available to him, including the greenhouse, where nearly all his fruits, vegetables, and herbs come from.

He’s also proud that the resort uses sustainably harvested seafoods and local meats.

Our group then divided up for our last two activities at the resort. The first for us was fly fishing.

Sam always loved to fish so she was ready to try it.

It was a lot of fun, even if she didn’t catch anything. Fox Harb’r provides instruction to its guests (see video).

After the fishing, we went to the resort’s Sporting Lodge for clay shooting. I’m not a supporter of guns and didn’t want to partake, but those who did were given full instructions and really enjoyed it.

We all climbed into the van and headed to Jost Winery, who partners with Fox Harb’r, currently to provide wine and in the future to produce the wine from the resort’s new vineyard.

The wine pairing lunch showed off the selection at Jost, as well as their culinary offerings, including more Nova Scotia fish.

One of the wines that I especially loved was the Jost Tidal Bay.

Tidal Bay is a grape produced in Nova Scotia. It’s a bit of a cross between sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio – white, light, and fruity.

Immediately following lunch, Sam and I had to head to Halifax airport to catch our flights.

It was again another exhausting experience with Air Canada, but it certainly didn’t make us forget a wonderful trip to NovaScotia with Fox Harb’r Resort. 


Check the new TripAdvisor for great deals at Fox Harb'r Resort


Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Discovering Fox Harbr Resort in Nova Scotia

It was a beautiful morning at Fox Harb’r Resort in Nova Scotia, Canada, and my daughter, Sam and I were excited to check the place out.

We woke up fairly early in our Executive Suite to go join the rest of the group for breakfast at the Cape Cliff Dining Room, where we had eaten the night before.

For breakfast we were served Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, which Sam loved. Since I am allergic, I had a filling plate of eggs, potatoes, and fresh fruit.

When everyone was done eating, we washed up (even the bathroom here is opulent-look at that sink) and got ready for a tour around the resort.

We walked to the downstairs of the clubhouse to head out through there.

It was filled with photos, clubs, and trophies from this very prestigious golf course at Fox Harb'r, which is just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In fact, the golf course spread out through most of the resort, along the hills and valleys, and most spectacularly, along the water.

We went over to the resort’s Dol-άs Spa, named one of the top 25 spas in Canada by Canadian Spa & Wellness last year.

It’s a beautiful full-service facility that includes a fitness area and a breathtaking pool area with sweeping views of some of the best of the property.

We went through the massage and lounge areas too.

I was excited about coming back later in the day for my massage.

Outside the Spa, you could see the tennis and volleyball courts, as well as the North Cumberland Straight, which leads into the Atlantic Ocean.

We then got into golf carts to continue exploring the resort.

Our next stop was at the Fox Harb'r Resort Golf Academy. Here those of all abilities can learn with expert teachers, as well as state-of-the-art equipment.

Lessons are available one-on-one or in small groups.

From there we got to see some of the beauty of the golf course as we made our way around the property, which includes fishing facilities and miles of water views, some over bluffs and rocks.

The Greenhouse at Fox Harb'r is another element of this resort which is very impressive.

Here they grow the vast majority of the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers used throughout the property.

We also had an inside look at the condos and private houses Fox Harb'r Resort has for rent and sale.
These homes have breathtaking views, furnishings, and property amenities.

With the exchange rate, they are definitely a bargain for Americans to own waterfront properties.

We went back to the Clubhouse for lunch on the patio. Fish and Chips was served, and I had a club sandwich. For dessert we all had a luscious chocolate concoction.

After lunch, we went our separate ways to enjoy some of the resort’s amenities.

Sam went kayaking with one group and then did some hiking on the bluffs.

I headed to the spa for a relaxing massage. After, I went into the whirlpool and took in the views of the beautiful scenery at Fox Harb’r.

I returned to our suite in time to go outside by the airstrip (yes, Fox Harb’r has their own airport) and catch the eclipse.

The view wasn’t nearly as good as my Illinois friends had, but I was able to recite a line from my favorite Carly Simon song…

“You flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun.”

Sam came back to the room soon after that and we both napped before bathing and getting ready for dinner with our group.

During the day’s touring, we heard about the Joyce family, owners of Fox Harb’r Resort.

Canadian Ron Joyce invested in Tim Hortons in 1964 (when it was only one Hamilton, Canada, restaurant) and was instrumental in growing it into a successful fast food chain.  In 1996, he sold the business to Wendy’s.

Joyce invested his profits into the charitable Joyce Family Foundation, as well as in owning and operating Fox Harb’r Resort.

Ron Joyce’s son Stephen is the current CEO of Fox Harb’r and he invited us to dinner at his home.

I don’t know that I could have imagined a more ideal setting for an evening than the site of the waterfront mansion Stephen Joyce stays at when he is at Fox Harb’r.

We started the evening with a relaxing boat ride from the neighboring Marina. We went out into the North Cumberland Straight. It was very peaceful and we even saw some frolicking sea lions along the way.

The night continued with a lobster boil on the deck, with one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen.

The buffet included endless lobster, tuna, salmon, mussels, steak, and potatoes. Since I couldn’t indulge with my allergies, they brought in a chicken dinner from the restaurant for me.

The wine and cocktails flowed for hours, as did the trays of desserts. I was exhausted and one of the first to leave, many hours after I arrived.

It had been a long, but wonderful, day at Fox Harb’r Resort, and there was another one to come before we would leave Nova Scotia.




Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Nova Scotia, From Halifax to Fox Harb’r Resort

It was a misty day in Halifax. It seemed fitting for this Nova Scotia city with a very English background.

My daughter, Sam, and I were staying at the regal Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites for one night before heading to Fox Harb’r Resort on the other end of the island.

We woke up early and ate at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, which was filled with fresh fruit, pastries, eggs, and more.

From there we took an Uber to Harbour for Ambassatours Deluxe Halifax City Tour. The tour would be by bus and start in front of the Maritime Museum.

The ride was comfortable, and the guide was terrific, filling us in on tons of historical facts as we went through the sites.

It had been 30 years since I had been to Nova Scotia, and Sam had never been, so we welcomed the information.

We only had a short orientation, but I’d love to come back and see the sites in depth. 

The city is filled with historical buildings and churches, and the Victorian Public Gardens, but two sites stand out. We were glad we stopped at both.

The first was the Citadel National Historic Site, a Canadian National Park built around a former fort atop the city. It is supported by guards dressed in full uniform, as they are in front of Buckingham Palace.

The views from the Citadel are fantastic, even on this foggy day, and we took some photos before getting back on the bus to the place everyone was waiting to see.

Halifax was the town most of the victims of the Titanic disaster were sent to. More bodies were processed here than anywhere else.

This was one of the reasons James Cameron chose to come to Halifax for filming of Titanic the movie.

In fact, Five Fishermen, the restaurant we had been to the previous night, was the site of the mortuary where many were brought.

As many victims as possible were sent home to their families, but 121 are buried in the Fairview Lawn Cemetery.

Our guide took us through and told us about some of the victim stories, including the littlest one, who could not be identified at first.

On the way from the cemetery, we passed by Queen's Mansion and the new Via Rail Station at the Westin Hotel. Also, the Pier 21 cruise ship terminal and the Largest Farmers Market in North America.

The tour bus brought us back and we had some free time, so we decided to walk around the Halifax Harbourfront. 

It had some interesting shops and I bought myself a floppy hat, as I was optimistic we would have sunnier days.

We went back downtown and had some tea at Humani-T, where they had every kind imaginable, and relaxed before it was time to go to the hotel and get our things.

Sam and I took a cab to the Halifax Airport to meet with the Fox Harb' r Resort Group and head to the resort.

It was a scenic drive through rolling hills and then to the coast of the North Cumberland Straight, where the resort is located.

The last time I saw golf courses this spectacular was at Big Cedar Lodge, but that body of water was man-made. 

This was all the natural beauty of Nova Scotia, directly across from Prince Edward Island.

Our Executive Suite had a huge bathroom with a standing tub, separate living and bedrooms, a wet bar with coffee maker, a refrigerator, and a microwave.

We had plenty of snacks, a patio, and our favorite wine, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.

We opened the bottle and enjoyed the views from our patio.

After freshening up, we met outside the Cape Cliff Dining with other members of the press trip and executives from Fox Harb’r for a cocktail hour, followed by dinner in the dining room.

The views of the golf course were just spectacular, and got even better as sun began to set.

The chef had prepared a special menu for us of local dishes paired with local wine. Substitutions were made for me to accommodate my seafood allergy.

The group started with a delicious Taste of Salmon appetizer and I was equally thrilled with my Caprese Salad.

For the next course we all had the Fox Harb’r Mixed Greens, which included vegetables, beans and seeds, with a light dressing.

The main course was Surf N Turk, Espresso Crusted Beef Tenderloin in a cabernet jus, and a Nova Scotia lobster tail, covered in butter, and served with a poached herb risotto.

I had a double portion of the meat, which was tender and tasty.

The dessert sounded a bit unusual, but it was scrumptious: Carrot and Spice Cheesecake with raisin compote and brandy tuille.


Sam and I returned to our suite right after dinner. It had been a very long day and I couldn’t wait to lay my head on that pillow. 

We would still have a few more days to explore Fox Harb’r Resort