Mothers Day is just 12 days away. How about treating mom (or your wife) to a fabulous getaway. Weve found a few that might interest you: 

Jamaican family getaway â?¢ You can make it a family getaway and enjoy the Celebrate Family at Sunset Resorts package. Book your family at Sunset Beach Resort, Spa amp; Waterpark in Montego Bay or Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort, Spa and Conference Center in Ocho Rios, and experience countless amenities including one of the largest supervised kidâ??s center, for children ages 2 to 12. Book for five or more nights to receive the fifth night free. As part of the package, the resort is preparing a Champagne Brunch on Motherâ??s Day, in addition to a welcome treat on both Motherâ??s and Fatherâ??s Day. Save over 60 percent off regular rates. Offer valid from April 14 through June 29.

More information: sunsetresortsjamaica.com.

Palladium Hotels amp; Resorts in Punta Cana is offering a 30 percent discount so families can enjoy the newly launched Family Friendly Rooms, specially equipped accommodations complete with everything a child would need and want. Kids receive an age-specific welcome kit ranging from items such as diapers, to sun protective clothing, to an iTunes gift card. For young adults, the room also includes games and a DVD player with a selection of videos to watch while mom and dad relax in the roomâ??s Jacuzzi. In each room, families will feel right at home lounging in the living room and taking in the fresh air while sitting on the terrace or balcony. To get the Motherâ??s Day discounted rates, simply subscribe to the Hotelâ??s newsletter and enter booking code, NLUC32. Prices start at just $91 and must be booked by May 6 for travel dates from May 1 – 31. 

Jamaican luxury getaway â?¢ Moms can escape to luxury at The Ritz-Carlton Golf amp; Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica and relax with luxury accommodations and sumptuous cuisine at the hotelâ??s celebrated restaurants. As an added bonus, this package is coupled with a complimentary fifth night, so mom can extend her stay. Rates start at $499, per room, plus tax and service charges. The special is available through December 21, 2012. The 427-room AAA Five Diamond Resort is also preparing a special Motherâ??s Day Brunch filled with champagne and gourmet cuisine, highlighted by traditional island favorites. Rates start at $45 per person, plus tax and service charges, and is valid until May 8.

More information: ritzcarlton/rosehall.

Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center amp; Spa  in Weston, Fla., is offering a special Mothers Day brunch featuring lobster quiche with brie and chives, Florida orange French toast with orange mascarpone cheese and maple syrup, classic eggs Benedict, grilled beef tenderloin, roasted baby lamb chops and stone-ground grits with spring onion, Pecorino cheese, sautÃed shrimp and tomato jam.Prices are $39 per adult and $19 per child ages 12 and under. Children under 5 years eat free. Hyatt Regency Bonaventure is exclusively offering every third night free, plus free daily breakfast for two and guaranteed late checkout at 2 pm on stays now through December 30. To take advantage of this special offer, reference offer code FRTIME. For resort information or reservations, visit www.bonaventure.hyatt.com or call 954-349-5744.

(Forimmediaterelease.net) LIBERTYVILLE, Illinois – What could be more romantic than a visit to the â??City of Light?â? How about Paris plus a driving trip through the Loire Valley and its châteaux, the most beautiful landscape in France? TourCrafters has put it all together in an 8-day/7-night, land-only package that includes 3 nightsâ?? accommodation in Paris, 3 in Tours, 1 in Chartres, daily breakfast in Paris, and 6 daysâ?? car rental for US$1,270 in July and August, US$1,299 in May and September. Upgrades to luxury hotels and château hotels are available for an extra charge.

In Paris, there are dozens of famous sights to see: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe. You can book an optional tour or just wander through the boutiques on the Left Bank, have a coffee in a sidewalk cafà and dine in an atmospheric bistro, before relaxing in the modern 3-star Hotel Kyriad Bercy.

Pick up the rental car and head for Orleans to see Joan of Arcâ??s half-timbered house, then on to the huge Château de Chambord, with its amazing towers and turrets, ending up in the charming Hotel Lâ??Univers in Tours. Other days you can visit the photogenic Château de Chenonceau, with its arches spanning the River Cher, the châteaux of Blois, Amboise, and Saumur,Villandry with its Renaissance garden and Azay-le-Rideau, the most beautiful château of all. Other atrractions include the medieval center of tours, wine towns like Vouvray, and even restaurants cut out of the rock cliffs along the Loire. Then itâ??s back to Paris, with an overnight stop at the Timhotel Chartres Chatelet to see Chartresâ?? famed Gothic cathedral.

All prices quoted are per person, double occupancy, are subject to availability, and do not include transatlantic airfare or airport transfers. For more information, visit www.tourcrafters.it/tour.lasso?ID=111 . For reservations, call 800-482-5995

MEDIA CONTACT: Barbara Gillam, BGPR, Phone: 212-288-1405, Email: BGPRnyc@aol.com

In Lisa Brackmanns Getaway, readers are whisked away to a foreign land where they meet a host of interesting, albeit dangerous characters. Heroine Michelle is a middle-aged Los Angeles native who finds herself in over her head while vacationing in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She encounters the mysterious Danny, a man to whom she is undeniably attracted, but his presence in her life gets her into all sorts of trouble.

I had a chance to read an advanced copy of Getaway and was quickly absorbed by Michelles misadventures in Mexico. At the beginning shes just a woman looking to get away for a brief time from her real life in Los Angeles, one full off credit card bills, debt, and a dead husband thats left her to deal with his mess. She comes looking for a reprieve, but what she gets is a first hand look at corruption and the dangers that come with it. From dead bodies, death threats, muggings, possible CIA. operatives, drug cartels, arrests, mysterious trips, high stake parties, and of course a little romance sprinkled in, Michelle has a jam packed vacation that shell certainly never forget.

The novel was fast paced and kept me interested in the colorful characters. I found myself wrapped up trying to figure out what exactly was going on right along with the main character. Having lived abroad myself for many years, I could identify with the Michelles fear, confusion, and at times frustration in navigating through a foreign land where corruption is rampant. While I luckily have never found myself in her shoes, it seves as a gentle reminder to always be observant and aware of our actions in our daily lives. Ms. Brackmann was  gracious enough to let me get inside her head a little and give us her thoughts on Getaway.

Getaway is a really fascinating tale of an outsider getting tangled up in Mexicos drug cartels and its ties to American businesses and the US government. What made you get interested in this topic? 

I started writing “Getaway” without a clear idea of what it would be about–I wanted to set something in Puerto Vallarta, I had an image of the main character, Michelle, sitting on the beach, clearly in an unhappy place in spite of the beauty and the vacation atmosphere surrounding her. The first chapter just wrote itself without a lot of thought on my part. After I wrote the chapter, I then had to figure out what it was about.

According to a website advertising tourism for the City of Rochester, I found that Rochester has been called a serendipitous and surprising getaway. If I visit Rochester I will be ?delighted? at my ?discoveries? and will find my visit to be a ?memorable getaway.? Well, our visit certainly was memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.

On the afternoon of April 11, we arrived at the Hyatt Regency on East Main Street, from our home of two hours away, for what we anticipated would be a great afternoon/overnight of relaxation, fine food and the exciting experience of seeing Jersey Boys at the Rochester Auditorium Theatre. Well, we did have a relaxing afternoon and the show was AMAZING! But then the ?bad? memories were made.

After the performance at the theatre was over, we walked out to our vehicle (parked in a nearby $5 lot) to find the driver?s side door window had been shattered, the vehicle ransacked, and some of the contents of the vehicle had been thrown into the parking lot. Shards of glass were all over the inside of the vehicle. We were shocked! We immediately called 911. After answering a few questions, I was transferred to, I believe, the police department. I informed the officer of our situation and he said, ?We won?t be sending out an officer, but I will be taking your information over the phone to fill out a report, which you can get a copy of in 5-8 business days.

What? No officer was going to be sent to the scene? Now, I come from a small town where our local police and/or state police would have come to the scene in a situation such as this. So, I was a little shocked and very disappointed. And I do realize that Rochester is a big metropolitan city, and the general feeling probably is that the police have more important matters to take care of. However, the officer knew I was from out of town, it was 10:30 pm, and never once did he ask me if I was alone at the scene or if I had someone with me (which I did, thank God). So, there we were, in a dark parking lot, where my vehicle was recently vandalized, trying to clear the glass out of the vehicle so that I could actually drive it back to the hotel, and not ONCE was our safety ever taken into consideration.

So as for our recent overnight visit to the City of Rochester, I will have to agree that it was a very ?serendipitous and surprising getaway, and one that I will be sure not to forget or repeat any time soon. I shared our experience with many family members and friends ? some were as surprised as we were, and others weren?t surprised at all, which is sad.

Although I am disappointed in the lack of concern from the police department, I am more angry with the person who chose to vandalize my vehicle and whose actions created a terrible ending to what was an enjoyable visit to the City of Rochester, prior to finding the damage to my vehicle. I have no doubt that the person whom I am really angry with isn?t going to spend his/her time reading my essay, or caring that they ruined what was supposed to be a wonderful get-away filled with GREAT memories.

Cathy Knowles lives in Horseheads, Chemung County.

European Wax Center Roseville offers exclusive chance at winning a dream vacation to Paris, France

Roseville, MN (PRWEB) April 29, 2012

European Wax Center Roseville is now offering an exclusive referral contest that allows European Wax Center guests nationwide the chance to win a trip for two to Paris, France. The contest is currently open and guests are eligible to enter to win until May 31st.

Any guest looking for waxing in Arden Hills, Roseville, Minnesota, will be able to enter to win the trip to Paris as many times as they want. Every time a guest interested in body waxing in Falcon Heights, Roseville, Minnesota refers a friend to European Wax Center, they are entered to win a dream getaway vacation to Paris, France. The more people referred, the greater the chance of winning.

European Wax Center is known for its unique Comfort Wax, developed in France and designed to provide all guests that want bikini waxing in St. Paul, Roseville, Minnesota with the Ultimate Wax Experience.

Guests interested in trying out hair removal in St. Anthony, Roseville, Minnesota at European Wax Center Roseville can visit the center at the Roseville Crossings Plaza, 2718 Lincoln Drive. Interested guests can also call (651) 636-2300.

About European Wax Center

European Wax Center is the Ultimate Wax Experience offering comfortable, healthy waxing and the European Wax Center exclusive four-step Comfort Waxtrade; hair-removal system. Every service restores and rejuvenates skin while leaving it smooth and hair-free for weeks on end. Developed in Paris, the proprietary Comfort Waxtrade; is a hard wax that clings to the hair, not skin. Guests can enhance their experience and preserve their results with the European Wax Center line of high-end products.

European Wax Center was founded by David Coba, Joshua Coba and Jessica Coba who spent more than 10 years developing the Ultimate Wax Experience that features a high-quality wax, high-end products, a clean, professional environment, full-privacy Wax Suites, and efficient service. Today, European Wax Center is recognized as the leader in comfortable, healthy waxing and a national brand franchise. European Wax Center was ranked No. 82 in the 2011 Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies. The Company was also named No. 1 Franchise, and ranked No. 7 in its industry by Inc. magazine.

Contact:

DigitalPRNow(at)gmail(dot)com

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Ext:848371#

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebeuropean-wax-center-MN/waxing-hair-removal/prweb9453158.htm

Mothers Day Giveaway: A Weekend Getaway at The Westminster Hotel

BY Georgette Gilmore | Monday, Apr 30, 2012 7:00am |
COMMENTS (51)

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Wilmington,
NC ? May 2012 / Hospitality 1ST / Mother?s Day (Sunday, May 13)
is a time to celebrate Mom and to thank her for all she does throughout
the year. Why limit the fun to just one day when you can celebrate all
weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina?s historic river district and the
island beaches of Carolina
Beach, Kure Beach, and Wrightsville
Beach? Three island beaches and a Downtown riverfront with more than
200 shops and restaurants make Wilmington and its island beaches an ideal
Mother?s Day getaway destination. To help plan Mom?s well-deserved trip,
visit www.GoWilmingtonAndBeaches.com
or call 866-266-9690 or and request a free official visitors guide.

Here?s a sampling of events
and activities that will help make Mom feel ?oh-so-special?:

May 11: Big Band Jazz
Concert: Fri. 8pm. Is Mom into jazz? Take her to see The John Brown
Jazz Orchestra: A Big Band Hit List. Admission charge. Thalian Hall Center
for Performing Arts, Wilmington. 910-632-2285; www.thalianhall.org

May 11: Birding Tour.
9am. Impress Mom by taking her on a free birding tour with a NC Audubon
naturalist. Mason Inlet Waterbird Management Area, Wrightsville Beach.
910-686-7527; www.ncaudubon.org

May 11: Outdoor Concerts.
6pm-8pm. Does Mom love music? Take her to Mayfaire Town Centre to hear
a free acoustic rock concert with music by The Other Guy. On the riverfront,
check out the Downtown Sundown concert by The Voltage Brothers. Wilmington;
www.mayfairetown.com
amp; www.wilmingtondowntown.com

May 12: Bluegrass by the
River Festival. 12noon-5pm. Mom will have a blast at this outdoor music
festival that features foot-stomping, knee-slapping music by five bluegrass
bands. There?s also a Kidzone, clogging and washboard clinics, and an open
jam (bring your own instruments). Gate opens at 11:30am. Fort Fisher Air
Force Recreation Area, Kure Beach. www.pleasureislandnc.org/bluegrass-by-the-river

May 12 amp; 13: Biological
Wonderland Hike. 10am. Is Mom into plants? Join a park ranger to learn
about different habitats that exist within Carolina Beach State Park and
how each habitat affects the plants and animals that call the park home.
Free. Meet at Flytrap Trail Parking Lot, Carolina Beach State Park, Carolina
Beach. 910-458-8206; www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/cabe/events.php

May 12: Farmers? Markets.
Saturdays 8am-1pm. Rise early for regional produce, plants, herbs, and
fresh flowers. The Riverfront Farmers? Market (Downtown Wilmington) amp;
Pleasure Island Farmer?s Market amp; Art Show (Carolina Beach Lake) feature
local farmers, artists, crafters, food. Free. www.wilmingtonfarmers.com
amp; www.facebook.com/CarolinaBeachFarmersMarket

May 12 amp; 13: NC
Aquarium at Fort Fisher: Moms love our aquarium and appreciate its
special programs: ?AUARIST APPRENTICE? (2pm, Sat.); ?BEHIND THE SCENES
TOUR? (1pm, Sun.) and ?SALT MARSH amp; CRABBING? (3pm, Sun.). Admission/program
charges apply. Pre-registration required for all programs. NC Aquarium
at Ft. Fort Fisher, Kure Beach. 910-458-7468; www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher

May 13: Mother?s Day Riverboat
Luncheon Cruise. 12pm-1:30pm. Board an authentic riverboat and treat
Mom to a deli buffet lunch and narrated scenic tour of the Cape Fear River.
Admission charge. Pre-paid advance reservations required. Boarding begins
at 11:30am. Henrietta III, riverfront at S. Water amp; Dock Streets. 910-343-1611;
800-676-0162; www.cfrboats.com

May 13: Mother?s Day Cruise
of Harbor Island. Moms cruise FREE on Mother?s Day (with at least one
paid passenger in her party). 1-hour historic harbor cruises depart at
11am, 12pm; 1pm; 2pm; 3pm; 4pm; 5pm. Sunset cruise (1 frac12; hr.) at
6:30pm. Reservations recommended. Wrightsville Beach Scenic Cruises, Waynick
Ave. (across from Blockade Runner Resort), Wrightsville Beach. 910-200-4002;
www.capefearnaturalist.com

May 13: Captain?s Lazy
Day Mother?s Day Cruise. 1pm-3pm. Treat Mom to a champagne brunch cruise
of the storied Cape Fear River. Admission charge. Advance reservations.
Boards at 12:45pm from Riverwalk at 212 S. Water St., between Orange amp;
Ann streets, Wilmington. 910-338-3134; www.wilmingtonwatertours.com

Cape Fear Museum Exhibitions:
?CAPE FEAR STORIES: LAND OF THE LONGLEAF PINE? (ongoing); ?TOYS amp; GAMES?;
?CAPE FEAR TREASURES: SHOES? (through July 15, 2012); ?SHOPPING AROUND
WILMINGTON? (through Feb. 17, 2013). Admission charge. Special event on
Sat. May 12: PIRATE INVASION, 1pm-4pm. Cape Fear Museum, Wilmington. 910-798-4350;
www.capefearmuseum.com

Cameron Art Museum Exhibitions:
?OUT OF FASHION? (through Aug. 19, 2012) and ?JULIE VONDERVELLEN? (through
Aug. 19, 2012). Admission charge. Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington. 910-395-5999;
www.cameronartmuseum.com

Other Fabulous Mother?s
Day Weekend Ideas:

OUTDOORS amp; MORE:
There are many ways to explore the natural beauty of Wilmington, NC and
the island beaches of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Wrightsville Beach.
Rent a kayak or canoe and paddle around our marshes, rivers, inlets and
the Intracoastal Waterway. Watch for birds at one of the NC Birding Trail
sites (www.ncbirdingtrail.org)
or take a leisurely paddle-boat ride on scenic Greenfield Lake and Carolina
Beach Lake. Ride a bicycle or surrey along the Carolina Beach Boardwalk
or Carolina Beach Lake. Stroll along the Riverwalk, fish from an ocean
pier, or charter a boat for offshore fishing. Hike a nature trail at area
parks/gardens, including Carolina Beach State Park. Walk The Loop fitness
trail around Wrightsville Beach Park.

BLOOMING GOOD TIMES:
Dazzle Mom with beautiful spring flowers at the world-class Airlie Gardens
(www.airliegardens.org). Other
showcase gardens are at Latimer House (Victorian), Burgwin-Wright House
amp; Gardens (Colonial), and Bellamy Mansion (Antebellum). There?s also
a free arboretum with 4,000 species of native plants on seven acres (www.gardeningnhc.org).
In addition there are public parks and gardens, and a university ?arboretum?
campus (www.uncw.edu). You can search
for rare Venus Flytrap and other carnivorous plants at Carolina Beach State
Park. Just outside of town, the grounds of Poplar Grove Plantation are
lovely in the springtime.

THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE:
DINING, SHOPPING, DAY SPAS: Introduce Mom to regional cuisine served
at casual bistros, gourmet restaurants, old-fashioned diners, and outdoor
cafes. Restaurants from the river to the sea serve Sunday brunch.
Mother?s Day is a busy day so reservations are strongly encouraged. On
Saturday, treat Mom to a culinary tour (www.lizbiro.com/tours.htm):
Top Chef Farmer?s Market Tour amp; Cooking Class (9:30am-12:30pm) OR the
Heart of Downtown restaurant tour (2:30pm-5:30pm). For restaurant listings,
visit www.WilmingtonAndBeaches.com.
Find a unique gift at specialty shops, beach amp; downtown boutiques,
custom jewelers, museum shops, antique shops amp; art galleries. Or, Mom
can rejuvenate at a day spa.

TOURS DU JOUR: Impress
Mom with a guided tour. Downtown tours that depart at the foot of Market
amp; Water streets include: Horse-drawn carriage/trolley tours (www.horsedrawntours.com,
910-251-8889); Wilmington Trolley Company (www.wilmingtontrolley.com,
910-763-4483); Culinary Adventures with Liz Biro (Sat. 9:30am-12:30pm amp;
2:30pm-5:30 pm; www.lizbiro.com;
910-545-8055); Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington (www.hauntedwilmington.com,
910-794-1866); Hollywood Location Walk of Old Wilmington (www.hollywoodnc.com;
910-794-7177); Tour Old Wilmington walking tour (touroldwilmington.blogspot.com;
910-409-4300). Just a few blocks north: Cape Fear Segway Tours (www.capefearsegway.com;
910-251-2572).

Whatever Mom?s interests,
there are plenty of family-friendly activities to choose from in Wilmington,
NC?s historic river district and the island beaches of Carolina Beach,
Kure Beach, and Wrightsville Beach. To find out about Spring special offers,
events and experiences in Wilmington, NC and its island beaches, visit
www.GoWilmingtonAndBeaches.com,
www.visitcarolinabeachnc.com,
www.visitkurebeachnc.com,
and www.visitwrightsvillebeachnc.com.
For a complete Calendar of Events, visit www.WilmingtonAndBeaches.com/events.
For a free Official Visitors Guide, call 866-266-9690.

Media
Contact:

Wilmington
and Beaches Convention amp; Visitors Bureau

Connie
Nelson

Communications/PR
Director

910-332-8751

866-266-9690
ext. 120

|

The
New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority d/b/a Wilmington and Beaches
Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization
of New Hanover County, North Carolina that stimulates economic development
through the promotion of travel and tourism.

|

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon left their Paris hotel yesterday, and she took a minute to pose with fans before hopping into a car and heading to the airport with her family. Nick, Mariah, and their children, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, boarded a private jet to wrap up a very meaningful vacation. Nick and Mariah renewed their vows over the weekend to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary. Last year on the special day, the couple welcomed Roc and Roe into the world. Today is actually Mariah Careys twins birthday! Were celebrating with a look back at dem babies cutest moments. One of Mariahs gifts to Moroccan and Monroe was apparently a song! She tweeted from the jet, Singing at this altitude is almost like giving birth to twins, which I did last year on this day — lol! Happy birthday dembabies!

Police block the street at 24th and Western Ave. where three men were shot — one fatally — early Monday after the men drove toward police while trying to make a getaway from a burglary on the Southwest Side. | John H. White~Sun-Times

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Police block the street at 24th and Western Ave. where three men were shot — one fatally — early Monday after the men drove toward police while trying to make a getaway from a burglary on the Southwest Side. | John H. White~Sun-Times

We flew in from New York, New Jersey, Boston and Atlanta.  We arrived in Florida for some fun in the sun; for some rest and relaxation; to reconnect and revel in our friendship as we celebrated turning 40.  I’ve known these women since we were little girls — since the fifth grade, when I made the switch from Catholic school to public school and they welcomed me into their fold.  I had a freckled face, bespectacled eyes, a mouthful of braces and a yearning to be liked.  To be accepted.  To be part of the crowd.  And thanks to them, I was.  And thirty years later, I still am.