Selfish Mom

My continuing war on mosquitos

Jun 28, 2011 Product Review

I purchased the Stinger Indoor Insect Trap on Amazon.com for $24.99 (free two-day shipping with the totally worth-it Amazon Prime) and set it up five days ago. The instructions said to put it in a dark place, about three to six feet off the ground. Since our front hallway is hidden from windows and seems to be a hangout for bugs, I plugged it in under our entranceway shelf, shut off the hall lights, and tried not to check it obsessively.

The concept is pretty simple: an ultra-violet light attracts the bugs, and when they get close enough, they’re sucked in by a fan. The pull of the fan keeps them inside a little trap until they dehydrate to death, or you release them (as if). Moving the lever on the front simultaneously turns off the light and fan and closes the trap, so that what you’ve caught can’t escape.

We always have a few mosquitos in our house in the warm weather. Our next door neighbor leaves standing water in his yard and we can see things swimming around on the surface. No matter how careful we are some get in. I didn’t expect this to catch all of our mosquitoes – our house is too big for one little trap. But I figured that any reduction would be a win.

My completely unscientific monitoring showed that it was catching about three mosquitos a day, plus a few gnats and even an occasional fly. Since there are lots of hidden places in the trap for bugs to hide it can be difficult to see exactly how many you’ve trapped. And trying to maneuver them out of the little hole was not easy – it reminded me of a gross game of Labyrinth, except that instead of trying to avoid the hole you’re trying to bounce the bugs out of it. So I would’ve been happier if the mesh part could lift off somehow for easier dumping of the dead bugs.

Those black things on the bottom? Dead bugs!

When the unit is running there is a soft whirring noise, about what you’d hear in any small fan, and the UV light throws off quite a glow – I could see that bothering some people if they were trying to sleep near it. And of course, you might not have a central location that can be dark most of the time. But if you’ve got a lot of bugs I think this would be worth your money. I’m considering buying a few more so that we can have one on each floor.

It’s worth noting that the bulb has to be changed approximately once a year, which costs about half as much as the entire trap. But if you’ve ever had to wear Off inside your house, you’ll appreciate this trap reducing the bug population for you. Used in conjunction with my beloved mosquito racket, as well as outdoor sprays to try to reduce the population overall, I’m now getting roughly one bite every other day instead of a couple each day.

Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.

Tags: mosquitoes

The rich history of Congress Hall

Jun 28, 2011 Travel

“Rich history” could refer to either Congress Hall itself, or the man now running it.

The Big House

The original building, called simply “The Big House” was built in 1816 by Thomas Hughes. When Hughes was elected to congress twelve years later the summer boarding house became known as Congress Hall. It burned to the ground in 1878 in a fire that destroyed much of Cape May’s coastal buildings. (Apparently when everything is built out of wood and lit by gas lamps on a windy shore, things burn down fairly frequently.)

This latest iteration was built in 1879 (of brick this time) and enjoyed many fabulous seasons, becoming the summer getaway of four presidents. John Phillip Sousa even wrote the Congress Hall March in its honor. Eventually, thought, it closed down and stayed closed until a fabulous renovation in the 1920s brought the crowds back (indoor plumbing was added at this point as well, with two rooms sharing one large bathroom).

The Bible Retreat

The car culture of the 1950s and 1960s was not kind to Cape May, and while places like Atlantic City were putting up cheesy motels to cater to this group, Cape May was largely forgotten. This latest downturn left Congress Hall in disrepair, which is how Reverend Carl McIntire was able to buy it in the 1960s and open a bible retreat. Rev. McIntire loved the building and his retreat saved it from being torn down. In 1976 it was given National History Landmark status.

This is where the building’s history runs right into the history of the current owner, Curtis Bashaw: Rev. McIntire was his maternal grandfather. Curtis spent his summers at the religious retreat, working all sorts of jobs. This was back in the days when employees of summer vacation spots all lived together, and Curtis used to sleep in what is now the part of Congress Hall known as “The Annex.” He learned the hotel business from the ground up, and by the time he was in college he was managing Congress Hall.

In 1986 Curtis bought the old Virginia Hotel, and reopened it as an upscale boutique hotel with a fine dining restaurant, The Ebbitt Room. It’s worth noting that he did this while attending graduate school, commuting to Cape May every weekend to oversee the project.

The Renovation

Congress Hall was next. Curtis’ development group bought the property and gave it a huge renovation, spending more than twenty million dollars. The renovation gave each room its own bathroom for the first time (there’s nothing charming about sharing a bathroom on vacation), but left the floors sloping – leveling them all would have cost too much, and frankly, I like the way they look. Reminds me of our house before we had new floors put in.

The result of Curtis’ vision and all that work is a beautiful, friendly, welcoming property that combines the best of both worlds: charm and modern convenience. But with such a fundamentalist Christian background I wondered if the hotel – or Cape May – would be a little too conservative for my taste. That wasn’t the case at all. I’m not giving away any secrets by mentioning that Curtis is gay. In fact, Governor McGreevey turned to Curtis for counsel before declaring “I am a gay American” and resigning a few years back.

Cape May has embraced gay culture (albeit in a more understated way than, say, Provincetown, where more of the waiters wear belly shirts than not). And gays, in turn, have embraced Cape May, opening B&Bs and antique shops. As if I hadn’t loved Cape May enough before finding out it was a tolerant and gay-friendly place. Old-world charm meets twenty-first century sensibility in a place I would be proud to bring my kids.

Next up: The sights and smells of Cape May.

Special Offer for my readers: Book a stay at Congress Hall, or one of its sister properties, The Virginia Hotel or The Beach Shack, using the code MOMBLOG before July 31st (for travel anytime in 2011) and receive a $100 resort credit. Complete details of this offer can be found here.

For more on Curtis Bashaw and the renovation of Congress Hall, you can check out these articles:

Cape Crusader

Congress Hall in 2002

Cape May: A getaway from traditional getaways

Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 7. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.

Tags: Cape May, Travel

The drool-worthy food of Cape May

Jun 28, 2011 Travel

As a vegetarian I’m used to compromising a little bit on blogger trips. I genuinely enjoy side dishes, usually more than whatever special vegetarian concoction is whipped up in my honor. So I try to stay quiet about it, and am always happy if I have more than one main dish to choose from on the menu, especially when that one thing is “Selection of Steamed Vegetables.” As if being vegetarian automatically means that I want no butter, no calories, and no taste.

Well. This was one trip where absolutely no compromise was necessary. In the short time I was in Cape May earlier this month, I got to sample a couple of great Cape May restaurants plus an amazing lunch al fresco, right there in the middle of the farm where Congress Hall’s veggies are grown.

The Rusty Nail

Our first evening in Cape May we took a short walk over to The Beach Shack, a hotel owned by the Cape Resorts Group. This is the same company that owns Congress Hall, where we were staying. This hotel is even more relaxed than Congress Hall, with a fire pit and outdoor restaurant, as well as mini kitchens in the rooms complete with fridges, microwaves, plates, and flatware. A huge plus for families.

Our big group had dinner at The Rusty Nail, home of the longest bar in Cape May (they measured!). The first thing I noticed was all of the kids’ meals being served at other tables. Why did they catch my eye? Because they’re served on Frisbees, which the kids get to keep!

Remember what I said about enjoying side dishes? Despite there being some yummy looking pasta and a grilled vegetable sandwich on the menu, I was salivating over the huge side dish menu! I ordered several and was not sorry. The vegetables were so fresh, as if they’d come straight from a farm (uh, more on that the next section…).

The vast majority of our party were not vegetarians, and they all seemed pretty happy as well, eating things like Surf & Turf, Steak & Cake, and Fish Tacos. You can see the full Rusty Nail menu here.

Beach Plum Farm

The next afternoon we took a very short drive to Beach Plum Farm, an easy bike ride or even a nice walk from the heart of Cape May.

Know what I’m holding in that picture? Asparagus. It had just been picked a few minutes before, and we were grabbing it from a bin like it was candy. I’d never tasted raw asparagus before, and it was so tender and yummy! They cut asparagus for eight weeks last year and couldn’t use it all, so they blanched and froze the extra to use in winter soups.

There are about fifteen acres being farmed, which is roughly one-quarter of the farm (half of the land is marsh). All of the properties of the Cape Resorts Group share the produce. Now in its fourth year of being farmed, Beach Plum is producing all of the greens and herbs used by their hotels, as well as grapes, four or five kinds of berries, lots of different vegetables (including those famous Jersey tomatoes), and even Christmas trees! There are two bee hives, and lots of flowers are cut for use in the hotels (owner Curtis Bashaw likes to arrange them himself).

There are pigs on the farm that eat all of the leftovers from the restaurants. That’s kind-of brilliant. There’s even a new chicken coop, built to look like the cutest little schoolhouse ever. Of course, I totally forgot to take a picture of the outside in my rush to get inside and see the cute little chicks, but you can see it on Ellen’s post – she was smart enough to get a great picture of it (and also took the picture of me and my asparagus). By the end of the summer these chicks will be producing eggs.

Owner Curtis Bashaw (below) answered our questions and explained to us what a learning experience the farm has been for the kitchens of the different properties, as the chefs figure out who gets what. Everything we saw on the tour was simply picture-postcard beautiful.

After our tour we were treated to a lunch that was like something out of a movie. It was the most beautiful setting, with the freshest ingredients, and was served to us by cowboys. Yes, you read that right. Lots of pictures were taken by middle-aged moms with rodeo fantasies. And that’s all I’m going to say about that, because my husband reads my blog.

Our fabulous lunch was made for us by Chef Lucas Manteca, who is the executive chef for the Cape May Group. That’s him at the head of the table below, describing to a bunch of hungry bloggers in mouth-watering detail what we were about to eat.

The potato salad – which I think I had three servings of – was the best potato salad I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot of potato salad. It was made with crème fraiche instead of mayonnaise, and I will pry the recipe out of Chef Lucas’ hands and post it if it’s the last thing I do.

Visiting Beach Plum Farm wasn’t just a fantastic perk for bloggers on a press trip. Hotel guests are welcome to check out the farm for themselves at certain times, and bike tours and picnic packages are also offered. Check with the hotel staff for details.

Sad as I was to get up from the table and head back to town, I had a massage appointment to get to at the fabulous Sea Spa, so don’t feel too sorry for me.

The Blue Pig Tavern

After my relaxing massage I met the group at the Blue Pig Tavern, Congress Hall’s restaurant. The smartest thing I’ve ever done was sit next to Ellen, and we shared several dishes so that we didn’t have to do too much deciding, since our brains were still mushy from the spa. I highly recommend the macaroni and cheese. The Blue Pig’s menu is huge, and there really is something for everyone.

All in all this was a fantastic two days of food. I can’t wait to bring my husband, who loves seafood, since everyone was raving about how fresh it was. There’s a restaurant to fit every budget and style, which is important, because when I go on a beach vacation I don’t usually want to dress up or do any more primping than putting my hair in a pony tail. I was able to stay in beach casual clothes the entire trip while still eating like I was in a fancy restaurant.

Next up: the history and people of Congress Hall.

Special Offer for my readers: Book a stay at Congress Hall, or one of its sister properties, The Virginia Hotel or The Beach Shack, using the code MOMBLOG before July 31st (for travel anytime in 2011) and receive a $100 resort credit. Complete details of this offer can be found here.

Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 7. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.

Tags: Cape May, Food, sap, Travel

Today’s agenda: spoiled milk edition

Jun 28, 2011 Today's Agenda

Well I’m not sure how much more excitement I can handle today because I’ve already had so much. I didn’t do the dishes last night before going to bed (actually, “going to couch” would be more accurate since I once again fell asleep on the couch and almost dropped my laptop), and as payment I knocked a glass of milk off of the counter. Since it had been sitting out since last night its awesome smell was spread around a huge portion of the dining room, along with glass that I’m still finding over an hour later.

But there are things to be done! And today is the last day of school for the kids, so it’s my last chance to get things done without them underfoot until they start camp in a couple of weeks. And today’s only a half day, which doesn’t leave much time. In fact, just enough time for a wax and a pedicure.

Later this morning I’ll be publishing part two of my three-part post on Cape May and Congress Hall (part one is here). You don’t want to miss this one, it’s mostly about food!

This afternoon the kids and I are going to a preview of new Disney products for the holiday season, and they’re not talking Fourth of July! I’m most excited to see the new Disney Animator doll collection. I’ll take lots of pictures.

I’ll also be publishing a review of the Stinger Indoor Insect Trap that I’ve been using for about a week now. Short version? It works very well and is worth the money but won’t take care of every bug.

Have a great day – it’s going to be a stormy one here in Brooklyn!

Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.

Tags: Cape May, Disney, mosquitoes