Do you have an island lover on your list that has been especially “good” this year? Or, are you in need of something tropical to fill your stocking? Well grab a glass of good rum and check out this list of Holiday Gifts for Island Lovers! (and use code HOLIDAY10 at checkout for 10% off your order)
Do you have friends or family on your holiday shopping list that love the beach, the laid-back style of island life, and maybe enjoy an umbrella drink or two? The best gift for this type of person would probably be an all expenses paid trip to a beautiful tropical island, but if they haven’t been THAT good, or if you that’s just a wee bit out of your price range, we’ve assembled a list of gifts that could be the next best thing! Check out the list below for gifts that are sure to bring a smile to their sun luvin’ faces!
Rum Therapy Caps – several styles and colors to choose from. Pirate Bones Cap, Island Girl, and Rum Therapy Cures What Ails Ya caps – find ’em all here!
Matted Beach Photos with Quotes new this year! Get the full set of 5 – 8×10 beautiful island photos with beach quotes, each in a beveled double 11×14 soft white mat with 4-ply backing. Ready to hang or display as is, or to put in a larger frame. Get the full set of 5 here Shop individual photos here
Anklet & Toe Anklet – the ladies will love this stunning set of foot jewelry. Comfortable, beachy and oh, so pretty! Get the Toe Anklet here Get the Set Here
Women’s Necklaces – several styles to choose from including Patina Sea Necklaces, Life is Better at the Beach Necklace, May You Always Have a Shell in Your Pocket Necklace and the popular Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses! Shop for Necklaces here
Men’s Anchor Necklace – our adjustable Men’s Anchor Necklace will look good on all the salty sailors on your list! Find Men’s Anchor Necklace here
Bracelets – beachy bangle bracelets and beautiful leather bracelets for the ladies! Shop bracelets here
Wristbands – great adjustable leather wristbands for the guys, including the popular Skull and Bones – Arrr Matey! Shop wristbands here
Wine Glass or Stemware Beach Charms – great for wine glasses or other stemware, these pretty charms come in two different styles: On the Beach, or In the Sea! Shop Beachy Wine Glass Charms here
RumHuggers – last, but certainly not least, the one and only Rum Therapy RumHugger! Great stocking stuffer! Easily wraps around any can, bottle and some glasses to keep your beverage cold and your hands warm! Shop RumHuggers here
A while back, we were asked to locate the recipe for a Funky Monkey, a blended drink that FB friend Carol had enjoyed while vacationing in the Caribbean. We came across several versions, but most contained a delectable combination of rum, banana, coconut and chocolate…
After a little bit of “research” on the amounts of each ingredient, we came up with the following recipe. Tweek the amounts to create the best blending of tastes for your palate!
This weeks Friends Foto submissions left us thirsty and longing for time on a beautiful beach. It’s been so much fun seeing the tropics through your eyes. Thank you all for sharing your great pics.
Not only did we have the usual trouble of choosing which pictures to post (if we add too many, you wouldn’t be able to open the post!), but we also had a heck of a time picking the one to use for the cover. In the end we chose the one we did, not only ’cause it’s a great picture, but we kinda liked the explanation too :)
Rum Drinks – Treasure Cay, Abaco by Cari Rioux
photo: Cari Rioux My name is Cari Rioux and I took this picture when we arrived to our destination in Treasure Cay, Abaco. We had a Goombay Punch, Pina Colada and a Bahama Mama! The first of many different Rum Therapy’s on many different Cay’s.
The next two photos are from Carol Rocco who sent in 6 stunning photos of Drinks in the Tropics. When I asked about them, she said, “a year of living in the Caribbean makes for 10,000 awesome pics”.She and her husband had just returned from living on St. John for a year. You can check out their fun blog on their year in the Caribbean here: roccosinparadise.com
We picked two of Carol’s photos for this theme, although if we had room, we would have added them all!
Stoli & Grapefruit in Dominica by Carol Rocco
photo: Carol Rocco Stoli/Grapefruit – Made with fresh grapefruit picked right off the tree in Dominica!
Cruzan by an infinity pool by Carol Rocco
photo: Carol Rocco Cruzan infinity pool view on St John
Rum Punch served in coconuts in Grand Bahama by Tony Dupuy
photo: Toni Dupuy I took this pic at Paradise Cove, Grand Bahama. We had rum punch served right in the coconuts and drank them at this quaint little beach shack in the Bahamas! Elvis cut the coconuts fresh while we watched and mixed the rum punch himself.
The next two photos are from Carol Lassiter who also sent in a number of great shots. We especially like the first one, ’cause that’s the same look we have when we get a taste of our first rum drink on vacation!
Drinks at High Tide, St. John by Colleen Lassiter
photo: Colleen Lassiter
Drinks in St. John by Colleen Lassiter
photo: Colleen Lassiter
Lot 12 koozie on the beach in Cozumel, Mexico by Michelle Tarbush
photo: Michelle Tarbush Location: Cozumel Mexico Why it’s special: We are from Dallas and a part of a group called “Lot 12”. Who get together for big Country/Tropical concerts (Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, etc) and tailgate. We missed the biggest concert of our time yesterday for George Strait’s Cowboy Rides Away concert with many artists. We ended up taking our Lot 12 koozie with us to the beach to take a picture and remind our Lot 12 Family we were thinking of them.
Painkillers at The Beach Bar, St. John by Kristi Landis
photo: Kristi Landis Painkillers (happy hour) at The Beach Bar on St. John
Rum Punch in Cruz Bay, St. John by Lynn Mohamad
photo: Lynn Mohamad
This Rum Punch photo was taken in Cruz Bay, St. John.
Sitting and relaxing in one of the beach bars on the waterfront in Cruz Bay is always a special experience: great views, delicious tropical drinks, waves lapping on the beach a few feet away and beautiful sunsets.
Beer in Nassau at Christmas by Joe O’Sullivan
photo: Joe O’Sullivan It isn’t a great rum drink (the Goombay Smashes came later that week) but it was a great beer in Nassau at Christmas time.
Great Mudslide at Iggies at Bolongo Bay, St. Thomas by Mark and Terry Webb
photo: Mark and Terry Webb My family and I travel to the US and BVI as often as possible from 1 to 3 trips a yr. We have a ritual of stopping as soon as we get the car rental to stop at a different location for a welcome to the Islands beverage. It is so much fun!!! We love the Islands!! And the mudslides!!!
Thanks again for ALL submissions!
Watch for the last Friends Foto Theme to be announced this coming Sunday!
We love to share our travel pictures with you and love to see yours too, so we thought we’d test out a new feature to showcase some of your favorite photos each week! This week we asked for you to submit shots that would fit the theme “Great Meal in a Tropical Location” and you sent in some great ones. Check out the ones we chose to showcase this week.
Tita Tulum on Tulum Beach by Lynn Mohamad
photo: Lynn Mohamad
Chips and Guacamole at Tita Tulum on Tulum Beach.
Why was it so special? Fresh guacamole with an ice cold Corona where the jungle meets the sea on one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful beaches. It doesn’t get much better than that!
CoCo Bistro in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands by Melinda Allen
photo: Melinda Allen
Here’s a photo from our dinner at Coco Bistro Restaurant in Provo, Turks & Caicos. It was THE BEST MEAL we have EVER tasted! On the left – Pan Seared Fresh Salmon with Smashed Buttered Red Skin Potatoes, Crisp Shallots, Sautéed Spinach and a Lemon & Caper Beurre Noisette with Tomato Confit. On the right – Free Range Grain-Fed Chicken with Grilled Tiger Shrimps with West Indian Coconut Curry, Crispy Poppadum, Jasmine Rice and a Spicy Banana Chutney.
Why it was so special : The atmosphere/ambiance was so beautiful, with all the white linen tables under the canopy of palm trees. As soon as you enter, you feel like you’re going to get something special! The waiters & staff were friendly and the owner walks around to ask how you’re doing… very personable! The meals were fantastic, so exotic & delicious, with the most fresh & organic ingredients. We loved it so much, we went back the next night and had the same 2 dishes again! The BEST DINNER EVER!!
Taino Beach Resort, Grand Bahama by Tod Olczak
photo: Tod Olczak Meal: Fried Grouper Location: Taino Beach Resort, Grand Bahama
Why so special: Fried grouper, in and of itself, isn’t something overly special but eating a plate of it, overlooking the beach, surrounded by family, is. This was the last day of our family vacation and the simplicity of this meal, coupled with an ice cold Kalik, made it a great tropical meal!
Alexandra Resort, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos by Valerie Faber
photo: Valerie Faber
Coconut Shrimp French Fries Rum Punch
Mango Reef – Alexandra Resort – Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Succulent shrimp flavors enhanced with 3 dipping sauces and French fries always taste better in the islands! Amazing views of the sea while soaking in the sunshine!
Lee’s Roadside Grill & Deep Sea Fishing by Audrey and Drew Douglas
photo: Audrey and Drew Douglas
Lee’s Roadside Grill and Deep Sea Fishing in St. Maarten
We went deep sea fishing on our honeymoon and caught an Ahi Tuna. When we got back, Lee’s prepared it and it was delicious! Why it was special: We caught it :-)
Thank you for all your submissions! Watch for a new Friend “Foto” theme later this week. Pamela and John
Rum Therapy
Tropical Tips & More was a new blog series we started this year to highlight some information we thought might be helpful in planning tropical trips – and some posts, such as “You Might Have a Tropical Obsession If…” are just for fun. Many of the posts continue to attract a very high volume of readers, so today we’re featuring the 6 posts in the series that got the highest number of views in 2013. If you haven’t had a chance to read them yet – enjoy!
Have a few island & rum lovers on your Holiday list this year? Or are you a rum & island lover that would like to request a gift that you’d enjoy? Either way, we have a few gifts thatare worthy of those on your “nice” list!
2014 Rum Therapy Calendar 12 gorgeous Caribbean Beach Pictures and 12 scrumptious rum drinks with recipes! Stay in a tropical frame of mind year-round with this excellent gift – just $18.95!
RUMHUGGERS! Keep those frosty concoctions cold and your fingers dry with these“slap” Koozies. Molds right around your favorite cocktail, bottle or can!
TEE IN A RUM BOTTLE! Well, not a real rum bottle, but this 100% cotton pre-shrunk Rum Therapy Just Limin’ Tee is compressed into the shape of a rum bottle, making it an excellent gift or stocking stuffer!
MEN’S ISLAND TEES and
WOMEN’S ISLAND TEES What’s your favorite island? Where have you enjoyed a little Rum Therapy? Choose a super comfortable tee with one of our island designs to wear at home, on your next island adventure – or anytime you need a little “tropication”!
CURES WHAT AILS YA CAPS Distressed, pigment dyed, ladies styles, mesh back, visors & more! With all of the options, you’re sure to find the perfect Rum Therapy Cap for you!
Want to see more? Be sure to check out the Rum Therapy Store, grab your favorite rum drink and get your holiday shopping done fast and easy!
While you’re at it, check out our Blog Directory by Island for ideas of what to see and do on your next Island Adventure and our Rum Recipes!
And if you haven’t already be sure to JOIN us on Facebook for a daily dose of island fun!
Mr. Busby’s Beach Bar, St. Maarten is a laid back and fun beach bar with good food by day and an award winning Italian Food Restaurant called Daniels by the Sea at night.
Located on the east side of St. Maarten on beautiful Dawn Beach – close to the Oyster Bay Beach Resort, this bustling place is just barely on the Dutch side of St. Maarten.
Mr. Busby’s sits on beautiful Dawn Beach and you can rent the beach chairs that sit in front of the bar. Food and drink can be ordered directly from your chair on the beach, making it even easier to relax and enjoy the St. Maarten sunshine…
From Mr Busby’s you can even see St. Barths in the distance (very faintly in the center of the picture)
Swimming is good on calm days and there’s plenty of room to walk the long beach.
We enjoyed spending an afternoon at Mr. Busby’s and think it’s worth a stop if in the area for lunch – or a fine Italian dinner, good rum beverages and some quality St. Maarten beach time.
We enjoyed a week long sail through the Grenadines last year on the tall ship Diamant with Island Windjammers and in addition to the great itinerary (read about the trip here: Island Windjammer Cruise) we absolutely loved happy hour. Most evenings we were served up the scrumptious Rum Swizzles that the Diamant is famous for, but on the last evening aboard, they pulled out the stops and served up another excellent rum drink called the “Rumaggedon”. Even with some intense prying, o.k – maybe even a little whining, our bartender Brandon would not divulge the yummy recipe. Imagine our surprise when we found that Island Windjammers posted the Rumaggedon recipe on their Facebook page today! I’m sure these are the tastiest when enjoyed during happy hour on board the Diamant or Sagitta, but maybe you can mix up a batch, close your eyes and start imagining your next sail!
2 parts dark rum 2 parts orange juice 1 part mango juice 1 part guava and/or passion fruit juice 1-2 dashes of bitters top with grated nutmeg and cinnamon garnish with orange wheel (or a cherry and umbrella!)
Shake, pour over ice, sprinkle with grated nutmeg and cinnamon, garnish and enjoy!
Rum Therapy Hats! Pirate Bones, Island Girl & Rum Therapy Cures What Ails Ya Pigment Dyed or Distressed in lots of great colors.
A while back, we were asked to locate the recipe for a Funky Monkey, a blended drink that FB friend Carol had enjoyed while vacationing in the Caribbean. We came across several versions, but most contained a delectable combination of rum, banana, coconut and chocolate…
