Gabby's Home Life

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Airbnb

Best find of 2021

lifestyleGabby JacobsenComment

Best Find of 2021

In a little B&B, in a little town in Rhode Island … was a little miracle.

During our family trip to the East Coast this past summer, I really wanted to spend a few days in a typical New England town near the ocean. We ended up in Cranston, near Pawtuxet Villiage, just sound of Providence. Technically on the Pawtuxet River, host Greer had a beautiful little 2 story remodeled home. We fell in love with all the amenities, as small as they were. It was a beautiful 1-bedroom, 2nd story apartment across the street from a marina and within walking distance to a small street of shops.

This is where we were first introduced to the framed smart TV. Initially we thought it was a beautiful painting above the small fireplace, until we wondered what the remote on the coffee table was for! The screen shot to life with a variety of options! The decor and colors were calming and spa-like. Greer had apparently thought of everything, including robes in the bathroom, free standing closets to put clothes away, maps of the village, and the the cleverest little disposable towels for her guests.

When looking around for washrags, we checked in the small drawers beneath the bathroom sink. In a glass jar were these small white circle things with a little sign that read “Please use these disposable wash cloths to help me keep my white towels clean.” I couldn’t believe how ingenious these were!

I immediately jumped on Amazon and ordered some sent to our home in Washington. I loaded up my bathroom, the guest bathroom and our bathroom at Crescent Bar. Run them under a bit of warm water and you can easily take off all of your makeup. They are thick enough to rinse and reuse, and soft enough not to be harmful to your skin. Biodegradable, they are safer for the environment then washing your washrags with bleach or sending them off to the landfill or Goodwill when they become old and unusable.

I kept some in my purse and close by during the hot days of summer in Eastern Washington. A little cool water on a cloth on the neck felt like a dream.

My family has not yet made it through the 1000 that I ordered in July, but I’ve got another box In my Amazon cart ready for summer.

So, if you haven’t tried them, I would encourage you to do a little something wonderful for your skin, your laundry and your environment. You’ll thank me later!



Airbnb Decisions

SunDazeGabby Jacobsen
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SunDaze and Airbnb

Putting my investigative skills to work

SunDaze has been getting alot of hits since December. Concert goers for the Gorge Amphitheater are attempting to secure rental spaces for their groups - and Crescent Bar is the perfect location! I’ve been very selective in the approvals this season and have declined more than accepted. 2018 was a very successful year for rentals with only 1 guest leaving the place as you generally would a hotel room, rather than someone’s home. I spent most of the summer driving back and forth mid-week which I loved! Unfortunately (well and fortunately at the same time) I am now working full time so mid-week travel is not an option. Planning is the key for 2019 summer season.

To date, I have had 4 reservation requests for a particular weekend in June. It just happens to be a weekend-long dance party at the Gorge. In reality, we weren’t even certain we wanted to rent that weekend because of the crowds and whether we’d be able to get our home turned around again. But our last Airbnb request pushed us to block out the weekend.

I received back to back requests for the same weekend. The first guy told me he was traveling to town with 5 people to attend a family wedding from out of state. Under normal circumstances, this would have been acceptable. However, when I looked at his Airbnb profile, he had one extremely negative review. I was pleased to see that he had cancelled his request, so I moved onto the other.

This woman also was also traveling with 5 people to attend a family wedding from out of state. She had 1 positive review on Airbnb, but upon closer inspection of the photo, it was the SAME family as the previous request! Same couple, same baby!

Needless to say, I declined her request too because I can’t afford to have my home destroyed or my friendly neighbors upset by our Airbnb business.

It’s always a bit of a crapshoot when you rent to strangers. I’m proud to say that I believe doing your due diligence always works out in the end.