"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" Winston Churchill HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Life Bites News January 2019 Letter From The Publisher Dear Life Bites News Readers, We hope you continue to enjoy your visits to great hotels, restaurants, and travel destinations that appear in our monthly online magazine. Our profile this month is the The Grand at Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, a restful respite in Quintana Roo Mexico. Enjoy local health organization news, and fun holiday activities as well. Actor Hugh Jackman Kirk Douglas Award Recipient We also enjoyed the Kirk Douglas Awards held at Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resort & Spa, where Hugh Jackman was presented the Excellence in Film award. Don't miss the Golden Globes being presented on January 13 in Hollywood. For the list of nominees and additional information visit www.goldenglobes.com. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will begin on January 30-Feb 9, with an amazing lineup of films and celebrity appearances. Visit www.sbiff.org for details on SBIFF.   Oscars are around the corner, and this year includes a lineup of amazing films, glitzy events, and awards to be presented that are magical. The stars will be out at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites News will be there getting you all the fun and fantastic details. Hope you enjoy our annual Life Bites News "Best of 2018" list below, and we warmly congratulate those being honored – you're the best! Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa We have some great features on travel, new food items, health news in our health minded section along with chef/restaurant updates and recipes. Look for news on the 2018 TasteTV Awards at www.tastetv.com. The awards ceremony will be held in LA in January. Our BookBites section has details on the special new releases, including Michelle Obama's best seller. Look for details on LA Times Travel Show in upcoming LBN issues. The Grand at Moon Palace AWE Spa Please join me in praying for our troops fighting in foreign lands, and for all our men and women who serve our great country. Prayer works . . . pray for world peace, and pray especially for the firefighters in the Thomas Fire in California, especially for the 38 year old fireman who lost his life in December. January 1 is the birthday of my late mother Rosaleen Joyce and January 19 the birthday of my late cousin (who was a sister to me) Joyce Stein Justin - I miss them so much, and will be thinking of them often during this month. Great Italian recipe in Culinary Coup from Italian Cooking Vacations for your enjoyment this month. Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites News will be celebrating its 14th birthday in January. We thank you so much for your support and hope you keep coming back. For advertising information please contact us at writebc@aol.com. Cordially, Bonnie Carroll Publisher/Editor-in-Chief ______________________________________________________________ WHO WE ARE . . . LBN Staff 2019 Bonnie Carroll, Publisher/Editor writebc@aol.com Rosalie Frances, Contributor, tolifebites.com Mary Hilton, Content Contributor/Marketing Director writebc@aol.com Natasha Melikoff, Canadian Reporter writebc@aol.com Mike OConnell, Photo/Video Director/Contributor tolifebites@aol.com Isabella D'Angelo, Rome Correspondent tolifebites@aol.com Additional contributing writers are included on an individual issue basis. Please contact the editor with questions regarding journalist assignments. Email: writebc@aol.com LBN Offices Santa Barbara, CA 93105 805-845-9976 Email contact preferred please LBN Best of 2018 Best Disaster Recovery Montecito Inn, Montecito California Best Symphony Concert Hoffburg Hall Vienna Orchestra Best Restaurant Opening The Monarch at Montecito Inn Best Salmon Plate Steel Diner Pike Place Market, Seattle Best Red/White Chowder Bluewater Grill, Santa Barbara Best Adult Resort & Spa Casa Velas, Puerto Vallarta Best Winter Ski Escape Fairmont Mont Tremblant, Quebec Canada Best Cocktail Barbie's Bath Bomb, Finch & Fork, G.Piperis Best Seattle City View Seattle Sea Planes Best Inclusive Family Resort The Grand at Moon Palace, Cancun Best Hotel Renovation   Hilton Santa Barbara Resort & Spa Best Como Italian Cuisine Ca' Dario Santa Barbara & Goleta, California Best International Festival Gelato Festival America Best Family Travel Fun The Budapest Eye Best Ground Transport Viking Cruise Tours Throughout Europe Best French Restaurant Loulay, Seattle Washington Best Kobe Steak CUT Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills Best Family Resort The Grand at Moon Palace, Cancoon Best European River City Passau, Germany & Regensburg Germany Best Gourmet Tasting Menu Jean Georges Waldorf Astoria, Beverly Hills Best Music Festival Riviera Maya Jazz Festival 2018, Quintana Roo Best Old World Dining Rote Room, Hotel Sacher, Vienna Austria Best Champagne Sips Kollarzs Four Seasons Gresham Palace Budapest Best Burger 25 Degrees Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Best Weekend City Escape Sheraton Grand Seattle, Washington Best Lebanese Cuisine Habibi - The Grand, Cancun, Mexico Best City Market Grand Market Budapest Hungary Best Film Festival Santa Barbara Internagtional Film Festival Best Airport Amsterdam, Holland & Munich, Germany Best New film Releaset World of MARWEN Best River Cruise Viking "Five Country River Cruise" 2018 Best Historic Tour Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic Best Danish Get-a-Way Solvang, California Best Cook Book "Dingle Ireland Cookbook" Best Charity Dinner                    Arthitis Foundation Central Coast Congratulations - You're the Best!