Toni Costa Professional ballroom dancer, TV choreographer/actor, international Zumba instructor (including at Midtown Athletic Club in Weston) Familial footsteps: My family has always been linked to ballroom/dance sport; I started dancing at age 5. Dance requires a lot of endurance and flexibility, and dancers need to practice intensively, much like any other athlete. As I
Read More
Jamie Maitland Founder/owner, The Office; Fort Lauderdale What distinguishes her workout: Variety is the spice of life, and my exercise regimen includes variety. Our bodies are capable of being pushed to great limits, and I’ve designed my classes to do just that. At The Office, I offer nine different styles of full-body workouts. Some classes
Read More
1 Hotel South Beach (pictured above) 2341 Collins Ave., Miami Beach VIP treatment: Escapes don’t come much greater in South Florida than a getaway to 1 Hotel South Beach, consistently ranked as one of Miami’s premier resorts. In addition to a seemingly endless expanse of private beach, guests have their choice of four different pools,
Read More
Acqualina Resort & Spa 17875 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach VIP treatment: As if Acqualina wasn’t already paradise found, the five-star resort has added to its luxury reputation with the debut of a grand deluxe three-bedroom oceanfront suite on its 32nd floor. The 2,375-square-foot unit, priced at $6,500 per night, is filled with chic, contemporary
Read More
Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa (pictured above) 3030 Holiday Drive, Fort Lauderdale VIP treatment: With 650 guest rooms and 11 room categories, Marriott’s Harbor Beach property more than covers the accommodation bases. But that’s hardly the only reason to visit this 16-acre oasis that features South Florida’s largest private beach. There’s award-winning
Read More
Photos by John Hartzell Like most girls growing up, Chasity Laugier had Barbies. But the self-described tomboy didn’t exactly play with them the way most girls did. “My mother laughs, because she does say … I never really played with the Barbies,” Laugier says. “I put the [doll]house together and I would go around
Read More
Photography by James Woodley Shot on location at Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, Fort Lauderdale Model: Kenzie Mariano (km-fit.com) Dresses: All wedding gowns courtesy of Zola Keller Las Olas (zolakeller.com) Hair & wedding accessories: Rebecca Mousseau, Phairis Luxury (phairisluxury.com) Makeup: Ana Martignetti (anamartignetti.com) Flowers: Courtesy of Ann’s Florist & Coffee Bar, 1001 E. Las Olas
Read More
Pictured above: Creek celebrated 30 years as a Tree City USA in 2018; Vollmer is pictured far left, holding a special award from the foundation With its standing as home to Butterfly World, events like the Butterfly Festival, and a butterfly garden at City Hall, most people can see why Coconut Creek is known as the Butterfly
Read More
Being the first has come with its share of opportunities for Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. But it’s the doors that the president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises continues to open for others that is reimagining the company, captivating the industry—and inspiring women around the world. Since becoming the first female to lead one of Royal Caribbean Cruises
Read More
Photos by John Hartzell On a Monday night in late January, it’s 54 degrees in Pompano Beach. Inside the Glacier Ice & Snow Arena, it’s even colder. About 11 women change into hockey gear in a locker room, laughing and catching up and talking. The group—which includes a chemist, a teacher and a headhunter, among
Read More
By the Numbers In addition to celebrating 75 years, the Humane Society of Broward County boasts other equally impressive figures. HSBC placed 6,791 dogs, cats and furry friends in 2017. Its 33,000-square-foot, air-conditioned shelter, which opened in 1992, can accommodate 150 dogs and 150 cats. Approximately 100,000 patrons visit the shelter annually. More than 500
Read More
PAWS & Havana Nights As current president of the fundraising affiliate for the Humane Society of Broward County, Julie Strauch understands as well as anyone that the 212 members of PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving), including 57 board members, aren’t just there to socialize. “When I say I have a working board, I’m not kidding,”
Read More


