If your goal is to lose weight and you are struggling to get the results you want with ‘only’ diet and exercise, you may benefit from using the power of your mind. Affirmations are a form of positive self-talk that has the power to change your habits. You can use affirmations for many things and achieve amazing results – this includes weight loss. When you use affirmations for weight loss, you are essentially engaging in a form of self-hypnosis for weight loss and the results are outstanding.
How do I know affirmations work for weight loss? Because they worked for me and I’m living proof of what you can achieve when you harness the power of affirmations and use them in your weight loss program.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on Affirmations. For more, visit the main page about Affirmations here:
I am a body mind master. I weigh XX lbs with awesome definition in my abs, chest, and arms. I am ripped and look great.
I make wise decisions to eat healthy, I choose NOT to drink alcohol, and I choose to exercise at least once per day. I am bursting with vibrant health and energy. I will live to be a healthy & happy 100+ years old.
My body IS a temple and I treat it like a precious gift.
I am an efficient cardio machine. I know that cardio in the am = weight loss success in the pm.
I am in control of my body and my mind. I only fill myself with Good, Healthy things.
I am full of energy. I am healthy and strong. I am ready to GO, DO, ENJOY Life.
I consistently choose to eat healthy, to do energy creating movement to exercise my body hardware, and to be mindful and meditate to expand my mind/software to become one with the Tao of Life.
I have an amazing body. It’s well defined and it inspires others my age to take care of their body too.
I make wise choices when it comes to food. I care for my body hardwire like a fine automobile – it can last for 100+ years if I treat it right.
Energy overcomes depression. I create energy with healthy eating and active movement exercise and thereby bring happiness to my life.
I am a body-mind master. I have a less than XX-inch waist with GREAT definition in my abs & arms.
I am super fit. I have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, and I am eliminating my excess adipose tissue in my belly. I am full of energy and vitality!
I am achieving my weight loss goals. I consistently DO energy-generating and fat-burning workout routines, I consciously CHOOSE to eat healthy, and I live in a state of NOW mindfulness.
I am a workout god – I get ENERGY from workouts and it propels me forward to achieve my weight loss and body image goals.
My waist/belly are both less than XX inches. I have a toned body with clear muscle definition. People look at the definition of my arms and say ‘wow’ and compliment me often because it inspires them to be healthier too. My body is a model for others to strive to mimic and I help them by inspiring them. Inspiring others is part of my motivation to care for my body like a temple.
I am vibrantly healthy, I smile a lot and I am passionate about being ALIVE!
I can overcome. My mind controls my body. . Injury doesn’t slow me down, I find a way around this obstacle to still reach my weight loss goals.
I achieve my weight loss goals because I understand the pro’s and con’s of food and I CHOOSE to eat healthy food in order to enjoy the positive results it provides to my weight loss results.
I am achieving my body image goals. I consistently DO energy-generating and fat-burning workout routines, I consciously CHOOSE to eat healthy, and I live in a state of NOW mindfulness.
I will destroy my belly fat and turn my body into a vision of defined beauty.
My mind and body work in harmony together to help me achieve balance, serenity, and weight loss success.
I have a great body and I treat it like a temple. I put good healthy things into it and it performs well.
I am strong. I am healthy. I will live to 100+ years of age with vibrant body, lucid mind, and a spirit connected to God.
My body is a temple. I am careful to only put in good things that will keep the machine running smoothly and help me reach my weight loss goals.
I am full of vibrant energy! I am an energy god! I have so much energy and vitality I am glowing!
I choose to live a healthy lifestyle. I choose to eat healthy and workout because I know it will make me feel good, be confident, and be happier.
I enjoy working out – it fills me with energy, vitality, and confidence. I work out all the time, whenever and wherever possible.
My body is a beautiful temple and I fulfill it by giving myself healthy gifts like good food, active workouts, med, yoga, and more.
I love to practice disciplined, healthy eating and I feel GREAT when I achieve this goal both during and after the process.
I am vibrantly healthy. I am full of energy. I am alive with life and it’s contagious to others – when people are around me they feel alive too.
I always make CONSCIOUS decisions about the things I do and/or put in my body/mind/spirit so that I can continue to BUILD it, not destroy it.
I am the master of my body and my mind – I am disciplined and I achieve my weight loss goals.
I am consciously aware of my body goals at all times and I make decisions that allow me to always get closer to my goals not farther away.
Affirmations Work Best When you Combo them with other Weight Loss Programs
Let’s be clear – while affirmations are indeed powerful tools that really can help you deliver amazing results by harnessing the power of your mind to control your body, affirmations are not magic. If you eat poorly, don’t exercise, or don’t take care of yourself, then affirmations alone will probably not yield the weight loss results you are looking for.
HOWEVER, if you are using affirmations correctly and you make yourself believe that the affirmations are true, then over time, you will hardwire your mind into forcing your body to follow the path of the affirmations you are speaking to yourself. When this happens, then your mind and body will work together and look for ways to achieve your weight loss goals – you’ll likely find yourself wanting to eat healthier, wanting to put together a weight loss meal plan, wanting to get involved in a weight loss program, maybe even wanting to exercise more. All because you changed the way your mind thinks about your body image. Again I can tell you from first hand experience that this is true because it happened to me.
While I don’t count calories, use diet pills, or use weight loss calculators in my personal program, I can tell you that when I use affirmations for weight loss and I speak them to myself in the morning, they are particularly effective at helping me make a mind-body connection that keeps me on the right path during the way for my weight loss goals. In addition to affirmations I also use intermittent fasting and regular workouts, however I pretty much still eat what I want every day (and that includes chicken wings, beer, and BBQ on weekends!)
But my weight loss success all starts with affirmations because affirmations make me focus on eating right, help me stick to my intermittent fasting routine, encourage me to work out more often, and overall help me achieve positive results in my weight loss program.
Give them a try and see if they can do the same for you too.
As we continue our series on Affirmations, today we focus on using this positive self-talk to get you in the mindset of building a Legacy Life.
The concepts of building a “Legacy Life” to pass along your wisdom and/or creating “Now Moments” each day is something we’ve discussed on this site many times before and today we’ll review affirmations that you can use to create your personal legacy – based on whatever that means to you.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on Affirmations. For more, visit the main page about Affirmations here:
My legacy is my family. I am living a legacy life because I am living life with my family and I am fully present when I am with them.
I am happy with my life – I don’t focus on my troubles, instead I focus on what’s good and actively try to cherish the NOW moments that I’m living.
I am content in The Tao – I am where I need to be right now and I am well-equipped to live my Legacy Life.
I am a focused finisher of important tasks related to my legacy goals. I run my race, actively work on my goals, and continue to build a lasting legacy that benefits the world.
I am LIVING my Legacy Life. I recognize Now Moments each day and live them while they are happening.
I am consciously aware of my life’s focus and I spend my time on MY Life’s Path – it brings me fulfillment.
I eliminate all tasks that don’t relate to my legacy life goals.
In spite of obstacles, I will continue to find a way forward on my Life’s journey. I will keep advancing, keep running the race, keep living in this moment because NOW is LIFE.
I know that the more time I spend on legacy goals leads to life fulfillment.
I am happy and content. I don’t need lots of money or possessions to be happy. I live in the NOW moments of life each and every day. I savor the NOW moments because they = Life.
I make rational decisions about the use of my time, money, and opportunities – using a clear eye vision to choose wisely to take advantage of only those options that support my legacy life goals.
I control my time and activities, they do not control me – I am consciously aware of my legacy goals and proactively make decisions about how I am spending my time – if I sense I’m not living in balance, I stop what I’m doing, think, and move forward to a legacy goal.
My verse provides value to the world – I am meaningful and vital to The Great Play.
I am living a legacy life. Everyday is a step in the right direction. If I make just a little progress each day on my legacy goals it’s a positive day.
I live my Legacy Life every day. I am The Legacy. I inspire others to live their Legacy too.
I religiously avoid low-ROI busywork. I am laser focused on my Legacy Life Goals. I do NOT waste time on non-Legacy Life Goals – I simply do NOT do it. Time & Life is too valuable.
I am happy. I am content. I don’t need lots of money and possessions to be happy. I am happy because I am here, NOW, with people I love.
I KNOW my legacy life goals. I FOCUS my time and attention on ‘living’ my legacy life goals.
I am a DOER. I am a creator not a critic. I am a finisher. I am the artist of MY Legacy Life.
All will work out as it should. We are part of the Play of Life and we are contributing our verse and it is good.
I live a legacy life by spending QT with my loved ones, telling them how much they mean to me, and actively helping them achieve their desires.
I am a winner. Things work out for me. God’s Force moves with/thru/in me and guides me thru my Legacy Life Journey.
I am living my Legacy Life. I focus on my Legacy Life Goals by DOING and LIVING them every day.
During periods of self-doubt, I focus on my legacy goals – I KNOW with conscious awareness that my legacy is my destiny, my purpose – doing legacy work is the work of life.
I am successfully climbing the mountain of my Legacy Life every day. No matter how many times I stumble, I continue to get up and I always keep climbing. I KNOW I will reach my destiny.
Affirmations have the power to change your life and we’ve talked about the benefits of using affirmations as a form of positive self-talk to that you can use to transform your life. In today’s lesson we focus on taking time to use affirmations not just to create positive change, but to put yourself in a mindset of gratefulness and gratitude. .
Today we focus on the mindset of not just trying to have what you want, but instead to be thankful for ‘wanting what you have.’ When you do that, life becomes a true joy.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on Affirmations. For more, visit the main page about Affirmations here:
I love life. I am grateful for all the many blessings God has bestowed on us.
I am grateful for my family, our health, and our togetherness.
I am grateful for all the abundance we have in our lives.
I live with an attitude of gratitude. My gratitude is contagious.
I am grateful to be alive. I am content and happy. I am here…in this moment… right now.
I am content. I don’t crave riches. I am happy because I want what I have and have what I need.
I am grateful for the blessings of God and for all the Good Things he has given our family
I am blessed. God has gifted us with so much abundance. I am humbled by it all and I am grateful.
I am happy. I don’t need lots of money and possessions to be happy. I am happy just to be alive and to have an opportunity to spend time with the people I love.
My mind is a sea of happiness. I am grateful to be alive. I am full of joy and thankfulness. I welcome each day with an attitude of gratitude and hope.
Salt Fat Acid Heat is a cookbook written by chef Samin Nosrat. The book has won countless awards and is now a hit show on Netflix. In this article, we’ll explore the essential kitchen products recommended by the book and give you convenient links to find them for yourself. Consider this article as your Buying Guide for the tools of the trade in your kitchen.
Editor’s Note: this article is part of a series about the book Salt Fat Acid Heat. The main article features Reviews, Tips, & More about the book – be sure to check it out.
In her book, Salt Fat Acid Heat, Samin identifies 27 items that she considers “Kitchen Essentials.” Her list includes:
Saucepan
Deep-Frying Thermometer
Frying Pan
Food Mill
Colander
Ladle
Fine-mesh Sieve
Wooden Spoon
Rubber Spatula
Spider
Stainless Steel Tongs
Stockpot
Dutch Oven
Cast Iron Skillet
Box Grater
Citrus Juicer
Mortar and Pestle
Chef’s Knife (and paring knife, and serrated knife)
Measuring Cups (and spoons)
Kitchen Scale
Meat Therometer
Salad Spinner
Mixing Bowls
Baking Sheets
Blender (or Food Processor)
Japanese Mandolin
Rasp Grater
Salt Fat Acid Heat Kitchen Essentials Buying Guide
While the following products are not specifically recommended by Samin, I’m including one or more products for each of the 27 kitchen essentials recommended by the book here in this section so you can use it as a handy buying guide as you build your own personal chef’s kitchen. These are the products I use and/or was inspired by the book to buy. I personally recommend them for you, however if you have an alternative that you like better, let me know in the comments – together we can take our cooking journey to new heights.
If you have a home cook in your life, any of these would make a great gift!
In the buying guide list, I’ll try to provide various price point options – from low cost but still highly recommended, to professional ‘workhorse’ level, and all the way up to top-shelf ‘finer things’ and ‘vanity’ level if you have a cook who likes to entertain with a bit of flair.
All of these products are a minimum of 4-star rated and most of them are Prime-eligible so you can get them quickly!
Please keep in mind, this is just a general list – your situation may require products (for example larger or smaller pots) or maybe you have a preference for copper-bottom vs. stainless, or perhaps you like a different brand than what you see here. YOU be the judge of what’s best for you and your kitchen will thank you for it.
1. Saucepan
2. Deep-Frying Thermometer
3. Frying Pan
4. Food Mill
5. Colander
6. Ladle
7. Fine Mesh Sieve
8. Wooden Spoon
9. Rubber Spatula
10. Spider
11. Stainless Steel Tongs
12. Stockpot
13. Dutch Oven
14. Cast Iron Skillet
15. Box Grater
16. Citrus Juicer
17. Mortar and Pestle
18. Knives
A good knife can make your life much easier in the kitchen. All of these brands are good brands and you’ll enjoy them.
A. Chef’s Knife
B. Paring Knife
C. Serrated Knife
D. Chef Knife Sets
19. Measuring Cups & Spoons
20. Kitchen Scale
21. Meat Thermometer
22. Salad Spinner
23. Mixing Bowls
24. Baking Sheets
25. Blender
26. Japanese Mandoline
27. Rasp Grater
Enjoy this list?
If you enjoyed reading this article, be sure to share it with a friend or Pin it for later.
It’s Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat and it will change your cooking life!
First published in 2017, the book has been over a decade in the making as Samin Nosrat not only learned the craft of cooking but also of how to teach others the techniques behind the techniques — not just the HOW, but also the reasons WHY and WHEN you do things in the kitchen. Invariably these techniques have a lot to do with what Samin refers to as the ‘4 essential elements’ of cooking: Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat and her book teaches you the magic anyone can create once you understand how these 4 elements work together.
In this article and others, we’re going to review the book, provide links to the show and official website, give you other references to learn more.
If you are a home cook looking to expand your craft and you buy ONE book this year, Salt Fat Acid Heat is the book to buy.
Salt Fat Acid Heat on Amazon
Because it’s so popular, Salt Fat Acid Heat is available in bookstores and many other fine stores that sell cookbooks, so you should have no problem finding it, but if you need a quick link to Amazon, here’s the direct link to the book in hardcover, kindle, and audio formats.
Hardcover
E-Book
Audiobook
Salt Fat Acid Heat – The Review
I’m a home cook – admittedly probably not a very good one, but hey I try. More importantly I am always eager to learn. Over the years I’ve purchased countless cookbooks and while they have certainly helped me, I’ve always wanted something more – I’ve always wanted what most cookbooks don’t give you: the WHY behind the HOW.
That’s what makes Salt Fat Acid Heat so different than other cookbooks – sure there are recipes in the book and they are pretty awesome (and not all that hard), but…
The real value to Salt Fat Acid Heat comes from Samin’s ability to teach you WHY you are using Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat in your cooking.
It’s such a simple concept and yet most cookbooks don’t give you this – relying instead on your religiously buying specific ingredients in specific amounts and then mindlessly following directions in order to produce results. Does that technique work? Sure. But will you become a better cook just by following recipes? Probably not.
With Salt Fat Acid Heat Samin takes a different approach. She teaches you about the nuances of the 4 basic elements of Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat, and helps you understand why they do what they do when you add them to your cooking. When you begin to understand the WHY behind the HOW, your cooking will soar!
Reading Salt Fat Acid Heat reminded me of the old adage – “Fish for a man and feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and feed him for a lifetime.” I believe that is the spirit behind the book – although I don’t know her, I like to think Samin had that in mind when she wrote her book. Give it a read yourself and let me know if you agree.
Winner of the 2018 James Beard Award for Best General Cookbook
ICAP Cookbook Award
It’s also been named one of the “Best Books” by NPR, BuzzFeed, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Rachel Ray Every Day, San Francisco Chronicle, Vice Munchies, Elle.com, Glamour, Eater, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Seattle Times, Tampa Bay Times, Tasting Table, Modern Farmer, Publishers Weekly, and more.
Salt Fat Acid Heat – The Netflix Show
In a Netflix series based on her best-selling cookbook, Samin Nosrat visits Italy, Japan and Mexico to show how four basic elements can make or break any dish. Check out the trailer…
Do you currently use positive affirmations and daily quotes as part of your daily routine? This type of positive self-talk is very powerful and, if used consistently can transform your reality. In this article, we’ll explore affirmations for a variety of life-changing motifs including affirmations for money, love, family, kids, weight loss, healing, anger management, parenting, confidence, law of attraction, gratitude, health, abundance, and more.
something that is affirmed; a statement or proposition that is declared to be true.”
Personally I like definition #2 because I find it the most powerful version of the definition from the standpoint of someone who wants to use affirmations to make their life better.
When looking at affirmations from that mindset, I think an even easier definition of affirmations is:
An affirmation is positive self-talk that you believe is true.
When you use affirmations in the form of positive self-talk and you allow yourself to believe in the good things you say about yourself, it’s a fact that these positive words have the power to change your life in wonderful ways. Don’t take my word for it, see what both psychologists and the medical community has to say on the topic of using positive self-talk.
The bottom line – affirmations in the form of positive self talk works.
Affirmations Changed My Life
For the first 46 years of my life, I thought affirmations were kind of corny, but that changed in 2017 when I finally gave them a chance — and WOW, I can’t believe the results using affirmations and the law of attraction had in my life!
I went from generally having an overly critical, pessimistic view of the world to instead having a more positive outlook on life, my personal health, and financial abundance. I used affirmations to help ‘attract’ myself info the best shape I’ve been in since college, get a new job where I’m making more money than ever before, write a new book, start multiple new websites, and change my outlook on life. More importantly affirmations have helped me become a better husband and father, grow my spiritual connection to God, and just become a happier, more relaxed person.
If affirmations have done all this for me, imagine what they can do for YOU too!
How to Use Daily Affirmations & Positive Quotes
As with all the wisdom I share, it’s not rocket science. The way I use daily affirmations and positive self-talk is pretty simple — yet the results create tremendous personal power.
How to use Affirmations – a Simple Three Step Process
First I write the daily affirmations I want to focus on as part of my “SMART” Morning Routine. I write THREE affirmations or positive quotes each morning and I use them to specifically focus myself on key areas that I believe will help me ‘win’ the day.
Next, I incorporate some simple Breath Meditation into the process with my affirmations — I sit quietly, use my breath meditation, and repeat each positive affirmation or daily quote three times. I try to visual each affirmation in my mind’s eye — my goal is to see myself living the affirmation. At the same time, I try to get my mind, body, and soul (yes, all three) to encode what it feels like deep within my personal DNA, because I know that when I do this, the affirmation has a greater chance to become a reality. This is essentially the process of using the affirmation as a law of attraction.
Finally, because I know I want to use affirmations every day, I keep every affirmation and quote on a google doc that is connected to all my mobile devices. Throughout the day, when I have downtime, I refer back to the doc, remind myself of the affirmations and quotes and repeat them to myself numerous times during the day.
How to Use Affirmations – The Video
Ready for Some Affirmations?
This article is part of a series and in our other articles, I’ve streamlined the various affirmations and daily quotes I used into specific categories if you want to focus on just one type (money, health, love, etc). But for now, I’m going to give you some of the most popular affirmations I’ve been using daily to give you a flavor for affirmations overall.
79 Affirmations That Will Change Your Life
I’m going to share 79 affirmations I am currently using to improve my life. Use them as tools to transform your life too!
Why 79? Because one of the things you’ll learn about me if you follow my posts is that I only share wisdom that I personally verify works. In this case, these 79 affirmations are ones I have used myself most often this year. I want to share them with you so that you can benefit from them too!
79 Affirmations That Will Transform Your Life
(Note the all-caps is added to remind me of what word/phrases to focus extra attention on. Additionally, not all of these statements are true…yet. This is part of the transformation process I am actively performing in my own life. With time and consistent action, I KNOW every one of these will become my reality. Use them yourself and you’ll experience the same benefits).
1. I am vibrantly healthy, I smile a lot, and I am passionate about being ALIVE!
2. I am a great writer, people LOVE to read my books/writing, and they CRAVE more and more — people take action to find/read my work, and it brings them happiness
3. I live IN THE MOMENT — I suck the marrow out of life and ENJOY every drop.
4. I am a loving, supportive husband — I want to see my wife soar and I take ACTION to help her.
5. I am an awesome father — my children KNOW I love them, that I am there to fully support their hopes/dreams, and that I BELIEVE they can accomplish ANYTHING.
6. I am happy with my life — I don’t need lots of material possessions, I just want to enjoy each day and cherish the NOW moments that I’m living.
7. I am one with The Force and The Force is one with me (3).
8. My life is not complicated — I live it as it comes and find the beauty that is all around me.
9. I am a good conversationalist and enjoy talking with others.
10. People crave to read my writing and advice — they want more more more of my novels and my wisdom makes a difference in their lives.
11. I am a happy positive person who is vibrantly healthy, overflowing with love and gratitude, and a joy to be around.
12. My vitality and positive attitude rubs off on others and improves their lives — it’s not fake, it’s just the truth.
13. I am a pro at using my time wisely — being ultra-focused/productive for work tasks to minimize their time and spend more of my time on legacy goals.
14. I am vibrantly healthy, strong, and full of energy! (Here I think of 3-year old son JeeHo pumping his fist as a baby saying ‘let’s do this.’ It brings a smile to my face every time — that boy has a passion for life!)
My son JeeHo | All Rights Reserved
15. I AM devoting my life to living my legacy life goals and actively choosing to spend time on legacy goals over financial tasks.
16. I am a happy, positive person who actively enjoys life and lives each moment.
17. 2018 is the year of (insert family name) — we are here to Thrive!
18. I make rational decisions about the use of my time, money, and opportunities — using a clear eye vision to choose wisely to take advantage of only those options that support my legacy life goals.
19. I live in the moment — enjoying my life as I am living it — focused on the NOW and happily sharing my time/attention/essence with the ones I love.
20. I am an overcomer, I AM vibrantly healthy and strong, my body is going to defeat this illness and I will return to be healthier than ever.
21. My best years are ahead of me, I am entering them now, I am happy, content, and fully engaged in my life NOW.
22. I connect with people — people like me, they crave my writing and my wisdom sharing helps them — I improve their lives.
23. I am consciously aware of my life’s focus and I spend my time on MY Life’s Path — it brings me fulfillment.
24. I eliminate all tasks that don’t relate to my legacy life goals.
25. I have useful wisdom to share, people crave hearing from me and want more.
26. I am a wealth of practical information that helps people live a better/easier/right-focused life.
27. I am happy — I smile a lot and am content with life because I know my life is focused on my legacy purpose.
28. I am blessed with wonderful gifts from God and I enjoy life — eating, drinking, and having fun with family.
29. I am like water — I flow down the path of least resistance in life because that is the way of The Tao and I know good things await me on that path.
30. I look on the bright side of rain clouds and KNOW that God has a plan for me — even if I can’t see it yet, I know it’s there and if I just keep flowing in that direction all will be well.
31. I find the silver lining in rain clouds.
32. I am happy because I know my family loves me and they know I love them.
33. I am a master at relationship building. I establish trust quickly — people WANT to do business with me.
34. It’s clear I am a great team player with unique and valuable skills — people WANT me on their teams because they know they NEED me.
35. I love my family and I know they love me — that brings me fulfillment.
36. I am ready to devote myself to my legacy life goals and remove obstacles from my path.
37. I am a rational decision maker — I don’t make life decisions without listening to the advice of trusted people who love me.
38. I am not afraid to have fun in front of others — I am a light for my family.
39. I am a happy person because I KNOW my life matters — I matter to my family and I am helping them find personal fulfillment.
40. I like to get up early (before 6am) because I can accomplish a lot of meaningful legacy work during that time.
41. I am a best-selling writer, known for sharing helpful/practical wisdom tips with the world.
42. I am always looking for opportunities to share wisdom with others and when the opportunity presents itself I seize it as part of my legacy goals.
43. I am a solutions provider.
44. People want to buy from me because they believe in me.
45. The world is full of possibilities — I can achieve anything if I only TRY.
46. I find inspiration from mentors and replicate/improve what they do to achieve my own success — I’m great at improving what others have started and I recognize the value that improvement > reinvention.
47. I am genuinely happy to see others succeed when they provide value to lots of people. (I think about people like Elon Musk, Tim Ferris, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerburg, Tony Robbins).
48. I am able to take a break from financial tasks and not worry.
49. I am a problem solver — obstacles do not stop me from achieving success — they may be barriers for others but I consistently find ways around/over/thru/under/etc to reach my goals.
50. I am a positive person and I BELIEVE that all will work out as it should in order to achieve my legacy — I am open to all possibilities.
51. I’m great at eliminating non-critical tasks and focusing on legacy goals.
52. I am consciously aware of my legacy goals and I take action every day to complete them.
53. I do not procrastinate on important things — I get them done!
54. I am a production machine when it comes to important things.
55. I write my novels every day.
56. My novels are part of my legacy.
57. Writing comes easy to me.
58. I believe that cardio in the a.m. = success in the p.m.
59. I am a capable and confident self-made businessman, I believe in myself, I am happy with my life and confident in my future.
60. I am a finisher. I am a closer. I complete my goals and reach fulfillment.
61. I am not addicted to money gathering.
62. I know that spending time on legacy goals leads to life fulfillment.
63. I live with an attitude of gratitude — my gratitude is contagious.
64. When anger arises, I focus on being thankful vs letting frustration control me.
65. I can bring great value to people’s lives with wisdom counsel.
66. I am a wisdom seeker AND a wisdom sharer.
67. People desperately need my wisdom and guidance — I’m glad to help them.
68. I am a compelling negotiator. I am able to convince people to do what I want.
69. I am a relationship builder who creates win-win results.
70. I accept reality and don’t need to control everything.
71. I control anger, it doesn’t control me.
72. I am a best-selling writer and people WANT to read my writing.
73. I am becoming a better cook and people enjoy my food.
74. I am a good storyteller and people like listening to me.
75. I know Balance = Fulfillment.
76. I am an ENERGY GOD. I ooze vitality and ENERGY!
77. I am energized and vibrantly healthy with a 32 inch waist and toned muscles. (wouldn’t that be nice?)
78. I am financially free — money does not control me.
79. I only take actions that are focused on my life goals.
Mike’s Notes:
I became introduced to them after listening to some ‘journey’ meditations on BalanceInMe.com — I kept seeing all these affirmation audios with titles like I am healthy, I am grateful, I choose, etc. I figured ‘what the heck, let’s give them a try.’
I’ve used a lot more than just 79 this year so far, but that’s because I repeat a lot of them on different days. I removed the repeats from the list and the result was ‘79.’ It’s magic!
Rogue One — because every good post deserves a Star Wars reference, right?
Email is great IF people actually OPEN your emails…
Email is a great way to communicate with customers and Email Marketing as a strategy continues to be one of the most effective ways to attract, retain, and build relationships with long-term customers, but unfortunately, email response rates often leave a lot to be desired because many customers don’t respond to the emails you send them and all too often you don’t even know if the customers are even opening your emails to begin with.
Email Overload = Low Email Open Rates and Even Lower Email Response Rates
Why don’t customers open your emails? Why don’t customers respond to your emails?
The answer to both these questions is fairly simple – just like you, your customers are super busy, just like you, your customers get tons of email (way more than they could ever read), and just like you, your customers are now using email tools that pre-filter ‘promotional’ emails (especially those sent from email marketing companies like Mailchimp, GetResponse, Drip, AWeber, and the like).
As a result, there’s a very real possibility that your email response rates are low because…
That ‘perfect’ email you took so long to craft may never even be seen by your customer because it got filtered into a promotional tab.
If your customer does happen to see the email, they may not recognize its value and instead just ignore it.
Even if they do read your email they may not bother to reply.
All of these are bad options if you’re trying to build a business relationship with your customer.
So is there anything you can do to increase the odds your customers will open AND reply to your emails?
Thankfully, yes.
The 13 tips in this article can dramatically improve your email response rates. Not only will more customers open your emails, but if you use these tips consistently more customers will actually respond to your emails too.
How do I know these email tips work?
Because like everything else i recommend on the Helpful Dad site, I’ve personally tested each one of these tips and I can assure you they work. I use them in my own businesses every day and they’ve helped me achieve consistent success with customer emails. They can help YOU too.
Where did these tips come from?
Just to be clear I didn’t invent these tips nor and I taking credit for them – there are a variety of sources for these ideas and I’ve listed them in the references at the end of this article). As with much of the knowledge on this site, I’ve curated this wisdom and packaged it in easy form for you to use. I’ve collected a LOT of email tips over the years and what you’re reading here is a whittled down list of the email best practices that have consistently worked for me to get people to open my emails and respond to them. Put these email tips to the test yourself and let me know your results.
13 Tips to Get Your Emails Opened
Get People to Open Your Emails Tip #1 – Avoid the ‘promotion’ filter of your customer’s inbox.
To do this, try sending ‘plain text’ emails.
Take a look at these emails – one is ‘html’ and the other is ‘plain text.’
Yes html emails look nice and pretty and the plain text are less fancy (minimal formatting, no pics, etc) but the fact is that plain text emails don’t get filtered as much as HTML emails.
Filtered emails = not seen emails.
Emails not seen = game over before you even started.
Get Your Email Opened Tip #2 – Where possible, avoid mass emails and send each email directly to ONE customer at a time.
If you must send email to multiple people, try keeping the group small (say 2-4 people). Generally, I only send emails to single customers (because of my #1 most effective tip below which, for some strange reason is actually #4 on my list?), but if I do combo emails I make sure it’s to customers of the same company.
The more you increase the group, the greater the chance that your email won’t get opened because…
When people see other names on the distribution list they will often ‘defer action’ to someone else in an effort to save time themselves.
Another way of saying this is – they don’t open your email because they figure someone else on the list will. Thus they save time for themselves.
Get People to Open Your Emails Tip #3 – How to Avoid Corporate Intranet Filters.
As much as possible (and especially for introductory emails to new customers) try to avoid sending attachments.
All too often corporate IT servers seem to filter out emails with attachments as a way to prevent an email virus from infecting their networks.
Don’t take the risk your email gets quarantined to the Land of the Unknown Email.
If you have to send an attachment, establish the connection with the customer first, get their buy-in that they actually want the attachment, and then ask for the best way to send it to them.
Find out from your customer is attachments allowed by their corporate email filter, if so how can you avoid the filter, and if something like Dropbox or Google Drive share a better alternative, etc?.
Get Customers to Open Your Emails Tip #4 – Use the Power of the SUBJECT LINE
This is actually my #1, most important, if-you-do-nothing-else-do-this tip. (I don’t know why it’s not listed first – perhaps because I like the number “4” best?)
In any case, this single tip has increased my own email response rate by at least 10x!
And it’s so simple…
Instead of writing generic, easy to overlook subject lines, write a compelling, action-oriented subject that (and this is the super-important part) starts with the customer’s name.
That sounds so obvious on paper, but yet 99% of people writing emails don’t do this put their customers name in the subject line. That’s a shame, because if you put the customer’s name in the subject line, that alone will get more people to open your emails.
Let me give you some examples…
Blah Subject Line: “Contract Options for Your Review”
Better Subject Line: “Attention: New Widget Contract Choices (Action Required)”
Best Subject Line: “Jim: New Widget Contract Options (Feedback Requested by Friday)”
Which one of these emails do you think Jim is going to open? Which would YOU open if you were Jim and your job was dealing with Widget contracts for your company?
I’ve used all of these email subject lines in my career and I can tell you that email #3 is the one that gets opened way more than the other two options combined.
Let’s analyze email #3’s subject line again…
Jim: New Widget Contract Options (Feedback Requested by Friday)
What makes this a good email subject line?
The email subject line is specific to “Jim” so Jim knows it’s for him – that alone will increase the odds the email gets opened. (BTW I like to use first names whenever possible to establish long-term rapport and because (as Dale Carnegie says) ‘the sound of someone’s name is the most beautiful music to that person’, but if you can’t do that for some reason then full/formal names also work).
This email subject line uses the word “New” which is a hook that generates interest and leads to people wanting to open the email to see what’s ‘new.’
The email subject line clearly identifies a product (in this case “Widgets”) and assuming that Jim is interested in Widgets, he’s likely to open the email.
The email subject line briefly details the main content (in this case ‘contract options’) and again assuming Jim is interested in new pricing options for his Widgets, he’s likely to open the email.
And finally, the email subject line lets Jim know that not only is his ‘feedback’ requested (making him feel important) but his feedback is needed by a specific day (Friday).
What’s all this add up to? When Jim scans through his mass of emails for the day, you’ve just made it very easy for him to hone in on an email that is specific to him, has clearly identifiable content that (presumably) interests him, and requires his action by a certain day (pro tip – try to make the action day within the same week to create a sense of urgency).
The result – more of your emails get opened.
How do you know if someone opens your email?
This is a bit of a side tip – ever since Outlook made it harder for us to get an “Email Read Receipt,” it’s become more difficult to know when someone actually opens your email. Thankfully there are tools that can help you.
I use one called “Mailtrack” – it’s a free service that has been a worthy replacement for the Outlook Read Receipt function. The only caveat is that Mailtrack is exclusive to Gmail – if you can live with that parameter you’ll love it.
So now that you are getting people to open your emails, how do you get them to reply?
Tip #5 – Be Brief, Be Brilliant, and Be Gone = Get More Email Replies
Emails are not a place to write your next book (something I’ve often been guilty of since I love to write), but there’s a concept called “TLDR” which stands for ‘too long, didn’t read.’ THta’s a killer when it comes to emails.
TLDR – Email Not Read = Email Not Responded to.
Remember, your customers are busy.
Think of your email recipient like a little squirrel – you’ve got a nut, you’ve convinced the squirrel to take a step towards you, he’s interested, when he gets near, don’t drown him with a bucket full of nuts, just give him the little one he wanted.
The same holds for your email – you got the customer to open it, don’t overwhelm them with a 10 paragraph, single-spaced manifesto. Just give them the bite-sized version.
Your email should be easy to digest, short, and easy to see what action is needed by them so that it is easy for them to respond to.
Tip #6 – BLUF leads to more people responding to emails.
BLUF stands for ‘bottom line up front.’
Remembering that your customer is busy, help them save time (and increase your reply rate) by putting the action you want them to take in the very first line of your email.
Although you may not want to hear this, realize that…
Even IF your customer opens your email, they may only read the first line before deleting it or ‘saving’ it for another time.
Knowing this, make sure they read the single most important thing you need them to do/know by putting it that first line of your email.
Hopefully, that first line will compel more people to read your email beyond just the first line, but just in case they don’t you’ll at least have gotten them to see what your email ‘ask’ is and then you’ve put the ball in their court.
Tip #7 – Use Bullets to Get People to Respond to Emails
Don’t expect your customer to read your entire email.
Recognize they are likely to just scan it (much like you are probably doing to this article – are you even reading THIS line? If so put a comment below).
Put your important points in bullet format to draw attention to them.
This is especially important for the email body (the part that your customer is least likely to read – kind of like this section of my article).
Get People to Open Your Emails and Get Them to Respond Tip #8 – Establish Credibility
Establish Credibility with your Email Customers.
This one is really important for customers you don’t know well, initial introductions in emails, or when you’re trying to set a meeting at a conference you’ll both be attending.
Let the new customer how you know them (for example, “I was referred by Mr. MaGoo” and then put “Mr. Magoo” in the “CC” line of the email. Naturally you will have already confirmed with Mr. Magoo that you can reference him).
By putting the mutual reference in the email by name, when the new customer you are trying to connect with sees the name of someone they know (Mr. Magoo) AND sees that Mr. Magoo is in the CC line this makes your credibility skyrocket.
This technique dramatically increases your email reply rate because the customer also feels a sense of ‘obligation reply’ to the mutual reference.
It’s a powerful tool so don’t abuse it.
Bonus Tip – if you’re both gonna be at a conference, reference that event to validate yourself and use that as a SMART goal opportunity for a live meeting – another winner.
Tip #9 – Remember The “Smartphone Preview” to Get People to Open Your Emails
Most people read email (first) on their mobile devices. Emails on mobile look a lot different than on desktops/laptops.
Space is smaller so long emails become super looooooooong. Long email thus get nixed, which means long emails have less chance for a reply.
If you really want to make it easy for people to open your emails and to respond to them, try to keep your email bodies “mobile-view friendly.”
Tip #10 – Setting Simple, Clear Expectations for a Reply = More People WILL Reply to Your Email.
If you already have a good relationship with a customer and your email requires a response, give them a courtesy ‘heads-up’ that you’re sending them an email AND expecting a reply.
Again people are busy – that doesn’t mean they don’t want to help you, just that…
They may not realize you want a reply.
Make it easy for them to reply to your emails.
Send your customer a quick text, give a call to their admin, or find another way (LinkedIn, hallway chat, etc) to ensure they understand you’re expecting a reply to your email.
Don’t yet have a good relationship? Connect with them on LinkedIn (with a personal message as part of the connection) and once they accept your connection invite, then send them a brief note via LinkedIn messaging about why you connected and that you’re sending them a win-win email that would benefit them to reply to.
These first 10 tips will make more people open your email AND make it easy for people to reply to your emails. That’s great, but how do you take your Email Game to the next level?
Increasing Email Response Rates – The Next Level
Tip #11 – Make it easy to meet.
You want to set up a time to talk? Whether you want to chat by phone, do a webex, or meet live, the worst thing you can do is close with a blase offer like ‘if you’re interested let me know when you can talk’ or something similar.
Instead, (and I’m gonna beat this drum again) remember your customers are busy, so…
Make it easy for them by offering them date/time suggestions upfront.
Here’s an example…
“What’s a good time to [chat/meet/etc]? Would Monday, May 1 at 4, or 5 pm EST work? How about Wed May 3 at 10 or 11 am EST? If not suggest a day/time that works for you.”
Using this tactic speeds the process up because it removes the guesswork and rather than make the customer do the work of finding the time to meet, all they need to do is check their calendar to see if one of your suggested times will work.
Tip #12 – The Best DAY and TIME to send Emails
Timing is everything in the world of email overload. If you’re trying to break free of the email clutter…
Send your emails at times when your customers are most available to read them.
Good times to consider are…
When are they on Social Media and in ‘work mode?’ In my business, it’s Sunday Evening as they get ready for the work week so a brief, action-oriented email sent at this time gets great response rates.
Other times during the week that work well are mid-morning (after they’ve had a chance to settle into the day) or mid-afternoon (after lunch but are not yet in ‘go-home’ mode) – both are great times when people check emails.
I also try to avoid Mondays (people are usually too busy) and Fridays (people just want to clear their desks and focus on the weekend).
Email Tip #13 – Update Subject Lines During Replies To Avoid Email Conversation Views.
A great way to get your emails lost in the shuffle of email filter tools is NOT to update subject lines – don’t let that happen to you. Instead…
Remove those “RE” and “FW” identifiers – they only create clutter and are sure-fire bundle targets.
Be sure to modify the subject line in some way to make it stand out and not get bundled in ‘conversation view’ emails because bundled emails = lost emails and lost emails = emails not replied to = lost business.
Change subject lines as the needs of the conversation changes – put new actions first, note important dates, or better yet make a whole new email (using these great email tips of course!).
Get People to Open Your Emails AND Get them to Reply – The Bottom Line
Use these 13 tips and you’re pretty much guaranteed to get more people to open your emails and more importantly get them to reply to you.
These email tips worked for me and they can work for you too. And when they do help you get more people to open and reply to your emails be sure to let me know.
Now go forth and start hitting ‘send’ with more confidence that someone is actually listening!
My blog is focused on providing ‘practical solutions’ to real life problems. If you want to make sure you never miss a tip AND get some cool freebies in the process, be sure to subscribe to follow me.
Are you an Egghead? Whether you’re a long-time owner of a Big Green Egg or a newbie, this article can help you. We’ll discuss which accessories are the best to buy for your BGE and why. Here’s a list of over 200 Big Green Egg accessories that will take your cooks to the next level.
Top 10 Accessories for your Big Green Egg
There are 200+ recommended accessories for your Big Green Egg on this page, but here’s a quick ‘Top 10’ List to get your started.
Get these items first and you’ll be well on your way to success with your Big Green Egg.
As fun as it is to cook on the Big Green Egg nobody wants to sit by the fire all day. You want be with friends, drink a few brews, and relax without always wondering about the temps of your meats. Having a good remote thermometer allows you to do that. There are really only 2 brands to consider: ThermoPro or Maverick.
Having a good remote thermometer allows you to do that. The top two brands (in my opinion) ThermoPro or Maverick.
Increase your airflow and get more from your lump.
Only 1 brand to seriously consider here: Kick Ash and the classic option is the Kick Ash Basket
I added a demo video so you can see how it works…
7-Pizza Stone
Because you know you want to make pizzas in your Egg, right? Try one of these. The BGE version is hard to find now and there are so many options is crazy. For the value I’d go with the Kamado Joe versions…
Here’s a few to add to your shopping list:
Kamado Joe DoJoe (we talked about this one in the Top 10 List above – it will turn your KJ into a real wood-fired pizza making machine!)
No matter what accessories you buy for your Big Green Egg or how well you manage your fire, if you don’t have quality lump charcoal to cook with, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. There’s nothing like doing everything right and then having the food taste bad because the lump charcoal you used was made with poor quality wood or too much of a particularly strong wood (like hickory). I’d recommend you buy good quality lump charcoal that has a mix of hardwoods that work with all types of foods for your basic cooks and then buy smoking wood chips for particular flavor profiles you want to add in later (such as hickory for chicken, fruit woods for fish, etc).
There’s really only one to consider – The KJ-made “Jotisserie” which works great on a BGE Large or XL kamado.
Here’s a demo vid so you can see the JoeTisserie ‘in action’ the Big Green Egg – MMM.
Obviously you’re gonna need some quality meat and plenty of friends and family to enjoy your BGE cooks with, but for now these 10 “Must Have” accessories are the basics that will get you fast-tracked for success with your Big Green Egg. Once you have these in your arsenal, then move on to the full list below.
200+ Accessories for The Big Green Egg
Best COOKBOOKS for the Big Green Egg
What, you’re starting your list of Best Accessories for the Big Green Egg with cookbooks?
What gives? Is a ‘cookbook’ even an accessory? In my book YES. Here’s why…
There IS a learning curve when it comes to kamado grill cooking on your Big Green Egg. And it’s a continuous learning process.
Do yourself a favor and don’t try to figure it all out on your own – you’ll just end up burning a lot of food and getting frustrated.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a number of good books out there that can help you master kamado cooking on your Big Green Egg and speed up your BGE Mastery learning curve.
Here are two of my favorites books – they provide some awesome kamado grill recipes as well as MANY helpful tips.
After you get Hot Coals and/or Smoke It Like a Pro, other great highly-rated cookbooks for your Big Green Egg. The sauce recipes alone in Big Bob Gibson’s book make it an incredible value!
If you must have only a “BGE” specific book, check these options out…
Best Cooking Surfaces for the Big Green Egg
1-Flexible Cooking System (#1 MUST HAVE ITEM ON THIS PAGE)
This accessory will change the way you use your BGE and for that reason it is my #1 MUST HAVE Accessory for the Big Green Egg (or any kamado).
Let’s face it the Big Green Egg is the #1 most popular kamado on the market for a reason – the quality is awesome, the reputation is well-earned, and the Egghead community is the strongest of any kamado cooking group. BUT, if we’re honest with ourselves, BGE users shouldn’t be afraid to admit that even though Kamado Joe is a competitor KJ has made some great accessories over the years – perhaps the best of all time is their Flexible Cooking System called “The Divide and Conquer” system. Check out the theory behind the Divide and Conquer Flexible Cooking System…
A picture tells a 1,000 words in this case right?
You can use a Flexible Cooking System in your BGE and you’ll be able to…
Cook High
Cook Low
Cook both Direct AND Indirect at the same time
And gain a world of flexibility.
KJ’s Divide and Conquer system has been so successful that BGE made their own “Flexible Cooking System” and called it the EGGspander.
The Big Green Egg EGGSpander Flexible Cooking System
The KJ Alternative? If you can afford the Eggspander, go for it. You’ll be happy. However if you are looking for a quality alternative, the Kamado Joe Flexible Cooking System is a worthy option – not only is it less expensive to begin with but the cost of the various cooking surface inserts are less expensive as well. This can help your money go farther.
Remember when you are converting KJ to BGE…
The KJ Classic = BGE Large
The KJ Big Joe = BGE XL.
After you make a decision on which flexible cooking system to buy, next get some Half Moon Heat Deflectors so you can to cook both Direct and Indirect at the same time or just because they are easier to use than the traditional bulky BGE place setter (aka “The convEGGtor”)
Then get these additions to conveniently hold your drip pans and/or allow you to cook higher up in the dome – which is really useful for pizza cooking too so you can avoid burning the crust.
Finally, for even more cooking space and another higher level add these…
2-Cast Iron Griddle
Now that you have a Flexible Cooking System in your Big Green Egg tou’re going to quickly learn that the standard stainless steel cooking grates just don’t cut it for certain foods.
You want to get a good sear on steaks? Cook scallops? Griddle up some bacon and eggs? Then you’ll want a cast-iron griddle. Sure you could use a cast-iron pan but these griddles fit into your BGE and give you some great flexibility too.
Now if you can afford to get both the cast iron grates and the cast iron griddle for your BGE, you’ll be really happy, but if you have to prioritize then get the cast iron griddle first because it adds so many more options to your cooks.
I’ve got a few options for you to pick from. Personally I prefer using the half-moon Cast Iron Griddle made by Kamado Joe – it’s 1/3 of the price of the BGE version!
If for some reason you want a stainless steel griddle, you do have an option – Little Griddle makes a nice half-moon griddle specifically for the Kamado. It’s super easy to clean and has a convenient grease trough.
3-Cast Iron Grates
Although the cast-iron griddle is basically a ‘must-have’ for your Big Green Egg, the grates are more of a nice-to-have item in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong. I have the grates and I use them all the time for burgers, the indirect portion of steak grills, and more. Remember, if you have to prioritize, get the griddle first, then the grates.
When you’re ready for cast iron grates, consider these: (Again option #3 requires the KJ Flexible Cooking System but the beauty of it is you can use use the griddle for direct searing and then have the grates over a half-moon heat deflector for the indirect cook portion. Bonus!)
4. Even More Cooking Surfaces
A Quality Grilling Basket
Do you need it?
I think so. Particularly when you get a basket with a removable handle it allows you to turn fish, veggies, and delicate items easily – saving time, hassle, AND protecting your food.
A Good Dutch Oven
Even if you have the cast-iron griddle and grates you’ll benefit from a quality dutch oven. You can never have too much cast-iron right?
But seriously, the reason you’ll want a dutch oven is because by putting a dutch oven in your Big Green Egg (and learning how to use is safely) you can BAKE and FRY inside your BGE!
There’s really one one brand here to consider – The Lodge.
PIZZA in the BIG GREEN EGG
One of my family and friends’ favorite things in a kamado is wood-fired pizzas. They’re fun to make, taste great, and easy to do.
For this reason I consider a Pizza Stone to be a must-have accessory for your BGE.
Here are a few options. The BGE stone is ridiculously expensive so do a bit of research about your options and you may be able to save some money – just make sure it’s a quality stone that won’t crack on you!
After you get the stone, then get one or more of these helpful pizza accessories. Don’t overlook the Elements of Pizza cookbook here too.
Soapstone Surface
What the heck is soapstone and why do I need it?
Soapstone is great for cooking more delicate items like fish and veggies that you don’t want to put in a basket or cedar plank but do want to have directly on a cooking surface. Soapstone is bacteria and stain-resistant and may give you fewer flareups even though the meat cooks in its own juices. People also like using this surface for ‘smash burgers’ too.
We’ve gotta give credit to KJ again here because they make the best version of this item – another half-moon surface that fits the Flexible Cooking System.
CEDAR PLANK COOKING
You can’t go wrong with cooking fish on cedar plank – but cedar can be used for veggies and meats too.
BEST ROTISSERIE for the Big Green Egg
This is a Top 10 MUST HAVE Accessory for your Big Green Egg.
While a few companies are making a rotisserie for the BGE, there’s really only one to consider here – the “JoeTisserie.” It’s proven to work in the BGE and work well.
Get the JoeTisserie and turn your kamado into a rotisserie-style cooker and take your cooks to the next level. The JoeTisserie is not just for cooking chicken, you can also use it for some great Brazilian-style steak, pork, and more.
BONUS – add a grilling basket to the JoeTisserie and cook wings, veggies, and expand your game even further.
Other Useful Cooking Pans and Drip Pans for the Big Green Egg
An assortment of useful cooking pans that sit on the grates and/or don’t necessarily attach to the racks. Item #1 (The Plancha) is super popular and highly useful. BTW all of these are “BGE” official brand.
All About ASH BASKETS
What is an Ash Basket and why might you want one for your Big Green Egg?
An Ash Basket lets you simply lift out used charcoal and ash before every cook and it is reported to increase air flow around your lump charcoal in your Egg.
When you use an ash basket you can dispose of ashes and be ready for your next cook in seconds—no muss, no fuss. Just lift the ash basket out and give it a few shakes in your grill or over a trash can (make sure the fire is completely out!), then set the ash basket back in place, add some fresh charcoal, and you’re ready to go in seconds.
Spaces between the ash basket’s rings allow the small particles to fall through when you shake the ashes out. You can start each cook with an ideal fuel load, whether you’re searing steaks or going low and slow. You get easier starts and more even burning for ultimate temperature control.
The most popular choice, by far, in ash baskets for the BGE is the Kick Ash Basket.
Don’t overthink this one and get a lesser brand that’s gonna be lesser quality. You’ll use this in every cook and you’ll want it to hold up over time. Get the Kick Ash and be done with it.
Don’t Forget the ASH TOOLS too.
Temperature Controls, Thermometers, & Remote Temp Probes for the Big Green Egg
EGG Genius (Remote Temp Controls)
Most Eggheads will agree that kamado cooking is an art, not a science, however if you want to get pinpoint accuracy with your cooks the EGG Genius may be for you.
BGE says “The EGG Genius effortlessly controls the temperature of your EGG through your smartphone, tablet or computer. Remotely manage and monitor cooking temperatures for worry-free cooking, monitor the temperature of your food, view graphs of your cooks … and even receive alerts when your cook is finished or when the EGG temperature is too high or low.” Can you say, Wow?
Remote Probe Thermometer
As I mentioned in the Top 10 List, a good remote thermometer with remote probes that won’t break the bank is a must have item. If you can afford an Egg Genius then you won’t need these, but if the Genius is out of your budget or you want to have more manual control of the ‘art’ of kamado cooking (but with just a little help) then get one of these options.
Other Thermometers
You’ll need a quality instant thermometer as well as a “Candy” thermometer if you want to monitor frying oils, etc. And don’t overlook the Temperature “Gun” for checking surface temps accurately on your grill cooking surfaces and so much more (I use it all the time).
Best Lump Charcoal, Fire Starters, and Smoking Wood for your Big Green Egg
Quality Lump Charcoal
You wouldn’t drive a BMW on junk tires would you? Then why are you using crappy lump in your Big Green Egg?
Now I know there are a lot of charcoal options out there when it comes to kamado grilling and there’s even a list of quality options on the Naked Whiz Database, but for my money, I believe in the Kamado Joe Lump Charcoal brand – specifically the Big Block XL version. Why? Because not only is the bag filled with really big lumps of charcoal, but even more importantly, the type of wood used is a combination of various hardwoods so you get a great flavor but not an overpowering flavor. (If you’ve ever used lump charcoal that is primarily made with hickory then you know what I mean). The KJ-Char is great for kamado grill cooking in your Big Green Egg because you can use it for all types of food – from pizza, to chicken, to beefs, to pork, and fish. It works for all of it and it compliments it all well. Using KJ-Char as your base also gives you the flexibility to then add your own wood chips to add additional specific flavors (cherry, pecan, apple, etc) depending on what you’re cooking.
Here are some options to consider…
Helpful Dad’s Tip:
Walmart also has some good buys on charcoal – this includes 20-lb Royal Oak for around $15-20/bag and a new line called Western which is only $10 for a 30-lb bag! Both are pretty good options in my book.
Smoking Wood Chips
I’m sure you already know that your Big Green Egg is a powerhouse of a smoker – capable of both hot and cold smoking. While a quality lump will give you great flavor to begin with, if you want to impart true ‘smoke’ flavor into your meats you’re gonna need quality smoking wood too. Consider these options…
As an alternative to using chips or chucks, many BGE owners like the simplicity and control of ‘maze’ style smokers that use concentrated wood chips. A-Maze-N is the brand you want for this option. You can get the full maze or just a single tube. Then you’ll need the pellets too (see below).
Here are just a few examples of the smoking pellets you can use in the A-Maze-N for your Big Green Egg. There are tons to choose from.
Fire Starter Alternatives.
If you don’t want to use the Electric Fire Starter I recommended above, then consider these other options to light your Big Green Egg…
Knives, Cutting Boards, Tools, Tongs, Claws, and More
All of these are nice to have accessories for your Big Green Egg.
Lets Start with KNIVES
If you can’t afford to get a set or don’t want one, then focus on getting a quality chef’s knife, a Filet/Boning Knife, A Brisket Slicing Style knife, along with some nice steak knives for your guests to use. Brands I mentioned before were Wustof, Henkels, Shun, Global, Cutco, and Rapala.
Here are the knives I recommended above along with a few more worthy ones. Also, note the knife accessories at the end, including no-cut gloves and some sharpeners.
Carving, Cutting, and Serving Boards
Tongs, BBQ Sets, Meat Hooks & Claws, Rib Racks, Grate Grippers & Cleaners, and More
TONGS
I prefer relatively cheap, metal-tips tongs with flanges that grasp food easier. Steer clear of anything is rubber, plastic, or silicone on the tip to avoid sticking to the grill. I also like a variety of shorter (8-9 inch) and longer (up to 16 inch) for different uses. You can never have too many tongs!
BBQ SETS
These BBQ Sets make great gifts and (with the exception of the BGE official set) all of them are 4+ star rated on Amazon with 100+ reviews.
Spatulas & Fish Flippers
I like these spatulas because most of them are either long-handled or else have a wide flipper which makes them easier to use on the Big Green Egg.
Claws and Meat Hooks for Big Green Egg
Again I keep it pretty simple for this category – I want inexpensive but that does the trick.
RIB Racks and Smoking Meat Hooks
A few quality options to consider for rib racks and smoking meat hanging hooks for your kamado. The first two are the BGE Official ones, followed by numerous quality alternatives.
Wing Racks, Beer Can Chicken, and Turkey Roasters
Burger Presses and Grill Presses
Grate Grippers & Cleaners
If you need a replacement on your grill grate grippers for your Big Green Egg, here are a few options. The BGE official are listed first, followed by after-market brands.
Grill Mats
Whether you are looking for a grill mat to sit under your Big Green Egg and protect the ground or sit inside on the grates, we have a few to recommend…
Mops, Basting Brushes, and Meat Injectors
Custom Tables for your Big Green Egg
If you’re ready to fly beyond the next, here are a few ideas to get your started on deciding which type of custom table you want for your Big Green Egg. These are all from Amazon, but Etsy is another good spot to check too. Prices vary widely depending on the type of material (wood, plastic, stainless steel), whether you want drawers, how wide/long, granite inserts, etc, etc.
Heavy Duty Covers for Big Green Egg
Personally I like keeping my Egg under a cover – especially since I moved from the nest to a custom wood table. Here’s a few to consider – just be sure to measure the dimensions of your table and give a little room to play. I’ve purchased both of these Classic Accessories covers and they’ve held up well. If you have a large island like me, the final option is a winner…
Big Green Egg Aprons and other Swag
Did We Miss Anything?
If there is an accessory for the Big Green Egg that we’ve overlooked, be sure to let us know. Or if YOU have a favorite accessory you want to recommend, tell us about it in the comments below.
Are you an Egghead? Whether you’re a long-time owner of a Big Green Egg or a newbie, this article can help you. We’ll discuss which accessories are the best to buy for your BGE and why. Here’s a list of over 200 Big Green Egg accessories that will take your cooks to the next level.
Table of Contents
Here’s how this page is organized:
Top 10 Must Have Accessories (Highest Priority Items to buy for your Big Green Egg, especially if you are just getting started)
Cookbooks and Kamado Manuals to help you learn how to use the Big Green Egg.
Cooking Surfaces for the Big Green Egg – including a discussion of the Eggspander and the KJ Divide & Conquer System, the best pizza accessories for the Big Green Egg, using the JoeTisserie in your BGE, and more.
Ash Baskets – what it is and why you need.
Temperature Controls, Thermometers, and Remote Temperature Probes.
Fire Supplies: Lump Charcoal, Smoking Wood Chips, Electric Lighters, Gloves, and more.
Tools: Knives, Cutting Boards, Tongs, Claws, Rib Racks, Grate Grippers, and other BBQ Tools.
Cleaning Products, Grill Mats, etc.
Custom tables, covers, and vent caps.
SWAG: Big Green Egg Aprons and t-shirts.
Big Green Egg Replacement Parts
New Eggheads Start Here
Before you even consider buying any accessories it’s important to understand…
There IS a learning curve when it comes to kamado grill cooking on your Big Green Egg. And it’s a continuous learning process.
Do yourself a favor and don’t try to figure it all out on your own – you’ll just end up burning a lot of food and getting frustrated.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a number of good books out there that can help you master kamado cooking on your Big Green Egg and speed up your BGE Mastery learning curve.
Here are two of my favorites books – they provide some awesome kamado grill recipes as well as MANY helpful tips.
After you get these two books, THEN you will be better prepared to actually use your new cooking accessories correctly…
Best Cooking Surfaces for the Big Green Egg
1-Flexible Cooking System (#1 MUST HAVE ITEM ON THIS PAGE)
This accessory will change the way you use your BGE and for that reason it is my #1 MUST HAVE Accessory for the Big Green Egg (or any kamado).
Let’s face it the Big Green Egg is the #1 most popular kamado on the market for a reason – the quality is awesome, the reputation is well-earned, and the Egghead community is the strongest of any kamado cooking group. BUT, if we’re honest with ourselves, BGE users shouldn’t be afraid to admit that even though Kamado Joe is a competitor KJ has made some great accessories over the years – perhaps the best of all time is their Flexible Cooking System called “The Divide and Conquer” system. Check out the theory behind the Divide and Conquer Flexible Cooking System…
After you make a decision on which flexible cooking system to buy, next get some Half Moon Heat Deflectors so you can to cook both Direct and Indirect at the same time or just because they are easier to use than the traditional bulky BGE place setter (aka “The convEGGtor”)
Then get these additions to conveniently hold your drip pans and/or allow you to cook higher up in the dome – which is really useful for pizza cooking too so you can avoid burning the crust.
Finally, for even more cooking space and another higher level add these…
2-Cast Iron Griddle
Now that you have a Flexible Cooking System in your Big Green Egg tou’re going to quickly learn that the standard stainless steel cooking grates just don’t cut it for certain foods.
You want to get a good sear on steaks? Cook scallops? Griddle up some bacon and eggs? Then you’ll want a cast-iron griddle. Sure you could use a cast-iron pan but these griddles fit into your BGE and give you some great flexibility too.
Now if you can afford to get both the cast iron grates and the cast iron griddle for your BGE, you’ll be really happy, but if you have to prioritize then get the cast iron griddle first because it adds so many more options to your cooks.
I’ve got a few options for you to pick from. Personally I prefer using the half-moon Cast Iron Griddle made by Kamado Joe – it’s 1/3 of the price of the BGE version!
Although the cast-iron griddle is basically a ‘must-have’ for your Big Green Egg, the grates are more of a nice-to-have item in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong. I have the grates and I use them all the time for burgers, the indirect portion of steak grills, and more. Remember, if you have to prioritize, get the griddle first, then the grates.
When you’re ready for cast iron grates, consider the Kamado Joe Cast Iron Grates (used in combo with the KJ Flexible Cooking System – the beauty of it is you can use use the griddle for direct searing and then have the grates over a half-moon heat deflector for the indirect cook portion. Bonus!)
4. Even More Cooking Surfaces
A Quality Grilling Basket
Do you need it?
I think so. Particularly when you get a basket with a removable handle it allows you to turn fish, veggies, and delicate items easily – saving time, hassle, AND protecting your food.
A Good Dutch Oven
Even if you have the cast-iron griddle and grates you’ll benefit from a quality dutch oven. You can never have too much cast-iron right?
But seriously, the reason you’ll want a dutch oven is because by putting a dutch oven in your Big Green Egg (and learning how to use is safely) you can BAKE and FRY inside your BGE!
There’s really one one brand here to consider – The Lodge.
PIZZA in the BIG GREEN EGG
One of my family and friends’ favorite things in a kamado is wood-fired pizzas. They’re fun to make, taste great, and easy to do.
For this reason I consider a Pizza Stone to be a must-have accessory for your BGE.
Here are a few options. The BGE stone is ridiculously expensive so do a bit of research about your options and you may be able to save some money – just make sure it’s a quality stone that won’t crack on you!
After you get the stone, then get one or more of these helpful pizza accessories. Don’t overlook the Elements of Pizza cookbook here too.
Soapstone Surface
What the heck is soapstone and why do I need it?
Soapstone is great for cooking more delicate items like fish and veggies that you don’t want to put in a basket or cedar plank but do want to have directly on a cooking surface. Soapstone is bacteria and stain-resistant and may give you fewer flareups even though the meat cooks in its own juices. People also like using this surface for ‘smash burgers’ too.
We’ve gotta give credit to KJ again here because they make the best version of this item – another half-moon surface that fits the Flexible Cooking System.
CEDAR PLANK COOKING
You can’t go wrong with cooking fish on cedar plank – but cedar can be used for veggies and meats too.
BEST ROTISSERIE for the Big Green Egg
This is a Top 10 MUST HAVE Accessory for your Big Green Egg.
While a few companies are making a rotisserie for the BGE, there’s really only one to consider here – the “JoeTisserie.” It’s proven to work in the BGE and work well.
Get the JoeTisserie and turn your kamado into a rotisserie-style cooker and take your cooks to the next level. The JoeTisserie is not just for cooking chicken, you can also use it for some great Brazilian-style steak, pork, and more.
BONUS – add a grilling basket to the JoeTisserie and cook wings, veggies, and expand your game even further.
Other Useful Cooking Pans and Drip Pans for the Big Green Egg
An assortment of useful cooking pans that sit on the grates and/or don’t necessarily attach to the racks. Item #1 (The Plancha) is super popular and highly useful. BTW all of these are “BGE” official brand.
All About ASH BASKETS
What is an Ash Basket and why might you want one for your Big Green Egg?
An Ash Basket lets you simply lift out used charcoal and ash before every cook and it is reported to increase air flow around your lump charcoal in your Egg.
When you use an ash basket you can dispose of ashes and be ready for your next cook in seconds—no muss, no fuss. Just lift the ash basket out and give it a few shakes in your grill or over a trash can (make sure the fire is completely out!), then set the ash basket back in place, add some fresh charcoal, and you’re ready to go in seconds.
Spaces between the ash basket’s rings allow the small particles to fall through when you shake the ashes out. You can start each cook with an ideal fuel load, whether you’re searing steaks or going low and slow. You get easier starts and more even burning for ultimate temperature control.
The most popular choice, by far, in ash baskets for the BGE is the Kick Ash Basket.
Don’t overthink this one and get a lesser brand that’s gonna be lesser quality. You’ll use this in every cook and you’ll want it to hold up over time. Get the Kick Ash and be done with it.
Don’t Forget the ASH TOOLS too.
Temperature Controls, Thermometers, & Remote Temp Probes for the Big Green Egg
EGG Genius (Remote Temp Controls)
Most Eggheads will agree that kamado cooking is an art, not a science, however if you want to get pinpoint accuracy with your cooks the EGG Genius may be for you.
BGE says “The EGG Genius effortlessly controls the temperature of your EGG through your smartphone, tablet or computer. Remotely manage and monitor cooking temperatures for worry-free cooking, monitor the temperature of your food, view graphs of your cooks … and even receive alerts when your cook is finished or when the EGG temperature is too high or low.” Can you say, Wow?
Remote Probe Thermometer
As I mentioned in the Top 10 List, a good remote thermometer with remote probes that won’t break the bank is a must have item. If you can afford an Egg Genius then you won’t need these, but if the Genius is out of your budget or you want to have more manual control of the ‘art’ of kamado cooking (but with just a little help) then get one of these options.
Other Thermometers
You’ll need a quality instant thermometer as well as a “Candy” thermometer if you want to monitor frying oils, etc. And don’t overlook the Temperature “Gun” for checking surface temps accurately on your grill cooking surfaces and so much more (I use it all the time).
Best Lump Charcoal, Fire Starters, and Smoking Wood for your Big Green Egg
Quality Lump Charcoal
You wouldn’t drive a BMW on junk tires would you? Then why are you using crappy lump in your Big Green Egg?
Now I know there are a lot of charcoal options out there when it comes to kamado grilling and there’s even a list of quality options on the Naked Whiz Database, but for my money, I believe in the Kamado Joe Lump Charcoal brand – specifically the Big Block XL version. Why? Because not only is the bag filled with really big lumps of charcoal, but even more importantly, the type of wood used is a combination of various hardwoods so you get a great flavor but not an overpowering flavor. (If you’ve ever used lump charcoal that is primarily made with hickory then you know what I mean). The KJ-Char is great for kamado grill cooking in your Big Green Egg because you can use it for all types of food – from pizza, to chicken, to beefs, to pork, and fish. It works for all of it and it compliments it all well. Using KJ-Char as your base also gives you the flexibility to then add your own wood chips to add additional specific flavors (cherry, pecan, apple, etc) depending on what you’re cooking.
Helpful Dad’s Tip:
Walmart also has some good buys on charcoal – this includes 20-lb Royal Oak for around $15-20/bag and a new line called Western which is only $10 for a 30-lb bag! Both are pretty good options in my book.
Smoking Wood Chips
I’m sure you already know that your Big Green Egg is a powerhouse of a smoker – capable of both hot and cold smoking. While a quality lump will give you great flavor to begin with, if you want to impart true ‘smoke’ flavor into your meats you’re gonna need quality smoking wood too. Consider these options…
As an alternative to using chips or chucks, many BGE owners like the simplicity and control of ‘maze’ style smokers that use concentrated wood chips. A-Maze-N is the brand you want for this option. You can get the full maze or just a single tube. Then you’ll need the pellets too (see below).
Fire Starter Alternatives.
If you don’t want to use the Electric Fire Starter I recommended above, then consider these other options to light your Big Green Egg…
Knives, Cutting Boards, Tools, Tongs, Claws, and More
All of these are nice to have accessories for your Big Green Egg.
Lets Start with KNIVES
If you can’t afford to get a set or don’t want one, then focus on getting a quality chef’s knife, a Filet/Boning Knife, A Brisket Slicing Style knife, along with some nice steak knives for your guests to use. Brands I mentioned before were Wustof, Henkels, Shun, Global, Cutco, and Rapala.
Here are the knives I recommended above along with a few more worthy ones. Also, note the knife accessories at the end, including no-cut gloves and some sharpeners.
Carving, Cutting, and Serving Boards
Tongs, BBQ Sets, Meat Hooks & Claws, Rib Racks, Grate Grippers & Cleaners, and More
TONGS
I prefer relatively cheap, metal-tips tongs with flanges that grasp food easier. Steer clear of anything is rubber, plastic, or silicone on the tip to avoid sticking to the grill. I also like a variety of shorter (8-9 inch) and longer (up to 16 inch) for different uses. You can never have too many tongs!
I like these spatulas because most of them are either long-handled or else have a wide flipper which makes them easier to use on the Big Green Egg.
Claws and Meat Hooks for Big Green Egg
Again I keep it pretty simple for this category – I want inexpensive but that does the trick.
RIB Racks and Smoking Meat Hooks
A few quality options to consider for rib racks and smoking meat hanging hooks for your kamado. The first two are the BGE Official ones, followed by numerous quality alternatives.
Wing Racks, Beer Can Chicken, and Turkey Roasters
Burger Presses and Grill Presses
Grate Grippers & Cleaners
If you need a replacement on your grill grate grippers for your Big Green Egg, here are a few options. The BGE official are listed first, followed by after-market brands.
Grill Mats
Whether you are looking for a grill mat to sit under your Big Green Egg and protect the ground or sit inside on the grates, we have a few to recommend…
Mops, Basting Brushes, and Meat Injectors
Custom Tables for your Big Green Egg
If you’re ready to fly beyond the next, here are a few ideas to get your started on deciding which type of custom table you want for your Big Green Egg. These are all from Amazon, but Etsy is another good spot to check too. Prices vary widely depending on the type of material (wood, plastic, stainless steel), whether you want drawers, how wide/long, granite inserts, etc, etc.
Heavy Duty Covers for Big Green Egg
Personally I like keeping my Egg under a cover – especially since I moved from the nest to a custom wood table. Here’s a few to consider – just be sure to measure the dimensions of your table and give a little room to play. I’ve purchased both of these Classic Accessories covers and they’ve held up well. If you have a large island like me, the final option is a winner…
Big Green Egg Aprons and other Swag
Did We Miss Anything?
If there is an accessory for the Big Green Egg that we’ve overlooked, be sure to let us know. Or if YOU have a favorite accessory you want to recommend, tell us about it in the comments below.
So you’re going on a Disney Cruise? That’s awesome. You’re going to have a great time. Everything you’ve heard from all your friends about how much fun it is on a Disney Cruise is all true – and it’s likely the trip will exceed your expectations.
Disney Cruises are indeed fun – but they are also expensive. Besides the initial cost of the cruise itself, there is the travel insurance, airfare, transportation, port parking, cost of excursions, gratuities, souvenirs, all the up-selling, and the many other ‘extras.’ It’s enough to drain a wallet… fast.!
In in this article, we’ll look at 10 Tips to create “Now Moments” on a Disney Cruise that will cost you… zero… zilch… nada.
Now that makes Mom and Dad happy, right?
What is a “Now Moment?”
A Now Moment is an instant in life when you pause and are consciously aware of what’s happening to you ‘in this moment’.
You can also think of this as taking time to ‘stop and smell the roses’ or “enjoying the journey,” or any number of other cliches that help you appreciate the present moment. After all, when we recognize that all we have in life is ‘this moment’ its important to enjoy the special moments of life while you are living them.
On a Disney Cruise, you’ll have lots of opportunity to enjoy special moments…
But only IF you actually pause and enjoy them.
There is a LOT to do on a Disney Cruise, but that can be a blessing and a curse – you can’t do it all in one cruise and if you try to pack in too much, you’ll be rushing around from one spot to the next and always thinking about making your next appointment without ever enjoying the activity you’re doing now. That’s a recipe for stress, not vacation. And because there is so much to do and so little time to do it, your Disney Cruis is sure to fly by – whether you like it or not, your Disney Cruise will be over before you know it.
If you don’t pay attention, all those special moments may pass you by before you really had a chance to enjoy them.
But this doesn’t have to happen to you. WIth a little knowledge and a bit of planning, you’ll be able to create lots of Now Moments on your Disney Cruise and you’ll be in the mindset to enjoy them – not worrying about what you might be missing out on, not worrying about getting to the next activity, just enjoying THIS activity, THIS Moment, YOUR life.
10 Tips to Create Now Moments on a Disney Cruise
1-Enter in Style
When you first walk on to the Disney Cruise the staff will announce your family’s name (or whatever you want them to announce) and then you’ll walk through a line of Disney Staff who will be clapping for you. It’s fun, exciting, and a great way to kick off your cruise.
But rather than just do the standard “Announcing The Smiths” – why not consider something filled with a bit more Disney Magic? How about going a bit crazy with your entrance? You could…
Do a coordinated family dance (or even a quick flash mob).
Wear funny/special costumes to commemorate the occasion.
Sing a song and invite the crew to join you.
The possibilities are endless. What can YOU think of?
Whatever it is, just be sure you have someone to capture the Now Moment on camera because this event is ‘one and done.’
2-Play the Midship Detective Agency Game
The Midship Detective Agency is an interactive gaming experience on a Disney Cruise where you are asked to solve 3 different mysteries aboard the ship by visiting various locations throughout the vessel to uncover clues about the cases.
A great way to get you comfortable with the ship’s layout
DCL Insider Tip: Play the Midship Detective Agency game the first day you get onboard because you’ll not only learn the ship’s layout, but you’ll be able to enjoy the game without many other players vying for spots at thew various interactive portals – if you wait till the final day at sea (when most people try to play) you’ll have to battle the crowds.
3 – Take the Pelican Plunge!
The Pelican Plunge is a family-friendly water slide at Disney’s private island “Castaway Cay.” The Pelican Plunge is itself a mini-island since you have to swim out to it to reach out. There are TWO water slides to choose from – an open air one and a tunnel version.
DCL Insider Tips:
The Tunnel version is much faster compared to the open air version.
Ride this first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds.
You end up in water over your head so you have to know how to swim and you can only ride single rider at a time so keep that in mind for kids. That said, my 4 year old was fine.
Because you end up in overhead water, you’ll literally ‘plunge’ into the water – you might want to plug your nose to avoid getting a massive surge of sea water up it!
4-Don’t Miss the Interactive Magic at Animator’s Palate
If you’re on a 7-day cruise the Animator’s Palate restaurant will treat you to a special show. Check out this video to see this Now Moment…
DCL Insiders Tips:
Sadly this show is not offered on shorter cruises.
The show is only done on the FIRST night of your scheduled dine around on the ship so either be sure you attend dinner at The Animator’s Palate as per your schedule or arrange to dine with another group where the show is planned.
5-Snap a Pic of the UNDERWATER MICKEY on Castaway Cay
Snorkeling on Castaway Cay is a must-do – not only is it not that crowded but the area to snorkel is a lot bigger than you think, there are plenty of lifeguards watching over you, and there are numerous Disney-esque Now Moments to create under the water – perhaps the highlight of these is the ultimate Hidden Mickey – the Underwater Mickey!
DCL Insider Tips:
1. Mickey isn’t the only hidden treasure you’ll see – another crowd favorite is also waiting for you too.
2. Rather than rent DCL snorkeling gear, bring your own – this particular set is not only reasonably priced, it’s the absolute best, easiest to use mask for kids and adults to use who are novice snorkelers. You can breath through your mouth or nose with this mask. Check it out:
6-Engage with your Wait Staff and Host
Like some other cruises, your wait staff at the formal restaurants will follow you around each night and you’ll have the same Host for your stateroom. Be sure to take some time to engage with them on your Disney Cruise because, as with all things Disney, the crew goes overboard trying to make you happy and that includes this team too.
Numerous Now Moments await you when you make friends with your servers — we got treated to nightly magic tricks from Mr. Leo, table games from Santiago, and more. It was a blast – and they even cut our kids food for us (Bonus!). And of course the always fun ‘towel sculptures’ from our Stateroom Host (and his super helpful advice) were another treat.
7- Character Pics with your own camera
No Disney adventure on land or sea would be complete without a few pics with your favorite characters. Yet rather than pay $20 a pic or buy a three-figure photo package, just use your own camera.
DCL Insider Tips:
Not only will Disney allow you to use your own camera, their staff members will also take the picture for you using your camera as well – so long as you let them snap a few pics with their official camera first (but you are not obligated to buy their pics)
Dress for the occasion and take it up a notch – clearly we didn’t do that in this pic, but a world of possibilities await you when you gear up too – and you’ll delight the characters you’re interacting with as well.
8-Watch the Pool Deck shows from one level UP!
Regardless of your cruise, you’re sure to have at least one show on the pool deck. For the Halloween on the High Seas there are multiple shows – including the “Pirates’ Life for Me” you see here.
DCL Insider’s Tips:
Rather than have to arrive an hour early and fight the crowds for a decent seat on the main level, just stroll up a level higher about 5-10 minutes before the show and you’ll get a front row seat right next to the stage!
Bonus – numerous characters who are part of the show will enter on the steps right in front of you – you’ll be the first to see them and literally be within arms reach of them – can you say PHOTO OP?
9- Starboard Side Rules
If you’re blessed to be able to secure a room with a balcony, try to get it on the starboard side and you’ll treat yourself to numerous Now Moments.
DCL Insider Tips:
You’ll be the first to see the islands.
Castaway Cay will greet you as you enter and leave.
The fireworks go on on the starboard side and you can watch them from your balcony!
10 – For Adults Only.
Disney knows where their bread is buttered and adults are more than catered to on a Disney Cruise. Besides being able to enjoy the benefit of dropping your kids at the incredible kids clubs (It’s a Small World Nursery, Oceaneers Lab, Oceaneers Club, The Edge, and Vibe) and enjoy some time without kids, adults will be pleasantly surprised at all the MANY things available to do that are specifically ‘adults-only.”
2. Relax on the many chairs or giant waterfall hot tub at Satellite Falls
3. Watch the sunset from Meridian Lounge. Other Adult Only clubs and bars on a Disney Cruise include La Piazza, Ooh La La, O’Gills, Pink, Pub 687, Signals, Skyline, and The Tube.
4. Use the Steam Room at Senses Spa – although it doesn’t compare to The Rainforest Experience on Disney Dream, the steam room in the locker rooms for the gym and spa are FREE to use so enjoy.
Bonus Tip #11 is another must-do: Ride the famous Aqua Duck waterslide!
DCL Insider Tip:
Besides the cliche tip of trying to ride this as the fist thing you do on Day 1 after boarding to beat the crowds, instead ride this puppy at night. Not only will you avoid the crowds but you’ll get a whole new experience at night as you take the tubes with the stars overhead and ride it as many times as you like.
For example the average wait time during the day is around 45 minutes – my son and I rode the Aqua Duck 5 times in under 25 minutes riding at 8pm at night!
Disney Cruise Special Moments
Those are my top 10 tips to create Now Moments on a Disney Cruise. Others include participating in the many family ‘test your knowledge’ games, meeting new friends, playing cards on deck, and (fighting crowds to) swim in the pools, playing games on Goofy’s Sports Deck , along with so much more.
What are YOUR ideas for creating the next Now Moment on a Disney Cruise?
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