Need another dose of some ridiculously addictive Real Housewives drama? Well, your relief will be here soon....
The women known for their fabulous New York lives are back! Some of the same poorly bred ladies posing as blue bloods have returned. There's even a new addition.... meet the newsest Housewife Cindy Barshop. Can she replace my favorite sharped-tongued Bethany Frankel? I doubt it, but it's worth a shot. Bethany, by the way, is moving on with her own successful Skinny Girl brand of books and products. Love it! See what the new mom is up to now.
Personally these NYC gals are my favorite-- although the Beverly Hills branch may oust these ladies in popularity after only one season.
I can't wait to see the season premiere on February 15th.
Hair straightening, smoothing and anti-frizz products line store shelves and I've tried just about all of them. So will this latest addition to the already over-flowing shampoo market leave us frazzled?
So I was cleaning my husband's bathroom the other day-- we don't share the same bathroom and no, I don't have a housekeeper-- and I discovered a new product in his medicine chest. Next to the Old Spice deodorant was a bottle of Axe body wash. I'm thinking to myself, what the hell? Really?
As you may already know, Axe markets its body washes and deodorants to young men who naively think the smell will attract hoards of hot women. So what does that say about my husband? Either he's young and stupid or getting older and wants to feel young and stupid.
While thinking about what to say to my husband about his new found youth I realized he's doing what millions of women do everyday-- buy into beauty marketing. We all buy things that make us feel younger, hotter, thinner, etc. So until hoards of women start chasing my husband down the street, he can wear anything he wants—well, almost anything.
Necessity is the mother of invention, which may be why so many parents have developed great baby products. So we thought we would feature a few of our favorites along with some other great baby stuff.
When my son started attending Montessori I was thrilled to say the least. I loved the exposure he received to a new and exciting world. But this past year he discovered a passion for painting. And when I say passion—I mean he is like an art machine!
This child cranks our more artwork than I can possibly display. Typically he paints more than one piece of work a day—so by the end of the week he comes home with a stack of 5 to 10 pictures! That doesn’t include the pieces he brings home from summer camp.
Doing the math that’s at least 200 pictures a year! I would have to be the Smithsonian to be able to store or display these little masterpieces. So inevitably many of my son’s pieces end up in…… Oh My Gosh….. the trash.
I know… I know… it’s horrible. But I don’t think I’m alone in using this “private” filing system. I suspect this is yet another one of those dirty, little secrets with which plenty of parents struggle.
My solution to absolve my guilt has been plain and simple. I always rave about every piece my son brings home. I study each painting as if I’m analyzing the lines of a master painter. I display and file a few of them and quietly say goodbye to the rest. While I think this is the best way to handle the “situation,” I feel horrible every time I drop one in the trash. So now I put them in the recycling bin. Much better. Less guilt.
Losing weight is a struggle for plenty of people. It's a battle I've been fighting almost my entire life. For a few years however, I was dedicated to getting my body in shape and I did. But for the past 4 or 5 years I have not been able to motivate myself to get in gear. Dammit I miss Dexatrim! It's not for lack of time or resources-- I think there's some sort of mental block that is preventing me from getting back in the game.
I knew I wouldn't lose weight after my first son was born but after my twins arrived I was lucky enough to have dropped every single pound during delivery-- I was all baby. While I was extremely motivated to get the rest of the weight off unfortunately I just hit a wall. I thought my upcoming beach vacation would inspire me-- not so much. What is it going to take? I'm really not sure but I've decided I need a jump start.
So what should that jump start be? I'm thinking of trying one of those pre-packaged meal diets like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. I'm not looking forward to eating a lot of processed, over-salted food but I'm thinking it might be a way to light the fire. Is one better than the other? I'd love to get your feedback
I love it when people come up with good ideas to make parenting just a tad bit easier.
Have you seen this? It's a crib that packs into a backback. This amazing little thing only weighs 10.5 pounds and comes with its own pump. I think this is a great idea!
The GoCrib is a standard-size portable crib that has an inflatable airframe. You can use this at home or on the road.
It sets up quickly, and the pump inflates the crib in less than a minute. The GoCrib can be stuffed into its backpack like a sleeping bag. The self-inflating, insulating mattress sets itself up and protects children from the ground.
The crib is PVC and Phthalate free. The GoCrib sells for $249.99.
When you plan a wedding you focus on all of the details that, at the time, seem like the most important thing in the world. When I planned my own wedding, I tried to steer clear of the detail consuming nonsense—but like many brides I couldn’t seem escape it. I remember organizing all of the goody bags and party favors when a friend said, “Why are you doing all of this? No one is going to notice.” I remember being mad at the remark, but upon reflection she was right. It really didn’t matter and if anyone did notice—I never knew.
Recently when my daughter Mamie Grace died, I quickly realized many of those same details are involved when you plan a funeral. You have to decide on flowers, music, the service, the funeral program, the coffin, the cemetery, the food and so much more. And, you’re supposed to do all this while in mourning and/or shock.
The day after my daughter died, some friends came to my house and just camped out. They were waiting for me to give them some direction about what I wanted for her funeral. Honestly, I had no idea how much work had to be done and most of it just didn’t matter. There were only a few things I insisted upon; I didn’t want my baby to be buried in one of those Cadillac Escalade type caskets (glossy white with gold bling), I wanted to give the eulogy and host an amazing party at my home to celebrate MG’s very short time on this earth.
Not only did friends and family come from all over the country to attend the funeral, but also they came during Mother’s Day weekend! My friends knew this was not a time for me to wallow in sorrow—there was, and remains, plenty of time for that. This was a time to have some real perspective—something I think so many of us lack. My friends had to choke back their tears so I could focus on being present. I was indeed present. I soaked up every moment of joy and sadness and let it fill my heart and my head.
Several of my friends did the same. Many of them told me they felt guilty or bad for having so much fun at our funeral celebration. But that’s what I wanted. Seeing everyone laugh and have a wonderful time made me so happy. The irony—I had more fun at my daughter’s funeral than I did at my own wedding. Now that is how you celebrate life!
God Bless Mamie Grace 02/19/10 – 05/04/10 and her twin brother Brooks who I know misses her.
After suffering complications from heart surgery my baby girl died on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010. She died in my arms. I have so much to say about that day, her life and what I have learned from her short time on this earth. I will write more later.
Praise the Lord! That was my first thought when I heard Spanx introduced a line of undergarments just for expectant moms.
Hair straightening, smoothing and anti-frizz products line store shelves and I've tried just about all of them. So will this latest addition to the already over-flowing shampoo market leave us frazzled?
So I was cleaning my husband's bathroom the other day-- we don't share the same bathroom and no, I don't have a housekeeper-- and I discovered a new product in his medicine chest. Next to the Old Spice deodorant was a bottle of Axe body wash. I'm thinking to myself, what the hell? Really?
Necessity is the mother of invention, which may be why so many parents have developed great baby products. So we thought we would feature a few of our favorites along with some other great baby stuff.
When my son started attending Montessori I was thrilled to say the least. I loved the exposure he received to a new and exciting world. But this past year he discovered a passion for painting. And when I say passion—I mean he is like an art machine!
Losing weight is a struggle for plenty of people. It's a battle I've been fighting almost my entire life. For a few years however, I was dedicated to getting my body in shape and I did. But for the past 4 or 5 years I have not been able to motivate myself to get in gear. Dammit I miss Dexatrim! It's not for lack of time or resources-- I think there's some sort of mental block that is preventing me from getting back in the game.
Several of my friends did the same. Many of them told me they felt guilty or bad for having so much fun at our funeral celebration. But that’s what I wanted. Seeing everyone laugh and have a wonderful time made me so happy. The irony—I had more fun at my daughter’s funeral than I did at my own wedding. Now that is how you celebrate life!