Things I LOVE This Month: June/July 2010

Ok....you can totally call me a slacker for smacking the months together! However, please have mercy on me, as Summer is CRAZYYYYYYYYY! So here are my key finds for this start of Summer!

*Did you ever wonder how to de-lump your behind? You know that hot sexy foccacia bread look that the blessing of uber amounts of cellulite gives you? Well my sister told me she saw this product on the Today show, and used it for a few weeks. She said that this "de-lump your azzzzz" cream worked wonders. So of course I gave it a whirl. I must say my arse looks less foccacia like! Don't worry I will not provide before and after pics, wouldn't want you to lose your lunch now!

ST IVES CELLULITE SHEILD LOTION

GO AHEAD AND RUB IT IN! YOUR BUTT WILL THANK YOU LATER!!!!!!!!

*My sister also gave me heads up on this next product that she saw on the same Today show episode! This just reminds me of Summer. I love love love Summer scents! It is perfect for putting ontop of my the de-lump azzzzzzzzzzzz cream!

NIVEA HAPPINESS SENSATION LOTION

*I have searched high and low for a good sippy cup. I got pulled into the Nuby's since it was the hip happening one when Ry was little, but they leak everywhere! (and not just little drips--gushes!). On a whim I tried MUNCHKIN TRAINING CUPS! They are AMAZING and I will never use another brand!

*I was reading a blog about bento box lunches and began to get inspired. I have since tried one out with Rylan, who noticeable ate more, and tried a few new things! In my search for things that make variety available, I purchased the Sassy Baby Mealtime On the Go Feeding Set!

This is great! Not only can I use it for baby food items, I could also use it for my preschooler! It grows WITH the kid.

*This is an oldie but goodie! I fell in love with this item back in the day when Rylan was a toddler, and since traveling alot in the past few months, re-fell in love with it!

Summer Infant Tiny Diner Placemat

A must for any parent out there that has a child in a high chair, and eating finger foods! Perfect gift!

*After many weekends of searching for an affordable and reliable wooden swing set that would grow with the kids, we found CREATIVE PLAY THINGS! Not only did we get $500 off, they also through a ton of stuff in for free! Had free set up and delivery! AND....... my kids love it!

*After all of my party planning I have to give props to a few websites that helped me either design a theme, or give me great deals and service:

COOLEST KID BIRTHDAY PARTIES

(I USED THEIR PRINTABLE INVITES AND THANK YOU'S! AND USED A LOT OF THEIR IDEAS)

THE DOLLAR TREE

(QUITE POSSIBLE THE BEST DOLLAR STORE EVER PLACED ON THIS EARTH! FANTASTIC FOR FAVORS AND PINATA FILLERS!)

ORIENTAL TRADING

(AWESOME PARTY SUPPLIES, FAVORS, AND SUCH AT A CHEAP PRICE AND A MIGHTY AMOUNT)

SHINDIGZ

(CHEAP PINATA'S THAT FIT THEME FOR MUCH LESS THEN OTHER PLACES!)

A NOTE OF A WEBSITE I WASN'T HAPPY WITH: BIRTHDAY EXPRESS--a glitch in the system ordered more of what I didn't need and less of what I did. It was irritating!!!!!!!!

*I received so many compliments on this product! It was a lifesaver in the pool on vacation, and helped keep the baby safe from rays!

Swimways Baby Spring Float with Canopy a must have for a swimming mini one!

Swimways Baby Spring Float with Canopy - Pink with Mermaids" onmouseover="">

*Something we certainly needed with a fast crawling baby! KIDDIE GUARD RETRACTABLE GATE. Sort of a pain to set up, and get used to, but easy on the eyes when you want the gate to be missing and open! I also love how the mesh style has a give to it, and that the baby can't smash into hard plastic!

KiddyGuard Baby Gate" onmouseover="">

*MINI NILLA WAFERS has saved the day to many times when having two hungry kids. Perfect size for a 1 yr old, and holds the big yumminess of the bigger size cookie for the 4 year old.

*Every Summer I always find myself returning to CRYSTAL LIGHT! Great, refreshing taste, without the big guilt of other sugar filled summer drinks!

*Lastly, a product I was NOT FOND OF and wish I could return:

3-Gallon Beverage Dispenser with Cooling Cylinder

Looks cute and practical! Especially for two June HOT weather parties! However it barely kept the lemonade cold! I had to put ice in it and water it down eventhough it clearly states you shouldn't have to! Don't waste your money!

Things I LOVE This Month: April/May 2010

I realize it is only May 13th and I am writing this post as if the month has past! I combined this and last month for a few reasons: a. I didn't have a lot to go with in April, and b. I am vacationing at the end of May figured in order to keep this up, I better get on it! So here we go...

*Ok so not so great when you are trying to go low fat--but perfect when you need something quick, and are looking for a small portion! This is an easy go to when you don't want to pay for greasy, and large portion take-out, and instead have homemade pasta! Only one of my local grocery stores carry it, and now it is my go to item everytime I am in there! Ironically it is also the only grocery store that carries my white grapefruit! (Go Big Y --to bad your to expensive for me to buy the rest of my groceries with you!):

Pasta Romana Manicotti

*This next one is no surprise! As I am a huge fan of all the Pure Moods cd's I have purchased in the past! They are soothing, great dinner mixes, and just let you say "Ahh". This particular one is close to my heart, as it holds a song that makes me weep about Addison!

*I need a some what healthy snack that resemebles my good old days of chowing down some unhealthy ones! Tostitos Baked scoop chips make it a doable option! It is an extra bonus when I have Tostitos Restaurant Style Salsa which is my new favorite cheap salsa that tastes freshly made!

*I love the smell of Summer. This really means I love the smell of the old orginal Coppertone sunscreen (the one in the infamous brown bottle!.
Two things I have found and love, are now my must haves EVERY Summer from now until I die! :
1. Yankee Candle Sun & Sand

Sun & Sand™ | Large Jar Candle',this)">

2. Bobbi Brown Beach Perfume which is by FAR my favorite perfume I have ever put on my body--EVER! Love it!

*...because it is Summer and I need a low fat ice cream option: Lovin scoopful is awesome! Tastes homemade and not low fat (even though it is)!

Seriously YUMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYY!

*Rylan's Favorite of the month:
Annie's Organic Shells

It is one of very few things he will actually eat!!!!

*Addison's favorite of the month:

Dole's fruit cups in light syrup (drained of course)! Preferably in peaches or pears!

Hopefully June will be a rocken entry that includes a vacation, and two birthdays full of things to write about!!!!!

Happy Summer! Now run out and get yourself a candle, perfume, and that ice cream!

Things I LOVE This Month: March 2010

I kid you not, on March 31 I made this list, and fully intended to type it out, and then.... life happened. So here we are April 13th and I am doing my March favorites list! Ahh well one of these days I will finish the deadline of the 1st! So here we go...

*Something I LOVE but will never be able to afford (it was gifted to me by my sweet sister)...

Seriously the best smelling shampoo I have ever put in my hair, and the tiny amount that when lathered makes a large amount, is amazing. Needless to say I am using it sparingly.

*Ahh Dove Soap is my ultimate fav! I posted a different kind on this blog before, but this one helped me welcome Spring:

*We already experience some HOT days here in CT! On hot days I enjoy a col

d treat at the end of the day! Since I am trying hard not to eat ice cream everyday all Summer long, and lose the last of the baby weight, I needed a calorie friendly option! I found it thanks to Edy's!

I could not find a willing picture on the Internet of this HOT find--but LIME FRUIT BARS people! LOVE THEM! (and only 90 calories!)

*When I need to wake up, before consuming coffee, this makes me thankful a new day has started: (well besides my kids of course!)

Thank you Body Shop for providing me with yet another FANTASTIC scent to add to my obsessive collection!

*When I want to calm down at night, and have a scent that sends the message that it is time to "chill" and go night night, I use this obsessively:

Bath and Body Works provides this scent that makes me happy that the day is over, and it is time for some Z's!

*The best boxed brownie mix I have ever had hands down:

THANK YOU GHIRARDELLI you are just what a girl needs after a long hard day (or just PMS'ing).

*Years ago a friend gave me this book and I just didn't know what to do with it! Would I really take a waterproof book into the bath tub and read about meditation?.... yes, about 15 years after receiving this gift!

The quotes, and the visualisations are useful when trying to relax and forget the four year old running down the hall while you are trying to be all "zen" in the tub.

*When your babies bum is all red there is nothing better:

Triple Paste is EXPENSIVE! But worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY!!!!

*My son has a very limited diet, and well, has a bit of an issue with doing #2's! So I found these:

Now every day thanks to Fleet, he is taking these everyday with his daily vitamins, and is less uncomfortable!

*In my desperate need for a bathing suit (which honestly just happened in April, but ah what the heck I will put it in the March post), I went to Sears and got my answers! As a Mom with a Mom body, never try to buy a suit that is not Lands End!

I tried on and loved this one:

I had to buy it! I know they are super $$$$$, but it was actually cheaper to buy it through Sears then the catalog! Plus these suits are so well made, they last YEARS!

And there you have it! March Favorites, and now thinking about what is to come of April! Feel free to share with me some of your favorites too!

Things I LOVE This Month: February 2010

• My love for chocolate runs deep. I had to ask Pete not to get me ANY chocolate for Valentines day, or the thirty pounds I have recently lost would be found again. It was hard to turn down a box of Godiva. I still however need a chocolate "fix" almost daily. It is my crack. So I needed to find myself a healthy option then milk chocolate, and I found this:

Ta-DAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I pop a few of these in my mouth when I need a chocolate fix and I have to tell you--it is the best dark chocolate I have ever feasted on! (YES better then Godiva!). Run and grab yourself a bag or two (on Sale this week at CVS!).
I am now a forever lover of DOVE.

• Lush. I love it. By far one of the best bath product brands ever to exist. You know me--I am a beauty product LOVA! You may recall, if you read my blog, that my first introduction to this company was when my mother in-law bought this for me:

This is called a sex bomb. It is AWESOME in your bath!!!!! I started thinking about it when I couldn't have Valentines Day, and requested Pete give me one of these instead! He did and also introduced me to:

The Bubble bar. Which makes AWESOME bubbles in the bath!

And this:

BOHEMIAN SOAP!!!! A wonderful added bonus to an everyday shower or bath!!!
And Pete scored a sample of this:

Prince Shaving cream and RAVED about it.

My bathing heart belongs to LUSH!

• As usual I thought I would make my own baby food, and fill my kid up with fresher ingredients and make her a lover of food. OH she is a lover of food alright, but not because I am making it. I am normally an Earths Best only buyer of babyfood, but then I stumbled upon these two babyfoods:

Ella's Kitchen

This happens to be Addison's favorite one.

And...

Plum Baby

Not only does this ACTUALLY smell like the real thing--it tastes like it to!!! I also love the handy pouch that is awesome for warming up in a cup of water, and easy to put the screw top on to put back in the fridge for later use.

• I just bought a new pair of sneakers that I LOVE! Running in them is a dream!

Ryka makes a fabulous shoe!

• I have discovered how to save money: Shop Rite! I am not a fan of the huge crowds, the lack of parking, or the produce. However, there everyday foods are HALF the price when on sale!!! Now that is something to rave about!

• Swiss Emmi Yogurt! Seriously the most rich, creamy, and fresh tasting yogurt I have ever encountered. It reminded me of the amazing yogurt I had in Aruba! My fav flavors is pink grapefruit and Apricot.

• Just when you thought I couldn't blog about Panera Bread enough...here I am doing it again! It has changed into my Starbucks (and I love me some Starbucks). All because of one item..... Iced Green Tea!!! All I can sum it up with is... AWESOME. (especially after a bad ass work out) word on the street is that it is this:

but in green tea form not black tea! And after hours of searching, I am still unable to find it! So off I am to buy it from Panera, cup by cup!

Things I LOVE This Month: January 2010

***I am never satisfied with a face cleanser. Unless it is the $60 a bottle one I used to buy A Sephora and try to make one bottle last for a year. Recently I tried this:

Which actually reminded me of the $60 bottle so now I am hooked! Not to mention it comes with a face scrubber!!! My face feels 1,000 times cleaner after washing with this product, especially after a grimy workout filled with sweat. You can check it out here.

***If you were like me when you were little the best part of having a Cabbagepatch Kid was not that they were the "in" thing, came with a birth certificate, or had a scribbled name on their behind, but because when you whiffed their little heads it smelled like heaven. I hoped for my baby to smell like one. However, my poor puker babies more often smelled like spit up then they did soap or lotion. Then I found this:

Can I tell just tell you.... Cabbagepatch Kid head HEAVEN! It smells awesome. I love to lather it on Addison, and she loves it too! We are also digging this by Aveeno too:

Smells so good and cleans so well.... I don't know if I will ever go back to Johnson & Johnson even if it is cheaper.

***I am an addict. Luckily this is a healthy addiction!!! It is ZUMBA!!! Wonder what it is? Check it out here when it was featured on the Today show a few years ago!

My next step is buying this:

***I have been trying to make a point to be more creative. It helps me to relax and do something that doesn't involve wiping a mouth, or cleaning the house. I have been enjoying making handmade cards, and joining a small group of women that like to do the same on a monthly basis. My new favorite stamp is this one:

I love the image so much I want to dip it in fabric paint and stamp the heck out of a plain white dress!!!

***I need motivation on a regular basis. Temptation for yummy brownies/cookies, and the desire to sit on my sofa and eat a bag of chips is strong on some days, and it is good to have something around to get me out of it. Sadly, they don't have free meetings for people that love food like AA meetings for alcohol lovers. So I need some "inside" support. And that is this:

I love me some Shape magazine. I also love Cooking LIght to give me some healthy options on tasty food.
***I am always wishing for better quality photos and the ability to use my creative eye, but always had a lame point and shoot camera that never gave me any satisfaction. Then we got this:Our lives have since changed, since the pictures have. Some may say it is too much money, but can your really put a price on memories! My little kids will only be little kids for so long, and soon the pictures will be all that I have to remember them this age. I LOVE the Rebel!
***I can not believe I lasted this long with a flip cell phone. I mean who in the year 2010 doesn't have a smart phone? Luckily Pete was a good birthday boy and let me share his gift this year. We both got a pair of these:The Hero soon became my hero with access anywhere, at anytime.
***Last but certainly not least: Years ago I bought this tea from Nordstroms that cost me a whopping $20 for 1 stinken box. It was by far the best tea I ever had. The first time I had it in a spa in NYC while getting a pedi. I noticed the intrict detail of the hand woven teabags, and how fancy they seemed. I memorized the name so that I could jump on the internet at home and find me some of that. I did--in Nordstrom. I hung onto that dang box for a good year if not more. Then this a few weeks ago I saw the name "Mighty Tea Leaf" on sale in a local supermarket flyer. Even better, it was on sale for $5.99 for the SAME size box. I thought there would be NO way they had my FAVORITE kind! But they did:If you are a tea lover you must get yourself some of this!!!

Things I LOVE This Month: December 2009

Anything from William Sonoma always calls out class and always delivers a smile. Usually a fancy spatula or some cool dish towels don't really make me jump for joy--however chocolate does. This is fantastic hot chocolate we got for Christmas this year. In fact it was so good I actually gave it as a gift as well.

I have a mad love for crazy expensive Kiehl's body wash. It is the BEST body wash I have ever lathered up. Since it is so pricey I have used it sparingly for years. Then one day I ran out (gasp). I could not afford more. Then my wonderful bought me more for Christmas and rejoice...I smell like their grapefruit sent again. This product is AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME. If I were to win the lottery it is on the short list of must haves in the house.

Infant Entertainment while changing diapers: SOLD.

Infantimo makes this awesome wall mounted mobile that ROCKS MY WORLD. I found it on Black Friday while in Target and thought the heavens opened and spoke to me. Seriously who ever created this is a genius. The best part you can not see in the advertisement pic is that it then folds up flatly on your wall so that you don't have something constantly hanging down. I originally bought this for Addison's Christmas present but broke it out MUCH sooner and thank god I did--PURE genius! It is now my official baby gift.

Sephora rocks. This month was my birthday month and I got this FOR FREE (no purchase necessary) just for holding a beauty insider card which is also FREE:

Awesome lip gloss that isn't even tiny tubes. They are actually pretty life size! VERY VERY impressed. And for that they make my list this month! (Thank you Sephora for make my lips look hot for the holidays)

Bosu Ball is worth every penny! What an awesome work out you can get out of these!!! Easy to assemble and easy to use.

I have been eyeing a Flip video since a kind family shared this product with us on a sailboat in Aruba. Not only is it in HD quality, and tapes up to 2 hours worth of goods, it also has a flip up usb port that ables you to upload it right onto any site or computer you would like! Thank you Santa for getting me one of these beauties.

UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)">

Easy Christmas gifts that are thoughtful are those awesome cookies and soups etc that comes in a jar. You just dump it and add the wet ingredients and WHALAH have something yummy made. I made a bunch of them this Christmas which inspired me to buy this:

This will come in handy next Christmas for the next round of yummy treats! I actually paired a jar up with the hot chocolate I mentioned above as a very warm gift!