A Few of My Favorite Things

It has been an exhausting week. I really missed catching up on my blog. It is my little "secret" and I enjoy doing it (wow- that sounds dirty). I promise I will be in full mode tomorrow- fresh with something new to chat about. In the meantime... Check out a "G' sista of mine... Supah D She hosts a FABULOUS giveaway every Friday- SD is currently offering hand-stamped one of a kind jewelry from Sima G . I LOVE these necklaces (and of course- I L-O-V-E giveaways). So go check both of these Groove sistas out! Deadline is January 31 at 12AM EST. Good luck!

(This was written at the request of my Groove Sister Supah -D ) Yes, I L-O-V-E-D the Twilight series... Edward, Bella, The Cullens ... ALL of IT. And YES, I was quite upset to finish book #4. But at last, I have found an equally as FAB replacement. The Dead Until Dark Series (aka The Sookie Stackhouse Novels aka HBO's True Blood). I am in love all over again. Here is more from Amazon : Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea. A fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and mystery that's hard to put down, and should not be missed. (Susan Sizemore ) Now if you watch the series True Blood , you will find the tv series follows the book pretty accurately (I think better than the Twilight movie and its book.. of course just my opinion). But the benefit o...

Living in the New York Metro area, I have experience first hand some tragic events. I know people who escaped from the World Trade Center's first bombing. I have friends that lost love ones from 9/11 and that escaped the events of the day because they were late to work that morning. For months there was a patriotic feeling, flags posting on every overpass on the Northern Parkway. I guess after seeing and experiencing so much sadness overs the past years... story of Flight 1549 just proves to me that there is a God and miracles do happen. Chesley Sullenberger had an angel with him on January 15. What a hero! And thanks to all those that aided in the rescue . It is amazing how New Yorkers pull together to help others in need.

It's my first! I am so excited. Here are the rules...The rules for the Honest Scrap award - The honorees are to: A) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep! B) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap. Simple. Or not. Here I go: 1. I have a "desire" to be crafty (although I am really not so great at it). My newest obsession is handmade jewelry. 2. I have started reading again after years of boycotting it. I have read all 4 books in the Twilight series and now I am working on the Dead Until Dark series (HBO's True Blood is based on this). 3. My husband is working his tail-end off these past few months and I am alone alot. I really miss him and am lonely at times. 4. My boys and I like to go on adventures... we will drive around for hours to go look at the water. 5. I like to drink Bloody Marys because you can have one at any time of the day and not feel trashy. 6. I s...

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cream As described by the La Roche-Posay website: Recommended For intolerant and sensitive skin Combination to oily / acne prone skin Eczema (atopic dermatitis) This gentle, fragrance-free cleanser can be used on delicate and intolerant skin. Benefits: Safely cleanses delicate facial skin Rinses easily Glycerin helps prevent overdrying Soothing rich lather Fragrance-free This is part of my daily regiment. It was originally recommended to me by my dermatologist. I was so excited to see it was sold at my local CVS. I have pretty sensitive skin and slight rosecea. Toleraine is the only cleanser I have used that actually helped decrease my red cheeks. All you need is a drop and it expands into a light foam. My skin feels clean, not dry. I use this in combo with my Vichy Aqualia Thermal Eye Treatment and Arbonne RE 9 serum and daily lotion. Once I finish my Arbonne RE9 set, I will try more of this line. If you are looking for another cleanser, To...

I find it really hard to keep a neat house. Don't get me wrong... the house is clean... but not always neat. There are toys in the kitchen and den, papers on the counter... you get the picture. Martha Stewart definitely does not live here. So I've tried to find some products that make my life a little easier. This product has been number one in keeping my bathroom clean, neat, and smelling good. Method Flushable Wipes These wipes are made in a fresh eucalyptus mint scent. I keep them under my sink and use them for touch- ups... When the boys have difficulty aiming, when guests are coming over.... These wipes are great! Did I mention that they are flushable. I wipe down all the counters and throw the wipe into the bowl. DONE! The bathroom is left clean and fresh smelling in less than 10 seconds. My only complaint is that the wipes sometimes rip when taken out of the package. Even so, I love these wipes!

This has been one SICK weekend for the Groovy household. Both boys have had around the clock fevers (up to 104). I have been on nurse duty all weekend... this happens when your hubbie is in the restaurant business and is off during the week. I am one cranky mommy this morning. I stayed home yesterday from work and took 1/2 day today. I may actually be looking forward to going in today... Did I just say that? I REALLY need some rest. Well to add to my crankiness... my new favorite creamer has run out... Coffee-mate Italian Sweet Cream I actually found a review of it on Val's Views . I love this stuff. I add skim milk to my coffee and a drop of this.... YUMMY! I prefer this over the Splenda I used to put in... this tastes so much better! You have to try this, there's even a coupon for $1 off on the Coffee-mate website. Well, I guess I will be running to Stop and Shop after work.... Now, I just have to hold it together for a few more hours until Papa gets here.

Jessica fron The Russo Corner is hosting an AMAZING contest! Check it out ! Deadline is Monday 1/12 Midnight CST. Good luck!

Ok ... The title may be a little dramatic... but any mom would appreciate this story. Picture this... It's 3:00 in the morning and DS #1 wakes up with 101.3. You have one dose of Tylenol left and he takes it. Phew... No problem, you can go to CVS tomorrow morning. Now... It's 3:15 and DS #2 wakes up with 102. What do you do? Did I add that there is a snowstorm going strong and the roads are iced? All that you find in your cabinet is Motrin Infant Drops. ....Add here your choice of freak out ..... Wait, no need to put on those snow boots yet... check out what Dr. Sears says to do. This website is filled with information. I went straight to the medicine cabinet and looked up Motrin . Did you know that 1 tsp (5ml) of children's liquid and ½ tsp (2.5 ml) of infant drops both contain 100mg of Ibuprofen? If you run out of one form, the other can be substituted. (Please refer with Dr. Sears' site before you administer this.) This saved my life last night! Well now it's ...

Well Groove sisters, as you are well aware part of me "getting my Groove Back" is losing 30 pounds of baby weight (can I call it that after 3 years...?) So I have begun to tweak my diet and have added some sessions at the gym. My problem is that I really hate drinking water... I think it goes back to my pregnancy days when I drank so much I could float away.... But you need to drink water to lose that bootie... After some research, I found this article on the Diet Channel The Top 4 Benefits of Drinking Water by Michelle Silence, MA Everyone’s heard how important it is to drink enough water. Especially in the hot summer months. But is it really that necessary? Absolutely. This nutrient is vital to health in numerous ways, and the health benefits of drinking water cannot be underestimated. 1. Drinking water enhances fat loss Water is an essential nutrient. All chemical reactions in the body depend upon it. If you’re trying to lose weight, this can’t be ignored. You won’t be abl...

I have a New FIMH (friend in my head)! It's Rhianna from Life's Simple Melodies ! Check her out! Rihanna is hosting a contest for the unveiling of her new blog! Leave a comment and you are entered into a drawin g for a Mini-Body-Butter Bundle from Sensaria . This is the spa scents set that includes a 1.7oz tub of each of the following scents: cherry almond, mango, coconut, and green tea. Leave her a comment wishing her luck and let her know what scent is your favorite! Contests are always fun! Who doesn't like the chance to win spa products?

So sad... Jett Travolta Not my usual post, but I thought I should write about it. There has always been speculation about Jett having Autism. There aren't many pictures of him on the web, but John Travolta may be a really private person. Anyway, it's sad and tragic how quickly life can change... It makes me want to give my children an extra hug and kiss.

Every Thursday I will post about topics that are important to me (and maybe you, too). Here is post number one- The Wear Everything Challenge ! This challenge was created by Susan Wagner , from Blogher. Check it out - I am starting this today- by cleaning out my closet. Join me! What a great way to start 2009!!! I am going to get some order into my life, one sweater at a time. I may even post some pictures of the black hole I call my closet. I hope I don't scare anyone...