Hurricane Party:

A New Favorite

August is no time to get caught with dry skin, amirite? The higher temperatures mean we have to bare more, so we have to stay moisturized. Plus, it's just good grooming. I don't think I'm the only woman who has a choice of creams, lotions, salves, oils, and butters to slather on when she gets out of the shower. But recently my collection had been seriously lacking and I know from experience that having products you're excited about makes you more likely to actually use them. So I decided to buy one of the items I'd bookmarked on Etsy. It was the Whipped Satin Luxury Cream by PinkDandy. I had contacted the seller ahead of time to make sure the fragrance I wanted - OK Sugar - was available. She was friendly and very open to customizing my order in just about any way possible, which means a lot to a very picky person like me.

My order arrived a few days later, well-packaged and with a generous sample of a second body cream labelled "birthday cake". I dove right in to the full-size body cream and - what a treat! It was very thick, but also light and creamy. The scent was divine. It reminded me of Jones Cream Soda, but with the tiniest twist of lemon. Very crisp and summer-y. I will definitely be using this cream for the rest of the season and beyond. And as for the sample, it is entirely too yummy. Since the Birthday Cake scent layers well (see what I did there?) with the OK Sugar fragrance, I keep the sample on my desk at work for little touch ups throughout the day. Here's a picture of my little haul today at the office.

Mom Jeans?

We've been talking a lot about children's clothing recently. But what about clothes for mommies? Do any of the mothers out there get concerned about falling off the fashion chart? I will step up to say that I do. When I hear someone joking about "mom jeans" I usually laugh right along because I assume that I don't wear them. But over the weekend, it hit me: "What if I do wear them and I don't know?" After all, I have no idea what they would look like and I'm years behind in finding out, so there was at least a slim chance that I might be sporting these obviously offensive garments without my knowledge. And that would be horrible. So like any modern mom, I hit up Google images to make 100% sure I owned nothing resembling such rags. What I found was a hilarious Saturday Night Live video from a couple of years ago which featured a "new" product called Mom Jeans. Please enjoy.

Mom Jeans - watch more funny videos

Angel Secret Review

So, I was looking for a season-less blazer. If this year's Spring cleaning taught me anything it's that there is almost no point to having so many clothes that can only be worn for a few months out of the year. I was looking for something out of the ordinary and slightly punk-y when I spotted this plaid power-shoulder blazer at a store called Angel Secret on eBay:

Don't worry - I had no intention of wearing it the same way as the model. That would be a bit much, even for me. No, I saw myself toning it down with a plain white shirt underneath, a well-worn denim skirt, and my strappy Aldo wedge thingees. I saw that the seller Angel Secret was locatedin Hong Kong, which meant the jacket could take a long time to arrive, but I took a chance and bought it anyway. A couple of weeks later it arrived in good condition. Here's my experience: The jacket is made in several sizes, but I was surprised that it fit as well as it did. I thought the sleeves might have been a tad too long. I'm not sure that's actually the case or if it has to do with my personal preference, but I rolled them up. This turned out to be just fine since the entire jacket is lined with a satiny dotted material. It has cute brass-y buttons down the front but they don't actually button; instead a super-strong hook-and-eye mechanism holds the blazer closed in the front. I thought this was a well thought-out detail because it's the same way that my favorite military blazer works. Anyway, here's the final result. (Forgive the blogger-at-work pics and the flat hair and the leggings- it's very cool in my office.)

I could definitely see myself buying again from Angel Secret. For $49 and free shipping I received a lightweight blazer that could be dressed up or down. In fact, I recently ordered this jacket from there...

...and I'll have a review of it very soon. As you can probably tell I'm a hard core fan of blazers because they help me to get out of the door in a hurry. There are lots of mornings when I'll just throw on a pair of jeans, a random top and a blazer. Regardless of the season, the blazer pulls it all together. Do you have your own secrets for looking "pulled together" in a hurry? If so, please share! Also, where do you get your blazers? I'm always on the lookout.

DIY Almond Rosewater Facial Scrub

I've been playing around with this for a few weeks, but I think I now have the perfect all-natural facial scrub. My skin is pretty clear right now and I think I owe it all to my new creation. I've been using it every night and I made it with four really simple ingredients. Here's what I used:

1/2 cup of almond meal (I got mine from Trader Joe's but there are lots of sources online, too.)
A generous amount of rosewater
2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil or almond oil
1 teaspoon of natural witch hazel (different from the kind at the corner drugstore)
Optional: capful of gin or vodka

I added the almond meal to a bowl and mixed in enough rosewater to make a very thick paste. (Feel free to experiment with the consistency, though, and make it the way you want!) Then, I whisked in the oil and followed with the natural witch hazel. I used a whisk or fork each time I've made it, though I supposed you gourmet-types could get a smoother concoction using a hand-mixer or blender. Any way you mix it, it's a great little scrub that isn't too rough and won't leave your skin all red and angry. In fact, it's pretty soothing. As with all natural products you'll need to think about how to keep it fresh. I've been either refrigerating mine or adding a capful of gin. With the gin it will last 3 or 4 days in a cool/dry place, but it'll keep for more than a week if you shove it in the refrigerator when you're done.

I'm really pleased with the results (obviously, right?) so I just had to share. But I'm still fiddling with other creations, so I'm pretty sure I'll have more of these projects to share down the road. Do you make any of your own skin care products? If so, which ones?

"The Muppets: Green with Envy" Teaser

Have you guys seen this yet? It's the teaser trailer for the new Muppets' movie, "Green with Envy." Judging by the clip, Muppets fans young and old are in for a treat when the film is released on Thanksgiving.

The Bonus of Doing It Yourself

Has anyone noticed how many brides-to-be are creating their own accessories, centerpieces, bouquets, and even dresses? Last week, I read about a study showing that 9 out of 10 engaged women "DIY" something for their weddings. I think it proves what a lot of us knew all along: DIY isn't just about the economy. It's also about the added benefit of personalizing your nuptials and feeling pride about being unique- even in some small way. I remember back when I was getting married, for example, making my own cardholder and thinking that even if I messed it up it would still be a "one of a kind." So don't be afraid to grab your do-it-yourself wedding supplies and get started with whatever projects you have in mind. If you're not sure about how much you want to do on your own, just start with small tasks and take if from there. Need a head-start? You can get an idea of what's out there by browsing some of the popular suppliers online such as FactoryDirectCraft.com or OrientalTrading.com. Good luck, crafty girls!

Squirreling Away Time for Yourself

If you've ever seen a squirrel collecting nuts, you can see by his scurrying that there is no shame in his game. But a lot of us parents feel guilty about "squirreling" away time for ourselves. If you think about it, there are probably small pockets of time in your day that could be used as quiet time for yourself. For me, the most convenient time to clear my mind is after work but before going home. Each day, I take that half-an-hour to have a nice beverage and read or chat with friends. Afterwards I'm able to go home to my family refreshed and ready to take on my "second job", which usually includes making dinner and getting the little one ready for bed. The end of the workday may seem like an odd hour for quiet time, but it works for me. My philosophy is that you have to take it where you get it, or you won't have it!

Will.i.am on Sesame Street

I love to see celebrities on Sesame Street. It could be my imagination, but being in the midst of puppets and music seems to make almost every guest appear childlike. Here is Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas singing "What I Am" in Sesame Street's 41st season.

Sick!

This time of year it seems everyone is either sick or taking care of sick people. Guess which one I am? The latter, or course! So far, I'm the last (wo)man standing so I've been busy looking after two fellas who seem to be taking turns with various manifestations of cold and/or flu. I should be able to get back into the swing of things with new reviews and posts before the end of the week. Hang in there, everyone - Spring is almost here!

Cee-Lo + Muppets = FUN

To be clear, the unedited version of Cee-Lo Green's current (and un-nameable) hit song is not for children. But this version of "Forget You", performed by Cee-Lo with The Muppets at the Grammy Awards this week, seems to be a lot of fun for young and old. What do you think?

Sympathy From the Groundhog

Winter? Over it. If you live in the Northeast or the Mid-Atlantic, chances are you are completely over this winter weather. Many of us recently dealt with (or are still dealing with) more snow than any U.S. jurisdiction can handle. I this is what's called "weather fatique" But this week, the world's most famous groundhog - that's Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania - did NOT see his shadow, which means an early spring according to lore.

Let's celebrate the wise old rodent with the video we post every February 2nd: "I Hog The Ground", by Steve Burns (formerly of Blue's Clues) and Steven Drozd (of The Flaming Lips).

Kids' Foods That Aren't As Healthy As You Think

I just read some great information about foods that are touted as healthy and child-friendly but really aren't. An article on Yahoo! Shine pointed to a new study by the Prevention Institute showing that 84% of prepared foods with health labels on the front didn't even meet basic nutritional standards. This is something to think about the next time you're in the grocery store because it means that parents can't count on the labels for guidance on whether the products are healthy.

According to the study, 95% of the products contained added sugar, with more than half of the products qualifying as high sugar. Thirty-six percent of them were high in sodium, while nearly a quarter were high in saturated fats. Also, 21% contained artificial coloring, which has no nutritional benefit and some potentially harmful side effects.

What do you think?? Is this much-ado-about-nothing? Or does it concern you? What do you look out for when you're in the grocery store?