FLASHBACK valentine's day 2012

REPEAT: originally posted to provide christmas gift options, but valentine's day is only 10 days away. if you're too lazy to make this super easy gift, you can always buy one of the gifts i've linked...extra bonus: a hilarious video of ideas!!
"there's the strangest excitement today...if you're awake then you're welcome to hear...i got a gift and it blew me away" 
the bk and i don't really do valentine's gifts...#1~i hate roses. i HATE roses. not knocking you girls that love them, they just aren't for me...and #2~what do you get someone that feels like they have everything?...besides. st valentine's day is about celebrating love. so we do just that. this year we get up before the sun and go to valentine's day breakfast. we are the only people in cracker barrel at 6am, when it opens. we sit by a crackling fire...sip on bottomless cups of hot coffee...and i get to hear about how beautiful i am with no make~up, a messy bun and my glasses on...
but, the bk is unaware of something. i have tucked a small gift in his work bag. something i know he doesn't have. and something i'm sure he will think is stupid, but i do it anyway. i found it on pinterest...a book made of playing cards entitled "52 reasons i heart jamie"...
all you need:

• a full deck of cards (preferably worn and tattered, but you can rough new ones up with sand paper)
• a black sharpie marker (or a computer and printer labels if you're too lazy to write)
• labels
• a hole punch
• binder rings
• your brain

make a cover for your book with the jokers and simply write the title on one with your marker. use your brain (and heart) to come up with 52 reasons why you love him/her. write them on the labels and attach one label to each card (fronts only). punch two holes in each card (make sure they are aligned). and clip together with binder rings. voila!!!

FLASH FORWARD today

we are only 23 days away from christmas...every year it gets harder and harder for me to find the PERFECT gift for my bk. and i know it's gets harder for him. our answer every time one of us asks "what would you like for christmas?"? i have everything i need. which is completely true. this year got a little easier for him...my day job has turned me into a bit of a handbag queen. truth is...i always have been, but i've always been able to find the trendy bags for very cheap (let's not talk about how) so i refuse to pay full price for a designer bag. so, when macy's had their friend's and family sale, this week, i got a michael kors bedford bowling satchel. eek!! merry christmas to cardinal!! but, now...NOW!!...i have to find the bk the PERFECT gift. and he is still saying "i have everything i need/want". DILEMMA!! i m sure many of you are in the same boat so, i googled ideas and found these great gift ideas for under $100:

PARA ÉL:

j. crew classic spread collar shirt: $68 (reg $88); because every guy needs a classic white button up in his closet...

sunspel boxers: $39: come on...your guy needs to get out of the tighty whities...and you don't want to get him hanes at christmas!!

kenneth cole new york watch: $95; help him keep track of the time this christmas so he's not late for the schmancy fancy holiday party!!

art of shaving chrome futura safety razor: $95; because it's no longer NoShavember!!

coach bleeker bull usb keyring: $98; it's a keyring AND a 4GB usb flash drive...cool

                 

                           

         

PARA ELLA:

coach madison op art sateen large wristlet: $98; because sometimes all we need is a lip gloss, a credit card, and our cell phone.

michael kors holiday watch key fob: $48; because, if you aren't gonna have a jag in the driveway on christmas morning, at least make our keys look fancy!

guess multichain bracelet watch: $85; cause it's a watch AND a bracelet!

victoria's secret pillow talk tank pajama: $49.50; because we like to be cute when we lounge around...bonus! free slippers with every pair!

lady gaga fame perfume gift set: $84; because every girl should smell like a rock star...(actually, i wear this and it smells delicious..)

                   

 

                          

happy shopping!!!

FABULOUS FREEBIES

"the best things in life are free..."
FLASHBACK march 28, 2013
my mama needs make~up and doesn't want to go to the mall. since i, in fact, work at a mall, i agree to pick it up. so, during my break, i head over to the clinique counter for mascara, lipstick, and a moisturizer. "go ahead a choose your gift." gift? what gift? "if you spend $25, or more, you get to choose between violets or pinks..." hmmmmm...let's go with violets! i tell mama about her free gift, although i'm sure she won't want it because of the colors. "you keep it." thanks! even though i'm a drugstore make~up kind of girl!!
FLASH FORWARD today
i just might have been turned on to the clinique mascara and lipstick. the lipstick is soft and buttery, and the color is light and natural. and the mascara makes my lashes look full. so...what exactly did i get with my free gift? i thought you would never ask!!

1 large make~up bag
1 pencil case
1 clinique 7 day scrub cream (1 oz)
1 clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion (1 oz)
1 clinique different lipstick in "shy" (full size)
1 clinique high impact mascara in "black" (.14 oz)
1 clinique colour surge eye shadow duo in "twilight mauve/brandied plum" (.02 oz each)
1 clinique soft-pressed powder blusher in "pink" (.06 oz)
1 clinique true bronze pressed powder bronzer in "sunkissed" (.06 oz)
1 blush brush
1 shadow brush

hurry to your nearest macy's, or order online...offer is good thru april 21st, or while supplies last!!

FLASHBACK december 2008

i've told this story before: like i have done countless other trips to philly, i have breakfast at a diner before heading to the airport. i give a hot cup of coffee, a donut, and 5 bucks to the homeless lady bundled in blankets beside the building. i'm paying it forward. 
FLASH FORWARD december 14, 2012
i am sitting in my living room...eating lunch...watching the local news. they begin talking about a school shooting. any school shooting is horrible, but this one. this one is different. far more devastating. i spend the rest of my day in tears as more and more news becomes available. 26 people are dead. 6 adults. 20 beautiful first graders. my heart is shattered.
FLASH FORWARD december 15, 2012
as more information becomes available, facebook becomes a political soapbox for people...some screaming for gun control...others opposed to it...some people opening a debate about god in schools...i immediately close my computer. do these people have the right to discuss this? of course they do. but i have the right not to read it. this is not a time to argue politics...it's a time to grieve and pay respect to those who lost their lives. 
FLASH FORWARD december 18, 2012
the debates have subsided...people seem to understand it can wait a few days. now a new movement has begun. people on facebook and twitter are screaming "PAY IT FORWARD!!!!"...i'm proud of all my friends for pushing this movement. some of them are truly committed to it. the only thing that saddens me: why would it take a senseless act of violence to wake people up? shouldn't we ALWAYS be paying forward?
need some ideas for paying forward? my first thought is: it should come from the heart...and it doesn't necessarily have to cost money...but here are some simple ideas:

1. over~tip your waiter/bartender/delivery driver
2. pay for a random person's dinner (in the drive~thru: the car behind you; in a restaurant: pick a random table)
3. leave a gift card on someone's windshield (grocery store, target, coffeehouse)
4. take a cup of coffee to your doorman or security guard at your office
5. give that homeless person your spare change WITHOUT questioning what (s)he might spend it on
6. give your time to a homeless shelter
7. go visit people in a nursing home
8. donate toys to toys for tots or your local children's hospital
9. bake cookies for your teachers, policemen, first responders
10. leave a brief note and money in a book in the bookstore or library
11. scrape all the windows in the parking lot before you go to work
12. buy a homeless person a blanket
13. give a stranger flowers
14. give a stranger candy (i suggest nothing with peanuts...you never know who might be allergic!)
15. let the person behind you in line go ahead of you, even if they have a HUGE cart full
16. pick an angel off the angel tree: get them everything on the list plus something fun
17. send a care package to a soldier...
18. leave quarters in all the gum ball machines at the store
19. take dog biscuits and cat treats to your local animal shelter
20. buy a weeks worth of groceries and give them to a needy family (you can find a family in need thru a local church or soup kitchen)

these are just a few simple ideas...i would love to hear any ideas you have...:)

  

                            

^a check list if you want to participate in 26 acts of kindness or you could just do something everyday^

i apologize in advance: this IS gonna bring tears to your eyes

FLASHBACK the first christmas

"noses so red...poinsettias in a vase...my pillsbury dough boy, gingerbread tough...now kiss me did you miss me mistletoe for some luck"

a history lesson!!
the poinsettia. in mexico, it is called flores de noche buena (flowers of the holy night). legend says that a young girl wished to give the baby jesus a gift, but had no money. as she headed to visit the baby, she picked up weeds along the roadside. as she approached the manger, the weeds suddenly transformed into the vibrant red flower.
FLASH FORWARD 14th century(ish)
aztecs use the white sap stored in the plant (mistakenly thought to be poisonous to humans) to reduce fevers. also, they use the plant to make red dye.
FLASH FORWARD 1825
joel robert poinsett...the united states first ambassador to mexico (who also happens to be the founder of the smithsonian institute!) finds a plant that blooms in the short days around christmas, in southern mexico, and brings them to the united states. 
FLASH FORWARD today
the poinsettia is now a holiday favorite, symbolizing a wish of good cheer, success, and celebration. but, do you know how to care for your poinsettia? i don't...which is why i did some research...so here's a bit of advice from me...the queen of black thumbs:

1. light: your poinsettia is a tropical plant and will appreciate as much direct sunlight as you can give it...
2. heat: again, your poinsettia is a tropical plant. try to maintain a temp of 65-70 degrees...and don't let it touch a cold window or be exposed to a draft.
3. water: water your poinsettia whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. water until it pours out of the bottom, but don't let it sit in the water.
4. humidity: because homes tend to be dry, especially in winter, you may find you have to water your plant every day.

it's possible to keep your poinsettia alive through the year, and re~bloom for the following christmas...but, if you are anything like me, that's just NOT going to happen...however! if you are braver than me click here for more info...

happy planting!!

^poinsettias...responsible for the death of frosty? yep^

FLASHBACK christmas 1992

"a sack full of toys means a sack full of joys..."
the boys  wake me up with giggling and squealing. it's 5am, christmas morning. not only has santa been by and loaded them down with presents, but the grandparents, and their uncle, have sent a box full of gifts. they rip through all the paper, sticking bows on each other's heads. "oh! wow!! this is cool!!". "this is mine!! i love it!!". "look at this mama!!". then, they open them. large packages from my lil bro. machine guns. machine guns that make LIFE~LIKE noise. machine guns that, upon inspection, have batteries that CANNOT be removed. ack! all christmas day....BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!! early the next morning...RAT A TAT TAT TAT!!! on...and on...and on...and on...and on...ugh
FLASH FORWARD today
i am perusing the internet and notice an article about unsafe toys this holiday season. what makes a toy dangerous? lead paint continues to be a problem. phthalates, used to soften pvc, are known to cause changes in hormone levels and birth defects. extremely strong magnets can pinch fingers and are a choking hazard. obviously, small parts pose a choking hazard. and, the surprise to me...noisy toys! did you know that there is a limit of 65 decibles for toys? if a toy exceeds 85 decibles, prolonged exposure can cause gradual hearing loss! i am NOW blaming my lil bro for the hearing loss in my right ear...instead of rock concerts, blaring my stereo, the scarring on my ear drum (caused by a combination of q~tip and jumping toddler), or the ear canal that is smaller than it's supposed to be. nope...it's all lil bro and those stupid NOISY machine guns...

so...what toys should you avoid this year? the 2012 trouble in toyland reports the following:

• dragster cars (toys 'r us): small parts, choking hazard
• bowling game (dollar plus store): small parts, choking hazard
• toy food (walmart): choking hazard
• dora backpack (target): contains phthalates
• morphbot (dollar tree): contains lead
• snake eggs (dollar tree): choking hazard
• dora guitar (target): noisy, exceeds 85 decibles
• car wheel/horn (toys 'r us): noisy, exceed 85 decibles

happy shopping!!