Book of Randomness

I started watching Gossip Girl when it started (it’s a guilty pleasure what can I say). I knew that it was outrageous in the beginning. Obviously little to no people actually go through high school like that. I mean come on, who went bar hopping on a regular basis when you were in high school? Drinking maybe. Bar hopping? Not so much.

The episodes this year have just seemed so insanely outrageous. Drinking, threesomes, drugs, “Queens” and the works. Some of the scenes just seem so ridiculous that it is hard to watch, let alone take the show seriously anymore (not that it was ever serious). So where do we draw the line between entertaining and absurd?

I’m currently watching the show. Serena and Nate are currently getting wasted at a bar talking about do you remember the last time we went out drinking? It is as if they are 25 or so and haven’t seen each other in years. They are BARELY college freshman. And now little Jenny is at a bar? She is still in high school.

I’m not even going to go into shows like 90210 and Melrose Place. I’ve never seen an episode, and I never plan on doing so.

I’m all about the girly shows and movies, I mean I love a chick flick, aka romantic comedy any day, but there is a limit. I still need some regular comedy, action, adventure, mystery and you name it in my life.

I’ll probably continue to watch Gossip Girl, mostly out of curiosity of what kind of craziness they will come up with next, but I will watch my other (probably more so) favorite shows. My current shows are Gossip Girl, America’s Next Top Model (although it is getting a little old), NCIS, Bones, Project Runway and White Collar. I also love watching The Food Network and DIY type of shows… in case you were wondering.

Enough of my ramblings… Lady Gaga is about to come on Gossip Girl! LOVE HER!!

I’m sure many of you have heard the story about Elena Desserich, the 6 year old girl who lost her battle to Brain Cancer. Her incredible story centers around the 135 notes that she left behind for her parents to find around the house. Please read the story from From MSNBC.com/Today Show, and consider purchasing the book that her parents have released including all of the notes. The profits from the book will be going to research.

Such a great story!

One of 135 Notes:

The Book:

You can also read more about Notes Left Behind and Elena Desserich from their website NotesLeftBehind.com

I grew up with cats, dogs, turtles, etc. Not all at the same time, and not in mass quantities, but…

I never thought it would be weird to not have a pet in my home. I was doing fine in college with friends and roommates always present, and never seemed to feel alone. My junior year was a little different since I was living off campus with a biology major (with classes AND labs to deal with) who also had a part time job AND a boyfriend. Needless to say we rarely saw each other.

…and then one fateful night when I was roaming off to the library on campus, I crossed paths with a roughly 7-8 month old cat who was meowing like crazy under my stairs. I felt bad for the clearly distraught little animal, but I had to go, and what on earth was I going to do with a cat that HAD to belong to someone? After a few hours I returned to my apartment only to find the same little cat, who by this time was throwing up from dehydration. I took her in fed her, gave her water and waited for the owners to come and get her.

It’s four years later and I’m still waiting for someone to pick up my crazy little cat. The night I found her is the last time she willingly followed me around. She is what I would consider a ferrel cat (not a mean one). She is afraid of EVERYTHING.

I’m not sure what is going on up in her tiny little head but it is pretty funny sometimes.

Anyway. The point of this post was to talk about how even though I live with people, and other animals, the fact is that sometimes the cat is the thing that cheers me up.

People can make you happy, sad, mad, etc. but pets really only know how to make you happy. Sometimes the cat seems like the only person on my side, and sometimes it is just nice to know I’m not completely alone.

Hey I’ve even had a fish do that before. No matter what your animal of choice is, I highly recommend finding a companion you can live with. And since there are so many out there, please check into local animal rescues or humane societies. You can find cats, dogs, bunnies and birds at most of them.

Make sure you find a pet that will fit with your lifestyle too.

Good luck finding your new friend!

I just dropped my car off at the dealership (I know I know… I’m asking to get ripped off) for a plain ol’ oil change. I have to believe I am not alone in thinking I must be walking around with a sign on my forehead that says “I’m clueless and know nothing about cars.”

I grew up around cars. I cannot fix many things, however I have changed my oil in the past. I’m not an idiot, and I am typically not gullible.

So why is it that every time I go to get something done to my car I feel like I am? I apologize if I am venting, but I HATE the way dealerships and/or mechanics treat females! They just never want to listen to me, and I KNOW that if my dad went in there, they would listen and show him some respect.

Sooo not my car. I think it is the one from Fast and the Furious 2??

Here is my advice… even if it means nothing, since they don’t listen to me anyway… BUT you won’t be taken advantage of.

• Know what you NEED done before you walk in.
• When they “SUGGEST” services/repairs, first ask for a quote, and THINK before saying yes to anything.
• Always make sure you get estimated costs before service begins.
• Remember that LABOR is one of the highest costs you will pay, so even if you ask them to CHECK something out, it will cost, A LOT! (example: I asked them if they knew why my car was automatically locking itself, they said they could “look” for $108… excluding any service to repair whatever they found)
• Do not let them make you doubt yourself, you know more about cars than you think, so do not just blindly say yes to ANYTHING!!

If you feel more comfortable, take a male figure with you… even if they do not know anything about cars. You will see the difference, it is sad!

I’m sorry again for venting. Anyone have any horror stories they would like to share?

As a follow-up, my dealership just called me… they just wanted to tell me about the couple things they found (how kind of them). Apparently the cost of my simple oil change wasn’t going to cover lunch today, so they “found” that I needed:

• New brake pads – because they are “at the end of their life” (so does that mean I have a month or I’m going to die on the way home?) – $188 for 20 mins of work
• New windshield wipers – because the ones I bought LAST FRIDAY (literally) need to be replaced – $23 a piece (he wasn’t going to charge me labor… ok no duh buddy, I put them on in 5 mins!)

When I said no to both of these… they magically had two more for me!

• A new serpentine belt – because it is cracking… which is a warning it is going to die.
• A brake flush – “Just as a preventive measure”

Yeah that is all nice buddy… put it in a quote for me… and I’ll undoubtedly find a cheaper place to get it done

ARGHHH!!!!

Part 2 and 3 of the rekindling relationships post… since they are shorter.

Old Navy

I used to shop at Old Navy throughout my middle school-high school years, mainly for the basics. It was never one of my “favorites,” but it was definitely on the store rotation. Once I hit the end of high school and headed into college though, it seemed that the only items they carried were either bright, stripes or weird little creatures stitched into the clothes. These trends were hardly my style.

Finally during this economic downturn (the personal one, not the national), I found myself in desperate need of new jeans.* After looking at my normal stops for jeans (Marshall’s for Sevens, Gap, and New York and Company), and realizing that not only did I not need to spend that much right now, I definitely did not need to spend that when I still had a few pounds to lose. There is NO point in spending a lot on jeans that will not fit down the line.

Somehow I landed back in Old Navy. I supposed I figured that since I like Gap Jeans, I may just be able to find something at their sister store.

Boy was I right. I tried on several pairs, and walked out with two pairs of jeans, two ¾ sleeve tops, three tank tops and a purse for under $140 (I still spent too much, so I ended up taking back two tanks and another top). The jeans were on sale, but not by much, I believe they normally all go for $45 and under. They fit really well and look totally normal, a.k.a. they do not say OLD NAVY really big across the butt.

All in all, Old Navy once again has some great basics to add to your wardrobe, just stay away from the bright & stripes that they still carry. Also, I recommend trying on several pairs and sizes of jeans. The styles all seem to fit differently, and I walked out of the store with two VERY different size jeans.

Cash

Here is a lesson in life. Credit cards are evil. Well not so much the card as the company. They are dangerous little pieces of plastic.

My smartest relationship that I got back to this year is not using my credit card, and only using cash. Cash makes you think twice about things you really don’t need, and besides, if you only spend what you have, you can’t get into trouble. I barely know what my credit cards look like anymore, and I would like to keep it that way. The cards will only be used for online and/or large purchases.

I feel much more comfortable with my spending now that I have gone back to my habit of only spending in cash. I highly recommend you try it out for a month and see how your spending changes.

Good luck!!

**You can thank my lack of jeans to my weight loss, then gain, then loss again. BOTH of my pairs of Seven Jeans split!! Saddest two days of my life.

I do not seek out two-buck-chuck, but it is a great thing to have around the house for the last minute wine needs or to add to a dish. It is never GREAT but it is also never AWFUL. It usually is decent tasting wine and you can stock up on it at the $2 price (although I hear it is $3 in NY… bummer). Apparently, Trader Joe’s can afford the cheap price since the wines are left over from different wineries… which is why some are better than others. That could be a rumor though….

So on to the moderately priced wines that everyone should give a shot.

Sidenote: I am not a wine connoisseur (and in fact, I didn’t even know how to spell that), I am just a girl who is trying to learn more about wines by experiencing, tasting and listening to people who think they know what they are talking about. Also, I typically lean towards white wines, but I am open to just about any… red, white, pink, sparkly, bubbly and you name it. Just keep that dessert wine away from me. Especially one flavored like a peach.

Back to the wines…

When I need to bring wine for a special occasion or I just do not want to be thoroughly embarrassed by my poor wine picking skills, I try to be loyal to these brands.

• Beringer-Smooth tasting wines. My favorite is their Chardonnay
• Barefoot-Love the wine AND the bubbly (champagne peeps)
• Yellowglen Sparkling Wines- Pink is one of my favorite wines/champagnes. Smooth tasting with lots of bubbles. The bottle is adorable and who can fault the pink color of the liquid!
• Kendall-Jackson-Always a decent taste!
• Francis Ford Coppola Winery-What can I say? They are a talented family!

The gadgets!!

Yellowglen Pink and Yellow are supporting National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) by giving $1 for every bottle sold during the month! Check in out on Making Memories.org and support them in their quest.

That means drink people!

Also, BevMo! has great deals on wine and champagne, especially during their 5 Cent sale. I can usually find Pink! I believe the sale is about to start again!!

Some funny, some creepy and some people just have too much time on their hands!!

Some great pictures of homemade and store bought costumes!

What happened to the days when we spent our time trying to decide between a witch, ghost, devil or angel? Halloween costumes seemed so simple when I was a kid.

I remember the years when I was getting a little too old for trick-or-treating… it was a sad sad time. I was no longer able to dress up! Yikes! For several years, I was in musical theater, so my mother had it easy. During those years, it was just a matter of WHICH costume (ones she had already made for my plays) I was going to wear that year. I had soooo many choices. Indian, munchkin, cartoon, Dorthy, Woodstock and you name it.

There was a lull of about four or five years where I was too old to go trick-or-treating and too young to party. Depressing…

Funny!!

FINALLY I hit college where costumes were the oh-so-important party accessory.

It was about this time that I was introduced to the various costume websites that are available, mainly, to girls. Yes those often extremely risqué sites like Three Wishes where I am sometimes a little embarrassed to look, yet they always have cute options.

I have been searching around for this years’ costume since I am still in the Halloween Party stage of my life. It has been SUPER difficult.

Not only am I on a budget this year, but I also need to find something cute. When most of the costumes are somewhere in the range of $30-$100, it is hard to find cheap ones that interest me.

I assume that most people are finding they are in the same situation as I am. Their problems including: too expensive, too sleazy or too many choices.

When did all of this pressure start for girls to have the perfect costume?

In the end, I have decided to go as a bunny… not a Playboy bunny… just a bunny. I already had the ears so I only need to purchase the tail and figure out a cute black outfit to wear. It may be unoriginal, but my lack of a “Halloween Budget” has led me to the decision.

SOME of the costumes I WANTED…

*Some of them I like the “idea” but would have needed a little more “fabric”*

• Aurora- my favorite Disney Princess!
• Robin Hood
• Sherlock
• Sailor- even if I was one a few years ago…
• White Russian- I just think this one is funny/cute
• French Empress- not sure I get it, but it is cute
• Burlesque Babe- I just think it is cute! I love pink (as if you couldn’t tell from the website)
• Magic Bunny- If I could have afforded it… I think this would have been my choice!

That is all for now. I could have gone on forever!!

SEE TOO MANY CHOICES!!!

Does anyone know what they want to be for Halloween this year?

I’m pretty sure the Ghostbusters didn’t have THIS in mind!

What happened to the days when we spent our time trying to decide between a witch, ghost, devil or angel? Halloween costumes seemed so simple when I was a kid.

I remember the years when I was getting a little too old for trick-or-treating… it was a sad sad time. I was no longer able to dress up! Yikes! For several years, I was in musical theater, so my mother had it easy. During those years, it was just a matter of WHICH costume (ones she had already made for my plays) I was going to wear that year. I had soooo many choices. Indian, munchkin, cartoon, Dorthy, Woodstock and you name it.

There was a lull of about four or five years where I was too old to go trick-or-treating and too young to party. Depressing…

Funny!!

FINALLY I hit college where costumes were the oh-so-important party accessory.

It was about this time that I was introduced to the various costume websites that are available, mainly, to girls. Yes those often extremely risqué sites like Three Wishes where I am sometimes a little embarrassed to look, yet they always have cute options.

I have been searching around for this years’ costume since I am still in the Halloween Party stage of my life. It has been SUPER difficult.

Not only am I on a budget this year, but I also need to find something cute. When most of the costumes are somewhere in the range of $30-$100, it is hard to find cheap ones that interest me.

I assume that most people are finding they are in the same situation as I am. Their problems including: too expensive, too sleazy or too many choices.

When did all of this pressure start for girls to have the perfect costume?

In the end, I have decided to go as a bunny… not a Playboy bunny… just a bunny. I already had the ears so I only need to purchase the tail and figure out a cute black outfit to wear. It may be unoriginal, but my lack of a “Halloween Budget” has led me to the decision.

SOME of the costumes I WANTED…

*Some of them I like the “idea” but would have needed a little more “fabric”*

• Aurora- my favorite Disney Princess!
• Robin Hood
• Sherlock
• Sailor- even if I was one a few years ago…
• White Russian- I just think this one is funny/cute
• French Empress- not sure I get it, but it is cute
• Burlesque Babe- I just think it is cute! I love pink (as if you couldn’t tell from the website)
• Magic Bunny- If I could have afforded it… I think this would have been my choice!

That is all for now. I could have gone on forever!!

SEE TOO MANY CHOICES!!!

Does anyone know what they want to be for Halloween this year?

I’m pretty sure the Ghostbusters didn’t have THIS in mind!

Keepin’ those pearly whites safe and lookin’ good!

I have never had major problems with my teeth, just a couple of minor “preventive” measures done in the recent years. While it may seem a little ridiculous to write about tooth and mouth care since we are all responsible adults, after my trip to the dentist this week, I thought it would be a good idea to give everyone a little reminder. PLUS, I learned a few new tricks and was given some products to try.

First the basics!

• Brush your teeth for AT LEAST one full minute
• Replace your toothbrush every three months or when there are signs of wear
• Brush as often as possible after meals, or at the very least, in the morning and at night
• Floss!

Helpful Hints and Products!

• Mouthwash- Make sure you use a mouthwash with Fluoride in it, I suggest using ACT with Fluoride, Anti-Cavity.
• Pre-Brush- For a little whitening action and to loosen up the gunk in your teeth, use a pre-brush mouthwash.
• Toothpaste- Until my visit to the dentist, I have been using Colgate White. I was given a sample of Pro Enamel (which I had been interested in trying) toothpaste at my appointment, so I have been using it since. It seems to be effective, and also includes the anti-cavity fluoride. It does have a faint flavor to it, so do not expect a bold taste.
• Toothbrush- Not everyone wants to invest in a electric toothbrush which can run in the $70-$100 range, but you do need a little more than a manual toothbrush. The toothbrush I have been using for the past year is the new battery powered Colgate 360 SonicPower. At only a few bucks, it is a much cheaper, yet effective alternative.
• Floss- The easiest floss to use is waxed ones, just make sure you do it as often as possible!

A couple other things…

I also recommend using small disposable cups in your bathroom to cut down on germs. Since I started using them about two years ago, I have been sick far less than before. Use one in the morning to rinse your mouth, and also pour your mouthwash in. Repeat at night. You can find super cute options at places like target, just look around a little.

If you wear clear retainers or Invisiline… it may sound a little weird, but use denture cleaner! My dental hygienist recommended Efferdent, but I found the Target bran Up&Up has the same product available for only $2.96 (for 220 tablets). Drop the appliances in a cup of warm water and the tablets for 15 mins a few times a week. Don’t worry if you leave them in there all day. At night, also make sure you put the retainers or Invisiline in directly after using your mouthwash.

Take care of those teeth, they are the only ones you will get!!

Another word to the wise, get your wisdom teeth out ASAP or have your kids’ taken out!