These are a few of my favorite things........(right now)

-Gwyneth & Brad. I took this photo to at least 2 hairdressers between 1997 and 2001 in hopes of recreating Gwyneth's look. I still hope that they'll either get back together or make another movie together. One where Gwyneth doesn't lose her head at the end.

-The 21 Day Financial Fast. The Washington Post article covered the high points and has given me another January goal in my quest for perfect. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123103495.html. Seriously, read this next bit twice and really give it some thought. Maybe you're a better person than me, but I feel pretty normal and I have a crap load of stuff...and yet I continue to shop.
Here are some of my favorite points in the article by the author of The Power to Prosper, Michelle Singlatary:

I'm inviting you to take a 21-day financial fast in which you will buy only necessities. The fast is really about curbing the need to consume. It doesn't matter whether you're a good steward or a spendthrift; all of us consume more than we need.
Whatever your financial situation, I challenge you to spend the next 21 days fasting. The path to prosperity begins by breaking the yoke to buy and buy and then buy some more.
During this fast, you will not shop or use your credit cards. For three weeks you must refrain from buying anything that is not a necessity. And by necessity, I mean the bare essentials, such as food and medicine.
You will refrain from going to the mall or retail stores. Even window shopping is off-limits.
No restaurant meals -- fast food or otherwise. This includes buying breakfast or lunch at work. You can't stop for coffee. Make it at home instead.

-The 31 Day LearnVest Bootcamp. http://www.learnvest.com/ I'm doing the 30 day bootcamp created by this site so everyday I'm emailed 10-20 minute financial assignments which will all help me take charge of my financial future. I know, it sounds very boring but this company has done a good job with making it semi-fun.

-Gnome's Water. (Reminds me of the cucumber water they have at spas only much, much better)
1 1/2 ounces Hendrick’s Gin
1/2 ounce Cointreau
Dash cucumber juice
Dash lavender syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Dash soda water
Pour first five ingredients into a cocktail shaker, give a quick roll, then pour into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with soda water.
(Created by Gina Chersevani, the high cocktail priestess of PS7's. If you haven't been, here's your excuse to visit DC soon.)

Pantless DC Metro-ers

I learned today that a No Pants Subway Ride was held in seven US cities, including DC, this past Saturday. In. January. I avoid the DC's metro at all costs; especially on weekends when it sucks particularly bad. I hate that I missed this, but no, I definitely would not have participated even if I'd know about it. My legs are so very white and my ass is so very soft and besides, I only wear thongs and I think that would have been a little much for DC.

I guess others feel the same way. I enjoyed reading some of the comments left by fellow Washingtonians about this event:

• ugly city + pantsless event = NO.
• On top of that, they picked the time of year when people's thighs are flabbiest and everyone's skin is pasty and blotchy. Not to mention, some women forgo shaving their legs this time of year.
• You just know it's not going to be the right kinda people who will be pantless on January 12. Sorta like how it's never the right kind of people who go topless or wear Speedos at the beach.

Yeah pantless people! Please keep doing crazy fun things like this. One day people will finally realize just how cool DC really is.

Dr. Sears' Alternative Vaccine Schedule

I've got a number of pregger friends right now and thankfully, most are planning to follow Dr. Sears' Alternative Vaccine Schedule. PLEASE copy & paste this info and pass it on to your pregger friends so everyone can be at least semi-educated on something that could be vital to their children's health.

(In relation to the education comment above: People are just getting more & more stupid. If you don't agree, pull off 95 into a large gas station and just look around at the others pumping gas.)

Is it worth the trouble to spread a baby's vaccines out over more visits so less shots are given at a time?
The main difference in my suggested alternative vaccine schedule is it spreads the infant vaccines out over the first few years of life, instead of bunching them all up in the first 18 months. It gives fewer vaccines at a time, gives the most important vaccines first, and slightly delays the less important vaccines. But ultimately the end result is the same - a fully vaccinated child. What are the benefits of my alternative schedule compared to the standard one?By only giving two vaccines at a time (instead of as many as 6), I decrease the chance of chemical overload from grouping so many vaccines chemicals all together at once. This allows a baby's body to better detoxify the chemicals one or two at a time. I give only 1 aluminum-containing vaccine at a time (instead of the recommended 4). Overloading on this metal can be particularly toxic to the brain (See Resources, page ___ of The Vaccine Book to view the research on this). I give only one live-virus vaccine component at a time to allow the body's immune system to better handle the live viruses in these vaccines. Giving fewer shots at a time may decrease the side effects, in my experience. Giving fewer shots at a time also makes it easier to figure out which vaccine a child is reacting to if a severe reaction occurs. Sure, vaccinating this way means more visits to the doctor's office, more gas money, more insurance co-pays and more time off work to take your baby in. BUT, some parents may decide it's worth the extra time, money and trouble.

Alternative Vaccine Schedule vs. Regular Vaccine Schedule:
How do I switch? How do I switch to the Alternative Vaccine Schedule if I’ve already started my baby on the regular vaccine schedule?
All of you have expressed so much interest in switching to the alternative vaccine schedule, but you aren’t quite sure how to do it since you’ve started getting some shots already. I suppose I should have foreseen this situation when I wrote the book.
The most common situation I hear about is a parent who has already given their baby the 2 and/or 4 month shots, and now wants to switch to an alternative schedule. Here’s how to do that. Make a copy of my alternative schedule and cross off everything that your baby has already had, no matter when it is due on my schedule. Then at your baby’s next checkup continue with whatever is due according to my schedule. This most likely will be DTaP and Rota, then Pc and HIB a month later.
What about the shots that your baby already had at 2 and/or 4 months that are NOT on my schedule until later during infancy or childhood? The two shots this mainly applies to are Hep B and polio. If your baby already had polio at 2 and 4 months, you would not get any more until 2 years. If your baby only had one polio shot, you’d pick up the next one at 12 months.
As for Hep B, you will notice I don’t usually give this until age 2 or 3 years. If your baby has already had 2, then you would just wait to get the third between age 3 and 4. If your baby has only had 1 Hep B, get the second at 2 ½ and the third at 3 years.
Here are a few other things to know. It’s fine to switch brands of vaccines anytime you want. You can also switch from any combination vaccine to using individual ones. The hard part will be convincing your doctor to order a different brand just for you. If you have a few other friends with similar age kids going to the same doctor, that might make it easier if you all gang up on your doctor together. (Kidding, of course). Alternatively, the doctor can give you a prescription for a single dose through a pharmacy. Hopefully as more patients make these requests doctors will become more compliant.
Second, don’t worry if you mess up the actual spacing of each series of shots. The spacing is flexible. For example, even though the first three DTaP shots are supposed to be 2 months apart each, don’t worry if this gets spaced out further. And if you get only one or two polios or Hep Bs early on, but then delay the rest for some years, you don’t have to start the whole series over. You just pick up where you left off.
Third, if you are starting the schedule late, such as at 4 or 6 months, don’t hurry to catch up. Just start the schedule as if your baby was 2 months old, and you’ll go through the whole thing but always be 2 to 4 months behind.
Here’s an example of someone who already had the 2 and 4 month shots but who now wants to switch. At six months you would just get DTaP and Rota, then at 7 months HIB and Pc. By nine months, you would skip polio because you’ve already gotten it at 2 and 4 months. You may get the flu shot though. At 12 months get mumps, but NOT polio again since you already got the 2nd dose at 4 months. At 15 months it’s Pc and HIB, and at 18 months it’s DTaP and Chickenpox. You continue on from there according to the schedule.
http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/labels/Alternative%20Vaccine%20Schedule.asp

Funeral Sales?

Right now I'm applying for jobs in Charleston. I just came across a full-time sales position which sounds perfect. The only problem: I would be selling funeral equipment. Caskets and urns.

Can I do this on a daily basis?
Will it pigeonhole my career?
Can I really do this on a daily basis?

Here's the job description:
Our Cemetery Sales Professionals have excellent earning potential. This is not just another job! We are looking for highly motivated individuals who want to assist families prior to the worst day of their lives. Our sales professionals are trained to assist families with their prearrangement decisions before the time of need.


Our Cemetery Sales Professionals have excellent earning potential. This is not just another job! We are looking for highly motivated individuals who want to assist families prior to the worst day of their lives. Our sales professionals are trained to assist families with their prearrangement decisions before the time of need.





Wow. I don't think I can do it.

Amazing Wedding Invitations

These are by far the coolest wedding invitations I've ever seen. They costs the same amount as traditional designs and there are a slew of designs, fonts & colors to choose from. LetterPunch Design: http://letterpunchdesign.com/

Why oh why do women continue to announce the most glamorous day of their lives with scripted font and a sheet of tissue paper? Do they want their wedding day to be exactly like their mother's and grandmother's? Then they shouldn't stop there. Pull out the taffeta dress and contact the church...
Ladies, you owe it to yourself to buy invitations that reflect your personality. And if I've sent you the link to this blog, then feel rest assured that you're cooler than 87% of the US female population. Don't settle for drabery to announce your special day.

(Thank you, dear Michelle, for introducing me to this company. I am looking forward to seeing the ones you've ordered and attending your May nupitals.)

Christmas 2009 - My Favorite Things

I love online shopping. I love it so much that I do it all year long (doesn't everyone?) Here is a short list of some of the coolest presents I've found this year while carusing the WorldWideWeb. I hope this helps at least one of you buy the perfect gift for someone you love.

1. Perpetual Paris Photo Collage Calendar: This is perfect for an artistic friend that's also willing to put some time into putting your gift together. You clip all the pieces together to create a large scale calendar/art piece for your wall. $49 + $6 S&H I LOVE this & am buying one for myself.

2. 2010 Paper Source Wall Art Calendar: I'm a big fan of art design, which is why I love giving calendars. This is a well priced gift that's perfect for a mother-in law, co-worker or for a gift exchange. The calendar has 12 cool Paper Source designs with templates on the back of each page so at the end of the month (or year), you can cut & fold the pages into pillow boxes, file folders, note cards, and square boxes. $26.95

5. Tricia McKellor Photography: Amazing photography that's still very reasonably priced. I can just imagine one of the birds on a wire, matted and framed, on my bed room wall. $30+ And here's another great photographer: http://www.etsy.com/shop/yvetteinufio

6. Custom Silhouette Prints: Classy, fun gift for a newly engaged/married couple or family. Prints are 8x10 with margin for framing and are custom made with the digital silhouette made from your photo submission. Your choice or color/text. $30. (I would order this soon in order for it to arrive before Christmas)

7. Resurrection Fern Photographs: For someone who knits or crochets. This artist creates crochet covers on rocks and then photographs groups for a neat ensemble. She sells 8x10s for just $12. Buy this inexpensive gift and let your friend take care of framing it.

8. Personal Cards: I'm sure many of ya'll have seen my personal cards, which have a photo image on one side and my contact information on the other. These cards are quite fun and a must for anyone with an active social life. Buy a pack for a friend! You can upload up to 100 photos (or use the site's designs) and then add your friend's name & contact information (email/cell phone). Just $25 with S&H. Personal Testament: I met STP with one of these cards.

9. Wall Decals: Granted, there are some tacky ones in the mix, but there are also some really cool prints that will spruce up the dullest of spaces. Great for nurseries, bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and for anyone who has recently moved to a new place. $20+

10. All About Me or All About Us Book: I've really enjoyed the All About Me book and have just recently bought the All About Us. $9.32 on Amazon