my favorite things lately
since my last post was a super long rant, I decided to make this post a bit more cheerful and write about some of my favorite things at the moment.....
Let's start off with clothing. I have not yet snatched these up but surely will come the fall. These superga sneakers were the hit in Italy my entire childhood and youth. The first thing I did when I got off the plane was go to the shoe store and bought a pair and navy and in white and wore them (like everyone else in italy) with everything. So shocked to see them for sale in the U.S. - finally
!
With regards to the household stuff, I LOVE Mrs. Meyer's Cleaning products.
I have the washing machine soap, fabric softner, countertop cleaner and general cleaner in Lemon Verbena scent. its fabulous. There is something about my house smelling lemony that makes me feel like its sparkly clean - even if it isn't.
I'm also loving my swiffer wetjet
After going through a lot of floor cleaners - I feel like this one has been the gentlest and most efficient on our hardwood floor and kitchen and bathroom tiles. So easy that isabella uses it too!
Television - There is something about this season's bachelorette that I find incredibly delicious.
Maybe because she seems more "real" than other contestants in a while. Or maybe because Roberto is hotness personified and the ultimate eyecandy. Whatever the reason, I'm glued to my tv each monday night. Don't get me wrong - I really believe that there is no way in hell that you can be head over heals in love and engaged within this short amount of time. Trista was the one in a million exception. Jason and Molly gave themselves some time before they got engaged. But I'm addicted and so is Bea and steve so we have "girls night" with steve and analyze each monday night over our fat free carvel icecreams.
I'm taking the summer to catch up on Mad Men which I had never seen before.
Its fascinating and so well written. I'm up to season two and hoping to catch up completely as the new season has just started. Definitely reccomended.
And my other summer guilty pleasure (which I don't whole heartedly reccomended to married mothers) is Make it or Break It.
i love gymnastics and this has just the right amout of cheesy teenage drama that I gravitate to.
In other entertainment news, I haven't read many books lately due to time constraints and busy daily life. However, this book was absolutely fantastic to read.
A true story of an abused wife in a sick relationship. I already reccomended "If I Am Missing or Dead" to four friends and they all could not put it down. That's not to say its a comfortable subject matter to read but it was so well written and truly fascinating.
I subscribe to many many magazines and just had to give a shout out to Real Simple.
Its got it all - oprah-like self help articles, good housekeeping/ladies home journal type home organization and decorating advice, great buys similar to lucky mag. If you've never read it - grab one off the newstand - I think you''ll really like it.
On to baby stuff.. First off, my daughter has the Leapster Tag reader and I am obsessed with it. Not her, me.
She loves it but I guess she is used to fascinating toys. I would have died for this growing up - this thing does everything - reads you stories, plays games. Any little thing that they touch with the pen on the page has a noise/comment associated with it. It will even read you the author info, page #s - its really a great learning toy. Highly reccomended - but if you do buy, make sure you get the 32mb version that stores over 10 books (the older model only holds 5 so you will constantly be connecting it to your computer to transfer books around).
Luca grew out of his SmartCyle and gave it to Bella this weekend.
The downside to this is that Steve connected it to the tv in the living room so she has a monopoly on that space right now. But I swear she peddled for hours this weekened on this thing - I was tired just watching her! Maybe this will get all that excess energy out.....
We've also been playing a lot of candyland lately...
My italian grandmother who didn't speak a word of english played this with all throughout my preschool years and I love the fact that bella enjoys it as much as I did. Although she cries when she get stuck on the licorice stick and looses a turn, i'm glad that she gets to learn a bit about winning and losing and how to take turns
Who doesn't love Colorwonder products?
I take them to restaurants, friend's houses, to my job - there is never a worry about leaving a mess behind.
I'm not pregnant but I saw these online and think the Aden + Anais blankets are just fabulous to swaddle a baby.
Granted I've never touched one, but they look incredibly soft. Definitely a must buy if there is ever a second child for me.
In regards to travel, I flew Jetblue and *loved* it.
Even though I usually bring an ipod and laptop, I realized that I could fly a lot lighter by just putting my headphones in and being able to watch all my sitcoms and reality shows. As some of you know, I am a huge fearful flyer and I barely even realized we were taking off last time we flew jetblue. That's saying something.....
What is better than combing disney and european travel when you are not travelling a deux but with a family? I'm drooling over the new Disney Magic Mediteranean Cruises.
If it weren't so damn expensive (and if we could afford to take off 11 days) I would book this immediately. No worries about all the languages or where to go and how to get there with kids -- you just sail there. The ports of call for the 11 day cruise are corsica, spain, italy (citavecchia, florence, pisa, naples), Tunisia, Malta, and France (monte carlo, cannes, and nice). Omg.
and finally wines. Remember DJ Tanner from Full House? She married a hockey player (Valerie Bure), had three kids, got her amazing body back, got back into tv (she's on make it or break it), and now owns a winery and sells Bure Wines.
I haven't personally tasted the wine - although I'm dying to - because its sold by the case and not the bottle. But I have to admire her for really having it all - husband, 3 adorable children, health, career and good vino.
And finally, I have to buy these two wines to serve when company comes over....
Perfect conversation starters! "I'd like another glass of the fat bastard please"
I'll leave off with one NON-favorite thing right now. That is Angelina Jolie
I'm getting tired of seeing her plastered all over the place. Granted that's not her fault. And I know she is a humanitarian and a good samaritan and all that. But I hate that she flaunts how she and Brad fell in love on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith - he was a married man Angie! Have some class! For that matter, he's a jerk too but he's hot so I'll give him a buy for now. :) I'm just done and done with hearing about Brangelina.
That's it for now !
Let's start off with clothing. I have not yet snatched these up but surely will come the fall. These superga sneakers were the hit in Italy my entire childhood and youth. The first thing I did when I got off the plane was go to the shoe store and bought a pair and navy and in white and wore them (like everyone else in italy) with everything. So shocked to see them for sale in the U.S. - finally
!
With regards to the household stuff, I LOVE Mrs. Meyer's Cleaning products.
I have the washing machine soap, fabric softner, countertop cleaner and general cleaner in Lemon Verbena scent. its fabulous. There is something about my house smelling lemony that makes me feel like its sparkly clean - even if it isn't.
I'm also loving my swiffer wetjet
After going through a lot of floor cleaners - I feel like this one has been the gentlest and most efficient on our hardwood floor and kitchen and bathroom tiles. So easy that isabella uses it too!
Television - There is something about this season's bachelorette that I find incredibly delicious.
Maybe because she seems more "real" than other contestants in a while. Or maybe because Roberto is hotness personified and the ultimate eyecandy. Whatever the reason, I'm glued to my tv each monday night. Don't get me wrong - I really believe that there is no way in hell that you can be head over heals in love and engaged within this short amount of time. Trista was the one in a million exception. Jason and Molly gave themselves some time before they got engaged. But I'm addicted and so is Bea and steve so we have "girls night" with steve and analyze each monday night over our fat free carvel icecreams.
I'm taking the summer to catch up on Mad Men which I had never seen before.
Its fascinating and so well written. I'm up to season two and hoping to catch up completely as the new season has just started. Definitely reccomended.
And my other summer guilty pleasure (which I don't whole heartedly reccomended to married mothers) is Make it or Break It.
i love gymnastics and this has just the right amout of cheesy teenage drama that I gravitate to.
In other entertainment news, I haven't read many books lately due to time constraints and busy daily life. However, this book was absolutely fantastic to read.
A true story of an abused wife in a sick relationship. I already reccomended "If I Am Missing or Dead" to four friends and they all could not put it down. That's not to say its a comfortable subject matter to read but it was so well written and truly fascinating.
I subscribe to many many magazines and just had to give a shout out to Real Simple.
Its got it all - oprah-like self help articles, good housekeeping/ladies home journal type home organization and decorating advice, great buys similar to lucky mag. If you've never read it - grab one off the newstand - I think you''ll really like it.
On to baby stuff.. First off, my daughter has the Leapster Tag reader and I am obsessed with it. Not her, me.
She loves it but I guess she is used to fascinating toys. I would have died for this growing up - this thing does everything - reads you stories, plays games. Any little thing that they touch with the pen on the page has a noise/comment associated with it. It will even read you the author info, page #s - its really a great learning toy. Highly reccomended - but if you do buy, make sure you get the 32mb version that stores over 10 books (the older model only holds 5 so you will constantly be connecting it to your computer to transfer books around).
Luca grew out of his SmartCyle and gave it to Bella this weekend.
The downside to this is that Steve connected it to the tv in the living room so she has a monopoly on that space right now. But I swear she peddled for hours this weekened on this thing - I was tired just watching her! Maybe this will get all that excess energy out.....
We've also been playing a lot of candyland lately...
My italian grandmother who didn't speak a word of english played this with all throughout my preschool years and I love the fact that bella enjoys it as much as I did. Although she cries when she get stuck on the licorice stick and looses a turn, i'm glad that she gets to learn a bit about winning and losing and how to take turns
Who doesn't love Colorwonder products?
I take them to restaurants, friend's houses, to my job - there is never a worry about leaving a mess behind.
I'm not pregnant but I saw these online and think the Aden + Anais blankets are just fabulous to swaddle a baby.
Granted I've never touched one, but they look incredibly soft. Definitely a must buy if there is ever a second child for me.
In regards to travel, I flew Jetblue and *loved* it.
Even though I usually bring an ipod and laptop, I realized that I could fly a lot lighter by just putting my headphones in and being able to watch all my sitcoms and reality shows. As some of you know, I am a huge fearful flyer and I barely even realized we were taking off last time we flew jetblue. That's saying something.....
What is better than combing disney and european travel when you are not travelling a deux but with a family? I'm drooling over the new Disney Magic Mediteranean Cruises.
If it weren't so damn expensive (and if we could afford to take off 11 days) I would book this immediately. No worries about all the languages or where to go and how to get there with kids -- you just sail there. The ports of call for the 11 day cruise are corsica, spain, italy (citavecchia, florence, pisa, naples), Tunisia, Malta, and France (monte carlo, cannes, and nice). Omg.
and finally wines. Remember DJ Tanner from Full House? She married a hockey player (Valerie Bure), had three kids, got her amazing body back, got back into tv (she's on make it or break it), and now owns a winery and sells Bure Wines.
I haven't personally tasted the wine - although I'm dying to - because its sold by the case and not the bottle. But I have to admire her for really having it all - husband, 3 adorable children, health, career and good vino.
And finally, I have to buy these two wines to serve when company comes over....
Perfect conversation starters! "I'd like another glass of the fat bastard please"
I'll leave off with one NON-favorite thing right now. That is Angelina Jolie
I'm getting tired of seeing her plastered all over the place. Granted that's not her fault. And I know she is a humanitarian and a good samaritan and all that. But I hate that she flaunts how she and Brad fell in love on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith - he was a married man Angie! Have some class! For that matter, he's a jerk too but he's hot so I'll give him a buy for now. :) I'm just done and done with hearing about Brangelina.
That's it for now !