Because I have to.....

I need your opinion on Miley's photo shoot for Vanity Fair. Specifically this shot:

Banana Guard

Hate it when your banana gets smushed? I have the perfect solution for you....THE BANANA GUARD (retails for $7). I was in a store called Uncle Dan's in Chicago and came across a basket of these (they come in a lovely variety of colors, even glow in the dark) and lost my bearings for a moment. Uh, what store are we in again?
Off the official website:

Q: "Not all bananas are the same size or shape, so how can the Banana Guard fit them all?"

A: The Banana Guard was specially designed to accommodate the majority of banana sizes. Our testing indicates that over 90% of commercially available bananas will fit into the Banana Guard. Highly curved bananas can be straightened ever-so-slightly without harm to fit the Banana Guard shape. The opposite holds true of very straight bananas.

Q: "Will the Banana Guard keep my banana fresh at the end of the day?"

A: Yes, the Banana Guard contains special ventilation holes that allow the banana to ripen at its natural rate.

This is not a joke, this FAQ is really on the website....

Q: "Is there a battery attachment?"

A: No. The Banana Guard was designed for its intended purpose only as a device to prevent banana trauma during transport.

HEHE- banana trauma!

Crystal Light Sunrise

I found my drink for the summer...Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange. It tastes almost exactly like Tang. I LOVE Tang, but it has so many calories in it. This stuff is sugar-free, has only has 5 calories per serving, and 100% of your Vitamin C requirements for the day. Plus, it does not have that weird Crystal Light aftertaste that other flavors do.

Give it a whirl! You will love it if you are a fan of Tang.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you Dr. Turtle!!! Have a fantastic day!

Juno

"Honest to Blog?" is the reaction of the best friend to Juno's news of her pregnancy. I knew immediately I would love it.

I was expecting a girl Napoleon Dynamite or a sappy weird teenage romance, but seeing on how it won all those awards I did want to give it a whirl. The storyline is very witty and it is touching. Not in the cheesy way, but in the well written, you can identify way. The characters are well developed and the actors portray them so nicely.

I loved Juno's attitude and manner. She was so casual about everything but intense at the same time. Her interests and hobbies were unique and she was SO INTO them. It was nice to see a confident teenager in a movie. Also appreciated was the lack of teenage girl, or any girl, drama.

Overall, great, great movie. I highly recommend. Have you seen it?

The Water Horse

Part of the fun of having nieces and nephews, young cousins, or kids, is that you get to see movies that you would not admit to seeing on your own. However, I rented The Water Horse last night by myself. I have been wanting to see this movie about Nessie since it was in theaters.

Review: The first half was actually good. Set in Scotland during WWII, the scenery is beautiful, the accents are fantastic, and the story line is touching. Second half gets pretty ridiculous when the boy actually rides "Crusoe" (as the boy names it) in Loch Ness. My advice...take it for what it is and watch it with little ones.

The List

Be honest, do you have "a list" that your significant other has approved? C'mon, you know you do.
"If I ever met this person, I could right? I mean, I never would. Just hypothetically..."

I was restrained to 5 the other night and here is who I picked under the gun:
1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
2. Orlando Bloom/Johnny Depp (this has to be a combo - as pirates)
3. Julian McMahon - aka Dr. Christian Troy
4. Bruce Willis
5. Leo DiCaprio (only the older version)

Who's on your list?

Bathing Suit Shopping..not as depressing

Bathing Suit Shopping..not as depressing this year because I find the new style to be as ridiculous as they are terrible. Behold: The Monokini.

Examples from Victoria Secret:



This green zippy number is called a Zip-halter, one piece monokini by Kenneth Cole. The tag line on the website: "How low can you go?" Morally or what?

This suit has its own name: Vix (and it is trademarked). From the website: "Exclusively designed for Victoria's Secret. A stone-bold stunner." I would have to BE stoned to get into this thing.









This suit is from the Beach Sexy line. From the website: "Cut out for one stylish beach appearance." All that comes to mind here is banana split.




From the website: " A swim treasure to luster after, with handmade mother-of-pearl and glass bead embellishment." This suit actually has a metal ring on the front of it. If you paid attention in science class you would know that metal gets really hot in sunlight. Maybe branding is the new way to be beach sexy. "O" stands for "O man, am I hot!"

The Purse Hook

Have you seen these? Do you have one? They are becoming more and more common and I think it would be handy to have one (I usually do wind up with my purse on the floor).

There are many knock-offs now, but I think these are the originals:

The Purse Hook

Hollywood Purse Hook -
As seen on TV

Beer Garden

Welcome to the Blog World!

Please welcome Impractical Shoes, one of my dear friends, to the world of blogging.

I just love her tag line: "The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases!"

Go check out her blog and leave her comments.

Quake!

Although I have been known to exaggerate, I did, in fact, feel the earthquake last night. I woke up because I heard some rattling and glass clinking together (I have glass candle stands on my dresser). It obviously did not bother me that much because I just thought a giant truck rolled down the street and went swiftly back to bed.

Then this morning I heard it on the news: QUAKE! Toledo was 310 miles away from the epicenter in West Salem, Illinois but we still felt the effects.

Movie Schedule

I love my gym! The cinema room is one of the best features there. They even post a movie schedule for the month!! Here are the movies for April:

I Am Legend
The Invasion
Music and Lyrics
Big Momma's House
Spider-Man 3
Evan Almighty
Breach
Dan in Real Life
The Cleaner
Wild Hogs
Redline
Game Plan
Balls of Fury
X-Men
Transformers
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Step Up
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Mr. Woodcock
Gridiron Gang
Glory Road
Remember the Titans
Rush Hour 3
Mission Impossible 3
Click
The Ex
Flight of the Phoenix
Million Dollar Baby

C'mon, everybody's doing it....

Do you find yourself encouraging (pressuring) your friends to start a blog? I do! Currently, I am working hard on two of my co-workers (D, this means you!) and I think they will crack. Most people complain that they don't have a good title and need to come up with one.

My suggestion: Just start blogging! Start with a generic title and change it later.

Those of you that started a blog because of a friend's encouragement, aren't you glad? I know that my dear, dear friend and inspirational blogger, Two Pretzels, encouraged me to start blogging and I am addicted. So, thank you K!

The 1 that got away...

I saw a license plate today that read:

I AM THE 1

How arrogant do you have to be to get that on your vehicle?

The Shops at Fallen Timbers

Shopping for me is totally hit or miss. On Tuesday, I hit Westfield (Franklin Park - old skoolers) for hours on a mission for specific items and went away with NOTHING. Yesterday, however, I went out to the Shops at Fallen Timbers and hit the jackpot (but reverse in terms of monetary measurements however). I came away with THREE dresses, a pair of shoes, a new shirt, a sweatshirt, and a few other items that I just can't remember.

The layout of this development is great! Like a mini-Easton, it is very walkable and last night was a great night to be outside. I found the retail personnel helpful and friendly. NONE OF THEM WERE ON CELL PHONES! Can you believe it??

The Dillard's and JCPenny there are both very nice and have a lot more selection that their counterparts at FP. Translation: not trashy. At the end of the development is a movie theater. Restaurants like PF Chang's add a nice touch too (although not for me if you know the story).

Overall rating: worth the drive.

Baby Mama

I think this movie looks hilarious...

Buger Kig

Looks like someone didn't pay attention in spelling class....



On Monroe Street by Toledo Hospital

Dr. Pepper loves Mr. Brownstone

Did you hear about this? Dr. Pepper issued a press release stating that they would give everyone in the country a free can of Dr. Pepper if Guns N' Roses (the current version) actually releases it's album Chinese Democracy this calendar year. Read full article here from Rollingstone.com. I didn't see it on Dr. Pepper's website and I am not sure how the issuing would actually happen, but that would be sweet.

Axl responded politely actually (I would have expected a slam from the explosive front man). He said he appreciated Dr. Pepper's support of the album. His quote: “We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr. Pepper with our album Chinese Democracy, as for us, this came totally out of the blue. If there is any involvement with this promotion by our record company or others, we are unaware of such at this time. And as some of Buckethead’s performances are on our album, I’ll share my Dr. Pepper with him.”
Source: Rollingstone.com

Lunchtime Interruption

Anyone ever come up to you while you are eating your lunch and just start talking to you about work stuff? I find it HIGHLY annoying. Uh, this can wait 10 minutes...thank you.

Megabus...why do you make me a liar?

On my way home from Chicago this weekend, I opted to take the Megabus, citing that it would be easier and actually faster than traveling by plane because it is so convenient. Well, Megabus, you made me out to be a liar!he Megabus was 2 hours late! I waited for seriously an hour and 45 minutes outside at Central Station in Chicago yesterday, and let me tell you, it was less than balmy. I called customer service and they just kept telling me the bus was "right around the corner."

When the bus did finally get there, it was packed. I had to sit next to someone, they didn't show a movie, and we didn't stop at a rest area (so I was dying of thirst). Don't say it Hurley...you get what you pay for. I guess the Megabus is a gamble at this point.

Bellboys - creepy or helpful?

When you check into a hotel, do you like it when someone helps you to your room? I really don't. I think it is creepy and I would SO MUCH rather do it myself. I know that nothing would happen, but usually the "bellboy" is a middle-aged man that makes weird general conversation with me in a hotel room with one bed...and then you tip him. Yuck.

The Melting Pot

Have you ever been to The Melting Pot? I had the pleasure the other night in downtown Chicago. The restaurant is decorated very nicely; the fountain at the entrance is pots (pictures posted soon).

The actual table has a heat plate built into it so the pot sits on the table. First course was fiesta cheese fondue that came with dipping materials (misc. bread cubes, veggies, tortilla chips). Second course was salads, I had spinach, he had Caesar. Third course was the meat. You pick your cooking style so you can cook the meat in broth or oil. The broth we picked was MOJO and was chicken based flavored with citrus and lime. It was amazing! The meats were bite sized delicious - chicken, shrimp, beef, filet Mignon, some seasoned, some not. To finish, dessert fondue! We picked the Turtle Flambe which was milk chocolate with caramel and pecans, flambeed table side. The side plate was loaded with strawberries, bananas, cherries, cheesecake, brownies, marshmallows, and rice krispie treats.

I would HIGHLY recommend going to The Melting Pot if you are looking to have a fun date night or spend an entertaining evening. I really enjoy interactive dining and this fits the bill. Pricey, but great for a special occasion.

Check out the menu! They have so many options from which to choose and I did hear a rumor that there is one opening in Toledo in the near future.

I suck, I know

I am out of town for work right now and also have writer's block. Stick with me!

Severely Addicted

I have come to realize that I am now severely addicted to caffeine. Now, I don't drink coffee all day (in fact, that grosses me out). Usually, I have a cup or two in the morning and then drink water all day. I then find myself needing another little perk around 4 or 5pm. Now, on the weekend, my routine is off. If I don't have coffee or diet Coke, I will definitely miss it.

Are you addicted?

You look just like...

Ever have someone insist you look just like someone? There are these 3 guys that I keep seeing this week (they are vendors at a trade show at work) and they swear that I look like "that girl from Dancing with the Stars! You know, the one that won the Tony!"

I never watch the show, so I looked her up. Her name is Marissa Jaret Winokur (click here for more images) and I can see the resemblance. I like her hair, so I will take it as a compliment!

Bobcat Goldthwait

Bobcat was on Bob & Tom this morning and I just LOVE him. Here is a montage from his fine, fine work during the Police Academy films. Enjoy!

Play ball!

Mud Hens opening day is Thursday! Are you excited for baseball to start? Who is your team?

Product Review: Glade Wisp Flameless Candle

Glade Wisp Flameless Candle - Love it! The flameless candle flickers like a real candle and the air freshener puffs out fragrance on a consistent basis. You can even control the intensity of the fragrance (this is nice for smaller spaces so you don't OD on Clean Linen - although it is lovely). Check out all the scents and how it works and coupons here.

The product comes with 2 AA batteries, so it is totally worth the $9. Do it....do it....