Cleans Dishes, Smells Nice And Is Fun At Parties, Just Like Me.

The next time you're in my kitchen and you notice a clean, fresh scent, it might just be my dishwashing soap and not the back of my neck. I've been using this ingenious invention lately, and now my kitchen smells like water lily and jasmine instead of stale coffee grounds and old fruit. Everyone's in a better mood!

Dawn Simple Pleasures has an air freshener built into the base. The scent isn't overpowering, and the bottle is a nice compact size that isn't an eyesore on the counter.

But did you know the really cool thing about Dawn soap? It makes the best, biggest, strongest bubbles, and that's on the sage advice of a bubble magician I talked to at a party. (Yes, I talk to bubble magicians - I'm such the social vixen) And here's a video (with an awesome Joe Jackson soundtrack) to show you how to do it:



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tags: dawn simple pleasures | how to make bubbles | kitchen products | bubble recipe

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The Little Black Book of Style: Take Two Birkin Bags and Call Her In The Morning

Don't let my current look fool you. I didn't always walk around in sweatpants, a faded Gap t-shirt and shoes that look like they were run over by a truck. You think I went out of the house without lipstick in my twenties? Back in the day I actually got my hair cut more than three times a year, had neatly pedicured toes and my belt freqently matched my shoes. I've got an Azzedine Alaia dress in my closet, an old Fendi bag on my shelf and even a Gaultier suit I had altered to fit. By a real tailor.

So what happened? Somewhere between then and now, I had kids. Plain and simple. Some people may say that's no excuse, but I beg to differ. Show me a woman who's style hasn't faltered since she's had kids, and I'll show you a woman who's got a full-time nanny and an assistant who irons her socks, I always say.

One of those women would appear to be Nina Garcia, author of The Little Black Book of Style and judge on the popular TV show Project Runway. When I was asked by The Parent Blogger's Network to review Garcia's book, I was intrigued by the idea of a handbook that could possibly help me on the road back to fashion enlightenment, a primer on regaining my taste for well-fitting skirts and expensive shoes. Do I always have to pick up the kids wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt with a jam stain on it? I think not!

Okay, maybe Garcia's assistant doesn't iron her socks, but by the tone of this book you come to suspect that the author has just a little bit more time than the rest of us to devote to picking out the perfect outfit in the morning. I guess I was expecting the book to have a little bit more of a tongue-in-cheek approach to fashion; I've never taken clothes too seriously and I thought Garcia, who has an infant son, would have a more user-friendly approach. I had to keep reminding myself that maybe I'm not the target audience for the book, although there's a small section devoted to dressing during pregnancy so you'd think she was expecting at least a few of us moms to be reading. A few of us non-model, non-celebrity moms, that is.

The book is well-written and the illustrations by Ruben Toledo are beautiful, but for me the book felt impractical and slightly elitist. I would love to have seen a chapter on everyday dressing - not all of us shop at Prada and need to put on our Manolos to walk out the door. I'm sure even fashionistas need to leave the house in a hurry once in a while to run by the post office or pick up ingredients for a casserole, don't they? And while I don't expect Garcia to advise her readers to buy their purses at Target (me, often), I thought putting only wildly expensive designer bags - the Chanel 2.55, Louis Vuitton Speedy, Hermes Birkin - under the heading "[Bags] Every Woman Should Have" a little unrealistic. A Hermes Birkin can set you back $6,700 - that's 231 messenger bags from Target.

Not that the book doesn't have some solid, useful advice. I found the second chapter, "The Basics" to be helpful in recognizing which core pieces make up a cohesive wardrobe; a trench coat, ballet flats, a classic men's watch - pieces I wouldn't think of buying but am seriously considering. And the advice about buying a pair of black high-heeled pumps has convinced me that a visit to the shoe store tomorrow is imperative, groceries and utility bills be damned.

One of the last chapters in the book, "Insider Tips and Tricks" would have been the perfect vehicle to pull in some differing and unique points of view on fashion and style. Instead, I was disappointed to see that everyone interviewed was a heavyweight in the fashion field - from Donatella Versace to Heidi Klum - and had frustratingly similar answers to many of their questions. Variations on 'confidence and inner beauty' seemed to be everyone's response to what constitutes a unique sense of style - how great would it have been if she had queried the high-schooler shopping in Chelsea, or the rocker buying his wardrobe on Melrose? Or me, putting together an outfit from the sale rack at Macy's? Okay, maybe not me, but those other two would have definitely worked.

As a point of reference, I have to say that one of my favorite movies of last year was The Devil Wears Prada, a film that skewers the fashion industry and makes the salvation of the heroine possible only when she realizes the transparency and superficiality of the industry that she had embraced. I started reading The Little Black Book of Style with that movie in mind, and was expecting a little bit more self-parody or humor. But I quickly realized that Garcia takes fashion very seriously, which, being that it's her profession, she has every right to. I just think she missed an opportunity to make her book more lighthearted, and in the end, more accessible to those of us just trying to get out the door with a clean pair of pants in the morning.

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tags: the little black book of style | nina garcia | project runway | parent bloggers network

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Get Down, Get Down: Wii Boogie Is In Da House

There's a song that's been on an endless loop in my head the past few weeks. No, it's not the latest Gwen Stefani song or that insidious jingle from the Advantix commercial (that was last week's loop.) It's You're The One That I Want from the movie Grease. I just watched it a few weeks ago, along with my two tween girls who were seeing it for the first time. They loved it, and the song from the end of the movie where Olivia Newton-John is rubbing her leather-clad butt all over John Travolta seems to be their favorite. Funny, I didn't think that was odd until I just wrote that sentence.

Talk about timing: a few days after our Grease viewing we received our copy of Boogie, the new karaoke game for the Wii. The girls popped it in, and saw You're The One That I Want on the song list. Needless to say the game was an instant hit, they played the tune over and over, and now that damn song is searing a path through my brain.

When the Parent Bloggers Network offered to let us try out a new Wii game before it was released I jumped at the chance; we'd had the gaming system for a couple of months and we were all getting tired of the sports games that come with the system and the selection of Wii games you can purchase are fairly limited. Boogie offered something for the entire family; the karaoke/dance theme was right up my girls' alley, and singing badly along to popular songs is something my husband and I do quite frequently.

As with most video games, I have no pretense of knowing how to set it up, learn the rules or work the controls. I pass it off to the girls, and if they run into trouble it's their job to find a willing, qualified ten-year-old to help them out. As I've told them repeatedly - that's what friends are for. They didn't have any problems with Boogie, though - it was easy for them to pop in the disc and start playing the game immediately. Of course, I give a thumbs up to any activity that doesn't require me to put down my cappuccino.

I have a suggestion for video game developers, and that is to make a game for tween girls that consists entirely of choosing a character and deciding which groovy hairstyle and funky clothes she can wear. My daughters and their friends spent more time doing this in Boogie than in any other part of the game. (The same goes for the initial setup of their Wii console, where one is able to customize their character, or Mii.) Finally after hours of "I like your bangs!' and "Your character looks too emo" I had to beg them to get down (no pun intended) to the business of singing and dancing.

A last quick note on the characters, though - my girls found them a little "too weird" and "childish." (Question: Can a nine-year old even use the word 'childish'?) There's only one female character who, while they enthusiastically dressed her like she had just spent fifty-hours in a virtual mall, they said was too 'Bratz-like' for their taste. Fine if you like Bratz, but if you're like my girls and sneer everytime they see them on TV, beware.

Along with the eponymous Grease tune, there were a few other songs that got my girls up and singing and dancing; Walkin' on Sunshine, ABC, Get The Party Started. For me, the inclusion of my favorite dance song of all time, Brick House, made me give a big high-five to the game creators. However, I didn't get as enthusiastic an endorsement from my daughters when I started singing, "Brick. House. She's mighty mighty" Kids these days.

Also, I had to put the kibosh on The Pussycat Dolls' Don't Cha. Something so wrong about hearing your tween daughter singing, "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me."

Besides the singing/dancing activity in Boogie, my daughters had a great time with the Video Maker, which allows you to create a music video using your character and a song of your choosing. Using the pre-fab effects, camera angles and backgrounds anyone can create a YouTube masterpiece. Unfortunately, my girls seized this opportunity to have a contest to see who could create the most awful video. making their character do a series of ridiculous leg-kicks and waist bends and dancing completely off-beat. Come to think of it, it bore a striking resemblance to Paris HIlton's music-video debut.

A few comments/suggestions from my kids: A DDR-type dance pad would be nice, and my nine-year-old would, and I quote, "like more songs from this century." I tried not to take her comments too personally as I sang enthusiastically along to the Ohio Players' Love Rollercoaster.


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tags: wii | wii games | wii boogie | parent bloggers network

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Glaceau Vitamin Water XXX: You Had Me At 'Reverse Osmosis Water'

Aside from my daily double cappuccino, the drink most likely to be seen in my hand these days is a bottle of XXX Glaceau Vitamin Water. And not just because it has this on the label:

c'mon on get your mind out of the gutter. we only named this drink XXX because it has the power of triple antioxidants to help keep you healthy and fight free radicals. so in case you're wondering, this does not cost $1.99 /minute or contain explicit adult content or anything considered uncensored. it has not gone wild during spring break nor will clips of it be passed around the internet like a certain hotel heiress, and it has never been seen live or nude, but is definitely au naturale.

And the first ingredient is listed as "vapor distilled, deionized, and/or reverse osmosis water." I kid you not.

And they've got a crazy website to boot.

In the interest, or lack, of disclosure, I was not paid or compensated to profess my love for this product. But if the manufacturers are moved to send me a case of XXX that may very well likely move my love to a whole other level.

Author's Note: No, I didn't write this review to see how many hits I would get by putting 'XXX' and 'love' in the same sentence.


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tags: glaceau vitamin water

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I Use It Everyday: FiberOne Cereal Has Put A Spell On My Family, And Made Us Regular, Too!

Recently I was asked to test out a new cereal, FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters. Besides the cheapskate in me lusting after free breakfast food, the chance to use all those fiber jokes in a review was just too good to pass up, so I accepted. To top it off, the site is also called FiberSeekers.com - I imagined this review would just write itself.

I figured my husband and I would eat it but not the kids - there were no cartoon characters on the box and not a marshmallow star in sight. Although I was disappointed at the absence of any toy hidden inside - I thought for once I could have the magic decoder ring all to myself.

So imagine my surprise when my kids tried it...and liked it. They didn't seem to notice that each flake wasn't coated in an inch of sugar, or the fact that the word Fiber is mentioned like a gazillion times on the front of the box. Never mind that I didn't bother to explain the attraction of fiber for us, uh, older folks - why ruin a good thing? It would have been like telling them the story of Bambi's mother while they were enjoying the fawns at a deer park.

I like it because it isn't overly sweet - I don't like anything interfering with the bitterness of my cup of black coffee in the morning. In fact, I poured some in a bag and took it to the pool the other day to snack on while the kids swam - I felt extra smug watching the other mom's chow down on Cheez-It's when I knew that I was the only one improving my digestive system. Ha! Take that, über-moms and your fancy colonics.

Like most foods, breakfast cereal is cyclical around here and I'm sure sooner or later we'll get tired of this one and have a new favorite. But for now, FiberOne is da boss around here in the morning, and helps us get up and go. (It'd be a shame if I didn't get at least one fiber joke in here.)

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The Dark Dreamweaver: Endorsed By A Nine-Year-Old Summer-Book-Hater

Every summer it's the same with my two daughters - any activity with even the slightest association whatsoever with school is met with as much enthusiasm as a dental appointment. 'Educational' and 'learning' are struck from our vocabulary, and even one of their favorite activities, reading, takes a hit during the summer months. So when The Parent Bloggers Network offered me a chance to review The Dark Dreamweaver, a book aimed at tweens, I accepted but thought I may have to disguise it as a Nintendo game and attach it to a popsicle before presenting it to my girls.

So imagine my surprise when, after showing them a description of the book online, they jumped at the chance to read it. (Not saying it didn't have something to do with the fact that I told them that the book was free and wouldn't be coming out of their allowance.) But I will say that in this case, they did judge the book, at least initially, by it's cover - they reacted immediately to the mystical illustration that was similar in feel to some of their favorite series - The Chronicles of Narnia, A Series of Unfortunate Events. And then these two non-summer-readers did something unheard of - they played rock paper scissors to see who would get to read a book first. If that isn't a ringing endorsement from the start I don't know what is.

My nine-year-old won out (she says her secret is to just keep doing rock rock rock) and started reading it as soon as it arrived in the mail. She immediately became engrossed in the story of David, a young boy who discovers a caterpillar who claims to be a wizard named Houdin who hails from a world called Remin. She'd stop her reading to describe to me the various characters - a serpent, a jellyfish-man - but I'd have to say she was most excited to discover that her big sister shares a name with one of the main characters.

One of the first comments that my daughter made about the book was that the dream sequences in the beginning of the book were frightening her, and when I read them I'd have to agree that the images they conjure up may be intense for young readers. But beyond that there's nothing particularly violent or disturbing in the book that I've read thus far. I think author Nick Ruth does a good job of creating a magical world with his characters, although his writing may lack the flourish of J.K. Rowling or Lemony Snicket.

Another comment she made was that the book seemed to "jump around too much." I haven't read far enough to see this, but she says the story changes locations too many times and "it would be nice if the story was more calm in places." I'm going to make sure I bring this up the next time she's watching an episode of one of her favorite cartoons, the 'calming' Fairly OddParents.

But overall my daughter is giving the book a thumbs up so far, and she's now three quarters of the way through it. She seemed to lose interest in the story in the past couple of weeks until recently when she and her sister found a caterpillar in the backyard, named it Jerry and claimed it was of extraordinary intelligence. This seemed to light a fire under her to finish the book, which just goes to prove that as with most things, sometimes the key to a good read is all in the timing.

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The Animals Came Two By Two, And Thus A Fight Between Two Sisters Was Avoided

When they're not busy being incredibly cute and amazing, my two daughters, ages nine and eleven, like to spend their time arguing over "what's fair." This might involve who got the last Otter Pop, or how to equally divide up the stickers that grandma sent over in the mail. Sometimes the complicated process of making sure each one gets their fair share requires intricate mathematical equations, a scale and a protractor. It almost always ends up with one of them fuming, the slamming of a door and the calling of my name.

When I was asked by The Parent Bloggers Network to review a toy called Noah's Pals, I didn't realize then how perfect this toy would be for our situation. I only jumped at the chance because even though my daughters are getting older they never seem to tire of any toy or activity that has to do with animals. The miniature farm set, the toy pet shop all remain while Polly Pocket and her small, annoying plastic friends were sent packing long ago.

But when the box arrived with five sets of animals and my girls tore into them, I immediately saw the beauty of it: TWO of everything. And not to discount the Great Flood, but the real miracle was happening right here in my living room - the rustle of plastic as they unwrapped and divided the animals into two sets, with - gasp - no arguing.

Noah's Pals are sold separately (that is, as pairs) or as a complete set which includes 40 pairs of animals, Noah and the ark. I'm impressed with the craftsmanship - the animals are all made out of durable plastic, and are carefully painted and molded. My girls are older so choking isn't a concern (unless they're at each others' throats over that last cookie) but smaller animals, such as the dove we received, might be a problem with younger children. The toys are recommended for children 5 and up. And judging by my 11-year old's attachment to her pair of kangaroos, I'd say there's no age maximum.

While my girls are vaguely familiar with the story of Noah and his ark, I don't think a religious background is necessary to enjoy this toy, only a love of animals - and small plastic things. I even caught them dancing the animals around to a song on the radio the other day (The Frey, no less.) But the best part for me, of course, is the fact that there are two of everything - makes me wish the story had Noah taking pairs of Otter Pops and cookies on that ark.

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tags: noah's pals | noah's ark | parent bloggers network

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Beauty and the Bowl: My Shiny Adventures With Hi-Tech Bathroom Products

Awhile back I was asked by the Parent Bloggers Network to give my opinion on a toilet cleaner and a tub and tile cleaner, which they informed me they would be sending free of charge. I eagerly agreed, since everyone knows cleaning is high on my list of least favorite activities, right up there with jury duty and being picked last for kickball. It was like a dream come true - a clean bathroom, free of charge!

So imagine my surprise when I realized the 'cleaners' they were referring to weren't actually people coming over to clean my bathroom, but products. Deflated, I agreed. After all, free is free and that ring around my toilet bowl wasn't going to clean itself.

The first product I tried was the Kaboom Never Scrub Continuous Toilet Cleaning System. My husband was suspicious of this one, since he's wary of any 'unnecessary' chemicals coursing through our plumbing system. So, the hardest part was figuring out a way to do it behind the little tree-hugger's back. While other women wait until their husbands leave the house so they can empty the liquor cabinet or invite the FedEx man in for a back rub (okay, me neither) I get my thrills by illicitly installing toilet-cleaning devices. Hot!

I have to say it was remarkably easy to install, even for a non-handy person like myself. It definitely seemed to keep the toilet clean, although I was disappointed to see that it couldn't do a thing for that messy pile of Oprah magazines stacked next to it. One of the things I liked was that it didn't turn the water a hideous blue color that I've seen other cleaning systems do - to me this just screams to the world, "I'm not scrubbing my toilet!" Because ideally you want your toilet to look clean and still be able to complain about cleaning it to all your visitors.

The second product, Kaboom Shower, Tub & Tile Cleaner worked equally well, and actually did make my tired old tiles 'gleam.' It definitely worked best when you followed the directions to let the spray sit for a couple of minutes before rinsing, but if you're like me and two minutes seems like an eternity to spend cleaning your bathroom, an immediate rinsing still works well. My only problem with it was the spray seemed to come out unevenly, but that could have been due to a faulty valve, or the fact that my shower was so filthy it was actually scaring the spray back into the bottle.

The thing I liked best about both of these products was the mild scent. While most people like their bathrooms smelling like pomegranate essence or a field of daisies, I detest flowery, fruity scents and would prefer mine to have the ammonia smell of a hospital ward that can conjure up images of Nurse Ratched barreling down the hallway rolling an IV pole behind her. So the slightly soapy, mildly disinfectant scent of Kaboom is a nice compromise.

But don't take my word for it - try some Kaboom products for yourself. Check out their website at Kaboom.com and then go read what others have to say about these products at Parent Bloggers Network.

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tags: kaboom | parent bloggers network

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Tales From The School Cafeteria: How I Love Thee, Cardboard Tray.

What do the following have in common?

• Bean Burritos
• Creamed Chicken on Rice
• Shredded Carrot and Raisin Salad
• Taco Casserole
• Fish Sticks

Besides all being foods that you may find in my purse on any given day, they're all things that I remember being served in the school cafeteria. If I sound wistful, I am - I'm one of the freakish few that actually liked what we were served by the hair-netted ladies in the white smocks. Of course, I like eating sardines out of the can and natto, Japanese fermented soybeans, so that says alot about me right there.

When The Parent Blogger's Network requested a post on "Tales From The School Cafeteria" I have to say it triggered only good, nostalgic memories for me. There may have been a few traumatic ones, for instance the time I asked for seconds on my Jell-O cup and was practically chased out with a meat cleaver, but for the most part I remember lunchtime being a bright spot in my day. I even worked in the cafeteria for a semester as a student volunteer, and along with receiving lots of free food, it definitely had a certain cachet to it - it's amazing how your popularity soars when your friends realize you can sneak an extra cinnamon bun out to them at recess.

My kids, now in elementary school, eat in their school's cafeteria almost every day. Where else can you get a hot meal for only a dollar? And while the other, overriding reason is that I'm essentially too damn lazy to make them a lunch every day, I think they're getting a decent balanced meal. Sure they lack on presentation - do they really have to serve their hamburgers on buns that look like they've been sitting under a stack of ten-pound weights? But I've studied the menus carefully and they always consist of a good sampling of the various food groups. Although the inclusion of nachos as a main course puzzles me, and on the days that's on the menu I always make sure I stop watching America's Top Model long enough to make them a sandwich.

And who are we kidding - our kids never their lunches anyways.

But there's another reasons I have a special place in my heart for the school cafeteria and the ladies (and let's face it, there are only cafeteria ladies - when was the last time you saw a man in there) who work long and hard to make sure hundreds of unruly kids get fed their pizza and cartons of milk.

My mother was one of those ladies. She worked for over twenty years in the busy cafeteria of an inner city middle school. Her paycheck put clothes on the backs and food on the table of five kids, especially helpful when my dad's business wasn't doing so well. She made lifelong friends there, a few that she sees regularly and others that she sees when they have their occasional reunions. And of course, she ate in the cafeteria every day that she worked behind that counter.

And now? My sprightly mom is 86 and in perfect health, with 20/20 vision and still drives a car. She works four days a week in her Senior Center, takes a computer class every Monday and always sees movies before me, since she goes out for 'movie & lunch' outings with her gaggle of girlfriends twice a month. Although I do have to admit it's a little disturbing when your elderly mother sees 'The 40-Year Old Virgin' before you and proceeds to tell you all about the waxing scene in detail.

Which leads me to believe that, say what you will about school cafeteria food but if my mom is any proof, it may just be the fountain of youth.

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Check out these websites, that work together with School Food Services Directors, for helpful information regarding school lunches: School Menu, which has games for kids and an interesting feature that lets you download your school's lunch menu, and Family Everyday, which I found especially helpful for it's articles on nutrition and also recipes for making healthy lunches. It may just inspire me to get up and pack those sack lunches for my kids, afterall.

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tags: tales from the school cafeteria | natto | fountain of youth | parent bloggers network

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Got Hobby?

During a brief period in middle school I remember being obsessed with macramé. I was a virtual knot-tying wizard, if you will, whipping up everything from belts to intricate plant hangers that I would then hang from the ceiling right next to my beaded curtain and Partridge Family poster. I wish I had saved one of my most prized creations, a necktie made from orange macramé cord and embedded with wooden beads that I remember wearing with my rainbow suspenders. Why I wasn't a hit with the boys back then is still a mystery to me.

Fast forward (more than ten years, less than ninety) to present day, and I am sadly, a woman without a hobby. Sure, I crochet the occasional cell phone case, or whip up the requisite emergency memorial for a deceased fish, but not with the fervor and dedication that I remember of my macramé days. And while a seatcover made out of knotted twine wouldn't necessarily fit in with our present decor, I still sometimes wish I had a diversion that I could sink my teeth into.

When the Parent Bloggers Network sent me a book to review called Get A Hobby, I was a little wary at first. Shouldn't the love for a particular activity be an organic one, and not simply plucked out of the pages of a book? But I was relieved to find that though it does have some serious advice (a foreword written by a neurologist proclaiming the health benefits of engaging in pleasurable activities ) and some bonafide hobbies (Furniture Restoration, Quilting) author Tina Barseghian's approach is pretty tongue-in-cheek. How else to explain the quiz to find your "Hobby Personality" where one of the questions is "Name one of the leaders of the peasant's revolt of 1381"?

If anything, I found this book highly entertaining and well written. From hobbies such as Dumpster Diving ("dive for tchotchkes, not classified information") to Gourd Crafting ("the versatile gourd can be used as food and as a functional readymade container!") I got a kick out of reading these out loud to my husband, whose ears perked up at the mention of Urban Animal Husbandry until I pointed out that it involved raising farm animals and wasn't slang for sleeping around.

Nevertheless, I decided to make a concerted effort to utilize the book and it's hobby-assigning powers. And then, I saw it. There, on page 74, was the one hobby that seemed like the answer to my prayers.

Deep Frying. Yes, Deep Frying.

From the magical words "...flaky coating around a soft warm interior" to the recipe for Scottish deep fried Mars bar, I felt like the author was speaking just to me. And then there's the profile titled, 'Deeply Satisfying' where cookbook author Rick Brown is quoted as saying, "Fat tastes good" and goes on to recommend deep-frying everything from fruit to Oreos.

Rick, you had me at fat.
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Wanna buy some hobby supplies? Go here and leave a comment for your chance to win a $100 gift card to Michael's Arts and Crafts.

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tags: hobbies | get a hobby | tina barseghian

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