“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu… We didn’t take vacations when I was a kid. We were pretty poor, so it just wasn’t something that was a priority. As I moved into my early twenties, travel sounded exciting – but seemed so out of reach, since it was something that I’d never done. {I mean, I live here in Washington state, but had never been to the beach – even though the Oregon coastline is filled with beautiful places. And I’ve still never visited my northern neighbor, Canada!} The last time I’d flown was 10 years earlier, on a short trip to Nevada with my mom. Until the past year… I’ve flown to 6 different states in the last year! Here are a few of my faves…
The Most Amazing Video I’ve Ever Seen #FirstWorldProblems
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali… Most of you have probably noticed that giving back is a pretty important thing to me. Even though I don’t make a ton of money, and we live on a super tight budget, but I always find a way to give back, especially at the holidays. I buy gifts to donate to the local YWCA shelter for women who are trying to get out of a domestic violence type situation. I use my holiday shopping dollars to buy charity gifts to places like Heifer International. And, I’m definitely going to be supporting this new organization that I found today – Water is Life. Seriously – I think that this is one of the best marketing videos that I’ve seen in forever. It’s funny, in a weird way. It’s moving. It makes you think. It does an amazing job of making you realize WHY people around the world need our help. It gets the message across perfectly, in a video that makes people want to share it…
I encourage you to make a donation – even of just one dollar – to the Water is Life foundation. Want to learn a little more about them first? Read a story of the founder of the charity on the TPRF blog, which features real stories of the people behind great groups like this…
As a Fulbright Scholar, Ariane lived with families in the Azawak region and discovered the human face of climate change: people literally dying of thirst because of their inability to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. Ariane found these people to be the most generous and dignified as well as the most vulnerable of the populations she encountered in her travels throughout West Africa. She had never before witnessed an area with so few resources and infrastructure, where individuals live on the brink of disaster on a daily basis due to circumstances beyond their control. Most importantly, she had never seen half a million people in such distress receiving so little assistance from the rest of the world.
Or buy the CD Aman Iman: Water is Life – to show your support.
Let’s Chat: What do you think of this video? Click the retweet or Facebook buttons to share this with your friends too, and spread the word about this great charity!
“Share it Maybe” Sesame Street Parody Video #Humor
“I just met you, and this is crazy – But here’s my number. So call me, maybe?”… I’m guessing that you all know this song, right? I mean, how can you escape it? It seems to be on the radio every 1- to 15 minutes, it’s on every commercial, it’s referenced non-stop around the web… And like it or not, it’s so catchy that you’ll catch yourself singing along with it every time. {I even saw a blogger who made uh-may-zingly funny business cards that read – I just met you, and this is crazy – But here’s my handle. So tweet me, maybe?” And now this tune has spread all the way to Sesame Street! Check out Cookie Monster’s version of Call Me Maybe, by Carly Rae Jepsen….
But you’ve got cookies, so share them maybe?
Can’t see this “Share it Maybe” Sesame Street Parody of “Call Me Maybe?” video? Watch it on YouTube here. I found this today in my email – I’m a subscriber to the Muppet Central forums, and get fun little updates like this once a week or so. Love it – and to be honest – I totally prefer Cookie Monster’s parody version of the song to the original. I’m a big Cookie Monster fan… :)
What do you think?
Leave a comment on this thread on Facebook, and vote for your favorite version of the video – Cookie Monster, or Carly Rae Jepsen? {And if you have any other fave parody videos, leave me the links so I can get some laughs checking them out too!}
The Secret to Curling Your Hair with a Flat Iron
I recently got a new early Mother’s Day gift – a Titanium Flat Iron. It’s a 1″ size, it’s pink, and it’s awesome. You know that I’ve been on a Mom Makeover Mission this year – making the switch a year and a half ago from working in fashion merchandising, to becoming a mom and working at home led to me looking…. Um, not so cute. But I’m busting out of that frump-mom territory, and getting this sweet straightener makes it super simple to get a little dolled up each day!
How to Curl Your Hair with a Flat Iron
I thought about making a video for you guys, to show you this cool trick on how to use your flat iron to do more than JUST straighten your hair. Because really, as busy moms – every gadget in the house, from the kitchen to the bathroom, needs to have more than one purpose, right? I’m short on space, money, and time to search for things – which means the products I do buy better be pretty awesome. But – instead of making my own, I’m going to share this totally amazing one from Kandee Johnson, the superstar behind Kandeej.com. She is just the cutest thing ever – Love her videos.
Want to try it too?
This is my new beauty, it’s from Karmin Hair Tools, and it rocks. There are a lot of places in my budget where I cut corners with spending – I buy the store brand pop, my favorite lip liner is an off brand that I buy at Rite-Aid for $1.99, and I use drugstore shampoo. But, when it comes to styling tools, you seriously need to get the best hair irons, dryers, and curlers. Here’s why this straightener is so awesome:
- It has ultra hard titanium plates that are smooth like a mirror, so you don’t get that snagging or friction that cheaper irons sometimes give you.
- The titanium warms up to the perfect temp in seconds – which is important when you can only sneak in a few minutes of mom-time while the baby plays with a stacking toy, right?
- This tool has a variable heat setting too, so you can use it for a ton of different styles, and it works great for all the girls in your home, no matter how different their hair types are.
AND…. Remember that adorable teasing brush she uses, the Teasing U Brush by Monroe? Well, I found it in PINK to match my new straightener, for less than $10 bucks right now on Amazon. Rockin! And, I know everyone has a favorite – But I totally and completely swear by L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray. A stylist friend recommended it to me about a year ago, and I haven’t used anything else since!
Do you have any cool style tips? Share ’em in the comments!
Superbowl Food Idea: The Snack Mahal
Superbowl Party Food Idea
Ok, many of you guys have now seen my recent party food creation just in time for the biggest football party of the year –
And I’ve loved all of the comments telling me how cool it is. I was rather impressed with myself in putting it together – it was a ton of fun, much easier to figure out than I expected, and it turned out really cool.
Well, I was impressed with myself until today!
THIS video is the coolest darn thing ever. The iPhone is a completely amazing addition. What do you guys think??
Having a Superbowl Party?
Find more great party ideas on my Pinterest Football Party board. And get some great party food safety tips for your Superbowl party too. If you have some favorite Football party ideas – Leave comments! Do you have a Football board on Pinterest too – Leave comments with your link! And – Who do YOU want to win the Superbowl this year – Yep, leave comments!