There is a Walgreens Drug store within walking distance of my house.  In addition to the regular drug store items, they seem to sell everything you might ever need. Food, cosmetics, beach chairs.

I go in there at least five times a week for something. It is so darn convenient. I'm amazed how often I walk out of there with something that I was not planning to buy. They are so clever.

This week I spotted a rustic looking cardboard display of giant foot files. They were two for $10. (One for $5!)  I was due for a pedicure but I bought one anyway. Well this thing is fantastic! I used it on my heels and did not need to go for the pedicure anymore. The heels look just as good as they do after a professional scrubbing. Seriously!

Given that here in the MIA we need pedicures just about every two weeks because we wear sandals year round, this is a great find.

This is not a paid post but here is the link to the website for the item if they don't have them at your local drug store.

www.shappyfile.com

I am so enamored with this product that I almost bought a bunch to stick in my cruise swag bags but I thought it might be considered to be an insult by those with callousey feet! 

Opinions?

I have a big event coming up. I am working on the swag bags that will be in each guest's stateroom. Each stateroom (except for one) has a woman in it. I had two logos designed on etsy (bargain!)


Here are the results. The first bag is much bigger but much lighter than the second.
The bags will be filled with various goodies for the trip. I am going to get different bags for the kids.

 The pirate logo is now personalized and it is going to be on the kids stuff. I thought it was a tad too rough for the ladies (most of whom are over 40, many much old that that) so I went with the anchor for the bag. I will put the pirate on most of the other swag as it a party for a kid.

Which one do you like better? (I'm partial to the first as it is much easier to source and half the price).

Passover is coming...

Passover is coming Monday. This is the Jewish holiday where you don't eat bread for 8 days. Yes, there are much more important facts about this holiday involving Moses and Slaves, etc etc but the most important part is no bread.

This year it will be easy for me to avoid the bread because I am in the middle of a diet where bread is enemy number 1. It is so boring but so far effective so I hope that dreams about french bread are worth it.

Here is an interesting fact about Jewish people that you might not know, they are very superstitious
when they are pregnant. This is not one of those official Jewish rule. Just one of those things that most Jewish people know.

When I was pregnant, I was not allowed to tell anyone (outside the immediate family) until I was at least 3 months along (everyone just thought I was getting rapidly obese).  In addition, many Jewish girls don't have baby showers or buy anything for the baby until after it comes.   Many Jewish girls order their cribs, etc but the stores don't deliver them until after the baby comes. My mother had her baby stuff stored in someone else's house until I was born.

Many Jews don't find out the sex of the baby. Very religious Jews don't even name the baby until the Bris (circumcision)


I had to know the gender of both of my children and I picked out names for both of my sons before they were born but did not have it written on anything until they were born. (This was also in case those sonograms were wrong). I did have a shower and set up the nursery before my sweet boy came along but I did not wash any of the baby clothes. As soon as he was born, the washer started running and has not stopped since.


Why this "craziness"? Well, Jews don't like to tempt fate. We don't know what G-d has in store for us.  My very wise grandmother used to say "We make plans and G-d laughs". This is the opposite of the Book "the secret".  I probably live in a world in between. I don't like to tempt fate but I do believe in the power of positive thinking.


What it an interesting custom that your culture has that I might now have heard of?

Daylight Savings Time. What are we saving?

When I was younger, I looooved Daylight savings time. It meant playing outside longer.

I did not really think about it again until I had my little Sam. He did not like to sleep late. Ever. Daylight savings time meant that his usual 6 a.m. (or earlier) wake up time was later. (at least for a while) This was amazing.

Now that I have a teenager who has to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to make it to high school, Daylight savings time seems like a cruel joke. No one in my house was tired last night and the boys were like zombies this morning. My son got to school and it was still dark!

The only saving grace is that this means that summer is right around the corner ...WOO HOO.

I need help...

I'm starting to get geared up for the big event coming up. I need to make swag bags for my guests. It's a destination event, so the  "out of town bags" are really for everyone. I am trying to be creative and budget conscious at the same time. It is my specialty and I love the challenge.

Only one of my guests reads my blog (my sister) so maybe I will run some ideas by you. I am open to all ideas. I need bulk pricing on canvas totes (nautical yet chic looking) and I am looking for canvas toiletry kits (sort of like the ones they hand out on international flights) but ones that are blank.


I pinned this from a website. I'd like it to look like this but more macho (it is for my son's party)

Anyone have any ideas where to get  a canvas pouch like this one for a good price?

I'm also trying to come up with cool things that my traveling friends and family would actually want to use during the trip. I'm going for chic (not tacky) and I'm good at the personalizing/branding


Please let me know any ideas that you have. Maybe if I get enough help from the blogging world, I can hold a contest and give one of the bags away to one of my readers.

I got the scarf (and other birthday happenings)

Having your Birthday on a Sunday rocks. It was one of those nice lazy Sundays. I did not do my usual Publix run. (we can last one more day). I did not do any laundry (which is my usual Sunday activity)

We did a lot of eating and lounging.  It was super cold here in SoFla.  Low of 48!  We made a fire in my fireplace. (Having a fireplace in Miami is just about moronic but when we do use it, it is amazing).

I checked my numerous Facebook messages. Facebook may be depressing every other day of the year but it certainly makes you feel like a rockstar on your Birthday.

I ate delicious cake from Epicure Market (the most wonderful gourmet market ever!) I drank wine. I planned to go on a serious diet on Monday and along with the Publix and laundry it should be lots of fun.

Regardless of what tomorrow will be like, I had a great Birthday with my men.

About five minutes after posting about the scarf that I did not buy, I ended up getting it! I'm really glad because I  love it and I would have been sad had I not bought it. It is the perfect size, color and weight and I'm certain that I will get enough use out of it.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yes, today is my birthday 3-3. It is easy to remember.

I'm having a great birthday weekend. Yesterday we attended the Bar Mitzvah and party of one of my son's best friends. His mother is one of my bff's. She is the one who has made my school (well my son's school) life so much better. She is organized and always know what assignments are due when. She has saved my life as a mother more than once.  She was so nervous about the party and events but she looked soooo good. Her dress was perfect and she looked hot with her hair and make up done. Isn't it funny how we are so used to seeing our mom-friends in their usual mom clothes that we are almost shocked when they get cleaned up?

Today I woke up and went to breakfast with my perfect husband (he just started reading my blog ..."hi honey!"). We went to a local deli where I had chocolate chip pancakes which were delicious but are one of those foods that taste great when you eat them but about five minutes later you think  "What was I thinking?"

I should have had some lox. Yes, it looks gross in the case but I love smoked salmon on a bagel with a touch of cream cheese and lots of veggies.

We then went to go get my favorite birthday perk...The free car wash! My local place does the outside and inside free on your birthday which is very exciting for a middle aged woman such as myself.


Last night I went to the mall with my husband. He hates the "Mall crawl" and totally went because I am the Birthday princess. I almost bought this scarf at Anthropologie but it was $50 bucks and I thought that was a lot for a scarf (maybe I am becoming cheap in my middle age). That seemed like a lot but the color was like the caribbean sea and a really light weight. I think I could wear it all summer. I am having non-buyers remorse and may have to go for it.

Do you think I should buy it or just find a less expensive one in the same color? I'm sure that I can if I search a little bit. $50 won't break the bank but in my book,  a scarf really should not be more than $25 unless it is cashmere or something to die for.

The boys are going to find me a cake later but it is seriously the last hurrah. We have a big event coming up and I need to stop eating anything that is not a fruit or a vegetable.

Boys getting axed...

I now live with two teenaged boys as my little baby boy turned 13 yesterday. One of the funny things that teenage boys do these days is called axing.

Axe is a stinky body spray. It comes in fragrances called Pulse, anarchy, phoenix and score. Boys think it is great because when they stink, they just mist it all over and they are magnets for teenaged girls. At least this is what boys think.

My boys love this stuff. It is about 5 bucks a can and I've been buying a lot of it. This phenomenon  is not limited to my home. My mom friends report similar patterns in their homes.

On Modern Family on Wednesday, middle school character Luke gets ready for a date in a similar fashion.  It's about 1 minute 20 seconds in. It cracked me up. The writers must live with teenaged boys!