Michael Vick... who will you pick?

Dear Michael Vick -

It seems the world of daytime television is fighting over you. Who will you pick?

If you know what's good for you, Oprah should be your first choice.

From one HPT'er to another - take the advice.

Sincerely,
Rebecca

How much would you pay to be a part of my wedding?

My friend, Sara, just introduced me via Facebook to a Bengals football fan who is auctioning off his allegiance to the team. The highest bidder will determine what team the guys gotta root for. Right now, he's going for $631.

Check it out.

This has got to me the smartest thing I've ever heard of.

So, I was thinking... dangerous I know... and my mother will probably kill me...

Should I attempt auctioning off an invitation to my wedding? A spot in my wedding party? Someone to do a reading at the ceremony?

I've developed a list of pros and cons to help me make my decision:

Pros:
1. If someone were to pay a large sum of money to attend/be a part of my wedding, it would certainly help with the costs
2. Any person who is willing to pay a large sum of money to attend a wedding probably has a good amount of money - it pays to have rich friends
3. This idea would have potential to get some press - and with press comes connections - and connections are always a positive
4. A story to remember for the rest of our lives, indeed, and our friends will tell their friends who will tell their friends who will tell their friends - we'll become legendary
5. We may need another groomsmen

Cons:
1. This person could be absolutely crazy and ruin my entire wedding - maybe even a psycho-killer, like the ones off of Criminal Minds
2. This person could just be trying to pick up a date, which would be dangerous for all of our single friends (although this could go both ways - maybe we needs some singles at the wedding?)


There seem to be more pros than cons... hmm... what do you think?

The Poor People's Present Provider...

Today was payday.
I'm broke.
The bills are piled high on my kitchen table, and the full time gig I've got going on only covers half of them. My new $500 credit card limit is spent, and I haven't even gotten the thing in the mail yet.

Yup, that's me. Living the dream.

I spent my day trying to figure out how I was going to cover the presents I had left to buy.

Future-sister-in-law #1 ... TO DO
Future-sister-in-law #2 ... check
Future Nieces #1, 2, and 3 ... check
Future Nephew #1 and Niece #4 ... TO DO
Mother-in-law, father-in-law, babysitter, work friend who constantly buys lunch, cousin-secret-santa, DAD!! Oh geez, what to get Dad??

Luckily my brother settled for an exchange (thank God for that GPS from Mom and Dad got me a few years back).

So at 6:30pm tonight, I had no idea what I was going to do. I had even considered pawning off some of my belongings to pull some money together.

How it happened, I don't know. The thought just came to me. But now I'm swearing that this is, without a doubt, the best kept secret in present giving this season!!!

Restaurant.com has saved my Christmas!!!

All you need is a gift certificate, or you can choose that special someone's favorite place. There are participating restaurants everywhere - and The Melting Pot is even in on the excitement. You spend $25, they give you a $50 gift certificate. Who knew! It's the smartest thing since sliced bread. Why wouldn't I want 50% off?

It gets better.

Working in an online environment, I know to check all coupon sites before ever making an online purchase. Almost every retailer out there, at least the smart ones, put their best deals on coupon sites. CouponCabin.com is one of my favorites - and boy did they come through for me on this one.

80% OFF YOUR PURCHASE AT RESTAURANT.COM!!! Just use the promo code "PRESENT" at check out! How is this possible?

So here's what I'm telling you...

I just knocked 8 people off of my Christmas To Do List for the small price of $36.
8 PEOPLE!!!
Valued at $375!!!!!

I paid $36 and I got $375... are you listening??? That's a little more than 90% off people!!!!

Well, if you haven't gotten the message by now, you never will. And that just means the $50 you just paid for a gift certificate at The Melting Pot - well, it could have been worth $500.

Ya snooze, ya lose!


(P.S.  This is not a paid advertisement, but if anyone out there from Restaurant.com wants to give me some money for promoting their brand, I'm more than happy to accept!)



LOVE. Always and Forever. Me & My Boys.

An ode to my love...

My dearest love, forget me not

You forget everything else

Thou shall returnest to me

Two minutes after you left the house

I hold this object in my hand

That you were supposed to deliver

Now you callest upon me

And I'll help you remember

... That's all I could think of ... Never said I was a poet!

LOVE. Always and forever. Me and my boys.

Girls Day In - The Do-It-Yourself Spa Experience

As a future bride, I am swamped with vendors wanting to give me a "deal" or "special price." Most of them call to tell me they are the best of the best in the area, only to hear that I'm having a luxurious destination wedding and I will not need their services. HA! Take that! 

My most recent ploy came from a Mary Kay consultant, claiming that I had won a spa day for me, my bridesmaids, and the mothers of the bride and groom. In fact, according to her, David's Bridal only picks one winner a month, and I was it. Fabulous! I never win anything, so you can imagine my excitement. As a future bride and mother of a one year old, boy did I need it.

So,  we set a tentative date and I sent the girls a Facebook message (this has replaced email, didn't you know?). After a few emails and phone calls from the darling consultant (still claiming I had been a winner), we set it in stone. It wasn't hard to convince the girls to come - it was a spa day after all. I guess the promise of brownies and mimosas didn’t hurt either.

The day finally arrived. Despite my better judgement (and my lack of serving trays), I pulled the Christmas china out. The table was set with ham biscuits on a dazzling snowflake plate, brownies sat atop a mistletoed platter, and the Cheez-It Snack Mix in a Christmas tree bowl.

A virgin to cheap champagne bottles (or any champagne bottle, for the matter), the popped plastic “cork” shot right at my forehead and champagne shot all over my counters, microwave and floor. I giggled, a virgin indeed. Coincidentally, the same thing happened with the GingerAle. I still laughed. Nothing like a good soda shower.

The orange juice and champagne was served in four red and green snowflaked wine glasses. The rest of us would have to settle for the plastic magic bullet cups with our personalized red and blue screw-on rims. (One of the best Christmas presents ever!)

The consultant arrived and set up our spa experience by placing MaryKay Christmas gift sets up on my living room side table. My long, micro-fiber couch would have to do for a table. “I can just squeeze everything in their hands,” she told me. The do-it-yourself spa experience. A first in my book.

First, I’ll show my guests how to put wax and an exfoliant on their hands, wash it off and add lotion. Instantly smooth hands. Amazing. “And only $34 for the entire set.” WOW!

“Now - use this cloth to dab your face and remove your make-up.” Are we having fun yet? Where’s my hot towel?

“This is our night time formula. I’m going to put a dab on the back of your hand and you’ll feel your skin tighten up.” Speaking of tight - how’s that tension in your shoulders?

“Here’s our daytime formula, and it even has SPF. Put it on your face in an upward-down motion.” I’m sorry, is that up or down? Aren’t you supposed to be doing this?

“Now we’ll determine your foundation. I’m going to come around to all of you to find your color. Just turn your neck to the side and I’ll test it.” Ok, yeah, testing my neck. I like the sound of that. Can you dab that foundation a little harder? Oh, that’s the spot.

Here comes that upward-down motion again. Really? Isn’t she supposed to be doing this? Can we at least get some cucumbers on our eyes? I knew I forgot something at the store.

Last, but not least, blush, liquid lipstick and lipgloss. Finally, something that releases some tension - a little color and glam. Now this - this I will use my free $25 gift certificate on for hosting the party. HA! Take that!

Oh - I forgot to mention the intriguing and intuitive purse game that we played throughout our little spa adventure. Grab your purse and see if you can identify things that start with these letters...

“M”

“MIRROR!”

“Great. M stands for MaryKay - the founder of our company.” 

“E”

“EYEGLASSES”

“Great. E stands for enriching women’s lives.”

“S”

“SUNGLASSES”

“Great. S stands for social responsibility.”

“O”

OK - Enough!

OMG - Where is my pedicure?

OUCH - I thought this would get rid of my headache.

So maybe I’m over-exaggerating a little. I can’t say it was all that bad. I was with my girlfriends and we were drinking mimosas. We did get a kick out of the crazy colors that ended up on our faces. And a laugh out of the sales pitch that we were tricked into hearing - not just to buy the expensive “affordable” make-up, but to sell it too. The promise of a bright pink MaryKay Cadillac may have been tossed around - but only if you make it to a Sales Manager position - chances are slim to none. The “we are not a pyramid scam” speech, and the “we do not make commissions, we receive ‘thank you’s’ from the company” speech really convinced me.

Oh the lengths you marketers and advertisers will go through to get me to buy something.

I should know, I work in for an online company that sells pet products. And yes, you did win a spa day for you and your pet. Enjoy the do-it-yourself spa experience, where all your have to do is everything, and all we want from you is your money.

If I Could Make It Go Away...

Events Disappear in Time

Check this out... they are claiming that what was once dreamed of in Star Trek and Back To The Future is now possible. Move over Doc Brown, here I come.

If you could go back and time and re-do one thing, what would it be? ... Oh where to begin ...

Once upon a time, I punched my brother in the back of the head.
Once upon a time, I let my son play with the crockpot.
Once upon a time, my baby sister fell off a chair.
Once upon a time, I drove drunk.
Once upon a time, my dad pulled the chair from underneath me and I cried.
Once upon a time, I turned down Philadelphia Magazine.

That was then, this is now...

Once upon a time, I met a boy at a barbeque. We fell in love. We got pregnant. We moved in together. We had a boy. We got engaged. And now we will live happily ever after.

No time travel needed.

"Some pages turned, some bridges burned, but there were lessons learned."



LOVE. Always and Forever. Me and My Boys.

Its Christmas in ... November? Something is off...

Why are we already starting to hear Christmas music on the radio ?

Thanksgiving has not even arrived yet!

I am not a scrooge.

I swear.

Although I do enjoy hearing NSYNC on the radio this time of the year - its the only time they ever get any exposure.

Did you know that Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block are going on tour together?
I want to know who is actually getting tickets to this show... and why!?!?
Wouldn't you rather spend money on someone who is new and hip and not washed up?
There's a reason they are all stuck in their boybands and not launching solo careers.

How did Justin Timberlake do it? ... Timberland?

Speaking of Timberlands... we are looking for little baby Timbs... best place to buy?

Talk about a rant.

LOVE. Always and Forever. Me and My Boys.