Gift Idea Friday - Take Out Menu Organizer

This week's gift idea is esspecially for those organizational nuts - Take Out Menu Organizer from Uncommon Goods. You can help someone eliminate that cluttered drawer of menus with this wonderful organizational item. This Take Out Menu Organizer includes:

• 30 sleeves for storing up to 60 menus
• six tabbed dividers for various cuisines
• 50 ratings stickers
• takeout tips
• 50-sheet group ordering pad.

This item is available through Uncommon Goods and its only $20.

Favorite Thing #55 - Ladder Ball

This is one of my favorite outdoor games - Ladder Ball! We were introduced to this game by my cousins-in-law, Marc and Kerri. It's a really fun game that I like to think of as a modern horseshoes/bean bag game. Each player or team tosses bolos (rubber balls attached to rope); and at the ladder with the goal of wrapping it around one of the rungs. Each rung is worth a different value. There are several different ways to keep score but the way that we do is after each round you count up the number of points the player/team scored. You play to 21 -- no going over.

We found the best company and also the most affordable to get the game is by a company called Sportcraft. It's available through Amazon, Target, and Wal-Mart (that I know of). I've seen it priced anywhere from $25 - $35. The great thing about the game is it's portable. The game itself is made up a PVC piping that you just connect so it's easy to take with you to places like the beach, a friends house, or even tailgating at a football game. That's what we did last year.

You also may know this game as...


Norwegian Horseshoes, Ladder Golf, Snakes, Hillbilly Golf, Polish Golf, Tower Ball, Gladiator, Snake Toss, Ladder Toss, Rodeo Golf, Dingle Balls, Cowboy Golf, Redneck Golf, The Snake Game, Slither, Snakes & Ladders, Hillbilly Horsehoes, Flingy Ball, Norwegian Golf, Swedish Golf, Polish Horsehoes, Montana Golf, Lasso Golf, Australian Horseshoes, Ladder Game, Monkey Balls, Golfball Horseshoes, Arizona Golf Balls, Ball Dangle, Poor Mans Golf, Bolo Toss, even Testicle Toss!



Backyard and Patio Fun posted about a new version of this fabulous game called Spin-It Ladder Ball.



It may need to be our next backyard game purchase!

Great Buy - White Jacket from Wal-Mart

I just found this great buy at Wal-Mart (yes Wal-Mart) while I was in Florida this past weekend. I don't normally shop at Wal-Mart because there isn't one near my house. I was at Wal-Mart with my parents this weekend picking up a few things for their house when I stumbled on this jacket. I was soooo excited when I found it because I had been looking for a jacket just like this. I had actually found one at J.Crew (surprise, surprise) - the Fiona Jacket -but it was $99 (was $168) and the color I wanted (white) sold out right away. So when I saw this jacket I had to have it! They had the size and color that I wanted and you couldn't beat the price - $24.82!!!!! The quality's not bad. It's 55% linen and 45% lyocell. It comes in three different colors - white, chocolate and khaki.

Gift Idea - Hidden Message Collar Stays

This gift idea is perfect for that special man in your life. I got this gift idea for my husband this past Christmas and he absolutely loves them. He had just started a new job so I wanted to get him something that was thoughtful but also useful. The collar stays were perfect gift! The ones that come with the shirts he buys are plastic and don't hold up. These metal ones work perfectly and there are two different sizes that come in the set and so far they have fit every shirt he owns.

Here are some of the sayings from the PG version:

Here are some sayings from the "racy" version:

Here are some details about the product from the Red Envelope:

• 12 stays include six each of two sizes—2 1/2" and 2 3/4"


• available in PG or racy version; see below for available styles


• PG version includes messages such as “You’re so handsome” and “You make me laugh”
  racy version includes messages such as “I might if you ask me” and “That tie will be useful”


• PG version comes in a cognac leather carrying case lined with blue faux suede; racy version comes in a black leather carrying case lined with red faux suede
  case: 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" x 3/4" when closed; magnetic closure


• case may be debossed in silver foil with up to three initials

Favorite Thing #54 - Chapel of Love

Here's another favorite pedicure color - OPI's Chapel of Love. This is a great, soft pink color perfect for toes this summer. Right now its available on Amazon.com for $6.50.

Favorite Thing #53 - J.Crew Favorite Tank

I practically LIVE in these things during the spring and summer months. They are the most comfortable, fit any figure nicely, must have tank top - J.Crew's favorite tank. I have been wearing these since college. They go with anything and just great to put on when you want something cut but comfortable. I probably have one in almost every color - I think my collection is up to 15 now. They are available year round in a variety of colors. I normally layer them usually with a white tank underneath a bright colorful one. Since I layer I have a couple white tanks in the collection.

Here's a description from J.Crew:

"Introducing our new ribbed-cotton favorite—longer and softer, updated with thinner, more refined trim and preshrunk for a perfect fit. Slightly higher scoopneck for optimal coverage. Fitted. Binding along scoopneck and armholes. Hits at low hip."

The tanks tops are $16.50 each. I never pay full price for them. I usually wait till the end of the season when they go on sale like $9.99 and then I stock up. Happy Shopping!!!!

Favorite Thing #52 - Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

This is another book by one of my favorite authors Emily Giffin. I have written a post about her two of her other books early on this blog. At first I thought this book was going to be a continuation from Something Borrowed and Something Blue but it wasn't. Baby Proof is a completely different storyline about Claudia Parr a woman who meets the love of her life who agrees with her to have a child-free marriage. Their lives both change after one of them has a change of heart. It's a witty story that shows us the ups and downs of love and life. I don't think it is as good as her first two books but definitely keep my interest and another book I read in under two days.

Here's a description from Amazon.com:

From the author of the smash hits Something Borrowed and Something Blue comes a novel that explores the question: is there ever a deal-breaker when it comes to true love?
First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes . . . a baby carriage? Isn’t that what all women want? Not so for Claudia Parr. And just as she gives up on finding a man who feels the same way, she meets warm, wonderful Ben. Things seem too good to be true when they fall in love and agree to buck tradition with a satisfying, child-free marriage. Then the unexpected occurs: one of them has a change of heart. One of them wants children after all. This is the witty, heartfelt story about what happens to the perfect couple when they suddenly want different things. It’s about feeling that your life is set and then realizing that nothing is as you thought it was---and that there is no possible compromise. It’s about deciding what is most important in life, and taking chances to get it. But most of all, it’s about the things we will do---and won’t do---for love.

And other bloggers like this book too - 30GreatBooks and Ritka's Ramblings

Good news for Emily Giffin readers. Her new book has finally been released!!!!

I bought Love the One You're With last week and plan on reading it over the weekend when I am in Florida. Stay tuned for a book review next week. :)

Favorite Thing #51 - Sephora Body Scrub

This is a recently new favorite thing. I was out of the scrub I usually use and so when I was at Sephora I decided to try something new. I picked up the Sephora brand body scrub in the Tangerine Grapefruit fragrance (I had gotten a sample of something else in that scent and loved it). After one use I really, really liked it!!! It buffs my skin with gentle beads and scents skin just enough so that I can skip that spritz of perfume. The container is also very user friendly. Most of the scrubs that I have used in the past have come in a tub and its hard to use in the shower to get the scrub, screw that the top back on while having the scrub in hand and all the while trying not to get water in the tub so you don't dilute it. This scrub comes in a handy bottle that has a flip cap. Super easy!!!! The beads are gentle enough that I can use it after I shaved and not irritate my legs but also rough enough to polish my skin. It's available in Sephora stores and online for $16.00. I have found that it lasts me a couple of months since I don't use it everyday day.

Favorite Find - Boden "Fun" Skirt

I have gotten the Boden catalog in the mail and I always found cute things but never decided to actually buy anything until about a month ago when the catalog came and it said I could take 10% off! I decided to get a couple of things and was very happy with everything I got especially today's favorite find - Fun Skirt. Its different from most of the skirts I own (which is why I think I love it so much) and its versatile enought that I can dress it up for work but dress it down for whenever. I paired the skirt with Boden's double layer three quarter length sleeve shirt in coral and it matches great. I usually only wear one of the two shirts and either one works. I have worn a neutral shoe with it either my nude pumps or nude sandals and if you don't have either you could pair it with a brown shoe. Be careful when ordering because the sizes are European. Just follow their size guide, that's what I did and had no problems.

Here's some more detail about the skirt:

• Fixed waistband
• Gentle A-line shape
• Slanted front pockets
• Appliqué flower with raw edge detail at front and back
• Appliqué contrast sunflower detail at front and back
• Appliqué contrast leaf detail at front and back
• Abstract circle appliqué detail at front and back
• Concealed side zip

Favorite Thing #50 - J.Crew Elastic Wedge Flip Flops

These flip flops have been a favorite thing of mine since college. At first I started wearing the classic J.Crew wedge flip flops and loved them because they can me a little extra height and were super comfortable. Then a few years ago they came out with the elastic kind and I loved these even more. These are a thong flip flop with an elastic band. They have a rubber footbend and sole with a 1 5/8" wedge. There are a variety of colors available. I have a pair in black, brown and navy! What I like about these sandals is they are casual enough to wear everyday but if I wanted to wear them to the bar on the weekends they work too. They are $19.50 and right now J.Crew has a special that if you buy 2 or more they are 30% off.

Favorite Thing #49 - OPI's My Chihuahua Bites

With pedicure season in full affect I thought I would share one of my favorite colors to wear on my toes in spring and summer - My Chihuahua Bites!!! It's the perfect summer color with orange and pink tones in it. The color is bright and fun perfect for your open toe shoes! You can get it at Amazon right now for $5.49!!

Gift Idea Friday - Motherhood Necklace from Red Envelope

With Mother's Day on Sunday here is the perfect gift! It's a necklace that you an give your mom to tell her that you love her! The necklace "symbolizing the bond between mother and child, the pendant features two figures with arms joined to form a heart." It's from one of my favorite gift places - Red Envelope and it's pretty affordable. It comes in both silver ($38) and gold ($48). The pendant is simple and small. I've actually given one to my mom and husband gave one to his as well (his idea...it was before we met). This doesn't just have to be for Mother's Day. It can be for birthday, new mome present or just because you love her.

Below are some details from Red Envelope about the piece -

• offered in sterling silver or 18k-gold vermeil. see below for available styles
• snake chain
• lobster clasp
• pendant measures 3/8" x 7/8" high
• chain measures 20" long
• made in USA

Great Buy! - Issac Mizrahi for Target Dress

I just found this dress on Saturday and I am sooo excited about it that I had to share it with all of you. It's sooo cute. The picture really doesn't do it justice. I had been looking for a new dress for wedding season this year and really didn't find much. I had found one at Anthropologie that I loved but it was $300 and I didn't feel like spending that kind of money. So when I was in Target on Saturday I was sooo excited to see this dress!! It's very similar to the one that I tried on at Anthropologie but a quarter of the price! It's $44.99!!!! One warning I will give is that the dress does run a little small - I went a size bigger than I normally do.

Here are some details from Target.com about this fabulous dress -

• Add a Flirty Frill to Your Wardrobe with this A-Line Dress


• Sleeveless Cut, V-Neck Pretty


• Empire Waistline, Sexy V-Back, Back Zip-and-Hook


• Made of 100% Cotton; Line Dry, Hand Wash Cold


• Full Skirt


• Classic Pleats

Favorite Thing #48 - Dirt Devil Broom Vac

This favorite thing was a housewarming gift from Mark and April and my husband and I absolutely LOVE it. The best way to describe this is that its like a broom but instead of having to sweep everything up with a dustpan and brush it sucks it up for you. This product is amazing!!! It works on tile, hardwood floors and even the throw rugs I have on my floors. It's so easy now to clean the floors. And this products comes in all sorts of fun colors!!!!

Here are some product details from DirtDevil.com:

• The Dirt Devil Broom Vac is a cordless broom that sweeps and vacuums in one easy step.


• With 60% more power than the original Broom Vac™, the redesigned Broom Vac is convenient enough for quick pick ups, but powerful enough for everyday cleaning.


• Simply push the foot switch with a tip of a toe, sweep dirt as normal and watch the mess disappear.


• The product is ideal for cleaning dry spills on a variety of hard floor surfaces such as wood, linoleum, marble and tile.


• And unlike the old straw broom and dustpan, there`s no need for bending over and no messy line of dirt left behind.


• After use, simply remove the unit's dirt cup and empty.


• To recharge the Broom Vac simply plug in the adaptor.

Book Review - The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld

This book only took me about two weeks to read (I did have some extra free time to read while I was visiting my friend in Houston). It was a quick, easy read - a definite beach book. The jist of the book is in the title - the main character Hannah is looking for the 'man of her dreams.' The book starts with Hannah as an awkard 14 year-old girl and takes the reader through her journey to find love till she is in her late 20s. Its a relatable journey that many women can relate to. Below is an editiorial review from Amazon:

Sittenfeld's poignant if generic follow-up to her bestselling debut, Prep, similarly tracks a young woman's coming-of-age, but rather than navigating an elite school's nasty and brutish social system, this time the narrator contends with a dysfunctional family and her own yearnings for love. Fourteen-year-old Hannah Gavener is abruptly shipped off from Philadelphia to live with her aunt in Pittsburgh when her mercurial, vindictive father breaks up his marriage and family, which includes Hannah's older sister, Allison, and their browbeaten mother. Sweet but insecure and passive, Hannah had "been raised... not to be accommodated but to accommodate," an upbringing that hobbles all her subsequent relationships. The novel follows Hannah through her teens and late 20s (from 1991 to 2005), as she searches for romantic fulfillment, navigates friendships (e.g., with her larger-than-life cousin Fig) and alternately tries to reconcile with her father and distance herself from him. But the most influential connection Hannah makes is with her psychiatrist, Dr. Lewin, whom she begins seeing her freshman year at Tufts. Although the novel aspires to be taken seriously and Hannah is a sympathetic protagonist, she remains a textbook case of a young woman who wants "a man who will deny her. A man of her own who isn't hers."

Favorite Thing #47 - Bath and Body Works Scent - Japanese Cherry Blossom

I have become obsessed with this scent from Bath and Body Works - Japanese Cherry Blossom. Now that spring is here and summer is right around the corner I don't like to wear much perfume and this is the perfect compromise of something light and airy but still makes you smell good. I use the lotion and the body splash and its the perfect combination. Recently I had to order some of my favorite air freshners from there so I thought I would expand on the JCB products. Being sent to me right now is body splash (to replace the small bottle I have), Instant Radiance Gradual Tan Body Lotion (which I am hoping works like the Jergens lotion), and Body Butter (too replace the small lotion I have).

Favorite Thing #46 - Blog: My Wardrobe Today

I came across My Wardrobe Today randomly several months ago when I was going from one blog to another looking for some fashion blogs to start reading. And this one is by far my favorite and one I check most often. The writer is a woman who lives in the DC area and literally blogs about her wardrobe every day and she has some GREAT fashion sense. She has a great mix of clothes for work and play from a variety brands. And she knows what its like to be a fashionista on a budget. In fact, I added two things from my wardrobe because of her posts - a super cute J.Crew Orange Peacoat Sweater and fabulous orange and pink peep toe wedges also from J.Crew. Here is a link of her wearing both together - super cute!

She loves J.Crew and Banana Republic which are two of my favorites stores and her style is simple and chic. Check out her posts and find some great ideas for your wardrobe. She also has another blog that on personal style that is just as good - Wardrobe Oxygen.