Category Archives: shopping

Bruuuuuce!

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My hubby is a die hard Bruce fan.  I mean the kind that will travel (within reason) to see more than one show on a tour.  In fact, we’ve got tix for both LA and San Francisco this tour already.  While I may be a Jersey Girl born and bred, I was unfortunately born a couple of years too late to worship at the pulpit of Brother Bruce.

In my defense, I was a freshman in high school during the Born in the USA heyday.  And well, let’s face it, that was such a commercial pop album that it’s not like it did much to turn me into a fan, especially considering I was already experimenting with Brit pop and the new wave scene (like any good, big-haired girl from Jersey in the 80’s!).  From there we had Nebraska and Atlantic City and all those depressing albums.  Me, I’m more of a River fan.  If you want me to enjoy Bruce, then give me the classic Bruce.

I’ve seen him three times since hooking up with the hubby and let me tell ya,  he puts on one helluva show.  I’m just not a die hard fan – much to the dismay of his online Bruce Fan friends.  No really, when the “Bruce folks” (as they’re referred to) talk about the hubby’s wife (being me) the first question asked is if I’m a fan.  Then comes the let down that I’m not only not a fan, but I’m a Jersey Girl.  Yeah, I’m a total disappointment to that group.  Luckily, they still love me, hubby included.  Of course, I’m sure he’d much rather I didn’t sing along to Brother Bruce at a full out scream, but hey, that’s half the fun for me (don’t ask).

So my point to this Bruuuuce post…why is it that my hubby, the guy that’s actually in the music industry and gets 2-25 CDs delivered a day (yes, a day!), had to have me run out to Best Buy to pick up the latest Bruce album today – the actual day of release?  Should I even mention the fact that he’s had a bootleg pre-release for a couple of weeks already? Eh well, it’s not like I had something better to do between loads hanging out at the laundromat today.

Things I’m Loving Right Now

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Aside from the obvious – my hubby, my boys, my friends – I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things (in no particular order)…

* Coke Zero & Cherry Coke Zero – my friend, a diehard Coke fan tried a sip of mine this past week and even she was impressed how good it taste.  It’s that good.  So if you normally don’t like diet sodas, try Coke Zero.

*  Fiber One bars – I’m not a big breakfast person so these work out great for a quick meal.  I love to take these with me when I travel for those times when we’re not quite ready for a big meal, but still need something (and have slept through the free breakfast).  I prefer the chocolate over the peanut butter, but trust me, both are good.

* Mac – We recently became a Mac-only household and I’m totally loving both my G5 and my super portable iBook.  For those considering making the switch, have no fear, it’s super easy.  And my system crashes so much less (if at all) since we switched.

* OPI polish – They not only have the greatest colors and the coolest names, but it lasts much longer than the cheaper crap out there.  Totally worth the extra couple of bucks.

* Public Library – I read a lot of books (well, I read a lot of books in spurts at least), so I’ve recently started getting my books through the library.  I love that I can request books online and they’ll shoot me an email when my book has arrived.  This has saved me tons of money recently.

* Vichy Intensive Care for Dried Out Lips – I’ll admit it, I’m addicted to lip products.  I am constantly purchasing new lipsticks, glosses and lip balms.  This baby (from CVS)  is awesome for that pre-bed slather of lip balm.

That’s enough for now.  I could keep going on and on, but I’d rather hold off and rave again another time.

Have I Mentioned That it’s HOT?!?

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Yeah, and we’re not exactly thinking too straight either. Yesterday, when it was 103ish here, my friend and I drove deep into the San Fernando Valley where it was measuring 106 just to do a little shopping. Then today, gluttons for punishment that we are, we’re heading into the Palm Dessert where it’s currently 108ish to do some outlet shopping. The things I do to avoid crowds and search out the bargains. Yeesh!

Last night as we were driving home over the hill from Sunset Blvd to Ventura Blvd, as soon as we crested the hill and hit the valley, the temps went up about 10 degrees! Then later, when we finally turned off our AC unit (since it doesn’t cool the bedroom) at around 1:00AMish, there was only a one degree difference between inside the house at 82 and outside the house at 83.

Man, Valley living can really kind of suck. Especially in the late summer. If the smog doesn’t get you, the crazy summer heat will.

Okay, off to shop!

Gaiam’s 10 DVD Workout Package – It’s a Killer Deal!

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A friend pointed this out to me earlier today in her blog. This really is a great deal (and I *heart* Leslie Sansone!)

Toned and Healthy DVD Set

Ten DVDs on a variety of healthy lifestyle topics, like walking, yoga, weight loss and sleep solutions.

Assorted kit; contents may vary. DVDs that may be included are: Leslie Sansone Short Cuts 1 & 2, Leslie Sansone You Can do Yoga, Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds Abs, Leslie Sansone Ab Buster, Leslie Sansone Short Cuts 3, Leslie Sansone Walking Collection, Leslie Sansone Walking Collection 2, Health Solutions for Sleep Multimedia Kit, Health Solutions for Stress Kit, Yoga for Weight Loss DVD collection. ”

It’s listed at $28.99 – on clearance from $214! Take an additional $10 off with this code: CS88 (for $10 off $15 or more)

With shipping it came to $26.32 for me.

It’s Been Two Years in the Making

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And I think it’s time for me to stop fighting it. Let’s face it, I’m a stay-at-home wife *sigh* Granted, there’s nothing wrong with it, and most of the time I love it. But well, it’s just not what I always dreamed I’d be when I grew up. Mind you, I do also work from home on our business and our site and I’m working on getting back to doing therapy work, but that’s a post for another day.

I take care of the house. I spend my day running errands. I make sure my husband never wants for anything (clean shirts and his favorite snacks included). I plan our menu (yet another post for another day). I play bunco monthly and belong to a book club. I’ve even done the Junior League thing. But today, today is what made it official and made me finally face the music.

Today after running some errands (my God how I love the Container Store) I decided to stop by the mall for a quickie visit. My mission, I’m embarrassed to admit, to check out a Coach purse. Richard bought me a Coach bag last Christmas and I just love everything about it (to be honest, I’m a bit of a purse whore and covet many – though I can usually control myself with some heavy bag petting). Now as I’m planning my best friend’s 40th birthday trip to Vegas, I decided that it was time to get a new purse for our trip (I seem to have a nasty habit of making unnecessary, silly, pre-vacation purchases — again, another post for another day).

I decided on an across the body, smallish bag that would be great for travel. It drives me nuts when I’m out traveling to worry about my purse, or to keep having it fall down my shoulder. So trust me, this baby will get much use. It’s got an outside pocket to hold the cell, a little zipper to hold the lip balms and lipsticks, and the larger pocket for everything else, including the camera. It’s got black trim, but is also brown and khaki so it should go with everything. I think I’m in love. With a purse. How sad. And never mind that we’ll be passing two Coach outlets on the way to Vegas because dammit, I needed this now!

So yeah, it may have been two years in the making, but there’s no denying it now. What’s next? A mini-van or an SUV? *yeesh*

Now I Remember – Damn that Bristol Farms

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I hit up Bristol Farms this weekend and while almost falling for the succulent $6.99/pound cherries, I was reminded of this post I wrote up last August. Somethings never change, I guess…

I know the experts say that you shouldn’t go grocery shopping hungry. Well, whatever you do, DON’T go to Bristol Farms hungry!!! In general, that place is pricey. But man, when you add hunger into the picture it’s just crazy expensive!

Doesn’t help that at lunch time they have samples of all sorts of goodies out and about; cheese, turkey AND egg salad sandwiches, fig spread, sausage, pastries, crackers and dips, you name it! I went in to take my JOLT picture for the 26 Things and ended up with $25 worth of crap! I picked up some croutons (um…I don’t really like croutons!), a bottle of Boylan black cherry cola (yum!), a bottle of black tea with ginseng and honey, a pineapple coconut muffin (so good!), an oatmeal scone for the hubby (I’m such a good wife – or would that make me an enabling wife?) and a cup of iced coffee (to have with my muffin).

But hey, it could’ve been MUCH worse. I tasted some bing cherries so I thought I’d pick up a bag. They weren’t the sweetest, but they were still tasty and you guys know how I love me some cherries! So I get to the check out (after also picking up a Domino magazine – yeah, I needed that!) and get all rung up. Um…the cherries are $24!!!!!!! WTF?!?!? I ask if I’m reading that correctly and she tells me that yes, they’re $8.99 a pound. So apparently, those tasty and PLUMP cherries in the pre-packaged bag weighed 3 freakin’ pounds!!! Hello…it was a smallish bag!!!!

Needless to say, I left the cherries behind. I may be a cherry slut (make that a cherry-less slut – ha!), but I just can’t permit myself to spend $24 on mediocre cherries. Just think what I could buy at a farmer’s market for that price!

The moral of the story, stay away from Bristol Farms unless there’s a special occasion or you need a yummy hostess gift. I knew I should have gone to that soda store in Highland Park instead! Come one, if it’s good enough for the Food Network, it’s good enough for me.

The funniest part of this to me was the response I got from some random guy…”Maybe you should get some psychological help. Just a suggestion.” I guess he just didn’t get it. Oh well.

Fits Like a Glove

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And it was on sale to boot!!!

Out here in the Valley, it gets hot in the summer. I mean really hot – and I’m sure I’ll be posting about that quite a bit from here on out. And me, well, I work from home in our barely air conditioned apartment (thank God it’s on the bottom floor!!) that also gets hot inside with the AC on! And working from home, well, there’s never much of a need to dress up – unless you count running to the grocery store or visiting with the UPS guy (yeah, like we’re buds). So I’m always looking for comfortable clothes to lounge about in.

Since I’ve started working out some months ago, along with our hour+ evening walks, I’m just blowing through my sports bras. *There’s a connection here, keep reading* I keep buying new ones, yet I never seem to have enough. The other day I decided to stop by Old Navy and check out their rockin’ summer sale (they’re losing their in-store plus department and everything is bargain basement cheap). While there wasn’t all too much for me that I needed or wanted (again, it’s not like I need the perfect outfit to sit in our office and mess around on the computer all day), I decided to pick up a new sports bra.

I wasn’t really expecting much, but man, I’m in love! So much so that I ran out yesterday during our crazy day of furniture shopping to hit up a different Old Navy and picked up two more. I have a feeling I will be living in these all summer. So much more comfortable than my more bra-like sports bras. It doesn’t rub, chafe (not that mine ever did), or move around. It’s long enough that it sits super comfortable on my back and doesn’t cut into my ribcage right under the boobies. It’s great for working out as well as for lounging about.

So while this is a strange as hell topic to blog about. I just have to say…I’m just so damn comfortable that I just don’t care! Stay cool!

Diamonds are this Girl’s Best Friend

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Back when we got engaged, I suggested that we not go out and spend a small fortune on an engagement ring. Instead, we’d use my great grandmother’s, vintage ring. Turns out it was approximately 100 years old, with a flawless, light yellow, miner’s cut diamond, in a yellow gold setting (the cut is what told us the age of the ring).

Well, thing is, I really don’t like yellow gold and only wear it from time to time – and I never got around to sizing it since I first gained possession when I was about 13 or so. So I wound up having them remove the diamond and putting it in a plain, solitaire setting. I wore it every day until we got married. Then I wore my wedding ring. I thought I’d wear the two together, but since my great grandmother’s ring was so yellow, you couldn’t wear them together. So basically, I wore one or the other (or nothing) depending on my mood.

Talk about regrets, though. I’ve thought about this ring nearly every day. I felt HORRIBLE knowing that I ruined not only a family heirloom, but an antique just because I don’t wear yellow gold. So I decided a few weeks ago to drop the two rings off at our favorite jeweler’s and see what they could do. I was terrified that the Robbins Brothers’ gang ruined the setting since it looked like the stone was just ripped out. Well, we finally got around to picking it up today. Let me just say…it looks awesome! You can’t even tell the the stone was ever removed.

I am just so happy and grateful to have this ring back (and sized perfectly). Really, I’m thrilled. It looks good as new and so pretty. I’ve always loved the vintage, deco-look in wedding/engagement rings. Now I know I’ll be wearing it a lot more. Peace of mind for $20! What more could you ask for?

Of course, I can’t find my favorite yellow gold necklace, so I think I’ll just have to buy a new one. But hello, it’s not like we purchased an engagement ring to begin with, right? Just think of all the money we saved back then. And our favorite jeweler is having a sale next week!

Now what do I do with my old solitaire setting? Can you say emerald?!? *wink*

Thursday Thirteen – Things that Make Me Smile

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Thirteen Things that Make Me Smile

1. My husband doing his goofy, white-boy dance
2. My pupster smiling when he’s tummy up getting love
3. When our cat tries to snuggle with our dog
4. Reading praise for my website
5. Phone calls and emails from old friends
6. Reading a good book
7. Good chocolate
8. Finding a bargain
9. The first sip of a well-made margarita
10. Taking a great picture
11. A beautiful LA day after a rain
12. Tulips
13. Fitting into a smaller size