my pink toes

Thanks for entering my first-ever contest based on my first-ever Muxtape! I really enjoyed reading all of your entries...especially this one, which is especially funny if you've ever dissected a movie with Heidi's mom.

The question: What do the following songs all have in common?
"Celebration" by Kool and the Gang
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple
"Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc (really, that's the name of a group?!)
"Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones
"Papa's Got a Brand-New Bag" by James Brown
"Teenager in Love" originally by Dion and the Belmonts

The answer: They are all on Raving Rabbids 2, a game for the Wii. They have a series Rock Band-like levels where you can "play" the instruments to the songs by doing the appropriate Wii motions in time with the music. My kids have played this a lot. A WHOLE lot.

My friend Aaron came through with the winning entry - on only one try! Way to go, Aaron! He says he doesn't have a Wii (yet), so his 3 boys can't torture him with these songs. All in due time, Aaron....all in due time. Maybe you can use that Amazon gift certificate toward RR for your Xbox?

Mike and Jen* got the bonus prize (booby prize?): A CD with all the songs on it! They answered so many times and cracked me up - I had to give them something. And now I hear that their son Eric likes to go to sleep to "Smoke on the Water" as a lullaby. Oh yes, my work here is done.

Thanks for playing, and stay tuned for the next contest!

*Unfortunately, Jen looks like this in EVERY SINGLE picture I have of her. It's truly amazing. In person, her eyes are balanced, vibrant, and an attractive shade of brown.

Filed Under "Contests & Giveaways" on July 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

You all know how much I love pedicures, but this one seems a little too weird for me. What about you? Would you do it?

From China Daily, via AP:
Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.

"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said.

He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they're sanitary.

Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, which are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.

But Ho doubted they would thrive in the warm water needed for a comfortable footbath. And he didn't know if customers would like the idea.

"I know people were a little intimidated at first," Ho said. "But I just said, 'Let's give it a shot.' "

Customers were quickly hooked.

Tracy Roberts, 33, of Rockville, Md., heard about it on a local radio show. She said it was "the best pedicure I ever had" and has spread the word to friends and co-workers.

[h/t to my MOM - who cut the article out of the local paper for me]

Don't forget to enter my contest. I've gotten many entertaining guesses so far, but no one has got it yet. I may have to post a couple hints.

Filed Under "Let's Go Surfin' Now...(www)" on July 23, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

UPDATE: We have a winner! Way to go, Aaron!

I thought I'd try something new and check out this Muxtape thing the kids are all talking about these days. As a result, I was inspired to create my own Muxtape (which took we quite a while - but hey - now I know how to rip and burn and slash and warp like all the cool kids). What mix should I make? Why, a mix of the six gosh-dang songs that are in my head on SERIOUSLY heavy rotation these days, of course!

So I had this great idea to post my mix and have a contest: You tell me what all these songs have in common, and WHY THEY ARE RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD (leave your answer in the comments), and I'll send the winner a $10 Amazon or iTunes gift certificate to buy your own songs with. Feel free to buy the ones in this mix, if you'd like them to be in YOUR head ALL THE LIVE-LONG DAY! Track 2 is a killer - just TRY to forget it!

So, let the guessing begin! Contest closes at 7pm Pacific Time on Sunday, July 27. (I'm giving you a while, so those who don't check that often because I've been a slacker poster can have a chance to stop by and enter). The first correct answer (by timestamp on comments) wins. If no one guesses the correct answer by that time (and yes - there is a specific, correct answer), then I'll draw a number at random for the winner.

Good luck, have fun, and enjoy the INTERNAL AUDIO MONOTONY!

Filed Under "Contests & Giveaways" on July 20, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBacks (0)

Yes, I succumbed. But, they are adorable, aren’t they?! The salesman totally buttered me up, saying I had THE foot for this kind of peep-toe, and that they needed a perfect pedicure, like mine. I knew he was laying it on, but I ate it up anyway - it made this girl feel good! He continued by saying, "Men LOVE women in shoes like this. You are so tall, this makes you all legs! And men love pedicured toes, trust me!" I laughed, "Actually my husband hates shoes and doesn't see the point of pedicures".

Thanks to Kim for tipping me off to the fact that come Saturday, they’ll be on sale at Nordstrom – I’ll have to take them in next week to get a partial discount.

Also - yes - my feet are very very narrow - see how much the strap hovers above my foot? I’m going to have to get those taken in a bit. But? So. Worth. It.

Abigail is getting married in November. I MUST find a way to wear these to the wedding. Which means I need a new outfit, of course! This is how it starts...no wonder my husband hates it when I buy shoes.

Filed Under "Shiny Things" on July 16, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

As in, when I see adorable things like these that actually COME IN MY SIZE! Of course, if I still had my day job, I wouldn't have the time to sit and browse for these darlings. (Not that I really have the time NOW - but the laundry can wait a few minutes more). And, I taught Junior High school, so these (adorable) pumps wouldn't be the most practical thing. But man oh man, they are precious!

Also, I am obsessed - OBSESSED with kitten heels. They are just. so. darn. cute! Of course, once elongated out to a size 12, they often lose their cuteness. And, my amply plump body probably looks a bit precarious perched on such an adorably tiny-curvy stem. But someday, SOMEDAY, I WILL have a pair! Of course, that someday will be a long time from now. Star Trek and Donna Reed aside, I don't think heels are the best choice for my current responsibilities of saving the galaxy, filling the kiddie pool, snuggling with tired boys, digging for artifacts a la Indiana Jones, reading aloud, tripping over the cats, mopping, cooking, and washing endless loads of laundry. Although they'd make me look so much cuter doing it!

Filed Under "Shiny Things" on July 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

I know I owe you a cookie recipe, and a thought or two, but we had another family emergency. My mom had a stroke on Friday. Thankfully they are pretty sure it's "just" a TIA, or mini-stroke, that she should fully recover from.

I literally collapsed into tears when I got the news. Now I understand when people say, "You should sit down before I continue". My dad was home and called out to Mom because the phone was for her. She spun around and waved weirdly, so he knew something was wrong. He ran down to the beach, and she was talking jibberish moving oddly. Dad turned her around to head her up to the house when she collapsed. He raced up to the house with her in his arms and called 911.

After Dad called, I got my ducks in a row, got my children cared for (thanks Katharine and Giseli!), packed and headed up to the peninsula. The ferry service kindly let me go to the head of the line, passing the long wait for a boat to Bremerton, so I could get to the hospital quickly. Mom had a ton of tests, pokes, prods, questions and procedures, and then they sent her home. Paul, Shanti, and I cooked a salmon dinner and we all ate together at the beach. It seemed surreal to have Mom at the table with us.

I had long planned to take all the kids up to the family beach house for this week, and Mom and Dad still really wanted us to come. So I ran home and had a 36-hour turn-around to get us all ready for the week. Whew! We loaded up the bikes (so cute to have 3 little bikes hanging from the back of my van), the kids and headed up here.

So, no long thoughtful posts, just photos of my kids and niece and friends at the beach. My best childhood friend, Hallie, joined us yesterday with her two sweet little boys. Her oldest and my youngest are just a few weeks apart in age and are good friends. (Her youngest is the cute one napping in the photo) We had a wonderful time, getting baked in the (rare) warm sun. The kids surprised us all by jumping right in to the water and hanging out.

The rhythm of the waves is centering and refreshing in this time. Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers - my body is holding up well under the stress.

Filed Under "Everything Else" on July 02, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)