Happy 2009!!!!

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009!

It turns out that our plans for New Years were not made until the very last minute, so I am extremely happy at how well it all worked out. Unfortunately, Tim is still out of town - so he missed all of Christmas Eve and Christmas - and now NYE and New Years. Sigh. But I am trying to be a good sport and make the best of what we have.

So the girls and I came up to PA this afternoon and spent a few hours with our friends Carl, Anita & Ryan! What a surprise when I arrived to a special treat of my very favorite hot wings in all the world!! I haven't had them since we moved to NJ a year and a half ago - aahhhh they were good! And Ryan is a complete angel - he is talking up a storm now and a total love bug.

Then we came over to my cousin Tom and his girlfriend Kim's house for the night. I just feel so spoiled to have so many people love and care for us the way they do. Once again, we got our bellies filled up with all sorts of yummy treats. And now the girls are 'trying' to go to sleep upstairs while the adults are watching Dick Clark's NYE special on TV.

Tomorrow will include visits with more friends and family, as well as another sleep over - this time at Carl & Anita's house. Then Friday, Tim should be home and ready to come up to PA...for our journey to Harrisburg to spend a few days with Tim's brother Gary and his family. So... we have quite a busy time ahead of us for the next few days.

I am thankful to have my girls and although they make me crazy sometimes - I love them with all my heart and could never imagine how empty my life would feel without them in it.

So here I sit feeling ... hmm... Anxious? Excited? Nervous? I am sad missing Tim. Looking forward to what the new year holds. Contemplating the good, the bad and the ugly from this past year. This night tends to make me more emotional than any other night of the year.

On to bigger and better for the new year!!

All the best and warm wishes to you and yours :)

Why Do Men Have Nipples?

Why Do Men Have Nipples?
Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini

by Mark Leyner & Billy Goldberg, M.D.

Published in 2005. 224 pages.

Amazon link

Genre: Nonfiction, Health & Fitness, Humor

My Overall Score: 3/5

What its about (taken from amazon.com): Urban legends and perennial wonders get a witty treatment in this lighthearted guide to largely inconsequential yet intriguing aspects of the human body. Leyner & Goldberg address food and the body (does coffee stunt your growth?), "body oddities" (what are goose bumps?), folk remedies (does breast milk cure warts?), drugs (does marijuana help glaucoma?), bathroom humor (why can you ignite a fart?), medical media (is the show ER accurate?), old wives tales (can lip balm be addictive?) and aging (why do old ladies grow beards?). Some of the authors' answers are unsatisfactory and, as a whole, this is much more of a humor book than a health one.

What I thought: Some foul language - definitely not intended for the younger crowd. Obviously, this book is to be taken lightly and provide comic relief more than anything else. Although the authors do include some interesting info and topics for discussion. Of the hundreds of questions, here are some that stood out for me:

Is it bad to crack your knuckles?
Why are yawns contagious?
Are canker sores contagious?
What are goose bumps?
What happens when my foot falls asleep?
Big hands/feet = Big penis?
Is it true that you can break your penis?
Is there really a G-spot?
Do Kegel exercises really work?
Does Cranberry juice cure Urinary Tract Infections?
Does Melatonin work for Jet Lag?
Is it dangerous to pop zits?
Does urinating on a jellyfish sting stop the burn?
What are hiccups and how do you get rid of them?
Does warm milk really help you sleep?
Can poppy seeds make you test positive for heroin?
Does drinking alcohol kill brain cells?
Why do you get all 'pruney' after a long bath?
Will you get hemorrhoids from sitting on the toilet too long?
Is it dangerous to hold it when you have to pee?
What causes the rumbling in your stomach when you have to go?
Why do you see stars when you are hit in the head?
Is it true that you have to wait a half hour after eating to go swimming?
Does wet or cold weather cause a cold?
Can lip balm be addictive?
Do microwaves cause cancer?
Is it dangerous to hold in a sneeze?
Can you swallow your tongue?
Why does hair turn gray?

Date finished: December 29, 2008

Currently reading: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Book 3 of the Twilight Series!)

Go Green, Live Rich

Go Green, Live Rich:
50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth
(and Get Rich Trying)

by David Bach

Published in 2008. 192 pages.

Amazon link

Author's website

Genre: Nonfiction, Environment, Economics

My Overall Score: 4.5/5

What its about (taken from amazon.com): Bach offers a multitude of suggestions for conserving the planet—and your money—in this attractive and accessible guide. Bach also advocates making environmental consciousness a family value. Bach clarifies how the most conservative changes in lifestyle can yield radical results. A winning and wise guide, this book—printed on recycled paper with proceeds going to a green advocacy group—will find a large audience.

What I thought: This is a small, convenient book that packs lots of good info into a nice little package. Lots of useful websites & helpful tips to save energy and money. Here is a highlight of some of the tips I found most interesting:

Tip #12: Adjusting your thermostat up or down by just three degrees all year round will save you about $114 on a 1500 sq ft home. For every degree you turn the heat down in winter, you'll bring your energy bill down by as much as 5%.

Tip #13: Unplug it. Phantom load=things sucking energy by being plugged in when not using it. Totals 5 to 15% of monthly electric bill.

Plasma HD-TVs use twice as much energy as their LCD counterparts.

Tip #15: Switch to Compact Fluorescent bulbs (CFL). They use 75% less electricity than traditional bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.

Tip #17: Turn off the tap while brushing teeth. Only run dishwasher when full. Your toilet uses the most water of anything in your home.

Tip #21: Buy in bulk - uses smallest amount of packaging per unit.

Tip #22: Bring your own bags to grocery store.

Tip # 24: Grow your own fruits and veggies or buy at a local farmers market.

Tip #26: Use 'Green' Cleaning supplies - homemade with baking soda, club soda, vinegar & salt. Or buy commercial alternatives (Shaklee or Seventh Generation).

Tip #27: Use 'Green' personal-care products that contain natural ingredients, smell great, aren't tested on animals and don't cost any more than the chemical filled varieties. List of 13 potential brands on page 83.

Tip #29: Buy & Sell everything - ebay, craigslist, freecycle, yard sales. Make/save money and save the landfills. Or donate unwanted items.

Tip #31: Get rid of junk mail - new opt out legislation provides website and phone numbers to say no to junk mail and catalogs.

Tip #37: Bring your lunch to work in a reusable bag.

Tip #39: Do it online. Pay bills. Read newspaper.

Pages 160-169 are full of sources and websites collected from throughout the book.

Bach asks that we choose just one of the 50 tips and start today. Of course there are many of these things that we are already doing as a family. And I have chosen a few that I will start with asap: 1) Switch to CFL lightbulbs, 2) look for Green cleaning supplies, 3) officially get rid of junk mail and 4) unplug unused appliances.

Date finished: December 26, 2008

Currently reading: Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner & Billy Goldberg, M.D.

The Lucky One

The Lucky One

by Nicholas Sparks

Published in 2008. 336 pages.

Amazon link

Author's website

Genre: Fiction, Women's Lit

My Overall Score: 3.5/5





What its about (taken from amazon.com): In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life. Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.

What I thought: This was typical Nicholas Sparks. My favorite of his was The Notebook and although I continue to read his new novels right away, they never compare. I did like this one better than his other most recent one which I reviewed HERE. It's not one of those storylines that your mind keeps going back to. But definitely a quick read.

Date finished: December 22, 2008

Currently reading: Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach

New York City!!

Last weekend we had plans for our friends Carl, Anita & 'Baby' Ryan to come visit. Tim was on call so we figured he wouldn't be home anyway. Well, it turns out, his company needed him to fly the jet up to NY where another pilot was taking it over for a trip to Barbados till Christmas. So... Tim asked if it would be OK if we all rode along on the empty trip up to NY and they said YES!
Our friends arrived Friday night and we promptly went to bed. So on Saturday, December 20, we all (Tim & I, our four girls, Carl, Anita & Ryan) woke at 3am, left the house at 4am, got to Millville airport at 5am, took off around 6:30am! Whew!
This was my first time ever to fly on Tim's Gulfstream (we flew in the Lear 4 years ago). Very cool. Flying like the celebrities do--better than first-class :)





We arrived in NY around 7am and took a bus into the city. Our first stop was Macy's to see Santa. We were sitting on Santa's lap by about 8am! If you have never been to see Santa at Macy's in NYC, it is definitely an experience worth taking advantage of. They have a whole little 'village' set up that you walk through and many photo ops along the way.
Santa himself was a bit 'interesting' to say the least (there were many Santas hidden behind secret walls for when its really crowded, peculiar). We got a family pic taken with him, which was a special treat.




Notice the Santa(s):




Another fun part about going to Macy's is checking out their awesome window displays. Very fun and unique! This one was our fave - an aerial view of Macy's:


The weather was cold, damp and windy all day. The temps didnt get over 23 degrees and there was snow on the ground (aka muddy slush in NYC...lol) So we really bundled up and the kids were definitely good sports about it - as their feet were soaked and our faces were wind burned.

After Macy's we walked along the streets in search of Rockefeller Center. We past Radio City Music Hall and I was really wishing we could go in to see the Rockettes! We stopped at The Gap for a pair of gloves and to warm up a bit before continuing our journey!






The girls loved seeing the HUGE Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center - they remembered watching it get lit on TV earlier in the month, so it was familiar to them. Plus we saw a Santa skating on the ice there which was pretty fun.






Then we went to a really nice little deli called Utopia for an early lunch (around 10am). The food and service were superb and the prices weren't bad at all - definitely a place to check out if you're in town. Ryan slept in his stroller the whole time we were there - lucky boy!







After our bellies were full and we were all warmed up, it was off to FAO Schwarz (the famous NYC toy store!) Believe it or not, there was a line to get in! Crazy, huh? Luckily we had good timing and didn't have to wait out in the freezing cold for too long. It was an experience I know the girls wont soon forget. They each got a little stuffed animal to remember our special day there. This is the toy store with a giant piano keyboard on the floor (remember the movie Big?!) Very cool.

Made of Jelly Beans!



Then a nice, brisk walk around Times Square with all the big buildings - the girls were in awe.





Then it was time to come home. Tim & Carl had to drive the other pilot's car back to Millville, so Anita & I took all five kids on a Greyhound Bus back to Atlantic City around 4pm. Although I got in a fight with the damn ticket-counter guy (for charging me adult price for one of my kids)... overall it was a great experience. Much better than driving. We all got to sleep a bit. And the prices weren't too bad.






We arrived at Bally's Casino in Atlantic City by 6:30pm -- definitely a L-O-N-G day!

Pops picked us up and then we were Home Sweet Home.

We could not have asked for better friends to spend this special day with! It was great to have Carl, Anita & Ryan there to experience all the fun. And they are the most flexible and easy-going people we know! (which is an added benefit for a spontaneous trip like this!) What a super day... a total surprise and it all worked out perfectly! Let's do it again guys! (maybe on a warmer Spring day?) LOL