August 8, 2010

Hey, LilSis, I know you enjoy Pink's music as much as I do.  I really like the “Glitter in the Air” video you shared the other day.

I love that one minute she's irreverent, fun and sassy – even wild –  and the next minute she surprises us with a really touching melancholy ballad.  She doesn't fit the cookie cutter image of a Hollywood pop star (and doesn't want to), but I don't feel that her unique style ever overshadows her talent.  Not hatin' on you, Lady Gaga, I'm just sayin'. 😀

Did you notice Pink's tweet on Saturday that gave us a link to a special “Please Don't Leave Me” video that we can download for free?  Just go to Pink's video page and use the code PDLM.  I don't know how long the video download will be available, so you might want to grab it now.  If you want to be notified of future downloads, you can sign up for her newsletter.  I did!

You can also watch some of Pink's videos online on her video page.  I've never seen this one for “I Don't Believe You” but I love it even though it makes me want to cry!

So, now that Pink's European Funhouse tour has wrapped up, will she be back in the studio to work on a new album?  “Funhouse” was a great one, but I've listened to all those songs a bajillion times now and I'm ready for some new Pink music!

~BigSis

August 6, 2010

Even though we've had unseasonably cool weather this Summer in Southern California, I realize that in some parts of the country there are still many of you experiencing record high temperatures. I feel for you, I promise!

Summer is actually my favorite season but I know, from spending most of my life in Texas, that the last thing anyone wants to do in that kind of heat is to cook. So, I thought this might be a perfect time for a Summer Salad Roundup.

Here are just a few of my favorite Summer Salads.

Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro, and Green Chili

Egg White Salad with Spinach, Feta Cheese, and Parmesan

Tomato Salad with Feta, Basil and Balsamic Reduction

Spinach and Orzo Salad

And, last but not least, this is absolutely, positively my most favorite summer salad EVER! And yes, I do realize that I've shared it here before, (more than once) BUT there's no way that I could leave it out of this Summer Salad roundup.

In the Summertime, I make this almost every time we have  friends over and I take it to almost every get-together we attend. You can't go wrong with this salad; just make sure you use fresh mozzarella and the best tomatoes and basil you can get your hands on!

Insalata Alla Caprese

These Summer salads are super simple to put together and perfect to take to any Summer barbeque or picnic.

Stay cool and have a great weekend! 🙂

~LilSis

August 2, 2010

Have you been able to enjoy any lazy days this Summer?

Do you ever have the pleasure of waking up in the morning and knowing that you have absolutely nothing that you have to do that day?

No?

Me neither.

Not in my world.

I can't even remember the last time I had a day like that.

It was probably three years ago, which was our last vacation.

I was daydreaming about what I'd love to do given just one day with no responsibilities.

It might go something like this.

First, no alarm clock would be set. (It would be so nice to start off the day by awaking naturally and not panicking if it's past six o'clock.)

After a nice, leisurely breakfast, I would probably go for a walk and then I would hop on my Beach Cruiser and go for a long bike ride without thinking about where I'm going or when I have to be home.

I'd love to spend a few hours at the beach with good friends, a picnic lunch, some cold beverages and a stack of magazines.

Next, I'd come home and maybe do a little gardening and then curl up on a raft with a good book and not worry about the time or what I'm cooking for dinner.

Just to prolong my lazy day, I'd probably stay up late and watch a sappy, ‘chick flick' and call my best friend that I don't get to talk to near enough.

And if I happen to fall asleep on the couch, the family would have strict orders not to wake me. (That's some of the best sleep I ever have.)

One last thing; on my lazy day, the guys aren't allowed to call me and ask where I'm at, what I'm doing, or when I will be home.

A girl can dream, right?

That would be my idea of a perfect lazy day. 🙂

What would a perfect lazy Summer day be like for you?

~LilSis

July 31, 2010

Bunches of us read Elizabeth Gilbert's book “Eat Pray Love” when it came out, including LilSis and I. We both loved the book, and I think LilSis even read it twice.  I was a little on guard about some of the new age aspects in parts of the book, but they didn't taint the rest of it for me.

Now, a movie based on the book is coming out in about 2 weeks on August 13th. You know how you have a mental picture of a book's characters as you're reading it? Well, I absolutely did not imagine Julia Roberts as the lead character in this great book. I'm actually not even planning to go see the movie because I think the casting might just ruin the whole film for me. I'm not hating on Julia; I think she was entertaining in “Pretty Woman”, but I don't think she has the depth and the soul that this role calls for.

Am I being overly-skeptical, or do you agree with me?  Who would be a better choice for the lead role in this movie? It could be so GOOD with the right actress!  Who would you choose?

~BigSis

July 30, 2010

Today is our dad's birthday. He would have been 75 today.

In some ways it doesn't seem like 3-1/2 years have passed since we lost him, but at the same time it feels like forever since we've seen him. Our birthday celebrations are definitely not the same since he's been gone; we always used to celebrate Bry's, Daddy's, and SisMama's birthdays all at the same time since they were just days apart. And even though our dad is not with us in body, he's with us in spirit.

We're thinking about him today as we do every day, and just look forward to the day when we can see him again when we get to Heaven.

Happy birthday, Daddy. We love you and miss you!

~BigSis

July 29, 2010

Baby Boy Bry

Baby Boy Bry was born!

This is one of my most favorite photos, ever! It almost seems like it was yesterday… and now my baby boy is a Sailor in the U.S. Navy serving to protect our country!  We are SO proud of him!

(I could go on and on and on, but I'm a tad emotional today and I would end up being really sappy!) 🙂

Happy Birthday, Bry! We love you!

~LilSis

July 28, 2010

I don't watch any television during the day but I really wanted to see Oprah last Friday when she interviewed Pink and I totally forgot about it. If I had even remembered what day it was on, I could have at least set the DVR to record it. I'm bummed that I missed it.

Every time I hear Pink's ‘Glitter in the Air' on the radio, I'm instantly reminded of her jaw-dropping performance at the Grammy's.

I can't say enough about how much I love this song and this performance, so if you missed it, I think it's worth five minutes of your time to watch the video.

I remember after I first saw this on the Grammy's, I was happy that we had recorded it so I could watch it again. It's obvious that Pink is serious about staying in good shape and I think after seeing the Cirque de Soleil Zumanity in Vegas last year, it made me appreciate the talent and the strength it takes to perform this type of acrobatics.

I'm so glad that Pink doesn't even think of lip syncing because her voice is absolutely amazing in this performance. And, as if singing while hanging upside down from the ceiling on a trapeze in a gorgeous, yet skimpy bodysuit isn't enough; she decides to take it to the next level…

Stunning!

Tidbits from BigSis: Hey, LilSis, I have a few little bits of info that I can add to this. If you follow Pink's tweets or watch the news, you know that she had an accident last week shortly before her European tour ended. She flew off the stage into the steel barricade between the stage and the concert-goers, and was taken to the hospital. She didn't have any broken bones, miraculously, just lots of aches and pains.

Also, I heard that Dreya Webber choreographed this Grammy Award performance for Pink. If you do P90X, you know that Dreya is a dancer and aerialist in phenomenal shape, and is in several of the P90X videos.

I love this video too! Thanks for reminding me to watch it again! I just can't believe that someone else has my favorite outfit!

~LilSis

July 25, 2010

How could I intentially inflict suffering on this adorable little thing?

When I heard the story about the 120 beagles rescued from the bankrupt animal testing lab, I was convicted to renew my commitment to banishing animal-tested products from my house.  Since then, every few minutes I think of another product I can't buy again.  Here's my list so far:

• Loreal Lash Out Mascara

• Loreal Voluminous Mascara

• Loreal Eye Cream

• Loreal EverPure Shampoo

• Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Make Up Remover

• Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Undereye Roller

• Garnier Nutrisse Hair Color

• Tide

• Clorox Wipes

• Clorox Toilet Cleaner

• Aveeno Shave Cream

• Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

• Clean & Clear Blotting Papers

• Neutrogena Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Mask

• Redken Align Hair Straightening Lotion

• Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen

• Scrubbing Bubbles

• Glad AND Ziploc Bags

• Puffs Tissues

• Swiffer Products

• Charmin Bath Tissue

Quite a monster list already, isn't it?  I know that list will just get longer and longer, until it probably looks like it includes everything I use.  It really makes me feel bad that I've been supporting animal testing by buying all this cr*p from bunches of offending companies.

It's going to hurt to abandon products that I've loved and used faithfully; sometimes for decades.  I have to experiment and find new products to replace all those…products that aren't tested on animals!

But the point is, animal testing hurts bunnies, beagles, primates, mice and rats.  A lot.  More than we can even imagine. My momentary withdrawal pains are nothing in comparison.  Suck it up, BigSis. Instead of adopting a whiney attitude of “look what I'm giving up”, I'm going to approach this as an adventurous opportunity to find some products that are even better than what I was using before.  AND, no one will have to suffer because of my purchase.

Photo credit: Best Friends

~BigSis

July 22, 2010

Got a minute?

If you'd like to feel like you've just had a luxurious spa manicure without spending the time or the money to go to a spa, then look no further. The answer is right inside this little jar.

Truebath and Body Works Blue Spa "Just a Minute"

When BigSis came to visit me last month, she brought me the nicest little gift and I finally took a minute to try this Truebath and Body Works Blue Spa Just a Minute 60-second Manicure Hand Scrub.

This sugar-based exfoliating scrub really does works like magic! You simply massage the scrub into wet hands for a full minute, paying special attention to nail beds and any rough areas, then rinse, and voila! You can say goodbye to dull, dry skin and dry cuticles forever! My hands haven't felt this soft in a long time and my cuticles are noticeably in better shape. The scrub also has a very light orange-citrus scent which happens to be a real favorite of mine.

The 5 ounce jar retails for $12.00, which I think is a great bargain considering the jar will probably last for months. And, since BigSis just mentioned the big Beagle Rescue and the fact that there are still major companies performing animal testing on their products, I went to caringconsumer.com to verify that Bath and Body Works is on the list of companies that DO NOT test on animals.

So, for just a little bit of money, you can pamper your hands AND know that no animals had to suffer to bring you that product!  Score!

~LilSis

July 20, 2010

My cats have never been so beautiful! Look at this shiny coat on my Gaby:

Ashy's coat is just as shiny.  In fact, these two are SO beautiful that I contemplated making a third cat out of the massive blob of hair that the FURminator pulled out of them!

Can you believe this?!  And this pile wasn't even from their first session with this miracle tool; it was the second!

I'd never even heard of the FURminator before, and now I'm the biggest cheerleader for this thing.  Do you know about the FURminator?  The purple tool in the photo above is the cat version with a 1.75″ edge that literally grabs onto the undercoat and gently pulls it out.  There is also a dog FURminator with a 4″ edge.

I know what you're thinking. “BigSis, you probably don't brush your cats. We should probably report you to the authorities for animal neglect.  No wonder you got so much dead hair out of their coat!  And your poor cats are probably Persians that you let get matted!  Shame on you, BigSis!”

Honestly, that's not it at all. My cats get brushed regularly with a slicker brush, and I STILL got this much hair out of them!  Plus, they're short-haired guys, not long-haired dudes!

I'm thinking my hairball problem just got solved with the discovery of the FURminator.  Voila.  Simple as that.  I paid over $35 for mine at PetSMart, and after seeing how well it works, it's pretty much invaluable to me.  I don't care how much I paid for it.  If you follow the FURminator links we've given you though, you can get your FURminator for a whole lot less than what I paid locally!  That's a sweet deal!

I don't RAVE about that many products, but this thing is unbelievable.  Do yourself a favor, and FURminate the dead hair out of your animal's coat instead of cleaning it off your carpet!

~BigSis