…Featuring

Like most of you, I’m sure, I became familiar with the music of Norah Jones in 2002.  Come Away With Me was everywhere then, and besides loving her haunting voice, I was interested when I learned that her father is Ravi Shankar.  I’m a music nerd like that.

But once my girls came along I found I had little time for ‘grown-up’ music, and although years before I would have sworn it wouldn’t be so, I found myself listening to (and -gasp!- actually enjoying) The Wiggles and The Jonas Brothers.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for these kids.

Except Justin Bieber.

I draw the line there.  We all have our breaking point and he is mine.  But if he gets a haircut and ties his shoes I’ll consider not hating him, which is really the best I can offer.

Yes, I do realize how old that makes me sound.  That is because I am old.

Moving on.

Norah Jones has a new CD out called …Featuring and it’s comprised of duets and collaborations she has done over the past decade. I was offered the chance to review the album before it was released on November 16th, and while I began listening right away, it’s taken me a week to formulate a solid opinion and put fingers to keyboard.

My overall?  Thumbs up.  I especially like Creepin’ In with Dolly Parton,  Loretta with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and Here We Go Again with Ray Charles.

I’m on the fence about others.  I can’t stand the Foo Fighters collaboration Virginia Moon – way too easy listening, even for an old fogey like me.  And Baby It’s Cold Outside (a song I love) with Willie Nelson (an artist I love) just doesn’t work, as much as I wanted it to.

Download this: Bull Rider with Sasha Dobson

Overall I think this is a very interesting album and I’m glad I have had the chance to listen to it.  It’s in my disc changer and I intend to leave it there for a while.  If you’re interested, you can buy a hard copy yourself for $10 at Amazon, or download for $8.

FTC prison-avoiding fine print – I was given a copy of this CD for review.  I didn’t pay a dime for it.  Zip, zilch, nada.  I also didn’t receive a dime for reviewing it.  Nil.  The opinions here are my own honest opinions, not purchased or swayed by free CDs.

I could possibly be swayed by large piles of cash, however, so if you’d like to send some my way I’m all ears.

Thank you to the One2One Network for providing the CD to facilitate this review.

Dear bra industry,

First, I should start by issuing an apology to my male readers.  There are only a handful of you and obviously, today this isn’t about you.  Sorry for the awkwardness.  Shield your eyes, come back tomorrow and we’ll talk football.  Deal?

For the rest of you, this might also be TMI.  But I have a real problem here, and I’m hoping for either

A) one of you to have a great solution for me, or

B) someone in the bra industry to read this and help a girl out.

Because girlfriend is in serious need of help.

Once upon a time, I weighed about 80 pounds soaking wet and I was flat chested and I wished I wasn’t so boyish looking.  I am paying the price for that wish now, being forced to carry around breast enough for 2 (or 3) women.  It’s not what I thought it would be.  It’s quite disappointing, actually.

They’re heavy, they hurt when I run, and it’s downright impossible to dance with House of Pain these days.

They make me look like a whale.

I mean, if you’re a busty girl then your options are to buy something big enough for your chest which then is way too big everywhere else, giving you that super-sought-after tent look, or to buy something that fits elsewhere but is then stretched to obscenity over your chest.  The obscenity pretty much speaks for itself, and it doesn’t say what I want to be saying at my kids’ soccer games, if you know what I mean.

Bathing suit options?  Ouch.

And bras?  They are the absolute stupid worst of it all.

I live in a small town and I am not classy.  I have no interest in Victoria’s Secret since the last time I was in there Catie squealed with delight over all of the little dresses that were ‘just her size’, and burst into tears when I wouldn’t let her try one on.

That was fun.

I’d like to be able to walk into Wal-Mart and buy a bra.  But when I tried that, I found this:

Ironically, it is called ‘stylish support’. 

Are we even seeing the same thing?

Stylish how, exactly?  It’s a tank!  It’s full body armor, and no scrap of lace can make that any more attractive.  I am aware that it is an undergarment and it shouldn’t matter what it looks like, but yeah… it kinda does to me.  If I have to carry these babies around all the time, I need a little something to take the sting out of it.  The granny bra just ain’t cutting it.  And also, if you need more than one D it starts in size 38, which is not what I need.

You hear a lot about how most women are wearing the wrong size bra to begin with, so I went to a fancy-schmancy specialty store to be fitted properly.  Turned out I needed smaller around and bigger cups, making my already challenging fit darn near impossible.  They recommended a few styles that were even pretty cute.  But at $150 a pop, they ought to be.  I’m continuing to live with spillage for now.

Dear bra industry,

Do you understand that I have to wear these things every. day.? Because it doesn’t seem like you do.  I know that isn’t a lot of money to the Playboy bunnies, but for the rest of us unfortunately proportioned middle-American housewives, that stings. It stings like salt rubbed into an already gaping ‘I can’t afford breast reduction surgery’ wound.  I mean, I wear underwear every day too, and I pay about3 bucks a pair for that.  Could you make me something approaching that price range?

A friend recommended a site to me with better prices (though still just under $100 each) but the dumb thing is called ‘Big Girls Bras’.  Are you kidding me with that crap?  Did you name your store while intoxicated? I refuse to shop there on principle.

SO, my well-endowed readers…where do you shop?  Do you suck it up and pay the insane prices?  (And if so, do you do laundry every night, or do you actually pay that multiple times over?)  Has anyone ever found a circumference less than 38 with a cup size larger than D in a regular store?  And where do you buy a sports bra that fits and stays down where it belongs?

And most importantly, will any of you ever be able to think of me in the same way again, or have I crossed the crazy line and now your mental eyes will always be picturing boobs instead of reading what I type?

I have no idea why I laid it all out here so uncharacteristically, but I’m blaming it on desperation and lack of sleep.  Hopefully I won’t regret this in the morning.

Tea, anyone?

[Warning: Shameless self-promotion to follow]

As you may know, I (along with my parents) own a website.

And this week, we’ve got a little write-up over at Musings of a Housewife.

And a giveaway, too.

Check it out.

And don’t forget to leave a comment to enter.  Drawing Friday.

PS) At the bottom of the post, you’ll find a promo code good for 10% off.  That discount is also valid on sale items, and right now we’re having a ‘blue skies’ special – anything and everything that is blue is on sale!

In which I dis everyone’s favorite place

con·trar·y

–adjective

1. opposite in nature or character; diametrically or mutually opposed: contrary to fact; contrary propositions.

2. opposite in direction or position: departures in contrary directions.

3. being the opposite one of two: I will make the contrary choice.

4. unfavorable or adverse.

5. perverse; stubbornly opposed or willful.

I freely acknowledge that I’m a bit contrary.

It’s not that I want to be difficult.  I don’t mean to cause a problem.  And I’m a displaced Yankee Southern lady, so I certainly wouldn’t want to be any bother. 

I’m just…different.

If everyone is doing it, I’m probably not.

If everyone likes it, I probably don’t.

It’s just the way I roll.

I’ve been like this forever.  When Commodore 64 was all the rage, I was lovin’ my Texas Instruments.  When NKOTB had all the girls squealing, I was discovering Leonard Cohen.  While my friends left high school for college, I took a year off and weighed my options.

Contrary.

I never liked the popular guys in high school, never swoon over dreamy movie stars.  I’ll take me the offbeat brainiac in the corner anyday.

 Now let me warn you, several of you are going to be upset with what I’m about to say.  I know for a fact that a couple of you might even feel physical pain at what I’m about to tell you.  Allow me to apologize in advance.  I don’t mean to upset you.  And I’m not insulting you personally.  This is a macro situation.

As an adult, perhaps the biggest evidence of my contrariness (is that a word?) comes in the form of my shopping habits.  The great divide between myself and my friends is Target.  You know, the ‘discount’ store that you all love.

Guess who doesn’t?

Tar-jay.  Gag me with a spoon, people.  Target is the store that sells cute stuff for twice the price you could get it elsewhere.  (Cue the parade of loyal shoppers declaring that is so not true)  Every time I hear a Target person make fun of Wal-Mart, they cement my love of Wal-Mart and disdain for Target a little bit more. 

I know your opinion of us.

But as a Wal-Mart person, I can tell you that we have opinions of you, too. 

We think you’re snobs.  We don’t like the way you make fun of Wal-Mart, and drink your ridiculously over-priced coffee while you look down your noses at us.  We think you’re not nearly as smart as you like to think you are, since we buy the same products on rollback.  AND, we think the fact that Target does not allow the Salvation on their property is really, really crappy. [Yeah, I went there.  Again.  Stop me when it fails to be true.]

But how often do you hear a Wal-Mart person saying all that?  um, never.  Wal-Mart people can’t get away with it.  Yet it’s common and apparently perfectly acceptable for Target people to belittle us.

Target people, you know how you say that Wal-Mart is dirty and people there are rude?

Wal-Mart people see your store as putting on airs and your people equally as rude, but catty about it.

I don’t know why this little piece of retail real estate has come to mean so much to me, but it has.  Don’t even start on all of the things that are wrong with Wal-Mart corporation - I know.  And I could give you a Target laundry list in return.  I’m not debating the morality of big business here, I’m talking about the day-to-day attitude of the public.

The ‘Target is where it’s at’ mentality.

Maybe that’s why I’ve declared myself firmly in the Wal-Mart camp. 

I’m contrary like that.

Camera Face Off – Canon vs. Kodak

Before Christmas our point and shoot camera bit the dust.  This is actually the second p&s we’ve lost in the same way – the lens gets stuck out and won’t retract.  What’s that about?  It’s not like it was dropped that way – it worked just fine until I tried to turn it off.

Back to topic.

I actually have a Canon XTi, but it’s a larger, bulkier camera that isn’t always the most comfortable thing to carry with you.  For Disney vacations, portable is a must, so I bought my husband a new point and shoot camera for Christmas. 

I’ll be honest and say that I really didn’t research.  On Black Friday I was ordering from Sears online and I saw a good deal and snagged it.  What we ended up with is this Kodak CD80.

I’ve been very happy with it.  The pictures are generally crisp and clear, and there is very little lag time which is super important when you’re photographing children.  And it’s small, lightweight, and easily portable.

When I’m shopping for pretty much anything, I like reviews to help me decide.  So in case you are in the market for an inexpensive camera, I thought I’d show you a very unprofessional comparison between the two cameras.  Each picture was taken with the same auto settings, from the same position, in the same lighting.  In the interest of fairness, I used only the kit lens that came with the Canon, and none of the photos have been retouched.

Granted, this is not exactly a ‘fair’ comparison given the vastly different price points.  However, I do think it goes a long way toward illustrating the basic results from each, and what you get for your money.

Kodak CD80 - picture of live tv

Canon XTi - picture of live tv

Kodak CD80 - daylight, mid-zoom of curtain detail

Canon XTi - daylight, mid-zoom of curtain detail

Kodak CD80 - dark room, full zoom

Canon XTi - dark room, full zoom

Kodak CD80 - outdoor, mid-day, mid-zoom, snow

Canon XTi - outdoor, mid-day, mid-zoom, snow

Kodak CD80 - outdoor snow scene at a distance

Canon XTi - outdoor snow scene at a distance

Kodak CD80 - indoor, mid-zoom, child close-up

Canon XTi - indoor, mid-zoom, child close-up

Thumbs up, thumbs down

There’s a reason that Mommy Bloggers are all the rage right now.  Besides the fact that we’re fabulous, we’re also smart, savvy consumers.  Companies know that word-of-mouth can make or break them in many instances, and they are increasingly reaching to the social media world to get their message across.

I both love and hate that.  It’s great because I’m more likely to buy and use a product that a friend (virtual or otherwise) recommends.  It’s also bad because now the lines are blurry as to what is a legitimate recommendation and what is smoke and mirrors designed to net the writer some swag.  But overall, in a time when many of us are short on both time and money, peer reviews can help save some of both.

These are a few items that I have bought and paid for with my own money, and my un-sponsored, un-censored opinions of them.

Thumbs up:

Heeltastic cream – works as promised, as fast as promised.  I’m impressed.

Glee CD - Love. It.  So do my girls – we play this one non-stop.  Get the Target version if you can – it has 3 bonus tracks.

Handy Manny Repair Shop -  Oh my goodness is this cute!  Lilly got it for her birthday, but even I my 7-year-old enjoys the projects.  It comes with build-your-own plastic parts that are like 3-D puzzles.  Most are too complex for my 3-year-old to do on her own, but her big sisters are happy to help.  And since she loves all things Manny, this is right up her alley.

Henry’s Crab Cakes - These are sold in my local Kroger store.  They aren’t pre-packaged as the website indicates; rather, they are delivered in cases and the stores packages themselves on those little styrofoam trays.  They are $1 each (here) for a 2.5 ounce crab cake.  Besides being insanely delicious, they are also pre-cooked, so no need to fry in oil.  They bake to crispy, delicious, low-fat perfection in about 15 minutes.  Serve with this yummy sauce and dig in.

Combine 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon cilantro, and lime juice to taste. Yum!

Thumbs down:

Dreamgear Stylus - replacement pens for the Nintendo DS – you were such a disappointment.  All 3 broke in less than a month.

The Princess and the Frog – You know I love Disney, but this movie was a huge letdown.  As a Christian, I didn’t appreciate the voodoo-centric storyline.  Especially since there is ‘good’ voodoo portrayed as well.  It was not appropriate viewing for my daughters, and I’m disappointed in myself for allowing them to see it on a school field trip before I had properly researched the plot.

Julie & Julia - Do you see the ratings on this page?  A-, B-.  Critics and viewers, you lie.  Darcie tried to warn me, and as much as I value her opinion, I didn’t listen.  That’ll teach me.  Yawn-fest is an understatement.  I kept watching, even when I wanted to stop.  Everyone I know liked it, so I kept thinking Darcie must have turned it off too soon.  It must have gotten good at some point.  FYI – It didn’t.  Don’t bother.

There you have it – a few of my recent picks & pans.  If you have any of your own to share, I’d love to hear them!

Fa-la-la-la free

I am going to tell you something that will make you pea-green with envy.

I have my Christmas cards done already.

Completely.  Photo taken, design chosen, cards ordered, envelopes stamped – totally ready.  And if you have a calendar handy you might notice that Thanksgiving is still a week away.

Impressive, right?

At least something about me should be super-organized.  Back in my pre-kids days I was always this prompt, but now it’s nothing short of a miracle.

I’m not just bragging though – I’m here to help.

Wanna know the secret for my motivation?

Free. Stuff.

Sucks me in every time.

I got our Christmas cards totally free this year.  And they aren’t chinsy, paper-thin, paint-by-numbers done by a handless artist with their feet, either (anyone else remember those cards?)

These are the real deal, 5×7 glossy photo cards, designed completely by yours truly.  The kind I paid over a hundred dollars for last year.  (I can say this here because my husband doesn’t read my blog.  If he knew how much Christmas cards cost, you’d all be getting an email greeting from us.  He doesn’t love you like I do, friends.)

Wanna hear the best part?  You can get yours free too.

Check this out:

Use the site to order 50 cards of your choice, 4×8 OR 5×7, and enter promo code ‘newbaby’ at checkout. Voila!  Free cards, AND free shipping.  And they’re fast, too.  I placed my order at 2 am, received shipping notice at 9 am, and the cards arrived via FedEx the next day.  What more could you ask for?

More cards you say?  Ok, I can do that.  You can also use promo code ‘freebies4mom-1109′ for 50 free 4×8 cards. 

Want even more?  (Greedy!)

Ok, how about 100 free prints?  If this is your first time using the new Fuji site, you will get a code good for 100 free prints when you place your first order.  And yes, the free cards count as that order!  You’ll have to pony up a couple of bucks for shipping on these, but they’re still a great deal.

Ok, ok – one more thing.  Right after free stuff comes my love of a great sale. Like this one:

But pay attention, because that awesome 50% off sale is only good for 2 days, this coming Sunday and Monday.

Now how’s that for an early Christmas present?

You’re welcome.

Oh, and I’d love to share our Christmas card here, but since most of you are probably already on my mailing list, I hate to ruin the surprise.  (Since I know you’re sitting there in suspense, wondering what our Christmas card will be this year.)

*And now the annoying blurb, to keep from going to FCC prison.  Fuji did not ask me to write this, or bribe me, or threaten me with bodily harm.  They did give me free photos, just like they will do for you.  They don’t know I am writing this.  I wrote it just ’cause I’m cool like that, and I like to share a good bargain.  And if you click this link from my site, I will get a huge fat paycheck from Fuji, which will allow my family to take that lavish transatlantic cruise we’ve always dreamed about.  Oh wait, that’s not true.  But I might get a dollar. Which is also cool.

-Some of you are reporting that you’re not receiving free shipping.  I’m really sorry – I don’t know why that would be!  I used code ‘newbaby’ and was not charged a penny.  If the promo has changed I do apologize, but it seems to still be working on my end.  Even if you have to pay shipping, I still think this is a good deal.

Second, note that the free cards promo ends on 11/30, so order soon!

And lastly, Monday 11/23 is your last chance to order photo gifts for 50% off.  Happy shopping!

Frugality via credit card? yup.

First off, thanks so much to Darcie at Such the Spot for referring me to this great promo!

I am a Discover Card holder.  In fact, Discover was the first credit card I ever had.  Got it shortly after getting my own apartment in college, and I had a whopping $500 credit limit.  That was back when $500 seemed like a lot of money.  Now I long for the days of only being indebted for $500…but I digress.

So anyway, Discover Card.  They’ve been great over the years for a lot of reasons.  1 – They were the only credit card accepted at Sam’s Club, which was great for big purchases.  2 – They have great customer service, and have never hiked my interest rate or done anything remotely shady.  I have zero complaints, and I think that’s pretty rare for a credit card company these days.  and 3 – the ShopDiscover program.  This is so. cool.

I was leery at first, because I got a phone call about it, and my natural instinct is to reject and quickly hang up on all calls of that nature. But this actually does save money, and I love me a good bargain. You log into Discover and then click through to a participating retailer, and you get 5-20% cash back.  Two of my faves? Hotwire.com, my absolute favorite place to get rental car deals for Disney, is now participating! And ProFlowers.com is a participating retailer as well, offering 20% back!  They have seriously low flower prices, so low that even a cheapie like me will order from them just for fun, and now I can get 20% back when I do it.  Woot!

If you don’t already have a Discover card, check them out.  I couldn’t be happier with mine!

This is my entry into the ShopDiscover gift card giveaway promo. Yes, I am trying to win something. No, I didn’t make anything up in order to do it. Promise.

Sale alert!

So y’all know how much I :heart: Little Miss Matched, right?  One of my favorite products is their adorable pajamas.  I don’t know why, but pajama time just seems especially appropriate for whimsical and fun attire.  jamma, jamma, jamma, jamma, PJ!  And if you don’t read Sandra Boynton, you now think I’m even more insane.

Anyway, the jammies just got sweeter because they are – you guessed it! – on. sale.  I love a good sale. 

Check this out:

Save up to 80% OFF Womens, Kids, & Toddlers pajamas. Take an extra 15% off already reduced pajamas. To redeem use coupon code: SALEPJ Offer ends 6/8/2009

NOTE: not getting anything free here, just giving you a heads up.  (Is it just me, or has the mommy blogger sellout chatter lately made you kind of paranoid?)

Coordination is for people with no imagination

little MissMatched socks

For us it all started a few years ago with a set of socks and a set of gloves that Annie received as a birthday present.  Notice I said ‘set’ and not ‘pair’?  That’s because Little MissMatched sells them in sets of 3, for mix-and-match fun.  How cute is that?  Not to mention practical.  Any mother of preschool aged children knows the drama that comes from trying to help them get dressed.  As Catie used to tell me, she wants to do it her OWN self.  And getting the kids to pick out something that actually matches?  Fahgettaboutit.  Enter MissMatched, and her lovely mixed up designs, and you have a recipe for success.  Mismatched has never looked so good!

MissMatched tag

I’m a big fan of all of their products (check out these jammies and these tights and this bedding. Fun and funky, right?)  So imagine my delight when I saw that they now carry Sporty Socks!  Have I mentioned that I coach Annie’s soccer team?  She’s quite the little soccer player, aggressive and fearless and what she lacks in speedy long legs she makes up for in spunky short ones.  Her one complaint about soccer?  The socks drive her crazy.  This is her fourth season playing, and every time it’s the same complaint.  The shin guards are fine, but the socks are too tight and too itchy and she hates them.  (I don’t let her use that word of course)  I’ve looked for suitable replacements but never found one that suited her.  Until now. 

Check out these babies:

Not only are they super soft and pleasing to even the most sensitive of feet, but they are almost too cute for words.  The socks we got were from the Fabulous collection:

I should have asked for a business card to hand out, because I know I referred at least a dozen parents to the website last weekend.  I’ve had these cuties just waiting to be blogged about for two whole weeks and it’s been killing me!  Unfortunately the rainy weather has been killing our soccer time too, so the wait was on.  When we finally caught a break this weekend we hit the field running – the kids to play ball, and Mommy to snap pictures.  (Just as any good blogger would do, right?)

Another added bonus?  They make your child very easy to spot in a crowd:

I spy funky footwear

So please, check out the banner link below and visit the Little MissMatched website.  If you have a little athlete we highly recommend the sporty socks!  We own gloves, jammies, regular socks, underpants, and some accessories too, and everything is top-notch.  And they have socks and flip-flops for boys, too!  Baby gifts, home decor, duds for Mom – you name it.  If you want something kooky, zany, or just plain fabulous, they have what you need!