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Post-it party
I recently attended a party previewing Post-it Brand’s 2012 Collection. *Insert your Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion reference here.*
The entire room was decorated with their products stuck on the walls in fun designs, creating pops of color. Who knew you could decorate a party with simple Post-It notes? Take a look for some inspiration:
Other new products included Post-it Super Sticky Full Adhesive Notes with full, all over adhesive, which I thought was great a great idea since I have a bunch of notes stuck around my desk that over time have curled. Get a $1.00 off coupon here.
I was also happy to hear that the company offers green solutions as well. In fact, they offer Greener Notes made with 100% recycled materials and a plant-based adhesive and Post-it Super Sticky Recycled Notes in a variety of sizes and colors made from a minimum of 30% post-consumer content.
Science Diet Cat Food Giveaway
When we adopted Patches three years ago, I started feeding her Science Diet dry food since that was what our vet sold in their offices. She loved it, however, last year after seeing the popularity of natural and organic cat food options, I decided to switch to another brand. While the new brand did not contain chicken-by-products, it left my cat's hair dry and dull. So, when I heard Science Diet now made an Ideal Balance dry food, I happily switched back. They even have a grain free option too, which not all the organic cat food brands offer. Check the ingredients list on so-called healthier options and you'll still see corn listed.
Science Diet Ideal Balance - Grain Free has fresh chicken as the 1st ingredient, Healthy fruits and veggies like cranberries, carrots and broccoli, and NO corn, wheat, soy, dairy or beef. Now, my cat's coat is silky again and I'm happy to be feeding them a healthier option that they enjoy.
Your feline friends can try out the new line for themselves as Hill's Science Diet is letting me giveaway two three pound bags for a lucky winner!
How to enter:
Leave a comment below about your cats diet by Friday, May
18. Please don't forget to leave your email address in the body of your
comment or link back to a blogger profile or website that actually has your
email address on it. Good luck!
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Here's Bandit licking her lips after munching on Ideal Balance :)
Ghost the Musical on Broadway
Recently, we saw the new musical Ghost on Broadway while it was still in previews in New York (it's also playing in London and coming next year to Melbourne). I of course enjoyed the film and used to watch my VHS copy often growing up, but I'm not typically a fan of movies being turned into Broadway productions. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this show. I even shed a few tears at the end.
The special effects were jaw dropping amazing and were used both for the set and the eerie ghost world. At times we were left saying, how did they do that live? As Broadway.com writes: "These stage illusions—ghost Sam walks through doors, spirits and bodies instantly separate into two beings—make this show a seriously supernatural experience."
Yes, “Unchained Melody” and the clay pottery wheel make an appearance, but not like they did in the movie. Thus, don't expect the same dialogue and scenes from the film.
Although, I enjoyed the performance, I found one or two parts a bit cheesy, like this one rap scene by an angry ghost.
The main male lead though was amazing both as a singer and actor and just like Whoopi Goldberg in the film, the Oda Mae Brown character again steals the show.
Ghost is playing at the The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on 46th Street. Tickets range from $57-$188. Click here for ticket information. A limited number of $25 tickets in the first and second rows of the Orchestra will be available through a lottery drawing for each GHOST performance. The lottery will open two and a half hours prior to each performance. Good luck if you try this method, I've entered other show lotteries before and never won, but Raphael has been lucky in the past. Opening night is April 23.
PS: Kind of weird that two Whoopi films are now Broadway shows, Ghost and Sister Act. Plus, The Color Purple was also out a few years ago.
Romance Panel with authors Julia Quinn, Eloisa James & Sarah MacLean
On Sunday, I attended an author talk held at Ridgefield CT library with best-selling historical romance authors for HarperCollins Publishers Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Sarah MacLean. All of whom, are Harvard graduates (take that literary snobs!).
People often find it contradictory that I majored in English Lit, yet like to read romance novels. I'm definitely not alone though - 74.8 million people read at least one romance novel in 2008 (source: RWA Reader Survey). Romance fiction was also the largest share of the U.S. consumer market.
I started reading romance my senior year of high-school and thankfully just in time to give me hope and the escapism that I needed after my father died that same year. The optimistic tales transported me to a different time, made me laugh and got me through college years too.
Still, people find it hard to grasp that there is a wide spectrum of romance books and are quick to roll their eyes over something they've never even tried.
During the talk, Julia Quinn summed up the misconception of the genre when she said: "Literary fiction is judged by the best of its kind, but genre fiction (romance) is judged by the worst of its kind." It's a shame too, since Quinn's books are so witty and delightful that people are definitely missing out when they assume the worst of romance. What I especially like about her stories is that although her voice and style are present in all of her work, her tales and plots are so different. Yes, they all have a happy ending, but how she has her characters go from point A to point B is always unique and fun. I find the best authors (like Judith McNaught) make the reader forget that there's going to be a happy ending, leaving you tied up in knots and turning the page as quickly as possible to see exactly how the conflict will be resolved.
What makes this panel of authors such great story tellers is that they are also avid romance readers themselves, said Sarah MacLean.
Eloisa James has written 18 novels so far and is also a Shakespeare professor. She told the audience that in order to write a good book, you have to write about what you enjoy, which is why she started to write romance books.
Overall, they all shared their love for reading and how it started at a young age at their local libraries. Hands kept getting raised as the waiting-room only crowd continued to shoot out questions.
After the panel ended, there was champagne, cookies and queues of fans waiting to get their books signed (I of course was among them). Several of the ladies that I chatted with in line said they had traveled all the way down from Hartford and Massachusetts just to see these authors. Luckily, I only had a half hour drive, but I'm sure I would have gone further if need be.
Further Reading: Back in 2003, I wrote another in defense of Romance Literature article for Greenwich Time newspaper called The Great Escape.
Wine in Mini-Boxes?
Like many, I used to turn my nose up at boxed wine. Then I tried the award-winning Black Box Wines, which stays fresh in the fridge for six weeks after opening! Europeans actually drink premium-quality box wines often. After all, box wines hold up to three liters of wine. Thus, perfect for a party or if you just want a glass and are afraid of opening a new bottle to just have it go bad the next day. I recently served their Malbec at my pasta party and everyone enjoyed it. See below my friend having fun with the idea.
Now, Black Box Wines has released new 500-mL Tetra Paks, perfect for a glass and a half of wine with dinner. Ideal for anyone who doesn't want to tackle a whole bottle in one night. (That's thinking outside the box! Yes, you knew that pun was coming eventually). These little juice cartons are great for picnicking or at the beach where glass isn't allowed since they are light weight and shatterproof. Unlike with their traditional size boxes though, these mini ones once opened, don't stay perfectly sealed over the long term. It's best to finish what you open right away to prevent oxidation. Personally, I didn't have a problem drinking all mine ;)
More importantly, the wine is good and affordable! The Tetra Paks are available in three varietals - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for only $4.99.
So, have you ever tried wine-in-a-box? Would you buy the Tetra Pak size?
WrestleMania Red Carpet Premiere
I've finally come up for air after a hectic couple of weeks leading up to WrestleMania 28 in Miami last weekend. One of my roles was managing the red carpet at the WrestleMania Premiere Party and Charity Auction at a mansion on the famous Star Island. I organized the placement of the press, greeted the celebs and announced them to the photographers as they set off to do a string of interviews. American Idol's James Durbin, Miami Dolphins & Cheerleaders, Timbaland, the Real Housewives of Miami all walked the red carpet along with our WWE Superstars and many more.
However, the first person to walk down the cat walk, was in fact, a cat. While setting up we kept spotting a lovable black and white cat, which we called Oreo. We found out that she belonged to the grounds, so not a stray. She definitely acted like she owned the place, or at least the carpet. Take a look at the diva strutting her stuff:
Oreo the cat, wasn't the only pet to walk the red carpet. Former WWE Diva Maryse had her dapper pup dressed in a bowtie and coat. He was definitely a show stealer with the photographers:
I got to meet James Durbin several times during WrestleMania Week and he's a super sweet guy and a huge fan of WWE. He told me that he was "totally geeking out" just being there. Each day, whether he was wearing a suit or jeans, he sported his famous bandanna hanging out of his back pocket.
I've never watched any of the Housewives shows except Desperate, so it was news to me that there is a Miami edition. TV personalities Marysol Patton, Alexia Echevarria and Adriana De Moura were a hit with the local media though.
Musician Timbaland was there and he even retweeted me that evening! So cool.
Bobby Flay in Stamford
Tonight, Bobby Flay was filming a new show for the Food Network here in Stamford, CT. He wheeled in a food truck--Melt Mobile-- serving gourmet grilled cheese. Bobby was inside the truck cooking and serving the free sandwiches. The episode will be part of Bobby Flay’s Food Project, "a new reality show on the Food Network that follows food entrepreneurs through the arduous task of opening a food service business." (Press release).
We were among the first people lined up for free grub. We also had to sign a release in case we appear on TV. Raphael might be on it since he kept making jokes to the camera. After waiting an hour, we tried the Meatball 3 Squeeze Cheese - meatballs with Parmesan and Romano blend, ricotta and mozzarella on grilled ciabatta. It was like having a bolognese sauce stuffed into a grilled cheese. It was delish! The good news is that the truck will be staying around Stamford, so I look forward to trying their other varieties soon.
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