Find the perfect tea match with the Tea Wizard

Like tea, but not sure which blends or varieties to try next? Stuck in a tea rut? Looking for a personal tea shopper? Well, you're in luck...

Los Angeles-based hand-crafted tea purveyor, Art of Tea, just launched a free "Tea Wizard" tool that fits customers to a "T" (think a tea personality test to match you with your perfect blend).

Being a tea addict/aficionado, I was skeptical of a simple survey providing the right matches for such a sophisticated (humble too) tea drinker like myself, lol. After all, I'm quite fussy. Yet, after answering the quick and easy discovery questions that ran the gamut from flavor preference to interests/hobbies, I was impressed and surprised with the accurate selections that it produced. Each result sounded like a tea that I would actually enjoy and purchase - a mix of green, white and oolong teas with a slight floral/fruity blend, but nothing too sweet or herbal either.

These were my top 6 results:

Based on these recommendations, I then sampled the pics and found I liked them all, which I was surprised about. Here's a cup of the White Coconut Creme:

According to Art of Tea Founder & CEO Steve Schwartz "The platform is intended to take the guesswork out of shopping for tea online, and helps shoppers whittle down Art of Tea's myriad selections to blends and products that best fit their daily life -- whether it's a Sweet Almond Wild Berry black tea to start their day, or the award-winning caffeine-free Brûlée Mint to relax at night."

Try it out and find what blends the Tea Wizard recommends for you! I'd love to hear your picks.

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Celebrate Earth Day with Green Toys

Today is Earth Day!

In honor of the annual day of environmental action, I would like to highlight a great eco-friendly toy maker, Green Toys, which makes an awesome line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled plastic milk jugs and other 100% recycled materials. This helps reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall health and happiness of the planet. They are also made here in the USA.

Best of all, my kids really like Green Toys! I was first introduced to them at Toy Fair earlier this year. Green Toys products are also the only toys on the market made from 100% recycled post-consumer recycled materials, and are the only ones on the market packaged exclusively in 100% recyclable cardboard, with no twist ties or plastics that must be discarded into landfills.

My boys have their Animals-on-Wheels turtle. They are already loving cars and especially like the handle so they can easily drive the car up the walls and carry it around from room to room making vroom noises. The compact, rounded bodies are designed with no sharp edges or metal axles, making these rollers perfect for encouraging imaginative, eco-friendly play for early crawlers. Also, they are super safe with no BPA, phthalates, or PVC, and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning, which is why we especially like taking these to the beach and sandbox.

Also, since my family are pizza makers including my dad and my sons' grandpa, I had to get their Pizza Parlor play set. I especially love that this toy is unisex as it's hard to find kitchen playsets that are made for boys too. They even make a pink dump truck toy for girls, which I think is very progressive of them. The pizza play kit comes with a pizza delivery box, a plastic pizza cutter and stacking play food products and toppings. Adorable!

We also have the Green Toys Shape Sorter. They like the challenge of it and I like that they are learning shapes and developing eye-hand coordination, problem solving, and fine and gross motor skills in the process. Here's Logan all over it:

You can find Green Toys at specialty toy stores and on Amazon.com.

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The NY Auto Show Girls Night Out Party

Last night, Raphael and I scheduled a late-night babysitter (or second time ever) and headed to the New York International Auto Show for a Toyota and She Buys Cars Girls Night Out event. We enjoyed cocktails and a show floor tour before the massive event opened up to the public.

Granted, Raphael isn't a girl, but he still enjoyed the event and it was fun remembering how over eight years ago we had went when we were only dating. Also, he used the up-close show floor look as a chance to pick out his next ride i.e. the non-family car.

As always, I enjoyed chatting with other lovely bloggers and guests, check out the following selfie with actor and fashionista Lizza Monet Morales.

Also, the lovely Vera Sweeney (one of the first bloggers I ever met almost 9 years ago now) took this amazing group selfie (go go gadget arms!):

It was also the first time in awhile that I got tipsy and it felt good, as did the chair massage that I received at the Toyota booth:

OK now let's talk cars. First, we checked out the latest edition of our Toyota Highlander and then ogled the FT1 concept car from Toyota, which will probably not be on the streets for another two years or so. Super hot, right?

We were then wow'd by the ELR, a luxury hybrid electric car from Cadillac with its paneled grille plates and sleek design.

While at show I took Dr. Oz The Good Life Magazine's Driving Safety Quiz. I got all the answers right except for the first one:

The least germy spot in your car is... 
your radio dial
places where you spilled food,
your steering wheel
your door handle

Apparently it's your radio knob, which I thought would be quite germy. I also learned that you can boost your reaction time by 10% by chewing a piece of gum while driving. Interesting. 

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Twin Thursday: Toddler Talk

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Visiting the Set of Graceland

Last week, I had the exciting opportunity to go on a press trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. for a set visit of USA Network's hit hour-long drama series, Graceland.

In prep, I watched all the episodes from the first season, back-to-back, bingeing on them like a TV junkie. And like a junkie, I found the show to be highly addictive. I love when I can’t predict what is going to happen next and this show has so many twists and turns, I was continually having my mind blown. Plus, the hot looking guys in the show also helped to keep me glued to the tube.

I really got a kick out of being on the set and walking around the beach house that is at the core of each episode. I felt like I was trespassing or something, lol. Unlike other sets that I've been on, this one is actually setup like a real home, with each of the character’s rooms totally decked out and completely enclosed with walls, windows, ceilings and everything. The furnishings were so cool; they could be featured in a House Beautiful magazine. I definitely would purchase several of the posters and furniture that I saw.

Here’s the famous Chore Wheel referenced and seen in several episodes. The post-it note reads: “Johnny- Where is the freakin vacuum? -Charlie” Gotta love the detail!

In addition to the set tour, we saw a scene being filmed from the 7th episode of the second season and conduct interviews with each of the six main actors and actresses. All of whom, were super down to earth and very friendly.

When I first started watching the show it was the handsome Daniel Sunjata who I recognized right away from Grey’s Anatomy, Sex and the City and for his role as Ranger in One for the Money. He also starred in TV’s Rescue Me and in the last Batman film Dark Knight Rises. In Graceland, he’s a mysterious, cocky, bad ass. He walks a fine line between good and bad, but yet you can’t help rooting for him.

I was familiar with Aaron Tveit's musical career on Broadway and his role in the latest Les Miserables movie, but this was my first time seeing him in a role sans singing. In-person, his hair was perfect and I felt like I was being drawn in by his eyes. He was also well spoken and sincere.

Manny Montana was super personable and even led us on the set tour himself and led us over to the food services truck and ate lunch with us.

Brandon Jay McLaren, who I liked from She’s the Man, was especially good at keeping the spoilers in season two to himself.

Serinda Swan meanwhile wasn't filming that day so we met up with her over breakfast, which was a special treat. We also got to meet her french bull dog Buddha (photo).

And our final interview of the day was with Vanessa Ferlito inside her character Charlie's room. She was funny, dropping F' bombs and telling it like it is. We all got a kick out of her refreshing interview.

I also had fun visiting the props truck, where I picked up a fake bag of cocaine, which was filled with brownie mix, making it feel like real powder inside. The FBI badges and plastic guns were all surprisingly heavy also adding to the realism.


For more photos from my visit on the set, check out my Google+ album or 2015 Graceland Set Visit Post.

And for a sneak peek for what's ahead on Season 2  and Season 3 of Graceland click on the desired season to read my Huffington Post articles with spoilers.

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Twin Thursday: Future Lock Pickers Video

Here's an iPhone video of my 16-month-old twin boys teaming together to break into the mini fridge in their playroom and easily bypassing the childproof lock put there to thwart them. We didn't teach them this, but one day discovered they knew how to open it on their own. I guess they saw us do it enough.

    

I know, I probably shouldn't have laughed when they first did it, because now it's a game for them, but I couldn't help it.

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An Evening With Rob Lowe

I only wish it was like it sounds...but there were 40 other bloggers in the room too :( ... for a Q&A with the film and TV actor. Nevertheless, I was still only 10 feet away from his prettiness though.

The event was hosted by The Moms and AriZona Beverages to discuss Rob Lowe's new book Love Life, with stories he only tells to his best friends. His first memoirs were published in 2011 with rave reviews and rocketed to the top of the bestseller list. Now, in Love Life, he expands his scope, using stories and observations from his life in a poignant and humorous series of true tales about men and women, art and commerce, fathers and sons, addiction and recovery, and sex and love.

He looks as good in person as he does on the screen. Do you believe he is 50???

What else did I learn about Rob?

• He's been married for over 20 years, now doesn't that make him even sexier? 
• He talked about how he moved his family out of Hollywood, so they could be out of the spotlight.
• His role model is Robert Redford. 
• He says he can't dance well.
• He practices proper punctuation in TXT messages. 
• Says you only have your kids a short time, so be present and invest in them. (His kids are now in their twenties).
• He's funny and seemingly humble. 

Rob Lowe is holding an invisible baby!

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We Found Our Family Car at the NY Auto Show

Mark your calendars - The New York International Auto Show will be in town April 18 - April 27. This year, I'll be attending a Girls Night Out party on Opening Night as a guest of She Buys Cars, and sponsors Toyota and Dr. Oz Magazine. Can't wait!

I am by no means knowledgeable about cars, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying and going to the auto show. The first time I ever attended was while on a date with Raphael back in '06, but have been several times since. I usually take photos in the different hot cars, stroll around and see what's new, but last year we went with a purpose ... to shop for a new SUV that could accommodate our infant twins. And what better place to do that then at the NY Auto Show, which is like a shopping mall for cars with no pressure to buy either. You can also look at the cars online on sites like KBB, Edmunds, to Find The Best Car Price, but the Auto Show is lots of fun to car watch.

We went into the exhibit hall with a list of third-row vehicles that we wanted to look at in our price range. With two infant car seats installed in the backseat and mom and dad in the front, there was never room for grandma or any other passengers in our previous Lexus RX, which we loved. However, we really needed that third row and we weren't ready to take the minivan plunge either.

We spoke with the different knowledgeable reps about MSRP, MPG, GPS, but most of all we liked that we could actually see the vehicles up-close, sit in the front seat, checkout the trunk space, etc. It was during one of these impromptu vehicle tours that we discovered that we needed backseat bucket seats, which then eliminated some of the SUVs on our original list. With bucket seats we could keep the boys' car seats in place and still access the third row, instead of having to remove them every time to fold down the seats and allow passengers into the back. Having to remove and re-install car seats is my nightmare, so this was a great discovery.

Thanks to the show, we walked away with a brochure for our next vehicle and a contact at our local dealership. We went with the Toyota Highlander Limited all-wheel drive with bucket seats! We liked that it's in the same family as Lexus. Plus, with its third row, you could have one seat up or the whole bench. And with one seat up, we could still fit a stroller too, giving us a lot more options. Plus, we have no room for boring ;)

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