Get Beach Ready with Miraclesuit & The Beachwaver

Planning on heading to the pool this Memorial Day Weekend? Ever feel like you need a little help getting back into a swim suit after having a baby ... or two?

Well, look no further than a Miraclesuit that helps you look 10lbs lighter in 10 seconds. I recently attended an event hosted by The Moms at the Miraclesuit headquarters in NYC and found that their suits really do make you look your best.

I had originally wanted to get something more colorful for a change, but loved this particular little black bathing suit Too Haute Allegro, which is only offered in black. Hopefully, they will make this style available in more colors in the future as I would so buy all of them. Take a look:
To complete the beach look, we got to try out The Beachwaver rotating curling iron from Sarah Potempa, which is amazing! Watch my quick Instagram video of how it works :) I'm terrible at curling my own hair, but think if I had an easy to use tool like this I would be more apt to stray away from my straight hair. Also, the curls lasted for three days!
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Celeb Spotting at the NBCUniversal Cable Upfront

Last week, I had the honor of attending NBCUniversal's Cable Entertainment Upfront celebration. The event had more than 120 stars from the networks of Bravo, E!, Esquire Network, Oxygen, Sprout, Syfy and USA.

The night started off with presentations from each network showing sizzle reels of their new Fall shows, presented by talent from their current hit series. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing The Diane von Furstenberg Project and The Royals (starring Elizabeth Hurley) on E!, also Girlfriends Guide to Divorce with Janeane Garofalo on Bravo looked like it could be fun too. During the presentation, Royal Pains' Mark Feuerstein did a fun rap that really impressed me with how committed and entertaining he was.

Now, here is the really cool part - the after party! Those aforementioned 120 stars all hangout after, pose for pics, plus there's an open bar, music, networking, etc. There were crowds around  Kim Kardashian and a few others almost immediately. I had already interviewed her several years ago at the E! Turns 20 with Hollywood Birthday Celebration. For the most part I was just looking at the celebs from a distance.

I did have the guts to go up to the awesome ladies of USA Network's new comedy series Playing House - Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair and I was floored with how sweet they were. I went up to them saying "My friend came over last night when my kids went to sleep and we watched Playing House together" true story. They then said they loved that and asked me how old my kids were and shared that they had an 8-month-old and a 13-month-old (their bodies be bangin' though). Anyway, we chatted for a few minutes about babies, twins - way longer than they needed to. They also posed for a photo with me. However, after seeing it, I declared "I'm so short!" I was wearing heels too, yet being in the middle, I looked like I could be the size of their babies, lol!

They could have just left it at that, but they brilliantly suggested "Let's do a selfie!" and smushed on in for a selfie.

How sweet is that? I've met a lot of nice celebrities, but only a few have seemed as genuine and nice. Later on when they passed by me at the party again they touched my arm in greeting. Lennon also tweeted me back!

Speaking of selfies, I got to take a selfie with Steve from 90210 - Ian Ziering (Sharknado)! I was hoping I'd see him there, so when as soon as I spotted him, I bravely walked up to say hello.
Plus, got a pic with Chica from the children's show on Sprout Network. I've watched it a few times with my boys on Saturday mornings, so was excited to see the puppet, hopefully my boys will eventually get a kick out of the photo.
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Lastly, I turned around and came into contact with the handsome Peter Gallagher from Covert Affairs and While You Were Sleeping. He seriously looks like he hasn't aged since that film and his eyes are captivating. He was also super sweet and said it was no problem to pose for a pic. He later tweeted me back too.
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Million Dollar Arm advance screening

I recently saw an advanced screening of Disney Pictures new sports drama Million Dollar Arm, which releases in theaters on Friday, May 16. Like Disney's other inspirational sports films Miracle and Invincible, this is also based on a true story and is as equally heart-warming, plus this one focuses on my favorite sport--baseball.

In a last ditch effort to save his career as a sports agent, JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) concocts a scheme to find baseball’s next great pitching ace. Hoping to find a young cricket pitcher he can turn into a major league baseball star, JB travels to India to produce a reality show competition called “Million Dollar Arm.” With the help of a cantankerous but eagle-eyed retired baseball scout (Alan Arkin) he discovers Dinesh (played by Madhur Mittal the brother from Slumdog Millionaire) and Rinku (played by Suraj Sharma from Life of Pi), two 18 year old boys who have no idea about playing baseball, yet have a knack for throwing a fastball. Hoping to sign them to major league contracts and make a quick buck, JB brings the boys home to America to train. While the Americans are definitely out of their element in India — the boys, who have never left their rural villages — are equally challenged when they come to the States. As the boys learn the finer points of baseball — JB, with the help of his charming friend Brenda (Lake Bell) — learns valuable life lessons about teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family.

Bill Paxton also stars, which was a nice surprise for me since I hadn't seen him in any of the original ads I had watched.

As expected, I really enjoyed this film. I was excited going into it and after. The movie especially does a great job of making the viewer root for its characters and feel for their failures. I walked away smiling, believing in dreams and hard work prevailing. It's like watching a real-life fairy tale.

 
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As Seen in Ladies Home Journal

Check out the June issue of Ladies Home Journal that's now on newsstands, flip to page 67 and you'll see my face! My friend SL over in Texas was the first to spot it, even before I knew it was out yet. Too funny! Also, just heard from my Nanny's relative that they spotted the picture while at the dentist office waiting room :)
Back in October, I attended an event that the magazine hosted - Ladies Home Journal's Get Social. At which their photographer snapped a headshot of me. They then had me respond to the question "What would I do if I won a million dollars?" And now my photo and answer are in this month's magazine :)
I kind of come off like a dick though. Most of the other women said they would thank God, donate 10% and partake in other altruistic actions with their pretend winnings. While here I am mentioning a Louis Vuitton bag, lol. My quote is truncated though as I also said I'd take my entire family on a cruise too. Whatever, haters gotta hate and at least my response was real! Come on, all those other ladies would soooo buy their selves something pretty too.

I also thought they'd mention my blog or twitter handle, but sadly they did not :( Beggars can't be choosers.
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Rick Springfield Event For His New Book

Today, I got to do what millions of teens in the 80's wished for -- I met rocker Rick Springfield.

Yup, here I am just hanging with my buddy Rick Springfield. You know, like you do! :)
As you can see, he's still tall, lean and handsome at 64!! Yup, you read that correctly, 64! I was shocked when I wiki'd him and saw that.
The Moms' Mamarazzi event was hosted with AriZona Beverages and Touchstone in honor of Rick's new book. The actor, musician and author is making his fiction debut with the spiritual, dark humor novel Magnificent Vibration. I read the first 20 pages already and enjoyed the humor and quick pace. I thought it was funny that the back cover includes a quote from the The Five People You Meet in Heaven author Mitch Albom, because Rick's quirky writing style actually reminded me of his. The novel starts off with a suicidal man finding a hotline number that allows him to call and speak with God via his cell phone.

Although I knew his songs, I didn't know much else about the former teen heartthrob. For instance, I had no idea he was an Aussie! I was also surprised at how soft spoken and unassuming he was. He also smelled really good, his cologne lingered on my shoulder for awhile after.

In addition, I learned that he has ADD and suffers from and speaks openly about his depression. He's also a family man and says it's important to stay close to family in order to combat the temptations of fame. He also said he left the limelight and took a break from his musical career in 1985 to raise his son and disappeared for a bit. How cool is that?  Oh, and he wonders random things like why an avocado pit is so big and he likes Rogers and Hammerstein (ditto!).

Here's a fun video with him talking about being a soap opera star on General Hospital and not being able to memorize lines:
  
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Celebrating LABOR DAY Blu-ray Release with a Peach Pie

LABOR DAY, starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin, came out on Blu-ray combo pack this week. I originally saw the film last year and really enjoyed it, but it was not what I was expecting as it was more suspenseful than romantic, but in a good way (review here).

My girlfriends recently said they really wanted to see it too, so I was happy to be given the chance to host a viewing party in honor of the film's home video release.
As you might be aware, a peach pie plays a pivotal role in the riveting tale. So, before we popped in the disc and settled in on the couch, we baked a homemade peach pie. I, nor my friends, had ever baked a pie from scratch before, so we were all skeptical of our own abilities. However, we nailed it! And not the ironic Pinterest meme way, we really did bake an awesome pie. Oh, and check out my "T" shaped air vent :)

To create your own film-worthy dessert, here's Joyce Maynard's Peach Pie Recipe as seen in Labor Day.

Ingredients:
3 pounds peaches (we used a dozen)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water
2 tablespoons Minute tapioca (plus 2 additional tablespoons to stir into peaches)
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir in 2 tbsp Minute Tapioca to help absorb juices. Let stand, stirring occasionally.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, work in the shortening and 1 stick of butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the ice water over the flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork. Continue adding the water just until the dough holds together. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it into two discs, one slightly larger than the other.

3. Place the smaller disc on a sheet of waxed paper, and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dust it lightly with more flour. Lay a 9- to 10-inch pie pan face down on top of the circle; flip the pan over and remove the paper. For the crust, on a sheet of waxed paper, roll out the other disc to form a 14-inch circle. Do not roll the dough more than necessary.

4. Sprinkle the tapioca on the bottom crust. Add the filling, mounding it in the center, and dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Lift the waxed paper with the remaining crust and flip it over the filling. Peel back waxed paper. Trim the edges of the crusts and pinch together the top and bottom crusts. Optional: Roll out the trimmings and cut into decorative shapes. Brush the pie with the egg, and arrange the shapes on the crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Poke fork holes or cut vents in the top crust. Put pie plate on cookie sheet to catch drips. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Tip: To peel the peaches, we boiled them and then simply pulled away the skins, no cutting or peeling needed! :)

Disclosure: I received the Blu-ray combo pack and a pie kit for my honest review and opinion, no monetary funds were given.
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Allergy Face Beauty Challenges this Spring

I'm so happy it's finally Spring and my favorite flowers (daffodils and tulips) are in bloom, but with the change in seasons unfortunately also comes seasonal allergies!

I once again attended Macy's Annual Flower Show in NYC and met with the event's sponsor The Makers of ZYRTEC® allergy treatment products. To celebrate the partnership, they so kindly invited me to partake in a mini-makeover at the ALLERGY FACE™ Beauty Counter inside Macy's. I also learned some helpful beauty tips to combating Allergy Face challenges this spring.

Celebrity makeup artist and allergy sufferer Jamie Greenberg suggested I go with her "Fresh and Fabulous" look. They put an icy, shimmery white color shadow on my top eyelids and in the corner of the eyes.  This look also recommends a blue mascara to help makes eyes look whiter, more awake and draw away from a red nose. Click on the pic below on how to get the look.
Photos from the Flower Show: lady in red and vivid blue orchids:
 
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