Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Product Placement Wednesday - Pinterest

I was a little late to the social media scene. I skipped Friendster and MySpace. I was dragged onto Facebook kicking and screaming. I don’t Tweet (except for a brief spell where it was required by a former employer). Now I have discovered a social media site that is truly for me. It is my new crack like addiction and I must share it with you.

Pinterest



If you are anything like me, you bookmark lots of ideas – things to buy, recipes, great websites, etc. Many times it seems so silly to bookmark just one item. Also, if you are gathering a number of items for a project, your list of bookmarks can quickly become cumbersome. Wouldn’t it be easier to have everything in one place and to be able to quickly glance at the photos without having to bring up an entire site? That is exactly what Pinterest allows you to do. You are basically creating an online bulletin board of ideas. You can start as many boards as you want (currently I’m at 5 boards) in order to break down your ideas but subject. The options are limitless – home décor, food & drink, art, diy & crafts, sports and travel are just a few of the many categories in which your boards may fall.

You are likely wondering how this site is a “social media” site. Beyond the fun of just setting up your own boards, you can “follow” (like Twitter) your friends and get new ideas from their boards. You can also look on the main boards (sorted by subject) at the most popular and newest posts. What do you do when you see something fabulous that you would like to add to your own boards? You “repin” and the idea is yours forever!

Personally I have found that the main boards are the most addictive and have found some amazing ideas. Of course the more you post to your own boards, the more you will get out of it!

You have to request to become a member or be invited by a member to join. It took about 48 hours from the time I requested to become a member until I was given a password. It might be faster if you are invited by a member. That being said, if you want to get on this crack too just drop me a line and I’ll invite you right away!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Tacky Weddings

I know I did a wedding post last week and even though no one is getting married this week this one is too funny not to share. This is not a new site and is not even updated that regularly but is still hilarious. Take some time to flip through the entire site if you can. If you don't watch the videos it does not take long. Seriously, the entire site could be devoted to the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding type photos and that would almost be enough. Of course the super white trashy stuff is also excellent. So enjoy your new time suck!

Tacky Weddings







What is your favorite tacky wedding trend?



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Product Placement Wednesday - Oscar Mayer Sandwich Combos



Personally I am not a big fan of the "Lunchables" type of pre-packaged meals. To be fair, I am not a big fan in general of any pre-packaged "fresh" food. On a recent vacation, the only place to grab lunch was a general store type place as we were out a bit from any towns. Their selection of lunch items were all prepared in a factory (and looked like they had been on the shelf for awhile) so I opted for something a little healthier - root beer float flavored ice cream and a Power Bar (my traveling companion did a little better with a Power Bar, baby carrots and an apple though I think preferred my lunch...).



So I was heading out of town again earlier this month and took a quick spin through Target to see if I could find something for my airplane dinner. I used to get the Whole Kids meal from Whole Foods ($4.99 for a sandwich, chips, graham crackers, fruit leather and a juice box) but unfortunately that has been discontinued. Then I found it - this week's product....












I tried the Turkey and Cheddar variety and found it to be surprisingly delightful! Besides the turkey and cheddar, a sandwich thin and deli mustard are included to complete the sandwich. My combo also included Wheat Thins and a chocolate Jello Pudding Mousse Temptation. Other options include the Honey Ham & Swiss and Southwestern Style Chicken. Each comes with a savory and a sweet treat and are all less than 400 calories!



While I am not planning on making these sandwich combos a part of my daily routine, they are the perfect item for low calorie meals on the go. Way healthier AND cheaper than buying food at the airport! I find the packaging to be a little wasteful but hopefully they will work on this as the product catches on.



Have any of you tried this product? What are your favorite food items to take with you on the airplane?

Friday, October 14, 2011

Weddings, Marriage & $$$

In the past I have blogged about the fun side of weddings - the planning, gift guides, being a good bride, being a good guest, and what to do with old bridesmaid dresses. One thing that no one likes to think about is the cost of weddings. Films fill brides-to-be with grandiose ideas of what a proper wedding should look like. Have you stopped to think what those weddings actually cost? You know it is a lot but how much? This article exposes the high cost of having a movie wedding and I found it fascinating!



If I should ever find a guy worthy of marrying, I have no intention of taking his last name. I know some guys say this is a "dealbreaker" however if they read the next article they might agree that the financial benefits of their wife keeping her last name will keep their "manly pride" in check.



This article's title is a little misleading but there is a book out there encouraging women to be golddiggers. On the flip side, smart women don't marry deadbeats with gambling problems and mountains of debt. After reading this article it reinforced in my mind that some of my past love interests were just too much of a hot mess to ever marry. I used to joke that I would have my future husband sign a reverse pre-nup - one that absolved me from any of his debt. Maybe not just a funny idea after all...



Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Strawberry Pops


Back in June, I shared my love for Trader Joe's Peach Pops. Clearly they must have been a popular item as many of you have found my blog in your quest to learn more! Well our friends at Trader Joe's have done it again and this time they are strawberry! Let me introduce - Strawberry Pops!

As with the Peach Pops, these Strawberry Pops look like Otter Pops but made with fresh fruit not artificial colors and flavors. I find that they do not freeze as solid as the peach variety but are delicious nevertheless. Again, this is a low calorie treat with each pop containing a mere 50 calories! It is a hot day in LA and I may have already eaten two to help keep cool. No guilt though!

I suggested using the Peach Pops on top of ice cream or yogurt and I think the Strawberry Pops would be equally as good served those ways too.

While Trader Joe's does not necessarily specialize in "health food" (see Powerberries), this is a treat that you can feel good about enjoying and is perfect for kids too.