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Cougar Town

So instead of working this morning I was watching Cougar Town episodes online.  Go ahead, you can, too.  Click here. 

I blame Regis.  Courteney Cox was on Live and he insulted women of my age and she had a pretty good comeback that received an appreciative roar from the audience.  I didn't want to commit to a primetime show (it's the only time I can catch up with my kids about their day), especially one about being a cougar (so yesterday, and no, we won't ever do a cougar shirt).  But the clip they showed was awfully funny, so I figured I'd watch just one online.

I got through three before I remembered I still have to make some Halloween costumes by tomorrow.  So I'll make this endorsement quick.

Being a mom, I'm consumed with the well being of my children and paying bills and losing my mind worrying about, well, everything, and getting that upstairs bathroom renovated already (it's been eight years since we moved into this house and that mustard colored tile looks more revolting every time I see it).  Don't even start with me about being a woman of a certain age, knowing you've absolutely still got it, if only you had the time to enjoy it.

After I got the kids on the bus but before 10 a.m. and still in my pjs while devouring a cookie chased by some herbal tea, I laughed my ass off.  Tears streaming down my face.  Cougar Town is less about that and more about being nurturing and taking charge and smart and mouthy and sexy thanks to killer banter and a religious commitment to maintenance.  The bit about the Evils of the Magnifying Mirror could have been an entire episode.   

I so needed that.

Columbus Day weekend SALE!

 
Columbus would have looked awfully fine in these. Get your favorite explorer a pair - on SALE for $9.99 until midnight on Monday 10/12/09!

Beauty Tips by Audrey Hepburn

A friend just sent me a mass email about "Beautiful Women Month" (which begs the question, "When is Ugly Women Month?")  And, usually, I'd delete this kind of thing without even looking at it.  But, at the bottom of this email was a lovely poem written by Audrey Hepburn when she was asked to share her "beauty tips."  Apparently, it was later read at her funeral.  Here it is:

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.  For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.  For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.  As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others. 

 

 

October's StealI need a playdatelong sleeved teefor only $16!

We're all very busy setting up playdates for our children so that they will learn to socialize appropriately, make friends and be truly happy. They're kids, for crying out loud! They get to eat ice cream, go to birthday parties and have somebody cook, clean and do their laundry for them! You know who really needs a playdate? You do!

Get your I need a playdate tee today!

Planet Mom on News 12 CT!

We have more fun than we probably should with Planet Mom, and our recent appearance on News 12 CT was no exception.  From our pre-interview prep with producer Richard Stabile to hanging with other guests in the green room to our in-studio time with anchor Stephanie Simao, our News 12 CT experience was wonderful.

To all you mom entrepreneurs out there:  you can do it, too!

Mom Kim Clijsters wins the US Open women's finaland Planet Mom is courtside to see it!

We enjoyed 6th row seats - right behind where Kim and Caroline sat between sets.  Maybe you saw us on TV?  Elise was wearing her pink Trophy Wife tee!

It was unbelievable being that close to the court.  A thrilling evening of tennis that we will never forget!

Wozniacki congratulates Clijsters on her win!

Cause we didn't think tennis legend and ESPN analyst Pam Shriver would be game for a posed pic...

Yep, we were this close to the US Open women's champ!

Kim graciously signing autographs with daughter Jada looking on.

We're two of the last to clear out of Arthur Ashe - didn't want the night to end!

A sad good-bye to summer...

   This summer was great.  I'm honestly feeling a significant amount of malaise now that it's over.  This is the first summer I can remember when I wasn't constantly yelling at my kids.  I really enjoyed their company.  They got into tennis, and we often played together.   As a family, we took several trips.  The first one was courtesy of my in-laws, which, of course meant that they joined us.  I dreaded it.  But, I survived it.  (Which is no small task, considering it was in a war zone. Literally, not figuratively.)   Then, we went away with just our kids, and we had a terrific and relaxing time.  The last jaunt was courtesy of my dad, and I enjoyed the chance to be away with my family for a change.  With nobody left to grub a vacation off of, we spent some nice weekends at home.  We wound up the summer with a trip to Citifield where the Mets actually won!  And, my son enjoyed a nice birthday surrounded by friends. 

   Now, the kids are back at school, and I can honestly say that I miss them during the day sometimes.  (Not when I'm playing tennis and relaxing in the hot tub, of course.)  But, I can already feel my blood pressure rising.  Homework even on the weekends.  Crazy schedule filled with extracurricular activities.  Volunteer work for me; I can never say, "No." 

   I should be looking forward to Halloween (always my favorite) and the magic of the holidays, but I still can't help feeling sad that the summer is behind us. 

PTA Reject teeour Septemeber Steal for $16!

Confession: one of us was a PTA President, so we admire the unsalaried tour de force that is the PTA. We also understand how chairing one too many fundraisers can drive you batty. And, while one of us was presiding over the PTA, the other one was thinking about how to escape just that kind of responsibility. No matter what your school of thought, this tee is sure to elicit some laughs from the moms at the bus stop.

Our PTA Reject tee...Buy yours now - our September Steal for $16!

Why I Love My Brother

    My brother and his family stopped by our house on their way back from vacation.   He gave me and my kids great big bear hugs, as always, and he made me laugh continuously throughout the evening with his acerbic tongue and unmatched raconteur abilities.

   He also gave me my belated birthday gift which included a number of things.  This really goes to the crux of why I love him so much.  First, he gave me a "Pride and Prejudice" inspired novel-- one that I actually hadn't yet read.  I love this genre (and I do think it's a genre in and of itself, even though it's a little "lightweight.")   I was thrilled.  Next, he gave me a book by Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit.   He knows that after I read yet another Austen wannabe book, I'll need to read something with a little more clout to make me feel smart.  He also said he thought the story was Austenesque, so he figured I'd like it. (Actually, I caught part of the movie, "Little Dorrit", on Masterpiece Theater last spring and was riveted, so he was right.)  Next up, I opened a Michael Jackson tribute tee with the price tag of $5.99 still attached, for effect.  He knew the shirt would make me laugh because we share the same sense of humor.  And, for the piece de resistance, he gave me an absolutely beautiful and stylish (think New York City and single!) top that's form fitting and is precisely my size.  By the way, my brother has the BEST taste in women's clothes of any heterosexual man I know.  I get more compliments on the clothes he buys me than on anything I buy for myself.

   But, it's not the material gifts that make me appreciate and love my brother.  It's the fact that he takes so much time and effort to buy me things he knows I will adore.  He knows me better than anyone else in the world, and I love that about him.  When he gives me a gift, it's like he's telling me how much he cares about me and how much he loves me, and that's why he's priceless.