I Met Him At The Rusty Pelican....

I had such a great time reading Theta Mom's blog post, "I met him in a Hoboken Bar" that I decided to write my own post on the ever so popular question "so...where did you two meet?"

It may be a redundant question, but for some reason we never get tired of telling it, right? So where does my story begin? My story begins Labor Day 2004...

Monday, Labor day 2004 I had the day off from work and decided this would be a good day as any to take my car in to get an oil change and get a few other things checked out. (side note: If there is one thing I DESPISE is to go get an oil change..that wait is unbearable for me, so I wait for the last possible second before my car breaks down before I go take it in. lol) What I didn't know is that EVERYONE and their mother decided this would be a good day to take their car in too and I was going to be left stranded for HOURS at the mechanics!!

So I said, "OH, Hell No" and called my older brother, Danny who had the day off as well to please pick me up so I wouldn't have to spend all day in a small, crowded, rubber smelling waiting area with complete strangers.

When he got there he was accompanied by his now ex wife, her grandma and my nephew. He told me that they had lunch plans already but I was more than welcome to tag along. So off I went to have lunch not knowing that this day would change my life forever....

We arrived at The Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne which is an island close to downtown Miami and off the Rickenbacker Causeway. (Side note: This restaurant has THE BEST view of the Miami Skyline. It's GOR-GEOUS.)

As we sat down my brother got a phone call and mentioned to us that one of his banking buddies was coming to have lunch with us as well, which was news to me but whatever I thought.

A few minutes later walks in this big tall guy with a goatee, casually dressed, and a smile from ear to ear. He introduces himself to each of us at the table and when he gets to me he mentions to my brother. "wow! I didn't know you had a sister??" "You've never mentioned you had a sister, wow!"...and I thought.."oh, yeah..this guy is smitten" lol

If you know Jason it will be no surprise to you that he spent the whole afternoon cracking jokes and making us laugh and if there is anything above of all that I love, is a man that can make me laugh. :)

After lunch we decided to extend the lunch to include desserts at The Cheesecake Factory in Coconut Grove. And you know that you're having a good time when the lunch turns into dinner and the car that was left at the mechanics couldn't get picked up till the next day.

We met on Labor Day 2004 and haven't looked back since....

Britney Spears Look. Yay or Nay

I know as mother's sometimes we feel like dressing like this...but we don't. Britney Spears is wearing a white eyelet dress paired with a fedora and UGG boots. Like I said, I understand we get tired and only really care about comfort sometimes but this look is a definite NAY for me...

What do you think? Yay or Nay?

Special Occasion Dresses by Forever 21

Got invited to yet another summer wedding, event, or party but don't want to break your bank getting an outfit for each one? Forever 21 has some *awesome* options!!

Flirty One Shoulder Dress-$29.50

Belted Bubble Dress-$34.00

Satin Bow Shoulder Dress-$27.80

Embroided Woven Dress-$22.80

Chic Metal Bib Dress-$29.80

Stone Trim Dress-$32.00

Kerasal's Exfoliating Foot Moisturizer Giveaway WINNER!!

Congratulations to Christy from Skinned Knees!! Random.org has chosen you as the lucky winner!! Be sure to shoot me an e-mail with your shipping information. You have a one week to claim.

American Eagle-Shoe Patrol

AE Cutout Flats-$14.95/ Wild Animal Print-$24.95

AE Jeweled flat-$19.95/Slip on Sneaker-$14.95

AE Metallic Flip Flop-$19.95/Jeweled Sandals-$19.95

Accessory Round-up: Charlotte Russe Handbags

If you're looking to spruce up your handbag collection but don't want to spend a lot of money, Charlotte Russe has some cute & affordable handbags, purses and clutches! When I mean affordable, I mean A-ffordable people. Everything pictured here ranges from $10 to $28.50!!

Go to check out www.charlotterusse.com to check out more items or to purchase.

Shoe Fetish of the Week

Hey there girlies! The Shoe Fetish of the Week are the L.A.M.B. Dawna slingbacks! Personally, I don't know if I'm brave enough to wear zebra print heels (maybe flats...maybe) but these are so bad ass I couldn't resist. :)

The L.A.M.B Dawna's have cool zipper trim and a 4'' wrapped stiletto. They retail for $325 and can be bought through www.piperlime.com

Are these right up your alley or would you pass?? Let me know!

Sarah Jessica Paker's Look. Yay or Nay?

oh Sarah, why? why do you have to do this to me?! I was just saying how RAVISHING you looked in the NYC Premiere of SATC2...and now this monstrosity.

Sarah stepped out at the London Premiere of SATC2 in a Alexander Mcqueen costume gown, and a c-r-a-z-y Philip Treacy hat.

....*sigh* sadly, this is a nay for me...

Is this a Nay or Yay for you? Let me know!

Jason's Birthday!!

Today is my hubby's birthday!! Our birthdays are 12 days apart so it get's a little crazy around the house this time of month. I made him take off work today so my daughter and I plan on giving him a special day (although, let's be honest, he's a guy and it really doesn't take much to make him happy)

I got him a nice little present and I hope he likes it...which wasn't easy because we're both sleuths (we should be working for the CIA or something). It's really hard for us to surprise one another! Usually the other one already knows something's up and guessing by what he asked me yesterday he already has some suspicions (UGH). Not to mention my daughter is a little rat and will give you up in 2 seconds! lol. She's really excited about his birthday too (mostly because of the cake) and drew him a little card by herself-which knowing my husband, he will LOVE. :)

We also have family coming in this weekend so I'm planning on doing a birthday weekend for him. We'll probably go to one of his favorite restaurants on Sat night and hit up an amusement park on Sunday. Busy Weekend this week...can't wait! Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Hair Products for Kids by Carol's Daughter

Carol's Daughter first rose to fame by making celebrities such as Jada Pinkett Smith, and Mary J Blige into loyal fans. Years later they are still on top of their game with their hand made, high quality products. So what do you they have available for your little munchkins?
A Magical Beauty Hair Set-$26. Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Detangler--my daughter would DIE for this!!

Kid's Hair Styling Set (for boys & girls)-$50, Jojoba and Shea Butter Sheen, Hair Milk, Hair Butter

Jean Reidy Books For Your Kiddos

I thought I'd share another of my daughter's favorite books with you. This one is "Too Purpley" by Jean Reidy. She's a children's author and she does a great job of making the book simple and fun for the kiddies.

If you have a little budding fashionista like I do, then she will definitely relate to this book. It's about a little girl who finds something wrong with everything she puts on.."too purpley..too polka dotty" etc until she finds the perfect outfit for her. The illustrations are really cute and really help depict the story so my daughter actually "reads" it to me instead!

"Too Pickley" is Jean Reidy's newest book and it's set to be released in July 2010. It's about a little boy who is a picky eater...we can all relate to that, right?

"Too wrinkly, too squishy, too fruity, too fishy!

It's lunchtime, but our fussy little boy does not like a single item on his plate. What is a boy to eat?

Reidy's playful rhyming text is once again brought to life by Leloup's stylish bold art. Parents (and children) will love the hilarious antics the boy goes through, and the reassuring joy at the end of all that kitchen-table drama."

I will DEFINITELY be picking up this book when it comes out, because if it makes my daughter laugh at least half as much as "Too Purpley" did...then it's all worth it. :)

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
For Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers


To find out more information go to www.jeanreidy.com and to Pre-order or Purchase go to www.amazon.com

Want to see what other kids books I recommend? Go Here

Tea Collection-Children's Clothing

If you haven't checked out Tea yet--you HAVE to! I couldn't get enough!! They got the c-u-t-e-s-t stuff!! I didn't even know what to pick to show here! I tried my best but this is just the tip of the iceberg, girls. You. must. go. to. website. This season's Collection is called Wind Water Wonder and it's inspired by Korea's Jeju Island. www.teacollection.com. You can shop online or find a retailer near you.

Girls Collection:

Boys Collection:

Kerasal Exfoliating Foot Moisturizer Review & Giveaway!!

It's sandal time ladies! Make your feet summer ready with Kerasal's One Step Exfoliating Moisturizer! This foot ointment is ideal if your looking to eliminate any dryness on your feet.

The nation’s #1 selling ointment for softening feet and controlling calluses build up, Kerasal's Moisturizing Foot Ointment is guaranteed to repair and soften even the toughest, dry feet, cracked heels and calluses when used as directed.

This moisturizing ointment works VERY well and VERY quickly. It's an ointment so it has a thick gel-like consistency. I would recommend using it at night and putting on socks after application so that it has time to really sink into your feet. They come in 2 sizes a 15g ($6) and 30g ($10) and can be purchased at various drugstores or at ULTA. Go to www.kerasal.com for more information

Overall rating: 4 out of 5


Want to win one for yourself?? Kerasal is graciously giving one of my readers a FREE One Step Moisturizing Therapy Ointment! You can enter several ways:

• Leave a comment on my blog saying you want to win
• Become a facebook fan and "Like" my page. Be sure to leave a comment!
  
• Tweet me @babblingofmommy saying you "want to win a the Kerasal Giveaway"

You can do 1 or all 3, but hurry this is only a 3 day contest! Contest ends 5/28 after then a RANDOM winner will be selected!

*product was submitted for review

Can Jennifer Aniston Be Any More Fit??

...aaaaand now I hate her, lol. What an ah-mazing body Jennifer is showing off in her latest Smart Water campaign, right? If that doesn't make you crazy jealous I don't know what will!! The good thing is that she inspired me to find some cute workout options! *sigh* now if she could only inspire me to go workout in the gym... :)
Reebok EasyTone Reeinspire-$99.98/ Reebok Printed long bra top-$29.99

Puma Complete Concinnity IV-$95.00/ Nike Old Skool Shorts-$30.00

Adidas Gym Strappy Tank-$50/ Track Top Jacket/Adilbria Tank

Beauty On A Budget-Lipgloss

I think Nars should Cut Kim Kardashian a check because she has single-handedly sky rocketed the sale of Nars Turkish Delight lipgloss once she started going around town saying that this is the lipgloss she uses. I know some people liked it before she appeared on the map but now EVERYONE and their mother knows about it!

So if you envy Kim's lip color listen up, because I have my top 3 alternative dupes for Turkish Delight if you don't want to spend the $24 (ouch!) on Nars Turkish Delight.


1. NYX Goddess of the Night in Biege ($5)--I know it says "biege" but it's not it's more of a nude pinkish color. (I bought mine at ULTA a few months back. I can't find it online so this maybe just an in-store product)

2. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pink Whisper($6-7)--I really like Revlon's lip glosses. I find them to be moisturizing, not too sticky, and they don't have that weird smell that most lip glosses have. (BTW I carry "Nude Lustre" everywhere with me. It's a good every day lipgloss) You can buy them in various drugstores or major retailers

3. Neutrogena Moisture Shine Gloss in Groove ($6-8)--THIS is the one everyone raaaves about being almost identical to Turkish Delight. I think it's...ok. I will agree that the color is very similar but what I don't like about Neutrogena's lip glosses is the stickiness and they also dry out very quick. If these two things don't bother you than this is the perfect dupe! You can buy it at various drugstores or major retailers.

Have you tried any of these? What's YOUR favorite lip gloss? Let me know!

SJP @ Sex and the City 2 Premiere!!

Sarah Jessica Parker in all her Carrie Bradshaw glory came out looking STUNNING in bright yellow Valentino gown yesterday for the premiere of Sex and The City 2!!

...and so the countdown begins ladies! Who's going to go see the movie this week? :)

Homestyle Dinner @ Bob Evan's

I know I don't do a lot of "food" posts here on Babblings, but as a mom I can appreciate when a restaurant puts an effort in to their kids menu. That's the case at Bob Evans! Yesterday night we decided to go out to dinner at Bob Evans and I know I've mentioned here before that it's a good family restaurant but for anyone who hasn't gone yet or never heard of it I thought I might share more details.

So, what do I like about them? Well first of all look at the selections they have for kids! Usually kids only have 2-3 items to choose from and it's almost always chicken nuggets or pizza, etc. Here, they have turkey slices with mash and veggies or chicken breast with your choice of sides. Not to mention they have a whole bucket load of sides to choose from! Which means you can choose more than just *gasp* french fries!

What's another great thing? I think only parents will be able to appreciate this but..their whole kids menu is a coloring book! It contains 3/4 pages of fun activities for your kids. It helps keep them entertained and not completely embarrass you while you wait for your food. You KNOW as parents how frustrating it can be to get your kids to sit still for 2 seconds and I don't know WHY some restaurants don't think this small detail is important!

So aside from being a great place to take your kids, they have some yummy homestyle food for you! My husband ALWAYS goes for this Pot Roast Sandwich that contains slow roasted beef, with carrots and onions on a sourdough bread and your choice of side. I like to mix it up a bit and have tasted everything from their chicken dinner to their pastas to their wraps. All of it is always delicious!

And what's the cherry on top?? It's A-F-F-O-R-D-A-B-L-E! For a family of 3 we spent a little less than $30 INCLUDING dessert people!!

Go to www.bobevans.com to find one near you.

Reese Witherspoon's Look for Less!

Another day, Another FABULOUS outfit from Reese! Perfect for your next Sunday brunch with the family or just simply running errands around town. Simple, Sweet, and Comfortable!

Here's the Breakdown:
Printed Dress: $25 (Aeropostale)
Jean Jacket: $34.95 (American Eagle)
Fedora: $7 (Aeropostale)
Handbag: $24.50 (Charlotte Russe)
Sandals: $24 (Soda)
Aviators: $5.80 (Forever21)

Would you rock this look? Let me know!

Accessory Round-up: Mod Cloth

If you like funky, indie stuff with a hint of retro-Mod Cloth is the store for you! This store has fun and unique pieces to tickle your fancy. Everything pictured here is $30 or cheaper but they're handbags can get a little pricey and go up to $350. Check them out! www.modcloth.com

Summer Dresses by Vintage Havana

Summer is rearing it's ugly head ladies, which means the need for cute summer dresses for those scorching hot days. (Hell, it's already hitting 90 here in Florida! UGH. I don't want to even THINK about how hot it will be for Summer!) Here are some great options from Vintage Havana!

Planning a little vacay? These will instantly make an outfit and will make packing a breeze! They're priced from $39 to $84. Go HERE to purchase or see more selections.

LuLu's-Shoe Patrol

Soda Sierra Fun Flower Thong-$18/ Qupid Lana Brass Buckle Gladiator-$18

Soda Frijo Strappy Banded Thong-$15/ Bamboo Raise 22 Bootie Thong-$22.50

Delicious Mascara Fuchsia Wedge-$25/Soda Utopia Vegan Leather Wedge-$26