Must-have items for 2013

Hello internet friends,

I’m currently in Belize on my honeymoon, which means I’m either:
A) Soaking up some rays (with my SPF 70 lathered) on a sandy beach
B) Eating delicious tamales, meat, beans, and rice
C) Sharing cocktails with Jonathan at sunset
D) Reenacting all of the date nights from Ben’s season of The Bachelor: Belize

Before I departed on my adventure, I did a bit of shopping and found some absolute gems I need to share with you.

First, and most importantly, is this Sugar Lip Treatment from Fresh (plum is my favorite shade so far).  I’m very particular about my lip products for several reasons.  Lip gloss is too gooey and doesn’t stay on for more than a minute.  Lipstick is often very dry and doesn’t have SPF.  Chapstick is my go-to product, but it doesn’t usually have color, leaving my lips pale and plain.

This product is the perfect blend of lipstick and chapstick with SPF that makes my lips feel fantastic!  It’s not glossy, but it slides on and stays for a long time.  They have a whole range of colors too!

Click image for original source. From sephora.com

This next one isn’t so much a product, as it is a TV series that you need to watch if you’re a 20-30 something female.  “Girls” is a funnier and more intelligent “Sex in the City” with more realistic characters.  I love it with all my heart.

Click image for original source. From wikipedia.com

I’ve never had a good pair of sunglasses.  Mostly because I have a tendency to step on, lose, and scratch every pair I’ve ever owned.  However, this year, some little birdie decided I needed to protect my eyes from the sun and got me these Maui Jim Palms for Christmas.

Getting a nice pair of polarized lenses will save your eyeballs, make you look professional, and teach you how to treat your sunglasses well.

Click image for original source. From mauijim.com

I normally buy the $2 flip-flops from Old Navy that bust about 3 months into wearing them, but these Teva Olowaho sandals are a much better alternative.  They have enough cushioning to keep my heels comfortable and enough give in the straps so that they don’t rub and cause blisters.  I have them in black, but I plan on getting a few more colors for summer.

Click image for original source. From amazon.com

The final product I found that I cannot live without is the Olive Body Butter from The Body Shop.  This bad boy has a mild smell compared to their potent fruity flavors, but I can’t get enough of the subtle earthy smell.  Also, the body butter is not greasy, which is a major plus.  This is a must!

Click image for original source. From thebodyshop.com

What products have you fallen in love with during this shopping season?  What do I need to have to prepare for spring?

-Mads

 

Lady Josephine Von Pugglesworth of Greater Long Beach

Howdy!

The Pioneer Woman posted her nicknames for her pet hound and it made me feel like I needed to share my nicknames for Josie the pug.

Jonathan swaddled Josie, and she LOVED IT.  Passed out pug.

Jos

Mung Bean

Mungus Beanus

Tooty

Josie-face Monster-pants

Mon petit chien

Doodle Bear

Doods

Pooper

 

That is all.

-Mads

A review of Trader Joe’s unique finds

I buy groceries once a week from Trader Joe’s.  I always buy one novelty item to try.  Sometimes I am blown away, but I have also tasted some big flops.  Here’s my take on my most recent buys…

 

Crunchy Green Beans: Garbage.  A crowd pleaser for people who are kidding themselves.

Pacific Flounder stuffed with crab meat: Mushy texture, delicious flavor.  A great freezer meal for nights when you don’t give a hoot.

Roasted Plantain Chips: Taste like salty cardboard, but I can’t get enough.  Purchased weekly.

Pineapple Salsa: This seems counterintuitive, but you will put it on EVERYTHING.

Spicy Thai Style Pasta Salad: The peanut sauce gums up the inside of your mouth like a fresh coat of spackle.  It’ll go straight from the bowl to the trash can.

Organic Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup: Please, sir, I want some more.  Do yourself a favor and buy some crusty bread to dunk into this deliciousness.

Ezekiel Bread: For when you’ve given up on life.

That’s all for now.

What do you love and hate from Trader Joe’s?

-Mads

Stay tuned

I spent approximately 10 hours working on grad school stuff yesterday.  My friends are getting married on Saturday, and I don’t plan on missing a single minute of the festivities because of school work.  Needless to say, my brain is completely fried today.

It was one of those mornings where I almost fell asleep into my coffee cup.

Moving on, I have a return to make to DSW, but before I go, I wanted your input.  So…on Friday I will be posting pictures of my current shoe collection.  Hopefully you can help me discover what little addition or shoe staple I need to include.

In the meantime, Leashiloo posted her favorite internet meme and I couldn’t help but to repost here:

I hope you can tell how non-functional I am today from this post.  Thank you for bearing with me.

 

-Mads

Apeman found in cave!

Me: Has there ever been an attempt to make a human monkey baby?

Jonathan: Like Planet of the Apes?

Me: No, I mean a legitimate attempt to breed a human monkey baby.  They can make ligers, why not a human monkey baby?

Jonathan:  Think about what you are asking me.

Me:  I mean, I get that it’s not PC in this day and age, but they did all sorts of crazy experiments in the 50s.  Surely I’m not the only one who has thought of this.

Jonathan:  I’m done talking about this.

Me:  Will you please just look it up on your iPhone?

Jonathan: *sigh* Ok, I found something on Yahoo Answers.  Do you want to trust this?

Me: Absolutely.

“We are more closely related to chimps and bonobos than horses and donkeys are to each other, and it’s well-known that they can interbreed. There is a rumour that a certain scientist once impregnated a chimp using his own sperm, but got cold feet before the offspring was born and destroyed the animal. A human-ape hybrid is never likely to happen for moral and ethical reasons, supposing it’s possible at all, and a good thing too – imagine an animal with the strength and aggression of a chimp and the intelligence and capacity for evil of a human. It’d be lethal.”

-Source   

Me: I KNEW IT!  Wait, could you please repeat the last line?

Jonathan: “…imagine an animal with the strength and aggression of a chimp and the intelligence and capacity for evil of a human. It’d be lethal.”

Me: hahahaha OMG I WANT THIS HUMAN MONKEY BABY TO BE BORN!

Jonathan: You might not want to post that on your blog.  It seems highly unethical.

Me:  They’ll understand.

-Mads