Linus and Lucy

Name: Family Dance Party
Cost: free
Where do I get it?
www.youtube.com

Why I love it:
This is just good stuff.

Yum

Name: Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake
Cost: about $5 to make
Where do I get it?
www.hersheys.com

Why I love it:
This one is simple. It is the best chocolate cake I have ever made. Hands down, no recipe is even close. It is light, fluffy and as the title states, it is perfectly chocolaty. Delicious every time.

Smells Like Fall

Name: Yankee Candle Autumn Wreath
Cost: about $25
Where do I get it?
www.yankeecandle.com

Why I love it:
The leaves are starting to turn colors, the air is getting crisp. This candle has the warm fuzzy smell of apple pie in the oven with a hint of spiced cider mulling on the stove. I like the season change, it feels right to me. And this candle makes my house smell like it is ready for fall.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Name: Uttermost Mirror
Cost: about $280
Where do I get it?
www.arcadianlighting.com

Why I love it:
Sometimes the stars and heavens align just so in my life. I was waltzing through Goodwill last week when I stumbled upon this mirror. I immediately grabbed it, gave it a thorough inspection and placed it in my cart. It was coming home with me. I love the way it shines, the little mirrors captivate me. I came home, looked it up on Google and found out this is a very pricey mirror. I was able to score it for about 1/10 of it's retail price. Woohoo!

Foo Fighters, Enough Said

Name: Foo Fighters
Cost: $30 for a killer concert ticket
Where do I get it? www.foofighters.com

Why I love it:
Where to start? My infatuation started about 8 years ago when my friend (now my husband) took me to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers with Foo opening for them. I immediately fell in love with this band. Their music, energy and groove is infectious. I can't quite decide what my favorite song is, close tie between Everlong (the Acoustic version), The Pretender, and Razor. The concert rocked and I will forever be a Foo Fighters Fan. If you get the chance to see them live, go. It is worth every penny.

I Completed a Fitness Bootcamp!

Name: Milwaukee Adventure Bootcamp
Cost: $249-$299
Where do I get it? www.milwaukeebootcamp.com

Why I love it:
That is me on the right. Doing push ups around 6am. I have just completed a 4 week session, 5 days a week of a fitness bootcamp. It was awesome. I increased my strength, endurance and stamina. I learned new moves to tone my body. I feel strong and healthy for the first time in a long time. I might do the September camp. I like my sleep, and getting up at 4:45am to get to class is a challenge, but the results are worth it.

Who Cares about Joey?

Name: Joey's Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Cost: free
Where do I get it? www.allrecipes.com

Why I love it:
Have you been searching for the perfect peanut butter cookie recipe? I just found it. If you like your peanut butter cookies soft and chewy in the middle with a hint of crisp on the outside, than this is the perfect cookie for you. My entire family gave it a two thumbs up, that means something! It is super easy to make and clean up is a breeze. You should make them as soon as possible, and invite me over if you do.

No Sunburn, Finally!

Name: Coppertone SPF 50 Continuous Spray
Cost: Around $10
Where do I get it? www.drugstore.com

Why I love it:
We go on an annual canoe trip every year. And every year I miss a spot on myself with sunblock, and I burn. We float down a river for at least 8 hours in the full sun, so it is easy to overlook a spot and turn nice and red. Not this year. I used this sunblock every few hours and I did not miss one spot. No redness, no sunburn. Finally, a sunblock that is easy to apply and catches all the normally missed spots. Way to work it, Coppertone!

Oh How I Wish I Liked Lobster

Name: Catch A Piece of Maine
Cost: quite pricey
Where do I get it? www.catchapieceofmaine.com

Why I love it:
I heard a report today that featured these young ambitious men, and I was instantly hooked. My only problem is that I don't like seafood at all. But I get excited when I hear about a long standing tradition (Lobster men) that is dwindling due to the increasing cost of operating. These entrepreneurs will send you the best catch of the day. No middle man, no wholesaler, straight from their boat to you. And my favorite part, the Lobster Man who caught your lobster will personally CALL YOU to make sure you are happy and to see if you have any questions. Rock on Lobster men, you might make me a seafood lover after all.

A New Twist On An Old Standby

Name: Grilled Chicken and Creamy Corn
Cost: around $5.00 to make
Where do I get it? directions at www.bhg.com

Why I love it:
So I am sitting in my dentist's office waiting to pick up hubby. Here was a recipe in Better Homes and Garden that called out to me. We eat loads of chicken in this house, and I love finding new ways to prepare it. The corn is out of this world, and it just so happens that I have a basil plant getting huge in my garden. We have had this recipe about 4 times in the last month, and every time I make it, I get happy.

This is Just Dreamy to Me

Name: Huge Clothesline
Cost: around $35 to make it yourself
Where do I get it? directions at www.groovygreen.com
Why I love it:
In my mind, I have always thought of myself as being kind of green. To my dismay, our energy bills keep going higher and higher every year. I have always line dried my sheets, and I love the crisp clean smell. I asked my hubby to help me build this and it turned out great. We made it 4 lines deep and I can now hang 4 full loads of laundry out to dry in the warm sunshine. This is my favorite gift to myself (and the Earth) this year. Thank you hubby for your mad sawing skills!

You gotta get past the "Ewww" factor

Name: Ped Egg
Cost: around $10
Where do I get it? www.target.com
Why I love it:
Ok, here is the scoop. I have really ugly heels. They are always super dry, cracked and neglected. I finally broke down and bought the Ped Egg, with my head held down in shame and no eye contact to be had with the cashier. It works. And it works well. I try to remember to use it a few times a week. My feet no longer stick to the blanket in bed. My heels are looking better. They are almost approaching the definition of "smooth". Yahoo!

A Seriously Lovely Voice

Name: Adele
Cost: around $9
Where do I get it? www.amazon.com
Why I love it:
I am always searching for new music. A great song fills my soul with happiness. We always have music playing in our home, and I love it when I stumble upon a new sound. This girl has a mellow soulful voice paired with incredible instruments and beats. I love her. She makes my soul happy.

My Banana's are still yellow!

Name: Green Bags
Cost: around $10
Where do I get it? www.greenbags.com
Why I love it:
I get so frustrated when the wonderfully ripe fruit I purchase goes bad so quick. I have been using these bags for a week now, and my bananas are still yellow! I think these work well to keep fruit a little longer and I am hoping to lessen the amount I toss to being over ripe. Man, I love things that work like they advertise!

Bring on the Flip Flops

Name: Reef Krystal Sandals
Cost: around $20
Where do I get it? www.nordstrom.com
Why I love it:
I purchased my first pair of Reef flip flops last year. They were a sportier version, but very comfortable. A few days ago I was waltzing through Macy's and stumbled upon these shoes. They feel heavenly and I normally don't like flip flops at all. They mold to your feet and are super soft. And what girl doesn't love some glittery shoes? Summer has officially started!

I like Orange!

Name: How About Orange website
Cost: free
Where do I get it? www.howaboutorange.blogspot.com
Why I love it:
I check out many websites daily and this is one that makes me happy. First of all, I really do like the color orange. Secondly, she had a great eye for design and inspiration and I am always looking for new ideas and direction. It is a well kept, clean, easy to peruse website and it makes me happy!

My greatest find this year so far!

Name: Aldi Food Stores
Cost: varies
Where do I get it? www.aldifoods.com
Why I love it:
I am getting my groceries now for 30-50% off what I was spending at my local grocery stores. The food is excellent, the stores are simple and clean. I can fill up 4 Chico Bags full of groceries for less than $40. Some things I completely reccomend: chips, milk, eggs, produce, flowers, frozen foods like waffles, bacon, sausages and ice cream. They do have some name brand items too, but the store brand items have been as good as the name brand stuff we were getting before. Bring your own bags, and a quarter to "rent" a cart (you get your qutarter back when you return the cart). Seriously, go check it out. It is crazy how cheap it is!

New Skin Care Regimen

Name: L'Bri
Cost: around $50.00
Where do I get it?www.lbri.com
Why I love it:
Well, my pretty skin took a turn for the worse about 3 months ago. I had to go through my whole routine to figure out what was making me break out. I have it narrowed down to a few things and in the mess, I tried some new skin care products. Within 1 week of trying L'Bri products, my skin completely cleared up, is super soft and looks great. I dumped all my old makeup and skin care products (expensive stuff too!) and I am solely working with L'Bri now. Sometimes it is good to switch it up when you are in a rut. Sometimes breaking out like a teenager can make you re-evaluate what is working and what is not. I'm digging the simplicity of L'Bri!

My Favorite Jeans

Name: Lucky Brand Jeans
Cost: around $98.00
Where do I get it? www.luckybrandjeans.com
Why I love it:
I have had these jeans for 3 years now, and they are just getting broken in. I love the way they fit. Lots of room for my curves, the perfect amount of fading and simple legs make these jeans go from day to evening with a change of shoes. I have two pairs, in two different sizes, one for a more tailored fit and one for a loose and fabulously comfy fit. Go try on a pair, you won't want to take them off!

Scrumptious

Name: Organic Flax Plus Granola
Cost: around $7.00 for a huge box
Where do I get it? Sam's Club
Why I love it:
While casually strolling through Sam's club one day, we decided to try some of this granola from the little old lady who was manning the silver cart loaded with granola. I am not really a tree hugger, or completely Earthy, but this stuff rocks. Every person in my family loved it and we went back for a second Dixie cup full. It is perfect on cereal, bananas. strawberries or by itself. Yummy!