I received the Denim Tunic by Foxcroft and was overjoyed by what a wonderful top it is. They say it’s made of “smooth denim” which I’m not sure how to decode, but the FEEL of it is lightweight and “smooth” and just like denim if it were mixed with silk. The cut of it is generous and you can easily put the sleeves rolled up or not, and did I mention the pockets? Who doesn’t love pockets? These have huge pockets that don’t distract from the shape of the shirt. Because it’s denim, it doesn’t wrinkle. And it’s got enough details that it looks pretty fancy! I dressed mine up with white pants and some contemporary silver earrings that hang down like straight bars. This is perfect to pack up and take somewhere. My Mom borrowed it to go on a trip already. (Sister’s graduation in NY.) We both agree it’s one of the best travel shirts for women that we’ve ever had. Now we just have to agree on joint-custody!

Great for: Spring, Fall and Summer Nights!

Foxcraft is a bit more of my Mother’s mature and conservative aesthetic than mine. See what you think at Foxcroft’s website.

Disclosure: Item sent free for honest review.

They were written from the late 70′s, through the 80′s and into the 90′s.

You can buy older books for around $20 on Amazon, while new copies go for $100 or more.

Best Children’s Books of the 80′s

These are the ones I remember best:

• Serendipity taught kids: Knowing who you really are will bring you happiness.
• Crabby Gabby taught kids: Having fun while playing a game is more important than winning.
• Gabby taught kids: Talking is fun, but listening is just as important.
• Leo the Lop Tail 4 taught kids: Adults can learn from the magic children have in their hearts.

These morals are actually great to remind myself about, even as an adult.

• Zippity Zoom: It is important to take the time to enjoy life.
• Tee Tee: You’re never alone when you know who you are.
• Morgan and Yew: Love is the most important possession we can have.
• Butterwings: Laughing at yourself can be the most fun of all.

Simple lessons, yes. But crucial to remember. We tell kids this stuff and somewhere along the line we forget we have to abide by these too. Believe in yourself, involve yourself, keep an open mind, etc.

You can see the entire list here: http://www.robinjames.net/Products.php

Wiki page here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity_%28book_series%29

The best lotion for dry skin does two things: absorbs quickly (is non greasy) and truly moisturizing. It’s not easy (being green – or) to find both of these items in one lotion. I recently tried the NEW Vaseline® Total Moisture® lotion and discovered for myself that it does both jobs. Which is wonderful – because I use lotion every single day, many times in the course of just one day! (Who doesn’t?)

There are three types of the Total Moisture lotion:

· Vaseline® Total Moisture® – Clean feeling lotion for healthy soft skin.
· Vaseline® Total Moisture® Aloe Fresh – Light feeling lotion for healthy fresh skin.
· Vaseline® Total Moisture® Cocoa Radiant™ – Rich feeling lotion for healthy glowing skin.

Vaseline Total Moisture Lotion Reviews:

1. The Cocoa Radiant (Brown bottle) had a faint smell of coconut (I think) but not a lot. I wish there was more becuase I am obsessed with that smell.
2. The Aloe Fresh lotion (Green bottle) had a definite “fresh” aloe scent, and it was really lovely.
3. The other option (Yellow bottle) was my least favorite during my sniff-test, and wasn’t going for any particular scent.

But all three actually did work. They absorbed quickly (so important for hands that type all day on a keyboard, feet that are in sandals or socks, i.e. my life! everyone’s life, probably) and they felt really good. And after wearing the lotion, my hands and feet felt softer so I knew it was working.

Here’s some official talk on why it works:

“Vaseline® Total Moisture® lotion is non-greasy, fast absorbing and offers Stratys-3 TM multi-layer moisture complex, infusing moisture at the top, core, and deep down layers of skin(2). Available in three variants, new Vaseline® Total Moisture® meets a variety of skincare needs.”

Vaseline Total Moisture Lotion Reviews | Best Non Greasy Hand Lotion

I was provided with Vaseline® Total Moisture® lotions and information about the products by RocketXL. All opinions are 100% my own.

Teleflora’s Too Sweet Bouquet

This bouquet features delicate lavender roses and pink hydrangea in a sparkling silver cube vase. The colors will compliment her rosy glow at feeling so special. This is perfect for a traditional Mother.

Price: $49.95

Where to buy: www.Teleflora.com

Bath & Body Works Signature Picnic Tin Gift Set in Wild Berry Tulip

By buying a gift basket like this, you look like you spent a lot more than you did. This is pretty and the reviews of the Wild Berry Tulip scent are overwhelmingly positive. Includes a full-size Shower Gel (10 oz.), Body Lotion (8 oz.) and Fine Fragrance Mist (8 oz.) in Wild Berry Tulips and a pretty spring Scentportable featuring Lilac Blossom. This is perfect for a Mother who loves beauty products, but doesn’t  pamper herself enough.

Price: $35

Where to buy: Bath & Body Works and www.bathandbodyworks.com

Soap & Glory Do A Bubble Take™ Set

Again, rely on a gift item that’s been pre-packaged to overwhelm your Mom with love! This is for a younger Mom, probably someone in her 20′s or 30′s. The pink bag comes loaded – with a bubbly shower gel and full-size shower pouf, gloss-enhancing shampoo, an exfoliating body polish, their bestselling body butter, lush hand cream, and a refreshing moisturizing spray. Perfect for Moms who love beauty and who travel.

Price: $36

Where to buy: Sephora & www.sephora.com

ybf Luxe Lip and Lock-It Kit

This is for a glamorous Mom who loves a pretty pucker! The ultra flattering Prim Rose  lipstick comes with a sparkling, silvertone mesh bag perfect for a glitz-and-glimmer night out. There’s also a  mirrored keychain lip gloss locket that she’ll see and use every day.

Price: $26.80

Where to buy: www.hsn.com

Let’s talk about nuts. I’m nuts, which is probably one of my better qualities. But there’s also Nuts.com. And before you go thinking it’s such a simple-sounding website that it might not even be real… let me fix that thought for you. The site name is simple, but they have branded themselves as an incredibly fun destination to buy ALL SORTS of things. From the pretty blue and orange re-sealable packages to the box (with cartoon drawings) that the items arrive in, everything about the process is fun.

I got to sample 3 items from Nuts.com. I do recommend ordering from this website, but I would only re-order one of the below items.

Dried Fruit Chips Review – These offered several varieties of fruit but I’ll be honest, I could really only taste banana and then “other” which was a sweet mix (which was apples, pineapple, etc.) I loved this, though. It was very healthy and had a great crunch. My only comment against it would be that there was too many banana chips. It’s great for healthy snacking ideas. The packaging was not just cute, but super functional to keep everything fresh! Eat again: yes!

Dark Chocolate Raisins Review – When I buy the popular brand of chocolate covered raisins, I go with dark chocolate to be healthy. But the chocolate coating is much thicker from Nuts.com, and it was really way too much chocolate (dark or not) for me. I would prefer there be more presence of raisin. Even with the milk choclate, I’d still think the chocolate should be less strong. That said, the chocolate was high quality, and the packaging was amazing. I think dark chocolate with cherries might be good. Eat again: no. (Try milk chocolate, or dark with cherries maybe?)

Dark Chocolate Banana Chips Review – I really was just trying these out, and I came away unimpressed. The banana chips don’t work well with the consistency of chocolate. And as with the rasins, the chocolate coatings were THICK – meaning these are not healthy snacks. It was also way too much dark chocolate in a bite at once. They make great chocolate, I just was hoping for a healthier option. That wasn’t this. Eat again? No.

Do you know how nice this site is? They often throw in free samples of items in with your order.  They’re super fun and incredibly nice. I trust this company, and that says a lot.

• Nuts.com Website
• Nuts.com on Twitter
• Nuts.com on Facebook

Disclosure: products provided for review.

I used to sketch hairstyles out, but never with such elegance. I love that the focus is all on the back and it really shows you how certain hairstyles are put together. While I don’t think these were meant to be instructive, they still are.

Now THIS is intricate… oh boy. From the back of her head I think she seems like a very nice person, maybe a British gal who knits and drinks mint chocolate tea.

Here I immediately think of a Scandinavian woman who is a bit of a punk.

This woman would be a French citizen, maybe because her hair reminds me of a croissant.

This makes me think of an American woman who lives in Maine and makes seafood stews.

On the left I think of a ballerina, but also like an Asian film star on the red carpet. On the right I think of a ballerina again, or a celebrity like Diane Kruger on the red carpet.

I recently had a chance to taste different varieties of G.H. Cretors Popcorn. The Caramel Corn and Caramel Nut Crunch were so good. Not only did I think it was the best I’d ever had, so did my Dad.  And he’s not easily impressed. When it came to the Kettle Corn, I found it super sweet and the corn (like for all mixes) is perfectly and fully round and popped.

Oddly, I just didn’t like the cheese corn mix (and therefore I was not a big fan of the Chicago Mix that has the cheese and caramel corn together.) So, I cannot personally recommend that. But I typically only like white cheddar popcorn, anyway. And this was more of a heavy cheddar, I think.

Now that I’ve already told you all about how great some of these flavors are, it’s time to tell you even more about the popcorn. This is all natural popcorn. This is gluten free popcorn. This is GMO free popcorn. This is kosher popcorn!

Popcorn Flavors

• Just the Caramel Corn
• Chicago Mix
• Just the Cheese Corn
• Caramel Nut Crunch
• Kettle Corn

Visist the site: G.H. Cretors

Find on Facebook: G.H. Cretors

The popcorn is available on Amazon.com, select Whole Foods, and Costco’s.

Disclosure: Popcorn provided for honest review.

Birds paper artwork

Town paper art

Flowers paper artwork

The Secret Garden book sculpture art

Forest paper artwork

The Wild Swans

Forest paper art

Captain Hook – Peter Pan paper art

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Alice in Wonderland book sculpture art

By Su Blackwell

I received the Rose Gold Skin iPad 2 Case to review. They also offer this case in a Brown Gold, Black, Black Gold, Purple and Turquoise. The cases all have textured snakeskin on them, which is quite posh. Aside from the look of the case, I also liked that the magnetic closure turns off my iPad instantly, and that there is a way to use the cover as a stand. (It says there are two angles that it folds open to, but I could only figure out one. I’d say you could use it to watch Netflix, but if you were going to be touching the screen it might slide a bit.)

My biggest issue with the case is that the inside cover doesn’t have any padding, and presses the snakeskin pattern against the iPad screen. Now, many cases don’t have inside padding. But I’m a bit of a worrywort, and my iPad is my baby. Without any padding, I can’t see the point in using this for travel. I’m also worried the snakeskin texture (which is uneven, as a snake is) might press against the screen unevenly and cause a fracture. To this end, I have glued foam padding on the inner cover. This does take away from the ability to be a stand or have a magnetic closure, of course. I think this Hang Accessories iPad case is trying to be like the Smart Cover that Apple makes, but it doesn’t offer enough angle varietes, has some spotty-looking construction around the back, and offers no real projection because it’s used a textured surface.

I do think the trolley bags at Hang Accessories look quite cute. At least. If you travel a lot that could be a stylish rolling case you’d love.

This oughta convince everyone that you’re pulled together!

I like the little bit of sheen here.

The red is probably my favorite. I just hope it’s not actually ombre, no one wants to have it look like their bag is dirty on the bottom.

Disclosure: Item offered for honest review on this stylish ipad 2 cases for women post. Item not delivered with guarantee of favorable outcome.

I was inspired to this by listening to Dr. Wayne W. Dyer speak. He’s a Christian. And he has a book with a terrific title – Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting (AMAZON.)

Here is a brief snapshot of the book:

This book is dedicated to your mastery of the art of realizing all your desires. The greatest gift you have been given is the gift of your imagination. Everything that now exists was once imagined. And everything that will ever exist must first be imagined.

Wishes Fulfilled is designed to take you on a voyage of discovery, wherein you can begin to tap into the amazing manifesting powers that you possess within you and create a life in which all that you imagine for yourself becomes a present fact.

One of the Amazon reviews says the book has, “Easy ways to change your life.”

I almost don’t want to show you the cover. It’s not that it’s awful… it’s that, yes, it looks very predictable. It looks like the cover of a book that an older woman vacationing in Cape Cod with her matching twinsets would go read. So… ignore it. I only show it so you can recognize the book if you see it on sale somewhere.

“Earth’s crammed with heaven.” – Elizabeth Barret Browning

He has another book called “You’ll see it when you believe it.” (AMAZON)

The same principle applies. Mind over matter!

Images:

• Wizard of Oz image: Etsy shop Ink & Lee
• I will achieve my goals – Clipboard: Etsy shop Maiko
• Amazing Things Will Happen: Etsy shop Mary Kate McDevitt