TMI Tuesday

It's TMI Tuesday. I'm warning you now, it's not for the faint of heart. Don't blame me if you can't handle it. You've been warned.

As a child, one of my siblings would bite their toenails. I won't tell you who, but this person is married with three children; a daughter and two sons.

TMI Tuesday. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay

The Greatest Gift

What's that saying, "the best things in life are free"? I agree, to a point. The best gifts in my life are my friends. [My family is also a gift, but I didn't choose them.] I chose each one of them because they have a special quality. Whether it's their selflessness, their positive outlook, their sense of humor, their strength or their desire to be a good person, they each have something special. Friendships are free but they do require time, energy and effort. A friendship without these things cannot survive.

Last night I was able to spend some time with my oldest and dearest friends. This is a rare treat. They are all busy moms with crazy schedules.

We've known each other since junior high/high school and we're never more than a phone call away. Even if we go months without seeing each other, we can pick up right where we left off. That is such a good feeling.

Other friends live a bit of a distance away, but they're always in our thoughts.

Some friends, I've made through work. Who knew that spending 40 hours a week with someone could turn into a nice friendship?

Some I know from the neighborhood growing up

Others are new friends that I'm looking forward to getting to know better.

(Photo courtesy of Melanie, The Coupon Goddess)

Some friends, you have no pictures of. (Note to self, take more pictures of friends.)

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only way to have a friend is to be one." I couldn't agree more.

I Can No Longer Hold My Tongue

What happened to our beautiful boy? The one with the all American look that we all loved.

How did he go from this:

To this:

To this:

What happened to our Tommy?

Now, I'm not much of a football fan. I have no idea how the game is played. If someone offered me seats on the 250-yard-line (or wherever the good seats are), I would politely decline. I'd rather be at the mall.

Back to Tommy. If I were his mother, I would march into that fancy brownstone of his, drag him out of bed, pull him by the hair and drag him to the barber shop. Okay, maybe I'd drag him to a fancy hair salon on Newbury Street. I'd also have them shave that thing off his face.

You know who's behind this horrendous new look, don't you? That skinny, manish wife of his. Sure, she's a supermodel, that doesn't hide that fact that she has man-face. I'm just sayin'.

I'm thinking of starting a letter writing campaign entitled "Bring Our Beautiful Tommy Back".

Who's with me?!

Black Friday Recap

After pouring over the Black Friday flyers for weeks, I wasn't too jazzed about anything.

Sure, there were a few things that looked interesting, but nothing that warranted standing out in the freezing cold in the middle of the night. That is, until I checked Twitter. I happened to check before I went to bed Thanksgiving night. I noticed that the Gap was having 50% off the entire store until 10 AM. It also said that some stores were opening at midnight. This, I was jazzed about. I called the Gap near me to see if they had a recording on the phone. Nothing. I decided to drive over there at midnight to see if they were open. After going back and forth on Twitter with some blogger friends, one of them decided that she was going to go too. I took a nap for two hours and woke up at 11:30. I decided to check Twitter again before I left. Thank goodness I did. I saw that my local Gap didn't open until 7:00 AM. Back to sleep I went. I got up at about 6:30 and headed to the shopping area. Here's what I saw at 6:54 AM.

There was absolutely no line! Just before they opened the doors, there were two people waiting in line to get in. I decided to stay nice and dry (and warm) in my car to wait for the doors to open. Once I did, I made out pretty well. I picked up a couple of things for my sister and a few things for myself.

Later, I met up with my sis. Here she is trying on some super fashionable hats at the Gap. I was trying to pretend that I didn't know her.

Here I am trying on a scarf, wrap type of thing. It was pretty cool, but in the end, I didn't get it.

If you decided to stay in bed and sleep off your turkey coma, don't fret. There are still good deals to be had. I hope whatever you did, it was a fun day.

Thankful

Of course I'm thankful for things for like family, friends and my health. Here are some other things that I'm thankful for:

• chocolate
• lip balm
• granny panties
• knee socks
• GPS
• MacBook
• cuddly blankets
• Modern Family
• Pepper the cat
• Cape Cod
• hot fudge sundaes
• gum
• Sex & the City (series, not the movies)
• Dunkin Donuts coffee
• chocolate chip cookies
• Starbucks hot chocolate
• Uggs
• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
• lululemon pants
• peanut M&M's
• cashmere
• George Clooney

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

What are you thankful for?

Wordless Wednesday

TMI Tuesday

It's TMI Tuesday. I'm warning you now, it's not for the faint of heart. Don't blame me if you can't handle it. You've been warned.

I don't wear thongs. I find them insanely uncomfortable. Granny panties are where it's at for me.

TMI Tuesday. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay

Christmas Milk

*The following post was written by Kelly, Loopy's sister. She is a (somewhat) regular contributor to the blog*

Aaahh Christmas milk. My kids look forward to this all year. In case you aren't sure what Christmas milk is, it's Eggnog. My kids don't like the word Eggnog, calling it that comes with too many questions: Why is it called eggnog? Are there eggs in it? Why are there eggs in it? Is that why it's a funny color? What is nog?

We started calling it Christmas milk when my 14 year old daughter was young. Due to her chronic pancreatitis, she isn't able to have too much of it. When she does drink it, we cut it in half with skim milk.

So rich and yummy - mmmm Christmas milk.

Deal of the Day!

If you have some 9+ year old boys on your holiday shopping list this year, this is for you. It's a game called Cuponk. It's basically a kids version of beer pong, or as we called it in my day, quarters. The object of the game is to get the ball into the cup. When you do, it makes a noise. A simple concept.

I've heard rumblings about the kids asking for these, so I've been on the lookout for a good deal. It came today. It's on sale at Target for $7. Target.com has a coupon for $5 off this game. Click here to print the coupon (you'll find it under toys). That makes that grand total $2. Not bad for a game that retails for $13.99.

Happy shopping!

Boston Parent Bloggers

Even though I'm not technically a parent, I feel like one. I spend most of my time with children. The only difference is that I get to go home to a nice, quiet house. Jealous?

Since I'm "sort of" a mom, I joined a group called Boston Parent Bloggers. Fortunately for me, they welcomed me, even with the whole "womb has never been used" thing. They held their launch party the other night. I met so many amazing, beautiful, smart, talented moms. I was in awe of each and every one of them.

Christy Matte and Jodi Grundig are the founders of BPB. They did an amazing job with the launch party. It was held at the Barefoot Books flagship store in Concord. It is truly a wonderful place to take the kids. The whole place is bright, colorful, and just plain adorable. Even the toilet was cute. If you live in the area, you should really check it out.

Below is a list of some of the moms that I was able to chat with and get to know a little bit. You should check out their blogs. My apologies if I forgot anyone. I'm still new at this whole blogging/networking thing. Feel free to berate me in the comment section if I forgot you.

Masshole Mommy

The Coupon Goddess

Trees Will Bend

The Girl is a Mom

UMommy

Mommycosm

Quirky Fusion

This Place is Now a Home

Jodi Grundig

Julie Deennehy

I really hit it off with these women and I can't wait to see them again. They're a wonderful group of supportive women.

Wordless Wednesday

Healthy Habits Kitchen

Calling all busy Moms! That's all of you, right?

Recently, I attended an event at Healthy Habits Kitchen in Wellesley. I've been to these type of 'make and take' places before and I have always liked them. The thing that really impressed me about HHK was the quality of their ingredients. They use 90% lean hamburger and Belle & Evans chicken.

Owner Sue Schochet was wonderful as she explained what they do at HHK. Another thing that I really liked about them was that you can make the meals yourself, or you can call up and order them, then pick them up OR have them delivered! Can you imagine having a healthy, tasty meal delivered to your door. All you have to do it cook it. How great would that be?

I was excited to attend the party because I was able to meet other bloggers.

My new blogging friends (l to r): Me, Cindy from Isis Parenting, Sharon from The Life of Reilly, Kami from The Fence, Sharon from Umommy and Sue from HHK. Missing from the photo (because she was king enough to take the photo) was Charlene of Charlene Chronicles.

Sue from HHK was kind enough to let us take home (or make) a meal of our choice. I chose Butternut Squash Lasagna. It was a tray large enough to feed six people. I brought the lasagna to my sister's house to share with her and her family. My sister, her husband and I all liked it. The children did not. Keep in mind, these kids like plain pasta.

I would definitely recommend Healthy Habits Kitchen. It's great for busy families that still want healthy meals.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. The event was free and I was given a meal to take home. All opinions are my own.

TMI Tuesday

Introducing a new segment here on Being Loopy. It's called TMI Tuesday. I'm warning you now, it's not for the faint of heart. Don't blame me if you can't handle it. You've been warned.

I'm pretty sure that I toot in my sleep. I can't be 100% sure because I'm single and I sleep alone.

TMI Tuesday. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay.

The Big City

I went into the big city today. I love going into Boston, it makes me feel like such a grown-up. I met my friend Kelly for lunch. Kelly and I met when we worked together at a firm downtown. I hadn't seen my former coworkers in a while, so I stopped in to say hi to them as well. A few people commented on how relaxed I look. I guess sleeping till 9:00 will do that for you.

Waiting for the train. I felt like a kid. I was so excited.

Here's where we went for lunch. When we worked together, we would go every Friday. It was our reward for getting through another week of work.

This stuff is hardcore. There is nothing low-cal about it.

The lovely Kelly enjoying her yummy fries.

Good friends. Fattening food. It doesn't get much better than this.

Although I love going into the city, I'm not sure I'd want to work there again. I mean, you have to wear grown-up clothes everyday! And, you have to get up before 9:00 a.m. What's fun about that?

How I Spent My Weekend

I spent it with someone very special. Here is a photo of them:

I spent my entire weekend with a stuffy and runny nose. I didn't know that you could have both at the same time, but you can.

I come from a family of nose blowers. In my parents house (and my own) you're never more that three feet from a box of tissues. My sister, Essie, is not a nose blower. You couldn't find a box of tissues in her house if your life depended on it. If her kids get a cold they have to use, get this, TOILET PAPER! Toilet paper should be used for one thing and one thing only. I think we all know what that is.

Crap, I have to go blow my nose again!

To Botox or Not to Botox, That is the Question

Since I'm going to be 40 in 105 days, the question needs to be answered. Should I consider Botox or not? A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless (you know who you are), gets regular Botox injections. I just have such a problem with it. It's poison. That's being injected. Into your face. With a needle.

I'm all for the 'growing old gracefully' thing. Then I see a picture like this.

Forget the fact that I was in desperate need for an eyebrow wax in this picture. Focus on the wrinkles around the eyes. Where did those come from? When did they get there? I want so much to not look my age, but I just can't see paying someone to inject poison into me. Also, I'm pretty cheap and I'd probably end up going to a "doctor" who handed out coupons. I'd end up looking like this:

I guess I'll stick with my wrinkles.

Black Friday

It's closer than you think. Black Friday is just 18 days away. I was never a big fan of shopping the day after Thanksgiving, until a few years ago. I just couldn't resist the deals that were out there. One of my favorite websites this time of year is BlackFriday.net.

A couple of years ago, my sister and I went to Toys R Us on black Friday...big mistake! We were there when it opened at 5:00 a.m. We were able to get most of the items on our list, however, they only had TWO registers open. The line wrapped around the entire store. We ended up putting our items back and leaving. We headed to a couple of other stores and had great luck.

Last year, I read many articles online about retailers offering deals that were better than black Friday because of the economy. I didn't find that in anything that I purchased. I bought quite a few (recently released) DVD's for $3. I didn't see a deal like that offered again.

Also be sure to "like" Black-Friday.net" on Facebook.

I can't wait to see what deals will be out there this year!

Smells Like Fall

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of fall. I find it hard to let go of shorts and flip-flops. It all seems to happen so fast, one minute you're at the beach and the next minute, you're raking leaves. It's crazy.

One of the things I dislike about fall is that the house starts to get really, really dry. The heat comes on and it can get a little stuffy at times. Before I haul my humidifier out of the attic I take a simpler approach. I set a small pan on the stove with water. I let the water come to a boil and then I add a couple of spoonfuls of this:

I think I got this as part of a gift one year. I wasn't really sure of what to do with it. I discovered that if I put a little bit in the boiling water, it makes the whole house smell good. It's a very autumnal scent. For me, it makes fall a little more bearable.

20% Off Holiday Cards at Shutterfly

One of my favorite things about the holidays is getting all of those Christmas cards in the mail. Isn’t it great to get something in the mail that isn’t bills? I look forward to it every year. I almost get upset when the card doesn’t have a picture on it.

Shutterfly is offering a great deal on holiday cards. If you order before November 17, you will receive 20% off your entire order. I like this promotion for two reasons:

#1. You save money. That’s always good.

#2. It forces you to get your cards ordered before the crazy holiday rush.

Shutterfly has literally hundreds of designs to choose from; whether you want to include a single photo or a collage of photos, there is a design to suit your taste.

It was hard to pick a favorite but I finally decided on this one

The Snowflake Band Back card. I love the black, white and red together:

Take a look for yourself.

Click here to see Christmas cards.

Click here to see photo cards.

Click here to see story cards.

They have a great assortment of cards. Don't forget to order yours before Novemver 17!

Thank you to Shutterfly for this opportunity. I will receive free holiday cards in exchange for this post about Shutterfly. If you are a blogger and would like to receive 50 free cards from Shutterfly click here.

b. good

One of my new favorite discoveries is a burger joint called b. good. This is not your typical burger joint. They grind their meat daily, so you can be sure it's fresh. They also serve their burgers on whole wheat buns. A nice healthy twist.

When I heard that they do catering, I placed a call to my sister. She works in an office in downtown Boston. Part of her job is ordering lunches for meetings. I suggested that she get in touch with b. good to have them come in and do a tasting. There were rave reviews all around.

Take a look at all of this yumminess.

Here's what she told me:

The sliders were a big hit.

Sweet potato fries. Delicious!

The salad was beautiful and tasty.

They even brought dessert. I think Joanne was pretty happy about that!

If you're looking for a healthy, fresh burger, give b. good a try. You won't be disappointed!

Tiger Cubs Give Back

Hi there, it's Kelly, Loopy's sister. If you've been reading Loopy's blog, then you know that I'm a "couponer." I've been doing it for about a year now and I finally feel like I know most of the ins and outs. I posted a while back about my binder. If you'd like to see it, click here.

One of the things I enjoy most about using coupons is being able to stock up on certain items and then donate those items to the food pantry in my town. As luck would have it, my six year old son's Tiger Cub pack (or group or den or whatever they call themselves) will be collecting on behalf of the food pantry. Great, it saves me a trip.

Here's our humble donation:

8 boxes of Potatoes
8 Cans of Soup
1 jar of chili
1 bottle mayo
6 boxes of cereal
20 boxes of hamburger helper.

A special thank you to my neighbor, Sandy, who sent over some Hamburger Helper that she bought with coupons as well. I'm happy to be able to give back to my community, but I'm even happier that my son is learning to do the same.

The Angry Snap

Most parents, especially moms, have done it. You know, you're on the phone, on an important call and the kids start to get loud and unruly. That's when you pull it out of its holster: THE ANGRY SNAP.

It's usually 3-4 snaps in quick succession. Followed by a finger pointed at the guilty (loud and/or unruly) child. Sometimes the finger point is accompanied by a stern face. Basically, it all means the same thing: "settle down right now or when I get off this phone, so help me God." When my mom did this to me as a youngster I wondered, "where did she learn to do that?" I thought that maybe she took some special class on how to be a big meany. Thirty or so years later, I'm doing it myself. And I don't even have children. It's usually done to unruly nieces and nephews. Also, why is it, that when you're on the phone, and you're trying to get away from the children, they follow you from room to room? Five minutes before that, they couldn't have cared less what you were doing. Now that you're on the phone, they suddenly need to be near you. Very near. Like, in you're skin. I just don't get it.

This concluded today's random thought. Thank you and goodnight.