Cards Against Humanity - AKA Apples to Apples for Degenerates

Do you enjoy being offended and offending others?

Are there any relationships in your life that aren't worth the risk of losing?

Do you ever get together socially with anyone?

Do you enjoy reading sexually explicit, politically incorrect, and graphically disturbing phrases out loud, with a few f-bombs tossed in for good measure?

Would you rather laugh than not laugh?

Do you enjoy learning embarrassing new words that you can only find definitions for on Urban Dictionary?

Are you older than 18?

Are you a horrible person?

You know you want to

If you answered "no" to any of the questions above, then Cards Against Humanity isn't for you. So, the game is not for you. If, however, you don't care that you answered "no" to at least one of the questions, then jump on their website or Amazon this minute and purchase the game for $25 along with any expansion packs you can get your hands on. Trust me, you'll wish you had them by the second time you play the game.

The title of this post says it all; the game play follows the same format as the worldwide phenomenon known as Apples to Apples, but with an NC-17 rated spin. Players take turns being the judge by reading a phrase off a black card that has at least one missing piece. Each other player plays their favorite white phrase card from their hand of ten (or more if required) and passes it to the judge. Psychology comes into play here - study the character flaws of your judge. The judge shuffles the cards and must read the resulting phrases out loud. This is where hilarity ensues. Eventually they must pick a winning answer based on whatever logic, or lack thereof, they prefer. No point in deciding how to end the game; it won't until people start dropping from sheer exhaustion.

This is the most positive feedback I've seen on Amazon, for any product, ever.

Variations include having a ghost player (whose random cards win a surprising amount) and upping the ante by betting that your answer will be chosen. There are some blank black and white cards included with each set so that you and your loved ones can create your own sick and twisted version.

This is not a family game. I repeat, this is NOT a family game. I still have flashbacks of playing this with my parents and siblings last Christmas. Luckily, the image that sticks out to me the most is my 70 year old Dad with tears streaming down his face because he's laughing so hard he can't finish reading the cards.

My mother appearing decidedly less amused

Be The Match! - Become a Bone Marrow Donor Today

A good friend of mine, Kristi, recently sent out a Facebook request for people to become potential bone marrow donors through a program called Be The Match. Kristi has an eleven year old daughter, Mia, who was diagnosed shortly after birth with a rare condition called Diamond-Blackfan Anemia or DBA. My understanding of this chronic condition is that Mia's body doesn't produce red blood cells, and she relies on regular blood transfusions to keep her alive. To date, Mia has had over 100 blood transfusions!

At some point in her life, Mia might require a bone marrow transplant as part of her treatment. Without a sibling match, she would need a stranger, somewhere, to be her perfect match and offer to donate their marrow. If you knew this amazing, brave, positive, spunky little girl, and it turned out you were her match, you wouldn't hesitate for a second. When I saw the post from Kristi, I felt compelled to push aside my fears and see what I needed to do to get on the registry.

Apparently I'm a perfect match for a Soy Caramel Macchiato

The initial stage is pretty easy! All I had to do was fill out some personal information and provide 4 cheek swabs. Due to gossiping, picture taking and obsessive form completing, this took me 20 minutes, which was about 15 minutes longer than it needed to. I did have to commit to a few things. Namely, that I would keep my contact information up to date and promptly return any correspondence I received.

Bone marrow transplants are used to treat various blood cancers including Leukemia and DBA.
I was shocked to discover that signing up puts you on the list of potential donors until you are 61 years old! Apparently Kristi herself has been on the list for years. I did some digging around on the website and apparently only 1 in 500 end up donating after all testing is said and done. I think it would be an amazing experience to be part of, even if you never knew who you were donating for (hospitals have varying policies regarding allowed contact between donor and recipient).

If selected for further screening, any transportation and medical costs for the donor are taken care of by the Be The Match organization. I was initially hesitant because I read online that 1.5% of donors encounter serious complications. If that means death, then as a new mother I have to take pause. I believe, however, that the main risk is infection at the site of surgery. Further information regarding procedure and risk is provided at each stage, and donors are free to change their minds at any time. I cannot imagine, however, discovering I was a match for someone who needed me and then walking away.

For now, I am crossing my fingers that if someone needs it, I will someday have the opportunity to help out. If you are between the ages of 18 - 44 and you are interested in supporting someone like Mia, go here for further information about getting on the national registry.

POPSUGAR Must Have Box #1 - March 2014

Hellooooo Sugar!

Yay! I was greeted this afternoon with my first POPSUGAR Must Have Box!! I was a day too late to sign up for the Special Edition Resort Box, which I am still kicking myself over.  However, I subscribed to their monthly box which includes an assortment of trending "must have" items. PopSugar now ships via FedEx SmartPost, which means USPS does the final delivery. From the time I received the email shipping notification it took 6 days, which seems in line with what others have said.

I quickly tore into the box, briefly stopping to admire the pretty packaging.

Oh I will

Inside I found a cute product brochure and greeting, accompanied by an assortment of products relating to fashion, beauty, fitness and decor. There were also coupon cards for some of the vendors. The theme was "new beginnings" to tie in with the start of Spring.

Here are the goodies!

So let's break down what came in the box, which costs $39.95/month with free shipping.

Brokedown Blue Ikat Scarf (Sugg. Retail $72)

Although I'm not usually a scarf-wearer, this one is so pretty, soft and lightweight that I may have to make an exception. I think it could make a great nursing cover! I wouldn't pay $72 for it, but I'm glad it was in the box.

Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps (Sugg. Retail: $2)
Nature's Bakery All Natural Strawberry Fig Bar (Value: < $1) 

The fig bar was thrown in as an extra. I used to buy these at Costco so I know I like them, and it looks like this is a preview of the new Strawberry flavor. I've wanted to try the Snapea crisps for awhile but couldn't bring myself to buy them for some reason. They're interesting.  Half the guilt of potato chips with about half the enjoyment. Still debating if that's a good trade.

ActiveForever Fusion Exercise Ball (Sugg. Retail: $9.95)

I'm so glad they included a link to a website that demonstrates a bunch of exercises you can do with this little guy. They look similar to some stuff I do in Pure Barre, which is what I was hoping I could use it for. It's easy to blow it up with the included straw, but tough to keep the air in it while you cap it. I assume it's supposed to be a little more squishy than the kinds you pump up with a needle. This would be great for travel workouts. In all likelihood it will end up as a baby toy or even a pool toy once the kids in the family see it.

Baublebar Elephant Ring Tree (Sugg. Retail: $12)

Ok, this is adorable! I wish I actually ever took off my wedding ring. This will find use somewhere. A 20% off coupon is included for the Baublebar website as well, which has several other cute critters for sale in addition to a large selection of trendy and reasonably priced costume jewelry. I already have my eye on a pave tortoiseshell bracelet.

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum (Sugg. Retail: $27)

Really? $27 for this teensy tiny thing? It's going in my long lineup of samples to try. If it truly does what it promises (reduces fine lines, hydrates and diminishes dullness) then I suppose it's worth every penny. A promo code is included for the Jurlique website, where you can view their full line of products. I also need the name of a good lender so I can take out a second mortgage on my house in order to afford this stuff!

Dogeared Lucky Horseshoe Make a Wish Necklace (Sugg. Retail: $30)

What an adorable idea! Think this would make a great gift for a teen or college student. Given my son's grabby hands, it would only take me about 5 minutes to have my wish come true. However, there's nothing I'm really wishing for at the moment and I love unique gifts so I think I will leave it in the packaging for now. One last 20% off coupon code included for the Dogeared website, which has mostly delicate necklaces and charms for sale. Almost cute enough to make me switch from the larger statement pieces I normally gravitate towards.

All told there was about $154 of merchandise included in this month's box. There was nothing that I wish hadn't been in there, although the least exciting for me was the face cream - that type of sample is very common and you never really know how effective anti-aging stuff is until decades later.

Already looking forward to next month's box!!

Pure Barre - Tuck yeah!

"You're stronger than you know!"

"Put your mind to the muscle."

"Embrace the shake."

"Build that beautiful Pure Barre ledge!"

This is what you'll hear upon entering a Pure Barre studio, franchises of which are quickly popping up around the county. Listen up, because you need all the motivation you can get when your thighs are burning and you're shaking so hard you're fairly certain you'll never walk again.

Just stick with it for two weeks and you'll start to love this sign!

This is the class I love to hate. It's hard, but not hard like doing-a-gazillion-burpees-in-a-Cross-Fit-class, more hard like holding-a-wall-sit-for-an-hour-with-a-bucket-of-rocks-on-your-lap.

I started attending regularly when I was 6 months pregnant because I wanted a low-impact workout that I could continue up until delivery. I had attended a local bootcamp for years, and was consistently using 25 lb dumbbells for the majority of my exercises. I silently scoffed at the selection of 2 lb and 3 lb weights offered at Pure Barre. A word to the wise: Don't be cocky. Start with the 2 lbers.

Watching the class through a window doesn't do it justice, although you might dig the blaring, fun music. It just doesn't look like we are doing much other than holding really awkward positions. Similar to pilates, Pure Barre is a conditioning class designed to lift, tone and burn ("LTB" in PB speak.  Sad how long it took me to figure that one out!) your core, arms, thighs and rear. Um, yeah, who wouldn't want to shape those areas?? Instructors walk you through miniscule movements and isometric holds, followed by lengthening stretches. In fact, the goal is to decrease your range of motion while holding perfect form. Apparently this control makes the exercises more effective.

The almighty "tuck," or roll under of the tailbone, is used throughout the entire class to increase intensity and protect the lower back. You will hear that term a lot. Possibly even in your sleep. About half of the exercises are performed with the support of a ballet barre. Other equipment used is a small inflated ball, resistance bands and the afore-mentioned hand weights.

The Pure Barre uniform is pretty simple: yoga-type gear and socks. "Sticky" or toeless socks make it easier to hold planks. Many women leave their hair down or even styled, but I "glow" a bit too much for that. A sports bra isn't necessary because there is no impact, but I always bring along a hand-towel and water (Thanks again, glow).

What do I love about Pure Barre?  The music, the consistency, the pleasant soreness I experience at least once a week, the fact that instructors mute the mic to correct your disastrous form, the Lulu Lemon fashion show going on around me and....drumroll....the fact that the instructors and faithful attendees look the way I want to look. Coincidence or not, this is powerful motivation! The studio I attend in Chandler, AZ is owned by the sisters Weyand: Marirose and Veronica. They own two other studios in the area: Phoenix and Scottsdale. Along with the other instructors, these gorgeous girls make it a point to know everyone by name and are always encouraging, never intimidating as you might expect.

I've heard to expect results after 5 consecutive classes - I think that's probably accurate for someone a bit slimmer than me.  I found about 2 weeks of consistent attendance caused me to check out my arms and hammies a bit more in the mirror. My flexibility has increased and I definitely feel tighter overall. I expect I would see an even bigger transformation if I put down the Ben & Jerry's more often.

As I mentioned before, I started pregnant.  It was really, really hard but I continued to go until the day I checked into the hospital for induction. AND I WAS BACK TWO WEEKS LATER. I really feel Pure Barre deserves a lot of credit for how great I felt after delivery. Going back quickly was no issue, although I didn't argue when my doc said no splits until the 6 week mark. :) In fact, class was suddenly 50 lbs easier, so I began to really look forward to it.

At least at my studio there is, unfortunately, no daycare. This hasn't stopped me. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the one thing I have continued to prioritize post-pregnancy. I get a babysitter and drive the hour roundtrip 3-5 times a week because I truly believe that taking this personal healthy time makes me a better woman, wife and mommy. I feel great when I go and it's my favorite way to start the day.

Check out a class and see if it's for you! There are different payment options in addition to bridal and baby packages, but on average it costs $175 for an unlimited month (keep eyes open for Living Social discounted deals). If that's too steep or there isn't a studio in your area, workout DVDs are available on their website, so you can take the LTB home!

"Borrowed" from an official PB newsletter.  Just an idea of what classes look like!

Kindle Fire HDX - Kindle Pt 2

As I mentioned in my first Kindle post, my husband spoiled me on my last birthday. He gave me not only the Kindle Paperwhite as my e-reader, but the Kindle Fire HDX as my tablet AS WELL!

Fighting for attention in my new wallet

Spoiled? Definitely! Overkill? Not a chance. My Kindles are like dear children that I don't want to play favorites with; I love them equally but differently.

The Kindle Fire HDX replaced the iPad2 that I never really formed a habit of using. My new Kindle has a 32 GB harddrive with 4G LTE service. So why do I love it when I failed to use my very nice, very expensive iPad? I suppose I viewed my iPad as a giant bulky smart phone. Right or wrong, whenever I should have used it, I grabbed my iPhone instead.

Lighter, more compact and with better resolution than the iPad, this beautiful little Kindle fits in my leather wallet/clutch and goes with me everywhere. It even opens up a new, albeit less extensive, app store for perusing content. I like variety and enjoy having both stores at my disposal.

I'm an Amazon floozy and I love having access to all my existing content, including a ton of free videos through my Amazon Prime prime account. If I'm stuck somewhere without access to my Paperwhite, I can still pick up where I left off in my current book, confident that my other devices will update my place accordingly.

This tablet takes a standard USB to micro USB power accord for charging, which is a huge plus in my book. Battery time is good (Amazon claims 11 - 17 hrs), though not nearly as good as the Paperwhite for obvious reasons. The Kindle does have a front-facing camera which I haven't used much because I use my phone through force of habit.

You can read more detailed stats here, but suffice it to say that the screen on this thing is gorgeous! The very responsive HD touchscreen is definitely a step up from other tablets I've seen. The videos I've watched are truly beautiful, making this my new best friend for long travel days.

The Kindle Fire HDX operating system is a version of Android called Fire OS. The internet browser is Silk. The home screen display features a carousel of open apps and active media that one can quickly flip through using the responsive touchscreen. The remaining apps and content are displayed in rows of tiles.

Anndroid OS with Carousel and Tiles

I see a few areas for improvement: I'm still adjusting to the user interface, which isn't quite as intuitive as the iPad's. It seems like the carousel gets a bit bogged down and I need to figure out how to organize my tiles. When trying to adjust settings I eventually had to do a search for them. Additionally, the Kindle seems to drop my WiFi connection fairly often. It might be a network issue in my house, but I have to reconnect to WiFi and often lose unsaved progress on web pages. It drives me batty!

I suppose I should try out the touted "May Day" video chat help feature, which I have yet to do. It might resolve several of my issues. The hubs is eager to see if the customer service reps will be as attractive as the girl in the commercials. I haven't felt the need to burst his bubble just yet.

The Kindle Fire HDX starts at $229 and can be purchased through Amazon or retailers like Best Buy.

This is quickly becoming my favorite gadget EVER! What's the cherry on top for me? The ability to blog while nursing of course!

Kindle Paperwhite - Kindle Pt 1

The Dark Side never looked so good.

I love books. I love holding them, flipping through their pages, and seeing them lined up on shelves. I grew up in a house where everyone had a book in hand at all times. When I was 16 my parents remodeled our house and turned almost the entire bottom floor into a library. They built floor to ceiling bookshelves over a couple thousand square feet of their home. I LOVED every inch of it.

I cursed the day I saw my first eReader. I'm no dummy; I knew it was the beginning of the end, and it depressed me. You can't start a conversation about what someone is reading on their screen without looking like a creeper. You can't dog ear a tablet or show off your high brow literature (like you always planned to once you picked up some high brow literature). So I staunchly held out. I was a purist and wouldn't get sucked into this digital craze.

AND THEN my parents decided to move and couldn't find a buyer for their crazy amazing house with its row after row of bookshelves. And their tens of thousands of books had to sorted and packed or donated.

AND THEN I had a baby and had to move my books from my office AKA nursery to a back closet where they barely fit.

AND THEN I had to nurse in the middle of the night with nothing to do but check Facebook for the umpteenth time in the dark. 

AND THEN I recalled all the times I desperately wanted a book but forgot to pack one, or couldn't read one in the dark, or got tired of holding up a large hardback Ken Follett saga while trying to block the sun from my eyes.

AND SO...

I was actually kind of thrilled to receive not one, but TWO Kindles from my husband for my birthday. He gave me the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Fire HDX.  I unabashedly admit I love them BOTH for different purposes.

The Kindle Paperwhite has quickly become my go-to for reading. It dominates other readers because it has a softer (adjustable brightness) light, an exceptionally long battery life and much lighter weight. The best part?? You can read it comfortably outside in the sun or in a dark room or car. No more boring roadtrip nights listening to am sports radio for me!

I love that the eInk is so gentle on my eyes and that a soft backlight was added to the more recent models.  

The ability to link to my Prime account is great. Any content downloaded online through my account (through computer, phone, other Kindle, etc.) is available on the Paperwhite. Even the page I stopped reading at on another device is accounted for and I'm prompted to resume where I left off.

The Kindle Paperwhite gives the ability to highlight content, build vocabulary through an integrated dictionary, and be reminded of who a character is by tapping on the name. My sieve of a brain greatly appreciates these little tools.

Unlike many, I even love the screensaver ads. I learn about super cheap specials and books I normally wouldn't hear about. I don't have the data plan and I don't miss it. I already have months of content downloaded. 

I still miss seeing rows of spines, and the ability to flip through pages, but every time I turn on my Paperwhite I get over it a little more. 

Mom's One Line A Day Journal - Most Likely to Succeed

Oh sweet child of mine!

Before my son was born I had the grandest plans to capture every expression, milestone, and thought as he grew up. I just knew I was going to overcome a lifetime of failed journaling history and stay on top on filling out his $100 handmade baby book and that I  would carefully organize and print all the baby photos that my parents had somehow failed to take of their third out of five children. I scoffed at the idea that anything could have been more important to them then documenting my early years!

Today he turns 5 months old, and his beautiful baby book still sits woefully blank (with the exception of his name - go me!!). I cringe to even mention the stack of gorgeous baby announcements that still sit unaddressed, unsent beneath a pile of papers on my desk. I would be crushed by my utter failure as his historian if it hadn't been for this ingenius little book. My sister and I were expecting at the same time, and when I purchased one as part of a gift basket for her, I bought a second one on a whim for myself.

   

Mom's One Line A Day journal by Chronicle Books LLC is exactly that - a place to capture at least one thought, or milestone, or giggle, each day for the first 5 years of life. Each day of the year gets its own page with five entries that truly only allow for a sentence or two. You start on the page that has the date of birth and just fill in the year. You will cycle through the book five times if faithful. Since the year isn't pre-printed, this book has no expiration.

Even I can handle that! I still occasionally get behind (it's hard to write legibly left-handed while nursing!) but it only takes about 10 minutes to get caught up on a week's worth of entries. 

I especially appreciate the page at the back of the book that allows you to capture important dates such as the date of his first smile, step or "mama." This will come in handy when I finally get around to completing that expensive doorstop of a baby book!

I highly recommend this as a baby shower gift. It has a beautiful pale pinky lavendar cover embossed with gold writing. It's pretty enough to leave on your bedside stand and at under $10 on Amazon it won't break the bank.

Now for organizing those pictures...