I’m picky about certain things. One thing I can’t stand are ugly, logo-splashed soap containers sitting on my sink. I’m not a real logo-lover, recently becoming annoyed when searching for polo shirts for the boys that didn’t have some picture or word on them as well. I just don’t find it necessary. Similarly, the ugly wording on soap containers, even soaps that I prefer, really annoyed the heck out of me. When I was contacted about Softsoap’s new Ensembles products, I was intrigued.

No splashy logo. No words. In fact, these look kind of designer-like, fancier than even our glass toothbrush holder. But that’s the nice thing and, really, the point. The bottles come in four lovely designs that go with a variety color combinations. When the bottle is empty, remove the spout, toss the empty one and put the spout into a new container. Choose the same color or change it up as an instant upgrade to your sink top.

Don’t believe me that it’s “that” easy? Watch this video!

I’m thrilled that I no longer have two not-so-great solutions to my sink soap needs. I was forced to either deal with the ugly logos and colors that didn’t match my bathroom or kitchen or deal with putting soap into a container that matched the room in question but would either break (like our last one) or be a waste of soap during the transfer. Lose-lose there. We now have the lovely blue (Exotic Orchid) in our bathroom (though rumor has it that one will be leaving soon as the seasons change so I need to go buy all of those up) and the purple flower ones (Fresh Essence) in our kitchen (as we have Fiestaware’s plum as our main kitchen theme). The soaps, of course, smell lovely as well. Not overpowering like some on the market.

And so, if you’re a logo-hater in need of a color match for your bathroom, kitchen or laundry room, consider picking up some Softsoap Ensembles today. (But please forward all Exotic Orchid to me. Thanks!)

The boys have always slept with music on in their rooms. They each have their own CD players. For two and a half years, BigBrother listened to classical music each night before I bought him the Cars soundtrack. Recently, however, I’ve been putting on Faith, Hope and Lullabies for both of TheBrothers.

(And then listening to it myself as it wafts down the hallway.)

Faith, Hope & Lullabies: Songs of Worship is a beautiful, calming way to introduce your children to good music. I rarely get to sit with my boys at night nowadays. They’ve always been quick to put down, quick to find sleep on their own. However, LittleBrother was having a rough night last night. As I sat on the floor by his toddler bed, rubbing his back, listening to the music, I couldn’t help but sing along with the instrumental music. As I sang along with How Great is Our God, my youngest child’s eyes watched me, peacefully. I won’t lie. He didn’t fall asleep as I sang to him (because even when I try to be quiet, I’m not really; it’s me!). But it was a lovely moment, one I don’t want to forget.

I love that I can expose my children to such beautiful music at such a young age. Music with meaning, even if it is just the instrumental pieces. I prefer this to the junk that I hear on the radio, the stuff that we’ll have to argue over in the future. I can only hope that exposing them to worship music now, in small little ways, will make the fights few and far between.

So, give a listen and then head over to Faith, Hope & Lullabies.

These CDs would really make a beautiful gift for an expectant mother, a new family or any child who likes to snooze to some good music. (Or, really, for an adult who loves to sleep to music and loves worship music. I can’t wait to snooze to it myself when we’re sharing a bedroom at camp this year! WOO!)

Carefree is now offering a new pantiliner for your light days or as a backup for your tampon or menstrual cup. Imagine the protection of a pad but with the light, un-bulky fit of a pantiliner. Welcome to Carefree’s new Ultra Protection Liners. What are the benefits to this new liner?

• Offers 10x more absorbency than an regular liner
• Wings to keep it in place
• Thin and flexible for comfort
• Odor control for freshness

But that’s not the only thing Carefree is up to lately.

Carefree has partnered with First30Days.com (a site I’ve used!) to offer women a chance at a Fresh Start. It’s called the Fresh Start fund.

Three winners will receive $10000, $5000 and $3000 to begin their Fresh Start. Ooh.

What would I do with that money to give myself, my family, a Fresh Start? I can think of many things that have a selfish slant, of course. However, if I really go with the whole “Fresh Start” theme, I’d love to start a non-profit for mothers who have relinquished their children for adoption, both those who chose the path voluntarily at birth and those who were forced to do so by the state, to help them with their Fresh Start.

I wasn’t offered such a thing in the aftermath of my daughter’s adoption. I may have chosen for her to be placed with another family as I felt unable to provide for her due to a complicated pregnancy that left me on bed rest at 18 weeks but that didn’t mean that the decision didn’t leave me emotionally paralyzed. I did move to a new location to get that “feeling” of a fresh start but I was unable to find the motivation to get up and going for awhile. Even then, when I was beginning my career and working toward things that I now know to be parts of my life, I was emotionally cut off from the world for quite some time. I am thankful that I had people in my life who were patient and waited for me to make my way through the muck and mire of that time period, but I can’t help but wonder how the transition would have been made easier if someone, anyone, had offered help. Due to the ethical problems with adoption agencies in this era, parents who have just placed a child are all too often not offered long-term counseling, given an explanation of the grief process or shown resources which they can use to get on their feet. I know that if mothers were given a true, supported Fresh Start, they might begin to feel sooner than I did and, as such, heal sooner than I did. Funding, of course, is necessary because we need to be able to find counselors/therapists who actually have experience in this area. We also need to get together a grief workbook as the existing ones talk about grief as it relates to death; we deal with a different form of grief though the process is similar. As such, the wording needs to be different.

Do you think you have a good Fresh Start idea? Simply visit Carefree’s Fresh Start site and share why they want a fresh start, plans for reaching their goal, and how the funding could help. Maybe you can see your Fresh Start dreams come true. (Let us know if you do!)

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[Thanks to Mom Central for letting us know good things for women.]

When Mother Talk asked me to review The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri, I didn’t quite know what to expect. As I started reading it, I knew I was in for a treat but I still didn’t know what kind of treat or or exactly how that treat would be delivered. In the end, I learned about Ireland, the Gaelic traditions, lace making, good writing and, shockingly, information about my own family that I did not previously know.

The book is wonderfully written. I will admit that it started off a little slow for my liking but the pace of the book is appropriate for the subject at hand. Kate, our main character, an American who has taken off to Ireland to find herself after her mother’s death and a bad breakup, needs that slower pace in order to heal. Of course, at one point, things do pick up rather quickly with an attractive Irishman. Throughout the book there are moments of quick-paced action and tongue lashing (the Irish tongue-lashings) along with moments that allow you to appreciate the Irish landscape, the process of lace-making and the wonderful, descriptive writing.

In Ireland, after a random turn of events, Kate finds herself in the very small town of Glenmara. She makes friends with a group of women who have a lace making society. Kate eventually has an idea as to how these women can turn their hobby into a profitable business but some people both in the group and in town don’t really embrace change. I was intrigued with each chapter to see how people would accept (or not) the changes to their town as things continued to move forward. I will admit that my favorite character was Bernie, a woman who had lost the love of her life. She was able to tell it like it was without being a mean and nasty type of character. I need a little bit of Bernie in my own character, I think.

I loved the story and how it evolved through all of the changes that came to the town. I loved the pace by the time I finished the book, feeling that it was a welcome slow down to my otherwise fast-paced life. I really can’t even begin to describe how much I loved the writing other than I have a renewed interest in Ireland and Gaelic traditions. The writing was so, well, well-written that I want to read more about Ireland! But only if it is that beautifully described that I almost feel as if I am standing on the cliffs as well. I know that those to whom I will pass this book on will love the escape across the pond to a world that seems much simpler than the lives we’re currently attempting to live. (But, I will demand the book to be returned as this is one that I am keeping.)

So, how did this book introduce me to something in my own family that I didn’t know about? In the process of reading this book, I went back to Pennsylvania to visit with my family. It was sitting on the kitchen table as my mom, paternal grandmother and I talked one evening. My grandma looked at it and asked as to what the book was about and I told her. She then let me know that my great-grandmother, her mother, used to make similar lace. Polish, not Irish, but lace all the same. She then went on to tell me that she still has doilies and a full tablecloth that took great-grandma forever to finish during the Depression due to lack of materials. She’s going to find said things for me in the Hope Chest. Without this book, I don’t think I would have learned such information. Little bonus feature for me!

And, so, do I recommend this book? Yes. Did it make me cry? A few minor times. (Word of warning: there is the mention of a miscarriage/stillbirth that I wasn’t expecting. Thought I should pass that on to others who find the subject to be triggering.) But, as I finished the last page of the book, I felt happy. I like books that make me feel happy. The book comes out on June 23, 2009 and you can pre-order it now on Amazon. I strongly suggest that you do!

Chances are you know someone who has fought cancer. My Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. A lovely friend fought a winning battle over the past two years. For them and the millions of others like them, I love organizations like Look Good…Feel Better. They have been around since 1989, supported by corporate donors, to help women “offset the appearance-related changes from cancer treatment.” Think hair loss and skin changes and fingernails and so on. I love that someone realized a need to help counsel women on the fact that they are still beautiful.

Now Look Good…Feel Better has a new campaign. It’s the Hope is Beautiful campaign. Here is/are the slogan/s.

Hope is beautiful… and so is every woman being treated for cancer. Look Good…Feel Better can help women face the challenge of a lifetime.

In various ads, hope is replaced with courage, you and caring. They’re beautiful ads and the message behind them gives hope and courage and offers up that caring to all women fighting this battle.

On their 20th anniversary year, Look Good…Feel Better is asking both graduates of their program and cancer survivors to submit their stories. They want to know how the program helped her get through her treatment. They want to hear encouraging stories of women who have defied the odds. Entries will then be featured on the Women of Hope is Beautiful blog to encourage, inspire and educate others who may be dealing with the very same things. In August, Look Good…Feel Better will choose five (beautiful!) women as their Women of Hope is Beautiful women. They will then be featured on the website and will win a trip to the DreamBall at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York on September 24, 2009 as well as receive a professional makeover.

Nice!

So, how do you submit your story? Visit Look Good…Feel Better and submit your story. Add some pictures. And press submit. You haven’t fought cancer but know someone who has? Pass the information along. Keep passing it along. I encourage all women to share their stories of their cancer fights. Even if you don’t win, isn’t the chance to encourage, support and educate someone who is now following in your footsteps worth it? I think so.

Go submit your stories. And pass on the word. (PS: Look Good…Feel Better is on twitter!

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[Thanks to Mom Central for letting us know of this beautiful organization.]

Are you procrastinating buying something for Father’s Day. (That falls on this coming Sunday.) Or, maybe you aren’t procrastinating but you just haven’t found anything of interest to the Dads in your life? Enter the Mom Central Father’s Day Gift Guide. (At this point, you should hear the sounds of angels blowing trumpets and singing. Hear them? No? You didn’t click yet. Click. I’ll wait. See? Angels.)

The gift guide is separated into four categories:

• Under $25
• Under $50
• Under $100
• Over $100

I’ll be honest. I clicked on the Under $25 category first. Not because I don’t think FireDad is worth more than $25 or that his parenting isn’t somehow worth much more. But because the economy stinks right now. That list had some nice grilling options. I did, of course, hop through each of the categories and, I’ll be honest: FireDad would love everything in the Over $100 category. (That Casio EX-S5 Camera? He’d love it so he didn’t have to borrow my big, honking DSLR!) The lists have everything from a Microbrew gift basket (don’t tell FireDad) to a book on Sea Warfare. You’ll have to give them a look to see everything they have to offer.

To make matters all the more awesome, Mom Central is also giving away stuff every day through Father’s Day. Everything from grilling accessories to a Jeep tent built for seven people. I’m going to be honest. FireDad saw the tent. FireDad wants the tent. So if you could refrain from entering that giveaway, the FireFamily would be grateful. What? The Dads in your life want it as well? Can I bribe you with cookies? They’re yummy! No? That’s unfortunate. May the best Dad win! (Which is obviously FireDad… right? Right.)

Whether you’ve already purchased a gift or you’re still trying to figure it out, visit the Gift Guide and the Giveaways list. As always, thanks to Mom Central for going above and beyond the call of duty to help moms. Thumbs up!

Diane Birch’s debut CD Bible Belt is a new and welcome addition to my music library. And not just a song here or there, but the whole darn album! I loved it through and through, from song to song. That rarely happens for me as I tend to be rather picky about songs, music and what I listen to (and/or belt out while driving along in my car). While Diane’s voice is a bit lower than mine (I’d classify her as an alto whereas I’m a Soprano I), I can still get some singing and grooving going on as I drive down these winding roads. I mean, sure, she’s got more soul than I do but it makes for a good time.

Favorite songs of mine included:

• Fire Escape (duh)
• Nothing But a Miracle
• Ariel

But, again, I should point out that I didn’t dislike any of the songs. So, I really should just list all of the songs. But I won’t. Those three could be called my favorites if I have to pick!

If I had to explain Diane’s style in one word, I couldn’t. It’s ecclectic and vibey. It’s unique and necessary. It’s jazzy and groovy and funky and beautiful and full of everything that I love (piano included). (See? Not just one word!) She’s soulful, which is what probably appeals to me most as my classical training didn’t leave much room for some jazzy soul at the piano side. As such, I find myself gravitating toward such music when I want to relax and/or play with new music. Diane gives me that which I don’t get in my own vocal life and, for that, I am happy and grateful to be grooving along with her at the present time.

(Plus, and I don’t mean this in a shallow way, but have you seen her eyes? Totally jealous of their big, beautiful size! Beautiful and talented? This woman has it going on!)

You can check out some of the songs on Diane Birch’s Myspace page. Be sure to listen to Fire Escape which is an official FireFamily approved song. Of course. (Which, by the way, you can download for free via this link.)

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[Once again, thanks to the One2One Network for exposing me to more amazing music!]

June 21st is when Father’s Day falls this year. June 21st is also the first day of summer. And when I think of summer, I think of hot weather. And hot weather makes me grumpy. And the only thing that makes me un-grumpy is something that cools me down (swimming, air conditioning or a cool treat). What better way to help the dads in your life cool down this Father’s Day than a nice, cool Frosty from Wendy’s?

Cool, chocolatey goodness isn’t enough for you? For every Frosty sold on Father’s Day (and the day before, Saturday the 20th), Wendy’s will donate 50 cents to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. (As you know, we’re a family touched by adoption.) They’ve gone another great step this year and have created a site that allows you to make a free e-card to send to a dad in you life… and for each one sent, they will donate 25 cents to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Hooray!

If you’re unfamiliar with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, here’s a quick look at their mission statement.

MISSION: The Foundation will dramatically increase the number of adoptions of waiting children from North America’s foster care systems.

As you know, we’re strong supporters of ethical reforms in adoption. One of those reforms that our family believes in is that there are too many older children waiting for homes in our foster care system. It’s heart-breaking. Something needs to be done. The fact that their mission is to do something about it is something we can support.

In short, don’t forget to get the dad in your life a Frosty at Wendy’s on Father’s Day weekend (June 20th and 21st) and go send some e-cards as well at Frostycard.com. We’ll be going to buy one for FireDad on the 20th (as he works on the 21st). See you there!

[Thanks to Mom Central for letting us know about this yummy, worthy cause!]

I swear, Electrolux has to be the best company on the face of the Earth. They’ve done it before, twice that I’ve spoken of. What exactly? Helped raise money for worthy causes while offering those who contribute a chance to win very awesome prizes. This time around they’re giving away a new French Door Refrigerator to a lucky person who follow through with their goal of raising money for Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

How can you get involved? Simply visit Electrolux and open your own Virtual Lemonade Stand (summery, no?). By doing so, you are entered to win the new French Door Refrigerator. I went ahead and made my Virtual Lemonade Stand. It took less than three minutes. (Also, I want some ginger lemonade. YUM!) For some extra exposure, I clicked the link to post it to my Facebook wall. Quick. Easy. To the point.

If you’re not familiar with the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, well, you should be. Their mission:

To fund research to find a method of early detection and ultimately a cure for Ovarian Cancer. Electrolux has committed to donate $500,000 to this worthy cause.

Electrolux is helping the cause in this way:

As part of its lemonade stand campaign, for each stand opened, Electrolux will donate $1 to OCRF (with a minimum of 10k and a maximum of 15k).

And, so, you are helping simply by spending less than three minutes to create a Virtual Lemonade Stand. It doesn’t get easier than that, folks. And with the added bonus being a chance to win a new, free fridge… well… how can you go wrong? You’re not quite sure you want this particular fridge? Oh really? Read on.

The new French Door Refrigerator by Electrolux has some cool new features that make it a great refrigerator for entertaining. There is the Perfect Temp Drawer™, which provides storage for any number of items that you want to keep at the ideal temperature. It’s also a large enough refrigerator to store everything from party platters to juice boxes. The French Door Refrigerator also offers double the ice so there is always enough ice on hand to fill your pitchers of lemonade.

I know. You’re no longer reading, are you? You’ve run off to Electrolux to create your Virtual Lemonade Stand. I don’t blame you. At all. That Perfect Temp Drawer? Is love. And a fridge that is big enough to store everything? It almost makes me want to clean my fridge right now. Almost.

Go ahead and enter today. Help the Electrolux raise the money for OCRF. And if you win the fridge, you should send me a picture of how you organize your fridge… and I promise not to be too jealous.

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Side Note: Mom Central is also giving away a new fridge. Simply visit Mom Central, leave a comment about what flavors you are selling in your store after you launch your Virtual Lemonade Stand and then share your summer entertaining tips. Mom Central will be picking one winner, at random, from all eligible entries. Woo! Fridge!

[Thanks to Mom Central for the heads up on another wonderful Electrolux campaign.]

I reviewed the Yanni Voices DVD a few months ago here on the blog. When I was contacted again by the One2One Network to ask if I wanted tickets to the concert and the Meet & Greet afterward, I about fell out of my chair. I had not been expecting such a thing. I excitedly replied that, yes, I would love to go. I was told that two tickets would be waiting for me at Will Call along with the information for the Meet & Greet.

Fast forward to last night: I was blown away by the music. I grew up knowing of Yanni and listening to various pieces. And I fell in love with this new project of his upon first listen. But there is simply nothing like a live Yanni performance. I don’t think I’ll ever miss another concert that comes near me. The caliber of the musicians on that stage was like that I have never seen before in all my days of music appreciation. That’s not to say that I haven’t seen some amazing musicians. I have! I’ve been to many a symphony, orchestra performance and various musicals, concerts of varying type and small, local jazz fests. I simply love music. It is and, I believe, always will remain a vital part of who I am and how I express myself. But those instrumental musicians? I was wowed. I was awed. I was stunned. I was overjoyed to be in the same room with such a talented group.

Of course, the vocalists (which is my side of music making) were phenomenal. First and foremost, as I love a man who can sing, I would have run away with Nathan Pacheco in a heartbeat. Every time he came on stage, he captivated me with his Italian. (I sang in Italian through high school vocal training and in college as one of my two majors was vocal performance.) The sound that came from his mouth each time he opened it was simply the epitome of what any vocalist should strive to be: full, open and pleasing to listen to even if you didn’t know a word of Italian. (Though I picked up the gist of each song thanks to my years of training.) Ender Thomas, on the other hand, made my heart flutter in a different way. His voice, of course, was just a fabulous but his energy and stage presence were outstanding. I don’t think I have that much energy! Some of his notes were amazing! Leslie Mills, though I think I could have fit her in my pocket, was also another powerhouse type of voice. Watching her sing was a beautiful moment. And, of course, Chloe, who I claimed as my favorite back when I initially reviewed the DVD… having watched her perform on stage, I keep that opinion. I was humbled to even be in the audience as she sang. Her voice filled the entire stadium. Her dancing was beautiful. And her smile could win world peace for all. A few of her notes gave me chills. She remains an inspiration for me.

And what can I say about Yanni himself? I don’t think he ever stopped smiling. And it’s such a warm and inviting smile! I felt like he really cared about how we received the music, that he wanted us to enjoy our time in the audience. (And we did!) He was a force to be reckoned with as well. I was in awe of his sheer talent.

Of course, Yanni made me get teary-eyed at one point. That’s not particularly hard as I am known for such thing but he spoke directly to my heart and the hearts of everyone else at one point. Before he launched into an amazing live version of “Marching Season” which featured his talented and humorous drummer, he talked for a bit. And he gave us this little bit of advice.

“Don’t forget to dream.”

Well, excuse me while I snot all over myself, Yanni. But sometimes I need to be reminded of such things. Thank you.

The Meet and Greet afterward was equally lovely. We got some special attention as we were there courtesy of One-to-One. We enjoyed that little bonus time. I learned little things about each of the three singers we met. I also got to meet the amazing violinist (and learned that she has not washed her (stunning) dress since Aculpulco because she’s afraid of the beading falling off. She was just as beautiful as she was talented.). I loved the warmth that each of them gave off. And, of course, I took pictures.

Us with Ender Thomas.

Us with Nathan Pacheco.

Us with Leslie Mills.

(See the sunburn? Wear sunscreen.)

Speaking on a fully personal level, let me tell you what this experience caused in my life. This experience allowed me to get to better know someone I met on a musical performance level and has now become a friend. This experience allowed me to catch up with an old friend as we discussed what PR reps and companies are doing right (like One2One) and how they’re really harming their own reputations with bloggers as of late (not One2One). It allowed me to have a night of beautiful music, something my soul needs every so often. It allowed me to remember the beauty of a live performance. It allowed me to believe that dreams really do come true.

I may never be on a stage that big. I may never release a CD. Or write the book everyone is pushing me to write. Or be featured on the front page of our local newspaper like my hot husband. But, perhaps, I will still dare to dream that beautiful (and musical) things will continue to happen in my life. That doesn’t seem like such a bad thing at all.

In short, if the Yanni Voices tour is coming to a venue near you (through the end of June), see them. You won’t regret it. (Even if you don’t know what Yanni is all about.) If you simply love a good show and appreciate musicians and vocalists who own what they do, you will not be disappointed by attending. Remaining dates as follows:

6/9/09 Kansas City, MO
6/10/09 Wichita, KS
6/12/09 Austin, TX
6/13/09 Houston, TX
6/14/09 Dallas, TX
6/16/09 Denver, CO
6/17/09 Salt Lake City, UT
6/19/09 Sacramento, CA
6/20/09 San Diego, CA
6/21/09 Anaheim, CA
6/23/09 Los Angeles, CA
6/25/09 Oakland, CA

As a side note, it was just announced that for the remaining stops of the tour, a limited number of tickets will be on sale for ten dollars. (Read more.) I’m sure the seats won’t be as great as ours but just being in the building will be enough to awe you. Trust me.

[Once again, many thanks to One2One for making this possible for myself and my friend Barb who was in attendance with me. We had a delightful time and I'm sure we will remember it for a lifetime. We are quite grateful.]