National Honesty Deay

Today is National Honesty Day:-0

I swear. I'm not making it up. I was cruising the web and came across this site: 

www.holidayinsights.com

They don't know where or how it started, but there seem to be rumors pointing to George Washington.

So, what are we supposed to do on a day like today?

It might be brutal, but here is my top 5 things I need to do to observe the holiday.

Five Honest Thingies

1. Tell **** that she really has gained the ten pounds she keeps complaining about, because all her clothes can't just shrink.  While I'm at, I should tell her to cut out the daily cinnamon bun.

2. Admit that I hate cooking dinner when in the middle of a chapter, then fork over a twenty dollar bill and let my son order pizza. Yeah, surprise! Not super-mom anymore.

3. Look in the mirror and toss out any article of clothing that isn't black.

4. Give **** a pack of gum, a bottle of mouthwash, and suggest she brush her tongue, along with her teeth.

5. Say no to the volunteer coordinator at the school, because I want to sleep late on Monday!

#5  is major. I never get to sleep late.

Okay, what do you need to do to observe National Honesty Day?

To Travel Is Human

It’s no secret that I love to travel. In truth, I can’t sit my behind down too long and settle at home, or I start to literally climb the walls. So, what do I do? I obsess with why I should travel.

Considering that I’ve been home for a full month, with only a two hour day drive as my recent excursion, I’m itching to break out my new passport and go. Have you seen the new passports? They’re so pretty, with color pictures on every page and extremely patriotic scenes, that it would be an absolute sin not to use them as often as possible. Unfortunately, my next international trip isn’t scheduled till the summer, so I’ll have to save the passport and pull out the gas card.

Yes, I did say card! Nothing wrong with credit when it is done properly and the balance is paid promptly. Why not use the gas card? It will prime the pump, and it will help get our economy rolling in a positive direction. I’m a savvy consumer, so you can bet that I’ll be shopping for the best quality at the lowest price, and that simple act will encourage competition. The free market economy will be stirred back to life, putting more money in all our pockets.

Having more money in our pockets will allow us a greater opportunity to travel. It is documented through out time how important travel has been for mankind. Look really, really far back to times when people needed to travel to find food and sustain themselves. At all times in history, there were pilgrimages for spiritual growth and sharing, as well as travels spurred by negative things such as greed and occupation. There was travel for discovery and advancement. Imagine if Christopher Columbus never set sail. Would the earth still be flat? Then, it is in our nature to acquire beautiful items, such as those brought back along the Silk Road by the Polos. However, when we are true to ourselves, we see that some of our basic needs contradict our actions. Do our souls truly need all these material goods, or should we take a trip to a simpler place and detox?

You can tell from my rambling that I refuse to stay put. I have an innate need to travel and experience new places and cultures. Somehow, someway, I will put that new passport to use before the summer. Any suggestions?

Happy Valentine's Day

Between the running around and events of a Saturday, I'd like to take a moment to wish you a very romantic day. Actually, we (your's truly included) should make of a point of indulging in the activities of Valentine's Day. We do and run so much on a daily basis, but take for granted the simple pleasures in our lives. When we celebrate with a kiss, a hug, and a little bit of love, it wakes the world spin on a correct axis.

I read an article on kissing a few minutes ago. Thought I'd share...think of the health benefits, my friends.

Happy Valentine's!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090213/ap_on_sc/sci_romance_unraveled

Kisses unleash chemicals that ease stress levels

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Randolph E. Schmid, Ap Science Writer – Fri Feb 13, 6:22 pm ET
Reuters – A couple dances and kisses inside a heart shaped made from candles during a flash mob ahead of Valentine's …
CHICAGO – "Chemistry look what you've done to me," Donna Summer crooned in Science of Love, and so, it seems, she was right. Just in time for Valentine's Day, a panel of scientists examined the mystery of what happens when hearts throb and lips lock. Kissing, it turns out, unleashes chemicals that ease stress hormones in both sexes and encourage bonding in men, though not so much in women.
Chemicals in the saliva may be a way to assess a mate, Wendy Hill, dean of the faculty and a professor of neuroscience at Lafayette College, told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Friday.
In an experiment, Hill explained, pairs of heterosexual college students who kissed for 15 minutes while listening to music experienced significant changes in their levels of the chemicals oxytocin, which affects pair bonding, and cortisol, which is associated with stress. Their blood and saliva levels of the chemicals were compared before and after the kiss.
Both men and women had a decline in cortisol after smooching, an indication their stress levels declined.
For men, oxytocin levels increased, indicating more interest in bonding, while oxytocin levels went down in women. "This was a surprise," Hill said.
In a test group that merely held hands, chemical changes were similar, but much less pronounced, she said.
The experiment was conducted in a student health center, Hill noted. She plans a repeat "in a more romantic setting."
Hill spoke at the session on the Science of Kissing, along with Helen Fisher of Rutgers University and Donald Lateiner of Ohio Wesleyan University.
Fisher noted that more than 90 percent of human societies practice kissing, which she believes has three components — the sex drive, romantic love and attachment.
The sex drive pushes individuals to assess a variety of partners, then romantic love causes them to focus on an individual, she said. Attachment then allows them to tolerate this person long enough to raise a child.
Men tend to think of kissing as a prelude to copulation, Fisher said. She noted that men prefer "sloppy" kisses, in which chemicals including testosterone can be passed on to the women in saliva. Testosterone increases the sex drive in both males and females.
"When you kiss an enormous part of your brain becomes active," she added. Romantic love can last a long time, "if you kiss the right person."
Lateiner, a classical scholar, observed that kissing appears infrequently in Greek and Roman art, but was widely practiced, despite the spread of skin disease at that time by facial kissing. And there was a potential for social faux pas by kissing the wrong person at the wrong time.
Overall, the science of kissing — philematology — is under-researcherd, Hill concluded.
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On the Net:
AAAS: http://www.aaas.org

This is what kept me so busy...but I'm back!

Found the Perfect Present on Fictionwise

This morning, Demi Alex was up before me, shocking me with that simple fact.

Unwrap Me, I'm Yours is on Fictionwise.

So, Jon, the perfect Christmas present is now available at a discount.

In this holiday release, Unwrap Me, I'm Yours, you can lose yourself in a New York Christmas, with a twist.

Jon is Hope's Edward. He is dreamy, arrogant, sexy, and ohhhh so self-assured. To top it all off, he is Hope's Christmas present. You see, Hope can be any one of us girls. She is cheated on by her college sweetheart with her cousin and leaves home to avoid contact with them. Her cousin's betrayal stings more than the ex's, but the no-control-d**k-head doesn't want to go away. He keeps showing up at family gatherings and charms the family into accepting his lying butt. To preserve her sanity, Hope makes excuses to stay away for Thanksgiving. She creates a boyfriend and the need to visit his parents. Then, right before Christmas, Hope is pushed to the edge and announces that she got engaged the same weekend that the ex and her cousin were married. Now she needs to bring that fiancé home for the holidays! Enter, Jon, the sexy café owner who has made her a latte addict.

Click here to read the first chapter.

De-Stress Christmas Gift Shopping

My ideas about Christmas presents might be narrow compared to other people's, but I have finally decided to be true to myself and gift what I would like to receive. In doing that, I've made my life so much simpler, and I'm able to enjoy the holiday season with friends that I really care about rather than with department store clerks.

Now, don't be fooled. American Express still calls to warn that there has been unusually high activity on my card, just in different locations than prior years. LOL

Being that we are toe-deep into December, I figured I'd share some of my favorite tips on being a happy elf this year. (Hope this smile continues the whole month.)

First: If you buy a specific gift, make it one the person really wants. Don't bother with a gift for gift's sake. When I receive those types of gifts, I feel guilty because I know I'll never use it (AND I can't re-gift because it was a gift in the first place). Simple, but does it make sense? If the receiver is really into music, how about a specific cd? Or a card for downloads? How about a watch for the friend who goes through five of them in a year because she changes them with each outfit? Books? I love books and bookstores…Peculiar, eh? It isn't the amount you spend, but the thought you put into the gift.

Second: I always feel rushed and pressed for time. This year, an outdoor mall, with the feel of Main Street, USA, has opened near by. It has all the smaller shops the mall has and much less bustle. I like that. I drive right up to my favorite stores and stroll right in. In the mall, there are shops for my girlfriends (Bebe, White House Black Market, Sawovrski), for the men (clothes stores, plus hm…a Cigar Bar), and kids (Hollister, Love Culture, Zoomiex…), plus other stores with a greater variety. The best things about this 'mall' is that is has a couple of cafes and restaurants…these make me happyJ.

Third: I have no problem with cyber-shopping. I love it. They will even wrap and send the gifts out for me! I used to feel guilty doing this, but no more. It is so worth it. All the major department stores offer on-line shopping and most smaller (boutique-style) stores do as well. Obviously, I love Amazon.com –it is the department store of my heart—It has almost everything and usually, I have no problem meeting free shipping requirements.

Here are a few of my favorite sites (btw, they never close).
www.macys.com
www.borders.com
www.target.com
www.walmart.com
www.sofsurroundings.com (great deals at the outlet)
www.LLBean.com (I live in FLA and when I travel to cold climates…well, I can't freeze my buns off.)
www.zazzle.com
www.zappos.com
www.ResplendencePublishing.com (some pretty cool reads at this site…lol)

*My personal absolute favorites include travel sites that sell discount tickets and hotel rooms. You know the big ones and you know your budget…plan accordingly.

Oh, I also make a point of hitting as many local signings and collecting books for my friends. Now, if you're reading this blog, there is a good chance that you enjoy a good story and so do your friends. A signed book is a great gift (and you typically get a night/day out and a strong cup of coffee/tea out of it).

The truth is, I am in a Shopping Mecca, so I can usually find everything I want within a ten minute drive, but it is neat to order things and receive a package in the mail.

I posted some (and trust me, this is a very limited sample) individual sites I visit often, but I want to hear from you, too. Where do you like to shop?

I won't do it. Call me a chicken. I don't care.

I read a book that happened to mention two scary movies, and now I’m up in the middle of the night!

Sort of- kind of foolish- eh? But in this book, the author spoke about zombies, blood and guts for more than a few paragraphs. I guess I have a low tolerance.

When I see a horror flick… Well, honestly, I don’t. I never go to the theatre and pay for the ‘pleasure’, because I can’t sit through such a movie. My insides churn, I don’t breathe, and my jaw starts to hurt. Is it worth paying to lodge a permanent obstacle in center of my throat that prevents me from swallowing?

At home, I find pressing things that require my immediate attention while the rest of the family is glued to the set. I do laundry, dishes, maybe even the necessary clearing of my t-shirt drawer—anything no to have o watch. Even then, I look away and make a mental effort to distract myself when I must be in the same room for a few minutes.

Okay, so by now, you must be rolling on the floor. I'm a full-grown woman that cringes with a silly movie. In my own defense, they don’ call them thrillers for nothing! And in my case, these works of art certainly accomplish their goal. They scare the **** out of me.

So, credit must go where it is due: Job well done, scary story writers; you’ve got me gripping the edge of my seat (when I can sit).

Do you feel my pain?