Music Monday: Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan

My loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers know I haven't been nineteen in quite some time, but I've been able to relate to Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen" since he first sang the song in 1980....though at the time I was a freshman in high school with a 19-year-0ld boyfriend (mmm, on a motorcycle), not a 19-year-old girl with a much older man. And even at 15, I remembered the Queen of Soul. Tonight I'm hiding out by the fireplace and in the blogosphere, trying not to panic at the prospect of eight (8??!!) overnight guests for our dysfunctional family Christmas Monday, and for some reason the song's been running through my head.



Way back when in '67
I was the dandy
Of Gamma Chi
Sweet things from Boston
So young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
And where the hell am I

Hey Nineteen
No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down

Hey Nineteen
That's 'Retha Franklin
She don't remember the Queen of Soul
It's hard times befallen
The sole survivors
She thinks I'm crazy
But I'm just growing old

Hey Nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down

The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing
We can't dance together
No we can't talk at all

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday: (How Do I Get You) Alone by Heart

Spend enough time in the car with London and Maddie and they'll get through all four Glee CDs (plus the Glee Christmas album). While the show is completely plot-free this season, the soundtrack continues to be fun, reminding me of a whole bunch of great Gleeriginals (the originals that the Glee cast has covered) that I've been compiling as a playlist on my iPod. Others may recognize "Alone" from the covers performed by Celine Dion (Taking Chances album) or Carrie Underwood (on American Idol), but I want to make sure my girls identify with the 1987 power ballad from Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart on their Bad Animals album.

Since I've started working out on our new Tuff Stuff home gym (weight machine), I've developed two different workout playlists...an aerobic workout requires 22.5 minutes of randy Katy Perry and Lady Gaga to take my mind off gasping for air for three miles on the eliptical trainer, but my weight training days require hard rock...Van Halen's "Finish What You Started," Led Zeppelin's "Dyermaker," Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name, "Still Got This Thing for You" by Alannah Miles, and this one by Heart...the kind of soundtrack that takes me back to the high school weight room and, like the football coach, screams "gimme one more rep."




I hear the ticking of the clock
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark
I wonder where you are tonight
No answer on the telephone
And the night goes by so very slow
Oh I hope that it won't end though
Alone

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

You don't know how long I have wanted
to touch your lips and hold you tight, oh
You don't know how long I have waited
and I was going to tell you tonight

But the secret is still my own
and my love for you is still unknown
Alone

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

Alone, alone

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Aunt Veg's Trip to the Grand Canyon

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SPOT. All opinions are 100% mine.

Back in late May/early June, my older sister, the one affectionately known as Aunt Veg, and her husband, Uncle Quiet, went on a rafting and camping  trip to explore the Grand Canyon.  They had a great time, but warned me ahead of time that we'd be unable to reach her on her cell phone.  Of course, our mom had a terrible fall and I was unable to keep my sister informed.  If only Aunt Veg and Uncle Quiet had known about the SPOT Satellite GPS messenger.  It's a great tool for campers, hikers, rafters and outdoor adventurers who are off the cell grid and want to be able to call for help if they get into trouble. The SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger provides emergency assistance when you need it, as well as a vital line of communication with family and friends whenever you want it.  SPOT uses 100% satellite technology and works virtually anywhere in the world, even where cell phones don’t – all with the push of a button.

Uncle Quiet, are you listening?  SPOT Satellite GPS messenger would be a great surprise for Aunt Veg to find under the Christmas tree this year.  Right now, for the holiday season, if you buy her the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger you will receive a bonus adventure kit worth $50, including a coupon for 15% off Basic Service, a micro LED flashlight, flotation case for SPOT in case of a rafting mishap, safety tips bandana, lanyard, a safety whistle and carabineer keychain.

Music Monday Tribute to Annie's Playhouse: Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler

This past weekend, London and Maddie rocked the house with their performances in the big Annie's Playhouse show at Bernards High School. Maddie sang "If Mama Was Married" from Gypsy with one other girl, and London was part of a trio performing "Holding Out for a Hero" from Footloose. Roxy was one proud mama.

Time flies...I can't believe it's been almost 27 years since Footloose, which came out in the winter of 1984, the year I graduated from high school, when we were all "Holding Out for a Hero." To use another cliche, I guess times have changed, too... these days, I know a small handful of everyday heroes and hope both of my girls have some strong role models, both male and female, in their lives. I still like the song's message of never settling for less than the best.

I don't have the DVD of London's performance, so we'll have to settle for Bonnie Tyler. Enjoy!



Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and turn and dream
of what I need

[Chorus]

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life

Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder end rising with the heat
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet

[Chorus]

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I would swear that there's someone somewhere
Watching me

Through the wind end the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach
Like the fire in my blood

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Music Monday: Whip My Hair by Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen

Maybe it's a Jersey girl thing, but I haven't been able to get this song out of my head since "Neil Young" and Bruce Springsteen covered Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.



I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)

Hop up out the bed turn my swag on
Pay no attention to them haters cuz we whip em off
and we ain't doing nothing wrong
so don't tell me nothing, i'm just tryna have fun
so keep the party jumping

so whats up (yea)
And I'll be doing what to do
we turn our back
and whip our hair and just shake them off
shake them off, shake them off,shake them off

Don't let haters keep me off my grind
Keep my head up i know I'll be fine
Keep fighting until i get there
When i'm down and i feel like giving up i think again

I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth

I'ma get more shine than a little bit
Soon as i hit the stage applause im hearing it
whether its black stars black hearts im feeling it
but can't none of them whip it like i do
I, i gets it in mmmm yea i go hard
when they see me pull up i whip it real hard
i whip it real hard,real hard,i whip it real hard

Don't let haters keep me off my grind
Keep my head up i know I'll be fine
Keep fighting until i get there
When i'm down and i feel like giving up i think again

I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth

I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)

I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)

I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (ok, ok just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)
I whip my hair back and forth

All my Ladies if you feel me
do it do it whip your hair (whip your hair)
Don't matter if its long, short (long,short)
do it do it whip your hair (whip your hair)

All my Ladies if you feel me
come on do it do it whip your hair (whip your hair)
Don't matter if its long, short (long short)
do it do it whip your hair (your hair, your hair)

I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip my hair)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip my hair)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip my hair)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)

I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (just whip it)
I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)

I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Music Monday: Finish What Ya Started by Van Halen

What was it I mentioned last week about a lack of 80s hair boy bands? I do feel a bit guilty about leaving all of you with lyrics that seem to reflect the time I've diverted from blogging to Twitter and Facebook, where I have enjoyed catching up with friends from high school and my first job, but where you won't find beautiful long, flowing sentences, but you'll love the 80s video....Uh!



Come on, baby
Ow..

Wha-oh-a-wha-oh-wha-oh
Uh!

Oh, if you wanna see other guys
Baby, I could let it slide
You wanna lover, you want a friend
Mama I can be both of them
I got the tools, to satisfy-uh
Just walk away
If I fall shy at all
Uh!

Come on baby, finish what ya started
I'm incomplete, huh!
That ain't no way to treat the broken-hearted
I need some sympathy!

I like to look at the long run
I like to take each step, one by one
Right on time, you will arrive
By keepin' the dream alive

It's alive
And it's kickin'
Inside of me
So come on baby, please

Come on baby finish what ya started
Oh! I'm incomplete uh!
That ain't no way to treat the broken-hearted
Ow! Come on and finish me!

(Guitar Solo)

(Baby come on)
(Come on baby, you say yeah)
(Baby come on)
(Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, bay-yeah!)

Uh!
Now come on baby
Please
Oh baby, come on

(Come on baby finish what ya started)
Ahh
(That ain't no way to treat the broken-hearted)
Oh, oo-ow-oo-ow-oo-ow!
(Come on baby finish what ya started)
Whoo! Gimmee. Ah!

(That ain't no way to treat the broken-hearted)
Mmm, mmm-hmm
(Baby come on)
Ah. Take each step baby, one by one
(Baby come on)
Yeah. Come on
(Baby come on)
I got the tools. I'll satisfy ya
Come on baby
(Baby come on)
Wow-oo-ow-oo-ow! Yeah
(Baby come on)
(Baby come on)
(Baby come on)
So come on baby
(Baby come on)
So come on baby
(Baby come on)
Yeah!
Uh, come on!
(Baby come on)
Now, come on!
Baby come on)
Uh, come on!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

No Place Like Home for the Holidays

This post brought to you by Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

Rex and I never get why people start decorating for Christmas before Halloween, but as Thanksgiving and Black Friday approach, we're ready to start our holiday shopping and decorating.  We'll kick off our holiday entertaining with a children's holiday open house for a big bunch of our best friends in a couple of weeks.  The most important planning for that party probably involves building an indoor arcade basketball competition setup in our basement.  Once the kids are taken care of, I can turn my attention to impressing the grown-ups with stylish and affordable items from Pier 1.

I think my most important “must have” purchase will be a Starburst table runner for the dining room, where Rex will serve his signature choice of vegetarian or meat chili, and I'll be pouring from two different pitchers (one for each recipe) of Sex on the Beach.  I also spotted some Blue Spiral Hiball glasses at  Pier 1 that just may do the trick.

For those of you who are getting ready to mail out invitations for your own holiday parties here in the Roxiticus Valley, you should know that I'll be the perfect guest with a list of 10 great hostess gifts that aren't wine.  Or if you'd like to make this hostess happy, consider one of Pier 1's many jeweled desk frames... you know I've just printed 4,297 photos and would like to put my girls on display.

During the months of November and December, you can support Toys for Tots by dropping off an unwrapped toy at Pier 1 and/or making a cash donation at the register.  For Facebook friends, if you “Like” Pier 1 Imports on Facebook during the month of November, Pier 1 will donate $1 to Toys for Tots.

Music Monday: Still Got This Thing for You by Alannah Myles

For those about to rock, I salute you... and apologize for all the recent Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and the lack of 80s hair boy bands. Lucky for you, this week my iPod workout playlist knocked the sense back into me by offering up "Still Got This Thing for You" by Alannah Myles. It took me back to the days of my on-again, off-again long distance romance with Johnny Moneybags (think Wall Street's Gordon Gekko with all the greed and without the hair), when I would work out until I stopped thinking about him...sometimes it took hours, and what can I tell you, lust builds legendary abs.

In the early '90s, if I needed to go another mile on the treadmill, all I had to do was conjure up Johnny as my date for the Firm's holiday party, propositioning one of the Partners' wives, "Charlotte, you know you want me, you want to jump my bones." What can I say, he sure made for great drama. Fifteen years later, the friends who suffered through the Johnny Moneybags years will be glad to know I no longer have a thing for him, but the song (and my new Tuff-Stuff home gym from Gym Source) may help to bring back those legendary abs....and damn, Alannah Myles is hot. Check it out:



Why is it so hard
To say what's on my mind
And why am I so proud
Still got this thing for you

I know you understand
But you still need a sign
Real love should shout out loud
Still got this thing for you

Hey baby can I carry your flame?
I wanna take you somewhere untamed
Don't you know you're driving me insane
Still got this thing for you

When you walk that way
I can feel the heat
Just below the surface
I'd do anything for you

When you're out all alone
I hear things from the street
And I get kinda nervous
Still got this thing for you

Hey baby, can I carry your flame?
I wanna take you somewhere untamed
Don't you know you're driving me insane
Still got this thing for you

Let me see you smile come on look me in the eye
Too many times I let the chances go by
Pull down the shade turn out the light
Help me make up for all those nights tonight

(Will I know it's true, still got this thing for you
Will I know it's true, still got this thing for you)

Hey baby, can I carry your flame?
I wanna take you somewhere untamed
Don't you know you're driving me insane
If we can't connect, oh that would be a shame

Well... Hey baby can I carry your flame?
I wanna take you somewhere untamed
Don't you know you're driving me insane
Still got this thing for you

(Still got this thing for you still got this thing for you)
Still got this thing for you
(still got this thing for you)
I do

(still got this thing for you)
I know
(still got this thing for you), you know I do, knock knock
(Still got this thing for you)

I get a thrill and I still got this thing for you
(Still got this thing for you still got this thing for you)
Oohoo (still got this thing for you still got this thing for you)
Still got this thing for you (still got this thing for you)
Hah (still got this thing for you)
You know I do, still got this thing for you

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

I Like It On...

This post brought to you by PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

A news flash popped up in my Google sidebar the other day, letting me know that a recent study shows that fewer New Jersey moms are breast feeding these days. Since my infant feeding days are long over, my only conversations around this area involve the October "I like it on" Facebook status campaign ("I like it on the bleachers in the middle school gym"), which was apparently designed to make men more aware of our breasts...er, I mean breast cancer. So I didn't click on the link to read the details of the study, but I did wonder if the NJ moms who are using infant formula instead of breast feeding are aware of potential cost savings available to them. Even though store brand formula provides the nutritional equivalent to well known name brands like Similac and Enfamil, store brand formula costs less because it is not heavily marketed or advertised and free samples are not given away to new moms through hospitals. That cost savings is passed along to the consumer, so new parents who buy store brand formula might save as much as $600 per year.

All formula marketed in the United States. must meet the same nutrient specifications, which were set by the FDA in 1980 at levels to fulfill the needs of growing infants, and the FDA stays on top of any issues associated with the infant formula on the supermarket shelves. For example, Abbott recently voluntarily recalled certain Similac powder infant formulas because of the possibility of the presence of a small common beetle (eeew) in the product last month. The FDA determined the formula poses no immediate health risk, but some infants could experience symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort and refusal to eat as a result of irritated GI tracts. I'd refuse to eat if there were beetles in my juice, too!

Music Monday: Teenage Dream (Glee Cast Version)

I had a hard time making a decision this week on a pick for Music Monday... Daughtry's "No Surprise" has been running through my head since last weekend in South Beach, along with James Blunt's wistful "You're Beautiful"...the girls' basketball evaluations on Saturday took me back to my high school years and I thought about kickin' it old school with the Sugarhill Gang's "8th Wonder" (Go dang diddy dang di-dang di-dang diggy diggy)... but this week's episode of Glee combined with an article in the latest Cosmo led me to Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" as performed by the Glee cast.

Fellow blogger Berryvox tweeted the other day about how we all hated our parents' music and vice versa. Growing up, that was definitely the case for me, but now that I have two girls of my own I find that we like each other's music, maybe a bit too much....since there are moms out there who might not flinch when the girls borrow my Southside Johnny and Bon Jovi vinyl but would find it a bit disturbing to hear the words "let you put your hands on me in my skin tight jeans" coming from the elementary school children in the back of my Acadia. They will be the same ones who will get pissed off when I let London read Judy Blume's "Forever" before she's in high school... but there's a much longer post about Judy Blume to come...just not today.

Speaking of shows my daughters shouldn't be watching, thoughts they probably shouldn't be thinking... Cosmo reports a trend among women who like to see a little man-on-man action (Brokeback Mountain, True Blood on HBO)...guess I'm cutting edge, but going back to college I had a girlfriend who said "there's a little bit of lesbian in each and every one of us"... not me. If there's going to be a threesome, it's going to involve the men's basketball team (oops, math whiz, that would be sixsome not including the guys on the bench). Fair's fair, guys, and if I had a nickel for each one of you guys whose fantasy involves two girls, well I could quit investment banking tomorrow.

Anyway, these prettyboys from Glee don't do it for me, but I love the song.




[The Glee boys don't sing this part, but it's one of my favorite lines from the original by Katy Perry
You think I'm pretty
Without any make-up on
You think I'm funny
When I tell the punch line wrong
I know you get me
So I'll let my walls come down, down]

Before you met me
I was a wreck
But things were kinda heavy
You brought me to life
Now every February
You'll be my valentine, valentine

Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever

You make me
Feel like
I'm living a teenage dream
The way you turn me on
I can't sleep
Let's runaway
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

My heart stops
When you look at me
Just one touch
Now baby I believe
This is real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

We drove to Cali
And got drunk on the beach
Got a motel and
Built a fort out of sheets
I finally found you
My missing puzzle piece
I'm complete

Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever

You make me
Feel like
I'm living a teenage dream
The way you turn me on
I can't sleep
Let's runaway
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

My heart stops
When you look at me
Just one touch
Now baby I believe
This is real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

I might get your heart racing
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight

Let you put your hands on me
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight

You make me
Feel like
I'm living a teenage dream
The way you turn me on
I can't sleep
Let's runaway
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

My heart stops
When you look at me
Just one touch
Now baby I believe
This is real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

November Madness: Roxy to Join the USC Trojans in the PAC 10?

This post brought to you by 2tor. All opinions are 100% mine.

With Monday's tip off of the NCAA men's basketball season and  London and Maddie's basketball evaluations for the Mendham recreational league coming up on Saturday, Roxy's thoughts have officially turned from beach to basketball.  With an undergrad degree from Syracuse, my college background was never short on hoops, but next time around I'm going to get my fair share of sunshine by attending school somewhere warmer...say, sunny southern California?

The USC Rossier School of Education’s MAT@USC offers aspiring teachers as well as current educators the prestige of earning a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from an elite research university with the convenience and flexibility of a highly interactive online learning experience. 

Although Roxy is ready to move to sunny California, London and Maddie sure do like their friends here in the Roxiticus Valley even if they have to put up with a little bit of snow.  The good news is that I can become a part of the elite USC Trojan Family through an accelerated program I can complete in as little as 12 months, without ever leaving my chair (and computer) by the fire.  When it warms up in the spring, I can take part in field-based experiences right here in my local area.  I bet London and Maddie can't wait to see their mom student-teaching at Mendham Township Elementary School!

If getting your MAT degree online from a School of Education which has been ranked #22 in the United States and ninth among all private universities by US News and World Report appeals to you, click here for program information, including tuition reimbursement and scholarship opportunities.  The online program offers full USC student status and benefits, participation in commencement ceremonies and free lifetime Alumni Association memberships....and a whole new team for Roxy to root for during March Madness.

Veteran's Day: A Hero's Farewell

Today is Veteran's Day, and I would like to extend a thank you to all of the veterans out there, and remember two in particular. My dad, who passed away almost nine years ago at the age of 87, was a World War II veteran. His younger brother, my Uncle Joe, also served in World War II, but until he died this year in January at the age of 90, was a living reminder that our freedom isn't free. He was shot in the head and spent the past 60+ years in the care of the U.S. Veteran's Administration, primarily at the VA hospital in Lyons, New Jersey. Despite the fact that Uncle Joe enlisted in the army to serve his country instead of going to the University of Alabama on a baseball scholarship, he never seemed bitter about his incredible sacrifice.

My sister made arrangements for a true veteran's burial at Arlington National Cemetery, so Rex, London, Maddie and I made our first family trip to Washington, DC for the 4th of July weekend. We watched the fireworks from our room at the J.W. Marriott and spent a couple of days with London and Maddie discovering the nation's capitol in 100-degree heat...the monuments, the museums, a little bit of art and history.
The most memorable part of our trip was the incredible memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery when we said goodbye to Uncle Joe one last time.
I'm grateful that we had the chance to pay loving tribute to a great man with a ceremony with full military honors, complete with a horse-drawn caisson, marching band, bugler and gun salute he deserved.

Music Monday: What Happens in South Beach Stays in South Beach (Just Dance by Lady Gaga)

Rex, London, Maddie and I took advantage of the school break for the New Jersey teachers' convention to get away for a long weekend of sun and fun in South Beach. Lazy, relaxing days by the pool and strolling (yes, 8-year-old Maddie used this word!!) on the beach, peoplewatching over lunch, and some fabulous dinners. And did I mention non-stop Sex on the Beach and Miami Vice?

They say what happens in South Beach stays in South Beach, but as I struggle to get back into my workout routine, I'm wishing some of the calories I packed on had stayed behind. Here's Lady Gaga to get me moving...

Oh...almost forgot...part of the reason for this pick is I'm considering Just Dance and Just Dance 2 for my Wii...has anybody tried them? If so, please leave a comment and let me know what you think, remembering that you're talking to the notoriously clumsy Roxy.




I've had a little bit too much, much
All of the people start to rush, start to rush by
How does he twist the dance? Can't find a drink, oh man
Where are my keys? I lost my phone, phone

What's going on out on the floor?
I love this record baby but I can't see straight anymore
Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?
I can't remember but it's alright, a-alright

Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance
Dance, dance, just, j-j-just dance

Wish I could shut my playboy mouth, oh oh oh-oh
How'd I turn my shirt inside out? Inside outright
Control your poison babe, roses have thorns they say
And we're all getting hosed tonight, oh oh oh-oh

What's going on out on the floor?
I love this record baby but I can't see straight anymore
Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?
I can't remember but it's alright, a-alright

Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance
Dance, dance, just, j-j-just

When I come through on the dance floor checkin' out that catalog
Can't believe my eyes, so many women without a flaw
And I ain't gon' give it up, steady tryin' to pick it up like a car
I'ma hit it, I'ma hit it and flex and do it until tomorr' yeah

Shawty I can see that you got so much energy
The way you're twirlin' up them hips 'round and 'round
And now there's no reason at all why you can't leave here with me
In the meantime stay and let me watch you break it down

And dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm

Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance
Dance, dance, just, j-j-just dance

Woo! Let's go!

Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic
Got my blueprint, it's symphonic
Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic
Got my blueprint electronic

Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic
Got my blueprint, it's symphonic
Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic
Got my blueprint electronic

Go! Use your muscle, carve it out, work it, hustle
I got it, just stay close enough to get it
Don't slow! Drive it, clean it, lights out, bleed it
Spend the lasto
(I got it)
In your pocko
(I got it)

Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm

Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm
Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance
Dance, dance, just, j-j-just dance

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Blogging Out Hunger Returns

My friend Deb over on Jersey Bites invited me to join the 2nd Blogging out Hunger campaign to help raise awareness and donations for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey -- the largest food bank in the state. Two years ago, when Roxiticus Desperate Housewives, Roxy's Best Of... New Jersey, and Roxy's Bay Head Blog participated in the first ever “blog burst" to fight hunger in New Jersey, over 122 bloggers posted about the Community FoodBank’s desperate need for donations.

As the 2010 holiday season approaches, we are hoping for even more bloggers to jump on board and help us spread the news about the 20th Anniversary of the FoodBank’s “Check out Hunger” campaign which is going on now through December. Check-Out Hunger is an annual awareness campaign and fund raiser for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey which actually began in New Jersey and is now run at supermarket chains across the northeast. I know you have seen those tickets at the check out counters of your local grocery stores, including Kings, Shop Rite, Wegmans, A&P, Food Basics, Foodtown, Pathmark, Super Fresh and Wawa. Please don’t ignore them. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey reports that need for nutritious food is up 30-40 percent at its partner agencies (soup kitchens, pantries, shelters, etc) this year.

We're hoping our efforts will compel everyone to do something, anything, to help. Visit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey at www.njfoodbank.org or call 908-355-FOOD (3663) to learn more. What can you do?

1. Make a monetary contribution: Visit http://www.njfoodbank.org/.


2. Donate food: Drop off a bag of food at your local food pantry.


3. Organize a food drive: We can help explain the logistics of starting a food drive. Just call 908-355-FOOD.


4. Help "Check Out Hunger:" Look for the "Check Out Hunger" coupons at your local supermarket and donate. No donation is too small! In 2009 Check-Out Hunger crossed the $2 Million plateau for the first time. The campaign raised $2,093, 086 for food banks across the state. Since 1992, millions of people have supported the program at food markets and online at http://www.checkouthungernj.org/. Please make it a point to donate during the holiday season to the Check Out Hunger campaign.

Also, please visit the blogs below to check out their “Check out Hunger” posts.

JerseyBites

Roxy's Best Of...New Jersey

JerseySmarts

Random Cravings

GServo

This list will continue to grow as the day goes on. If you are a blogger in New Jersey, please join in our efforts and feel free to jump on board even if you didn’t commit to participate. Just send a link to your post to info (at) jersey bites.com and Deb will get you listed. If you know of a blog in New Jersey that you think should be involved, please email them a link to this post.

Music Monday: Think About Sports (Shoulda Said No by Taylor Swift)

Unlike the committed athletes I see running around the Roxiticus Valley who wake up early and work out every day, perfecting their chiseled abs, Roxy needs a little distraction to get me through my work-out on the elliptical trainer, and the Wii Fit personal training automaton just doesn't do the trick. However, after last week's Music Monday from Lady Gaga launching Roxy's new more playful theme, my idle fantasy has started to talk back to me, telling me the things I want him to do would be wrong. Well, yeah, bad boy, that's why you're an idle fantasy. Maybe we should think about sports instead? What's next, you'll tell me I've put on a few pounds and you don't find me attractive anymore? Now do as you're told: take your shirt off and get back to three-on-three hoops with the rest of the boys.

So I've created a "Think About Sports" playlist to work out to this week, leading off with Lady Gaga's Bad Romance (I want your love and I want your revenge, think about sports, I don't wanna be friends) and the Glee cast versions of "Burning Up" (unlike the others I'd do anything, I'm not the same, I have no shame, think about sports) and "Like a Prayer"(down on my knees, let me take you there, think about sports), and wrapping up with this week's Music Monday back from Taylor Swift's better days... "Should've Said No."

You should've said no, (think about sports)
You should've gone home, (think about sports)
You should have thought twice (about sports) before you let it all go.




It's strange to think the songs we used to sing,
The smiles, the flowers, everything,
Is gone.
Yesterday I found out about you,
Even now just looking at you,
Feels wrong.
You say, that you'd take it all back,
Given one chance, it was a moment of weakness,
And you said yes

You should've said no,
You should've gone home,
You should have thought twice before you let it all go.
You should've known that word about what you did with her would get back to me.
And I should've been there, in the back of your mind,
Shouldn't be asking myself why,
You shouldn't be begging for forgivness at my feet,
You should've said no,
Baby and you might still have me.

You can see that I've been cryin',
Baby you know all the right things,
To say.
But do you, honestly,
Expect me, to believe,
We could ever be the same.
You say, that the past is the past,
You need one chance, it was a moment of weakness,
And you said yes.

You should've said no,
You should've gone home,
You should have thought twice before you let it all go.
You should've known that word about what you did with her would get back to me.
And I should've been there, in the back of your mind,
Shouldn't be asking myself why,
You shouldn't be begging for forgiveness at my feet,
You should've said no
Baby and you might still have me..

I can't resist,
Before you go tell me this,
Was it worth it,
Was she worth this.

No, no, no, no.

You should've said no,
You should've gone home,
You should have thought twice before you let it all go.
You should've known that word about what you did with her would get back to me.
And I should've been there, in the back of your mind,
Shouldn't be asking myself why,
You shouldn't be begging for forgiveness at my feet,
You should've said no,
Baby and you might still have me...

Speaking of Taylor Swift, we downloaded her new album, Speak Now, on iTunes last Monday when it came out, and Rex and I have been really disappointed. Though I've never paid close attention to which songs she wrote (vs. those that were written for her), when we took London and Maddie to see Taylor Swift at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ she really impressed me when she walked right through the crowd to sing a set that included "Tim McGraw"and "Fifteen," which are two of my absolute favorites. This time out, the songs, particularly the title track, are cliched and whiney. I'll hope she hasn't outgrown the talent and innocence that made her teenage efforts so attractive.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

I Could Go for a Latte Right About Now

This post brought to you by Nestle Dolce Gusto. All opinions are 100% mine.

These past few days, the weather in the Roxiticus Valley has been sunny with temperatures around 70 degrees, but as a spooky and cold Halloween night approaches, I can feel the chill of Fall on its way.  I dread the short days and cold nights that come with basketball season and I've start counting the days until NCAA March Madness and Yankees spring training.  In in the meantime, how about a nice hot latte to warm me up? Trouble is, I live 20 minutes from the nearest Starbucks.  Apparently, our good friends up north in Canada have found the solution.  divine.ca recruited 50 of their luckiest readers to receive and test the NESCAFE Dolce Gusto machine along with a few of their delicious coffee flavors.  The reviews are in and just reading them makes me want to try it.  I can customize eight (8) different varieties to Roxy's individual taste...though I think my family's favorites will be latte macchiato, mocha, and cappuccino.

Now here's the bad news... this fabulous NESCAFE Dolce Gusto coffee machine by KRUPS is considered a must for the Canadian lifestyle.  It comes in three cool colours with chrome detailing -- candy-apple red, dreamy white and sophisticated black -- and  would  be sleek, funky, and easy-to-use, but right now it may require a trip to visit my Canadian friends to bring the goodness home to the Roxiticus Valley.  Think I'll take off to the Great White North...good day, eh?

I Don't Wanna Be Friends...Music Monday: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

(Subtitle: Or, what the Chilean miners really need)

I know this post isn't so timely, as the Chilean miners have been rescued for more than a week (except the guy who had both a wife and a mistress waiting for him and decided it would be safer to stay underground, although both apparently were prepared to give him what the Chilean miners really need as opposed to starting with a broken nose and working their way down). However, as I tweeted late last week, I've decided I have been doing too much brooding here at Roxiticus Desperate Housewives as well as in real life. It is time to lighten things up with a little of the naughtiness that earned this blog a PG-13 rating not sooo long ago.

I was out for lunch with a friend at the newly reopened (and fabulous) Bistro 73 (908-766-7400)in Bernardsville, NJ and we got into a little wicked girl talk about what the Chilean miners really need, and I blurted out: "$%!# &!$s" and we decided that would be a fun topic for my blog. Back to the original concept of Cosmo meets Parenting magazine. Then, some of my followers on Twitter told me they were frightened, and I start to think... but Rex's mom reads this blog... London and Maddie's friends' parents read this blog...people come here to find out the best restaurants and kid stuff in the Roxiticus Valley... and my inner CosmoGirl (the one who thanks John Mayer for that geometry tip) gets shy.

So for now I'll just say that what the Chilean miners really need requires privacy and does not involve a media deal or $450 sunglasses, keep my thoughts to myself and leave it to Lady Gaga to show you what "I don't wanna be friends" really means...

TUESDAY UPDATE: Did I say this post was not timely? Little did I know, today Lady Gaga celebrates one year of Bad Romance... go Gaga! Funny how times have changed, when Roxy was a single girl, no one celebrated one year (or five) of bad romance.




Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-Roma-ma-ah!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-Roma-ma-ah!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

I want your ugly
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it’s free
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love

I want your drama
The touch of your hand
I want your leather studded kiss in the sand
And I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love

You know that I want you
And you know that I need you
I want it bad, your bad romance

I want your loving
And I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
I want your loving
All your love is revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-Roma-ma-ah!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

I want your horror
I want your design
‘Cause you’re a criminal
As long as your mine
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love

I want your psycho
Your vertical stick
Want you in my rear window
Baby, you're sick
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love

You know that I want you
And you know that I need you
I want a bad, your bad romance

I want your loving
And I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
I want your loving
All your love is revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-Roma-ma-ah!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-Roma-ma-ah!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Walk walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy
Walk walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy
Walk walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy
Walk walk fashion baby
Work it
I'm a freak bitch baby

I want your love
And I want your revenge
I want your love
I don’t wanna be friends

J'veux ton amour
Et je veux ton revenge
J'veux ton amour
I don't wanna be friends

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

I want your loving
And I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
I want your loving
and all your love is revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-Roma-ma-ah!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Valerie Center Youth Cancer Patients

This just in from Hilltop Church:

Quick! Rally! Valerie Center Youth Cancer Patients

Doyle, our 11 yr. old friend from Mendham battling leukemia, had several relapses in the last 2 months. After spending several weeks in the Valerie Center at the Goryeb Children's Hospital staying with her son, Sara brought a very sad situation to our attention. A series of robberies has severely depleted their recreational supplies that help these children make it through the long days of intense treatment. Please help the Deacons quickly collect items to replenish the little things that help keep their minds off their daily fight for their lives.

UPDATE October 26th: Misinformation was disseminated about robberies at the Valerie Center. Kelly, the coordinator for some of these patient services, reported this to be unfounded, but reiterated that the pressing need for the replenishment of their DVD, toy, and game supplies still exists. They experience constant disappointment due to breakage, wear/tear, and losses. She assures us that our outpourring of giving and sharing will put smiles on many, many troubled faces. So far, Hilltop Church thanks you so much for the four (4) huge bags of requested items and donations already received which will be delivered this week.

To have a clearer idea of the types of toys/games they would like, please visit the Toys R Us website, click on "wish lists" in the row at the top above the blue boxes, and search by wish list #30056291. All of these and the following items, are perfectly wonderful whether they are new or gently used: (Ages 2 - 18)

• DVD's (largest demand item--PG 13 or less only)
• Toys/Games ( mostly for 2 or 3 people i.e. card games, checkers, SORRY, Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Scrabble, XBox, Wi)
• Puzzles( age appropriate: i.e. wooden pieces, mini puzzles, large pieces, etc.)
• $10 gift cards are super gifts!! This allows them to go to Walmart, Game Stop or the in
  house store for something they like. (Cash donation checks made out to Deacons Fund)

Please prayerfully consider even the smallest donation or toy from your stash!! New items and gift cards will also be used to celebrate treatment milestones, birthdays and Christmas. Please donate quickly by dropping items off in the Hilltop House Library marked "Valerie Center." Hilltop Church deacons will deliver to the hospital.

Carmex Arrives Just in Time

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carmex®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Every now and then, because I'm Roxy the world famous blogger, our family receives a product sample to try out and review here at Roxiticus Desperate Housewives.  On Monday afternoon, there was a nice big box waiting in Roxy's mailbox, with three different samples of new Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream:  a 5.5 ounce tube of new Carmex® Healing Lotion, a 4 ounce tube of new Carmex® Healing Cream, and a travel-size sample of new Carmex® Healing Lotion  that would have fit nicely in my purse.

A few minutes later, London and Maddie hopped off the school bus, with London complaining about chapped lips and face and rough hands.  "What's in the box, Mom??!!" she demanded to know, groping through it, rubbing the Carmex® Healing Cream on her hands and face and snatching up my travel-size sample and popping it into her backpack for use during the rest of the week at school.

For years, our family has relied on the cute little tubs of Carmex Original Formula that's marketed for cold sores but we use for the raw, chapped lips that plague us through the Fall and Winter months.  The new Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream are different... non-greasy and for use anywhere your skin feels dry.  I've been pleased so far with the results. Because my girls and I have very sensitive skin, there are not a lot of lotions we want anywhere near our faces, particularly when the skin is dry and chapped.  Unlike our experience with other lotions (which frequently contain too much perfume), London and I have both applied the Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream to our face and hands with no irritation...it absorbs quickly (Maddie hates it when creams leave her skin looking white or shiny) and has already started to repair our dry, sometimes cracked, skin.

The retail price for each of the full-size products is $5.99 and they can be found at Walgreens stores, Walgreens.com and Drugstore.com.  I'm also going to pick up several of the 99-cent sample sizes for my purse and the girls' backpacks.

Visiting Nurses Association Brings Us A Taste of the Hills

Enjoy a unique and entertaining dining experience at A Taste of the Hills on Sunday, November 7th, 2010 from 6:00-9:00pm at Fair Winds at Basking Ridge Country Club. Hosted by the Friends of the Adult Day Center of the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, this year’s benefit honors the Rotary Club of Bernardsville for their years of support and commitment to the organization.

Over 35 restaurants, caterers and bakeries will offer a delicious array of soup, hors d’oeuvre, salad, entree, dessert, coffee and wine tastings from a variety of local and global cuisines. For reservations, please RSVP the event chair at 908-236-6632. Tickets are $75 per person in advance and $85 at the door. Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis.

“Now our 13th ‘Taste,’ this event is a much anticipated and major annual fundraiser for the VNA Adult Day Center. Many vendors, such as The Growth Catering Family, The Bernards and Old Mill Inns and Gary’s Wine and Marketplace have supported us for years. Others like Aoyama in Mendham and Martinsville, Wegmans in Bridgewater and Sublime in Gladstone join for the first time,” said Susan Lichtenberger of Mendham, event co-chair and VNA of Somerset Hills Board of Trustees member.

Restaurant owners, including Francois Rousseau of Due Terre Enoteca in Bernardsville, also find the evening rewarding. “We love to be able to give back to local nonprofit organizations. It’s nice to see people relaxing, enjoying themselves and having a good time at this lovely event. “

Recent exhibitors include Alba Vineyard, A la Carte, Bamboo Grill, Black Horse Tavern & Pub, Cafe India, China Palace, CocoLuxe, Country Picnic, Due Terre Enoteca, Edible Arrangements, Equus Tavern, Fair Winds Catering, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, Gourmet Touch Bakery, Green Mountain Coffee, Illy Caffe, KC’s, Le Petit Chateau, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Meadow Wood Manor, Nagano, New Gladstone Market, Oayama, Olde Mill Inn/Grain House, Ome Catering, Ross & Owren, Sublime, Taste of Crete, The Bernards Inn, The Famished Frog, The Pluckemin Inn, The Store, Tsuru, Vine and Willie’s Tavern.

The Adult Day Center of the VNA of Somerset Hills in Basking Ridge provides a caring and welcoming environment of customized supervision and socialization for the frail elderly or chronically disabled adult who would otherwise have to stay unsafely home alone or be prematurely placed in a long term care facility.

The Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills and its subsidiaries provide individuals and families with comprehensive, high quality, cost-effective home and community healthcare services, regardless of ability to pay, using partnerships where appropriate. It is a charitable, tax-exempt home health agency and hospice certified by Medicare, accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program and licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. For more information, visit our website at www.visitingnurse.org

Oh, Baby!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Strange population shifts going on in Mendham Township, New Jersey...people seem to have stopped making babies about five years ago.  In September of every new school year, Mendham Township Elementary School has welcomed about 80 new kindergartners and sends about 80 fifth graders and their huge backpacks off to the Middle School.  This year, only 45 kindergartners showed up!  It has really wreaked havoc on the systems in place...there are now only three sections of kindergarten instead of the usual four, and with five sections of fourth grade, London's class was forced to choose their Book Buddies from a first grade class.  So this morning, London headed off to school to read Strega Nona's Harvest (with expression!) to a little first grader named Libby.

So I ask you, where have all the babies gone?  Will they return next year, or is it a trend in Mendham that started before the depression recession and will continue to deplete our supply of kindergartners?

Maybe one way to get back to the business of baby-making despite the economy is to save money, starting with infant formula.  All infant formulas sold in the United States are subject to the same regulations of the Infant Formula Act which governs manufacturing and ingredients.  So store brand formula, while value priced, must meet the same exacting FDA nutritional requirements as all the major advertised brands.  That's nutritional equivalence for babies and substantial savings for moms....private label formula typically costs up to 50 percent less compared with brand names.  That could save a family $600/year per baby.

So what are you waiting for, Mendham?  Let's get back to babies!

Roxy's Reflections: Eat Less. Pray More. Love Lots.

We closed on the sale of my mom's house yesterday, an incredible relief that brings our family that much closer to settling her estate. My big sister has been amazing in her efforts as executrix, and in cleaning out the house I grew up in, sorting and donating anything valuable, and tossing out trash can after trash can of almost 40 years worth of accumulated paperwork and possessions.

Over the past few weeks since my 44th birthday, I have been reading Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Pray Love," and just finished yesterday. While I have no plans to take a year off to travel to Italy, India, and Indonesia, I found her story interesting.

Tonight, our family is off to Art and Poetry Night at Mendham Township Elementary School...I will be back to write more later...unless I fall asleep early, or find another good book to read all night long.

(quick update the next morning)
Ah, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Maddie, London, Rex and I had such a good time at MTES Art and Poetry Night that I didn't get a chance to write about it...or about anything else last night. The girls made several art projects that are drying at the school, but by this afternoon I may have ink blot cinquains to share with all of you. Roxy even got into the mix and created a little art and poetry. Our favorite projects are, of course, the ones that involve getting messy, so it was bath night as soon as we came home.

Shopping for Fall Fashions

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Liz Claiborne New York Outlets. All opinions are 100% mine.

This weekend, London, Maddie, Rex and Roxy will don our Halloween costumes and head down to our beach house for the annual Bay Head Halloween Parade. The big event is always the Sunday before Halloween, and, since our family takes Halloween very seriously, we look forward to the parade all year, and start to prepare at the end of every summer....last year, we even had our own float! I'll keep you in suspense to make sure you come back to Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and Roxy's Bay Head Blog to find out about our family costumes. Today's post is really about the other change that comes right after the Halloween parade...we close up our beach house, pack up our Chevy Suburban, and head back to the Roxiticus Valley for the next five or six months.

Fall is the time of year when designers unveil their new collections and the fashion world follows. While we're away at the beach this weekend, every fashionista, young and old, will dress to the nines and head for the Far Hills Race Meeting to strut their stuff among the horses and tailgate parties. While back to school may signal Fall fashion shopping for the rest of the Roxiticus Desperate Housewives, Roxy doesn't head out to the outlet stores in Flemington, NJ, until November 1st. And let me tell you, I'm glad I've waited because Liz Claiborne New York Outlets are selling their entire inventory at a discount! Everything must go, with prices 50-80% off, and even the newest Fall fashions are available for a steal!

While I've been known to shed a tear or two on Labor Day, once we get to my birthday in October, I'm happy to change over my closets and shop for the latest fall fashions....the boots, the sweaters. the leather jackets...it's all good. So Rex will be a good sport and take London, Maddie and me to the Liz Claiborne New York Outlet store in Flemington, New Jersey, and we'll come home with a car load of goodies for all three of his girls.

If you're not lucky enough to live in the Roxiticus Valley, click on one of the links in this post and find your nearest Liz Claiborne New York Outlet store. Happy shopping!

Hexagon Players of Mendham Presents Annie: November 12, 13, 14, 19, and 20

My loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers may remember that, back in September, London auditioned for the Hexagon Players of Mendham production of "Annie." She practiced for weeks, singing out wherever we drove in the car. London bravely sang "Rain On My Parade" at the auditions, but the piano accompanist couldn't keep up with her. Rex, Maddie and I cheered London on and had a great time checking out all the amazing local talent as they sang and danced all night. Given the intense competition, London didn't get a part in the show, but we'll be in the audience when Hexagon Players presents Annie in mid-November.

Hexagon Players of Mendham presents "Annie" coming to Bernards High Auditorium in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Performance dates include Friday, November 12th at 7:30 pm; Saturday, November 13th and Sunday, November 14th at 2:00 pm; Friday, November 19th at 7:30 pm; and Saturday, November 20th at 2:00 and 7:30 pm. Cast members include children and adults from several New Jersey towns. Tickets now on sale online or call 973-543-8770.

That's Entertainment!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dual Electronics. All opinions are 100% mine.

Gone are Roxy's days of being cool, at least according to my daughters, London and Maddie, who think their mom is soooo 1985 (and that's way older than yesterday's news). Therefore, I jumped at the opportunity to increase my "cool factor" by purchasing the new Dual Electronics XPE Series for the ultimate car audio experience. Dual’s new mobile receiver features iPod and iPhone accessibility... although until the moisture indicator on my Save A Phone Bag turns from blue to pink and back to blue again (if ever), I'm afraid no one will be accessing my old iPhone that London and Maddie dropped into Scow Ditch in Bay Head NJ on my birthday.

Dual Electronics has announced that its new line of mobile amplifiers, the XPE series, is now shipping to retailers nationwide. Three new amps -- the XPE1700, the XPE2700 and the XPE4700 -- all feature MOSFET power supplies, variable crossovers, and 2 ohm stability. With their low-profile chassis, installation will be a breeze, even in small spaces....like Roxy's little red Celica convertible (which is soooo 1996).

All three models include performance-matched output transistors for maximum power transfer and feature black anodized extruded aluminum heatsinks for dissipating the heat. Whew! Is it getting hot in here or what? Dual XPE's direct-wire inputs eliminate the need for extra terminals and ensure a more positive connection via increased wire contact. What's more, thermal overload and low-impedance circuits provide protection for even the most demanding applications...and in my car, London and Maddie singing "Don 't Rain on My Parade" or "Sweet Caroline" along with their Glee CD's at the top of their lungs tend to be our family's most demanding applications. Now that's entertainment!

Music Monday for Roxy's Birthday: Tramps Like Us, Baby We Were Born to Run

I've been away from the blogosphere for about a month, busy closing transactions at my real job, helping my big sister to sell the house I grew up in and settle my mother's estate, and getting London and Maddie back to school. It's been a tough year, and I still miss my mom every day, but it finally feels like things are turning around for me.

I have missed all of you, and as my birthday approaches, I'm hoping to get back to writing both publicly (here at Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and on Roxy's Best Of...) and privately in my sky dragon journal.

In celebration of my 44th birthday, I've chosen one of my all-time faves from Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen for this week's Music Monday post...tramps like us, baby we were born to run!!



In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
Its a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while were young
`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs round these velvet rims
And strap your hands across my engines
Together we could break this trap
Well run till we drop, baby well never go back
Will you walk with me out on the wire
`cause baby Im just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I want to know if love is wild, girl I want to know if love is real

Beyond the palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss

The highways jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybodys out on the run tonight but there's no place left to hide
Together wendy well live with the sadness
Ill love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don't know when were gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go and well walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us baby we were born to run

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Bust A Move!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PlayStation MOVE. All opinions are 100% mine.

Roxy's birthday is coming up, and you know I never miss an opportunity to start (over) on a new life improvement plan, including healthier eating habits and a physical fitness plan. So, since hips don't lie, it's time for Roxy to figure out new and exciting ways to Bust a Move. Of course, I don't mean to hit on some hot guy at a party like a Young MC lyric... thankfully haven't needed to bust that kind of move since I met Rex.

Nope. It's just time for Roxy to find a fun alternative to the exercise bike, elliptical trainer, and the Wii Fit (the one that calls me Fatty Fatty Bo Batty before offering up its own perception of my Age). London and Maddie, my sweet young gaming experts, tell me that PlayStation®Move redefines motion gaming with the most realistic and immersive gaming experience. Actually, I think they said "it's a really cool new way to play, Mom, and it's only possible on the PlayStation®3 system." The simple, easy-to-use and ergonomically designed controller captures a full range of motion that gives the gamer ultimate control over how you play each game. There's already an impressive selection of family games and new ones launching all the time....including sports, action, and party games.

PlayStation®Move has something for everyone in our family and yours, whether you’re experienced like London and Maddie, or casual like Roxy.

If only a little genie would appear on my birthday next week and give Roxy the PlayStation® Move. We'd make October the Month of Family Game Nights, with competitive exercise for the whole Roxy clan. I'm ready to Get Fit with Mel B the minute the girls get on the school bus, and after they come home I will be Mommy...the Sports Champion.

And Rex, just in case that genie doesn't show up next week? We can bring motion gaming exclusively to our existing PlayStation®3 for only $99 with the MOVE bundle package!