Total fluff!

I'm a big fan of trying new products and this is your total fluff filled post from me for the day. These are the products that I have tried over the last couple of weeks and I am in love with them!!



Dove ultimate go fresh deodorant in the cucumber/green tea variety is amazing!! I'm really picky about what scent my deodorant is and this...this is the best! Big fan!



They also have a moisturizing lotion soap bar, that I am loving as well! The shower smells delicious! The cucumber/green tea combo added with the next one:



Nivea makes awesome lotion. They have this new line of "Touch of..." body washes and I bought the Touch of Happiness (orange blossom scent & bamboo essence). It is amazing! I love it!! The smell is pure happiness!



I am a big, big fan of Burt's Bees lips balms, but I decided to give Blistex's new line a little whirl. The Raspberry Lemonade Blast is amazing. Totally keeps your lips moisturized, unless you get this urge to nibble your lips off because they taste like, well, raspberry lemonade.



My favorite bottled water is either Fiji or Dasani. I love that Dasani now has this lightly flavored water. I don't care for the kiwi-strawberry or the lime flavors, but black cherry is perfect! (I'm also a big fan of the vitamin water, particularly XXX.)



I have a weakness for gum lately. I chew it when I get stressed out and I definitely spent the first 6 weeks at the new job stressed out, chewing gum like crazy. Orbit Mist is my fave! I have tried all of the flavors and definitely think that Peppermint Spray is the best!

The only bad thing that I have tried is Colgate Wisp.



I think it leaves a nasty after taste in your mouth and the no water/no rinsing your mouth needed directions don't work for me.

I'm so blessed!

I got my very first award on Blogger from the amazing Lesli at Pretty Random Thoughts.

Thank you so much! It really made my day as I had just been having a bad one up until I got your comment to come check out the award!



The Let's be Friends Award is given to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. The hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers.

I had to really think about this, but these are the wonderful people that I chose:

Laura at Live Happy.
Pony Girl at Pony Girl Rides Again.
Goat Girl at Beyond the Sidewalks.(I live the farm life vicariously through her!)
Cindy at Cynthia Jill Photography.
My darling friend Rose at Sarcasm & Cynicism.
My cousin Roxanna at Rockin' Rowberry's.
Cousin Becca at Robins Family Blog.
Lisa at The Quintessential Feline.

A little recap of the last week....

Done in as short amount of typing as possible!

Work is work. Really not much more that can be said about that. Other than I did go out to lunch with a couple of girls from my team the other day. That was an odd development as one doesn't usually talk to me. We went to a Chinese buffet, which this one is my absolute (and only that I can think of) favorite because they make the BEST crab puffs.

Jeremy kept the family entertained with the tale of getting chased by a deer while in South Carolina. He is always good for a laugh! He is home, by the way, because he needed to handle a personal matter. He got home on Sunday.

I took Molly to PetsMart on Friday after work. Yep, that was a joke. She hates my car, I think it is because it is low to the ground, but she pouted the whole way there.



Once we got there, she was excited to greet a couple of boxer puppies in the parking lot, but entering the store was a different story. She promptly pooped. How embarrassing. I know it happens all the time, but oy! She got a stuffed dog because yeah, yeah, I spoil her. Which she has learned to squeak for herself:




I went shopping Friday night with my mom...I need to find a birthday present for Rose, as she is here for her b-day...and then we went to dinner at Cracker Barrel, then home.

Saturday I took in a movie ("Terminator Salvation") and read some. Nothing too thrilling for a Saturday...

Sunday...oh what a day. I went to the movies in the morning ("Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian") and then came home, checked stuff on line and then sat down on the bed to watch VH-1's 100 Greatest songs of the 80's....promptly fell asleep.

My day got "interesting" when my mom called to tell me to get downstairs, someone had hit my car that was parked on the street in front of the house! Oy!!! OY!!! There was a note left, but Ms. Jennifer Taylor doesn't seem to want to answer her phone! (Of course, I am giving her the benefit of the doubt and saying she may have been heading out of town for the holiday when she hit it.)




Jeremy doesn't think it is too bad...he says it is possible it pops back together. It is drivable and I will keep trying this lady for a couple of days before having to suck it up and pay the deductible myself. That was a big downer for the rest of the day!

Today...I have been a lazy bum! I finished reading Jen Lancaster's hilarious book, "Pretty in Plaid" and have started to read Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons". I have flipped between the "Planet Earth" marathon on Animal Planet and my favorite, "Star Wars V: Empire Strikes Back. Spent some time on the computer (duh) and am texting with my friend, Connie. Eventually we are going to be having some BBQ and ending the night on a high note, hopefully.

Just the facts, ma'am!

I did one of those "How well do you know Michelle" quizzes over on Facebook and after one of my dearest friends only got a 60% I decided maybe I need to post some inside info on me for everyone.

1 - My name is Michelle, but for some reason everyone has taken to calling me Michy. Maybe it is because I know so many Michelle's.
2 - My siblings, nieces, and nephews call me Chelle.
3 - I answer to any of the three.
4 - My birthday is August 9th, no year attached.
5 - This means I am 100% Leo.
6 - I'm an Air Force brat.
7 - I think that is where I get my love of travel and my constant desire to uproot and move. (Even if I don't actually move, woe is me!)
8 - We lived in Incirlik, Turkey while I was in high school. I consider that my high school, not the one in Arizona.
9 - I also had/have no interest in keeping in touch with anyone from high school in Arizona.
10 - I have only lived in Arizona, Utah, Texas, Washington, and Idaho in the United States.
11 - This makes me very sad as I want to add more states, more scenery to that list.
12 - I have always wanted to live in Southern California.
13 - Though I think it is more the perfect vacation place for me as I love going there.
14 - I went to travel school the last time I lived in Idaho.
15 - This got me a job with Princess Cruises in Washington.
16 - I have much love for how green and beautiful Washington is, but it is too dreary for me to want to live there.
17 - I lived with my friend, Tina, while I was in Washington. Her mother gave me a cat for Christmas and then sold it at a yard sale for $1.00 a couple months later.
18 - I worked as a day care teacher for a few years.
19 - As much as I loved it, I don't want children of my own.
20 - I also worked at an answering service for a few years.
21 - The last answering service building was in an old 1-900 phone sex office. It looked like the Flintstones house on stilts.
22 - From there I went to work at American Express, this job sucked!
23 - I had the same dream consistently for the 19 months that I worked there of the elevator falling or going sideways instead of up and down.
24 - I went to work at a cabinet company after that, followed by a fencing company, then a home building company.
25 - Now I work for a company that does a lot of large scale/government/nuclear construction.
26 - My favorite color is purple.
27 - My favorite past time is going to the movies.
28 - I love "General Hospital".
29 - I have met most of the cast of the show and love going to the annual fan club weekend for the show.
30 - I work with a couple of the ladies from the show & think they are amazing -- Kent King, Lisa LoCicero, and Carolyn Hennesy.
31 - "Sex and the City" is my favorite show to watch in reruns.
32 - I am scared of clowns.
33 - I am also scared of open bodies of water...and do not know how to swim. It causes me to black out.
34 - I also get the heebie jeebies over rodents, insects, and reptiles. Gross!!
35 - I always wanted to own a horse farm until I realized I just love being around & watching horses, not riding them.
36 - I have a cat...Tyson is the biggest brat you will ever meet.
37 - The "Star Wars" trilogy and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy are my favorite movies.
38 - "Grease" is my favorite musical. Though I love most musicals.
39 - Olivia Newton-John was my favorite singer growing up.
40 - I wanted to be her, except well...I can't sing!
41 - I'm a bonafide book worm! I love reading, always have my nose in a book.
42 - I am also an internet addict. I love this little computer!
43 - Photography is one of my favorite past times and I want to take some photography classes to get better at it.
44 - I have seen Rick Springfield in concert an embarrassing amount of times and will continue to see him every time he comes here if I can.
45 - I love New Kids on the Block. There I said it, I admitted it.
46 - The sight of blood makes me queasy.
47 - I have struggled with weight my entire life and am still fighting it.
48 - I have three beautiful nieces and a very handsome nephew that I love to spoil.
49 - I collect Hello Kitty. She is adorable! <3
50 - The one place I want to go before I die is Egypt. I want to touch the pyramids.

Just a little insight into me. :)

Angels & Demons

I'm going to admit something that is pretty rare, it appears. Here we go...I am not a fan of Tom Hanks. Oh sure, I loved his quirky comedies in the past, but there hasn't been much in probably the last ten years that I have overall enjoyed of his. (And I'm not counting the voice of Woody in "Toy Story".) I am not saying he isn't a phenomenal actor, I just am not a fan.

I also did not see "The DaVinci Code", but as this was a prequel and everyone had assured me I wouldn't need the first movie, I went off to "Angels & Demons" today with a friend.

The basic gist of the movie is as follows - Symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to the Vatican to help decipher a threat from a secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati. Many twists and turns involving kidnapped Cardinals, the journey to finding a new Pope, a search for a stolen chemical antimatter that could destroy Rome, and many questions that have no true answer.

The review that came out was that this was the most boring action packed movie in recent years. I kind of have to agree with that. There was a lot of action and it was interesting to hear the history of the Illuminati and what they fought for and how the Catholic church reacted. But at the same time, I shifted around in my seat a lot, consulted the cell phone to check the time a couple of times, and found it to be a lot of talking. I don't regret seeing it, but I do think you need to go into this movie with patience about you. For as action packed as it was, and it was always moving, that action has a lot of chatter in it that you need to listen to.

I think I'm going to read the book, as I heard that it is at least ten times better than the movie is.

I say maybe 3 1/2 stars.

(I'm playing with an entertainment blog...my movie reviews, book reviews, etc on it and will start posting these over there instead, if you are interested in ever seeing my thoughts... Fandomly Speaking.)

A whole lot of positivity!

I think I need to post a little of what I am thankful for just to remind myself of how blessed I am in life. :)

* Other than the ugly allergies/sinus issues, I am healthy! No swine flu! No serious illnesses. Life is good.

* I have amazing family. Both immediate family and extended family...so much love for them all!

* My friends are the best friends that anyone could ever ask for.

* I am planning a fan brunch during the "General Hospital" fan club weekend for Lisa and it is coming together perfectly!! PLUS...Kent is having me help her with her event. I really love the whole planning aspect of it all.

* Jen Lancaster's"Pretty in Plaid" is hilarious!! Jen is a sarcastic genius. I love good sarcasm and Jen has plenty of it to offer up.

* My job. It is not the best job in the world (we refer to it as Cell Block C) and I am bored there, BUT in this economy I am so thankful that I have a job.

* My television shows that I love have had such awesome season finales that while I am sad I have nothing new to watch all summer, I was left so blown away that I am pleased.

* Tyson. He is a butthead. He is a Mr. Crankypants, but he is pretty dang cute.

* The summer movie season is upon us and there are just some incredible movies lined up!

I watched the inspiring special by Michael J. Fox last week, "Adventures of an Incurable Optimist", and he is such an inspiration with his positivity. It is something that I think we all could use a big dose of every single day -- positivity.

Live Long and Prosper!

Last weekend kicked off the all important (at least to me) summer blockbuster movie season with the release of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine and I couldn't be happier. All the movies I have seen leading up to X-Men have been romantic/chick flick movies and while I love them, nothing...and I do mean nothing...beats a total thrill ride of an action movie. This summer's movie line up is pretty impressive. I think I have movies every weekend, except next weekend, and some two to a weekend, between now and September, when the action movies peter out and the sweet romantic movies come back into place.

This week was "Star Trek". I am not a Trekkie. I am a Star Wars geek, never got into the Trekkie universe. I know the simple things: "Live long and prosper", "Damnit, Jim", tribbles, Vulcans, "Beam me up, Scotty". I know who the characters are...I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that doesn't know who Spock and Captain James T. Kirk are. I just wasn't interested in that whole universe. I loved the force, not the Vulcans. I love the Millennium Falcon over the USS Enterprise. But there was something about the trailer for this incarnation of Star Trek that had me intrigued.

So off to the movies I went this morning, a little leery that it would be full of Trekkie talk that I wouldn't get. The theater was packed, the row in front of me was full of Trekkie's decked out in Starfleet gear. They were talking all things Star Trek before the movie started. I was growing a little more worried at this point.

The movie started and I was blown away from start to finish. I know a few have complained it didn't follow canon of the original series, but you know what? It worked perfectly to pull in new fans to this series. I do wish that they had taken a little more time to develop the bad guy, Nero. And there are just so many characters that are integral to the story that they couldn't take time to really develop them all, which I wanted to see more of them. But it was a fabulous start to a series, which you can be sure J.J. Abrams (genius behind "Lost" & "Alias") will have sequels in the works.

Star Trek pulled in a highly impressive $76.5 million for opening weekend. I have a feeling it will probably be blown out of the water in a couple of weeks, when Memorial Day weekend has the "Terminator Salvation" opening...along with the "Night at the Museum" opening, which I can't wait to see.

Happy Mothers Day!!

Happy Mothers Day to my beautiful mother and all the other lovely mothers that visit my blog! I hope that you are given nothing but love all day long. A mother is the best gift that any child could have and the love from a mother is something that stays with you forever.

I love you, Mom!

Such a cute face!

Tyson has had quite the week. He has been stung by something and his face was swollen, he has had the sniffles, he got locked out for the night, and his self appointed best friend has roughed him up every chance she gets. (But Molly loves him.)

And he will not be giving me anything for Mother's Day, but my cat is surely the most handsome dude.

Movies and Races

It was Kentucky Derby weekend. I love horse racing and I LOVE that first Saturday in March when it is a huge spectacle of the race, the fashion, and rich tradition. I picked four horses yesterday and it was a good thing that I didn't bet as none of them came in. Even the favorite of the race, Friesan Fire, came in second to last. Instead it was a long shot, Mine that Bird, that was like a rocket coming up the rail. Such an intense race!!!


The winner enjoying some quiet time in his stall.

And then we have the hats!!! Going to the Kentucky Derby and wearing a large hat is on my list of things to do before I die.




This morning I took a journey over to the local theater to catch a movie. This week I chose "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" starring the little hottie Matthew McConaughey.



Cute movie...I don't know if I would pay full price to see the movie, but it was definitely a matinee movie and one that I will own on DVD when it comes out. The storyline was kind of cheesy, but it was Matthew McConaughey and he is charming.