Spooning…with a pillow!

Would you seriously use this pillow? I know there are a lot of body pillow lovers out there but this is a pillow that hugs you back!

I had to share because I think this device, contraption, this thing…looks ridiculous!

Leave a comment and let me know if you like it or hate it!
Your comment is anonymous so don’t be shy!
PS - You can buy your very own at Babies R' Us.

Forget The Weight - Who Dressed Her?!!

I hope that one day media outlets are held accountable for a young girls’ motive and action to become bulimic or anorexic because based on the harsh comments and coverage of Jessic Simpson - only one message is sent to females in this world - Thin is in.

As a wildfire of media have caught photos and video of Jessica Simpson’s latest country singing shindig the coverage focused on her distorted-images-shot-from-a-bad-angle-enhanced-by-an-unflattering-outfit weight gain. Legit news outlets like Fox News ran lines that read Jessica Simpson “Shocks fans with noticeably fuller figure” and The New York Post attacked the star with the hurtful and mortifying cartoon shown above (PS- In the background of the cartoon, referring to who she met is Ronald McDonald).

A barrage of media is attacking Simpson speculating anything from - she must be really happy, did she switch birth control, is she pregnant, simply fat again!

I feel that as a celebrity Jessica Simpson does have an obligation to maintain her appearance whether by long, shiny hair extensions, teeth whitener, or stylish clothes. But Simpson has never falsely advertised her figure selling herself as a size zero, health conscious, workout obsessed babe. Rather Simpson (and even her former husband, Nick Lachey) has vocalized her relatable feelings of being self-conscious of her weight and busty boobs since before she was ever a celebrity.

I am critical of myself as it is – I could not imagine having strangers attack the very things that heighten my insecurities when it comes to my figure appearance!

I suppose I feel more sympathetic towards Jessica’s recent and unwanted paparazzi attention because she unlike most stars, has most recently and purposefully stayed out of the medias line of fire. A non-attention seeker (other then from her boo), it seems unfair to bash her so harshly for outfit that accented all the wrong things.

I am actually more concerned about who her stylist is and why they picked that outfit!

Giving A Break To Those Who Need It Most

The House moved quickly in passing a $819 billon stimulus bill yesterday with two items included that I think are not just a waste of millions, but a clear sign that our Government simply doesn’t get the desperate and in-need America.

Remember last year, shortly after tax season when most America’s received a generous $500 or $1,200 stimulus check in the mail from Uncle Sam? That approach failed miserably. Most half-way intelligent American’s didn’t put that money back into the economy by buying a flat-screen or going on a vacation – most used it to pay off debt or applied it to their savings, adding to their nest-egg that would likely be needed in the coming months. We are as a whole, more in debt now then ever – why would this administration believe that a similar approach would result in a different outcome?

“Through June 6, the U.S. Treasury had sent 66.6 million payments totaling about $56.8 billion…” in stimulus checks. *

And good news for first-time home buyers in 2009. If you purchase a home this year you are likely to receive a $7,500 tax credit which you do not need to pay back so long as you live in the house for three years and you qualify under the minimum joint salary amount of $170,000. Yes, you read that correctly – you will receive $7,500 for FREE. This is a vast difference from the current law which gives first-time home buyers a credit of $7,500 which must be repaid in equal installments over 15 years (with no interest).

My problem with this credit is that first-time homebuyers are already at an extreme advantage due to the unfortunate market conditions. Home prices have plummeted, foreclosures continue to rise, and interest rates are a record low (30 year fixed @ 5.3 today**). Our concern should not be on helping people buy their first home, but on assisting those who have LOST their home or who are BARELY able to keep their home. This incentive should have been implemented in 2005 when I was trying to buy a small condo that was priced at THREE TIMES what it is worth today! When young professionals like myself could not afford to get INTO the market there was NO ASSISTANCE so why should we fork over money to those who are excitedly benefiting from the housing bust?
In 2008, “The number of American homeowners who faced foreclosure proceedings…passed the 2.3 million mark, an 81 percent increase over the previous year”.***

But let’s stop and talk about all the American’s that have NOT BEEN FORECLOSED on but are hanging by a thread each month to pay their mortgage. Those who are working extra shifts, searching for a second job, forgoing hot water when washing clothes, turning off their cable, phone and internet, selling a vehicle, unable to afford prescriptions, forgoing meals – this is the real picture of the middle-class Americans cutting back on life’s necessities in the hopes of keeping their heart…where their home is. These are the American’s we should help first – those who have experienced no advantages from the economic turmoil that has hit us hard and fast.

As banks are slow to lend money and mortgage companies are diligent in approving buyers, we can make the assumption that those who are currently buying a home are doing so because they are not the Americans in need. The tax credit should help those who are!

If You Seek Britney

I am a twenty-something whose immaturity comes out in my watchful ears and eyes of celebrity twittering – you know what I mean, I keep up with the stars! And so, before the new year ended I was able to check off an item from my “Must Do Before I Die” list. Drum roll please…I purchased Britney Spears tickets to her latest, and hopefully most fabulous tour – Circus!

Yes, chances are I will be huddled in with her new generation of tween followers screaming her name, wearing overpriced venue tee-shirts, knowing her dance moves and lyrics better than myself – but they can keep their youth and I will keep my seats!

Several years back during Britney’s last tour (The Onyx Hotel) I had purchased tickets. A poor college student at the time, the nose bleed section in the upper 400’s is all that my friends and I could bare to afford. Even then our excitement raged high from the glowing reviews friends in neighboring cities gave Britney and her entertainment act (we are not in denial, we know she does not sing live). However, weeks after her knee injury the tour was canceled and we were out of luck and out $26 dollars (thank you ticket master for not refunding your processing fees).

Years later with a slightly better job I vowed that ONE DAY when Britney would tour again (with no hair or a pink wig) I would be there rows closer with a seat that would cost three digits rather than two!

Section 102 – not too shabby!