Hit and Miss

When you think of a great salon the word Mullet is hardly the first thing that comes to mind. But that is the name of a fabulous new salon here in Lakewood- Crazy Mullets. I was intrigued by the name, the look, and the prices and decided to check them out. Nothing crazy, just a trim and a new set of wispy bangs. I figured that it was pretty hard to mess that up and I could have it fixed somewhere else if I needed to. But there is definitely no need... Crazy Mullets owner, Eddie, was awesome! He already owns two other salons in Treemont and Columbus with plans to open two more this year and I can see why his salons are successful. Funky atmosphere, very personable staff, and best of all- cheap prices. Where else can you get a shampoo, professional (Not Best Cuts "quality") cut, and style for under $25? Eddie took his time with the simple cut, asked a lot of questions to clarify what I wanted, and chatted the whole time about anything and everything. Klint has already been there as well as a bunch of our friends... I can't wait to go back!


Now for the miss.... prepare yourself for a rant that involves a bunny, some sisters, and good ol Adam Sandler...

As much as I love dear Adam's movies I am going to not only pass on his upcoming spoof, but join my sisters in protest... LOUD protest. The House Bunny, which opens Aug 22nd, is about a washed up Playboy Bunny who decides to become a house mom when she gets kicked out of the mansion. She tries to get with a pretty blond sorority, who quickly rejects her and points her to an unfortunate sorority house full of even more unfortunate sisters.... and this is where I have a problem. According to the websites storyline, Shelley ends up at Zeta Alpha Zeta, aka the Zetas. HOWEVER, if you watch the preview, in turquoise, it clearly says Z TA. It happens so fast that you don't even notice the space for the E, all you really see is ZTA. Nice huh?My sorority colors and my sorority name. Agh! I know that this may seem silly and trivial to some, but the last thing the sorority needs is for incoming freshmen to think that we are the unfortunate looking, nerdy, ill mannered sisters portrayed by the film or even that greek life is how it is in the movie. Not only did Adam Sandler's company use our name, our colors, and our nickname (the Zetas), but even took one of our symbols which is a bunny. A couple of other sororities were also depicted in a nasty way like Phi Mu, who are called Phi Iota Mu in the movie. I guess they are the named villians of the plot. Nationals has made a statement regarding the release as such:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS—Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity for women expresses dismay that Columbia
Pictures and Happy Madison Productions will release in August the feature film,
“The House Bunny.”
This movie depicts a sorority called “Zeta Alpha Zeta” and refers to its members as
“Zetas” and its facility as the “Zeta House.” The chapter house shown in the
movie has the word “ZETA” above the door in turquoise, one of the official
colors of the Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity.
The Fraternity is the exclusive owner of the registered trademarks Zeta Tau Alpha and the Greek letters ZTA, and has been consistently using the term Zeta and
Zetas to conduct business for nearly 100 years. The Fraternity believes that the
use of “ZETA” in the film is improper and confusingly similar to ZTA. Zeta Tau
Alpha is working with legal counsel to explore its options.
“We regret that the production and distribution companies have chosen to release a movie that portrays collegiate fraternity and sorority life in an offensive and inaccurate manner,” said Zeta Tau Alpha National President Laura Ladewig Mauro.
“We have written a letter of protest to both companies but have received no response.”
Zeta Tau Alpha was founded in 1898 at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University) in Farmville, Va., and has 148 active collegiate chapters and more than 195,000 members worldwide. A member of the National Panhellenic Conference of Greek women’s organizations, ZTA develops members’ leadership, academic and service skills and supports breast cancer education and awareness as its national philanthropy.

A little thought for all you gamer husbands...

KoolAid Anyone?

If you ever need something fun for the kids to do (and wouldn't mind some extra cash) have them sell not only lemonade but brownies too! Gabby raked in over $30 selling cookie bars and Koolaid to people walking around our street sale and was the hit of the block. She was so mad when she sold out, she wanted to keep selling to the masses!

This is a pic of her and her friend Emily selling Koolaid last week to all the people who walk around our street during lunch time.

Go Tribe!

I went to the Indians game last night with my sorority sister Carena and had a complete blast. The team actually played well, we got blue cotton candy, and even though we were in the nosebleeds, I still saw everything and learned a bit more about baseball- Yay! Definitely something worth repeating!!

What a day!

The activities of the week are catching up with me finally, today was the final harrah with 2 dance classes and the garage sale (where Gabby raked in over $30 selling brownies and Kool-aid!) What a week it has been, two dance studios fighting over me plus an offer to become the director of a dance program at a VERY prestigious dance and gymnastics gym in Valleyview. Yay! Not to mention all the craziness with the kids and selling some more graphic design stuff. But I wouldn't trade it for the world... life is nice with a bit of the crazies. I will surf later... for now I am going to chill and count the profits from the garage sale!

Not the Dog's Day

I just heard last night that the city of Lakewood passed a ban against owning pit bulls. I am deeply ashamed that such a progressive city would pass such an ignorant ban. Pit Bull is not even a specific breed but a term used to describe several breeds, one even recognized by the AKC!

I understand that there are qualities about the breed that scare people, even pit bull rescues admit that there has been an urge to fight other dogs bred into them over the years. But as a devoted fan of the Doberman Pincher I can totally sympathize with what every responsible pit bull owner is feeling.

What scares me is the reprecussions of this legislation. Not only are you going to send the "bad guys" looking for another status breed to turn mean, but you are going to scare the people that presently own the dogs into just letting them onto the streets to avoid getting fined. You cannot turn them into a shelter, no shelter will take them. And who has the heart to turn their family member into the dog warden when they know that the dog is going to be put to sleep?

Ignorance is what passed this ban, bottom line. People who don't understand dogs, love dogs, and who let fear rule over their own common sense. What next, ban Chihuahuas? What about Chows- who have a bite rate 7 times higher than a Pit Bull? How about America's favorite dog, the Golden Retriever, another breed with a higher bite rate. But the media doesn't report on dog bites from those breeds...

Breed specific ordinances are quick fixes and not a sufficient long term solution for the following reasons:
1. Dog problems are generally problems with owner responsibility and are not limited to breeds. When breeds are singled out as dangerous or vicious, responsibility is removed from the dog owner which is where it belongs. Irresponsible people are also less likely to follow the law - and as a result, everyone has to suffer.
2. By limiting the ability of citizens to own certain breeds, responsible law abiding citizens will shy away from those breeds. These are the types of owners that communities need to encourage, not drive away.
3. Communities that have instituted such bans often find that the irresponsible owners and the criminals who use dogs for illegal purposes simply switch to another breed.
4. Breeds and mixes are hard to identify and often dogs are mis labeled and destroyed based on paranioa and prejudice and also punishes those that are good canine citizens. Many breeds function as assistance dogs for handicapped owners, search and rescue dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, police dogs, etc. and drives them out of the community.
The American Veterinary Medical Association and several state veterinary medical associations oppose breed-specific legislation for just this reason.
5. The dog most restricted is the "pit bull." A pit bull is a type of dog, not a recognized breed.
6. Passage of laws that are only enforced through complaints cause two problems: 1) they create disrespect for the law if authorities require compliance only upon complaint, and 2) they provide ammunition for neighborhood feuds.

~Pit Bull Rescue Central

Life is a Beach... a Lake Erie Beach!

I am so tired of this hot, sticky, smothering weather... so I am living at the beach until it is over!

Between playgroup and days watching the kids we are logging in lots of time in the sun and swimming at the beach/pool.

Bee Aware

So I have heard murmurs of the plight of one of our greatest natural resources- honey bees- lately and decided to check out some great Bee products and companies that are trying to save these little workers. I didn't realize exactly how many products I use are dependant on bees, from my chapstick to my ice cream. Apparently the hives are dying from something called the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) whic is leading to dissapearing bee colonies. Luckily there are lots of great companies who are trying to step in and save these essential helpers.

Two of the biggest helpers are Burt's Bees, an all natural personal care company that I should own stock in and Haagen-Dazs ice cream company. I love Burt's chapstick, shampoo, and most importantly my Milk and Honey lotion (which I cannot live without). And in my humble opinion, Haagen-Dazs has the best vanilla in the industry. Both companies are working really hard to fund more research for the honey bees and by buying some of their products you can help the effort.

Along with these products, there are some things that are just downright cute in their bee-ness. This cake pan from William-Sonoma for example. How can you resist pairing it with some Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream from Haagen Dazs?

A Little Bit of Home

I just came back from a little weekend trip to good ol' NY and am already missing the familiar. Not that I don't adore my home in Lakewood... I am sure that I will do a similar post about it in the future. But there is just no beating that feeling of knowing everything about everywhere, like where the best deli is, what the local favorite drink it, or being able to talk like everyone else without feeling self conscious. I get picked on by my loving husband for saying things like, "Take the I-90 east to the 71 south and get off by the Walmart" or "I am going to sweep the kitchen floor then vacuum the rug". But in NY that is ok. So here is a quick list of some must have information if you are going to be traveling to Niagara Falls, NY or the general WNY area.

Three words- Aunt Rosie's Loganberry. Go to the grocery store and get some. It may be the best thing you ever do. This lovely non-carbonated drink is sweet and, according to Klint, tastes like sno-cone syrup... yum!

A good place to get it is at Anderson's Frozen Custard on Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst. While you are there try the roast beef on Kimmelweck... it is really tasty.

Chicken Finger Subs.... another NY favorite. My pizzaria of choice is Gino's Pizza Place in Tonawanda. I have been going there since I was a little girl and have grown up on the chicken fingers. And for all you OH people reading this... it is NOT normal to get ranch dressing with chicken fingers... you always get blue cheese, steak fries, celery and carrots.

If you are looking for something fun to do take a little trail ride at Spark's Trading Post on Grand Island. This place is known for it's ability to seat most sizes of riders since they have some mix draft horses. My husband had a ball last time we went. The horses are available in three levels of horsemanship- beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Note-the workers can tell how advanced you are right off the bat so don't try to lie... plus, the advanced horses will school you if you don't know what you are doing! I love this place because you are allowed to canter and gallop if you are advanced enough, and even the intermediates get up to a good trot!

And finally... if you really want some excitement there is a whole bunch of fun places to go. You could see a hockey game with the Buffalo Sabres, go see a dance concert by the local dance company- Pick of the Crop, you can gamble at the Seneca Niagara Casino, or go to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Well that is all from me... I am off to bed.... it is only 3 hours to NY but with little ones it is mighty stressful! Goodnight!

Hip Hop at it's best!

I love where hip hop is going, especially on So You Think You Can Dance. Gone are the days of crotch grabbing, thug stomping dances. Now lyrical hip hop is acceptable and when done right is magical. This is probably my favorite dance of the season so far.

Currently Reading...

I am so lucky that my girls are avid readers, I know that not all kids love to read and that sometimes it is a struggle to teach kids that reading is a lot of fun. My family visits the library weekly and are also devout patrons of a book store called Half Price Books. I have learned never to pay full price for any book!

When I was little my grandparents read to me a wide variety of books from The Pokey Little Puppy to Snow White. As I got older I was captivated by the Little House on the Prairie series, The Babysitters Club, and The Saddle Club. By the time I had gotten to high school I was delving into anything that caught my attention (yes I do pick books by their cover and that method has not failed me yet!) Now I am passing that onto my girls. I wanted to share some recent finds that have gotten the thumbs up from my girls and me. Enjoy and please share some good finds of your own if you want.

Fireworks, Funny Animals, and Flowers... oh my!

I am taking a break from my surfing for the holiday. I hope that everyone else's 4th of July was as fun and safe as mine was. Our only casualty was when Gabby picked up a warm sparkler, but a little ice and a kiss fixed that. We had a great day here in Lakewood with the parade in the morning, a barbecue with the neighbors in the afternoon, and then front row seats on our lawn for the fireworks at night.

I have also added to my garden these past couple of days. We now have sunflowers, jack o' lanterns, begonias, sweet peas, and impatiens. Oh and a mulberry tree.... YUMMO! I love being able to just add a little bit as I go along and to make it as haphazard and whimsical as I wish.

Finally, my other project is my late night thing. Nothing says relaxation like my favorite movie, some gatorade, and.... sock animals! Yes, that is right. I am at it again making funny little stuffed animals for my girls and their friends. My newest additions are a striped zebra and an argyle bunny. I even added ribbon for the mane and tail on my zebra!

My little Jumping Bean

AJ is on the go! She is a crawling, climbing, standing, soon to be walking, moving machine. We got a Fisher Price Jumparoo and man oh man does AJ love it. Here is one of many videos we have of her!!!

Tee Shirt Tote Bag

Turning an old T-shirt into a reusable shopping or grocery bag is a simple, clever craft to help everyone be "green." It's a Good Thing that will help protect the environment. Welcome to the Tee Shirt Tote Bag from Martha Stewart.

Tools and Materials

Heavy-weight cotton T-shirt

Pins

Sewing machine

Medium-size bowl

Water-erasable marking pen

Scissors

T-Shirt Bag How-To

1. Turn T-shirt inside out and pin bottom of the T-shirt along the hem. Using a sewing machine, sew bottom of T-shirt closed. Flip shirt right side out and lay flat on table, making sure all seams are lined up.

2. Place medium-size bowl about half-way over the neck hole. Using a water-erasable marking pen, trace along the edge of the bowl. Cut along the outline, making sure to go through the front and back sides of the shirt, in order to create an opening for the bag that's larger than what the neck hole allows.

3. Line up the hems on the front and back side of the sleeve and cut, making sure to go through both sides of the shirt. Repeat on the other sleeve.

Tip: A jersey shirt would also work well for this craft, as it is already sleeveless, and it's made of a great mesh material.

Resources

Water-erasable marking pens can be purchased at most fabric stores for about $5. To purchase an already-made t-shirt bag, visit greenteebag.com.