Old Navy Costumes: The Best* Part of Halloween

I miss Old Navy. I really really miss it. I miss shopping for bargains, and I miss buying the boys .25 cent bouncy balls to add to our collection. (Dear Old Navy, Do you think you could start selling the bouncy balls on-line?!? Please?!?)

What I'm really missing right now though, are the super cute, super affordable, super soft and durable HALLOWEEN COSTUMES!!!
We've purchased quite a few over the years and we've never been disappointed.
Two years ago Max decided he wanted to be a pirate for Halloween. CHEAP AND EASY!!! I'm thinkin'. He's already got a hat, a patch, the swords...

All he needs is a vest and maybe a red and white striped sash!

So I head to Jo-Ann's thinking for once I'll attempt a sewing project. I find a pattern for a pirate costume. It's $17.99. WHAT THE...?!?!?! It's a PATTERN! I still have to do ALL THE WORK!!

Needless to say, I didn't buy it.

A few days later, discouraged, I head into Old Navy for something else and find a pirate costume. It's $24.99 and it's the cutest thing you've ever seen.

We still have it and Max still sports it on a bi-weekly basis.

In fact, we still have ALL of the costumes we've purchased at Old Navy over the years. Most were purchased on sale after Halloween (A few for as little as $5) but they've been the best quality, cutest, softest costumes I've ever purchased.

Sammy the Monkey and Gabey the Lion were two of my favorites, but Max's pirate costume has gotten by far the most use! (I have a really cute Froggy costume saved that'll fit Gabey perfectly this year...YAY!)

Thank you, Old Navy, for providing adorable, well designed, good quality costumes!!!

(Except for maybe the Elephant costumes. They might need a re-design as it was pointed out to me that they are slightly, um..., phallic in nature. Other than that though, you're doing GREAT!)

All the rest of you, since I'm here and you're there, do me a favor and buy your kids an Old Navy costume this year!

Happy Halloween!!!

*Of course you all realize I'm exaggerating. Candy is OBVIOUSLY the best part of Halloween...!

ING Direct, I love you... (Bank of America, I HATE you...)

This morning I found the following letter in my in-box.  Now, usually, I don't pay much attention to "official" e-mails, but today I read the whole thing.  And it just reminded me, again, how much I love this company.  

I believe we first heard about ING from friends when we were still living in San Francisco.  A "virtual" bank was an entirely new concept to us, but we thought it sounded pretty cool.  Then, the friend sent us an invitation to join.  We were offered $25 just for opening a savings account.   (He got $15 for signing us up.)  Yep, that's right.  They gave us FREE MONEY for opening an account...as opposed to demanding a minimum balance like some places.  (I HATE you Bank of America. H-A-T-E!)  

Anyway, we realized that they paid much higher interest than who we were currently using, and we've been loyal customers ever since...slowly transferring more an more of our business to them.  We've never had a single complaint.  Not only that, I actually like calling customer service when I have a question because a really nice native english speaker always answers the phone and says "Hi!  How can I save you money today?"

If you haven't yet, I highly recommend that you check out ING.  And let me know if you want an invitation to join...I can always use an extra 15 bucks!

Dear Emily,
Customer Number: XXXXXXX000

As we enter the final few months of 2008, I want to thank you for your continued confidence in ING DIRECT. Over 700,000 new Savers have joined us so far this year strengthening the bank and their own financial footing through our savings, home mortgage and ShareBuilder investment accounts. Despite a challenging economic climate, our Customer base is 7 million strong and growing.

The consequences of the mortgage meltdown on financial institutions and individuals continue to erode many Americans' dreams. We will continue to stress the right way to achieve home ownership – buying only as much house as you can afford and paying off your mortgage as fast as possible. In return for good credit and prioritizing home investment, ING DIRECT mortgage Customers are rewarded with exceptional rates and a transparent, direct administration process. Rather than selling your mortgage to another bank or investor the minute you get it, we keep your mortgage and service it here. Doing so gives us flexibility to find innovative solutions to help Customers keep their homes during unexpected financial downturns.

While we don’t have an Orange crystal ball, we do expect the economy to remain fragile through 2009. The best course of action for our Customers is to be disciplined: avoid splurging; identify and cut out unnecessary expenses and save for what's essential; and hedge against those tough times. We can all benefit by developing good spending habits: confront - and cut up - credit cards; use your home as a savings vehicle - not as an ATM; and establish and contribute regularly to an IRA or 401(k).

In this difficult financial environment, we work tirelessly to safeguard your deposits, mortgages and investments. Importantly, your deposits are FDIC-insured according to its limits and your investments are SIPC-protected. Our security processes are the best in the business and are in place to protect your savings from those with bad intentions. While we are constantly vigilant, we need your help. Keep passwords to yourself. Never give personal information through an email. And always install both the latest antivirus and anti-malware software on your home computer.

Thank you for your continued trust in
ING DIRECT. We will not waver in our promise to provide you with great value, service, security and convenience.

Arkadi Kuhlmann
CEO of Savings

Cargo Pants and Why I Hate Them

An Open Letter to THE MAN (Or Woman. Whatever.)

Dear Designers and Manufacturers of Clothing for Male Children of All Ages,  (DaMoCfMCoAA)

Can you PLEASE stop making Cargo Pants? I mean, SERIOUSLY! I can't take it anymore!

I know you think there needn't be any variety in the Boy Clothing Department (aka The Rack of Clothing on the Edge of the Girl Department). I know you think that the two brands of identical Cargo Pants offered at Target and Wal-Mart (the only two places I shop) should be adequate.
But let me tell you something...

I HATE THEM!

Here is what I hate about them...

THE POCKETS!!!

Those blasted 58 pockets!

They hang open, look messy, collect EXCESSIVE amounts of dirt and sand (which is redistributed all over my house), they're bulky, inefficient, and MOST OF ALL...
they prevent me from being able to fold the pants flat.

And if there is one thing I hate, it's crappily folded clothing that doesn't fit nicely in our limited drawer space!!!SO PLEASE! Enough with the cargo pants! Simple 5-pocket jeans and/or shorts will be just fine!

And feel free to sew the pockets closed. If my son needs to carry something, I'll get him a man-purse.

Sincerely,
Emily W.

The Sneaky Chef - First Try Recipe Review

***update: 10/03/08  I just got an e-mail requesting the use of this very review in Missy Chase Lapine's new third cookbook!  If they use it, I get a FREE signed copy of her new book!  I LOVE blogging!!!***

A few days ago I tried my first "sneaky" recipe from my new cookbook, "The Sneaky Chef" by Missy Lapine*.
We had two little boys over to play so I thought I'd slack off and make Mac n' Cheese for DINNER. (Doug wasn't home and I wasn't about to battle 4 boys without help.)

I looked doubtfully at the cookbook thinking it couldn't help me without a separate trip to the store, but was pleasantly surprised!

There were actually a few suggestions for improving boxed Mac and Cheese! The first was to add 2-4 Tablespoons of "White Bean Puree" along with the regular cheese sauce package and just make it as directed.
I looked up the recipe for "White Bean Puree" thinking it would be hard to make or I wouldn't have the ingredients.

It said to mix a can of white beans (in a food processor if you've got one) with few tablespoons of water. That's it!

Easy enough! I keep canned beans in the pantry for Fae's Taco Stuff so that was no problem. I blended them. I added a few scant tablespoons to the Kraft (which I have never ever ever deluded myself into thinking was healthy) and I served it.

The kids loved it. They had no idea it was any different. But they got fiber, protein, whatchmacallit, and (probably) some vitamin whatever. And they didn't even blink.

So I'm sold. I'm a believer.

If I never try another recipe, it'll be worth keeping this book around! (Don't worry Claudia. I'll try more than one recipe.)

I always knew beans really were a magical fruit!
Hooray for the Sneaky Chef!!!

*I am not getting paid by anyone to promote this cookbook, but if you send me a check I'll HAPPILY promote it EVEN MORE!!!

Baby Jamz

***This review was quoted on the website PRWeek!  Which means I've been "published".  Which means I'm famous now.***

Awhile ago my sister-in-law Laura got me this sweet new gig with a company called "Team Mom". Every once in awhile, they're gonna send me a kid-related product or toy for FREE and I'll review it on my blog. It's pretty much a win/win situation for everyone. (Did I mention I get stuff for FREE?!?) Well, I got my first box from Team Mom and it was sorta like Christmas.

The first product I've been asked to review is the...*drumroll please*Baby Jamz Jammin' Microphone and the BabyJamz Nursery Rhyme CD.This is a new hip-hop toy line created by the Familia Knowles. The songs on the c.d. are old stand-bys like "This Old Man" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb" but hip-hop-funkified.
I have only three words to describe it: Fresh to Death!

Now, being more of an 80's fan myself, I admit I would have preferred a toy synthesizer which played kid versions of "Just Can't Get Enough" and "Oh l'Amour" but we can't always get what we want. (But we get what we need.)

So what did the boys think? Before we even got the microphone out of the package, both Max and Sam were fighting over it and getting their hip-hop groove on. The mic amplifies your voice but also plays songs and lets you record your voice and play it back. It's the shizzle!

Once the C.D. was pumping the dance party began. Max was poppin'some SERIOUS moves. Arms were flying, heads rocking, and hips, um...gyrating? It was quite a sight.

If you love hip-hop and want to get your kids to get their groove on, you gotta get you some of this action in the hizzle. 

For rizzle. 

Oh no I di'nt. 

Oh yes I did.  

(If you DON'T love hip-hop, you'd be better off jamming bamboo shoots under your finger nails.)

<insert video of Max dancing here>

(I missed Max's most SWEET dance moves and he couldn't be bothered to recreate them...but you get the idea.)

Oh yeah! You can get the goods at Wal-Mart!

Peace Out!