Festive dresses, both short and long, serve as a colorful canvas for summer parties (and weddings) while chic accessories from boho-inspired floppy hats to charming floral hair accessories add flair.

I'm that girl... that girl that you want at your party because I'm a sucker. Not only will I buy product, but I'll also be that easy target and if the consultant mentions a start-up deal to me, I'll be your next home show saleswoman and start a new business venture. Don't you worry- I bet I help earn you an extra half price item. I know, because I've done it like ten times.

Let's see... I've sold Mary Kay (multiple times), Willow House, Thirty-One, Premier Designs Jewelry, Arbonne... the list keeps going. And from them- I've pretty much earned a lot of starter kits, wasted a shit ton of marketing materials, and earned nothing. I've probably even lost money because I tend to give away my discount and not factor in shipping charges, taxes, etc... and end up owing money. It's great.

I Am Modern Magazine's core staff chimes on the etiquette of poking your friends on Facebook.



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I went swimsuit shopping today. I know you are probably thinking, "Oh goodness,here comes another down and out post." But actually that couldn't be farther from the truth. Then again- anything is an improvement over the swimsuits I sported this weekend. My hubby even hinted that it was time to go shopping because I might as well have been perched on the dock naked since just about everyone could see my nips and camel toe. Oh well, shit happens.

I headed to the mall expecting to cry in the dressing room. Instead, angels sang and I found not one, but two swimsuits that I feel comfortable in. Never in my right mind did I foresee me shopping in Sears of all places and granted, I'm not sporting a 'kini like I dream of. I'm in suits that are great for a mom- Ya know- a little skirt in case I didn't get a chance to shave down under... I mean so that I can chase the chitlin's around and all... But, I found what I think are cute suits that don't scream, "I'm a mom and completely let myself go."

Summer is a season of many celebrations; Father’s Day and Fourth of July, of course but also graduations, weddings, family reunions and so much more.  Are you ready for company?  Before you commence power washing the deck, sprucing up the garden and buying new cushions for the patio furniture, consider these professional party planning tips to ensure a successful celebration:

Create an Experience, Not Just a Party.

This advice is the first tenet of party planning.  Parties and celebrations are experiences that engage your guests’ senses.  Therefore, consider what they see, hear, smell, taste and touch when they attend your celebration.  For example, guests arriving at your annual family reunion may smell the hickory smoked BBQ the moment they get out of the car; hear music and laughter coming from the deck; see a clear blue pool; feel an ice cold beverage; and eventually, taste the outstanding dinner that you have prepared.  The culmination of these senses creates an impactful experience, an enjoyable one at that!

Shake 'em, Shake 'em, Yell out "Baby needs some shoes," and shoot.

And if you are like me, your baby probably has more shoes that she/he knows what to do with. I know mine sure do. My daughter has a pair of sparkly Tom's like I've been pining over every time I stroll through Nordstrom... She even has cute cowgirl boots, flip flops galore, Sauconys, every color of Mary Janes available, Saltwaters, Lelli Kellys... I could go on forever. And me, well, I have two buck specials from Old Navy. Don't worry, I don't leave my son out. He has a swimsuit for every day of the week, and as we were riding in the car last week, he informed me he needed trunks with his initials on them. Be still my heart, he's picked up on my love of monograms, so I'm sure he'll have a pair before week's end... as I wear my Costco blue light special, ill-fitting tankini... Or better yet, my worn out, three year old suit that caused my son to inform me that he can see my "boobie balls" a.k.a. nipples because the pads fell out one too many times in the wash, so I chucked them. Nice.

In my household, that's just the way it is. Our kids don't go without... and not that we go without by any means... but let's just say our needs (or more like wants) are always put on the back burner.

Just when we thought it was a easy month due to no preschool payments- fall football registration is due, soccer registration is going on, swim lessons need to be paid, and the list goes on... So when I decided to try TNT training, I knew it wasn't a good idea. And I was right- because I LOVE it!

TNT training is one of those group exercise programs they offer at my gym- Sport & Health. I've walked by the sign for months wanting to check it out... but knowing that if I liked it we would have to figure out something financially. But for months I've gone to the gym only to socialize and do an easy workout on a cardio machine with no results. I walk by the guy in the fluorescent yellow shirt (yeah, we see ya, buddy) wanting to take that step and join his class.

And when an e-mail arrived in my inbox offering a free week, I finally took that step.

Loved it.

And their marketing plan worked... because I'm a sucker and am now two steps away from promising my hubby sexual favors to join this program- especially after this super cute, totally in shape lady in the class dropped a hint that TNT really works because one year ago, she, too was 160. O.k.., I'm not really 160 yet, but I'll pretend.:)

It may be in my head, but after one week of training, I was down three pounds, felt tighter, and had even paid attention to what I was eating this week- because when you have your butt kicked for an hour, and have to do a check-in with the instructor every session, you really don't want to mess up.

O.K. y'all... I have high hopes that with a few episodes of Extreme Couponing, making changes such as driving the beater, I mean Civic instead of our gas guzzling minivan at times, and cutting back on eating out, this can be done without me having to sell a liver on the black market. So blow on that dice, and hopefully I'll be reporting back over these next few months with results for once.

Ready, set, shake, rattle, blow, and roll... because Mama needs some shoes, too.:)

We try to filter out the airwaves as they bombard our living rooms with news of civil unrest in the Middle East, sleazy politicians and celebrities earning substantial sums to air their abhorrent lifestyles. Yet there is still a sliver of hope that our young adults’ filters are cleaner than ours and that before the dust settles, a few will still hunger to improve lives around the world. Sara Hughlett is doing just that. She is a member of the Peace Corps.

I have to admit that even I have only a vague recollection of the few who escaped our cookie cutter suburban dwelling and donned their sandals and chinos to pursue their altruistic passions. A recent newspaper article celebrating the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary reminded me that more than 200,000 Americans have served in 139 countries, promoting peace and international friendship, since its inception by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.

I am amazed by how knowledgeable our grandchildren and their friends are about matters of sex. I’ll be clear from the outset: This is a good thing.

Gone are the days when the subject was taboo, and we as children were essentially clueless about sex. Our parents had no cause to worry about our safety because in those days we were pretty much isolated and unthreatened. Perhaps we were much more trusting or perhaps there were not so many predators out there then.

When I was in high school in the 1950’s at W-L in Arlington, a girl in our class got pregnant. What a scandal! Everyone was appalled that such a “nice” church-going girl would get herself in such a mess. She was whisked out of town and we later learned that she had been living with relatives in North Dakota for that entire school year. In the meantime, the situation provided much oil for the gossip machine. In retrospect we all were cruelly judgmental; it must have been so hard for her to return to Arlington.