Remember that infamous line in Garden State when Natalie Portman’s character plays New Slang by The Shins (with enormous headphones!) for Zach Braff’s character and says, “You gotta hear this one song. It’ll change your life. I swear.” While, I firmly believe that songs can change your life, along with big (like a wedding) or small (like discovering a new store) events, books, movies or anything really, lately I’ve found I’ve found myself repeating this motto “it changed my life” around all sorts of life-changing miracles that happen to me every day courtesy of people like J.K. Rowling and Oprah. Seriously, everything seems to be changing my life at the moment, or at least my perspective. This new chapstick which I bought at Target is finally solving my cracked lips issue or my lovely new dishwasher which (gasp!) actually washing my dishes without a pre-wash (well, except for my puppy helping lick the plates clean). This rubbery cookie scooper for chocolate-chip cookies, which has changed my life. The discovery racer-back tank tops changed my life. Chocolate covered almonds, Bona hardwood floor cleaner, and my gosh, even “ouchless” cloth covered rubber hair bands changed my life.

But, instead of actually changing my life, perhaps they are only a fraction of products that I really like. So, I have decided to make an official list of all the most important discoveries I’ve made over the last few months and years, things I really feel that the Internet should know about too (Uh, we’re talking body soap and make-up here, not the meaning of life or anything). Kinda like a sort of, “here are a few of my favorite things” without Maria from The Sound of Music singing.

Aveeno Active Naturals

I have always suffered from sensitive skin. Pretty smelling body washes and lotions cause me to break out in hives or horrible rashes. So, I always struggled with finding a cleaner that cleaned and moisturized my skin without causing me to break out, but didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Then, I found Aveeno body wash. In fact, they have a whole line of products I use, my favorites are their body wash (they have a “Stress Relief” one that “calms and relaxes” but really just smells of lavender) and lotions. Now, I exclusively use Aveeno products, and honestly I couldn’t be happier with my skin. No more itchy, unsightly rashes for me.

Bath & Body Work Aromatherapy Peppermint Roll-on with Pure Peppermint Essential Oil

I suffer from lots of headaches, typically just tension headaches from a long day staring at the computer screen or from reading. A while back, right before I was to walk down the aisle as bridesmaid in a wedding, I had a horrible headache and no medication in sight. However, the mother of the bride did have Peppermint Oil that she dabbed on my wrists. The smell relaxed my senses, and relieved me of my pounding headache. Afterwards, in search of this phenomenon essential oil I discovered the Peppermint Roll-on from Bath & Body Works. This is perfect, I just roll a bit onto my temples whenever I feel a headache coming on (or lately, every night!) focus on taking a few inhales and exhales, and I immediately feel better.

Blurb

I love pictures, I love being creative, but above all, I love being organized. Enter: Blurb. This company allows me to enjoy all that and more. Instead of printing out my millions of photos throughout the year, and putting them in a boring old photo album (which are harder and harder to find these days), I make a photo book through Blurb. The downloadable program is free; all you pay for is the actual book. I mainly use the books in place of albums, so for each trip or each year I’ll make a single album. The program allows me to use of their templates (of all writing, all picture or a combination of both) or I can create my own. It’s perfect. Plus, their prices are much better than printing the photos and putting them in traditional albums, and it takes up much less space. A forty-page book can hold hundreds of photos. In fact, I just made an album for a wedding shoot I recently did, and it came out lovely.

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème

For anybody that suffers from horrific hangnails, this is the perfect product. It softens the cuticles, strengthens the nails, heals tiny cuts on your fingertips (which is the worst place for a cut!) It’s silky and creamy and lemony scented...which makes me crave lemon meringue pie, but that’s another story. When I use this wonder crème daily I notice a major difference in my hands, almost like having a daily manicure. Seriously, consider your life changed.

Tastefully Simple

I am not one for boxed products, especially ones which are ordered through a “host” (like Mary Kay make-up or Pampered Chef), but my mother-in-law gifted me with a box full of Tastefully Simple products, and I’m in love. Granted, not in love enough to buy them myself (as I find it hideously expensive)...but, definitely in love enough to ration it. My favorites are the “country blackberry preserves (which has lots of great recipes to use it with, like thumbprint cookies, but I just eat it by the spoonful) or “creamy caramel sauce” which I just eat with pretzels or another favorite is the cinnamon muffin melt mix (although, I never follow the recipe for that one either and just make regular muffins). Let me tell you, this stuff is delicious.

I am just realizing that I can go on with 8 or 9 more things I should add, but this will do for now since I’ve got a million and one other things to do. But, meanwhile, what about you? Any life-changing discoveries you want to share with me (and the world?) Any must-haves I. HAVE. TO. TRY? I am always one willing to venture out and try new things.

Product of the week: Pineapple easy slicer

I have always loved Pineapples. In fact, when I went to Costa Rica I basically lived off fresh pineapples (and mangos, and bananas, and papayas...and other exotic fruits.) I’ve tried over and over again to eat the canned stuff, but it just doesn’t taste the same. And the frozen chunks just don’t cut it either, great for smoothies, but not as an afternoon snack, so only fresh Pineapple for me. But, Internet, they are so darn hard to cut! I would buy a pineapple, which then spent three days sitting around while I worked up the energy to cut it. Finally, two bleeding fingertips and a sticky counter later, I would have awkward pieces of yellow fruit to savor, but I was either eating the rind and core, or only getting four bites from the fruit. So basically, I never bought pineapple except for desperate times when I would shell out way too much money for a tiny cup of perfectly cubed pineapple from Whole Foods Market.

Enter the pineapple easy slicer from Williams Sonoma. Yeah sure, you can buy a cheaper, wannabe pineapple slicer from Bed, Bath and Beyond, but it’s plastic. And flimsy. And easily breakable. But, the slicer from WS is stainless steel and sturdy, and more importantly...dishwasher safe. If you watch this handy video, it explains exactly how it works. It’s easy as pie (ooh, pie...yum). The pineapple easy slicer ensures uniform rings, in order to maximize the flesh of the pineapple. And, the part they don’t mention is that you can drink the leftover juice right out of the shell – like you’re at your own private tropical resort.

So now I am buying several pineapples a week and I get to devour this sweet, juicy fruit anytime I please. (Well, in full disclosure, I buy the pineapple because I like using the nifty kitchen tool Have I ever mentioned how much I like nifty kitchen tools? I do.)

Just to set the record straight, the score is now: Sara, 1; Scurvy, 0.

Movie Review: Star Trek Movie 2009

I'm not sure how, but on Thursday night, I was coerced into going to see Star Trek. J has been looking forward to it for months, and since I've dragged him along to such cinematic masterpieces as How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, I figured I probably owed him a favor or five. The deal was sweetened when three of my favorite people who share my same last name were added to the evening's plans, and the whole itinerary grew to also include beers and dinner at The Yard House, home to The World's Best Sweet Potato Fries. And that was that! I was in! Honestly, load me with enough of the finest Molson Canadian beer and I'd probably agree to go see Sex and the City with you, or a documentary about Slugs: Nature’s Little Scamps. Which would be more interesting, do you think? Wait – don’t answer that.

(By the way, a brief aside: The Yard House is a chain restaurant with a boatload of beers on tap, and a sports game on TV. I am not usually one for chain restaurants, but hey, I typically like any place with more than ten beers on tap. They have the typical domestic beers on tap, imports, microbrews, plus fun cocktails and martinis, for example: Purple Cow. I’m not sure what exactly is in a Purple Cow, but the mental image is fun).

So now is probably a good time to mention that I hadn't seen any of the previous Star Trek movies or any of the TV shows before this one, and I don't really know a whole lot about Star Trek at all, to be honest. I had heard the name “Spock” before, and knew that it took place in, well, space. But, not much more beyond that. Which means that yes; perhaps this was not the absolute best film for me to see. But seriously, this movie was great for the diehard sci-fi geeks (yes, you know who you are) and those with little enthusiasm about the epic saga.

It was endearing, suspenseful, and even garnered several laughs. From the high-intensity start, the movie sets the scene for those familiar and unfamiliar with the premise, without the use of flashbacks (have I even mention how much I hate flashback scenes? I do.) The tension and friendship that developed through Kirk & Spock’s relationship is truly a result in great acting and superb writing. It’s a movie that doesn’t take itself so seriously – it’s not a major work of art. It’s not trying to win an academy award. (For instance, Star Wars: 1, 2 & 3, those were movies that were just trying way too hard). It’s the perfect summer-blockbuster movie. Like Mission Impossible; only Chris Pine instead of Tom Cruise.

However, one that seriously irritated me was the space-time continuum. It’s not at all logical, and doesn’t make sense. How can the older Spock be talking to the younger Spock at the same time? If time is on another dimension, and our past is our past, how can the future Spock procreate for a species that has already existed?

See, I told you:

IT. DOESN’T. MAKE. SENSE.

It might be because I don’t have the appreciation for Leonard Nimoy (who apparently is the original Spock, I gathered this by the cheering and whistling that erupted after his first on-screen appearance).

And also, why does everyone only wear spandex uniforms? Here’s a little tip: I’m pretty sure that I don’t want to see most people in spandex. In fact, if this were to depict the future, I would pay money to NOT see people in spandex. In the future, we probably won’t have money either. In which case, it seems that I’m screwed. But, I digress.

So, while I was completely expecting this to be a three hour snooze fest, I was thoroughly captivated through the majority of the movie. (So, the ending was a bit far-fetched, but eh what can I do?) But, still I was pleasantly surprised. But, please let’s leave it at that. I do not need to run out and see the other bazillion Star Trek movies.

And for now I leave you: live long and prosper.

Save Chuck

I’m not a big TV person. I even lived for a couple of years without one in my apartment. Yeah, I like watching the news, but nowadays I get most of my updates via the internet (have you heard about the swine flu? Oh, you mean you don’t live under a rock?) Or the occasional Friends episode on rerun, but I’m pretty wary about starting a new TV series. I mean it took me four years of hating Grey’s Anatomy, and now I cry when my DVR forgets to record it. So, when J decided to watch Chuck. I was pretty adamant about not getting involved. However, I was swayed after a few weeks of persistent pestering to watch it with him.

And by golly it’s the best show on television. (Did you hear that honey, you were right!) So, in light of “The Save Chuck Movement” I decided to tell the Internet why I love this hilarious show.

1. The character’s names. Sarah Walker is one of the main characters. She is one of the two agents assigned to protect the “asset” (aka: Chuck). The other government handler hired to protect Chuck is Major John Casey (although, apparently it’s now Colonel). As you know (or not), my name is Sara – and while it’s not spell the same, it’s still a very rad (apparently I think its 1984) name, and not one that is used very often. In addition, my puppy’s’ name is Casey. (Granted she’s you know...a dog and a female dog at that), it was one of the reasons I gave in to watching the show. (It really doesn’t take much to make me happy).
2. The “average computer-whiz-next-door” character of Chuck. I have a thing for computer geeks. I’m not sure why; but I’m just drawn to them. My first boyfriend was a total computer nerd. Like, taking computers apart and putting them back together kind of nerd. (Granted, he was a water polo player too, so the kind of all-around student that colleges are looking for these days). After we parted ways, I swore I was done with computer engineers and Dungun & Dragon players. Except that I wasn’t. Lo and behold, my next boyfriend-turned-fiancé-turned-husband was a “management information science” (a fancy way of saying “computer-geek hiding in business”) major in college. He builds software programs. Like I said, I’m just drawn to them. Maybe it’s the pocket protector?
3. I love the stock shots of Los Angeles. I have a total love-hate relationship with LA. I love the skyscrapers, echo park, Griffith observatory, but I hate the smog, crowds and weather. When I watch Chuck, I get all the perks of LA, with having to deal with the crap. Plus, I get to say thing like: “That’s where I run twice a week!” Or “I’ve been there!” Did I mention that the fly-over shots are so cool?
4. The on-again-off-again romantic tension between Sarah and Chuck. I am a fan of the Ross & Rachael, Pam & Jim on-again-off-again torture. As their cover story, Chuck and Sarah are dating; however we’re always sure how real those feelings are. Sarah maintains that it would be unprofessional of her to be in a real relationship with Chuck while she is his CIA handler. Chuck doesn’t want to be part of a relationship with Sarah that isn’t real. The “do-they-love-each-other-or-not” tension keeps me at the edge of my seat each week.
5. Chuck’s family values. While Chuck is under government protection, his first priority is his friends and family. Chuck moved in with his sister, Ellie, and her “awesome” boyfriend Devon after his academic career ended at Stanford University. The duo has quite the untraditional nuclear family, yet traditional family values are so important to them. For instance, the pair celebrates Mother’s Day as the take they learned to take care of each other.

There you have it – Chuck is the best show on TV these days. So, ahead and click HERE to Save Chuck.

Food for Thought

I have never been one for hot dogs. I don’t like ketchup (I know, I know, it’s the quintessential American food!), I’m not a big fan of mustard or relish…and I like eating with a knife and a fork. I think it’s quite barbarian to eat with your fingers. This however, was before I went to The Infield in Sherman Oaks. Internet, this hot dog stand is delicious.

I got the daily combo deal, which changes each day to include one of their special dogs, fries and a drink for $5.00. Let me tell you dear Internet, this is a steal! This special highlighted The Hawaiian, which was perfect since it was raining and cold and I was dreaming of lying on white sandy beach and more importantly, being warm. Wait, I think I’m drifting off track. So, I decided on the Hawaiian, which didn’t include ketchup, mustard or relish. Instead, it had baked beans and pineapple atop a classic beef dog. I was a little concerned because well, baked beans AND pineapple? The two just didn’t seem to go together. But, Internet, boy was I wrong. Yum. Plus, because it was topped with so much (although, Infield, if you’re reading this, I could have stood for more pineapple) I needed a KNIFE and a FORK to eat it! It was like a dream come true. The skies parted, the sun started shining, and I decided that this was an excellent stop for a quick lunch.

The other hot dogs looked excellent as well: West Virginian Dog (classic dog with chili, yellow mustard, onions, topped with sweet coleslaw), Pastrami Dog, Chicago Dog, the New Yorker are only among a few. I was a little hesitant about the fries because I have such high standards with French fries. But, they were hot and crisp…and the perfect amount of greasy.

Now, next time I go, I determined to try one of their dessert dogs - even though they frighten me. However, Internet, I think the deep fried Twinkie dog is just calling my name. It just sounds too gross not to try.

Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd is a cute, fun novel about “chick-lit” novel that integrates faith elements without being too preachy. Alexandra Smart, better known as Lexi, is on a quest for a life she always thought she wanted: the perfect job, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect apartment. Obsessed with anything and everything French, Lexi finds lands a counter job at a local French bakery.

Lexi is a delightful character, far more interesting than the usual Christian fiction fare. She shoots pool, enjoys beer or a glass of wine, she finds her church single’s group equivalent to a meat market, but realizes that she won’t get anything right until she gets right with God.

Readers will find this delectable mix of faith, fun and fiction has all the right ingredients for a romantic and enjoyable read. While this was my first Sandra Byrd novel, it definitely will not be my last.