March Comes In Like A Lion And...I'VE BEEN A TERRIBLE BLOGGER?

Yes, I know. I've been remiss. Things have been crazy busy here lately though and for that, I apologize. I promise I'll be better about blogging now that I'm doing some spring cleaning around the house (the impetus being RL's visit and the emptying of some boxes and clutter) and will try to be more on the ball about things.

I love springtime. The lilacs, tulips, cherry blossoms, azaleas, and all the other colorful blooms are out. Not to mention it's the beginning of Major League Baseball season and yet another chance to wish my beloved Cubbies luck at the pennant.

What do you love most about this time of the year?

Bring It Sista!

See that girl below? That's my BFF and Sissy. Since you'll probably hear me mention her a lot here on Bouquet of Bubbly, I thought I'd introduce you. For the sake of this blog, she shall henceforth be known as RL.

I am so happy that she is coming to spend the holiday weekend with me and to have some much deserved and long overdue girl time together!

Here's a few morsels about RL:

Although she's graduate of psychology from Boston University, RL is a self taught tech maven and because of this holds the distinction of being an in-house Director of IT for a nationally acclaimed law firm in the Chicago area. She shares a high rise apartment with her two "babies" - Moe and Cuddie - adorable felines that look like something off of a greeting card.

She is a true girly girl: all things pink, heels (even to the beach!), bags (we initially bonded over our mutual penchant for all things LV) , and mani-pedis are her signature. Yet, she can knit a mean scarf, disassemble a motherboard, and locate the source of an HVAC problem. 

We disagree over condiments (she thinks ketchup is the sauce of champions) and beverages (she likes Boba Tea and makes fun of my diet pop purchases). Although the latter two atrocities are tempered by our shared love of copious amounts of caffeine, ginger (not simultaneously - natch), and Stewart and Colbert.

 She peppers her sentences with the occasional F-bomb and laughs at my euphemisms. 

BUT

BUT

BUT

at the crux of all the humorous juxtapositions is the real reason I love her.

She is my soul sister.

She calls/texts to check in on my son and daughter regularly (they even have a key to her apartment in case of an emergency!), celebrates them when they accomplish something (she sent Penn State t-shirts when my daughter was accepted to PSU) and cheers them on when they've had a hard day (she texts my son during his wrestling meets across the miles even when he loses a match to let him know he's a winner in her book).

She champions my husband. It was actually through him that she and I met (they were roommates and coworkers while living in Florida back in 2003), but our own friendship grew separate of that triad and I love that. She encourages his business ventures and ideas and is always there to lend a hand.

She knows my darkest secrets and will take them to her grave and vice-versa. I cherish this loyalty and the profound depth at which she holds it sacred. 

She encourages my writing and art and always knows just what to say when I feel overwhelmed.

Sometimes words or texts aren't even necessary and we understand that silence is precisely what the other one needs at the moment. In fact, even when we disagree with one another, the rifts never last more than ten minutes because we know each other's heart and intentions.

RL knows she can call or text me at any hour and vice versa (it doesn't hurt that we both have sleep issues) and I'm there for her (even on birthdays/anniversaries/holidays our friendship is open 24/7 with no breaks or days off).

We share an affinity regarding crazy parents divorces and mothers (although RL's madre is decidedly less kooky than mine, she "gets" my issues and I never have to expound on my explanations to her when venting). 

She has a generous spirit and believes in the Pay It Forward concept. Another reason we bonded from the get go.

RL brings out the best in me and I know without a doubt that we will grow into Golden Girls together with a friendship that spans/stands a lifetime.

What does your best friend bring out in you?

Submit your Best Friend story and enter to win a Sephora gift card. Please send your tale (no longer than 400 words) to PressForChampagne@Gmail.com. The winner will be announced on May 2nd.

Thankful, Spelled Out.

Today I am thankful for:

• The way my dog rests his head on my lap and smiles (I swear - he does!) while I'm having my morning tea.
• Concentrate Smoothing Treatment from Bumble and Bumble. I cannot be over the moon enough about this stuff between Japanese thermal straightening treatments (FYI Keratin doesn't work much for me).
• White chocolate chip macadamia and toffee nut cookies.
• The conversation I had with my teens earlier regarding their Spring Break plans and knowing that we've raised responsible kids. 
• The way The Hubby's hugs always smell like a mixture of apricot, lavender, and vanilla (it's not cologne, it's his natural scent). 
• My best friend booking her ticket to visit for Passover and some much needed Sister Time. 
• Go Daddy Tech Support.
• Clients who don't neuter ideas.
• Cadbury Creme Eggs. 
• An email I got from my Aunt last night.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR TODAY?

Cellular Safety

Recently I read an article that both disturbed and disgusted me. I was shocked to read that according to The London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine one in every six cell phones have fecal bacteria contamination.

Microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba, one of the world's foremost experts on germ study and faculty at the University of Arizona tested numerous common surfaces and found cell phones are the highest carrier of bacteria with 25,000 germs per square inch (that's 500 times more bacteria than the average toilet!!!). 


Dr. Gerba's instructions for lessening your chances of getting sick from E.coli, MRSA, H1N1, and norovirus contamination via mobile phone are:

• Clean your phone at least once a week with a anti-bacterial wipes such as Lysol or Clorox sheets. 
• Do not allow someone with a flu/cold to use your phone.
• Remember to always wash your hands after using the restroom or changing a diaper.

Thursday Thought For The Day

S'Mores Sweetness (Ooey Gooey Goodness For Happy Hearts On V-Day)

S’mores Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)

1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2.    In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3.    Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).

4.    Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

I'm Thinking Of Becoming A Born Again ...Coffee Drinker

As many of you loyal readers who have followed me through the years on older blogs already know, I was once a 20+ cup a day coffee drinker. An addiction I am proud to have quit, I now may have reason and conclusive evidence to support that coffee may indeed not be a bad thing after all.

Dr. Michel Lucas, a Research Fellow at Harvard University, did a study for the Harvard School of Public Health which found that drinking coffee may help protect against Parkinson's disease, diabetes and certain cancers. If that's not enough to have you pouring a cup of java, the investigation also found that women who drink two to three cups of coffee a day (about ten to fifteen ounces) have a FIFTEEN PERCENT lower risk of depression than nondrinkers.

"Caffeine gives you a great boost of energy, " Dr. Lucas said. "A major symptom of depression is losing interest in doing things you love and caffeine can help to remedy that."

I'll never go back to the copious amounts I drank in the past and honestly, even three cups a day is a little excessive for me at this point, but I may go back to sipping one cup a day (and thoroughly enjoying it!!!!) considering this news and even better - WITHOUT feeling guilty about it. ;)