Danger: Roxy in the Kitchen

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.

Loyal readers of Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and Roxy's Bay Head Blog know that Rex does all the cooking in our family, and Roxy does all the spreadsheets. When it comes to cooking, my bestest pal correctly pointed out years and years ago, "What you do isn't called cooking, Roxy... it's called heating up." For those of us who don't have Rex's extraordinary talents in the kitchen, Dinty Moore® products and hormel® chili enable us to replicate childhood favorites like Chili-mac and Easy Shepherd's Pie and create (heat up?) classic hearty meal recipes like Chili Cheese Dip and Chili and 3-Cheese Fondue. London and Maddie and all of their friends know that if it's chips and cheese and chili (my all-time favorite way to eat Hormel® chili), Roxy is probably doing the "cooking." Apparently, Roxy is not alone...Hormel, the nation’s leading chili brand, has topped nachos and filled the bowls of American families for generations, celebrating their 75th anniversary this year.

Heading into the Easter weekend, the weather is supposed to be warm and sunny, so we're planning the traditional Easter egg hunt in our Roxiticus Valley backyard on Sunday, followed by one of Rex's delicious ham dinners for Grammy (and maybe Grandmom, if she's home from rehab after her hip surgery). But Saturday is game day and Roxy's day in the kitchen (danger, beware!)....even though our brackets are busted, with both Villanova and Syracuse out of the NCAA tournament, we're still celebrating March Madness and cheering on great college basketball... and enjoying nostaligic comfort foods from Hormel® chili and Dinty Moore®. For a great collection of game time recipes, visit http://www.hormelrecipes.com/.

March Madness Music Monday: Sixteen Minutes from High School Musical 3

"The way we play tonight is what we leave behind..."

This year's March Madness NCAA tournament has been one of the wildest rollercoaster rides with the most surprises. #1 seeds Syracuse (my alma mater) and Kansas headed home early, as well as #2 seeds Villanova and Kansas State. Because of all the upsets, for the first time ever, the Elite Eight will include two teams ranked #5 (or lower).

In between college basketball games, the girls and I have been watching the DVD of High School Musical 3, which is my favorite in the HSM trilogy. Rex didn't see it with us on the big screen, so we made the DVD a gift for him on Maddie's 8th birthday.

You're allowed to mock me for choosing a hokey Disney song for this week's Music Monday, but I love this song and what it says this time of year...here with the Official 16 Minutes (Now or Never) video, Roxy's Bay Head Blog presents Zac Efron & Vanessa Hudgens as Troy Bolton & Gabriella Montez in High School Musical 3.



16, 16, 16 minutes left
Better get it done
16, 16, 16 more minutes
Get ready, GAME ON!

16, 16, 16 minutes left
Runnin out of time (WILDCATS!)
(West High) 16, 16, 16 more minutes
It's on the line
(WILDCATS!) 16, 16, 16 minutes left
Better get it done (WILDCATS!)

16, 16, 16 more minutes
Till we're number one!
LET'S GO TEAM!

Gotta get it together
Yeah, pull up and shoot (SCORE!)
Are you ready?
Are you with me?

(Team, team, team, yeah!)
Shake'em with the crossover (Wildcats!)
Tell me what are we here for? (To Win)
Cuz' we know that we're the best team (Come on boys, come on boys, come on!)

The way we play tonight
Is what we leave behind (that's right)
It all comes down to right now

It's up to us (Let's go!)
So what are we gonna be?
T-E-A-M TEAM!
Gotta work it out
Turn it on

Come on!

This is the last time to get it right (Ooh)
This is the last chance to make it or not (Yeah)
We gotta show what we are all about (Team!)
Work together

This is the last chance to make our mark (Shoot!)
History will know who we are (Yeah)
This is the last game so make it count
It's now or never

W-I-L-D WILDCATS!
You know we are
W-I-L-D WILDCATS!
Come on, come on!
West High Knights, heey
Yeah, we're doing it right, oh yeah
W-I-L-D WILDCATS!
Now's the time!

Gotta get it inside, down low
In the paint now shoot, SCORE!
We gotta work it together
Gimme the ball
Gimme the ball
Gimme the ball

Fastbreak!
Keep the ball in control
Let it fly from downtown
Show'em we can do it better
Go, go, go
Come on boys! (Wildcats!)

The way we play tonight (yeah)
Is what we leave behind (that's right)
It all comes down to right now
It's up to us (Let's go)
So what are we gonna be?
T-E-A-M TEAM!
Gotta work it out
Turn it all
Come on!

This is the last time to get it right (Ooh)
This is the last chance to make it or not (Yeah)
We gotta show what we are all about (Team!)
Work together

This is the last chance to make our mark (Hoop!)
History will know who we are (Yeah)
This is the last game so make it count
It's now or never

Right now I can hardly breathe
Ohh, you can do it
Just know that I believe
And that's all I really need

Then come on!
Make me strong
It's time to turn it up
GAME ON!

WILDCATS!
Gonna tear it up
GO WILDCATS!
Yeah we're number one
HEY WILDCATS!
We're the champions
GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO
TEAM! Oh!
West High Knights, heey
Yeah, we're putting up a fight (Wildcats!)
We'll never quit it, gonna win it
Let me hear you say
HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY

This is the last time to get it right (Ooh)
This is the last chance to make it or not (Yeah)
We gotta show what we are all about (Team)

Work together (Come on!)

This is the last chance to make our mark
History will know who we are
This is the last game so make it count
It's now or never

Yeaaah!

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We're Having a Party...but Not Until August

Rex just got off the phone with his son, Trader, who has booked the Bruce Springsteen cover band Tramps Like Us to perform in the backyard of our Bay Head, New Jersey, beach house for his 40th birthday party this summer. With the weather feeling raw and chilly going into our weekend up north in the Roxiticus Valley, it's good to be planning a summer celebration at the beach. London and Maddie are really looking forward to summer in Bay Head, getting our cockapoo puppy in June, and partying at the beach with their big brothers, niece and nephew in August.

Music Monday: It's In His Kiss (Shoop Shoop Song) by Cher

After a rough week -- my 84-year-old mom is in the hospital after dislocating her hip for the third time in a month on Thursday and is having very complicated surgery on Wednesday -- I considered a repeat of my October "Lightning Crashes" post on my Roxiticus Desperate Housewives blog, but instead of focusing on the cycles of life, death, and growing old, I've decided to go with something light and breezy on both of my blogs.

London and Maddie have been into American Idol this season, staying up way past their bedtimes to vote for their favorites. Our entire family thinks Crystal Bowersox is likely to win it all, but Maddie has rooted for 17-year-old Katie Stevens since her audition. The judges keep telling Katie to sing something "young" and "current," but it is clear that Katie is an old soul who can't relate to Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, or the Jonas Brothers. We did some thinking, and came up with a few suggestions for Katie Stevens....maybe something from a Disney movie or Broadway show that would show off Katie's "big voice. Over on Roxiticus Desperate Housewives, we posted "That's How You Know" from Enchanted. Our other suggestion for Katie Stevens is to sing something young, but from another decade, such as "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Olivia Newton-John from Grease or this week's Music Monday post on Roxy's Bay Head Blog: "It's In His Kiss (Shoop Shoop Song)"... done by Merry Clayton and Betty Everett in the 60s, we found a great video of Cher's 1990 cover from her movie, Mermaids:




Does he love me?
I wanna know!
How can I tell if he loves me so?

(Is it in his eyes?)
Oh no! You need to see!
(Is it in his eyes?)
Oh no! You make believe!
If you wanna know
If he loves you so
Its in his kiss!
(That's where it is!)

(Oh yeah! Or is it in his face?)
Oh no! It's just his charms!
(In his warm embrace?)
Oh no! That's just his arms!
If you wanna know
If he loves you so
It's in his kiss!
(That's where it is!)
Oh,ooh, oh! Its in his kiss!
(That's where it is!)

Oh, oh, oh, hug him!
Squeeze him tight!
Find out what you wanna know!
If it's love, if it really is,
It's there in his kiss!

(How 'bout the way he acts?)
Oh no! That's not the way!
You're not listenin' to all I'm sayin'!
If you wanna know
If he loves you so
It's in his kiss!
(That's where it is!)
Oh, ooh, oh! Its in his kiss!
(That's where it is!)

Oh, oh, oh, hug him!
Squeeze him tight!
Find out what you wanna know!
If it's love, if it really is,
It's there in his kiss!

(How 'bout the way he acts?)
Oh no! That's not the way!
You're not listenin' to all I'm sayin'!
If you wanna know
If he loves you so
It's in his kiss!
(That's where it is!)
Oh, ooh, oh! Its in his kiss!
(That's where it is!)
Oh, yeah! Its in his kiss!
(It's in his hiss, that's where it is!)
ooh! It's in his kiss!
(It's in his kiss, that's where it is!)
(It's in his kiss, that's where it is!)
(It's in his kiss, that's where it is!)
(It's in his kiss, that's where it is!)
(It's in his kiss, that's where it is!)
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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Roxy's Bikini Phobia

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of wellnessdaily.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Roxiticus Roxy, our groundhog up north, has spoken, and even though the snow is melting, there are still another six to eight weeks before we open up our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey. Just the right amount of time to start asking the question, what are YOU doing to increase the wellness factor in your life? So far this year, this new decade, I haven't followed through on any of my diet and exercise plans or New Year's wellness resolutions. Maybe there's help for me. http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=191732&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellnessdaily.com is a new online community that collects all of the latest news, plus healthy living blogs, expert opinions, easy and nutritious recipes, with videos on a variety of topics ranging from weight loss to healthier eating to exercise to stress relief and mental health.

This year certainly wouldn't be the first year that I've set a 50-day goal to lose 10 pounds ahead of bikini season, but this may be the first year that I've had the proper tools and motivation... I'm going use the site to create my own customized personal health and wellness news feed so that I'll receive the most relevant news possible....and I'm going to clip the photo of the Ed Hardy bikini from Venus swimsuits and tape it onto Roxy's refrigerator.

Come along with Roxy and join wellnessdaily.com... if you're one of the first 25,000 visitors, you can claim a $5 product rebate. Sign up and enter the wellnessdaily.com Twitter contest for a chance to win a WellnessDaily.com prize package valued at $1,250, including coupons for a year-long supply of Jennie-O Turkey Store products and a one-year gym membership. Enter the Twitter promotion through March 10th by tweeting: “Enter to win $ towards a gym membership & JENNIE-O turkey products. Just follow @wellness_daily & RT this! http://bit.ly/tbd123."

Good luck to all... in the contest and with your 2010 wellness goals.

Music Monday: When You Look Me In the Eyes by the Jonas Brothers

This Music Monday post is for London and Maddie, who adore the Jonas Brothers... but the inspiration for my choice was actually a firm handshake this afternoon from the teenage brother of one of Maddie's friends. As a parent of two girls, now 8 and 9, I've come to admire other parents who have raised respectful, confident teenagers...instead of the surly kind who won't look adults in the eye. Up north in the Roxiticus Valley, we have three sisters who babysit for London and Maddie, and they are all so poised and responsible, ready for college or job interviews or whatever opportunities life has to offer....same goes for the teenage brothers of a couple of London and Maddie's friends. So, while the Jonas Brothers intended this one as a mushy love song, I've chosen it to honor the cool teenagers in our lives.




If the heart is always searching,
Can you ever find a home?
I've been looking for that someone,
I'll never make it on my own.
Dreams can't take the place of loving you,
There's gotta be a million reasons why it's true

When you look me in the eyes,
And tell me that you love me.
Everything's alright,
When you're right here by my side.
When you look me in the eyes,
I catch a glimpse of heaven.
I find my paradise,
When you look me in the eyes.

How long will I be waiting,
To be with you again
Gonna tell you that I love you,
In the best way that I can.
I can't take a day without you here,
You're the light that makes my darkness disappear.

When you look me in the eyes,
And tell me that you love me.
Everything's alright,
When you're right here by my side.
When you look me in the eyes,
I catch a glimpse of heaven.
I find my paradise,
When you look me in the eyes.

More and more, I start to realize,
I can reach my tomorrow,
I can hold my head high,
And it's all because you're by my side.

When you look me in the eyes,
And tell me that you love me.
Everything's alright,
When you're right here by my side.
When I hold you in my arms
I know that it's forever
I just gotta let you know
I never wanna let you go

Cause when you look me in the eyes.

And tell me that you love me.
Everything's alright,
When you're right here by my side.
When you look me in the eyes,
I catch a glimpse of heaven.
I find my paradise,
When you look me in the eyes.
Oh

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





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Music Monday: Somewhere Down the Road by Barry Manilow

My mom dislocated her hip again yesterday (she's just fine now), so I was out driving to the hospital to give her a ride home and turned on the Sirius XM Eighties on 8 countdown for this week in 1982... Roxy's sweet sixteen year! Barry Manilow came on, singing "Somewhere Down the Road." The song takes me back to the first summer I worked at WBRW in Bridgewater, NJ... and one of these days I will write a long rambling post about what I know now that I wish I knew then about finding the right one, but in the meantime, it's time for Music Monday.

I know LadyJava is a big Barry Manilow fan, so this is probably a repeat, but here's a nice live version from the Kodak Theater (think "Hollywood Week"):



We had the right love
At the wrong time
Guess I always knew inside
I wouldn't have you for a long time

Those dreams of yours
Are shining on distant shores
And if they're calling you away
I have no right to make you stay
But

Somewhere down the road
Our roads are gonna cross again
It doesn't really matter when
But somewhere down the road
I know that heart of yours
will come to see
That you belong with me

Sometimes goodbyes are not forever
It doesn't matter if you're gone
I still believe in us together
I understand more than you think I can
You have to go out on your own
So you can find your way back home
And

Somewhere down the road
Our roads are gonna cross again
It doesn't really matter when
But somewhere down the road
I know that heart of yours
will come to see
That you belong with me
Letting go is just another way to say
I'll always love you so

We had the right love
At the wrong time
Maybe we've only just begun
Maybe the best is yet to come
'Cause

Somewhere down the road
Our roads are gonna cross again
It doesn't really matter when
But somewhere down the road
I know that heart of yours
will come to see
That you belong
With me

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday: They Don't Have Bobsleds in San Juan ("Nothing" from A Chorus Line)

Rex, London, Maddie and I have been watching the Olympics over this long President's Day and Valentine's Day weekend, and the winter events reminded me of this great clip from one of my favorite Broadway shows and movies, A Chorus Line:



I'm so excited because I'm gonna go
to the High School of Performing Arts!
I mean, I was dying to be a serious actress.
Anyway, it's the first day acting class-
and we're in the auditorium and the teacher,
Mr. Karp... Oh, Mr. Karp...
Anyway, he puts us up on the stage with
our legs around each other,
one in back of the other and he says:
"Okay... we're going to do improvisations.
Now, you're on a bobsled. It's snowing out.
And it's cold...Okay...GO!"

Ev'ry day for a week we would try to
Feel the motion, feel the motion
Down the hill.

Ev'ry day for a week we would try to
Hear the wind rush, hear the wind rush,
Feel the chill.

And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
To see what I had inside.
Yes, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
And I tried, I tried.

[Spoken]
And everybody's goin' "Whooooosh, whooooosh ...
I feel the snow... I feel the cold... I feel the air."
And Mr. Karp turns to me and he says,
"Okay, Morales. What did you feel?"

[sings]
And I said..."Nothing,
I'm feeling nothing,"
And he says "Nothing
Could get a girl transferred."

They all felt something,
But I felt nothing
Except the feeling
That this bullshit was absurd!

[Spoken]
But I said to myself, "Hey, it's only the first week.
Maybe it's genetic.
They don't have bobsleds in San Juan!"

[sings]
Second week, more advanced, and we had to
Be a table, be a sportscar...
Ice-cream cone.

Mister Karp, he would say,"Very good,
except Morales. Try, Morales,
All alone."

And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
To see how an ice cream felt.
Yes, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
And I tried to melt.

The kids yelled, "Nothing!"
They called me "Nothing"
And Karp allowed it,
Which really makes me burn.

The were so helpful.
They called me "Hopeless",
Until I really didn't know
Where else to turn.

[Spoken]
And Karp kept saying,
"Morales, I think you should transfer to Girl's High,
You'll never be an actress, Never!" Jesus Christ!

Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria,
Send me guidance, send me guidance,"
On my knees.

Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria,
Help me feel it, help me feel it.
Pretty please!"

And a voice from down at the bottom of my soul
Came up to the top of my head.
And the voice from down at the bottom of my soul,
Here is what it said:

"This man is nothing!
This course is nothing!
If you want something,
Go find another class.

And when you find one
You'll be an actress."
And I assure you that's what
Fin'lly came to pass.

Six months later I heard that Karp had died.
And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul...
And cried.
'Cause I felt... nothing.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday: When the Saints Go Marching In

It's Music Monday across the world in Malaysia, but here in New Jersey, it's still Super Bowl Sunday. Rex, London, Maddie and I are not big football fans, but London was born on Super Bowl Monday 2001 (Giants lost badly), so we always like to celebrate. We've got our hoagies and chili from a Hilltop Church Souper Bowl fundraiser for the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morristown, and we're ready for a good game. This week's Music Monday pick from Bruce Springsteen (the Seeger Sessions) will tell you who we'll be rooting for tonight.



We are traveling in the footsteps
Of those who've gone before
But we'll all be reunited (but if we stand reunited)
On a new and sunlit shore (then a new world is in store)

Oh when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

And when the sun refuse (begins) to shine
And when the sun refuse (begins) to shine
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the moon turns red with blood
When the moon turns red with blood
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

On that hallelujah day
On that hallelujah day
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh when the trumpet sounds the call
Oh when the trumpet sounds the call
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Some say this world of trouble
Is the only one we need
But I'm waiting for that morning
When the new world is revealed

When the revelation (revolution) comes
When the revelation (revolution) comes
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the rich go out and work
When the rich go out and work
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the air is pure and clean
When the air is pure and clean
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When we all have food to eat
When we all have food to eat
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When our leaders learn to cry
When our leaders learn to cry
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

iPad Softly to the Fridge In Search Of Beer

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Citi. All opinions are 100% mine.

So... Apple launched the iPad today, and the best headline I found came from fellow blogger Ken Armstrong's incessant Twittering: "iPad Softly to the Fridge In Search Of Beer." Runner up was "iBored." Although my husband, Rex, remains hopeful that the iPad could be a cross between his beloved Blackberry and the notebook computer he refuses to carry with him to and from the office, I'm skeptical... of course, I'm the one Rex turns to when technology goes wrong. He dumped his iPhone after a week because he couldn't stand the touch screen, and has been disappointed about being able to open and read client files (in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint) on his Blackberry. So we'll see.

There is some good news for the iPhone and iPad: millions of Citi® credit card customers in the United States can now manage their card accounts via the downloadable Citi Mobile(SM) application for the iPhone® device, and I'm guessing Rex would be able to use his shiny new iPad to access our Citi credit card accounts, since the iPad runs on the same operating system. According to Citi's Head of North America Consumer Internet & Mobile, Liza Landsman, "This application now provides our customers with anywhere, anytime access to their credit card account information, which is important for people on the go. It will help more customers to stay connected in real-time to their finances and to make informed spending decisions." If you're like Rex and me, Existing Citibank members click here to download Citi's Mobile App for the iPhone; if you don't have a Citi credit card, you can also Click here to apply for Citibank and then get started with all the benefits of mobile access to your account information: manage spending more wisely, quickly check account balances and available credit at any time with just a tap of the screen, and get details on recent transactions and the date on which your next payment is due, which can help prevent the accrual of fees from inadvertently late or missed payments.

I'll let you know if Rex gets the iPad... and speaking of Citi, I'd better make my monthly payment right now!

Music Monday: Clouds (Both Sides Now) by Judy Collins

This week's Music Monday on Roxy's Bay Head Blog is dedicated to Rex and my husband's love affair with Salesforce.com and cloud computing...I'm sure that's not what Judy Collins had in mind, but here goes:




Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

Oh but now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they tell me that I've changed
Well something's lost but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From WIN and LOSE and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Buy A Beach House!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

Even though it is a balmy 40 degrees during the "January thaw" here in the Roxiticus Valley, New Jersey, it's not even close to warm enough to think about opening our beach house. It is, however, warm enough to dream about sunny summer afternoons playing in the waves and relaxing on the beach in Bay Head with Rex, London, and Maddie... heading back to the house for my six o'clock beer, while Rex grills a steak or steams 100 clams for dinner, and London and Maddie paint seashells that they gathered during the day.

There's not a day that goes by that I'm not thankful for all that I have... good health, a loving family, and a house at the beach in Bay Head, New Jersey. Last summer, as we all struggled through the miserable economy, it was discouraging to see so many classic beach houses for sale (and not selling, and not selling, and not selling) all around town. I hope that when we open our beach house in April, we'll see signs that other families are taking advantage of the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits to find a home at the beach in Bay Head.

The best deal is for first-time homebuyers, or those who have not owned a home in the last three years, who can receive up to an $8,000 tax credit. Rex's son, PostBoy, and his new bride, MathGirl, took advantage of the 2009 credit to buy their dream home in Connecticut last Fall.

The first-time homebuyer tax credit was working towards economic recovery, but what the housing market and our national economy needed was an incentive for the "move-up" buyer. According to the 2009 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the number of first-time home buyers rose from 41% to 47% of all home sales last year, and was the highest on record dating back to 1981. So this year, existing homeowners can benefit when they buy a new home, too: homeowners who have lived in their current home consecutively for 5 of the past 8 years can receive up to a $6,500 tax credit when purchasing a home. There may be no future extensions, so all qualified homebuyers are encouraged to act now (even though it's too cold for the beach) and have a written, binding contract by April 30, 2010 (close by June 30, 2010). The income limits are $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for married couples, with a $20,000 phase-out of the credit for both.

Visit Coldwell Banker to do your own research... you can even start a new Home Search on the site for your own house in Bay Head, NJ... hope to see you on the beach this summer!

MLK Music Monday: Dion's Abraham Martin and John

Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked 'round and he's gone.

Didn't you love the things that they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free
Some day soon, and it's a-gonna be one day ...

Today's Music Monday post honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.



Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
You know, I just looked around and he's gone.

Anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked around and he's gone.

Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked 'round and he's gone.

Didn't you love the things that they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free
Some day soon, and it's a-gonna be one day ...

Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill,
With Abraham, Martin and John.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of iCoke.ca. All opinions are 100% mine.

Way back when, the wild single Roxy traveled to Vancouver... for skiing and well, the type of thing wild single women usually travel to do. It involved a long running bet with a Vancouver lawyer over the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Now that I'm married with children, however, the closest I'll get to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics will probably be on TV and a FREE Coca-Cola Collectible Medallion, available exclusively at Mac's Stores. Roxy (and each of you loyal Bay Head Blog readers out there) can receive one of three different (but all free, free, free) Coca-Cola Collectible Medallions with the purchase of two (2) Coca-Cola 591mL products at Mac's stores.

While I've told London and Maddie that they aren't allowed to drink soda (and ruin their teeth) until they're seventeen years old, I love all of the Coca-Cola products. Back in my college days when I didn't have to worry about my girlish figure, I drank Coke Classic. More recently, I'm a Coke Zero fan, and for a little variety Rex and I both drink Diet Coke with Lime or Diet Cherry Coke. So we won't have any trouble going back to Mac's Stores again and again to score each of the unique Olympic Medallions. This giveaway is subject to availability, so drink Coke and get yours right away.

Music Monday: Good for Me by Amy Grant

Happy New Year! To get 2010 started with an upbeat tempo, I thought I would share this bubbly 80s fave from Amy Grant. Live from New York, it's "Good for Me"!



You like to dance and listen to the music
I like to sing with the band
You like your hands splashing in the ocean
Well I like my feet on the sand

Does anybody have it any better?
Isn't it easy to see just how well we fit together?

When I start to sing the blues
You pull out my dancing shoes
I think you could be so good for me
You get brave when I get shy
Just another reason why
I think you could be so good for me, so good

You like to drive like Mario Andretti
I like it taking my time
But let me say wherever you are going
You know it suits me just fine

Does anybody have it any better?
Isn't it easy to see just how well we fit together?

When I start to sing the blues
You pull out my dancing shoes
I think you could be so good for me, good for me, yeah
You get brave when I get shy
Just another reason why
I think you could be so good for me

Could be so good for me
You could be so good
Could be so good
Could be so good for me

You get brave when I get shy
Another reason why
You could be so good for, good for me baby
Good for me baby

When I want to sing the blues, good for me baby
Oh, when I want to sing the blues
Good for me baby
You could be so good
Good for me baby, when I want to sing the blues
Good for me baby

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday for New Year's Eve: Barry Manilow

There are only so many New Year's Eve songs available for this week's Music Monday post... last year I had Guy Lombardo here on the Bay Head Blog and Dan Fogelberg on Roxiticus Desperate Housewives. The following video from Barry Manilow combines a Christmas Classic in honor of our troops ("I'll Be Home for Christmas") and "Another New Year's Eve." Add your own party hats, noisemakers and New Year's resolutions and we'll be all set!



Don't look so sad, it's not so bad you know.
It's just another night, that's all it is,
It's not the first, it's not the worst you know,
We've come through all the rest, we'll get through this.

We've made mistakes, but we've made good friends too.
Remember all the nights we spent with them?
And all our plans, who says they can't come true?
Tonight's another chance to start again.

REFRAIN
It's just another New Year's Eve,
Another night like all the rest.
It's just another New Year's Eve,
Let's make it the best.
It's just another New Year's Eve,
It's just another Auld Lang Syne,
But when we're through this New Year
You'll see, we'll be just fine.

We're not alone, we've got the world you know.
And it won't let us down, just wait and see.
And we'll grow old, but think how wise we'll grow.
There's more you know, it's only New Year's Eve.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday: Blue Christmas by Elvis

We're more likely to have a White Christmas up north (and west) in the Roxiticus Valley, but every time Elvis' rendition of Blue Christmas comes up on our iPod's holiday play list, I'm reminded of just how good it is. Enjoy!



I’ll have a blue Christmas without you
I’ll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won’t be the same dear, if you’re not here with me

And when the blue snowflakes start falling
That’s when those blue memories start calling
You’ll be doing alright with your Christmas of white
But I’ll have a blue Christmas

You’ll be doing alright with your Christmas of white
But I’ll have a blue, blue Christmas

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Crafts for Christmas!!

Crazy Christmas craft coincidence (say that three times fast): London came home from the Mendham Township Elementary School library the other day with a book called "Crafts for Christmas" by Katherine N. Cutler and Kate Cutler Bogle. We didn't have a chance to open it before the girls headed out to school in the morning, but I was just getting ready to put it away in the library book basket in London's room when I read "About the Authors" on the book jacket...turns out to be our Bay Head artist neighbor and her mom...maybe 40 years ago! The girls will be delighted to learn that our very own Katie Cutler is the famous author... and I'll be sure to have them email her their questions when we get stuck on any of the crafts... as my loyal readers know, Roxy is not so crafty.

How Wheat Works!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Wheat Food Council. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey, have you heard about How Wheat Works? Click the link to see...it's an interactive, online multimedia program that delivers a farm-to-fork education on how a whole or enriched grain food comes to be, enabling a better understanding of wheat's nutritional value and resulting in informed food choices. Rex, London, Maddie and I, and participants of all ages can visit the site to virtually grow, harvest and mill our own kernels to create our desired wheat food. It takes just a few minutes to complete each of the program’s four phases – growth, harvest, milling/baking and the grocer’s aisle - while the program spans the course of four days.

Interactive opportunities include choosing the type of wheat to be grown and wheat flour to be milled. At the end of each phase, activity suggestions encourage participants to extend the wheat learning experience by preparing wheat-based recipes, exploring wheat grown in your own local area through state wheat commission member sites, and viewing harvest videos from “America’s Heartland.” You can also virtually experience the Urban Wheat Field, an event that brought wheat’s journey from field to table to life in New York City during October via a live wheat field, full-size combine, a functioning mill, a baking station and nutrition lab -- all in the name of wheat education.

For each participant in the online experience, the Wheat Foods Council will donate two pounds of flour, up to 90,000 pounds, to Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to needy United States troops and their families. This donation is made possible by Wheat Foods Council members at ADM and ConAgra, two of the world’s largest millers.

Bracing for Another Winter Storm

Oh the weather outside is frightful... or at least Maddie our very own weathergirl says it's going to get that way by tomorrow morning.

We're up north in the Roxiticus Valley, trying to stay warm by the fire, while our poor little beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey is bracing for another winter storm. Anywhere between one and twelve inches of snow. Our neighbors who live at the beach year round have told us the last storm hit hard... stay warm and safe, friends!

Roxy's Holiday Photos Go Wireless!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Eye-Fi. All opinions are 100% mine.

I just made Rex some flight reservations for an upcoming Washington, DC trip, and the most amazing thing happened... he clicked the "check in now" button on his Blackberry and it asked him if he wanted to receive a wireless boarding pass! So when he gets to the airport, all he needs to do is flash his Blackberry instead of printing out a paper ticket and boarding pass.

There are lots of things in life that would work better if they were mobile or wireless.... like my camera. I'm sure I'm not the only person who can never seem to find the card reader to transfer my photos from my camera to my computer. Last month, I finally printed out 2,000 photos of London and Maddie... many of which had been waiting patiently on my camera for almost a year.

I take lots and lots of photos of the girls and their friends at school events (like the MTES Holiday Singalong), friends' birthday parties, and their various dance recitals and sports activities. Our friends are always asking me, “What happened to those photos you took at [fill in the blank]?"

It's pretty clear to me that Eye-Fi can help...it's a wireless SD memory card with up to 4GB of memory plus built-in Wi-Fi. Just turn on the camera to effortlessly transfer photos and videos from camera to computer and favorite online photo sharing site (like Flickr & Facebook). With Eye-Fi, I can also share photos and videos on any of my favorite sharing sites without even turning my computer on (which is a good thing, since my laptop is still in the hands of the EasyTech at Staples). All I'll need is an SDHC capable camera and a wireless router.

Check out the video below to see how it works and how an Eye-Fi card for my camera could change my life... or at least the way Rex and I upload and store our photos.



It sure looks like the easiest way to get what's in my camera out of my camera, and will save a lot of time and hassles. With automatic backup of my most precious memories and automatic organization (by date) on my computer, I will feel a lot safer... since sometimes it feels like I have my own personal evil magnetic force field crashing computers and making electronic memories disappear. I'll soon have effortless sharing while the memories are fresh.

Music Monday: Go Tell It On the Mountain

Here's Garth Brooks singing the gospel classic, "Go Tell It On the Mountain." I'll warn you in advance that the video is lame, but the music rocks.




Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and far away
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

The shepherds all were watching
Over their sheep at night
When a guiding star shone from heaven
And the followed that holy light

Got tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
They found a lovely manger
Where the humble Christ was born
And God sent out salvation
On that blessed Christmas morn

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

He brought with Him forgiveness
He live to show us the way
He came to redeem all creation
And to wash all our sins away

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

Music Monday: Undercover Angel by Alan O'Day

When I'm feeling nostalgic, I usually take my loyal Bay Head Blog readers back to the 80s, but this week's post -- "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day -- goes all the way back to 1977... and the video uses clips from Charlie's Angels, a popular TV show I wasn't allowed to watch when I was growing up.



Cryin' on my pillow, lonely in my bed
then a heard a voice beside me, and she softly said
wonder is your night light, magic is your dream
and as i held her, she said, see what i mean

i said what? She said oo-oo-oo-wee
i said alright! She said, love me love me love me

undercover angel, midnight fantasy
i've never had a dream that made sweet love to me
undercover angel, answer to my prayer
you made me know that there's a love for me
out there, somewhere

heavenly surrender, sweet afterglow
given up my heart to you, now angel don't go
she said, go find the right one, love her and then
when you look into her eyes, you'll see me again

i said what? She said oo-oo-oo-wee
i said alright! She said, love me love me love me

(repeat chorus)

now you know my story, and girl if it's right
i'm gonna take you in my arms and love you tonight
underneath the covers, the answer lies
i'm lookin' for my angel in your sweet lovin' eyes

she said what? I said oo-oo-oo-wee
she said alright! I said, love me love me love me

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Gotta Love the Name: PhatBand!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

PhatBand!! Sounds like a lead in to one of my weekly Music Monday posts or a new name for London and Maddie's all girl basement band, doesn't it? But Charter is rolling out its PhatBand Ultra60 Mbps Internet service, one of the fastest in the United States. Currently available for a lucky group of Charter subscribers in St. Louis and Southern California, Ultra60 is rolling out to the Northeast (that's meeeee!) right now and planning to cover the majority of the Charter footprint by year-end 2010. Charter ultra fast 60 service is part of Charter's strategy to provide customers with the fastest Internet speed available at a time when it is critical for all of us to have a high-speed connection to multimedia sites.

I sure hope it gets here soon -- both to Roxy's beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey and to our year-round residence up north in the Roxiticus Valley. PhatBand would make telecommuting with mega-files a breeze with super high speeds, which means I can spend more time working from home (and at the beach) with London and Maddie and less time on the train to New York City. Not to mention watching those other Desperate Housewives and our favorite movies, the girls' playing online games, and Roxy blogging and tweeting up a storm! At 60 Mbps, the Internet is a completely different experience – I'll be able to do it all, multitasking in ways I've only imagined.



Hurry, PhatBand, hurry, please....maybe Charter can hitch a ride with Santa this Christmas!

Music Monday: White Flag by Dido

There are a few songs, both current and oldies but goodies, that whenever they come on the radio in the car, we turn it up and the whole family sings along. "White Flag" by Dido is one of them.



I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
Or tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
where's the sense in that?

I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I know I left too much mess and
destruction to come back again
And I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"
then I'm sure that that makes sense

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

And when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
All that was there
Will be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on....

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!