In his evil plot to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, Fawful tricks Bowser into eating a magic mushroom. The mushroom causes Bowser to begin inhaling everything around him, including Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach! Do the Mario Bros. have the guts to rescue Peach and escape?

That’s right.  Bowser ATE Mario & Luigi and now they have to make their way through challenges and keep their nerve if they want to find a way out of Bowser and rescue Princess Peach.  Since I have yet to beat the game, I won’t speculate on their exit strategy.

The new game for the Nintendo DS, Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story, features two separate storylines that players can switch between whenever they’d like.  One features Bowser and his efforts to stop an arch-villain from taking over his castle. Meanwhile, inside Bowser, the microbe-sized Mario & Luigi must muscle their way through challenges and keep their nerve if they want to find a way out. They take action to control Bowser from the inside – but (he he) without his knowledge.

What happens inside Bowser affects what he’s doing on the outside. Sometimes Mario & Luigi must solve puzzles and challenges behind the scenes to help Bowser overcome various obstacles and advance the plot. (more…)

“How is it?”

“It’s AWESOME.”

“Yeah?  Why?”

“Because it’s chewy.”

If my one year old could talk, that’s the conversation I would have had with him about the Smart Mom Teething Bling necklace.  How do I know this?  Because I have a 30 year old friend who chews on EVERYTHING and I had that conversation with him.

These cool Teething Bling pendants and bangles are non-toxic, latex-free, food–safe, even dishwasher-friendly!  I got the turquoise pendant and everyone seems to be fighting over it.  My baby, the one it’s intended for, happily ripped it off my neck (it comes with a break away feature) and then my four year old took it from him.

This was after I had that conversation with my 30 year old friend, of course.  Everyone wants to try it.  Even I decided to chew on it a little.  Between you and me, I actually have this on my side of the bed because it prevents me from biting my nails when I read at night.

Never in my life have I managed to quit biting my nails.  I get so into the book I’m reading at night, I don’t even notice that I’m doing it.  With the Smart Mom Teething Bling necklace I got, I absentmindedly chew on that and I’ve now got nails I actually get to paint and file!  They were actually getting TOO long and I had to shorten them the other day, so how cool is that?!

These super cute, super stylish teething products are designed for adults to wear to soothe and entertain babies with emerging teeth. Children with fully developed teeth may be able to bite through Teething Bling. Therefore, parents need to determine what is best for their own situation and child and as always, Smart Mom reminds everyone that children should never be left unattended with jewelry of any kind.

In honor of the many mothers and children who inspire us daily, a percentage of all retail sales goes to these worthy organizations:

http://www.curesearch.org

http://www.dressforsuccess.org

(in special memory of Maria Jankowski Maurer)

Okay, so I know you’re probably thinking that I really have no need for a lanyard in my life, but that wasn’t always the case.  If you read me, you’ll find that I worked in the airline industry for years.   Most official jobs that deal with the public require formal badges, like in hospitals or airports and employees are usually issued the badge and a plain cloth lanyard to hang it on or clip to attach it to your clothing.

I remember mine was just a plain navy and had a cool retractable thing on the end, because you need to swipe your employee card to get in the secure areas of the airport.  I wish I knew about the Boo Jee Beads back in those days! (more…)

By now, you may have heard it through the Grapevine, Twitter or Facebook, that the groovy, sunglass-wearing California Raisins have been nominated for Advertising Week’s prestigious Icon Walk of Fame.  Winners of Advertising Week’s Walk of Fame will have their names immortalized on plaques on Madison Avenue between 40^th & 50^th in New York City. I love raisins and once I get the California Raisin song in my head, I find myself being taken back to my childhood and end up humming that catchy tune all day!

California Raisins Fun Facts:

· This year marks the California Raisins’ 25^th anniversary! The California Raisins danced into our heart in 1984 in an effort to increase awareness and demand for California Raisins.

· The cost to develop the first animated and tested 30-second commercial was $300,000.  It used singer and musician Buddy Miles as the vocalist for the soundtrack “Heard it Through the Grapevine” which was originally recorded by Marvin Gaye.

· The groovy, sunglass-wearing California Raisins were clay-animation by Will Vinton Studios.

· The California Raisins starred in an Emmy-nominated 1989 TV special, Meet the Raisins, and had their own Saturday-morning cartoon series on CBS from 1989 – 1990.

· Celebrity Raisins were later introduced with stars such as Ray Charles and Michael Jackson.  Jackson’s spot was debuted in 5,700 movie theaters and featured him transforming into a California Dancing Raisin. (more…)

So I have this dress I love to wear. I got it when I was about 75 pounds heaver but it’s so comfy.  The problem with it is that since it’s an extra large and I’ve managed to Wii Fit my way into a Medium, my boobs hang out.  I love my boobs and typically don’t mind a bit of cleavage, but sometime and entire boob pops out, so I can’t wear this dress out of the house. I’d post a picture of me in the dress, but I might lose a boob. (more…)