REVIEW: A Vegas weekend is cure-all for the doldrums

I just got back from Vegas weekend to celebrate the 40th birthday of my best friend since college.

With 2 kids under the age of 4, I would have felt rejuvenated just sitting in the airport terminal alone so you can imagine how transformed I felt after an actual 2 day vacation sans kids and husband.

This is my bullet point review of the 48 hrs we were there.

Hotel - Caesars Palace 4 stars.

Very "theme-y", but not too gawdy. The 6 swimming pools seem to tone down all the Roman statues strewn about, and the super fun lounge beds you could rent (we did not because they were in direct sun and we 35+ vampiresses could not risk it).

Show - Cirque Du Soleil "O" 4 very trippy stars

Amazing water stage, music, acrobatics, lighting,...everything. You get your $100 tickets worth for sure, BUT the 90 minute show was about 15 minutes too long for my brain to handle. I was feeling very overstimulated and almost wanted to run out of the theater. Maybe I have issues. Maybe it was because we went at 10:30pm on the first night in a destination city that is all about overstimulating your brain.

So I would say in short that it is a great show, but go to an early show and be sure it is after a meal and not after too many cocktails. Whatever you do, don't do any other recreational stimulants because you might freak out to the point of dying.

Gambling - Craps at Ballys 3 stars

We went into Ballys to see about getting tickets for the showgirls show originally, but then got drawn into the craps area because the birthday girl had been studying up her whole plane ride from Chicago. Ballys is definitely an older, less glammed up crowd than Caesars, The Palm etc. Okay, it was kind of like the crowd you would find in Reno. People who might have come on a bus together. Anyway, it was much less crowded, less intimidating and had the best minimum craps bid of $10. We played for 2 hours and left breaking even (I had to almost break my friends arm to leave while we still had money) and we even got hit on by some older gentlemen from the Tortilla business - yup, they make those tasty little circles and were at a convention to talk all about it.


Go to VEGAS anytime you get the chance. You can lounge, eat great food, see a show and gamble away some stress. Yes, Beth McNamara is pushing Las Vegas, Nevada. Go figure. I am either becoming a more relaxed person or full-time motherhood has warped my brain or both.


**Side note/comment about pic taking in Vegas - Weird thing stars Not Applicable

I tried 3 times to take a digital picture with my iPhone of friend standing near a craps table and the image is completely distorted as if aliens were controlling the hotel or the hotel was pumping in electromagnetic interference. My friend was standing perfectly still as was I, and there was plenty of light.

These are the pics at Ballys and one in lobby of Caesars which is in front of the gambling, of course.

RANT: Front loading Washing Machines suck ASS

So about 5 years ago when we moved into our house we bought an energy-efficient, water-saving front loading washing machine. And it was not a bargain. We were happy. It was kind of a pain in the butt to get clothes out at end of cycle because they were all tangled, but we were basking in the eco-friendliness of it all.

About 6 months after my husband started to complain that our clothes smelled "gross." Not a specific assessment by any means. I changed detergent. It helped. Then came the MOLD. Yup, we were not sure for a long time that it was actually mold but it looked like mold, smelled like mold and would not come off like mold. I think we could not bring ourselves to accept that the machine was poorly designed and I could not even think about buying another machine so we just lived with it. We did what was recommended online and by Sears --- buy these tablets that clean the machine and you just run them in hot cycle and by doing just bleach cycles. Nothing helped.

2 weeks ago I mention this to our super duper handyman and he tells me "oh everyone I know with front loader machines has this issue." I took to the world wide web and sure enough there were pages, and pages on Google about Maytag front loaders and mold. There was even a class action lawsuit and a recall.

I took to the phone that same Saturday afternoon and called Maytag only to be told that they had no record of us registering our purchase and that nothing could be done.

My response "So you are saying that I should just put this piece of shit out on the sidewalk?" Yup, I was turning leprechaun green with rage. My husband of French-Canadian descent with a just a wee bit of the Irish in him started battening down the hatches. He knew I was going to BLOW and go Balls to Wall with Maytag so he took a cue from the United States Senate...he offered up an Appliance Stimulus Package - a brand new top loading washer with almost double the capacity. I, like the American public and car companies, went for it in a heart beat. Now I am in full blown lust/love with my washing machine. Yes, I love my Whirpool Cabrio SO much that I think I could hump it except that I do not even want to put the tiniest scratch or dent on it.

So, consumers and friends please head my warning and/or put on your Sherlock Holmes disguise regarding washing machines. If it looks funny or smells funny then your problem is NOT funny. It is MOLD and you should research as quickly as possible as to your options for repair, exchange or money.

If your are going to buy a new washer please Google the crap out of the make/model that you are considering.

The Lowes delivery service came with my new washer the very next day. They asked "what do you want us to do with the old one." I said "Throw it off a giant cliff."

Free Pillows are RAD.

Design website/blog giveaway

Long time friend has embarked on new career path in the online/design/fashion world with a website called FYNDES.com.

Check out the giveaway.


Fyndes Giveaway: Cameo Pillow

Our new Fyndes giveaway is this fantastic Deer Cameo pillow from the UK textile designer Margarita Lorenzo (pictured). Produced by her London company, Chocolate Creative, Margarita’s design is part of a collection based on Victorian cameos. The 16″ x 16″ pillow is hand printed and embroidered on 100% organic cotton and 100% linen. See more Chocolate Creative pillows here.

All you have to do is register on Fyndes or send an email to designfynder@gmail.com with ‘Pillow Giveaway’ in the heading, and write your name and city in the message part of your email. It’s as simple as that! We’ll draw a name at random on September 20th. No purchase is necessary.

Cure for Road Rage

Simple hand gestures can determine the level of road rage in your area.

One finger = road rage and a possible gun in your face unless of course it is the "thumbs up" facetious one finger that my husband likes to throw out his window when he thinks another driver is an ass or a bad driver and then you get a confused reaction.

Two fingers = peace, harmony and possibly a revolution of greater mutual respect on the roads. PEACE. I do it when people let me turn left or get over into their lane so that I can exit etc. I ALWAYS do it when someone gives me their parking spot.

So my RAVE of day is "PEACE." Just try the peace sign for one week and see if it makes a difference in your life or a stranger's life.

yup, new title

Between reheating kid mac n cheese and bathing two kids...I went with this. Later I googled and one definition or origin of phrase "forked tongue" infers dishonesty. Hmmm..that was not really what I was going for. Maybe I should have chosen "Venomous Tongue."

My Blog Title SUCKS

I am reviewing my own blog title after a little constructive comment from friend.

the comment:

"you need a new blog title btw."

I need a new blog title. This one is so pedestrian, typical, boring, lame, etc.

Hmmmmm...I am going to have to take off my clogs, put on some lipstick (hemp, of course) and try to channel the somewhat formerly hip version of my old self (pre-kids).

I am open to suggestions...really open.

A Juicy RAVE to start my blog

This blog is really about things, products, news, people etc. that cross my path and therefor are up for my review. When I like something, I LOVE it. When I don't, you will hear about it.

I will RAVE, I will RANT and sometimes I will just give a little REVIEW. From baby products, preschool interviews, customer service, contractors, to fashion for the on-the-go mom and maybe even a recipe or two (I am more of the microwaving mom so if I recommend a recipe it will be SUPER easy).

So I am going to start off with a RAVE.

JUICY LEAF in Venice, CA

This modern eco-friendly plant boutique got a little write up in the LA Times so I decided to check them out as a potential source for a housewarming gift. They have awesome website and the best customer service from owner Felix. You can look at the cool gallery of succulent photos of succulent arrangements they have made and each one has description of plant needs (amount of water, sunlight etc.). It was SO helpful in picking and designing my housewarming gift over the phone with Felix. $10 delivery in Los Angeles. So modern, clean and low maintenance nature for your home. You can even go in and make your own arrangement.

Flowers are beautiful, but this is a gift for yourself and someone you dig that will last a very long time...unless you have a completely brown thumb.

www.juicyleaf.com