Busy little bee.....

For those who know me, you know that I love to stay busy. For the past 11 years I have been doing everything I could for the local schools. I've been on several parent teacher boards as well as a few years as trustee and President for the local Education Foundation.

With all of this, I have realized that I don't want to go back to my career as a pharmacist, but continue on the path of working with Non-profits and making a difference in the lives of others.

A few years back a good friend of mine, Scott Clinton of Scott Clinton Photography, told me about an organization that he was helping The Sandbox.

I had reached out to the Executive Director, Mara Campolungo, awhile back and we just recently hooked up again and I'm happy to say that we are working on bringing The Sandbox here to the New Jersey.

This organization helps put a smile on the faces of children with cancer and life altering diseases and it is an honor to have the opportunity to help them make a difference in the lives of others. I will keep you posted as to how things are going. In the meantime, check out the video below to see what they are about.

Dig deep and join us in The Sandbox!

If you would like to get involved, please contact me! We can truly help make a difference.

Wait! Let me cover my ears!!

Hear No Evil
Photo taken by Syd (my youngest)

I am by no means a prude. hee hee....I always thought that was a funny word and it's even funnier when you say it out loud...prude, prude, prude.... reminds me of prunes......hahahaha...ok, let me compose myself.

Now, as I was saying, I am by no means a prude (chuckle chuckle), defined as:

-a person who is excessively or priggishly attentive to propriety or decorum - Merriam-Webster (Priggishly? Really? Am I the only one who grinds their teeth when a simple definition search turns into a treasure hunt?)

-a person who is or claims to be easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity - Google

I'm perfectly okay with songs that might use explicit words or videos that might be somewhat risqué, but why is it that recently, I find my ears shouting UGH!!!! Stop it!.......Turn it off!

Perhaps, I'm getting too sensitive or maybe I'm just getting old or could it be that some people are given just a little too much leeway?

I recently attended a fundraiser for our schools, one that I have gone to for many, many moons and I have always enjoyed myself. But, this year, I left feeling slightly appalled. It wasn't the event that got my knickers in a bunch, but rather the DJ.

Here we are on the dance floor....parents, teachers and school administrators boppin' and dancing (if you can call it that) and having fun. Then the DJ, who mistakenly thought he was the next Ryan Seacrest, starts to do his thing. At first it was typical DJ blather, but as the night progressed, so did his comments.

He went from "men....put your tie around your ladies neck" to "ladies, I want to see you butts making circles" to "men grab your stuff"......Ewww.....Yuck!!!!!..... I really don't need that image in my head... I even recall him using the "B" word.....HELLO? This is a school event! Am I right in being somewhat disgusted with that? Or, maybe I'm just getting old.

So, that was Friday. Fast forward to Wednesday morning...

Now, when it comes to radio stations, I am a station hopper....why? Because I love music. I prefer not to listen to radio personalities who talk just for the sake of talking and who like to sensationalize current events. I do, however, enjoy talk radio that is truly informative, such as WNYC, but I only subject my kids to that on occasion.

Moving on.....

This morning, as I was driving my fourteen year old daughter to school, we had the pop/hit radio station on. We were singing and humming along from one song to another, then the music stopped and the commentators started their usual morning banter.

Normally, I would start flipping channels, but today I was too tired. I was half listening, trying to concentrate on the traffic, until I heard them discussing that  Rhianna had posed topless and how they wouldn't mind seeing it or posing topless themselves....OMG!.....fumble, fumble....ugh....I almost swerved off the road trying to change the channel before my daughter fully understood what they were talking about. Seriously? Do they need to say things like that on a radio station? Am I the only one who finds this stuff annoying and ridiculous?

Maybe I am too sensitive, maybe I am getting old......maybe, I am becoming a priggish, prudish old nilly.

Needless to say, from now on, we will be listening to my iPod in the car.....or to WNYC.

What are your thoughts? Has this happened to you?

Wait...... before you answer, let me cover my ears.

Behind the Scene with Jules

I am constantly running around in what my one girlfriend calls the "uniform" and I'm sure there are many a moms out there in the same attire: Yoga pants, long sleeve T's and sneakers.

So, when I get a chance to dress up, I am thoroughly excited...and guess what? We have an event to go to! Our school district has a yearly Dinner Dance and it's actually a lot of fun. Sometimes, there is a dress code or a suggestion for what to wear, but it's not mandatory. This year, I've decided to buck the system (They suggested black or white for the evening event). It's not that I'm a total rebel, but I have this amazing blue dress from Black Halo and well.....I love it!

Now that I've decided on the dress, there are just a few more things that I need...jewelry, shoes, a mani and pedi...ugh! I forgot to make my appointment. Hold on....I'll be right back!!!

Ok, I'm back.

To most people, it's a piece of cake to decide what they want to wear, but for me....it takes a bit longer. Often times, I have in my head exactly what I want to wear - so why does it take so long? Because! It's the fact that I know exactly what I want, which means I usually can't find it when I need it.

My best friend of thirteen years was shocked when she saw the process I went through to put an outfit together. She is the type of girl who's quick with her decisions and wham-bam she's done and she looks amazing. One year, we were headed of to Las Vegas with my sister for a girls weekend. Well, my friend came over the night before the flight and was totally flabbergasted by my packing procedure.

I had everything laid out on the floor in my bedroom, leaving just enough room to hop across the floor. Then, I started what she called the "painful" process of choosing the right shoes, jewelry etc. for each outfit. My poor friend just sat there, mouth opened - shocked and exhausted.

Well....since then, I've gotten a lot better; however, because I still strongly believe that each piece should be chosen carefully, it still takes a while (but...it's a lot better - believe me.) In the end, if I'm happy with what I've managed to put together, I feel just a bit more confident. I'm not being superficial...I'm just being honest.

Anyhow, I'm set for the school fundraiser...hopefully, I will remember to take pictures from the event and post them later.

I have always believed that if you search carefully, there is always something that can make a woman feel a little bit more beautiful....a tiny bit more glamorous...a smidgen sexier and just a hint more devilish. Here's a peek into my arsenal.....my "behind the scenes" necessities for the fundraiser.

These look so beautiful on....just the right amount of glitter

Found these shoes a few years back...finally, I get to wear them!

It took me a VERY long time to find the perfect perfume for me.
Sexy, sexy.... thank you Vera Wang!

Love this color - Dare You. Truly devilish.

Before I leave you for the day, I just want to thank you for reading and visiting my blog.

Please share some of your "behind the scene" loves.