Black Friday Shopping?

Today I let the hubs go Black Friday shopping while I stayed in and did laundry, cleaning, etc... maybe this is the beginning of my "nesting" stage???
I'm usually down with the Black Friday shopping deals but decided to lay low this year.
Hubs scored a crazy awesome deal on a new TV- we've been talking about getting a new tv on black friday for a few years and this year we totally bit the bullet and now I have a very fancy 40 inch sony internet flat screen tv....thank you pc richards!!!!

I'm so excited to get the wall mount and it will be a giant space saver for when the little nugget arrives... more room for nursery items!!!

We did do a little research at Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby for registry items. We haven't registered yet but I loved my experience at BBB. We got a better idea of what we need and they have sooo many choices! We spent about 3 hours at each store trying out strollers and car seats to see which one we liked best. I have a feeling we're going to go with the Chicco car seat but still doing some research on safety ratings.
If we do end up with Chicco, it will match this amazing Chicco Polly Swing in Graphica that I won at the NY Mom's Club Baby Bonanza last week. They picked my raffle number and btw- I never win anything but I'm so excited about this swing. It was just released last month from Chicco and comes with remote control to adjust swing speed, music, and vibrating seat! This is one lucky baby!!!!

Looks so super comfy for little munchkin!!!!

I hope you all had a happy thanksgiving with friends and family and Have a Fab-U Black Friday! Let me know if you found any great deals by you....

Oh baby!

Between the new job, baby stuff, and house hunting, there's been little time for blog posts around here!!!
BUT- We got our first baby gift last week and IT IS THE BEST!
The book called " Oh Baby,The Places You'll Go" and its meant to be read to the baby while its in utero. This book makes both mom-to-be and baby very happy! It's fun to give it to other family members and have them read to the belly. (And yes, there is a little belly goin on!) I love hearing people read tot he baby- and I'm pretty sure they think its fun too!!!
It's turning into a nightly routine with the hubs and I reading to baby. I would love to hear if anyone else has other book recommendations for baby to hear???

If you have a friend or family member who's expecting this little gift is perfect and trust me- you'll be the superstar who bought it!

This weekend is one I've been looking foward to for a long time. My college girlfriends are visiting and they all have little boys under the age of 3. I can't wait to spend time watching the boys play together and catching up after the kids fall asleep!!!

I wonder if ours will be a little boy or a little girl??? We're planning to wait until April to find out!!!!

Costume

Costume

Author: Elias Massey

Hey, quick question, has anyone been to http://www.tvbydirect.com/? Dear husband just got the greatest deal on tv and won't stop raving. Nor can I tear him away from the tv now! It's been fun to watch what everyone dressed up as for Halloween. Did you see what they did on the Today show?! They always come up with such great costumes! I just came up with the cutest idea for a baby girl's Halloween costume next year! We're going as the Green Giant family! Dear husband is obviously the Green Gian and baby will be the little sprouts. They don't make sprout costumes that small, but she'll be the cutest thing. I will be the Green Giant wife (a totally made up character). And I'll have to figure out something cute, comfy, yet sexy for the momma Green Giant wife costume! I'm not really looking forward to green face paint, though! I hear it takes forever to wash off. Argh!

Speaking of Being Fertile....

I'm pregnant!

As our love fern grew big enough to get re-potted (see last weeks post).... my belly also grows!!!
I am SOOOO excited to finally share the news with you! I am 16 weeks along and feeling great! Baby is due April 11th, 2012.
This is by far the longest secret I've ever kept (and the most important)! I can't even get my head wrapped around being a mommy- it really blows my mind and completely changes my life!
Daddy-to-be is very excited too!

So since August we've managed to:
Move from Maryland to NY
Hubs started new job in August
I started a new job in October
.... and now have a little munchkin on the way..... talk about lots of changes all at once!!!!

I've managed to bust out the Belly Band this week, although I'm not sure I "popped" yet, I def. don't fit into my pants. I'm loving the Liz Lange maternity section at Target and found some cute clothes and bathing suits for work!

Now that "morning sickness" is gone, my appetite is back in full force and I'm thinking I better watch my diet. I haven't gained any weight yet but I have no clue how that's possible?! I'll just count my lucky stars for now!

Speaking of morning sickness, I am sure a man coined that term... I was sick in the morning, sicker in the afternoon, and my sickest at night for about SIX full weeks (weeks 6-12). I am SO happy to be out of that phase- and all you ladies out there that were never sick believe me you didn't miss out- you are the lucky ones!!!!

We plan to celebrate this good news with all of you for a long time. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful and supportive people in our life and can not wait to be parents!!!!!

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!

Re-potting Our Love Fern

So after travelling to NJ for work this week, I am so happy to be back on the Island!
Jersey is only about 40 miles away but in rush hour it took a whopping 3 hours for me to get home! I'm starting to get used to my new job as an Aquatics Director. It's definately a transition period for this company and its staff so it will take some time for me to get my feet wet (no pun intended)!! I'm sure all will be worked out in time, just like any other new job. The people I get to work with are really great and have SO much energy! I love the vibe I get and am really happy to have such fun co-workers!

If you go back in time on this blog you'll catch a story I wrote about an aloe plant the hubs gave me many years ago which is fondly named our "love fern!!"
It's been very well taken care of and we've watched it grow, and grow, and GROW over the years....

Today it's time to take our giant bundle and re-plant it. It's really outgrown it's space so we're going to attempt the re-potting (my first time trying this) and give a small peice of our aloe to family/friends (really to anyone who will take it!!!)


 Besides re-potting this weekend, we have plans to travel to PA for a wedding tomorrow!! It's our cousin who is getting married and we're excited for our day trip! Next weekend I hope to take a trip to Bear Mountain NY to see the fall foliage at its peak and see some "upstate friends" who can come with us to the Oktoberfest they have at Bear Mountain every weekend in October:)

So pretty! I can't wait to go see this!!!!

I hope you have a Fab-U Weekend!!!!!

Fall happenings

The weather has turned fall on us here on LI quickly! Last weekend hubs and I went to a far
Out east for pick your own produce! So much fun- we have eggplant, corn, pumpkins, and plenty of peppers.... All freshly picked by us!
I'm also adjusting to the new job- very different from the old job!
Anytime I start a new job I just keep an open mind and take it one day at a time.
This time I am basically my own boss (or at least that's how it seems for now) which is a brand new concept for me. Next week I get to go to the armpit of America (j/k love all my Jersey friends and readers!) but yes- NJ for training and the Ramada Inn for a night. Bizarrely enough I'm not stressed at all about work.... Only about my fear of bedbugs at hotels near NYC! Praying that it's unjustified fear but bringing my own pillow and blanket for my own sanity!!!! Am I crazy or are there other people out there that think about these things too???
Another thing that's blowing my mind is Regis leaving Live! after all these years. I love Kelly Ripa (a Jersey girl herself) but I love her with Regis.
I've come up with my top replacement for Reg that I think would be a good fit for Kelly:
Bethany Frankel (from RHONY)
Who's your pick?
I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!

Freddy's Two Week Round-Up

These past two weeks have been filled with many adventures in my house (or should I say my teeny tiny little love cottage)! Last weekend the hubs and I made our way to Baltimore via the Amtrak from NYC. This was my first Amtrak experience and (eventhough it's a little pricey) it was so worth it! I looked for a car that wasn't too crowded and we ended up in the "Quiet Car." They have this sign that says "No cell phones and no loud conversations" which scares the normal American away from the quiet car. I found this sign to be a nice little invitation to 3 straight hours of relaxation. It was fun! The hubs and I whispered and giggled and then he napped. It was such a great way to travel- highly recommended!!! I wish Amtrak would endorse me for writing this so I could travel in that amazing quiet car more often without the heavy price tag!

Once in Baltimore we saw my in-laws and the whole family including my adorable nephew who is starting to speak and says Belbow instead of elbow and it just makes your heart MELT!!!! We also went to a wedding of some good friends who tied the knot! They had an Indian-American wedding to mesh their two cultures together and it was AWESOME!!! The ceremony was nice and everyone dressed in fancy Indian clothing and then they changed into their party clothes for the reception where the food, dancing, and good company was had by all until the wee hours of the morning (or 11pm which to me is very late now)!!!!

Also last week I got a new job offer on the table. Still mulling it over but it looks very enticing and it might just be the right thing for me.... I will follow you up with more info on this soon!

Can we also talk about Target mayhem this week with the opening of Missoni. I didn't get involved in the madness but heard it was like Black Friday in stores and obvi the website crashed. Target will get more shipments in as the days go by and I might just pop in to see whats on the racks.
Also, Kohls- I love this place!!!! I'm newly obsessed with Lauren Conrads collection and the new J.Lo collection. Must get coupons..... oh speaking of coupons, check out some deals to take advantage of this week:

Macy's $25 giveaway via Facebook
30% off American Eagle Clearance!!!
30% off entire purchase at Hollister
NY and Co. 30 % off entire purchase
Friends and Family weekend at Puma 40% off wooo hooo!
Massive Toys R Us coupons
25% off at Ruby Tuesday-very good possibility I could eat that salad bar tonight... !!!!

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!

Freddy's Fab-U Labor Day Weekend

We are all safe and sound up here after Hurricane Irene flew through the Island and battered many trees and flooded many communities. We were some of the lucky ones who had power the whole time and only had to clean up some tree damage. I hope that's the first and the last hurricane we get this season.


On a lighter note, this weekend marks the end of summer.... and that's why it needs to be a great weekend filled with friends and fun times. We are hosting our first out of town visitors this weekend. Luckily it's the hubs best friend and girlfriend, who happen to be very easy going and tons of fun, so I can't wait for the company!

There's so much to do and we figure we'll start by going to the Quicksilver surf competition in Long Beach tomorrow. The prize for the winner of the competition is $1 million dollars!!! It's getting alot of hype and there's tons of people coming out to watch so we might as well drive the 5 minutes and check it out!

I would also love to take our friends to my hometown of Port Jefferson. Its such a cute little town with one-off shops, a nice marina, and restuarants. There's plenty of sight-seeing to do!!!

Then there's always the big city... I would be ok with going to see a matinee on Broadway if the weather doesn't hold out.

I hope we play the part of good host and hostess....

Some Labor Day Sales you might want to take advantage of are:

Chick Fil A Free Breakfast all week... see details
10% off entire purchase at LL BEAN
20% off at Babies R Us via facebook
Lots of Kellogs coupons when you sign up
My personal fav (again!!) 30% off at COACH OUTLET

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!

Flea Markets Aren't Just For old Ladies

Guest post written by Kim Finn

I used to have this impression of flea markets that they were just filled full of old people. That may have been because I once went to one with my grandma, but I guess something like that will probably do it. Now though, I go a lot with my friends. I don't buy things every time I go, but it's fun just to see all of the things that you can find there.
Sometimes I'll use my wireless internet Maui to look up how much I can expect to pay for something elsewhere that I bought at a flea market, just as another way to enjoy the flea market. I've picked up a few vintage pieces that I found similar ones on ebay of for much more than I paid at the flea market.
But I also like to buy some homewares there too. I found a really interesting bench there once that I use as kind of a bookshelf and place to put a whole bunch of random things in my apartment. Stuff like that is so much better when you get it for dirt cheap.

Go Away Irene

Anyone on the east coast knows this week has been crazy.... an earthquake and now a hurricane!!!
The hubs and I live 5 miles north of the "barrier islands" that are being evacuated. We have friends coming up our way to wait for the storm to pass, so hopefully we will stay a little drier on higher ground. NYC plans to shut down all mass transit (like the trains that take hubs from LI to NYC) by noon tomorrow. I really can't ever remember storm preparation like this in NY.




Bracing for Irene!


So this morning I made my way to the grocery store to stock up on milk, water, gatorade, nonperishables, etc... so we have a 5 day supply. The store was basically stripped of all milk and water, but luckily I got some of the last containers. People really do go crazy stock piling, and that makes me crazy... so if everyone could just calm down please:)

One thing I do have to commend New Yorkers on is that everyone is on their best behavior. No one in the stores is being pushy or angry. Everyone is so polite- it really is like the calm before the storm!!!

I'm just really hoping we don't lose power. All of our power lines are above ground so slim chance of that happening. I've got cards and board games ready:) I hope everyone in Irene's path is prepared and stays safe this weekend.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!

Freddy's Fab-U Friday Finds and Baking Extravaganza

Happy Friday! My week was filled with cooking with my grandma. She is a wonderful cook and loves to bake her famous cookies.  I'm a lucky girl to be able to live in my grandma's house and have her here to show me all of our family recipie's!!! This week we made dream bars, almond cookies, jam diagonals, chocolate meringues, and mandelbread. Yesterday I helped bake Teiglach, which is one of the most fun things I've ever done!!! Teigel, literally means "little dough." They are small, knotted pastries boiled in a honey syrup.
They are a traditional Lithuanian Jewish treat for Rosh Hashana (the New Year). This honey treat symbolizes a "sweet" wishes for the new year. Once the Teiglach are made, we freeze them and then take them out right before the holidays... bam, just like new!

The end result! Pick apart with your fingers:)

After days filled with baking cookies, and tasting everything multiple times- too many times, its hard for me to want to make dinner for the hubs and I.  Wondering if anyone out there has any favorite and EASY dinner recipes for me? I mean like 5 ingredient recipes that prep and cook in under an hour!!! That seriously sounds magical, so if you want to share your secrets please comment below- even if it's just a link for a recipe you've been wanting to try:)

I found some great coupons for you to take advantage of this week:
Buy One Get One Quiznos
Firestone Oil Change $22.99- thanks Andrew Firestone (former Bachelor)
20% off and more coupons from Toys R Us
Staples 20% off any item
One Day Only 8/20 GAP 30% off purchase at GAP Outlet!!!
JCPenny $10-15-20 off
15% off Kohls including clearance!!!
PacSun $10 iff $25- think accessories if you don't buy clothes here:)
30% off Old Navy one item

Happy Back to School Shopping!!!!
I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!

Freddy's Fiyahhhhh Island Friday

This weekend marks the 4th annual Fire Island weekend girls trip!!!!! This is one of the best weekends of the year for all of my girls and I to get together and it started 4 years ago at my bachelorette party- its a tradition that we are not giving up! What a great time to lay on the beach with your besties and cook good food and catch up over many drinks! The island is a barrier island south of long island.. did you get that???

We will be east of the letter A.

The only way to get to Fire Island is by Ferry (about 30 minutes). That means no cars!!! An island that is 1/4 mile wide with little beach houses and bars and restaurants and NO CARS! Now that's paradise!
I packed late last night and plan to buy my groceries for the trip now..... procrastination much???!!! We divvy up the groceries and it works out perfectly!

I'm so excited for this trip and can't wait to tell you all about it when I return!!!!

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!

Freddy's Fab-U Friendship Friday

After 10 glorious days of unpacking and getting our cozy LI cottage set up, here's what we've got on our weekend "to-do" list:
-finish unpacking the 3 boxes we have left
-find curtains I like and hang them up
-get the insurance paperwork in to the claims company because the movers shoved the king size matress through our small cottage door and broke the trim off, which in turn got stuck on the matress, which ripped the new-ish latex matress (no bueno!)
-return  "waterproff" digital camera to Best Buy so they can fix whatever water damage it has
-bring unwanted items to my mom's house and while we're there take a dip in the pool and have a family BBQ
-go to the beach, jump in the ocean and layout for a nap:)
-use our brand new Weber Grill that we boguht off of craigslist (after I get a propane tank for it)

I'm pretty satisfied with the unpacking progress of our first week in NY.

I also bought this AMAZING livingsocial deal to Breath N Flow yoga. It cost $25 for one month of unlimited yoga. This week I managed to go everyday M/W/F and TWICE a day on Tues/Thurs. My favorite by far is Yogalates- a mixture of yoga and pilates. Also they do the "pose of the month" and this month is head stand, or Sirsasana. I actually did it once at the yoga studio with a spot. I thoguht I was hot stuff and came home to show the hubs, who was basically in awe that I could actually do this. I held it for a few seconds and then my legs went over and I totally bit it!!! Hysterical!
This weekend I might try the hot yoga, which is kind of scary because I don't love to drip sweat (which is why I was a swimmer!)


My studio,  headstand attempt pic coming soon...

 I'll let you know how that goes....

I've been good on couponing and saving money this week, and in honor of **Friendship Day (on 8/7/11) here are some amazing deals for my friends, YOU:


20% off for H&M Kids
50% off Joann Fabric coupon for those crafty ladies ( and men) out there
30% off or 35% off with card at GAP
$5 off $50 at Kmart
100 free business cards at Staples, deal ends tomorrow

**Friendship Day was originally promoted by Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark cards in 1919, and intended on first sunday of august to be a day where people celebrated their friendships by sending cards. The first Sunday in August was chosen as the centre of the largest lull in holiday celebrations. Friendship Day was promoted by the greetings card National Association during the 1920s but met with consumer resistance - given that it was rather too obviously a commercial gimmick to promote greetings cards. By the 1940s the number of Friendship Day cards available in the US had dwindled and the holiday largely died out there. There is no evidence to date for its uptake in Europe, however it has been kept alive and revitalised in Asia where several countries adopted the tradition of dedicating a day to friends. Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated in a number of countries across the world.

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!!!!

You Know Your On Vacation When....

You totally lose track of time and forget what day of the week it is AND have no clue as to if its still July or is it August?!!!! AND, that its already Saturday and not Friday.
And to clear it up, by vacation I mean permanently on "vacation" until I find myself a job on LI!

Move update: I learned an important life lesson this week...
If it takes you 3 weeks to pack up a townhouse, do not expect to unpack in a few days. It really doesn't work like that.

We've been unpacking bit by bit, with intermittent trips to the beach to recharge! I have missed the beach so much and really make it a point to go everyday. The boardwalk is 2.2 miles long and the hubs and I have been taking long walks and then biking a few times up and down the boardwalk before heading home.  Yesterday we walked two miles and biked six (and we didn't even feel like working out)! It is SO nice to workout together and get some fresh ocean air!!!

Other things we've done this week besides unpacking:
Rented storage container for 1/2 of our belongings
Got library cards (I LOVE the library-and yes, I think that's pretty weird)
Got the hubs his official NY State license (standing on line at the DMV for an hour is a true NY experience)
Bought a HOT craigslist item for our makeshift kitchenette


This the extent of our kitchen counter top!!!



We've been doing alot of research on "apartment style" living and are looking for fun ways to save space and store our things- next up on the list is some type of shabby chic wall-mounted wine rack! Our "cottage" is super small and we need to make the most of every nook so if you have any ideas let me know!!!!! We've gone with a beachy shabby chic style!!!

I'll keep you posted with more LI news soon!

Deali-O!

I'm on the deal wagon this week.I am gearing up to write to you all about our big MOVE, but for now we are safe and sound back in LI!!!! Oh yeahhhh.

I needed to rant about a quick new webiste I found that sells tons of electronic stuff for sale. I am a big fan of my Dell laptop and they have tons of Dell stuff on their webiste and it is VERY discounted.  Take the Dell - E Series E2311H 23-inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor with LED originally marked to sell at $229.00. On this webiste it sells for $149. If you end up doing the math its a 34% mark down!
How about this (my personal website fav!!!) The Kodak ZM1 Mini Video Camcorder originally $100 now marked at $49.99. Can you say stocking stuffer???? These deals seem too good to be true--- but they're not, they are VERY real!!!!!

This website link is going under my "favorites" on my computer so I can check it daily like I do my Groupon, and we all know how insanely obsessed I am with that site (I do love my deals!)
Tell your friends and thank me later:)
Happy shopping!!!!!!

"Chugging" Along in Maryland

I'm still recovering from my "Boss Behind the Bar" extravaganza.

Partying with college students = so fun.....and NOT such a good idea if you want to be productively packing the house the next day!!! I did have a blast guest bartending at McFaddens. The drink of choice for the night was Tequila (shots, more specifically chugging double shots of tequila until I couldn't feel my face or my feet)!!! As I continue to recover from my night out with Jose (Cuervo), the hubs and I are packing up the house. Today we packed up the kitchen, and that makes moving feel so REAL. No more plates, silverware, toaster oven- you get the point. We will get take-out on paper plates and plastic utensils until the move on Tuesday.
I'm so proud of the progress we've made and how much junk we actually threw away.
LI- here we come!!!!!

Some deals you might want to take advantage of today are:
Massive Michael's Coupons
20% off at Macy's
$10 off $50 at Old Navy
25% off Ruby Tuesday
30% off COACH
20%off Kohl's
25% off EXPRESS
Plenty of Toys R Us coupons.

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!!

Oh July! Where has the time gone???

To summarize life:
My mom calls to tell me she read an article that says moving is one of life's top five most stressful events.
I feel better now! Everytime I get overwhelmed- which is about a dozen times a day- I just think that if this is in the top 5 most stressful life events then I'll be okay. I also think that starting a new job should be on that list or resigning from your job before you have a new one lined up .... I mean, I could go on like this and vent to you or we could just move on.... So we move along to other things-
Last friday was my last day at UMD- so sad to leave my kids and the wonderful friends and coworkers I spent the last 4 years with!! I was sent off in style with some sweet underarmour Terp gear and a lifeguard shirt signed by my students (picture summercamp throwback style)! They are really awesome students and I promised to hang with those that are "of age" before I leave town. SOOO they signed me up to participate in this happy hour event at Mcfaddens bar in dc called Boss Behind the Bar....  I'll be serving drinks this Wednesday @ 6pm- I'm sure there will be many stories to follow up with afterwards!

It's been real!

Something else that was AMAZING this past week was my vaca to obx (short for outer banks,NC)
We rented a house with my inlaws and vaca-ed for an entire week! It was so relaxing. I filled my days with reading, beach walks, sunbathing, and good home cooking!! The hubs caught a few bluefish and we marinated them for a while and grilled em up- delish! The marinade was super simple: lemonjuice, lemons, salt, pepper and olive oil. Let marinade for 6 hours and grill on BBQ about 6 minutes in each side. I am so excited for him to continue fishing once we move to LI. I'm totally down with dining on the "catch of the day" and saving some dollars!

OBX Beach. Duck, NC.

Now I'm on to packing the house, which btw is a never-ending task!  If anyone has any moving tips I'd be happy to hear from you... otherwise I'll be sticking to my usual schedule. Pack by day, wine by night.....

Freddy's Fab-U Friday Garage Sale

We are having our first garage sale this weekend and I'm hoping to bargain away and get rid of LOAD of stuff!!!!!
I have been so busy between sorting through what to sell/what to pack and trying to get moving estimates to help us I really don't know which end is up.

TGIF and this awesome 3-day weekend!!!!!

Happy 4th of July and I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!!

We're Going Going, Back Back to .......

LI, LI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



We will be on the border of the light and dark green in Nassau County on the very southern part next to the BEACH!

 I haven't blogged in so long because my life has literally turned upside down!
This is some seriously BIG news!!!!!!!!!!!!
The hubs and I are moving back to Long Island!!!!!!!
One of my girl friends put it best- Life Begins with LI... (and maybe ends with it too- not spelling wise at least)

So I have compiled a quick list of things I will miss most about Maryland and what I most look foward to in NY. I think it sums up the bittersweet feeling the hubs and I have right now.

Miss the most about Maryland:
   1.My husbands family- I love them and will miss family dinners together. I will especially miss my little nephew who said my name for the first time on Sunday!!
   2.The friends I've made at work. There are a few that really helped me get through the hard times and I know I will keep in touch with each and every one of them for the rest of my life (tears! literally!)
   3. My students- they were legit the best and worst part of my job (depending on the day) but I will miss watching them grow up.
   4.My townhouse- its the place where the hubs and I lived as soon as we got engaged, planned our wedding, after we got married etc.... and I loved playing house there!
   5. Indian food- I really hope there's some of that in NY! I never even tried it until I got to MD and it's damn good!
   6. Annapolis- we try to get over to NAP town at least once a month (mainly because I was homesick and it reminded me of where I grew up) but I have come to really like it alot over there!

Things I am most looking foward to in NY
   1. Seeing my family- you have no idea how much I miss them all the time!!!
   2. Seeing my friends- who- to me- are the same as my family. Not to brag but I seriously have the BEST friends in the entire universe:)
   3. Italian food! Here we come San Gennaro Festival http://www.sangennaro.org/ check it out!
   4. NYC- for all obvious reasons
   5. Let's go YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!
   6. THE BEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are 5 miles from Long Beach, NY which looks like THIS:

Paradise!

Sunsets are amazing!

Sis and I

I appreciate the guest post, Ignacio Phillips

My sister and I are planning a spa retreat in a few weeks and I absolutely cannot wait. She’s a teacher and gets a lot of time off in the summers so she’s ready and rarin’ to go and I’ve been working overtime at the bank so I’m pretty burned out as well. We’ve got massages and hikes lined up and I generally think it’s going to be a quiet, restorative time. My husband is taking the kids up to his mom’s for a few days while I’m gone which works out perfectly, since she lives at the beach. The house will be empty so I’ve been researching homeSECURITY101.COM and calling on neighbors to watch out for our mail and newspapers, but I think all in all it shouldn’t be a problem. I can’t wait to see my sister again since I haven’t seen her since Thanksgiving…it’s always nice when we’re able to get away together and really bond like we used to! Good thing we won’t be able to shop and waste money on this triP!

Walgreens Gift Cards

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today I found out that Walgreens has its own new line of Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products . I'm usually more of a CVS girl but here's the scoop. Walgreens has my allergy meds at half the price of any other store. In our house we always have Zyrtec and Allegra. Don't ask- our allergies are outta control. I plan to pick up the Walgreens brand health and wellness products and once I try them I'll let you know if they work as well as the name brand!

This new line will def, be saving me MANY dollars (insert obnoxious grin here)!! They have two new products Wal-Zyr and Wal-Fex. They have the same active ingredients as the name brand Zyrtec and Allegra products and are WAY cheaper! YAY for Walgreens!

Plus I will feel better knowing that every purchase of  Walgreens brand health and wellness supports bringing preventative wellness services to local communities through the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™ Walgreens contributes $3 million annually to this fund.

Walgreens brand health and wellness will provide free preventative health tests as well as other health and wellness services and education to local communities. Some of those services will include preventative health tests through the National Urban League Health and Wellness Tour and vouchers redeemable in select stores. For details visit walgreens.com/waytowell

Checkout some blogs that are doing giveaways of$50 Wallgreens gift cards.. just comment on the blog post about Walgreens!!!

Freddy's Fab-u Friday, Friday, Gettin' Down on Friday.....

Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend, weekend.....

Song has been stuck in my head ALL week. Now I can finally sing it!!!!

Seriously? Who wouldn't want to wear this?

I had an awesome week! I went to the Katy Perry concert on Wednesday and her live performance was amazing! I went with some girl friends from work (NO,  it wasn't ALL 13 year old girls), and it was a great night out! Firework is by far my favorite song and since the 4th of July is coming up I'm planning on blaring the car radio whenever it comes on.

So the weekend is here and wishing all the dad's out there a Happy Father's Day!

Some great deals to check out this weekend are:

Deal Crown says there are 7 codes for blockbuster rentals: Use Codes: 79JBHS3, 56BACC9, 81RRAP4, 92ASJA3, 76MLBJ3, 63AEMR3 and 28CMEA7. Codes are good through 6/20/11

Old Navy deals, especially this coupon for 50% off kids purchase or 25% off a men's item

20% off everything at Kohl's

$5 off $15 at Ulta

Friend's and Family discount at Reebok starts in August so keep your eyes peeled for good deals!

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!

Freddy's RICE your phone Friday

If you EVER think you might drop your phone in water read this!!!

True story- last year I dropped my phone in water. It fell into a cup of water i had sitting on the floor below the couch. Because when i sit on the couch I always place my important things on the floor below me. So i took a full cup of water and put it there while talking on the phone. After my call ended, I dropped the phone to the ground and instead of it landing on the floor it fell DIRECTLY into the cup of water. I guess my aim is just that good.
I completely freaked out and took the phone apart, and used the blow dryer to dry it. Then I got a tip from my brother who told me to sit the phone in a cup of rice for 24 hours and put it back together.
Magic!!!! My phone still works:) It's 4 years old, doesn't have internet and I still love it! Proof that this article is so true!!!

Some deals to check out this weekend include:

Free hand lotion at Aveda worth $7.50

Free Chips Ahoy sample on facebook. Get there at 12noon.

Free Schick Quattro at Great Clips Salon in June

Free Jack Daniels Custom Labels- on facebook look at the toolbar on the left.

Free teeshirts or boxers at Adidas outlet with this email!!!

Enjoy!!! I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!

Fab-U Friday Finds and Deals

Another weekend is upon us with some GREAT deals to take advantage of.

Today is National Donut Day which means free donuts at Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme.

Get an extra 15% off at Kohls (even on sale items)by printing coupon or by using the online code SHOP15JUNE

20% off ENTIRE prurchase at Borders

FREE L'Occitane mini-facial and goodie bag!!! Must call for appt.

Free Zantac- printable coupons from Dealcrown.

Free week at Curves Gym

20% off one item at ULTA

15% off at Chilrens Place online

Free salad bar at Ruby Tuesday

40%off and 50% one item at AC Moore

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!!

Green Thumbs and Groupons

I love having a garden in the summer. And considering I don't have a yard, you think it would be close to impossible to have a garden, but not so much.
This year we started our "balcony garden"!!!

It's been working really well and last night we used the basil leaves to make fresh pesto and used it on pasta with grilled chicken cut up into it. DE-LISH!



Basil +Pine Nuts+Olive Oil+Blender=Pesto

We're also growing cherry tomato's, mint, thyme, rosemary, sage and get this- lavender!!!!
The love fern (our aloe plant) is basking on the porch keeping good company for the rest of the garden.
I can't wait to continue to use our homegrown herbs and veggies in summer salads and dinner's!!!!


Also today check out GROUPON . You pay $10 and get $20 gift card to OLD NAVY (my bathingsuit go to store for the summer!!!) Coupon expires at the end of July.
Grab your now- what an awesome deal!

Freddy's Memorial Fab-U Friday

It is the OFFICIAL start of SUMMER!!!!Memorial Day weekend is such a fun way to kick off summer! I started my summer kick off last weekend by going to LI for a wedding and a little R&R.

So far this past week the weather has been amazing and I've made my way to the beach twice. I'm half way through "The girl who played with fire" and its a great book. I visited the north fork wineries, climbed the fire island lighthouse, saw the filming of Men in Black III,  and met up with some old friends. Hopefully this weekend continues with more of the same and lots of BBQ's!!!

What could be better?????!!!!!!!

I know- adding some freedbies and coupons to start our summer off right!!!

Fill the grill coupon from Whole Foods. $10 off $40 for your Memorial Day BBQ!!!

Free travel size item at Bath and Body Works

 Garmin Nuvi for under $100
$118.86 – $20 off code GOGARMIN = $98.86 with free shipping

Free wings at Buffalo Wild Wings.

$20 off $75 at GAP Outlet!!!!!

40% off at Borders

15% off at Kohls online and instore!

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!

Freddy's Fab-U Friday

Today is graduation day at the University of Maryland! I love driving to campus and seeing all the graduates walking around in their cap and gowns- such a special day for them and for their families. Congrats to all the new college grads (and welcome to the real world)!!!!!

This Fab-U Friday in Maryland will be followed up with many fab-u days in NY! I am getting ready for a nice long trip to the Big Apple! Since next Friday officially kicks off summer where better to be than Jones Beach???? 

Jones Beach Air Show- a great way to spend a beach day!!!

I'm hoping the weather will cooperate and I will get a few lazy hours on the beach with my current read for this week "The Girl Who Played With Fire." It's part of the series by Stieg Larsson... who is an amazing writer and i've been wanting to write a book review blog so keep an eye out for that especially if you're a bookworm like me!

Some things for you to check out this weekend:

Free cup of coffee (or cawwwfeee) at the Waffle House to kick start your day!

Doing any home reno's? Check out 1 free pint of paint at Benjamin Moore. Be bold and try that crazy color that you've been eyeing up! Also 40% off at AC Moore. Do we think the Moore's are related?????

Free SunDrop Soda at Xtra Mart. I've never tried it but apparently if you watch the Real World (it still happens to be a fun show to watch) you know what I'm talking about!

$2 off Re-Nu contact solution

Free Impact Labels for your golf clubs.

20% off at Lord & Taylor sale and clearance! HUGE!!!! Don't break the piggy bank but ENJOY THIS ONE!!!!!

10% off at Best Buy -select regular priced items.

Also if you're looking for a great quick read, grab a box of tissues and enjoy this love story

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!!

Two of Us

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TwoOfUs for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I am a loyal fan of the advice column in the newspaper and love reading people's questions and see what type of  advice is given. This started back in the day with the Dear Abby type letters. I feel like advice giving is of the new rage, just ask Kris Kardashian  who has her own advice column in Life and Style Magazine!
 Lots of my friends are in different places, relationship-wise, in their lives.  It's such a weird time in life to be giving advice. Some of my girl friends are dating and "seeing" people casually but nothing serious, some are in serious relationships expecting THE ring soon, some of us are married, and a few even started families of their own. I would LOVE to field some of your questions and write my own advice column for you. So ask away!!!!
There's a site called Two Of Us that explores tips on keeping your relationship fresh  Their site is for singles, newlyweds, married, divorced, and even to parents. I watched a video on the site with Harper Hill (the actor) who says he has "conversation parties." The men and women who come over put questions into a hat (anonymous of course) and once the question is read everyone just shared their knowledge and advice. Pretty fun idea, except my "conversation party" would def. involve wine, beer and liquor- I believe that is the real truth serum!
Check out twoofus.org and see if you like the advice they're giving. If you like them you can also really like them on facebook. I did!
So send over your questions, it will give me good reason to drink the truth serum and give you the real answers your looking for!

Freddy’s Fab-U Friday the 13th

Superstitious much???? I believe Friday the 13^th is just another day filled with wonderful deals and coupons for you to cash in on! I bet some of you are friggatriskaidekaphobiacs, people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday-the-13^th. Good news for you- there is only one this year. Bad news, it’s today!



????????



My Friday the 13^th will consist of a glass of wine after work and cleaning my house because we have a bulk trash pick-up tomorrow morning!! I guess that’s what you get when you pay out the you-know-what for HOA fees.

For me Friday the 13^th means that this week is finally over. I am proud to say I finished my first Ph.D class with a B+ which is good enough for me! It’s been nuts trying to work two jobs and take a class- I am SO ready for a break from it all!!! We have a wedding coming up on Long Island (YAY!) and get to travel out to the Hamptons for it! I love the Hamptons and cannot wait to kick off my summer at the beach with my girlfriends, my family, and of course, the hubs!!!

Some deals to check out today:

Between 3-6pm today free Sweet Potato Waffle Fries at chick-fil-a http://www.chick-fil-a.com/

FREE box of Clairol Natural Instincts

For the next week, the first 20,000 requests each day on the Tide Facebook Page will receive a free Tide Stain Release 10-count sample.Find the “Tide Challenge” tab on the sidebar, click on it and then click on the orange “Enter The Challenge” button to sign up for your free sample.

Kohl’s Discounts for online shopping: Use coupon code SHIP4FREE to get free shipping. Then, use coupon code NEW4996 to get an additional 10% off your order.

Payless is having their BOGO sale and now add a coupon to it for 15% off. It’s my little secret- but trust me- they have the cutest spring shoes

Massive coupons for Staples

$10 off $50 or $15 off $75 at JC Penny

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!

Freddy's Fab-U Friday Finds and Giveaways

Happy early mother's day to all the mommies out there!
Check out some great mother's day weekend deals:

Free wings at Hooter's- I say that because I'm sure all mother's want hooters wings on their special day!
Free Red Box DVD rental the 1st Monday of every month!
Free tub of Cottonelle wipes.
Free printable mother's day cards for anyone who wants to be crafty for their mom!!!
Free cupcake for mom on mother's day at Ruby Tuesdays or try free TCBY?! Love TCBY!!!
Not into Mother's Day??? Tru free comic books on 5/7/11 at any participating comic book store.

Its also time to announce the Freschetta Giveaway for a free pizza and cutting board (which i love!!)...
And the winner is..............





The only really fair way to pick a winner.....



Bre!!!! Congrats... your prizes are on their way to you!!!!

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!

Sports are my Life

Below is a guest post about sports ....
The blog is from March- so a little outdated- and explains a love for WATCHING sports.
In our house, watching sports is a favorite past time.
I have to say, fall Sundays are always lazy football Sundays. If the game isn't any good we still leave it on and the sounds of the game could just lull me to sleep.
Spring is baseball season so we watch the Yankee games whenever they're on in the DC area (which is not often enough for me)
And the hubs LOVES the golf channel. I thought you had to be 55 or over to enjoy the golf channel but I guess not. I think its so funny when the hubs watches golf and gets his clubs to practice while the pros play on tv.
Luckily we have tons of sports channels or else I might only watch reality tv forever (and I really would be ok with that too bc i love reality tv almost as much as sports).






Sports are my life
Guest post of the week by Deangelo Spencer
The CLEAR INTERNET BUNDLE pricing in my area had gotten really good, so a few weeks ago I went ahead and purchased. I’ve really loved having so many awesome satellite channels at home, and I really like being able to keep up with sports all the time. I’m an avid golfer, so having the Golf Network is like a dream come true for me! I get all the best tournaments and human interest show on the players and I’m finding it much easier to keep u with what’s going on. In addition to the Golf Network is, of course, ESPN, which has pretty much everything I could ever want to know about competitive sports. With March Madness coming up soon I’m glad I’ve got coverage, and I really like watching SportsCenter each night before bed. I’m never at a loss anymore at the water cooler at work when all the guys are talking about the big game or a notable trade, and I’m more entertained in my spare time. Just glad I got the golf coverage before The Mastersstarts in a few weeks!

"Royally" Fab-U Friday!!!

I'm guilty of being up since 4:45am. I wasn't planning on watching the Royal Wedding live but I woke up at 4:45 to go to the bathroom, turned on the tv and never went back to sleep... I had Royal Wedding fever and just for the record Kate was beautiful (loved the dress) and the wedding seemed almost too perfect. If I wasn't already married to my Prince Charming, I'd be going after Prince Harry- he is adorable and I love that he stole a look at Kate as she was coming down the aisle.

Switching gears--- I got the Freschetta cutting board and free pizza coupon in the mail last night and here's a sneak peak at what you could win if you comment on the Freddy's Freschetta Giveaway Post. The cutting board is round and bamboo. It swivels open to reveal utensils tucked away nicely inside for easy storage!!! Gotta love great storage tools!!!

Win me by commenting on last weeks Freschetta Giveaway post!!!

Some weekend freebies to look into include:
SWIFFER is giving away 25,000 free Swiffer 360 Duster Starter kits.
Free Yogi Tea Samples
Free sample of John Frieda products
Free sample of Folgers coffee
Allure magazine is giving away tons of free stuff in May- check out their website!
Free move rental code at Blockbuster Kiosk thru 4/30-  Just use the code LPD4LOBFat the kiosk to get yours!

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!!

I Scream, You Scream....

We all scream for Ice Cream.....

 

*Event starts at 5PM....

 

Today is the Fifth Annual 31 Cent Scoop Night at BR. They are partnering with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), paying tribute to America's Firefighters by lowering the price of Baskin-Robbins scoops to just 31 cents!

Def. not ww friendly!!!

Learn more about 31 Cent Scoop Night here:
http://www.baskinrobbins.com/ScoopNight

Click here for your nearest Baskin-Robbins:http://www.baskinrobbins.com/StoreLocator

Freddy's Freschetta Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™

You knew that there was a giveaway coming up and I'm so excited to tell you about the offer I got from Freschetta!!! They were nice enough to send me a coupon for a free pizza and test out one of the 8 new flavors they offer.

As a New York girl I am loving pizza. Although not always so WW friendly, sometimes you have to splurge.

My first experience with Freschetta was yummy! I like that there were 8 different options to choose from and the packaging was easy to get through. *note that the packaging is also eco-friendly by using 30% less packaging material. I'm sure that helps lock in the yummy goodness of their pizza.

My favorite part of the pizza was the thin, crispy crust.... I am a sucker for crunchy pizza. It was delish!

I want you to be able to try Freshetta for FREE (A COUPON FOR A FREE FRESHETTA PIZZA)and win a free BAMBOO CHEESE BOARD (like a cutting board for cheese) you need to become a follower of my blog (its ok- you can follow:) and then comment on this post. Winners will be announced in a week so you have some time to do this.

If you want your own coupons be on the lookout for $2 off soon to be posted on facebook at www.facebook.com/freshettasimplyinspired or freschettasimplyinspired.com to learn more about their pizza flavors.

Bon Appetit!

Freddy's "Good" Fab-U Earth Day Friday

It's Earth Day today... and its the 31st Earth Day Anniversary!
Before moving to Maryland I never did the whole re-cycle thing and now the hubs and I are making a big effort to recycle and reuse as much as possible. I feel pretty good about helping save the planet, but it makes the house pretty messy. In our kitchen we have the regular garbage can and the recycle box for paper. We are known to leave empty soda cans, beer bottles, etc. on the counter until there are enough to bag up and sometimes the mess makes me a little crazy. Anyone use any other methods of recycling that doesn't make your kitchen look like a tornado ripped through it???



LET'S GO YANKEES!!!!

 In other news, the Yankees come to Baltimore today thru Sunday and I'm hoping we can get our brooms out for the sweep! Go Yanks!!!! We were going to try and get to the game tonight but the weather might not be cooperating so we will probably try to hit the Sunday afternoon game (since I have to work all day Saturday).

For today's Fab-U finds get ready to take advantage of some GREAT deals... also look out for an awesome GIVEAWAY coming up this week!!!!

Earth Day Special:
Charge up with FREE Starbucks Coffee or Caribou Coffee TODAY ONLY when you bring in your re-usable coffee mug!!!
Free Re-Usable tote bage at the disney store if you bring in 5 plastic bags!!!
Free Origins Cleanser at Origins!
Free entrance at National Parks. Click here to see a list of Free parks all weekend long!


Before 5/9 Free Heavenly Perfume at Vicki Sec's with Coupon.

Free Garlic Fries at Gordon Biersch. We went to the one in DC with friends a few weeks ago and it was really good so give it a try!

For those of you that have kids, or neices/nephews a FREE copy of Winners Never Quit by Mia Hamm if you answer YES to all the questions.

At participating Dodge dealers nationwide, test drive any Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or Ram vehicle and receive the Fast & Furious 4-Movie Collection on DVD for free. (You'll receive a certificate at the dealer which can be redeemed online.) That's a savings of $39 and the best promotion we've seen from Dodge. Deal ends May 21.

I hope you have a Fab-U Friday!!!!!!

Chubby Stick

What's in a name- ahhh such a great question????
So the story goes like this....
I have a good friend who wanted to show me her Chubby Stick!!! OMG what in the world is a chubby stick I ask her.....
Sounds dirty- I know....
I come to find out that a Chubby Stick is not at all what you might be thinking, so PLEASE get your mind out of the gutter!!!!!
A chubby Stick is a new product out that is actually a lip gloss, and not some off-brand product either. The Chubby Stick is a really expensive lip balm from Clinique!!!
Seriously Clinique???? What were you thinking???
I want to find the person who brands the names of these products... do we think it was a male or female? I'm thinking definately a male who is having a really good laugh because the Chubby Stick is a hit with the ladies (that what she said! Sorry- i couldn't help myself!!!!)
So ladies- don't miss out- you gotta get your Chubby Stick while its hot!

What it is:A super-nourishing tinted lip balm.What it does:This gorgeous lip color treats lips to mouthwatering moisture and a hint of soft shine. It never needs sharpening-simply swivel up to reveal more of the balm.What else you need to know:Allergy Tested. 100% Fragrance free.