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British comedies to get you through the summer

By on May 15, 2012 in Movies, Pop Culture


Now, t.v. seasons aren’t what they used to be and there are some good shows airing in the summer time….can’t think of one right now but I’m sure there is at least one.  I’m also not saying the all American t.v. is crap. I do love: Boardwalk Empire (but who doesn’t love Steve Buscemi), Walking Dead (I’m a sucker for zombies), Mad Men, Big Bang Theory, and a few others.  Big Bang Theory aside, when I am looking for comedy I look to the Brits.  It’s over the top, dry, and sarcastic - everything I look for in comedy.

I love Simon Pegg, Shaun of the Dead, Run Fatboy Run, Hot Fuzz, among others (I am looking forward to A Fantastic Fear of Everything like a preteen standing outside a Twilight movie).  This led my husband to have me watch Spaced - and I loved it!  Then it led to more British comedy and I’m hooked.  So..here are my picks for what I’ve enjoyed so far and what’s on my list to watch this summer.

Recommended:

Spaced

Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes pretend to be a couple in order to get the only flat they can afford.  Crazy friends like Twist and Mike and insane neighbor Brian and landlord Marsha are just a strange mix.  Very highly recommended.

The I.T. Crowd

“Did you try turning it off and back on again”  is the standard phone answering technique for geeks Moss and Roy in the IT department.  Socially clueless, their “relationship manager” Jen, is trying hard to be normal and hilarity ensues.  What does Moss do when the I.T. department is set on fire?  He emails the fire department.  This one is also highly recommended.

Red Dwarf

The last human being and his friends are stranded on a mining ship.  This one is hilarious when I watch it, but I haven’t gotten as into it as the others.  I think it’s just because the kids like this one and watch it when I’m not around so I haven’t seen the episodes in order…I really like to watch shows in order.  Recommended.

Dead Set

This is not a comedy nor was it a t.v. show but it is one of my favorites…it’s the zombie thing.  Zombie outbreak, idiot reality t.v. stars trapped on their set.  Love it!  This is a must see for anyone who loves zombies and hates reality t.v.  Highly Recommended. 

Black Books

Bernard Black does and says to the customers of his book shop, things that most people only dream of saying to customers.  He is rude, foul, and hates his customers, tearing apart books at the suggestions that he give them a discount.  This one I am currently watching and loving every minute of.  Simon Pegg fans will recognize Bernard, played by Dylan Moran, as David from Shaun of the Dead, though Manny (Bill Bailey) is my favorite actor in this.

I don’t know if it is because the pool of comedic actors is small or they are just attracted to being in the kind of comedy that I am attracted to watching, but the actors cross over in a lot of these.  I love it, seeing them play off each other in so many hilarious ways.

Now if you have seen all of these or just want more, here is my list of shows I’m going to watch this summer in no particular order:

Fawlty Towers,  Only Fools and Horses, Peep Show, Coupling, and Jeeves and Wooster- this one is next. If you enjoy British Humor and you liked Hugh Laurie as House, you should check this out with me. And last but not least, The Black Adder.

Check some of these out and let me know what you think; I know this type of humor isn’t for everyone.  If this is your thing and you think something is missing from my must watch list, I’d love to hear what it is and add it. If you are a NetFlix user, you can find most of these shows there.

 

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Photo courtesy of:  crystalcoastgardener.com
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Read Books, Be Smarter, Win Prizes

By on May 8, 2012 in Apartment Living, Events, Featured, How To, Pop Culture, Random, Retail Therapy

Yesterday, the St. Louis Public Library system kicked off their Pageturners reading club, which runs until August 7th. Sign up at any SLPL branch and get a bookmark to record all of the books and magazines you read or listen to between now and August 7th. Turn the bookmark in when you get to 10 and you’ll receive a “roll-up blanket” and be entered to win fabulous prizes. Everything is better when you get rewarded for doing it.

The stuff you read can be from anywhere, not just the library. You could get it from your favorite local book store, read it on your Kindle, borrow it from Grandma, or just buy it from any of our Amazon affiliate links below. If you are in the St. Louis metro area, but not within the city, check with your library and see if they have a program like SLPL.  Did you know that a lot of libraries in the area have reciprocal agreements with each other?

Not a reader? Here’s why you should be. Too busy to read? Get over yourself. Quit complaining that you are too busy, you aren’t and no one wants to hear you try to justify your existence. Here are some authors that will get you through those 10 books before The Campaign comes out.


Anything by James Rollins: Did you like The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown?  I bet you love most of the stuff by Rollins.  The name on the jacket is actually the pen name of James Czajkowski, a Veterinarian who attended Mizzou before setting up a practice in California. I suggest the first book you pick up by him should be Amazonia. He has five other action adventure novels  as well that all paint scenes and adventures that would easily make better movies than 85% of what comes to theaters now. Recently, he has started a series of books centered around the Sigma Force, which is a team of scientists with ridiculous military training as best as I can put it. While they aren’t as cool to me as his first books, I still make it a point to read them.

Speaking of Dan Brown: You may have read Da Vinci Code or Angels & Demons, but do yourself a favor and pick up Digital Fortress and Deception Point.

Anything by James Patterson: If you couldn’t tell, I’m not exactly an expert on the traditional literary classics. That might be why I appreciate James Patterson. I would suggest anything featuring Alex Cross, the D.C. detective played by Morgan Freeman in the Kiss The Girls movie. Cross has been the main character in 20 Patterson books since 1993. One of the reasons Patterson has 102 books to his name is because he co-authors a lot of books. These books aren’t deep in really any way, but they are fun quick reads. Check out Step On A Crack, or Private.

Everything by Vince Flynn: Vince Flynn has authored 12 books centered on Mitch Rapp, a man that every proud American should pray is fighting for our country while we sleep. I just finished American Assassin, which tells the story of how Rapp went from stud NCAA lacrosse talent to defending America against its craziest enemies. While Term Limits isn’t a Rapp book, it may be Vince Flynn’s best work.

Everything by Lee Child: I actually met Lee Child when he came to speak at the Schlafly library branch in the CWE in 2010. By “met”, I apparently stood next to him in the crowded room before he spoke. His creation, Jack Reacher, is an ex-military cop who is now essentially a drifter. All of his books have seen their movie options snapped up.  Tom Cruise will play Reacher in the adaptation of One Shot, currently shooting.

All done with your 10 by August?  Check out one of these authors: Alex Berenson, Brian Haig, David Baldacci, Stephen Frey

Not in to the fiction business?  I really enjoyed Dreams From My Father and Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama even though I would consider myself a Conservative. Decision Points by George W. Bush is also on my list to read. I saw the book, Mr. President yesterday and that looks interesting too. Starting The Hunger Games or A Song of Fire and Ice trilogies would be a good plan.

These books not your thing? Go read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Bring one of those misting fans.

Cover photo credit to TheRisetotheTop.com
Brought to you by Mills Properties 
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Great Country Music Reality Show Performances

By on May 1, 2012 in Events, Movies, Music Scene, Pop Culture

I got a text yesterday that today was my day to post something intelligent that people outside my immediate family would be excited to read. I haven’t been in a store when it got held up at gunpoint lately, so unless I wanted to go looking for danger, I realized that I probably wasn’t going to come up with anything ground-breaking. When I get bored or want to procrastinate, I often get lost in watching old American Idol or Voice auditions and performances.

While I didn’t think a ton of people would really be excited to read that, I reckoned that it would be fun for me at least to get all these videos in one place so I could go back and click on the links the next time I wanted to impress a lady with my vast knowledge of singing competitions.

Then I saw a tweet coming back from work yesterday from a friend in Nashville, who runs ExperienceNash.com, linking to something Eric Church said that appeared to ruffle some feathers. Mr. Church went on a little rant to Rolling Stone that seemed to indicate he wasn’t a fan of reality singing competitions. Actually, it said pretty much exactly that and more.

I can understand where Eric is coming from on two fronts: 1) He is already positioning himself as a rebel. Might as well push that more and appeal to that audience. 2) I’d kinda be pissed too, like if I was Brantley Gilbert and lost to Scotty McCreery for ‘Best New Artist’ at the recent ACM Awards. Gilbert wrote “My Kinda Party” and “Dirt Road Anthem” for Jason Aldean and released “Country Must Be Country Wide” himself. McCreery did a great job on Idol, but really?

Eric issued an apology last night. It fit right in line with Point #2. Some artists that got their start in these competitions totally enjoy their fame. With that I mean folks like Miranda and Carrie. Artists that come out of these things shouldn’t just be ordained the next Garth, George or Reba right off the bat though.

Without further adeau, here are some of my favorite country performances from The Voice, American Idol and Nashville Star.

While we are already off the beaten path with that one, check out this amazing cover of ‘Rolling in the Deep” by David Cook, the Kansas City boy who won Season 7 of Idol

There have been some great country performances this season between Idol and The Voice too:

In doing research for this, I ran across video from Skylar Laine, who is on this season of Idol. This girl alone will get me to watch the show.  A great voice. It’s too bad she’s only 18 or I’d be more smitten with her than I was with Nicolle Gaylon after watching this. Check out her version of “Born This Way”.  It’s like Lady Miranda or something.

Also check her out on “Gunpowder and Lead” and “Tattoos on this Town”

This post really wouldn’t be complete without audition videos.  Check out Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler and possibly the biggest success story from this genre, Carrie Underwood.

Did I miss some? Are these awful and I actually have no musical taste whatsoever?

Post brought to you by Mills Properties
Logo courtesy of RealityWanted.com
Cover photo courtesy of Wetpaint.com
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Looking for something new and different to do…Get inspired on Schemer!

By on April 30, 2012 in Pop Culture, Random

 

Three things first:

1.  I just don’t get Pinterest.  Maybe because to me it is an arts and crafts website.  Maybe because I just don’t have the patience to make my own laundry detergent, or bake cookies shaped like stars and then spend hours with my kids assembling a correct solar system.  My list of places I want to see is stored in my head. I don’t need a reminder and I don’t need you to know my dreams.

2. I have always wanted to be a part of a google beta test!  I love google and I just simply think they are awesome! (Ryan I took all the extra exclamation points out just for you, but there were about 10 originally so your post worked)

3. I am always looking for unique things to do or just ideas for what to do.  I don’t watch sports, I don’t do crafts and I’ve lived in the St. louis area a long time so a lot of the regular things I’ve already done many times over.

I’ve finally been invited to do a beta test for Google and it’s for a new and different social network (I tried google+ but was really disappointed. People just didn’t make the jump).  This one is more like Pinterest, meaning that it is more about the content than the personal connections, without the crafts and such, but it does appear to really be an add-on for Google+.

The site is schemer.com and it is a user-generated list of cool things to do.  You can pick your favorite interests to get a customized list.  You can also search by area, such as St. Louis, or within a category for a certain area.  When you find something that looks interesting just click on it to add it to the list of things you want to do.  When your friends are on there they can become your accomplices and you can check out what your friends are doing or want to do.  It will also tell you who in your area wants to do the same thing.

There are ideas for date nights, places to eat and cool stuff to do.  It has some major downsides.  It may improve with more members but right now the categories are really lacking substance.  I can think of several hundered things that really need to be added.  Another issue: many of the items are very vague you can’t really tell what they are intending for you to do.  With more people in your real life group it could be a way to just put it out there that you want to do something, but  I honestly haven’t found much of a reason to go back to the site since signing up.  Maybe with more users it will improve.

With my invite came the opportunity to invite 20 others to join me on the site, so if you are interested let me know in the comments below and I can get you the link.  I’d love to see some friends on there so we can be inspired together.

Brought to you by Mills Properties

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Crazy Coupon Lady

By on April 26, 2012 in Apartment Living, Featured, How To, Pop Culture

I am the epitome of a “crazy coupon lady.” Well, almost. I don’t have 85 bottles of mustard or a year’s worth of laundry detergent stored in my basement; however, I do have a 3 inch white binder filled with several pages of baseball card holders, each slot containing a coupon. I also have a big bag that I carry around with me that holds my binder, along with several weekly grocery store ads. In my linen closet at home, you will find one entire shelf devoted to my stockpile.

Back about a year ago, when I decided to embark on my couponing adventure, I made myself 2 promises. One – I would never buy anything simply because it was “free”. You know, like those people who hoard free cat food when they don’t even own a cat. And two – I would immediately deposit the money I save into my family’s saving’s account. Hey, at least I can say that I’ve kept one of those promises….I may not always “save” every penny, but I always use it for something extra or fun for my kids.

For all you haters out there who think that it’s sooo not worth your time to coupon, let me give you an example of a recent shopping trip to Target:

The Target in my town was recently updated and now contains a grocery section, complete with fresh fruit and vegetables, a meat department, and frozen food section – so I was super excited to test it out as my new one-stop-shop. (Great – just what I need….another reason to spend more money at Target!)

I want to fill you in on a little secret – Target is my absolute favorite place to coupon for 2 reasons. Reason #1 – you can “stack” manufacturer coupons with target store coupons. For example – I needed Pull Ups for my youngest. Retail price = $9.49. I had a manufacturer coupon for $1.50 off, and a Target store coupon or $2.00 off. My price? $5.99. BAM!! Reason #2 – if you have a Target Credit Card or Debit Card, you save an extra 5% on your entire purchase, every day…making my Pull Ups even cheaper. My final price? $5.69, for a total savings of $3.80. Almost four dollars saved, just on one item!!!

My cart was loaded up with things such as cleaning supplies, health & beauty items, a week’s worth of lunches, dinners and snacks for my family, dog food, birthday cards, sporting equipment, and of course, several items from the dollar bin (I mean, you can’t go to Target and not buy things from the dollar bin, right?) Total before coupons and discount? $208.45. Total after coupons and 5% discount? $163.49 for a grand total saved of $44.96.

Learning to coupon is not something that happens easily or overnight. It’s a labor of love that requires patience and repetition. When I first started, I was lucky if I remembered to bring my coupons with me to the store; now, I feel guilty even if I stop to pick up a single item at the store and don’t use a coupon. It’s also not reasonable to think that the average person can go to a store and get their entire order for free – those people that you see on T.V. are often buying things that they don’t need, simply because they have a coupon. The producers don’t show the entire purchase on camera, and that’s because they are buying a $1000 dollars’ worth of cat food to simply get it “free.” In my humble opinion, this isn’t couponing; it’s hoarding. I always buy things that my family would use anyway, regardless of whether or not I had a coupon.

Couponing has become second nature to me; I am a competitive person, and I challenge myself to see how much I can save each time I head to the store. I challenge everyone reading this blog to try it out, at least once. I promise that you’ll be hooked.

What would you do with an extra $45 dollars each week?

 Photos courtesy of Saving Sense & Gin Galley
Brought to you by Mills Properties
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The Jig Is Up…..Fitness Fads Reviewed!

By on April 23, 2012 in How To, Pop Culture, Random


You’re sitting on the couch, it’s 2am and you cannot sleep!  On the television a commercial begins….”DO YOU WANT TO SEE SIX PACK ABS IN 30 DAYS?”  “ARE YOU TIRED OF BEING FAT AND OUT OF SHAPE?” “ARE YOU TOO BUSY TO GO TO THE GYM?” “YOU CAN GET THE BODY YOU DREAM OF AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHANGE A THING!!”

Infomercials.  From the electric shock belt that you wrap around your waist and wear 30 minutes a day to get rock hard abs, the tummy tuck belt that only requires you to rub some cream on your abs and wear a compression garment for 10 minutes to slim down, the ab rocker where you lie on your back and “rock” your way to a leaner midsection.  And how could we ever forget the infamous Thigh Master, a simple contraption you put between your legs to get thighs of steel!  All of them are very tempting because of the results they promise without us having to seemingly put in very much effort or change our lifestyles.

I am going to review some of the “Worth a shot” and “Should be shot” programs that are on the market today.  Some of these I have personal experience with, other are based on feedback from real consumers who tried them.  Before you take another step toward your credit card to call in and give it to the scary lady on tv begging you to call in or be fat forever, read these reviews, it may just save your life and your wallet!

1. Weight Watchers (Worth a Shot!) – Weight Watchers has totally revamped its program and direction.  If you only know Weight Watchers from 5 years ago, then you need to re-look at this program.  They now offer a Points Plus program that looks at Fats, Proteins and Carbs as the make-up of each point value for food.  Also, all fruits and most vegetables are 0 points helping you stay on target while not eating up your points for the day, literally.  Their new online program offers you the ability to track your progress online and gain access to thousands of recipes and the Weight Watcher Community where you can meet others who are on the same journey, without ever having to set foot in a meeting.  On average people lose between 1-2lbs per week on Weight Watchers.  Definitely Worth a Shot!

2. Tummy Tuck Belt (Should Be Shot!) - The makers of this belt had to be on something when they created this.  So the alleged claim here is that they have this “magic” cream (or Thermal Accelerator as they call it) that you apply to your midsection and then you put on a fabric wrap and do 2 minutes of standing contractions then wear it for another 8 minutes and POOF you’re done….6 pack!  Ok, so not that instantly but they claim within 30 days you will slim down without changing a thing!  Now they have all kinds of “studies” and medical folks that claim to back the results, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that some cream and a wrap aren’t going to slim you down, especially if you eat junk all day long!  And if you do order it and don’t like it, good luck trying to enforce the 30-day money back guarantee, according to ripoffreport.com it’s quite the hassle and where the real scam begins.

3. Insanity Workout Series (Worth a Shot!) – The Insanity Workout Series is exactly what it says, INSANE!  If you have seen the infomercials on TV then you know how insane it looks.  When the folks MAKING the dvd are falling over during the filming and they are IN SHAPE, you know it’s got to be rough!  Shaun T will have you begging for mercy and wishing you were dead already!  It sounds horrible, but from all of the online reviews I have read and video posts I have watched, the insane workouts get you insane results!  The basics are a 6-day workout program that ranges from 30-60 minutes per workout along with a built-in (but optional) nutrition plan built upon the 5 meals a day concept.  It’s 60 days of torture.  The concept is what they call “Max Interval Training” where you do really intense workouts for longer periods of time and short rest periods.  This is in contrast to the long standing method of short bursts of intense workouts followed by longer rest periods.  If you finish the series and send in your Before and After shots, they send you a t-shirt that says “I earned it!” on the back.  That’s worth it! :-)   I was so convinced by all the research I did that I have ordered the series to try for myself and will begin next week.  Check out my personal blog to follow my journey with Insanity!

4. HCG Diet (Should Be Shot!) - This is probably to most ridiculous new fad out there.  If you haven’t heard about it, the HCG diet is basically a little bottle of fluid that they claim contains Human Choriogonadotropin.  The concept is that you take these drops every day and only eat 500 calories per day.  The claim is that the “chemical” in the drops forces your body to draw nutrients from the stored fat in your body to compensate for the caloric deficit.  Are these people real?  Of course people are losing weight because they only eat 500 calories per day they are starving their bodies!!  This is not only insane it is unsafe!  Medical experts will tell you that most of us need a MINIMUM of 1200 calories per day to sustain a healthy life, this varies by person however.  There is no medical proof that this chemical is legit and it is NOT FDA approved.  There are TONS of warnings against this new diet and another one that I have deemed SHOULD BE SHOT!

So there you have it.  Product reviews of diet fads you should try and 2 you should definitely AVOID.  There are THOUSANDS more products out there, each with their own promise and guarantee.  The most important thing you can do is to research and review extensively before deciding if a particular product is right for you.  I researched the Insanity series for nearly a week and talked to friends who had already done it before I committed myself to purchasing it.  Read the reviews and find out if the product you are buying has a money back guarantee, if so, how long do you have to try it and how hard is it to return it?

Remember that not every program and product out there will work for everyone.  We are all made up differently and our bodies respond differently to nutrition and exercise.  If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Real weight loss comes from hard work and dedication to your cause.  Quick fixes are usually temporary and unsustainable and in the end you gain all of the weight back plus more!  Know before you go!  Knowledge is power!

Wishing you all the best in your fitness journey, make this year about you!

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Check out our affiliate link above to try Insanity out for yourself!
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