Starbucks....You're on Notice

I am a huge...I mean HUGE Starbucks fanatic.

I have tried other latte's and frappachinos....none of them seem to measure up to the high standards made by Starbucks.

While Dunkin Donut's Caramel latte is delish, it doesn't hold a candle to Starbucks Caramel Macchiato.  And forget about Mc D's Caramel latte....didn't stand a chance!  So it is natural that I would be a bit apprehensive about trying Mc Donald's new Caramel Frap.

But the ads for it are everywhere.  I can not go through the drive thru window at Mc Donald's without the cashier asking me "Welcome to Mc Donald's.  Would you like to try one of Mc Donald's new Mocha or Caramel Frappachino today?"  To which I always respond with a polite and blunt "No, thank you."  After all, Starbucks makes the best Caramel Frappachino ever...why mess with a good thing, right?

Magazines have conducted taste comparisons, most of which have stated Mc D's version is shockingly better. And at half the price, a better value as well.  This "perked" my interest. Should I try it?  I mean, summer is coming and I do consume many fraps during the dog days of summer.  Of course the bargain shopper in my head was screaming "Hey! You can get 2 Mc D's fraps for the price of one at Starbucks!"  Good point, duly noted.  And with the rising price of gas, Mc D's is a whole 6 miles closer than my closest Starbucks.

My resistance was wearing thin.

Last night, I caved.  After contemplating my impending purchase all day I decided to go for it.  I mean, what did I have to lose?  $2.29?  If I didn't like it I can confidently say that was the price to pay for knowledge.  I wouldn't have to wonder anymore.

I was still leery when I got up to the counter and asked the assistant manager, who I am friendly with knows exactly how to make my 5 times a week addiction to a large Sweet Tea with light ice and a lemon, "tell me the truth, is this drink as good as Starbucks?" Her answer, and the answer of 3 of her coworkers..."It's better!"  They're paid to say that.  I am sure Mc Donald's has a secret camera somewhere recording and waiting for the moment one of their staff members bashes the food they are hired to sell.  I quickly ordered my drink before I can change my mind.  "Let me know what you think" the assistant manager said when she handed me the frozen concoction.

My verdict: It was absolutely heavenly!  You can literally taste the coffee in the frap as well as the caramel, something I didn't realize up until now was not as profound in Starbucks version.  Another plus, their frap is well blended....no sucking up pieces of ice, a common annoyance of mine when I drink Starbucks Caramel Frappachino.

Starbucks, you have met your match!  Consider yourself, on notice.

A Lil Foot Pampering

We were blessed with temps in the 80's all weekend....and the one thing I wanted to do most?  Open up my brand new boxes of sandals.

So what stopped me?

My little toesies were not sandal ready. * Sigh *

So without any further ado.... I will be visiting my favorite nail technician for a little foot TLC.

Have a happy Monday!

Christina's Back

I always loved Christina Aguilera since the start of her career.  She's edgy, soulful, and feminine. Love this new song. The vid has a Lady Gaga vibe.

Love how she made red her signature lip color!

Flirty & Feminine

This beautiful top is on my summer wish list. Anthropologie always has amazingly feminine & flirty pieces that are pure eye candy for the girly girls.

Positive Self Image

Why are tweens so preoccupied with weight?

Why are they judging their peers and telling them things like "You're fat" especially when they are not?

Do they realize some of their utterances have a profound impact on their peers and will have a lasting effect on them for the rest of their lives? Especially when it comes to appearance. Of course, the true culprit to them being so hung up on weight and how they "look" to their friends is directly correlated to what the media dishes out. The media deems rail thin girls like the young actresses on "90210" as acceptable. If you are not waif thin, then you are considered "overweight" or "fat". To be honest, to me, these actresses look like bobble heads on the verge of snapping in two like a twig. But to an impressionable teen or tween, all they see is the throngs of fans and media attention these young ladies get and directly relate it to how they look. So in order to get this type of attention, they must look like them.

I associate with moms of tweens on a daily basis. I volunteer my time working with young ladies in this age group as well. I hear the stories from both sides. Parents, some of whom suffered eating disorders as teens, not wanting their girls to suffer like they did. Girls, being told by their classmates they are fat, or them looking in the mirror and sucking in their stomachs and saying "I need to go on a diet". What I try to do is deter them from looking in the mirror and instead look within themselves.

Young girls need to realize their life happiness is not determined by the reflection in the mirror. As the wonderful idiom goes "Beauty is only skin deep". A person may be incredibly gorgeous and thin but be incredibly miserable inside. These young ladies shouldn't alter their physical appearance in order to please society. If they want to make a change it should be for "themselves". They need to question themselves "Am I happy the way I am?" If they are perfectly content the way they are, then why conform in order to please others?

These young girls need to tap into their own positive self image. They need to define it for themselves and embrace it. They need to be taught that they will encounter individuals who have nothing better to do than find something to criticize. Unfortunately, some of these people will even say things to you just to see if they can "see you sweat". The world is filled with mean & nasty individuals who prey on the positive, happy ones. They are miserable in their own lives and want to find a way to make everyone just as miserable. It's very important for them feel secure and confident in their own skin. That way, they can spend their time enriching their lives with positive experiences rather than worrying about the reflection in the mirror.

Getting Ready for Summer

Did I ever mention I have a shoe addiction?

On any given day you can hear me complimenting at least one person on their shoes. Pretty shoes, funky shoes, comfy shoes....you name it. I am very particular too. I have a penchant for the unique ones. I am known to search high and low till I find the perfect pair for the occasion. I sometimes wish I would win the lotto...because my dream book is filled with beautiful shoes by Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, and Manolo Blahnik to name a few. A girl can dream, right?

Seeing that Mother's Day is around the corner, my very wonderful FIL decided to take me out shopping for a gift. Since I am counting the days till the warm weather comes upon us, I decided I would pick out some funky new sandals for Summer 2010. Here are the two pairs that found their way home with me:

So Dota sandals

Elle Marcy gladiator sandals

What made this deal so sweet? Typically, the two pairs of shoes would have cost $89.98. My total? $48.98.

A New Pair of Kicks

I have to admit, I am a self professed Girly Girl. I've never been the girl to so into a sports store and Ohh and Ahh about sneakers. If you leave me to my own accord, I would live in my comfy 3 inch leather boots in the winter, or my wedge sandals of the same height in the summer. Naturally, this means that I have a closet with several pairs of barely worn sneakers. They just don't scream girly to me, that's all.

It came to much of a surprise when perusing my monthly collection of magazine subscriptions that I would actually WANT the above pictured kicks. They are Converse by John Varvatos Jack Purcell Slip Ons. Of course, I needed to first try them on and see if I coveted them.

So off to Nordstroms I went with Mr. Man in tow. I tried them on in black and they just seemed too boyish. I spied the "Optical White" pair and decided to give it a whirl.

The verdict: I loved them. They are comfy and stylish and are perfect for the summer season.