Out of The Mouths of Babes!

My little boy was telling me that one day he'd like to have a pony named "Steve". I told him that I'd never met a pony named Steve. I asked where he'd gotten the name (since there are no Steves in his class & I couldn't think of any cartoons with a Steve). He told me it was from Shrek. He elaborated by saying the donkey in Shrek says "I'm your Noble Steve". He meant "Noble STEED". Isn't that cute? What are the odds that I'd have two donkey posts in a row?

Let's All Laugh Together Now

I hate mass joke e-mails. I'm sure you get them too. Friends, family, co-workers all get the same jokes & then they all think you'll find them hilarious (so they ALL send them to you). I don't like getting them, but I've never complained, I find it a little bit sweet that my friends /family are trying to make me laugh (or cry, or feel patriotic, etc. depending on the tone of the e-mail) .

You may have seen this one before, but it's a good one!

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.
The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less

NOW --------
Enough of that . . .

The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to
bury him. The gash from the bite got infected, and the farmer eventually died in
agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:

When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Think Spring

To all my friends on the East Coast (& other cold climates), Hang in there...Spring is on the way!!

Discontinued

Don't you hate it when a company discontinues a product you love? It happens all the time, when they try to "reformulate" something to somehow try to make it better. Companies usually fail miserably when they try to improve a classic (new Coke anyone?). Well California Pizza Kitchen has eliminated my favorite: Peking Duck Pizza (hold the crispy wontons please). I understand it may not have been for everyone, but CPK is known for the original. My kids love the BLT pizza (bacon, lettuce, tomato & mayo) which surprisingly is still on the menu. I guess I'll have to start ordering the garlic chicken (good, but not delicious).

Starbucks Addiction!

Ok, I admit it...I'm addicted to Starbucks. I can't help it, their coffee is just SO good. No matter how hard I try, coffee just doesn't taste as good when I make it at home. I use the same coffee beans, the same flavored syrup & it's somehow not quite right. I'm pretty sure that some day a study will be conducted that shows Starbucks has some "secret" ingredient that they slip in the cup that makes their coffee so delicious. I'm not apologizing for my love. As far as addictions go, coffee & chocolate are relatively harmless. The caffeine speeds up my metabolism, takes away headaches, & just makes me feel better. One word of advice for my germ obsessed readers (which I most definitely am not!): Have you ever noticed that when people take their coffee drink to the sugar / milk station they remove the plastic top & put it face down on the ledge? That means the top part that touches your lips is touching the "germy" counter. I flip the lid over so the bottom of the lid rests on the counter when I add three splendas to my venti nonfat sugar free vanilla latte. I tell you, it's a sickness!!

julib.com

Perhaps you don't know that I'm multi-talented. Besides my family & tv stuff, I'm also a "luxury lifestyle" writer. Here are my Valentines Day beauty picks for www.julib.com.

beauty picks
in case you don't get what you really want for valentine's day, no worries. take things into your own hands with this month's beauty picks.


hangover over.
finally, a wine that won't leave you dehydrated. dior l'or de vie, la crème with chateau d'yquem grapevine sac can actually reverse the damage from all that pinot. it's back ordered everywhere, but use your connections and you just might find it. $320. at neiman marcus. 9700 wilshire boulevard. at roxbury drive. 310.550.5900.

chocoholic.
who needs a box of godiva when you can quench your chocolate cravings with a bliss double chocolate pedicure? at the w hotel. 930 hilgard avenue. off lindbrook drive. 323.930.0330.

haute chocolate.
famous praline makers, coppeneur have turned their skill with the sweet stuff into a limited edition fragrance set. dark chocolate and estate cacao beans will satisfy your sweet tooth, while the eau de cacao in the handblown flacon will leave you smelling good enough to eat. $110.
scent bar. 8327 beverly boulevard. bewteen la cienega and crescent heights. 323.782.8300.

fish eggs.
nothing says luxury like caviar. whether you nibble it on toast or slather it on your skin, it's an indulgent treat. which brings us to the kerstin florian caviar facial at the four seasons beverly hills, naturally. 300 south doheny drive. between 3rd street and burton way. 310.273.2222.

good as gold.
first they brought us caviar. now our friends at la prairie have brought us pure gold to wipe away the signs of a life well lived. at $525 an ounce, cellular radiance concentrate pure gold is worth its weight in, well, gold.

who needs a ring?
we've all heard that diamonds are a girl's best friend. you'll know it's true after a 90-minute precious diamond massage at the peninsula beverly hills. 9882 south santa monica boulevard. at wilshire. 310.975.2854.

perfect date.
chocolate and roses. champagne and caviar. partake without the guilt with one of verabella's famous facials. her tiny salon in beverly hills has been a hangout for the hollywood elite for over 25 years. verabella. 301 north canon drive. at dayton way. 310.278.4733.

all that glitters.
get glowing with scott barnes diamond dust, $28. enough said.

Click below to read my picks online:
http://www.julib.com/beautypicks021307LA.html

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

I promised you an update, so here it is. Yesterday we filmed the special features for the DVD box set. The weather forecast was calling for rain, but it was a beautiful day at 1164 Morning Glory Circle. As I drove up to the gate at the WB Ranch, the guard welcomed me home. As much as things in life change, the Ranch is still SO much the same. Of course there are changes to the Bewitched house & the neighboring houses, but everything is still so recognizable! I didn't see any of the bunnies that used to roam the Ranch (that I'd bring carrots for) but the pool I used to swim in on hot days was still there. In a happy twist (to illustrate the power of a little blog) I'd mentioned the other day about "possibly" continuing the tour at Sunset Gower Studios. The morning after my post, I received an e-mail from one of the senior v.p.s of the public relations firm that represents Sunset Gower. He had read my blog & was able to make that portion of the tour happen for us! They were filming the show "House" on Stage 3 yesterday when we visited & we were able to get some great footage on the lot. No word on when the DVD box set comes out (sorry, I asked!). It was a fun day with beautiful weather & a great crew & so nice to take a stroll down memory lane!

Horse Dancing

I love animals (dogs, cats, tortoises, etc). But, I've always had a special spot in my heart for horses. I started riding about as soon as I could walk. I remember every year asking for a pony (then when I was older a horse) for Christmas. Sadly, Santa couldn't carry a pony in his sleigh, so I didn't get my first horse until I was 21. There's a certain bond between people and their animals that's really hard to describe. I found a remarkable video on youtube that shows Dutch horse trainer Wim Vonck "dancing" with one of his horses. It's really beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N1ZiA8SUyk

Bewitched Box Set

I've received lots of e-mails asking about Bewitched DVD's & their lack of special features. Well Sony heard from you too & they want you to be happy. So, despite the fact that I rarely mention Bewitched on my blog, I figured you'd like to hear the latest news. Sony is going to be releasing Bewitched as a box set & next week we're filming the special features. I will be hosting a tour of the Warner Brothers Ranch where we filmed the exteriors for Bewitched & possibly the studio (now Sunset Gower, used to be Screen Gems). I'll fill you in on all the details after filming.

Daily Diary

Today I'm going to share with my blog readers a blog that I read. It's called Dorothys' Daily Diary & I love it! The site is a teenagers' diary from the forties with all her thoughts on life, friends & dating, lovingly transcribed by her son. It has information added by Dorothys' sister on the people & places mentioned & also includes headlines from the day. The diary is updated daily with Dorothys' entry from the same date in 1945. It's such a personal site and really offers a fascinating glimpse at a different time.

http://www.dhdd.net/dorothy/1945/today.html

Useless Information?

A longtime friend of my husbands' (I won't give his name because he works in finance & this is kind of a silly post) has taught me an easier way to open a banana. I must preface this post by saying, I never really thought that opening a banana was difficult to begin with. It seems that while observing monkeys for an extended period of time, our friend realized that they don't peel their bananas the way we do. Instead of peeling the banana from the stem (which I believe is the "traditional" human way), a monkey will use the stem as a handle & lightly pinch the bottom of the banana & peel from there. It really is easier. I told you this was a silly post!

Chocolate Altoids!

I think no matter how good something is, there's always room for improvement. I love cinnamon Altoids. The entire "curiously strong" part of them totally appeals to me. So how in the world could they make them better? They've dipped them in chocolate!! The folks at Altoids have been giving them out at various awards shows & events to get the buzz out there. They're hard to find right now, but soon they'll be everywhere. Really good!
I've been hoarding these new delicious treats (much like Elaine on that episode of Seinfeld, when she has to decide if her dates are "sponge worthy"). However, I've just learned from Mindy Ephron (who costars on the great show The Office) that the chocolate Altoids are available online: Order them at www.candywarehouse.com.

American Idol

We're two episodes into season 6 of American Idol & I think I'm the only person in America who prefers watching the really talented people audition. There's something a little sad about knowing that the really bad /odd singers had to audition before several panels of producers before they're finally able to perform for Randy, Simon & Paula. Each step along the way, as they see their numbers whittled down from the 10,000 people who show up, to the 100 that get before the judges, they probably get a little boost in confidence & think "Hey, I AM a good singer". Then at the end of a very long day, they find out that they've really only been strung along for comic relief. Don't get me wrong, I really like American Idol & America still LOVES American Idol. The 2-hour season premiere had 37.3 million viewers & 36.9 million people watched the Wednesday night episode. These were the two biggest nights of prime-time entertainment on Fox since it came onto the air nearly two decades ago. To put the numbers into perspective, the most popular show on TV so far this season, ABC's "Desperate Housewives," averages 20.7 million viewers a week - or a little more than half of what "Idol" delivered upon its return. My favorite Simon comment so far was directed at the girl who blamed her dry throat on her bad performance: "You could lie in a bath with your mouth open and you still couldn't sing."

Best Dressed

The Best Dressed lists for the Golden Globes are coming out & I'd like to add Rebecca Gayheart. I loved her ice blue gown & she had the perfect accessory...handsome hubby Eric Dane!

Lilo and Her Stitches

I have a confession to make (please don't throw anything): I like Lindsay Lohan. I'm not the type of person to base my opinion of someone on what's written about them in the press. Besides, there are always so many conflicting stories that I wouldn't even know what to believe. I like her as an actress (What's not to like?). Freaky Friday: Her remake was better than the Jodie Foster original. Parent Trap: Even folks who aren't LiLo fans, begrudgingly agree that she was great in this. Mean Girls...I liked it enough that some of my middle aged friends & I greeted eachother with "Hey Mean Girl" for a couple weeks. I prefer her as a redhead (as opposed to Prairie Home Companion blonde or Bobby brown). I don't know why anyone with real red hair would ever consider coloring it. Another plus is that Lindsay truly loves fashion & usually (not always) makes pretty good (or at least interesting) style choices. One more confession: I didn't even recognize her in her new Miu Miu campaign!

25 to 24!

When I met my husband, he had a teeny tiny television and didn't have cable. Needless to say after marrying me, he now has an enormous television & likes to DVR. But, there are still only two television programs that my darling hubby has to watch live: one is USC football & the other is 24. I have to agree with him on both counts! 24 is one of the best shows on the air. The acting and plot lines are amazing. You really don't want each episode to end. Kiefer Sutherland was always on my list of great underrated actors who deserved to be more famous than they were (James Spader was on that list too, before he landed Boston Legal). If you haven't succumbed to the lure of 24, tomorrow is your chance. Each season of 24 is "self contained" and the new season starts Sunday night at 8:00 on Fox. Trust me, after watching the 2 hour premiere episode on Sunday & another 2 hour episode on Monday, you'll be hooked too.

Flushed Away?

I know most of you are going to think this is another crazy invention, but I think it's kind of cool. Someone has invented a toilet /aquarium! As a mom to boys, I am convinced they would love this. It can also be adapted to house lizards & other reptiles. I'm sure many of you have had bad luck with gold fish (Who hasn't?). I've had over 100 goldfish in my life (usually won at one of those carnival ping pong ball toss booths) & they almost always die within a week. Let me recommend a fresh water fish that lives for years & thrives on neglect: Japanese Fighting Fish (or Bettas). If you feed them once a week, and change their water every few months they'll live for years!

Room For Improvement?

I'm all for any product that will make your life easier, more organized or more attractive. I was looking online for closet organization supplies to help me contain my massive shoe & handbag collection, when I stumbled across the contraption pictured at left. My first thought was "Now THAT'S something new!". Designers take inspiration from any number of sources. Obviously this designer was inspired by...the hamster wheel. I don't know if it really "revolutionizes the fine art of shoe storage", but it is unique. It doesn't appear to take up less space & would benefit from little plastic doors to keep the shoes from getting dusty. I don't think I'd use it for my designer pumps, but it might work for sandals & sneakers. The kids would probably like it, but most likely use it for action figures & their pet tortoise. Oh well, I admire anyone who tries to create something new. According to their site, the item is sold out until the end of February.

Flight Styles of The Semi-Famous

I've mentioned before about bumping into celebrities on flights & it's happened again! This week I had to travel for work, so I was sitting in first class (hooray!). I'm a big people watcher & I love airports. I like to pass time by trying to figure out everyones' "back story" as they get on the plane (businessman flying to a convention, former athlete flying to a speaking engagement, young author flying to meet her publisher, etc.). A man with black tinted glasses entered the plane & I thought: former actor...Mickey Rourke? It took just a second for me to realize it was Anson Williams! If you don't know who Anson Williams is, shame on you. He was Potsie on Happy Days for 10 years. Amazingly, I was the only person on the plane who seemed to recognize him. I was chatting with the flight attendants & they (what a coincidence) brought up flying with famous people. They had just flown with Nick Lachey (in their words "so polite & totally hot"). I asked if they recognized the guy in 3 C. Hey, Potsie was the "hot guy" on Happy Days (remember the episode where Joanie calls him "Dren" because it's the opposite of nerd?) & these flight attendants were my age. Neither one recognized him, even after looking at his name on the passenger list. After we landed, our eyes met & we both smiled. I don't know how others react when faced with the famous. Do you say you're a fan? Do you acknowledge their fame? I asked him to retrieve my bag from the overhead compartment.
I IMDBd him on my laptop in the hotel (looked him up on the Internet Movie Database, which isn't really very accurate). I learned that his real name is Anson William Heimlich & his uncle, Dr. Henry Heimlich, created the "Heimlich maneuver". I also found out that he now has a great career as a director. I'm glad.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! It's time to reflect on 2006, figure out what worked for you & what you could maybe do a little better this year. If you need ideas for your New Years' Resolutions here are some of my favorites:
1. Drink more water (you'll look better & feel better).
2. Learn how to do something new or make time for an activity you love (horseback riding, sailing, dancing, cooking, etc.).
3. Cultivate your friendships (be a good friend).
4. Give the gift of time (volunteer somewhere, play with your kids, talk to your partner).
5. Choose to be happy (You can't always change how others act, but you have total control over how you react).
I hope this year brings you all health, happiness & success. Have a positive attitude & 2007 will be the best year ever!