Little Island

LITTLE ISLAND IS ON BREAK BUT SUBURBAN ISLAND IS OPEN 24/7

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BACK TO SCHOOL PLAYLISTS FROM ITUNES

I was wandering around on iTunes last week and stumbled on their BACK TO SCHOOL playlists. The categories: HIPSTERS, HIPPIES, SK8ERS, HIP HOP HEADS, HONOR ROLL, GREEKS, COWBOYS, CHEERLEADERS, CLUB KIDS, EXCHANGE STUDENTS, BAND GEEKS, and THE FAITHFUL. They are great playlists and I wound up purchasing some songs from these lists. Mostly I was attracted to the HIPSTERS (although I'm not that cool), SC8TRS (I can't expain this but I have an inner sc8tr), HONOR ROLL (although I don't believe I was ever on it in high school), and GREEKS (because I was one in college) playlists. I did toss in a few from THE FAITHFUL (because I am), CLUB KIDS (no idea why). I talked to my daughter about what she had - as I wanted to go through her CDs to see if I could find some of this stuff. My daughter had every song I wanted from the HONOR ROLL, GREEKS, and SK8TER lists. Interesting mix.

So pop over to iTunes and check out these BACK TO SCHOOL playlists. Find out if you're really a band geek or cheerleader and don't know it. If you've been out of school for awhile - like me - it will be even more fun because you don't even have to go back to school to dig into this cool music. Sometimes it's nice to be all grown up.

Soothing Sounds - Common Household Sounds Can Create A Peaceful Environment

Life is noisy. The modern world is full of noise and distractions. Whether at home, at work, or sitting in an airport, it can get to you. Sometimes you just want quiet - for rest and relaxation or for concentration. I often use music to block out the noises of the world and I have a number of playlists on my iPod that are just environmental - Pure Nature - Birds, Pure Nature - Ocean, Pure Nature - Night are a a few examples. Sometimes the sounds of the waves and chimes blowing in a light breeze or birds singing in some faraway field are just so calming and stress reducing. I have never tried white noise before but recently I discovered CDs by Pure White Noise. I was intrigued because they mix white noise with the nature sounds - something I'd never heard of before - and they include what I call modern environmental sounds in their list of CDs.

For instance, I have always found the sound of the washer and dryer very relaxing. It gives me a kind of cozy feeling for some reason. The sounds of an electric fan whirling away in the background in the summer can be peaceful too. The steady hum of an air conditioner takes me back to my childhood when the window air conditioner was the only air conditioner at my aunt's home and we didn't have any air conditioning at all - I can't expalin it but that sound just chills me out.

Pure White Noise actually has CDs like this and they are great. I know they are great because I bought a stack of them recently - so intrigued was I by their titles. I was not disappointed when they arrived and I loaded them all up on my iPod. I am telling you - that stuff is relaxing. When my house gets noisy and I am working from home I can even layer it - quiet music on my laptop and the relaxing sound of an a washing machine going in the background. Sounds crazy but it works like a charm. Distractions are driven away and I'm not using any water.

They also had some nature and white noise CDs. I got one called Winds of White Noise and the windy sound is flat out soothing. I will probably buy the Wonderful Waves of White Noise because I never heard an ocean waves CD I didn't like.

What Is The Universe Coming To?

First, Disney cancels Phil of the Future and now scientists downgrade Pluto to a non-planet. Hey, what's going on here? We may not be able to impact the fate of the planet/non-planet Pluto but we may be able to save Phil and friends. For some reason, my stressed adult self just gets a big kick out of Phil of the Future. Of course, I discover it late in the second season - via my teenagers who will always have a soft spot for Disney shows. I'm well behind the curve on this one and now it looks like I'll have to say goodbye after just saying hello. I don't mind about Pluto (planet/non-planet) but I'm mad about Phil. If you feel compelled to help Phil out then check out this Save Phil site. Networks do respond to viewers. For instance, Wonderfalls was cancelled early in it's first season but eventually they released the whole first season on DVD. It's great by the way. I bet we'd have never seen it if it wasn't for a persistent Save Wonderfalls campaign.

Cosmic Irony

Hooter Chairman dies unexpectedly. Avril Lavigne weds. Someone has a sense of humor.

M'sieur Crepe Rides Again

I love crepes. They remind me of Paris, Virginia Beach, and my young adulthood during which time the height of dining elegance was dining at the Magic Pan. Oh, crepes. Oh, lovely dinner crepes stuffed with chicken and some creamy sauce. Oh, delightful dessert crepes stuffed with bananas or filled with chocolate. You are delicious. And like fondue, you came in during my teens and went out the door again until recently when I noticed a resurgence of these delightful foods turning up in magazines and menus. My fondue is the hit of the party. My secret - a loaf of french bread cut up in squares, and two boxes of Tiger Fondue heated up in the electric fondue pot I've had forever. What's my recipe everyone asks as they dig in. They need to know the secret too. It's so addictively good. I'm telling you but I never told them. It's a family recipe - I say instead with a modest smile. It really is a family recipe because this is just how my mom made our fondue all those years ago. I'm just glad they still make the stuff or I'd be bereft of a cherished family recipe.

When I got out of school and got my own place, I told my brother - just give me appliances for gifts. A fondue pot, some kind of cool electric sandwich maker, and a Sunbeam M'sieur Crepe Electric Crepe maker. That was a big one of my list. Yes, please. Get me a M'sieur Crepe, and make it snappy.

Poor M'sieur Crepe. He has spent a lot of time in a cabinet in our garage since those days, just waiting until this weekend. Lucky for him, my daughter has discovered that she likes to cook and she decided that she was cooking crepes last night. My job was simple - rescue M'sieur Crepe from the dark recesses of the garage. M'sieur Crepe cleaned up good as new but his instructions had gone AWOL. Luckily, about.com had the basic M'sieur Crepe instructions right there. It seems a lot of people have lost their M'sieur Crepe instruction book but held onto M'sieur Crepe himself. I am grateful for the about.com expert, Carroll Pellegrinelli, who had it together enough to be able to instruct the instructionless.

The crepes were a great success. Guess what? We're having them again tonight.

M'sieur Crepe is back with a vengeance.

American Idol - Who Will Win?

I have to admit it. I am enjoying the American Idol finale. For me it has been a fun ride. The show tonight has definitely been packed to overflowing with enjoyable performances and lots of surprise appearances. I enjoyed the funny bits too. I am glad that they put that comic relief in. My favorite sequence of silly American Idol fun was watching Kellie Pickler in Wolfgang Puck's restaurant Vert. I was so excited because while in LA a few weeks ago my daughter and I got to have dinner there one evening. It was delightful, wonderful, and delicious. I feel very cool now. Well, everyone should feel cool once in a while. Even if just for a moment.

Now back to the show...

And the winner is???

Oh wait first it's Prince here except what does he call himself now. Well how about that. Actually, although I'm not a big Prince fan, I like the performance.

And the winner is???

Taylor - who would have thought that Taylor would ever get this far? I guess some people did. Not me. However, he won and that's all she wrote. Our personal favorite isn't always going to win in life. Nor will those we think most deserving always get the prize. That's the way it goes.

I still don't really understand how he got all those votes after hearing Taylor sing the closing song. I just have no idea why he is standing up there - the winner.

That is life however and now it's just about time to get back to reality again.

At least for the rest of the evening.

American Idol - Time to Vote

Tonight is the big night on American Idol. Everyone has their favorites. Of course, I have mine.

I think Chris Daughtry was the best of the group. Sadly, he is gone from the show. I was shocked. It's really pretty crazy as he was the most professional of all the singers this season. It is probably fortunate for him that he not be tied to an American Idol contract, however. I think he will do better off on his own in the long run. I'd buy any CD he put out. I hope he does that soon. He has an amazing voice.

As a side note on two contestants that went off a little earlier, I feel confident that Paris Bennett can make it especially if she focuses on jazz. She has a nice jazz voice. Kellie Picker could hit the country charts because she has the down-to-earth quality that really works well in that venue.

Elliott Yamin was my pick for winning American Idol once Chris was off the show. He has a gorgeous voice and I like the music he picks. He is another one whose albums I will definitely buy and I do hope he gets a recording contract so I can do that. I also thought he seemed like a humble and genuine person. I like that.

So what's left. Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee.

Katherine has a nice voice but it is clear that she is going to be easily convinced to go sleazy and silly as have many great voices before her as record execs press young female singers to let it all hang out to sell those CDs. The bottom line is that I do like her voice and I would buy her CD. I hope she stays a class act.

Then there is Taylor. Please save us from Taylor, dear Lord in Heaven. I am sure Taylor is a very nice fellow but as a performer he makes me shudder and long to shut off the TV. He seems to endure spasms when he sings. Sometimes he just looks like he really needs to pee. His grimacing during the ballads that he sings just makes me want to shake him. I think if he stopped with the goofy dancing, goofy singing stance, and goofy faces and just sang he would be better off. I will never - never, never, never, never - buy a Taylor Hicks CD. I think he would be fun to see in Vegas but he is not the kind of singer that works for me over the long haul. I just don't care for his singing style, his song choices, or his voice.

So tonight, I wish I could vote for Chris or Elliot but I will vote for Katharine.

Who writes these "first singles" for them by the way. They are awful for both Taylor and Katharine. Get better songwriters for these tunes, American Idol. Of the two, I think Katharine sang her "single" better than Taylor and she got the worst of the two songs.

And that's how I weigh in on American Idol. To each their own. Katharine - good luck. Chris and Elliott - I hope you get those recording contracts and you both become more famous than any American Idol.

Whoever you vote for, indulge in those American Idol downloads before they yank them off the site. The video and audio downloads are only available through May 24. The downloads are a great idea. It gives us a chance to enjoy favorite performances for this season before they disappear.

One of the best parts of the show was hearing Daniel Powter sing Bad Day. Now that's a great song.

Mad Housewife Goes Tourist

Tonight I am going to go to a farewell party for a co-worker of my daughter's. The theme is "tourist". I am working on my outfit now. I love being a tourist. We are bringing over a bottle of Mad Housewife Chardonnay. It's the perfect going away present and hostess gift - it totally expresses the way many women today feel. The labels alone are worth the price of the wine.

Towards a More Orderly Life

On the topic of getting organized, being organized, or feeling like you could maybe someday get a little organized? How do you get to that place where you can walk around the normal disorder of life feeling a little hopeful that you can get it in hand somehow? I am not the most orderly person in the world and so I ask this question quite a bit. I have been checking out flylady.net and that has led me to think of what I have personally found to be useful in moving (even if ever so slowly) towards a more orderly life.

There are six tips that I have culled from friends and family over the years that have helped me when I actually put them into action:

1) Make your bed in the morning before you head out into the world. It’s makes me feel more organized right from the start and it's much nicer to slip into at the end of the day.

2) Get dressed and pulled together (hair, makeup, etc.) whether you are leaving the house or not. Just get yourself presentable. You will just feel better about life and meeting whatever the day brings. A friend gave me this tip because she found it helped when she was feeling down. I notice that Flylady suggests doing this too. I’ve been taking my best friend’s advice on this for many a year. I find it works for me.

3) Stand in the entryway of your place – whatever you see in that first glimpse that is getting out of hand – sort it out so that the first thing you see when you get home is not chaos and disorder but something more restful. You don’t have to do this before you leave the house everyday. Just when you get a chance and you want to have the most impact on perceived order in your environment.

4) Don’t just stand there – do something. If you are nuking a cup of hot water for tea in the kitchen, then empty out the sink, toss out the junk mail, etc. You can get a lot done in 2 minutes.

5) Change a few small things in a room to get a brand new feeling all around. Buy some new bed sheets to change the look of your bedroom. I do this on a whim once in a while and it always gives me a lift. Eventually this will create a linen cabinet crisis but that's another story. I also switch out flower arrangements regularly. I lean towards silk flowers and greenery because they are so easy. I can reuse them, and everyone in this house has allergies – but knock yourself out with the fresh flowers if you so choose. Flowers give a room a some extra oomph and create a sense of household composure even where none actually exists. That composure makes me feel more pulled together in a more general sense. Same thing with other small things – like pillows, throws, or decorations. Mix it up a little bit so that the eye sees something new even if it’s only new by virtue of being something you haven't seen in awhile or that you have moved around from another place in the house. Just switch it out once in awhile.

6) Clean out your purse, your briefcase, or your car. Much chaos lurks there and it is stressing you out with every use of the bag, case, or vehicle whether you realize it or not. My purse becomes disorganized at an increasing level as the week progresses until it is soon a jumble of receipts, headphone wire, lipstick tubs, and lose change. I spill it all out and give myself a fresh start everytime I find my keys are attached to a number of other non-key items in my bag.

 

How do you get organized and reduce the stress of a mess?

Order Out of Chaos - I'll Try

I need order. I need a straightened house. I need help! That's why I am over at flylady.net checking out her Beginner BabySteps Program. I believe in baby steps. One of my favorite films of all times is What About Bob? That was all about the power of baby steps. I think you can do a lot just moving slowly towards you goal and building on your everyday progress. The first step is "Go Shine Your Sink". I think I can do that. The sink may be pretty damn surprised though - seeing as it's not sparkling and dish-free on an average day. I bet I'll be surprised myself when I see an empty sink with no dirty dishes decorating it from my busy family tomorrow morning. With teenagers, the trick will be in the timing, as bedtime is a fluid concept. I'm going to go through the baby steps provided by Flylady - one a day - going past the sink to the next challenge in a concerted attempt to create a more orderly home. I can hardly wait to see what the next step with be and the next one after that. There are 31 all told. Maybe I can foist a few off on another family member. That would be nice. Most likely however, I will be investing in creating order as a solo project. I think it will be worth it.

Excuse me, I have to go clean my kitchen sink now.

Happy 2006!

 

Happy New Year! Lately, I've been better about writing my online journal - Suburban Island - than blogging here on Little Island. A New Year's resolution for me is getting posts up here a little more regularly. Ironically, I find myself writing posts in my head while in the car, doing chores, and shopping. They're great! I wish you could read them. That won't be happening however, because they are not here. That's because by the time I sit in front of my computer in the evening, I'm exhausted and my great posts have flown out of my mind never to be written at all. Life is busy. That's the truth. But blogging is fun and rewarding so I am going to work to find the time and energy for writing here.

If you want to read about my suburban adventures then head over to Suburban Island. Suburbia yields a lot of stories. I just write them down. I like to think I do it with a special twist.

Blogging and writing an online journal keeps me on my toes. I love how no matter how much I learn there is always more. No matter how much I write there is always a new adventure to share. This year I am getting fascinated by podcasting. It's because my kids got me a great video iPod for Christmas. I have found some great podcasts already and I'm just getting started. What are some of my first favorite finds? I recommend:

Daily Breakfast with Father Roderick is a gentle little morning show that comes out of the Netherlands and has a Catholic voice that I think crosses over to people of other faiths very nicely. What's fun about it is its flow. It's very natural and conversational. Father Roderick shares great music. There's lots of talk about interesting things going on in the world. He shares his views about literature, TV, movies, and videogames. Father Roderick even takes you on some travels. It's well worth a listen. Father Roderick also has separate podcasts going on: the Secrets of Harry Potter, the Secrets of Narnia, and the Secrets of Star Wars. I've just subscribed to them all.

MuggleCast grabbed me from the first listen. It's a panel approach to discussing all things Harry Potter. The depth of the knowledge of the panelists and their enthusiasm really made me want to hear all the prior podcasts that this group had put together. It makes me feel more Harry Potter smart and panders to my Harry Potter addiction. Harry Potter fans - check this out.

50 Pounds, 6 Months is a video podcast that is following Christiana Ellis in her quest to lose some weight. Something I need to do myself. Her podcast jumped out at me because I need some inspiration in this area per my New Year's resolution to get fit and healthy. This isn't a glitzy podcast and I like that Christiana is learning the technical ins-and-outs of producing her video podcasts as she goes along and sharing that information with us. I can see she is going to be refining her lights, camera, action as she moves forward. This week, for instance, she stepped away from her computer and took us into the kitchen for a cooking lesson. I'm glad to have a virtual diet buddy and I thank Christiana for her honesty in putting herself out there in this podcast and for the inspiration she is providing to others.

Crash Test Kitchen cooks it up. It's a friendly and unscripted approach to sharing recipes and tips. I like the dynamic between Waz and Lenny and the casual quality of this video podcast. Since it's not a show coming from U.S. cooks it expressing a little different culinary culture than I would normally be exposed to on the cooking shows on TV and I really enjoy that. Variety is the spice of life.

Hip Tranquil Chick is full of cool ideas. I need to be tranquil and hip so I immediately subscribed. I started up with yoga classes recently and am looking for tranquil inspiration. I can use the general chick and fashion tips too.

Now that I've gotten started on the wonderful world of podcasts I'm sure there will be many more recommendations to come. And of course, please share your podcast finds with me.