Another popular question lately

I've had several people ask about our baby shower. Kristi and a few of my friends are planning the shower as we speak which will be Saturday, August 11, so save the date.

Nursery theme

Several people have asked if we've chosen a theme/colors for the nursery. If you go to the Babies R Us registry, you can see the bedding set we chose. We're going with an ocean life theme in aquas and lavenders.

Rockin' the Arbonne Challenge

Generally speaking, July and August are slow months for Arbonne because so many people go away on vacations that it's hard to book presentations. To help us continue building our businesses, our upline sponsor Amme Weilert is posing a challenge for July and August. It's called the Lucky 7 Challenge and the prize for anyone who completes it is a goodie bag from Tiffany & Co. This is such an awesome prize!! I've never gotten anything from Tiffany's, so I'm going to kicking into high gear and win that goodie bag!! However, I do need some help. One part of the challenge is to book 6 presentations in July and 6 in August. Cousin Lisa has been so gracious to book a party with me already for next month. Thanks Lisa. I'm working with a few clients right now to get more bookings. If anyone would be so kind as to host a party for me in the next two months, I am offering $100 in free products!!! Now come on. Who doesn't like free stuff? If you're schedule is busy, then maybe you know someone who would love to try Arbonne products and would be willing to host a party. Please pass that person's name on to me and I'll give you a free product for the referral.

The hardest part of the challenge is going to be getting a new person into qualification for District Manager, which means I need to get out there and meet people who want to join Arbonne and start their own side business. I say side business because for many people Arbonne starts out as a side business to make more money but eventually it becomes their Plan A like me. I see the potential of what I can achieve by building an Arbonne business and how it's going to provide so much more for my family than a j-o-b ever could. (You all know what j-o-b stands for right? Just over broke. Ain't that the truth, especially in CA.) So if you are kinda-sorta thinking about Arbonne or just want to know more so you can understand why I am so passionate about it, I'd love to set up a time to talk to you. Maybe you know someone who could really use some financial freedom right about now. Again, send me their name and number and I'll call them. I do offer thank you gifts for referrals. This Sunday at 7pm Amme and her husband Chris will be hosting a conference call for anyone to call in to learn more about Arbonne. The call in number is 641-696-6600 and the access code is 14141#. Again, I would love to have you listen into this call and then meet with you later to answer any questions. The reason I love Arbonne is because it's all about helping others achieve their goals in life. The only way I will succeed is by helping others succeed. That makes for a much more rewarding, fulfilling career than what I was doing for the past 6 years because I get to help people dream again. Are you ready to dust off your dreams and start living life to its fullest? You all deserve to live the best life possible!! I know that Arbonne is not for everyone, so at least send positive thoughts my way as I embark on the Lucky 7 Challenge and work to achieve my dream of being home with my baby girl, retiring my husband before he's 40, and having the financial freedom to take care of and spoil my parents and brother. Have an amazingly wonderful day!!!

New pictures in our gallery

I finally got Shawn to post some new pictures in the photo gallery at http://www.shawnandmarisa.com/. Under the Baby Girl album, he added the two pics of the toy chest my dad made me for Mother's Day. As I start clearing the guest room out, I'll take more pictures to show you the nursery. Shawn also added the pictures from my cousin Kim's bridal shower and from his birthday party this past weekend, which by the way was a lot of fun. In typical Shawn fashion, they got a couple games of kick ball in, and Mike even brought water balloons so they could do a water balloon toss. Of course, everyone attacked Shawn with water balloons at one point, but Greg got him good when he dumped a bucket of water over him. Oh the boys. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, including all the little ones, and Shawn didn't seem to mind celebrating his 30th as much any more. He did say, however, that you know you're getting old when you have a bunch of little kids running around at your birthday party--and not as much alcohol as usual, I added. Overall, the party was a blast.

Baby registries are done!

Man, was that an ordeal but I survived the second and final baby registry. Shawn and I have now picked out all we could possibly imagine needing for the baby's arrival. You can find our registries at Babies R Us and Target. Of course, we didn't register for much clothes because we know everyone would rather pick out whatever they think our little girl will look cute in.

This week's baby update

Tuesday we had a doctor appointment. Just a regular checkup. Everything is going great, so I didn't have too many questions for the doc. We heard the heart beat. I knew the baby was awake and active because I could feel her moving about, so the heart beat was good and strong. The doctor also measured my belly for the first time. Her response was, "Oh looks like you've got a big baby." I was surprised to hear this because I don't have a big bulging belly and I get quite a few reactions from people on a weekly basis that I am still not all that big. The doctor then looked at my chart and noted that based on my weight measurements for the day I had actually lost 3 pounds. She then started questioning my eating habits. I guaranteed her I'm eating but explained that I have been really busy and active lately. She said that even if I was active, I still need to be eating 6 meals a day, but that it was normal for women to lose a few pounds or to not gain a lot of weight if they are really active. I also ensured her that I drink a ton of water each day. She was happy to hear that and left it alone. After we left the office though I wondered why she said I had a big baby if I had lost 3 pounds. Guess I'll have to ask her at the next visit what she meant and how she can tell the baby is big. I'm SOOO hoping for a small baby, about 7 pounds or less if at all possible. I don't look forward to squeezing out a 9 pounder or something like that. Yikes!

On Wednesday, Shawn and I took a tour of Los Al hospital and the Labor and Delivery ward. It was a short tour with lots of info. Just like Shawn wanted it. I was glad we got to see the birthing suites, but I had hoped we would see the post-partum rooms as well. The suites are nice and simple, not that I was expecting a plasma tv or anything. Good news is the hospital does allow cell phone use in L&D since I know many hospitals don't want you using cell phones. But realistically who isn't using a cell to call people to tell them they are in delivery or that the baby has arrived? One funny thing we learned is no latex balloons are allowed in the hospital, which I am sure is due to allergies to latex, so they only allow mylar balloons. We also did the pre-admit paperwork because I know the last thing I want to worry about when I arrive at the hospital is trying to remember Shawn's SSN or name of employer for all the stupid paperwork.

As for what's on the baby agenda for next week: I need to take down the framed pictures that are in the guest room and pack away any knick knacks I'm keeping so I can start getting the nursery ready. Time is a ticking and we have about 15 weeks left until baby's arrival. I want to have the room ready though by September so I can relax a bit come the final weeks and also just in case she arrives early. Yes, that's me: Mrs. Planner.

Relay for Life Pictures

I keep forgetting to post that the pictures from Relay for Life are now posted online. You can view them when you visit www.shawnandmarisa.com.

25 greatest slow dance songs

Rolling Stone magazine is notorious for posting these crazy top 25 lists, so I had to share this one: the 25 greatest slow dance songs. Which ones are your favorites? Any complaints that they forgot one? I love that Eternal Flame by the Bangles is on the list because that's the only song I could remember the lines to when I used to babysit Kylie. It'll be interesting when I officially become a mom because I don't know the typical baby songs. Instead, I'll be singing Pearl Jam's Jeremy and Black to get my baby girl to sleep. This kid will definitely be a rock and roll baby.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/06/04/rock-list-the-25-greatest-slow-dance-songs-ever/

The mommy mobile is here

Shawn and I did a lot of baby stuff this weekend. Friday night we started our baby registry at Babies R Us. Saturday morning we went and looked at cribs, which by the way can be obnoxiously expensive. One set we liked with a crib, dresser, and armoire was $2300. That's out. Baby girl is important, but kids don't appreciate nice furniture. I could just see us flipping out when she paints on it when she's a littler older. Needless to say, we're still shopping for furniture. Saturday afternoon we then went test driving cars. We've already driven the Nissan Murano a few months back, so we tried out the Toyota RAV4. I wasn't all that impressed. It could have been the fact that our salesman was not very personable and hardly showed us anything about the car. He couldn't even figure out how to maneuver the back seats. Plus, there were just little aesthetics that I didn't like. So we then headed over to the Honda dealership to try the CRV. Our salesman was much better and showed us more of the car's features. One thing I always love about Honda is that they always think of family features. One cool thing I loved the second I got in was there is a place to put my purse rather than throwing it on the passenger seat or floor. (Hey, us women think of those things. My mom and Barb both loved that feature when I pointed it out.) Another cool feature is the sunglass holder that drops down from the ceiling, but it also has a mirror that you can position to look at baby in the back seat. Like I said, Honda always thinks about family features. I also loved that it has a full sized spare time since I have had plenty of flat tires in my day and I hate driving 15 mph on the donut spare. When we both drove the CRV, we were really impressed by its handling abilities. Once we got back to the dealership, Shawn mentioned that he wanted to see it in silver after I had talked him out of getting it in black. (I don't want baby girl to fry in a black car.) The salesman David looked it up and found that they had one, but he was going to have to find which storage lot it was in since Honda World has 3 spare lots. The poor guy drove us all around looking for it with no success. He took us back to the dealership and did more research. He finally found it and brought it back for us to see. Shawn decided then and there he wanted it, which shocked me because I thought we were just "window shopping." But then again poor Shawn has been doing research for 6 months now, so he was pretty familiar with prices and what he was looking for. After a few long hours of paperwork, we finally settled on a price and signed the contract. This is the first time either of us has bought our own car from a dealer, so it was definitely a learning experience. (I told my dad that I think I like it better when he goes and does all the work and just comes home and tells me here's your car payment. Start paying. I'm glad we did it all on our own though.) We now have a brand new 2007 silver CRV with grey leather interior and all the bells and whistles Shawn wanted including a navigation system and rear camera. Of course I just like that it's super cute. Shawn even said it looks like a Marisa mobile. We are officially checking items off our baby to do list. We've gotta be ready for when the little one arrives in a few more months. Next up, clearing out the guest room and putting stuff in storage.

For the artistic types

As some of you know, I love the actor Nathan Fillion from the tv show Firefly and movie Serenity. I came across this art project he did titled Hero. It's very modern and literary, but more importantly asks the question how do we define tomorrow's heroes.
http://www.martinfirrell.com/supersecretthingy.html

American Cancer Society Relay for Life

WOW! I don't know if there are enough ways to describe my experience this past weekend at the Relay. Yes, it was a lot of time and planning to prepare for the relay, but it was worth every second. When Shawn and I were driving away Sunday morning, I told him I would doing it all again in a second. What an experience! I felt honored and blessed to be able to participate and help raise money for the American Cancer Society, which is an amazing organization. $.93 of ever dollar donated goes directly to research and education with only $.07 going to ACS. That's so incredible. As of Sunday morning, the HB Relay had raised over $55,000, with our team taking 2nd place for raising $4707.75. The funny part is we beat the third place team by only $.75! That's what I call close. Our team was also recognized for ACS Mission Delivery because our activity was to walk around promoting ACS by quizzing people on trivia questions. Thank you to Karie for taking on this responsibility for good chunk of time on Saturday. All-in-all our team rocked!

The 24 hours were packed with great fun and, of course, a few teary moments. My mom's best friend from school, Maria, came into town to participate as she is a breast cancer survivor. Watching everyone walking during the survivor lap and especially my mom supporting her best friend was so inspiring. The hardest was when I saw a little boy no more than 2 years old wearing a survivor shirt. I still get chills thinking about him. Throughout the day, there were various music performers. Unfortunately, a majority were pretty bad, but at least it was entertaining making fun of them. At midnight, they showed Shrek on this huge 25' movie screen. While I enjoy Shrek, the volume was so loud that it was impossible for me to sleep in the tent during that time, so I pretty much laid in bed and listened to the movie. I think I ended up sleeping off and on for about 3 1/2 hours and finally woke up around 5:45. I was so excited that our team always had somebody walking on the track, even in the late hours with Shawn, Thane, and their friend Rob walking the early morning hours. I was also shocked that my cousin Lisa walked with her friend Jessica from 5pm to 7pm and then came back at 2am to walk again. I can't thank the girls enough for all their hard work. Lisa calculated that they must have walked 8 miles! I am so lucky to have had such an amazing team and can't thank everyone enough for all their efforts. It meant the world to me. Of course, the hardest part of the whole event was the luminaria ceremony, which is when the track is lined with luminaria bags in memory or in honor of someone with cancer. I thought the bag I made for my Nana was the best one out there. I decorated it with a message to Nana on the back and a picture of her from her bowling days on the front. I'll post a picture of it when I get a chance to upload the pics from the event. To me, all the planning was worth it so that I could honor my Nana. So thank you to everyone who donated to our team and to everyone who walked the track. I love you all!

Why Avery is too smart for her own good

I've known for awhile that my niece Avery is too darn smart. The kid isn't even 2 yet, and her vocabulary is comparable to that of many of my students. Plus, she already speaks in sentences; given they are very rough and elementary in structure, but she's already putting groups of words together to form ideas. This child is progressing too quickly. Seriously what 22 month old says rhinoceros and with clear annunciation? One of her new words that she's trying to master is Ratatouille, the name of the upcoming animated movie. What really threw me for a loop though was two days ago when I heard her sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and the ABC song. I was floored. I've never known an almost-2 year old to sing these songs. I know that Kristi and Thane sing both songs to her on a regular basis, but obviously this little girl has a great memory that she has already started memorizing song lyrics. That is so impressive to me. But like I said, I think she's too smart, so I think I need to take her for a day or two and bring her down a notch because before we know it the kid's going to be reciting the Declaration of Independence or something crazy like that. Now I've got to find ways to make her revert to a 22 month old level. Hmm...the evil plotting begins. (Ha ha. Of course, I'm kidding, but I'm seriously concerned what she's going to do next to amaze me.)

Movie rec for all adults

Last weekend Shawn and I decided to brave the opening weekend crowd and catch Knocked Up. I'm so glad we did. I loved this movie as did Shawn. I have been excited to see this one for a few months now and was not disappointed. First off, it is NOT a film for kids. I wouldn't even recommend it for the young pre-teen audience either. The reason being there is a lot of adult humor that you might spend too much time explaining to the young impressionable minds. Yes, there is fart-type male humor to it, but there is so much more going on in this film that you can't simply pass it off as just another stupid comedy. Many of the characters in this movie are wrong on various levels, but they are just so darn entertaining. The scary thing is I've known guys like this through the years. Some of the funniest parts for me were the married couple's scenes. Yes, marriage can be screwy and unglamorous, but it's also downright funny when you step back and think about it. The film is also expertly casted with a few of my favorite actors from the short lived series Freaks and Geeks. You will also recognize some of the actors from the film The 40 Year Old Virgin. But my favorite part of the whole movie was listening and watching the men in the audience cringe and squirm when a clip of a live birth is shown. As we were walking out of the theater, I even heard one guy say he's seen a ton of horror movies but that really grossed him out. What a big wimp.

Top 20 "That Guys" List

Here's a funny list of the top 20 character actors that you often describe as " you know that one guy who was in that one movie..."

http://www.cracked.com/index.php?name=News&sid=1990

Insight into this season of The 4400

Don't forget the new season starts June 17th!!!

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=41700

Also, find out what your 4400 ability would be. I'm not sure I like mine: Mind Control Master. Here's part of the description: There's nothing you like more than getting your way, and you're not opposed to cutting corners or stepping on toes to make it happen. Although, I guess it would work if I was able to apply it to Arbonne so that I could get everyone to see "the gift" and join Arbonne because it's just that amazing of an opportunity and I wouldn't have to try to convince people any more. Hmm. On second thought, I like this ability.

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/the4400/games/profiler/

A celebreality show I can't wait for

I am generally one of the first people to bash the onslaught of cheesy celebreality shows, especially when they feature has-beens or never-weres. (I am sad to say that I did see the big Dustin Diamond blow-up on Celebrity Fit Club though. That was some pathetic tv viewing.) I am jazzed to have found the one celebreality show I have been waiting for. I had heard rumors about it a few months back and am pleased to share with all of you it will be premiering this summer: The Two Coreys. YES!! Corey Haim and Corey Feldman together again!! Now, I must admit part of me is sad because it was always my goal as a writer to come up with a script specifically to bring the two Coreys back together again, but given what a slacker I've become as a writer, I'm glad someone else has finally realized there is an audience for this reunion. I was a huge Coreys fan growing up, especially for Haim and am stoked to see their new show. Here's a link to an article about other upcoming celebreality shows this summer. The other one that I just might have to check out is the Scott Baio one. Come on Charles in Charge. Who of my generation didn't secretly love that show?

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-05-31-summer-TV-celebs_N.htm