Adam Lambert in Bottom Three

Adam Lambert was in the bottom three of the American Idol contestants last night. I am not really surprised though. I think people think he is so good he can't lose, so they assume he is getting votes. In my opinion, Adam is a pretty good singer who screams some of his songs and sticks his pointy tongue out in creepy ways when he sings. I think even if he doesn't win American Idol he will still get some kind of recording deal. He is weird, and scary and creepy, and a giant of an effeminate man, but I can't seem to take my eyes off of him. Kris Allen and Danny Gokey are more to my liking, but the proof is in the voting. It should end up being an interesting final few weeks. -----By the way, Allison has a great voice, but seems a little immature for winning the whole thing. What do I know, anyway?

Acai Berry Update

This week I am trying to catch up on questions and requests from some readers. I posted about ordering and trying the Acai Berry supplements along with the Total Cleanse. Unfortunately, the news to report back is a little disappointing and also incomplete. I started the supplements and used them exactly as directed on the package, however a couple of weeks into it, I got sick, so I ended up getting out of the habit of taking the capsules. During the few weeks that I was taking the Acai Berry supplements and Total Cleanse, I really didn't notice any kind of change, so I'm not convinced that they work--for me anyway. I was in the middle of selling a house and moving my family 600 miles, so things were not ideal for keeping track of what was going on with my body. I think I will try it again; maybe try a different brand and see if I notice any difference. So for right now, I would have to say, save your money and just take a brisk walk everyday. You'll probably get faster results from that than Acai Berry alone.

Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne This Week!

The big sale starts tomorrow, and will continue until Friday, May 1. This is a BIG deal for women everywhere. I know it sounds kind of silly, but truly, women everywhere are attracted to these colorful, versatile, quilted bags. They come in all styles, shapes and sizes. Vera Bradley has come a long way. Now in addition to the cute, soft bags, Vera Bradley brand offers eyeglasses frames, stationary, towels and rugs. The price tag for Vera Bradley items in retail stores are quite high, in my opinion, but if you are able to get to the outlet sale, prices are 40-70% less than retail. Of course, there are limited patterns and styles, but still, if Vera Bradley bags are your thing, then now is the time to buy them. It is amazing to me how devoted women are to these bags. This year, customers are required to register if they plan to purchase anything. That added step in the shopping process does not seem to have deterred anyone from the sale. According to Vera Bradley officials, over 30,000 (mostly) women have registered, and some have registered from as far away as Hawaii! That is awesome! Vera Bradley is a vital part of the Fort Wayne region, and is committed to helping fund research for a cure for breast cancer, so the salty prices on the bags and other accessories don't seem that awful when they are trying to give back to everyone. In these times of constant financial gloom and doom stories, it is refreshing to know that there is one company here in northeastern Indiana that is thriving and doing good things for others in the process. If you would like more information about Vera Bradley products, the Vera Bradley Foundation, or the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, please visit http://verabradley.com you can feel good about the purchases you make, and look stylish in the process!

Hoover LiNX Stick Vacuum Review

As requested by one of my readers, today is the day I am reviewing my new Hoover LiNX stick vacuum. First of all, I need to say that I have purchased and used many vacuums over the years. Since I have four kids and various pets, good, sturdy vacuums are a must. I don't have time to mess around, I need to get my cleaning done quickly and sufficiently. With that being said, I have to say I really like my Hoover LiNX. It is much more powerful and sturdy than the Shark Cordless stick I had a few years ago. That thing didn't even last a year before I was disenchanted with it. The great thing about my Hoover is that it is great on both the carpet and my wood and ceramic tile. The switch button is right on the handle and it is effortless to flip it from hardwood to carpet. Another thing I like about it is that the dust cup is very easy to empty, and the filter can also be rinsed off and used over and over. The vacuum is lightweight and easy to carry up and down stairs. My mother-in-law just purchased the latest version of the Shark cordless stick vacuum, and my sixteen year old daughter even made the comment that the Shark worked fine on my mother-in-law's vinyl floor, but it couldn't handle the carpet in the family room at all. The Hoover works VERY well on my frieze carpet.

There are a couple of things about the Hoover LiNX cordless stick vacuum that bug me. The first thing is the price. Most stores carry them for about $179.00. I was "lucky" and caught mine at WalMart on a day that it was $178.00 (big deal, but a buck is a buck!). Another thing that bugs me a little is I think the charge in the lithium ion battery should last a little longer. It would be nice if I had a second battery charged up and ready to go when the first one runs out. I suppose I should look around and see if there are additional batteries that can be purchased (at at huge price, I am sure) on the Hoover parts website. One other thing that is sort of a pain is if I try to vacuum my steps. The vacuum is so nice and lightweight that it seemed like doing the steps wouldn't be a problem, but being a stick, there no way to shorten or change the handle at all, so the task can be awkward--but I do it anyway!

So, there you have it. Pros: Lightweight, easy switch from bare floors to carpet, powerful, easy emptying the dust cup, durable. Cons: Cost, relatively short battery charge, awkward when vacuuming steps.

If your budget can support this little cutie, I would say, "Go out and get one!"

ZAMU Health Drink: Is It Real?

I was watching "The Bonnie Hunt Show" this morning and she had Olivia Newton-John and her new huband, John Easterling on. They were talking about the couple's trip to the Amazon and the work Mr. Easterling does in and for the rainforest. They brought Bonnie a bottle of ZAMU which is a drink made from the camu camu berry. The claim is that the camu camu berry has the highest concentration of natural vitamin C. The drink, ZAMU is some elixir that you drink twice a day to improve your health. Mr. Easterling said that is has ingredients in it that increase the seritonin uptake in your body, so you feel "really good" when you drink the stuff. Bonnie and her guests shared a swig of the juice and then she and Bruno Tonioli had some more. I'm just curious if the stuff works.

I looked up ZAMU and like every other health food craze, there is a "business opportunity" for you to start your own business selling the stuff. It is quite expensive, $45.00 for one bottle and $125.00 for a case of four bottles. My hope is that this is on the up and up. I hope that the people who produce ZAMU are not plundering and raping the rainforest in search of enough camu camu berries to make this miracle juice. I'm skeptical, how about you?

Trip to BMV Exercise in Stupidity

So, do want to know how I spent my morning? I was trying (unsuccessfully, I might add) to get an Indiana driver's license. It didn't seem to be that big of a deal. I've done it before--back when I was sixteen and then two years ago when I had to get a Virginia driver's license. Now that we have moved back to Indiana--a state that doesn't think any other state's driver's licenses count for anything, I need to get my license switched back. I have already been to the BMV twice, but was unable to get the license because it was either too late in the day (you have to be there an hour before closing) or I didn't have my birth certificate with me. Today, since I had everything I thought I needed, I decided to give it another try. I knew I would have to take a written test (didn't have to do that in VA), but I was confident about that part. After standing in a long line, I went up to the counter, thinking everything was cool. I hand the girl my Social Security card, my birth certificate, my old Virginia license, and our first utility bill from our new house. Well, guess what? My name wasn't on the bill; only my husband's was. Okay, so I get that. The girl goes through a list of all the things that can be used for proof of residence, and I have none of them. Here is the list: 1. a child support check stub--my husband and I are married and raising our children together--don't have that 2. Bill or benefit statement--nope, don't have that--haven't received any bills with my name and new address 3. Indiana driver's license, ID card or permit with photo--well, duh! I just moved from out of state--don't have that 4. Indiana surveyor report--don't know what that is 5. Indiana residency affidavit--Huh??? 6. Voter registration card--hello! don't these people get it??? I just moved here 7. Valid Indiana vehicle or watercraft title or registration--how would I have that???? So the girl asked me if I had a bank account, and, yes! I have that! I needed a bank statement, but I haven't been here long enough to have received one, so she said all I had to do was to go back to the bank (I had already been there to make a deposit prior to my BMV trip) and get the teller to print out a statement that had my name, account number, balance, stamped and signed by the bank teller with today's date. The girl even asked me if I wanted her to print out the list of what she needed from the bank. Of course I said sure, because I would never be able to remember all that (oh geez, I'm being patient!).

I take the paper to the bank, the teller of course doesn't have a statement, but can print out all the information needed. He does that--even double checks that everything is there. He signs, stamps, and dates it. I take it back over to the BMV, stand in that icky line again, and the girl looks at it and says, "Well, this doesn't have your address on it." I say, "Well, you printed out exactly what I was supposed to get, and that is what I got." She says, "Well, I'll just check to make sure." In the mean time, she asks the other check-in girl if she thought the statement was enough. The other girl said, "Oh sure, I accept all kinds of things as proof of residency." Instead of my girl letting it go at that, after all, you can't get a checking account without an address, she holds her hand up for someone else to come and give her opinion. I was still feeling patient and pleasant.

Then something ugly happened that turned my pleasant demeanor sour. The other woman said to my check-in girl, this has to have the address, it's for proof of residency, sometimes you just have to spell this out to these people! Okay, now I'm mad and my face is turning red. Spell it out for these people? What? I politely said, "I know what you are saying, but I got the exact information I was told to get. '' I could feel my face getting hot. I was angry, not because I was disputing what they were saying, it was just the condescending way they were speaking to me. It was humiliating. I am not confident that I will have the required papers by the end of 60 days, so whatever. I'm just going to drive with my Virginia license until the last possible minute.

Free to Choose--Even a Dog!

The last time I checked, I was living in the United States of America. Right? We are the land of the free and home of the brave, but it seems recently so many groups have been acting as though we are not a free people that I just have to scratch my head. The thing is this: we should be able to pick out a dog or any other pet from whomever, wherever we choose. The President of the United States should also be allowed to pick his family pet--the one that best fits with his family--from a breeder or a shelter. Why should this be such a big deal? Of course finding that one miserable, scrappy little creature who is on the list to be euthanized; who is, at the last minute picked as the pet for a loving family would be the animal rescue people's choice. What a great, heartwarming story to have had the First Family swoop in and rescue a needy dog! Sure, I agree. I am all for rescuing dogs. I have a dog (a purebred, by the way) who was given up by 5 different families who couldn't handle her--and that was all before she even turned 6 months old--s0, all you animal rescue people--I get it. What I don't get is how pushy you sound when you whine about the President getting a purebred dog from a breeder. Sometimes there isn't a rescue dog that is appropriate for the family. I had a terrible time finding a dog when we were looking. We were told that the dogs we were interested in were either already being considered by another family, or that small dogs weren't appropriate for small children (I had a three year old at the time), or that the dog had behavior problems--all sorts of obstacles were in our way. I ended up adopting a dog from a foster pet group and we have had our little Parson Russell Terrier for five years now. So, I am for shelter dogs. I wanted a shelter dog, but it just didn't work out. I ended up with an unwanted purebred--is that so unlike the Obama family? The President would surely have been criticized if he and his family had chosen a shelter dog just to appease the folks who are rescue advocates, and then had to return the dog because it wasn't right for the family. Apparently, the dog they picked had been returned to the breeder because it wasn't a good addition to that particular family. I would think that any dog or cat or bird or hamster who is purchased, adopted or otherwise obtained; who is given a chance at a decent, comfortable life would be the goal of all animal lovers. Does it really matter where the dog started it's life? This is America and all of us, including the President, should be able to get a family pet without fear of being criticized for their choice. It's a personal choice, not an outside committee decision. Good grief!

Adam Lambert--Great Singer, But Scary

I think Adam Lambert is probably the best singer, and probably the most ready to become a pop star than all the remaining cast members of this season's American Idol show. I wonder why, with his being so good, he hasn't already been recording records and doing concerts and things. It seems that others on past shows (Carly comes to mind) who don't really have the chops, have had record deals. Why hasn't Adam? Even if he doesn't win, he will definitely have a bright career after this show. With all that being said, I just don't like him much. He is sort of spooky; there's just something about him that makes me feel a little scared of him. Sometimes when he sings, he sort of screams and it just puts me off. Last night's song was beautiful, though. I'm betting he's going to win, even though he isn't my favorite. I rather like Danny Gokey--he doesn't scare me as much! Just an afterthought. . .Has anyone else noticed how ginormous Adam Lambert looks when he is standing next to Ryan Seacrest? Check it out tonight, you'll see what I mean.

More Housewife Stuff-Hoover Cordless Vacuum

Since we have just moved into a new house, I have been trying to fit all our stuff from the previous two houses into this one. This new house is just different enough from the last two that fitting things in and trying to arrange furniture and putting things away is becoming quite a challenge. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining in the least. The new house has plenty of room for stuff, it's just that the stuff I have doesn't fit the layout of the house. Anyway, for years I have had a big, clunky, Kirby vacuum. It has served me well, but it is difficult to drag up and down stairs and is just plain heavy. Our last house had a central vac system, so old Kirby-G4 didn't come out of the closet much. The new house doesn't have a central vac, so I am back to Mr. Hefty Kirby. I decided I wanted something easier to run up and down the steps with, and could also be nice to my hardwood floors. I had my eye on a Dyson, but they are so expensive that I didn't dare get one. I found a little bagless, cordless deal that is supposed to be grand. It is a Hoover LiNX stick vacuum. It is in the (woo hoo Platinum collection). Pretty fancy, huh? This little fella runs on a lithium ion battery and is very lightweight. It does a fair job on the hardwood, tile and carpeted areas of my home. I'm not sure how long this little guy is going to last, though, because I have a lot of area to cover. For the $179.00 price tag, I hope it lasts a good long while. Hefty Kirby is still my man for the tough jobs, so he will probably stay with me for awhile longer. That's my housewife junk for today. Happy weekend!

Laundry Trouble

Okay, so sorry, readers, but you will just have to indulge me on this one. Something has been happening recently that I just have to throw onto the housewife's trash heap. We have a king sized bed. I don't really like the bed for several reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is the stupid sheets. The sheets are so hard to fold! I have never mastered the folding of any size fitted sheet. The corners are just too hard. There is no way to fold them neatly regardless of size, but I digress. The thing that has been honking me off lately is the fitted sheet getting so fire-truckin' tangled in the dryer! It has happened three times now. If I happen to have any other smaller item in the dryer with it, the sheet (doesn't matter which one of the fitted sheets I have) it will force the poor smaller item in to one of the corners and twist and twist and twist. The item doesn't get dry and is wrinkled beyond recognition. I just have had it! It takes twice as long to dry everything because Mr. Smart Alec Fitted Sheet bullies everyone else in the dryer. I don't know what I am going to do. I am at my wits-end. Maybe I will just not use Mr. Fitted Sheet anymore. That will show him who's boss!!!