Daily Mish Mash

And this time they were holding hands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I will try to contain my excitement and not use so many exclamations.

Thank you to JP at Celebrity-Skewer for the heads up on this story.

Ok, remember how I told you a few weeks ago that Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling were spotted leaving The Green Door after his DJ gig. 

Everyone was saying how nice it was that they were still friends, but I just knew there was more to the story. 

According to Lainey Gossip, Rachel and Ryan had dinner last night at a restaurant called Grace on College Street in Toronto. 

And they walked into the restaurant HOLDING HANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I just can’t contain my excitement.  I can barely type this because my fingers are shaking so much on the keyboard.

I have no pictures of this new sighting so I will just leave you with some old McGosling goodness.

It may be a little premature for this, but I’m saying it anyway: 

IT WASN’T OVER!!  IT STILL ISN’T OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you hear the news?!!  It is big huge MONUMENTAL news!! 

For the first time in almost a year and a half, Rachel McAdams    and Ryan Gosling have been photographed together!!!!!!!!!!  They were trying to be all sneaky by going out the back door of the Green Door Lounge in LA last night when the pesky paparazzi caught them.

Let’s all jump up and down and rejoice together! 

I know this picture really doesn’t mean that they are back together.  Sure, Rachel could have just been there as a friend going to support her ex as he made his debut as a DJ (This is peculiar news alone, but I have no time to worry about minor plot details like this.  Ryan likes playing with music.  That’s nice, but we have bigger fish to fry here people.)  

Anyway, a normal person wouldn’t jump to conclusions.  A normal person wouldn’t think that there was a secret wedding being planned.  A normal person wouldn’t look at the way Rachel is holding her purse over her belly and think that maybe she is trying to conceal a baby bump.  No, normal people don’t have these thoughts.   

I am choosing not to be normal.  I’m choosing to believe in true love and happily ever after.  I’m choosing to believe that this is just the beginning of many more good things to come.  Who’s with me?!!

 Note:  This is not a recent picture, but just one of my old favorites of the two of them back when all was right with the world.

Photo Credits:  Ryan Gosling Online

I wasn’t really planning on doing another post so soon, but I saw this fun little meme over at Supernanny Where Are You and since I was looking for something to do to avoid going to the grocery store I just had to participate. 

It’s about movies (Top 5 Favorites) and since I love lists and I love movies, I just couldn’t resist. 

Plus, I thought this would be a great post to promote my Movie Madness Carnival.  I finally picked a date for next month.  It is going to be on Tuesday, August 5th.  Click on the little banner on my sidebar for more information. 

Anyway, back to my list.  My husband says I have about twenty movies in my top five, but I disagree.  There are twenty in my top ten, but only five in my top five.  So there!

These are the absolute favorites, the movies I could watch over and over again and never get sick of.  These are the ones I choose to watch when I’m feeling sick for comfort (especially #2) and the ones that will make me laugh and cry no matter how many times I see them. 

I thought I’d list them in the form of youtube videos just to be annoying for fun. 

1.  The Notebook-It’s hard to pick just one scene.  The kiss scene is of course my favorite, but I really love this one too:

 

2.  The Burbs–A classic dark comedy. Yes, it is extremely cheesy, but I love it!  Plus, it is nice to watch a Tom Hanks movie where he doesn’t have a fake accent.

3.  Titanic–Again, the kiss scene trumps all but this is another good one:

4.  Meet the Parents–I laughed from beginning to end with this movie.  It is hard to pick a scene that stands alone as being the funniest because they build off of each other, but here is one that sort of stands alone:

5.  Pride and Prejudice–I have to post this scene of Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth unexpectedly running into each other at Pemberley. It is law. No other scene will do. Great, great movie!!

Looking at this list, I just can’t believe there isn’t even one traditional romantic comedy on there.   I love romantic comedies, so my honorable mentions include Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, Only You, and many more.

Jenny at Absolutely Bananas has asked for some advice about ways people keep their houses clean. She asks this like there is some sort of secret to doing it.  You know what?  I think there is.

I believe that there is an Ancient Society of Neat People that holds the key to how to properly keep your home tidy.  It is an exclusive club that you are born into.  Sometimes I think that the members of this society keep this a secret because it makes them feel superior to those of us who are in the Messy Club. 

I’m in the Messy Club.

Surprisingly, all of my friends are neat.  Every single one of them.  And I’ve watched them.  Oh yes, when they weren’t looking I’ve picked up on some of their housekeeping ways.

(I also keep thinking that maybe if I hang around with them long enough that some of their neatness will actually rub off on me, but unfortunately this hasn’t happened yet.  Yes, it seems only the yucky things like lice, pink eye and the flu are contagious.  You can’t catch the cleaning bug.)

I’ve also watched countless hours of Clean House, Clean Sweep, Mission Organization, and Neat (which, by the way, is my third favorite thing to come from Canada after Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) hoping that maybe they will accidentally leak some of the society’s ancient secrets.

I’ve struggled with this all my life and over the years I have learned a few things from all this observing.  These five things have really worked for me when I do them.  The key is finding the motivation to actually doing them on a consistent basis.  I think that is the real secret.   The secret that the members will never give away and the shows will never reveal. 

Hopefully these tips will be helpful to Jenny and any other “domestically-challenged” individuals out there:

1.  Go on a Cleaning Blitz:  I set my timer for as much time as I have or feel like dedicating to a given room.  It is usually about 30 minutes.  Then I work like a maniac to straighten, dust, vacuum, etc…

2.  Make The Job Fun to Get It Done:  This could be just putting on some music or maybe listening to a book on cd or a podcast while you clean.  (My mom swears by having the tv on, but that has never worked for me.  I get too sidetracked and end up sitting down with my feet on the couch. I do better with just listening to something fun or interesting.)

3.  Reward Yourself:  It is important to reward your efforts.  There are many different kinds of treats, but you have to find out what is most motivating to you.  Maybe it’s a bubble bath or an hour with a good book after your cleaning blitz.  (I’d love to say my treat didn’t involve chocolate, but who am I kidding.)  I’ve even set long term goals with bigger and better treats in the past.  For example, if I vacuum every day for a week, I might treat myself to going to see a movie or a bottle of red wine.  I’ve even thought of trying to reward myself for a month’s worth of progress with something really awesome like a massage, but sadly I haven’t been able to stay focused enough to do that..

4.  When In Doubt, Throw it Out:  If you haven’t used something in the past year, get rid of it.  If you aren’t sure whether you may need it or not, I always lean toward just letting it go.  If it’s not something that is used on a regular basis, it is probably a good chance that you don’t need it.  It is so much easier to clean if you have less clutter sitting around.

5.  There Is No Perfect Time To Clean:  Look for small bits of time to do mini-jobs.   See a finger print on the wall, grab that Magic Eraser and wipe it off.  Crumbs on the floor?  How long would it really take to sweep it up?  Probably not even five minutes.  It’s these little things that really start adding up and keep the house looking great.

Now, if I could only follow my own advice.  See I know what to do, but just have trouble actually doing it.       

For more great tips, visit Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer.

Edited to add that this post is also part of Jenny’s Housekeeping Tips Carnival. 

I am so looking forward to reading all the good tips everyone has to share! 

Well, it looks like the rumors are true.  The “mystery brunette” is Ryan’s new girlfriend.   

Boooooo!!!  Hissss!! 

Yes, I thought there was still a chance for a McGosling reunion.  Didn’t you?!!   Yes, I’m a delusional person at heart.

Please don’t leave me a comment telling me that I’m insane.  I already know that I am.  I also know that he has the right to move on.  I know it’s been over a year since he and Rachel McAdams were last photographed together.  But I still held out a little hope.  Now all my dreams are shattered.

So, while we are on the subject of my delusions, it won’t shock you that I’ve already cast this mystery brunette as the role of Martha.  Don’t you remember Martha?   She was the girl from The Notebook that that brought Noah meals and that he sleeps with just to pass the time until Allie/Rachel comes back to him. 

 So, now all we need is Rachel to find her James Marsden/Lon Hammond guy and we are well on our way to hearing those seven beautiful words:  “It wasn’t over! It still isn’t over!” 

 Until then, I will mourn.  I do not want to see anymore hand-holding pictures.  And please, I beg of you, for the love of all that is right with the world, please do not EVER show them kissing.  My broken heart just can’t bear to see it.

I was planning to clean out my pantry tonight, but I’m too depressed to tackle it.  Instead, I’ll hit the ice cream and watch The Notebook and remember better times.  :(  

Scratch that…I’m going to watch “Starter for 10″ again  (just watched it last night and I really liked it, but will wait until the August Movie Madness to post the full review).

I’ve just decided that James McAvoy has taken the number one spot on my laminated list. 

Gosling out, McAvoy in.

We spent the weekend with friends at Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland. 

Other than one day of really crappy weather, we had a great time! 

It was the first time my kids went boat-tubing and they LOVED it!! 

(Note: I know that I said I wasn’t going to post pics of my kids on this blog, but I’ll break my rule since they are pretty hard to see here.  Also, unless some weird pervert has a “kids in innnertubes fetish”, I think I’m pretty safe posting these:

You can probably tell who the daredevil of the family is from looking at these.  That was the signal for “raise the roof”, otherwise known as “get this boat moving faster”. 

Her first ride of the day was not as happy though.  As soon as the boat started moving, she quickly discovered that she was not alone on the tube.  She was sharing it with an eight-legged friend.  You should have seen the look of sheer terror on her face.  I could tell she was about to jump right off the tube and into the lake, but I think the fear of drowning won out over her fear of spiders, even with the lifejacket.  I couldn’t pull the rope in fast enough so that the tube could be de-spidered. 

Later that night we roasted marshmallows for ’smores and watched the fireworks.  While the fireworks were going off, we asked the kids if they knew why we were celebrating the 4th of July (actually it was the 5th because it rained on the 4th) and my son chimed in, “Ooh, I know this one.  It’s because of Jesus.”  

Is this a good or bad thing that he thinks every holiday is because of Jesus?  Either way it cracked us all up.

I also decided this weekend that I would like to be a lesbian in my next life.  After dinner one night, I was cleaning up the dishes with one of my girlfriends and I couldn’t help but envy the lesbians. 

I mean I know there are plenty of guys out there that do a good job cleaning up but I’m not married to one.  Every night I cook dinner and every night I clean up all the mess.   By myself. 

 I don’t really mind doing it that much, but working alongside my friend made me see the benefit of having a second person there to help.  It sure made the job go by much faster and I enjoyed having someone to chat with while we worked.  

Do lesbians fight over domestic chores or do two women in a relationship cancel this sort of thing out?  Am I making sexist generalizations?  Probably.  Either way I’m still a little sad that I’m not a lesbian.  It sure seems like a good gig to me.     

Maybe I should look into the whole polygamy thing.  I think they may just have the right idea having all those women sharing the workload.   I’m pretty much willing to accept the idea of sharing my husband to get a little help around the house.   Sad, but true.

If I can’t be a polygamist or a lesbian, I’ll settle for being this girl:

It appears that this is Ryan Gosling’s new girlfriend.  

                                                                                                  Photo from Just Jared

Isn’t it odd that the photo isn’t of them together?  I mean if everyone keeps seeing them all over town ”holding hands”, why are there no pictures to prove it?  And I just have to say that he doesn’t look like he’s very happy about his new relationship in the above photo.  Actually, he looks like he wants to kill someone.  (Still cute, though.)

See, this photo.  This is Ryan when he is happy.  Not looking like he wants to kill someone.

Aaahhh, good times.  Why can’t he just get back together with Rachel McAdams? 

Didn’t they make the cutest couple ever? 

And by the way, if I were to be a lesbian or polygamist, she would be at the TOP of my list of dish-washing, co-wife candidates.  

Since I haven’t seen a movie in a long time that is worthy of writing a review for,  I thought I’d make a list of my Top 5 Movie Kisses.  They really aren’t in any particular order, but you can probably guess my absolute favorite:

1.  The Notebook–Ok, if you hadn’t guessed by now, what took you so long??  This kiss is my absolute favorite.  Actually, I love every kiss from this movie, but this one is the best.  How can it not be?  There is really no comparison when it comes to this kiss. 

2.  Serendipity- A cute movie, a sweet kiss, and of course, John Cusack (again in some sort of precipitation).

3.  Gone With the Wind–A classic kiss!  I just watched it on youtube and I love how Scarlett’s all “Fiddledeedee” and Rhett’s all “None of the fools you’ve known have kissed you like this—have they? ”  I just love the way he takes hold of the situation and puts her in her place.  Not that I’m about men putting women in places, but it works in this scene.

4.  Titanic-The color of the sky, the costumes, LEO!!!  This is a truly magical kiss. 

 5.  Sixteen Candles–Ahh, Jake Ryan.  Didn’t every girl who grew up in the 80’s want to kiss Jake Ryan.  Gosh was he was dreamy.    Anyway, this is a great kiss:

So, what famous movie kiss do you think should be added to this list?

This post is part of Movie Madness.  If you haven’t already entered the giveaway, go here.

Remember the post I did a few days ago about things that were plucking my nerves.  Well, it seems that my luck is starting to turn around.  Look what we just bought:

That’s five cases, which means 60 cans (not dreadful 2 liter bottles)  of stomach rotting, bubbly goodness.  And it was only 5 for $10!!  Life is good!

And as if the universe was in a really giving mood– guess what we saw sitting outside our pyromaniac neighbors yard all day yesterday?

We were trying not to get our hopes up that it was, in fact, a moving van. I mean they could be just transporting their stuff to another location to have a giant bonfire.  It’s possible.   But once we saw pretty much everyone on the street sitting outside their houses in chairs, drinking mixed drinks and smiling from ear to ear we knew that they must be celebrating as well.    The pyromaniacs are moving!!  Hooray!!

And while I’m talking about good things, I have to mention this bloggy award that I received from My Friend Amy.  It is an award that Memoirs of a Mommy made up to honor the donor who gave her son a heart.  I’m all about organ donation, so I was super excited to receive this award.   

Here are the official rules:
The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

The only problem that I have with these awards is that I feel all Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls trying to narrow down all my favorite blogs to the select few that are worthy enough to sit at the cool table at lunch.  I don’t know why I feel this way.  I’m not delusional enough to think that there is anyone out there refreshing their page over and over again waiting to receive an award from me, but I still feel like I’m leaving someone out.  

Since there was no designated amount of blogs to award, I’ve chosen three to bestow this award upon: 

Auds at Barking Mad

Emily at Two Dogs Running South

Met at Prefers Her Fantasy Life

All these make me laugh, smile and generally just be in a better mood when I read them.  I hope you’ll check them out.

Three posts in one day!  I promise this will be the last one (unless of course there is a surprise announcement of a Gosling/McAdams wedding-that would be the only thing that would make me post again today. I swear.)  I just wanted to participate in this fun carnival at Absolutely Bananas.  Basically the idea is to post a beauty secret that you have that helps you to look and feel your finest.  Here is mine:

All my life I’ve struggled with acne.  My mom would always tell me that when I become an adult it would go away.  Then after I technically became an adult (still not sure if I am one) it actually seemed to get worse.  So she told me that after I had kids it would probably pass.  Well, two kids later and you guessed it??  No better and I actually think it may have gotten worse.  I’m beginning to think that mom may be trying to curse me with her prophecies. 

I have tried what seems like every product on the market (and even a few prescribed by a dermatologist).  While some work for a short time period, eventually the zits come raging back.  (Usually at that time of the month, because the joys of being a woman are plentiful and neverending.) 

I had just about given up hope on ever having clear skin when I happened to stumble upon a regimen that is working pretty well.  (Basically I was just trying to use up some old products that I had bought because I didn’t feel like spending any more money on new stuff.)  I don’t know if it is just the combination or what but my skin has really cleared up a lot.  I don’t want to jinx myself by posting this, but this is what I’ve been using:

First step is to cleanse with Clean and Clear Oil Free Foaming Facial Cleanser.  At first I noticed that this made my lips sting.  I’m thinking that is probably not a good thing, but it doesn’t seem to break me out so I can get past this.

After drying off, I apply Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 hydrating treatment.  If I had to guess I would say that this is the key ingredient to what is causing the improvement in my skin. 

Next, I have been using Olay Complete all day moisture lotion with SPF 15 during the day.  I really don’t use a moisturizer at night, but I know I probably should.  I’ve always come back to this moisturizer because it is light and works well with makeup.

Lastly, I have also been trying to do this Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque once a week.  I love the way this makes my skin feel after I wash it off.  It really does help to minimize pores. 

My skin isn’t Rachel McAdams smooth and clear but there has been a dramatic decrease in the appearance of those giant pimples from Hell that pop up on my chin.  I actually went through one whole month without one, so that is really saying something for me.  Another bonus is that the products are cheap.  If you are on a budget, like me, this is a good thing.  I wish I could afford more fancy products, but right now food and shelter is a higher priority.    

Now I have a favor for anyone who happens to read this.  If you have a favorite mascara, I’d love it if you left me a comment telling me the brand you recommend.  Mine is pretty much a big clumpy black mess and I need to get a new one but have no idea what to buy.  Help a girl out and leave a comment.  Thanks! 

A few weeks ago, I ordered an exercise dvd off Amazon called Kundalini Yoga for Beginners and Beyond.  This was after recently reading an article that said Rachel McAdams had just begun practicing this form of yoga and loved it.  I don’t typically try to copy what the celebrities are doing (just take a quick peek in my closet if you don’t believe me) but Rachel is a whole different story.  If she told me to rub snake poop all over my face to get her flawless complexion, I’d be all over it in a second.   I mean, come on, look at her.  Can you blame me? 

This was just the motivation I needed to get my lazy, fat butt off the couch and start exercising again.   Maybe I’d even change the way I ate.   Visions of green tea, flax seed and blueberries were already dancing in my head.  It was going to be the beginning of my new healthy lifestyle.     

You can only imagine my excitement when it finally arrived in the mail.   I changed into some exercise clothes and popped it in the dvd player.  I decided that it would probably be best if I just watched it all the way through one time.  You know, for  research.   Speaking of research, I really didn’t do any of it on this form of yoga beyond the fact that Rachel recommended it.  I figured that I’d done my Yoga for Dummies dvd enough times (at least 3 or 4 times) and I was ready to mix it up a bit.  I was really looking forward to trying this out and I just knew that I was going to love it.   

After about five minutes or so of watching it, I began to get a little worried that I may not actually love it.  After about ten minutes, I began to  wonder what in the world I was watching.  Fifteen minutes into it I became very frightened.  See for yourself.  This is called “The Breath of Fire”:

This is just beyond strange.  It seemed a little more like soft porn than an exercise dvd.  Would I ever do this in front of another living soul (especially my husband or kids)?  I mean is there anyone that is capable of doing this without cracking up?  I even started to think that I might actually hurt myself doing this.  Now we’ve got safety issues.

So, I will probably return the dvd (who am I kidding–it’ll sit on the shelf with the rest of the cast offs) and go back to the life I was meant to live.  On the couch.    

Damn you, McAdams, for tricking me into buying this wacky dvd.   I hope you’re happy.