Bathroom Commandmants

When you put the spare roll of toilet paper on the thing (what the heck is that thing called that holds the toilet paper? I sat here for a good few minutes and the best I came up with was, "arm". That can't be it . . . ) you should get a new roll of toilet paper to replace the spare one. 

That's all I've got, actually. I've never had issues with the lid being up vs. down (I know that is the obvious bathroom complaint) so I've either been lucky or just don't care too much about that. What other (unwritten, until now!) bathroom laws do people need a reminder of? ;)

And the toilet paper should always hang down the front, like this one does! Why would it ever be done the other way? That's just madness!

Sometimes There's Just No Substitute!

I've never had truly terrible acne but I've for sure had difficult times with my skin, and for the last five or six years I've been a dedicated Proactiv user (it really does work as well as the infomercials say!) However, with the smack-down I've put on our budget, I've been trying to find a way to slim down my skincare expenses by switching to cheaper and/or generic products. I didn't want to change my whole skincare routine at once (confounding variables!) so I decided to change out one product at a time, wait to see how that works out, and then target a different product after that. I figured the toner would be the easiest thing to find a replacement for, so I kept using the rest of the products and started experimenting with other toners with similar ingredients.

After a few months of experimentation . . . DISASTER! My skin has been an angry mess (for me, anyhow. It's certainly not as bad as it was when I was a teenager or anything, but it was definitely worse than usual). I switched back to my Proactiv toner for two days, and my skin is already calming down and looking happier (yes, skin can look happy!) My plan now is to stick with the toner and look for a face wash replacement. We'll see how my skin reacts to that change ;)

I think that the majority of the time, the generic is just as good as the brand name. Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal versus Golden Spooners (the kind that come in the bag instead of a box) are hardly distinguishable. Generic kidney beans are no better or worse than the name brand, and why should I pay more for fancy herbs and seasoning when it all comes from the same plant, anyhow?

However, there are those few things where the generics just can't compare. Though I've been eating the generic for years (because it's a lot cheaper!) Skippy peanut butter really is more delicious than the store brand. Some generic medications do NOT work as well as the brand name medications (both over the counter and prescription - I've learned this one the hard way!) Charmin toilet paper and Kleenex brand tissues are both IMMEASURABLY better than the generics (some body parts just can't be tricked by substituting the store brand for name brand items!)

Unluckily for me and my weaning myself off of Proactiv experiment, my skin is one of those body parts that can't be fooled! Oh well. My quest to be a tightwad will continue in other arenas, but I always love to save some time and avoid re-inventing the wheel when at all possible. What are some other items that I shouldn't bother trying to cut corners on? :)

Old Kids Movies Are RANDOM!

A few weeks ago we had a friend over and were watching movies, and for some reason I convinced them to put on Pete's Dragon (there may have been alcohol involved . . . ) I hadn't seen that movie in at least 15 years (if not longer!) and it was so much fun to watch it again and realize I still knew some of the songs and characters (and that movie had some of the BEST songs! Oh man, I've been singing them for weeks now!)

That movie led me to start thinking about old kids movies, and how they would never in a million years get by today. Pete's Dragon has a whole scene in a bar, where you realize that Mickey Rooney is known about town for being a ridiculous drunk, and later, when he and his pal get scared, they start taking swigs from a flask. Then they share some of their drink with the dragon, who gets drunk and starts seeing double! WTF! Can you imagine any new movie coming to the theaters with a scene like that?

Nevertheless, it also got me on an "old fashioned, part-animation-part live-action" movie kick! And what we started realizing once we got started was that although the themes of some of the movies were questionable, gosh darn it, people in movies back in the day were TALENTED! You couldn't land a leading role unless you could sing, dance, and act. It's rare today to find a famous person who can do more than one of those things even adequately (and sometimes they aren't even good at whatever it is they're famous for in the first place!) I have such respect for all of those actors whose names I don't even know, but who can clearly kick butt right and left as an entertainer and performer.

Anyhow, after the first two that we watched I started asking people on Facebook for suggestions of similar movies, and it got so fun that I thought I'd post it here for everyone to see in one place :) Here is what we've done so far!


Pete's Dragon (as previously mentioned)
I really love the songs in this movie (have I mentioned that people in old movies can sing really well?) but in addition to the beer scenes I'd apparently also forgotten how really frightening the villains are! Talk about stranger danger! But all the same, this movie never struck me as odd or inappropriate as a child, and to be honest, maybe parents these days are too sensitive to things that end up going over kids' heads anyhow. (But I'm not a parent yet, so I reserve the right to change my mind in the future!)




Bedknobs and Broomsticks 
Again with the fantastic songs! Who knew that Angela Lansbury, from Murder, She Wrote could hold a tune! I sure didn't! (Until I looked up her filmography, that is, and realized that she was Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. Mrs. Potts has the best singing voice of any teapot I've ever heard!) It's funny how I went so many years without having watched any of these movies, but the moment the tune kicked in, I started humming along! Such a weird plot in concept, and boy were the special effects awful, but it's still such a classic!
 



Mary Poppins 
Okay, now we're really talking classics! Everyone's seen it and everyone knows it, so I was surprised to realize how much of it I had forgotten! Julie Andrews was absolutely amazing, talk about a triple threat! There's really nothing more I can say about it, except that if you haven't seen it in a long time, it is worth another viewing!







Reader Suggestions
I actually got quite a few suggestions from people who apparently don't read too closely, because when I went to investigate their movies for this post, I found that they had recommended old movies. Period. None that incorporated animation, like I was looking for. What a disappointment! But I do have some astute friends, and here is what they came up with!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Holy moly, I can't believe I hadn't remembered this one when I was making my original list! It was epic in terms of merging animation with live action, and I haven't seen it since I was a kid (that scene where the man is melted in the acid stuff and only his eyeballs remain has haunted me my entire life, though! I think I can handle it since I'm a big girl now, but still, whoa!) This one might also be a fun one to watch with some adult beverages, because I'm pretty sure it had more adult-themed moments in it than Pete's Dragon did!




The Incredible Mr. Limpit
We actually watched this movie a few weeks before I got started on this kick, and when I say "we" watched it, I mean J put it on and laughed hysterically while I did the dishes, folded laundry, and then took a bubble bath (I was that disinterested in it!) Now, some of the parts I did see were actually rather funny, but apparently J grew up watching it, so I think he had a greater personal connection to it than I did. But this one did get a vote from someone I went to high school with (hi Chris!) so it's not only old people like J who enjoy this one! ;)




The Three Caballeros
I VERY vaguely remember this one from my childhood (I think it was one of the first movies we had on VHS instead of beta, and I still sing the title song in my head from time to time!) I didn't remember it having real people in it, but I checked after it was suggested, and Wikipedia says it's the truth! So I guess I need to go back and watch it again!






Song of the South
How could I forget this one! "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah . . . " I don't know that I've ever watched this movie for real, so I guess now I have to!









So that's what I've gotten from everyone else, but I love hearing what other people have to suggest! I'm always open to watching new movies, and I love hearing about the ones I've forgotten, also! Tonight we're having a Will Ferrell marathon, though, so I'm off to watch that ;) But keep the ideas coming, and I'll get to those ones too!

 

 

** This post contains Amazon affiliate links. All that means is that if you use my link to access Amazon and buy something, Amazon gives me a kick-back. I don't even think it matters if you buy what I'd linked to in the first place, they're just happy that you ended up buying something from them at all! So if you need to purchase anything at all on Amazon, use my link to access the site, and help me afford a baby, by golly! :) Or not. It's your choice, and I'll love and respect you either way. But it would be cool if you did ;)

My Top 3 Underrated Movies!

I did a post on my top 3 underrated TV shows, so I thought it was about time that I followed up with my top 3 underrated movies! (And my definition of underrated are things I love that nobody knows what I'm talking about when I bring them up. So, as a friend pointed out, they might technically be more accurately termed "cult classics", but if I can't bring it up with people at work and think there's a chance they might know it, I call it underrated!)

The Count Of Monte Cristo

This movie is incredible, and everyone I know who has watched it has been blown away. I actually saw it in theaters with my friend (hi Kara!), so this isn't like the next movie I'm going to bring up that may have just skipped theaters altogether. It is really rare that I run across someone who has watched this movie, and I can't for the life of me figure out why that is. It's so incredibly good!

There are lots of movies that I like for specific reasons, but this movie really is the complete package. It has great actors, a really intense and compelling plot (I've never read the book but it's certainly a famous one, and based on the movie, I can see why! I need to buy that book), and there's no super fancy graphics but it is visually appealing . . . I think marketing just dropped the ball with this movie. 

So that's all I have to say, just go watch it. This one, I swear, you won't be disappointed. The next ones might be more subjective, but this one is just all-around wonderful.

Wet Hot American Summer 

 * Don't close your browser! Yes, I know it sounds like a porno title, but it's not, it's a comedy!

 

First of all, I don't like this new DVD cover because I feel like it's trying to capitalize on the fame of so many of the stars in it. Look, here is the original cover:

 

The movie is an ensemble cast, and frankly, I'm annoyed that they cut out half the characters, put the most famous ones on the front, and added that it's from the makers of "Role Models". LAME!

What has always made this movie so cool is that it doesn't try hard to be funny. It's got great comedic actors, a 70's camp movie spoof plot, and the most random one-liners ever. As far as I know (and I didn't bother checking any official movie database, so I could very well be wrong) this is the first movie that really showcased Paul Rudd's comedic chops (and David Hyde Pierce, for that matter! I never thought Frasier was all that funny). This movie is one of those great ones that feels like a bunch of random comedians hijacked a movie set, goofed around for a day, and then put it out on DVD. It's just all around fun to watch, which you don't find much of these days.

I'm guessing that this movie won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I've never had anyone watch it and not find it, at the very least, mildly entertaining. I could watch it a thousand times and never get bored, and with the splash that movies like "The Hangover" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" have made, I think this movie could make a resurgence (or it's first real surgence, at the very least! I swear this movie just skipped theaters entirely). So you should go watch it right now, and then when it ends up being a big deal you can say that you always knew how cool it was ;)

Shaun Of The Dead

Now, I think more people have heard of this film (particularly after "Hot Fuzz" came out and got such a buzz) but I still feel like people give me the blank, uncomprehending stare whenever I try to reference it. (And in case you're wondering, this movie is way, way funnier than "Hot Fuzz" was).

This movie is kind of a zombie/horror film spoof, and it has a very British sense of humor. So it's pretty deadpan, which I don't always find funny, but it works well once you factor in the absurdity of the zombies and how they are portrayed. I don't like zombie or horror films but I adore this movie, so it's not a humor that is based on a love of gore. It's actually a movie that seems to make fun of that gore. There's really no good way to describe the movie or argue that you should see it. You just should, because it's funny! I don't know anyone who has seen it and not liked it. (That seems to be my usual argument, but it's all I have to hold up as proof that I'm not the only person who has seen and liked the movie!)

So those are my top 3, what are yours? If so many people in the world have missed out on my favorite movies, I'm sure there are lots of other movies that I'm currently missing out on as well, and I'd love to know what they are! 

 

 

** This post contains Amazon affiliate links. All that means is that if you use my link to access Amazon and buy something, Amazon gives me a kick-back. I don't even think it matters if you buy what I'd linked to in the first place, they're just happy that you ended up buying something from them at all! So if you need to purchase anything at all on Amazon, use my link to access the site, and help me afford a baby, by golly! :) Or not. It's your choice, and I'll love and respect you either way. But it would be cool if you did ;)

New Layout, Yay or Nay?

So Blogger put forth some new template design options, and I've started messing around with things again. I like some of the new options a lot, but I haven't entirely committed to the new format yet. What do you think, should I continue to pursue this new (more streamlined) option, or go back to the more colorful template? I'm open to suggestions ;)

I Admit It, I Am One Of THOSE People

I've always been a picky eater, just ask anyone who has ever had a meal with me ;) In my own defense, the older I get, the more willing I am to try the occasional new food item. I even eat burgers and sandwiches now, that is a big deal!

With that being said, it shouldn't be a surprise that I am very particular about what goes ON my burgers and sandwiches. No onions, no sauces of any kind (ranch is the only acceptable condiment for anything besides french fries), no pickles, no peppers, and did I mention no onions? :)

That means that more often than not, when I go out to eat, I have trouble finding things that appeal to me off the menu. We went to Ruby's for dinner tonight, and here is what I wanted:

• The guacamole burger
• Exchange the swiss cheese for the pepper jack cheese from the caliente burger
• Add the bacon from the bacon cheeseburger
• And put it all on the whole wheat bun from the veggie burger

So guess what I ordered?

Yup, THAT! (And if I'd realized that it came with some secret sauce on it, you can bet I would have asked to have that taken off! Instead, I had to scrape it all off and try to pretend I hadn't seen in there in the first place, blech). Even with the sauce remnants, it was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! (I don't know why that burger isn't on the menu).

So I admit it, I am THAT friend that makes the horribly complicated order. I was very nice about the whole thing, and really, how much more difficult is it to make that burger than any of the original burgers that the pieces originated from?

I've never worked in food preparation or serving, so please, enlighten me - am I only slightly annoying, or was it blasphemous of me just to write out that order? I can't say that knowing will make me change my meal orders, but I would love to know just how much spit I'm probably ingesting in place of all those sauces and sides ;)

I Don't Understand Weddings

I don't understand weddings.

Well okay, I get the concept of marriage, and therefore the pomp and circumstance that goes along with it. I've done that, I get that.

What I don't get are all of the "traditional" components of a wedding that don't seem to have a purpose other than costing a lot of money. What, really, are the point of party favors? Do any wedding guests really save those candles or bubbles to reminisce over in the future? As much as I enjoy the purpose of a wedding, the whole thing always looks to me like a giant barter - you buy me presents, and in exchange, I'll buy you dinner and drinks. (Which is why for my wedding, we cut out the middle man - let's just all bring something for dinner and call it even). I can't imagine how much it must cost to throw a traditional wedding.

My main issue, though, is that attending a wedding is an expensive affair. I admit to there being times where I've really wanted to attend the special event, but it was just too cost prohibitive. Most of the time there is travel involved (which means paying for the drive, airfare, and/or hotel accommodations), finding something appropriate to wear to the event (and buying something, if you happen to be, like me, short on clothing), and of course, presents.

Buying presents is where you really start to lose me. If you are moving out of your parents home and starting off with nothing to your name, I totally understand the need to register for gifts. However, these days most people have been living on their own (and maybe even living together), so registering for gifts sometimes just seems like an excuse to ask people to buy you things you can't afford. I don't have much money, and I very rarely buy anything for myself. But you really can't go to a wedding and NOT bring a gift, so I at least try to pick the most functional thing off of the gift registry. Everyone needs things to cook with and eat off of, so I can justify that. But do you really need 18 place settings that you'll probably only use once or twice a year? If I can't seem to justify buying myself a tee-shirt from Target (the ones I wear the most are hand-me-downs from my sisters or ones I bought at a flea market three years ago) why should I have to buy you a sculpture or camping gear? How about you buy your own camping gear, and I'll make sure I don't show up to your party naked ;)

I have a number of weddings this summer, and I want to attend all of the parties for all of the couples because they are people that I care about and want to share this joyous moment of their lives with. But with the changes we are making to our budget in order to save up for a child, I simply cannot afford three separate trips out of town for bridal showers, three separate gifts for each of the bridal showers, and money for dinner/drinks/shenanigans for any bachelorette parties that are planned (and BOY do those parties usually end up expensive!) in ADDITION to the cost involved of attending the wedding and buying presents for that event as well. I just can't do it, and if I can't go, I look like I don't care. And I do care. I just don't care for spending that much money when I could be saving for a baby (I like babies more than I like giving people expensive stuff).

And so here is where I need some advice, because I'm too jaded and ignorant to know what the proper wedding gift etiquette is.

If you are invited to a bridal shower, a bachelorette party, and a wedding, do you buy gifts for all of those events, or is one gift enough?

Help me please, because I want to attend everything, but I don't want to show up empty handed and break any of the unwritten rules that I am completely unaware of. Is it okay to attend a wedding on a budget and only provide one gift, or do rules dictate I not attend the parties if I can't participate in the gift exchange as well?