Ahhhhh! Love this! Aveda Foot Relief. It smells fantastic. It's not greasy. It refreshes and moisturizes and helps keep your feet soft and smooth. I make this a regular part of my evening routine. And it's even better if someone you love uses it as part of a foot massage. Ahhhh....
Available at Aveda salons.

I bought one of these for my husband several years ago, but now it is one of my favorite things ~ an Electric Towel Warmer. We first saw these while traveling in Europe where they were fairly common. I'm not sure why they aren't used more in the states. I thought it would make a great gift for Brent as he is an earlier morning runner - how nice it would be for him to come in from a dark, cold run to shower and dry off with a warm and toasty towel. I was right - it is nice to dry off with a warm and toasty towel, even for me without the dark and cold run! As an added benefit, your towels dry out thoroughly so they never get that musty smell. There are two different types of towel warmers - hard-wired wall mount, like we have, or those that stand alone on the floor and plug into an outlet. I think we paid about $200, but there is a variety of styles and price ranges to choose from. Try one and turn your bathroom into a mini home spa!

Keep the tissues handy - you will laugh until you cry - at the Thou Shalt Laugh DVD. This is a collection of six family-friendly stand up comedians, including our favorite, Taylor Mason. This guy is a genius, although I would have not wanted to be his teacher, and especially not his mom! Mason is an amazing ventriloquist. He, along with his puppet friends, Romeo who packs quite an attitude and Paco, the pig with the Mexican accent, will have your entire family laughing hysterically. I picked up this DVD before vacation a few years ago and we received Thou Shalt Laugh Deuce as a gift last year. We watched portions again over the weekend, and it is as funny now as it was the first time. And here is some good news, as I was writing this post, I noticed that Thou Shalt Laugh 3 is now available. Guess what's going on my Christmas list....

Our New Family Favorite ~ Lawry's Teriyake Marinade over boneless, skinless chicken thighs

My boys love this so much, that if I ask them what they want for dinner, they always pick this, even if we had it for dinner the previous night! My husband likes it because the boneless, skinless thighs are a uniform thickness and grill up quick and easy. I like it because it is relatively healthy and much more flavorful than chicken breasts. Just toss them in some of this marinade for at least 30 minutes, then on to the grill. It's a great main dish to accompany fresh summer vegetables like sweet corn or green beans. Try this - you will not be disappointed.

Corkscrews for Dummies

This is it – a dummy proof corkscrew. The grips wrap around the bottle and the lever gently eases the corkscrew down then up and out. Perfect – every time. No cork floaters in the Chardonnay any more. You can find these under a couple of different brand names – Houdini, Rabbit, or Screwpull – and a variety of price points. I think mine was in the $20-25 range from Target. If you, like me, are a total klutz when it comes to traditional corkscrews, you will love this one.

So Simple ~ So Good

The perfect summer dessert or afternoon treat - a Root Beer Float! Creamy ~ Refreshing ~ Easy ~ No complicated recipe or fussy ingredients. Just a scoop or two of vanilla icecream and top it off with your favorite root beer. If you have a frosty mug, that's even better - but really, any tall glass will do. And if you are out and about and in need of some refreshment, I've heard that Culver's makes a good one. Even if you are trying to cut back a little bit, just sub out the icecream for some frozen yogurt and use some diet root beer - not quite the same but still a yummy treat.

Something for Everyone - America's National Parks

We just returned from a trip out west with stops in three different national parks - Rocky Mountain, The Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone. In a word - Awesome! Beautiful surroundings and accommodations, activities, and meals to fit every taste and budget. For example, Yellowstone offered accommodations ranging from back-country backpacking to campgrounds to family cabins to historic lodges. Time for dinner? You could purchase supplies for a picnic, grab a burger and fries at a grill or enjoy fine dining overlooking sunset on a lake. A little bored? Watch a gurgling mudpot, take a trail ride, or listen to a ranger program around the campfire. The popular sights were acccessible to anyone, but there are many opportunities to get away from the crowd on longer hikes, too. If you haven't had the opportunity to visit a national park, I encourage you to plan to visit 1 (or 2 or 3) during your next vacation.