Blog Posts - The Girl In The Band

Olympic Lessons

2/16/2018

I have to admit, there is a part of me that never really got this whole Olympic thing. It seemed like a whole lot of work for just one moment in time. Even my under ten logical mind didn’t make sense of it. I asked my father once, “Why do they practice all their lives for just one day?”

My dad answered simply, “Because It is the Olympics.”

In my mind, it seemed kind of silly. All that for something you hang around your neck?

The last week was a long one. Filled with negativity about my job, having not been working this week at my personal best and hearing the horrific news of yet another tragedy in Florida, I felt like I needed some good news when I turned on the television.

I found it. From Shaun White’s face when he realized, that yes, he was baaaack, to the beautiful grace of Chloe Kim, I finally saw why people like to watch snowboarding. I even thought I might give it a try myself, until I heard about what Shaun White was coming back from. An injury that resulted in 62 stiches on his face. Maybe I will give it a shot with VR glasses someday!

Tonight was men’s figure skating and my new favorite Olympian, Adam Rippon, took the ice. Here is a guy who knew going into the contest that he did not have the technical ability to be on the medal podium. The quadruple jumps that are required to win are not in his repertoire. At age 28, it was his first Olympics. Most people don’t do figure skating at the Olympics at the ripe old age of 28, but there he was, knowing he wasn’t going to be first. Or second. Or third. But he was going to live the moment that he had trained for his entire life.

And live it, he did! His programs were filled with energy and joy. No pressure to be number one, none of the angst and stress that the top contenders felt, he went for and lived in the present, comfortable in what he had and who he was. We can all make note and work toward doing that a little more.

If Adam wasn’t enough to lift my spirits, there was Brian Orser, now a skating coach who trained Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, and Javier Fernandez, of Spain, who took the Gold and Bronze medals tonight.
Brian was a men’s Canadian Olympic skater who always seemed to just miss being in the top spot. He settled for silver behind American Scott Hamilton in 1984. Then there was the heartache of missing out on gold by one-tenth of a point to Brian Boitano in the epic Battle of the Brians at the 1988 Calgary Games. Yet instead of being bitter or saying, “My best is behind me,” he continues to make the sport he loves great instead of doing some cheesy reality show.

Live in the present, leave the bitterness behind and know there is always more to accomplish in the future. Some great lessons that helped me make my week a little better.

I think I am finally starting to get this Olympic thing.

Lisa In New York

1/19/2018

When I found out a work trip was going to take me to New Jersey and that I was going to be less than an hour out of New York City, I was super excited. I have only been to New York City one other time, a wonderful trip with a group of girlfriends and I have wanted to return for years.

I did not plan to go alone. The D-Man was less than thrilled with New York City in January, so I invited a girlfriend who had been with me on my first trip. Finding out that one of my favorites, Bette Midler, was ending her Broadway run in “Hello Dolly”, the very weekend I would be in town, I got tickets, found a great hotel room and got ready for a great NYC adventure. I also called a friend who had moved out east a few years back and we arranged to meet for lunch on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the girlfriend who was flying out to meet me got the flu and I got a tearful phone call from her Thursday morning telling me she wouldn’t be able to make it.

Sitting on an extra theater ticket and an extra bed in my hotel room, my east coast friend arranged to come out Friday night to see the show and we moved Saturday lunch to Saturday breakfast.

That still left me alone for most of Saturday and Sunday morning. In a city I loved, but had only visited once and over ten years ago. Even a natural born loner like me was a little hesitant. It was, after all, big, bad New York City!

What was a girl to do?

There are not too many activities that I haven’t done alone. Eating alone? Countless times. Concerts alone? Been there, done that and literally bought a t-shirt or two! Movies? One activity I sometimes prefer going alone to, especially if I don’t know anyone else who wants to see the movie.

I have traveled for both band and work for so many years, that being out and about by myself is almost second nature. Of course growing up an only child certainly hasn’t hurt. But could I handle New York City?

After a great show Friday night, Saturday morning breakfast at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, and a lot of laughter with a friend I hadn’t seen in years, I started my solo NYC time.

It was cold, but I had a pretty warm coat, hat and gloves. I noticed that New Yorkers do not carry big purses when they are walking the street, so I changed out my bulky bag for a much sleeker black one. I wanted to look like a native, partially so I didn’t get robbed, but because I wanted to feel the vibe of really being in the city. New Yorkers also don’t pay much attention to street lights, but by mid-day, I felt like I had lived there for years.

I was staying on Broadway and West 54th, so I decided to walk to Rockefeller Center. I was amazed how easily I found it, not using navigation and not even asking anyone at my hotel. I did decide to do a tourist thing and I headed up to Top of the Rock Observation Deck. It was spectacular and I got to see Central Park from above the skyscrapers.

I spent the rest of the day walking the city. I had some great clam chowder in a restaurant in Times Square. Shopped at THE Macy’s in Herald Square and mostly enjoyed the crisp weather and the energy around me.

I returned to my hotel, a little cold and tired. I went to the lounge and sat in a corner window seat, overlooking the city, having some wine and pizza.

The next morning, before heading to the airport, I had a Greek omelet and bagels at a great little dinner just around the corner from where I was staying. No one looked at me and said, “You aren’t from here, are you?”

I checked Zillow on the ride to the airport and tried to figure out where in my budget I could find 1.2 million for something on West 58th.

Yes, I had enjoyed New York City, all alone. Maybe enjoyed it more being alone.

Just another life surprise.

When I was at The Top of The Rock, I went in the gift shop looking for a souvenir. My eye caught a children’s book they were selling. It was titled “Lisa In New York.”

I bought it immediately and wrote the date in the front cover. Lisa in New York indeed!

HOLIDAY LESSONS 2017

12/21/2017

I have not experienced my usual feeling of being totally overwhelmed this season of joy.
A work schedule that was light, after being slammed for months and no money worries, has really made this holiday season relatively stress free. Except for the candle wax on the newly painted living room wall and the realization that I have no available extension cord at this time of year to plug the blow dryer in to fix the problem. Google “getting wax off a wall” if you have questions.
The cards have been sent, the gifts are wrapped, the house is relatively clean and decorated and there is still three days until Christmas Eve.
I have had dinners with friends, had a fun weekend in Las Vegas with the D-Man, and attended Peabo Bryson’s “Colors of Christmas” concert in Cerritos with special guests, two of my favorites, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. A great night of Christmas music that I think I will be making a tradition. Also enjoyed a nice company Christmas party in Santa Monica, right on the beach.
Great stuff and a lot of good memories.
But I am always learning and trying to figure out how to make the next year even better. So here are my Christmas lessons from this year.

TAKE PICTURES OF THE HOUSE
I re-decorated the house three times. Yes, when you aren’t as busy, you get more picky, but I also couldn’t remember what I did last year. The pictures I took were minimal, so remembering where everything went was a problem. I also bought some new decorations at those fab after Christmas sales, but I forgot what I got and by the time I pulled it out, I didn’t know where to put it. Sometimes I think documentation truly is the secret of life.

BUYING CLOTHES ONLINE DOESN”T WORK
Electronics are electronics. Even jewelry usually looks like it does online. Clothes are tough. Almost every piece of clothing I bought online, I returned. I need to touch clothing and when I don’t like how it feels, I can’t give it as a gift. I would have been better off taking a couple of days to shop for the shirts and sweaters I was going to give. Despite not being able to do it in my pajamas, it would have been a time saver.

MACY’S HAS REAL ISSUES
I was a Macy’s girl for many years. When my financial meltdown happened, I became a Ross girl. This Christmas, I went back to where I had been banned (yes, they were part of my bankruptcy, but all has been forgiven and the red card is back in my wallet). The product quality at Macy’s is still great and I love to be able to give designer names to folks at Christmas. The prices are even great when they have those famous Macy sales.
But they have real issues.
Shopping online with them on Black Friday was a nightmare. They had technical issues which basically ended up with me receiving a double order of numerous items. They tried something called “Macy’s Money”, but having used “Kohl’s Cash”, they need to take some lessons from their competitor around how to process it.
The most significant thing, is their absolute lack of service. The incompetence and lack of knowledge of their phone agents cannot be rivaled. Add to that, the in store staff, who have an “I don’t listen and I don’t care” attitude and they are seriously making me change my shopping religion. They do a great Thanksgiving Parade. Maybe next year they can get the rest of their stuff together or they will be joining the May Company and other department stores that no longer exist.

FUN IS FUN
A very simple idea, but I really enjoyed enjoying myself. So much of my life has been about work and making some memories this year was the best.
Not to mention, I think I have found a new holiday tradition!
So my main lesson? ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!

Thoughts While Drinking A Cranberry Peach Bellini

10/22/2017

With Aaron Rodgers out for most of the rest of the season and my beloved Packers struggling without their MVP, I have had to come up with different Sunday drinks to keep from crying during what use to be one of my favorite pastimes, watching football.

My new favorite is a Cranberry Peach Bellini. After working all week, I am all about the easy when it comes to Sunday afternoons. No elaborate cooking or drink making and the Cranberry Peach Bellini is as easy as opening up the bottle of Ocean Spray Mocktails and one of those little mini champagne bottles. Half and half in a glass and I am ready to see if the Packers can somehow salvage the season.

Another sports team that is having a super year is, of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers, now on their way to the World Series. I moved to California twenty-nine years ago. I was reminded of this, because it is the last time the Dodgers were in the World Series. I remember seeing Kirk Gibson hit that home run in a bar in Los Angeles and having the place go absolutely wild.

I was born in San Diego, during a time my parents were living in California. Growing up, I heard countless stories about the good times in Cali. My parents moved back to Wisconsin when I was a toddler after my father got laid off. He told me many times, if he had it to do over, he would not have gone back. He often referred to their time in California as the happiest time in his life and in their marriage.

It is no surprise then that it was always where I felt I would end up some day.

Twenty-nine years ago, I was not sure I had made the right decision. Although I didn’t come out alone, the guy I was living with, was working as a sound man and traveling all the time. The stress of trying to get settled in a new city made the cracks in our relationship widen to a hole the size of the Grand Canyon and I knew it was a matter of time until we were over.

I was working in retail, in a store that sold sports paraphernalia. I had met a couple of people who are still close friends today, but at the time, I felt homesick, lonely and generally displaced. Trying to get something going with music wasn’t happening, I did not want to spend the rest of my life working in retail and I was starting to feel like I had made the biggest mistake of my life.

The home baseball team in the World Series provided a little diversion. Of course it was great for business and I still remember unpacking boxes of new Dodger shirts every day. We had the games on in the store and other mall staff and customers would come in to watch. It made a job I really disliked a little more fun, even though I had never been much of a baseball fan. I was thinking about that time in my life while I was drinking my CPB this morning. What did John Lennon say? “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.”

Many things I had hoped for at that point in my life, never came to be. Yet so many things that I never even knew to hope for have. Twenty-nine years ago, I had no idea what I was capable of doing and how strong I would become. The career I have in software right now, didn’t even exist and who knew I would actually one day build a deck?

I have heard people say that the best years of their lives are behind them. That they give up ten years off the end of their life to relive one year from their past. Frankly, I can’t imagine that. I wouldn’t even know which year to pick! There were some that definitely wouldn’t make the cut, but all of them had great times, laughter and things I accomplished that I couldn’t imagine.

As I finish writing this and you finish reading this, let us raise our Cranberry Peach Bellinis in a toast. To the Los Angeles Dodgers, my struggling Packers and to what comes next. Whatever that might be!

LAS VEGAS LESSON

10/11/2017

I was in Las Vegas the Wednesday before the mass shooting happened. Taking a taxi to the airport I passed by the lot where they were setting up for the concert and casually thought, “Oh, that’s where the country music festival is going to be.” Waking up early Monday morning, I sat horrified, in disbelief, as I watched news footage of a hotel I had just stayed at and a place I had casually passed by.

Many lives were shattered in the minutes on that Sunday night. Hopes and dreams were ended and plans were forever changed. We look for lessons in this madness, a motive, a reason. Some of us are still looking.

We sing about living in the land of the free, and we do. In theory, we are free to stand, kneel or sit. Love who we want. Vote for who we want. Boycott what we want. Being free does not mean we agree. We will never agree. But sometimes we lose sight of the most important thing. We are all still humans and even in the middle of evil, goodness will shine.

That Sunday night, during the worst of times, people did not ask each other who they voted for. They did not ask if they were gay or straight or whether they kneeled or stood for a song. Every day people did very brave things and simply tried to help each other. Because when you really look at human nature, when it all falls apart, that is what we do.

And maybe that is the greatest lesson of all.

LABOR DAY LESSONS

9/8/2017

So Monday was Labor Day, and I labored, cleaning a house that has not had a thorough one in some time.
But while I was cleaning, I was also doing some thinking. About how my career has progressed, but mostly about a conversation I had with a friend last week. His current position, with a soul crushing commute, is really getting him down. He is considering going part time, or worse yet, quitting without another job lined up. His comment to me was, ”Money isn’t everything!”
No money isn’t everything. Until you don’t have it. A roof over your head, a car, food, air conditioning. Where do these things come from? Wait for it…….MONEY!
Now you know I am all about being happy. But there is a difference between temporary euphoria and real, long term happiness. Temporary happy can sometimes mean long term-didn’t-watch-the- video-all –the- way-through –life- long- miserable. Remember, I am an expert at this. I was crowned the Queen of Living Beyond Her Means, after trading long term financial security for the latest sale at Macy’s!
So before you decide to “retire early”, go part time instead of working full time, quit a job without another position lined up or bail on something that might lead to something else, look at why sometimes being temporarily miserable in your working life can lead to the promised land in the future!
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Yes, it is easy to say, Social security won’t be there when I retire!” The reality is, chances are, it might be. The amount you get is based on the 30 years of your top earnings. Working part time during the years you could be making a lot more money, means you are cutting what you can collect in retirement. Not working at all? Retiring early, without a lot of money in the bank? Really not in your best interest. What does that mean? The expression “make hay while the sun is shining” is not just about farming.
TEMPORARY CUT FOR MORE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN
I never advise being miserable, but sometimes, to get to something better, you do have to have a little misery time. I decided I was totally sick of managing people. I wanted to work in a more consultant capacity, on the vendor side of life. To get there, I took a sizeable pay cut. Not only that, I signed up for the aforementioned soul crushing commute.
Where am I two and a half years later? Working from home and making more a year than I ever had. Easy? Not at all. The road to get to where I wanted to be meant I had to navigate some rocky terrain, but I saw the prize at the end. A year of misery in exchange for getting what I was looking for was worth it.
PART TIME OR NEW JOB?
So the job is making you crazy and the commute is horrible. Is part time really going to solve that? Making less money and setting yourself up for financial decline, while still being in something that makes you want to jump out your office window isn’t logical when you say it out loud.
It is rare to see an increase over five percent at a current job, but find a new position at ten or even a fifteen percent increase? Closer to home? Kiss the stress, the gas bills and the nightmares goodbye and keep yourself on track financially.
Because after all, who are you working for? YOU! There is a reason why I list myself on Facebook as “SELF EMPLOYED”.
I may work for someone else’s company! But in reality. I work for myself. You should too!

Kody Lessons

9/1/2017

I will not be attending Wiggle Waggle this year.

For those of you who are not familiar with what Wiggle Waggle is, it is the yearly fund raising walk for the Pasadena Humane Society that I have attended for several years. It is held at the Rose Bowl and I have always enjoyed bringing my dog and seeing every type of dog imaginable, while taking a nice stroll on a Sunday morning around one of Pasadena’s most well-known landmarks.

My last two dogs, before Kody (Chelsea and Samantha) both came from the Pasadena Humane Society. I have taken dog training classes there and I think it is one of the nicest animal shelters I have ever seen. My support of the PHS has not changed. What has changed is my love for attending the actual event.

I had an epiphany this week and that was, if I were to attend this year, I would have to go alone. No dog to walk with me. Just me. Why? Because Kody would be miserable if he came with me.

I had planned to drag him down there, telling myself he would be fine when he got there, which is what I did last year.
He wasn’t. We weren’t even out of the parking lot before Kody broke away from the D-Man and tackled a dog behind him to the ground. Luckily, the dog surrendered and the only thing hurt was the other dog’s pride, but I realized at that moment, that his issues with other dogs was very real. After that experience, I did what I always do when an obstacle to what I want presents itself. Put together a plan and set a goal. Kody would be darn ready to go see hundreds of dogs and LOVE IT by Wiggle Waggle 2017!

I proceeded to get help from a wonderful place called The Zen Dog. They have currently been getting a lot of press because Lena Dunham had to surrender one of her dogs to them. Matt, the owner, did home training with us. Kody continues to visit The Zen Dog for play dates and some boarding time. But Matt had told me from the beginning, it was a process and he might never be the life of any dog parties in the future. I held steadfast. He would be ready for Wiggle Waggle 2017!

After being pulled to the ground and tearing up my leg two different times while walking him and having him see another dog, I took another class. Reactive Rover at the PHS. This was more about changing how I reacted to him, while we continued to work on his issues at The Zen Dog.

I have seen progress. He can see another dog across the street and not lose his mind. When we do pass another dog close to us, he still reacts, but recovers from the episode almost immediately, instead of me ending up with massive cuts and bruises. When he goes for play dates at The Zen Dog, they have several dogs he can be near, instead of just one or two. But is he ready for Wiggle Waggle 2017? Not by a long shot. I have come to the realization that he may never be attending Wiggle Waggle. An instructor at PHS compared being a dog afraid of other dogs to a human being afraid of snakes. If you were afraid of snakes and someone put you in a room with a hundred snakes and said, “It’s ok. They won’t bite you.” Would that make you less afraid of snakes?

Wiggle Waggle, to Kody, is a room full of snakes.

From the day I brought him home, he stared at me like I was the most beautiful human he had ever laid eyes. He loves watching HGTV and “Nashville” all curled up on the couch with me. Or maybe he just pretends and would really rather watch ESPN, but he never lets on. If I get frustrated with a work meeting, angry at my computer or upset at the Packers, he runs into the room and puts his paw on me until I cuddle him and tell him I am fine. He lets me brush his teeth with a toothbrush. He dutifully follows me to my room every night, even though he would rather sleep in the living room, because I would rather he sleep closer to me. His love for me is eternal.

We spend a lot of time teaching our dogs things. Sit, stay, lay down, come. But they teach us many things too. I had hopes for him, things I wanted him to be, that he will never be. He is Kody, a dog who is far from perfect. Yet, he still manages to be a tolerant, loving brother to a crabby cat named Kato and can stay in the house for twelve hours without any damage or bathroom accidents.

We have the same hopes and dreams for the humans in our lives. We want our children to be football stars, rock stars and marry someone of the opposite sex, ready to produce two perfect grandchildren. We want our mates to be wildly romantic, wonderfully attentive and still make six figures. We want our friends to be loyal and put our issues before their own lives.
Instead, our children get regular jobs, love someone we don’t approve of and pursue a life we never wanted for them. Our mates forget to bring flowers on our birthday. Our friends forget our birthday all together. But yet, when push comes to shove, our children love us, our mates and our friends stand by us. When we really need them. When it really matters.
Our dogs are not perfect. The people in our lives are not perfect.

That is what our dogs teach us. They never expect us to live up to high expectations. They love us for who we are, where we are, what we are.

We owe them the same. Maybe we owe all the people in our lives, exactly the same.

Vacation Lessons

8/20/2017

It has been a long time since I took over a week off from band and work. Even a longer time when I took a week off from band, work and the internet. No emails, no social media.
So on the last week of July, I spent one week on a houseboat on Lake Shasta. Occasionally, we had internet. When we did, I scrambled to check emails and make sure no major disaster was brewing. (It wasn’t). Texts came in only occasionally. By the middle of the week, I noticed I was almost disappointed when we moved the boat and got some connectivity. If I didn’t know about it, I didn’t have to fix it. Right?
My mornings were spent on solo Jet Ski rides, just taking in the scenery. Me and my thoughts, like a water motorcycle rider on the lake of life. Afternoons were spent swimming, kayaking or just hanging out with a book. Evenings were a cocktail under the stars.
A houseboat trip had been on my bucket list. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes. There were moments that were not fun. Sixteen people on a boat, three under the age of seven, and I know you can do the calculations. But all in all, one of the best vacations I have ever had.
What really made it special, was I came home with some revelations. Here are my top three vacation lessons.

I AM NOT IN AS GOOD OF SHAPE AS I WOULD LIKE TO BE
I could not get on the Jet Ski from the water. I required getting on from the boat. I plan on spending a lot more time on Jet Skis for the later part of my life and if I dump it, I need to be able to get back on it by myself. I have modified my work outs to include things that will build more upper body strength. Good bye Booty Barre class, hello Body Pump!

WHY NOT ME?
Could I live on a houseboat? I discussed this very subject on the ride home with one of our friends who is experienced with this whole house boating thing. He explained that some of the things I wasn’t digging (cold showers with no water pressure) could be fixed. (Bigger water tank). It got me thinking. Why not me? Being an HGTV addict, I have spent many a half hour with Beach Front Bargain Hunters and Caribbean Life. So why not me? The life I have now, doesn’t necessarily have to be the last life I have. After all, I went from being a Wisconsin factory girl to being a So Cal work at home Software Application Specialist. Why not a beach front home in St Croix or a houseboat in Panama?

WORK IS WORK
I have a new attitude toward work. Work is work. Work is not my life. My life is the things I love to do and the people I love doing them with. Sometimes that is my work, but when it isn’t, getting tied up in knots about it, is ridiculous. Office politics, worrying about decisions my company makes that I can’t control? In the immortal words of one of my favorite bosses, “It’s not my table.” Hanging on to bad feelings about a meeting I didn’t quite nail? Counterproductive and just plain stupid. My new motto? “Moving on.” Not to say I don’t learn from mistakes, but hanging on them? Since my vacation, not happening anymore.

VACATIONS ARE NECESSARY
Which brings me to the biggest lesson. Vacations need to happen. Not long weekends. Not a day off here and there. REAL VACATION, cut off from your daily life! I had been feeling burned out and unable to focus on things for months. Why? No real time off! I have come home energized and ready to get back to work, projects and learning. I just signed up for a Conversational Spanish class at a community college. Time to get ready for living on that houseboat in Panama!

THREE THINGS THAT HELPED MAKE MY SUMMER

8/10/2017

The end of July, I crossed something off of my bucket list. I spent a week long vacation on a houseboat at Lake Shasta. Overall, it has been one of the better summers I have had in a long time. More on everything to follow, but after my boat trip, I realized in addition to having some real fun the last couple of months, I have also found some great products . Here are three that helped make this summer a good one.

ATHLETIC WORKS SHORTS FROM WALMART
These shorts are super comfortable, come in some great colors and fit really well. I am wearing the blue ones in the picture above. I practically lived in them on my vacation, using them as a swimsuit cover up and then transitioning them to cocktails under the stars! I bought six pairs in different colors and still didn't spend fifty dollars! Since I have been back, I have also been using them as my new favorite gym outfit.

SPEEDO LADIES HYBRID WATERCROSS SHOE
I bought these after seeing someone else on my boat trip wear them. I had to get a pair once I got home because they worked so great for her! I ordered them from Amazon for under thirty dollars. A great shoe that is made for the water and the land, my friend wore them jet skiing, kayaking and never had to change shoes for the entire trip. Perfect combination of support and water durability, I will be using my new pair on my next boat or beach outing!

NEUTROGENA BUILD-A-TAN
This is the best tan I have had in years and no, it isn't all from the sun! I have gone from never using a tanning product to finding two different ones I really love! Neutrogena's Build-A-Tan is very reasonably priced and goes on just like a moisturizer. It gives a much lighter tan than the other product I was using,which works well for someone as white as I am! I love having legs that don't match Casper the ghost, but still look like the color could be a possibility after a vacation.

In California, summer really isn't over until the end of October, so looking forward to more good times! And maybe some more great products!

SIMPLE SUMMER FASHION, DRINKS AND RELAXATION

6/25/2017

My goal this summer was very simple- enjoy it!
Keep my summer fashion comfortable, entertain a little more and create a great place to relax. How am I doing so far? Here are three things I have done to make it happen.

TAN COOLA SUNLESS TAN DRY OIL MIST
I have a confession to make. I wear nylons pretty much all year. Even with sandals.
As a fashion faux pas, it doesn’t get much worse. Am I a fashion ignoramus? No, like spending money you don’t have, I am well aware this is not cool by any stretch of anyone’s imagination. So why? Why? Why?
Even nylons in sandals was better than my white legs.
So I decided it was time for sunless tan legs. I had tried a product in the past, but had a hard time applying it and hated getting it all over my clothes. I decided to get over my past fears and give it one more try.
I tried TAN COOLA, found it easy to apply and so far, haven’t ruined a single piece of clothing. I am still working on getting it on even, but the first time I spray painted something, it didn’t go perfectly either! The practice is going to be worth not having pantyhose sticking to me in the So Cal heat.

OCEAN SPRAY MOCKTAILS
I love having people over and kicking it outside in the yard. What I don’t like is spending hours cooking, cleaning and making drinks. Ocean Spray’s newest product, Mocktails, is perfect for simple summer drink making. A totally non-alcoholic drink base, you can whip up a great tasting Cranberry Sangria by just adding your favorite wine. How about a great Peach Bellini with a simple add of champagne? No bartender experience necessary!

BACKYARD LIGHTS
I have four pagoda lights in my backyard. One was wrecked the first week I owned the house, over 20 years ago. One of the others died about three years ago. The outlet in the backyard didn’t work and a light in one of the gardens had long gone away. In all, I had seven electrical projects that needed to be addressed. Finally getting everything completed cost a little bit of money, but it has made my backyard space even more of my favorite summer spot!
Taking my tan legs, with my Mocktails Sangria to my favorite relax spot means walking five feet. It doesn’t get simpler than that!