Last week was a blur – a good one, but still a blur. Below are some of the highlights:

Monday:
-I attended a “Breathe Life In” themed lunch at Spa Chakra that was sponsored by Vicks. While there, I learned about several new products from Vicks. I don’t like to take a lot of medicine, so I was hoping that there would be some new versions of VapoRub (a staple at my home) discussed. There was not. Rather, I learned about medicines like DayQuil Mucus Control, Nyquil with improved flavor, Nyquil that makes you less drowsy and VapoSyrup. Yes, there was a whole lot of mucus talk over lunch. It sounds pretty gross, but it wasn’t. It helped that I was eating alongside some of my favorite blogging friends (Liz, Nicole and Victoria). I asked if taking any medicine decreases the length of colds. It does not. Whether you take medicine or not, a typical cold lasts 5 – 7 days. Rather, the medicines help you to feel better. Honest enough. You can see which of their products address your various symptoms at http://www.vicks.com/products/symptoms.

When I went home, I gave away most of the cold medicine to people who would actually use them. I meant to keep one for myself, but I got carried away and gave away all of them. So, of course I had a cold by the end of the week. I usually try to “tough it out”, but I had too much going on. I called one of my friends who I had given 2 bottles of medicine and asked her to bring me one of the bottles back when I saw her at church. She did. I took the medicine and it gave me temporary relief. Mission accomplished. (FYI: I also received a gift certificate for a future massage at the Vicks event, because I didn’t have the time to get it that day. I love massages – they definitely help me to “breathe life in”…)

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Vicks is the official cough/cold/flu sponsor for Team USA. They are running a sweepstakes where you can win a trip to the 2010 Winter Olympics. You can find the details at http://www.tweet2cteamusa.com/.

Wednesday:
-My dear friend Isabel (AlphaMom) invited me to one of her Huddles. Isabel is like Beth in my mind/heart – if she invites me to something: a. I know that it’s going to be good and b. If it is at all possible schedule-wise, I’ll be there. I am so glad that I went! I walked away thinking, “If I believed in reincarnation, I would think that I was Swiss in another lifetime.” I don’t, so I guess that I was just super inspired by the speaker, Tina Roth Eisenberg – a NYC based Swiss designer (Swiss Miss). I was really challenged by her life view of “beauty in everything”. In fact, her college thesis focused on the beauty of everyday life. After listening to her talk about her career (and life in general), it made me want to slow down a bit and to cherish more daily moments (not just the “big” ones). I’m working on it. I especially loved this quote that she used:

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
-Henry Miller

(On a side note, Tina built my new favorite online “To Do” list, Teux Deux. It is brilliant in its simplicity. When it becomes available to the public, I will definitely let you know!)

-Directly after the huddle, I went to a shopping preview of an AJWright store in Brooklyn. Do you know that store? They are an off-price retailer from the TJX family of stores (TJMaxx and Marshalls). I and a few other blogging friends (Melissa, Nichelle and Amy) were given a private shopping experience. (I received a $150 gift card to shop and find the best deals.) Before going, I looked at their site to think about what I would get. I was not impressed with their online circular. In fact, it made me not want to go shopping there. Fortunately, the actual store was much better than the online visual. (I’m not just telling you, I told the marketers who invited me to the event. The circular really does not do the store justice!)

The first thing that I noticed, when I arrived was that it was a more organized layout than many other off price retailers. The ceilings were higher and it was more open and spacious. The overall design (a racetrack styled circle) is just very well thought out – especially if you are a mom trying to navigate the store with a stroller! Unlike what the circular suggested, there were a lot of great, quality name brand items in the store – from toys; shoes and clothing (9 West, BCBG, Timberlands, RocaWear, Jones New York, etc.); house wares; bedding (Ralph Lauren, Sealy, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.); and much more. The greatest thing about this store is that money stretches there. I was able to get something for my husband (a NY Yankees tee – they have a lot of licensed Yankee items at discount prices; Hanes tees and Calvin Klein gloves); for Michael (a Nike shirt and a Nike hat/glove set) and Sean (Hanes tees and a little sweat suit). Last, but not least, I was able to get myself a light winter jacket, a top and some underclothes. I still had almost $10 left (?!) Score!

If you are anywhere near an AJ Wright, definitely go and check out their Black Friday specials. If Black Friday is not your cup of tea, there is no need to worry. They get new merchandise every week. When I asked for shopping strategies, the advice was to visit AJWright frequently because they have constant turnover of products. The #1 insider tip: shop there on Thursdays. That is when the full trucks are unloaded/you get “first dibs” on the new items of the week. Happy Shopping!

My three favorite areas: Pans, Pillows & Purses

Thursday:
-I listened in on a Jean Chatzky audio call, which I will write about soon. (They are in the process of sending me a gift for one of you!)

-That night, we hosted a pre-Thanksgiving holiday party at our home. Being surrounded by great people and delicious food was so much fun.

Saturday:
-My family hosted a lunch date at our house. Our guests were newlyweds. They were so cute…and so young! As we talked, I realized that I could have been the wife’s pre-teen worker?! (My husband and I used to work with the pre-teens and young teens in our church.) Hearing a 20 year old talk about marriage and life was so sweet and weird at the same time. I was SO not ready for marriage at 20!

-That evening, the family went to a Radio City Christmas Spectacular event and performance at Radio City Music Hall. (I will write about that in a separate post.)

Sunday:
-We had a pre-Thanksgiving lunch at church. I didn’t think about how full my week was, until I realized that I had committed to bring a meat dish for 20. Suffice it to say, I was cooking early on Sunday morning. Thank God for chicken breast cutlets and our grill!

-Last of all, Sunday was my husband’s birthday. I have the best husband possible, so (even though I was sick and tired) I tried to give him the day “off”. We had a wonderful, relaxing day. He was happy, which makes me happy!

I’m tired just writing about last week. By its end, I realized that I needed to take a little breather – literally and physically. My mom came into town last night, so I’m excited to be spending the majority of this week with her. I’m going to attend one event tonight – and that is it. I’m excited about taking a few days to JUST BREATHE!