The Best Friends Guide to...

Another pairing to make my heart flutter- Pirates inspired nailpolishes by OPI

2011-04-22T11:20:00.007-04:00

Most know of my Captain Jack obsession and my love of all things girly and makeupy-is that a real word? Well OPI decided to collide my worlds and come up with some Pirates Of The Carribean - On Stranger Tides shades that I'm sure the Captain himself would fancy.

Skull & Glossbones
Best light gray ever, no bones about it.

Mermaid’s Tears
Few have seen this magical green.

Steady as She Rose
This gorgeous pink is your final destination.

Planks a Lot
Dive into style with this lustworthy purple!

Sparrow Me the Drama
This cool, collected pink means business!

Stranger Tides
Explore this uncharted sea of sage.

Silver Shatter
A shimmering sea of silver with a two-texture finish.

Because of the title and the pink I'm going with Sparrow Me the Drama. Savvy?

What say you? Tell us your fave.

~ Karen

Epcot Trains - A 3 Year Old Obsession

2011-04-22T10:34:00.000-04:00

My husband, 3 year-old son and I recently took a 3-day cruise on the new Disney Dream (more on that trip later). We stopped over one day before the cruise at Disney and spent a obscene amount of time watching the miniature trains at Epcot/Germany.

My 3 year old is, well, obsessed and I found a video to flame the fires a bit. Take a ride on the train mini-style. I must admit-- this view is much better than the one standing with the other train-crazy kids.

*side note* if you have train-crazy children and find yourself standing at the same spot for hours on end, there is a beer tent a few yards away. It helps. There is also a good view of Illuminations from this area if your child sets up camp for the day as ours did.

Slacker #2 - Old Fart Birthday Planning

2011-04-21T17:27:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know it's April. And yes I realize that it's been 2011 for almost 4 months. But here I am. Back. On the blog.

Maybe it's Captain Jack's photo. Maybe it's the warm weather creeping up on us. But I think we need some new posts up in here. So here goes.

Our biggest discussions these days seem to revolve around 40th birthday celebrations. Where to go what to do... all roads keep leading back to something Disney related, but both Karen and I are in heavy planing mode. She's in July. I'm in November. Both in 2012, so we have some time.

That said, it's never to early to plan.

celebrate good times. Come on! (Not sure what letter I was trying to make.)

Ideas include:

cruise to Bahamas (Disney boat from NYC)
cruise to Bermuda
Paris. That's my fantasy trip (no kids)
cruise from FL on the Disney Dream with two stops on Castaway
Disney only with some fav stops at Cali Grill
Atlantis and Bobby Flay

Decisions. Decisions. Again, we have some time. But it will creep up and neither of us are going to pass on an opportunity to celebrate. Followed by a little bit of crying for the big 4-0. Followed by some drinking. Followed by great food and great friends.

What say you? Where's a great 40th celebration spot (besides under a rock)

~Davina

Slackers please come back..the Captain needs you

2011-04-18T14:03:00.003-04:00

Yes we are blog slackers..and yes we have'nt written one damn thing in 3 months . So to de- rustify myself I will be brief and just leave you with this picture while I clear my thoughts and crack down on our lazy BF ways

The picture really is all I wanted to share anyways

At Last...I have found you

2011-01-25T18:39:00.005-05:00

For years I have been searching for the Disney resort muzak that my mother and I like to drink to- after the kids are asleep of course. A few glasses of wine on your Disney balcony and some muzak...what else could you really want in life?

Whoever the genius is that did this I would personally like to hug, rub, thank , or pay money too. Thank you sir....I can now have my fix at home whenever I want. You have brought me and my mama to tears..sniff sniff

Disney Fairy Tale Weddings by Alfred Angelo

2011-01-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

Will someone I know please get married at Disney World

2011-01-18T13:09:00.003-05:00

While Davina is away at Disney all I can do is sit here in the frozen tundra and dream of rollercoasters, mouse ears and dole whips. I google Disney news just to see what I am missing. It's awful to say the least.

With the help of Lizzie I did discover some new Disney wedding dresses by Alfred Angelo to chat about as a follow up to my previous post " Fireworks, castles and gowns..oh My! "

Check out the new styles at the website below

http://www.disneybridal.com/

The Ariel style is the one posted above and I' not sure if it's the picture I love, the gown or just the fact that's it's Ariel..a fellow redheaded princess

What's your favorite?

~ Karen

Ladies keep your hands of my lizard

2010-12-29T18:27:00.001-05:00

There's a reason why this is the sexiest lizard ever....keep watching to find out why.

I must have him for my pet

Merry Seacrest to all.

2010-12-28T08:39:00.003-05:00

When one BF goes to Disney without the other the balance of the world is slightly off. This video makes it harder to deal with since Davina is going in a few weeks ...and I am not. *SIGH*

Quite honestly we both should have been there instead of Seacrest and Mimi.

Those College Kids are Crazy

2010-12-16T15:52:00.001-05:00

Where I would have been nursing one mother of a hangover or deciding what class to skip-- Emerson College students spent a Fall afternoon putting together a Lady Gaga medley on the streets of Boston.

Looks like every student showed up and the result, well, see for yourself.

Splash Mountain - Closed for Maintenance in January FAIL

2010-12-14T15:09:00.000-05:00

What the what Splash Mountain? Am I not supposed to go on you ever again? Last year you were closed for refurbishment. And guess what, this year you are as well.

Here is the official reason why:

Splash Mountain will be closing for refurbishment in early 2011 from January 3 2011 to January 31 2011. This refurbishment may see the installation of the lap bars that have been in design for some time now.

Is it me? Or is it that the only times I get to ride the mother of all flumes is when Karen and I are in attendance together? Lap bars are for suckers.

Fingers crossed for next year. Boo.

Epic Ride Photo

Target Rocks Christmas

2010-12-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

You know you've seen the ads but did you know you can also download the songs?

Target has been busy creating a hipster Christmas soundtrack that is worth a listen. Especially since it's free-- yes, I said free.

It may not replace the old classics, but certainly worth checking out. My favorite is below. I think I would enjoy this song even if it wasn't holiday related.

Download all the songs at Target Christmas Music

Holiday Give Away - Ho Ho Ho

2010-12-13T12:20:00.001-05:00

Holiday madness is here. Now that your Visa has been getting a work-out why not win something for free?

Trace Designs has been kind enough to share some of her cool trinkets. The drop onxy earrings pictured can be yours if you do one of the following:

1. Follow our blog and leave a comment on how much you love the earrings. We want the love.
2. Follow our twitter feed at @bestfriendguide (if you already follow us on twitter-- simply follow the blog)

Of course we will love you forever if you re-tweet or share this post on your book of faces. It may not win you the earings, but certainly will make you our new fav peeps.

Our contest ends 12/17 so get following. On Friday at the end of the day we will announce the winner and contact you for your snail mail address.

Want some earrings?

2010-11-07T16:32:00.001-05:00

The Trace designs earrings giveaway is this week so be sure to come back for the info on how to enter. As soon as Davina returns from her NYC voyage- this one's all her- it will begin!

Faux Barbecue....Farbecue

2010-11-07T16:13:00.004-05:00

I have'nt eaten red meat in about 10 years... I miss it

The smell of steak grilling, a burger with cheese , my Grandmas roast beef and above all barbeque. People ( my husband and brother) pressure me often to eat it but at this point my cow days are over. I do stare longingly at my husband when he does dive into a bbq feast so imagine my glee when I discovered Morningstar farms BBQ riblets at the store last week. I have tried several of their other products- breakfast sausage because I don't eat pork, but that's another post - but just for some reason passed the riblets on by.

They caught my attention so in my cart they went and I prepared some mashed potatoes and corn to go with. I was skeptical of how good they would be but after the first bite I was hooked. My husband ate some too and was turning to me to ask what I thought when he saw me licking my plate. Gone.. just like that. For me, a person who has not eaten bbq "ribs" in years they were probably one of the best things I have ever had. Same texture, taste and smell as the real deal. The only problem...I wanted more.

Check them out even if you do eat meat. They are better for you and packed with loads of protein and soy goodness. A cow will thank you.

~ Karen

Darth Vader Breaks That Sh**t Down

2010-10-25T09:06:00.001-04:00

Who knew that Darth Vader could kick my ass in a dance-off? The following clips are from Disney's Star Wars weekend. Nerds from all over the globe dusted off their lightsabars, packed up their jedi robes, and asked their mom to drive them to Orlando for a weekend of Star Wars mania.

I wish I could have been there.

~Davina

Mekka Lekka Hi Mekka Hiney Ho

2010-10-20T15:12:00.002-04:00

If you are a fool for the 80's like I am then I know you watched, and loved, Pee Wee's Playhouse. Does it matter that I was a teenager and enjoyed it? Pish posh and hell no. Pee Wee was an icon in my house and watched every Saturday.

Now I understand that Pee Wee fell onto some hard times and had some kind of altercation in a theater- let's keep the details to ourselves. To each his own right Mr. Wee? I never stopped liking him and hoped that one day he would have a triumphant return. Well that day is now!

Click below to get the details on Pee Wee live on Broadway where you can see Pee Wee, Captain Carl, Jambi the Genie, Miss Yvonne, Pterri the Pterodactyl , Chairy and Clocky.
Davina and I watched Pee Wee's Big Adventure so many times that I swear if you asked us to recite it right now we could-word for word.

Long Live Pee Wee

http://www.peewee.com/broadway/

Etsy - A Craft Show for Hipsters

2010-10-15T17:03:00.000-04:00

Need a fun idea for a Christmas gift? Sure you can head to the Mall - but who needs another Yankee Candle or Bath and Body Works body spray?

Where else can you get cool knit gloves from Turkey?

Or a set of Nutcracker Ballet Puppets?

Or, really cool Onyx earrings.

Oh, wait... you like those you say? Me too. That's why it pains me to give them away. Yes, the earrings are up for grabs in our next give-away.

Details to come next week. In the meantime, check out Trace Designs (she made the earrings that you know you want to win).

~Davina

A ride on the Disney bus turns into a cat fight gone wrong...don't think I won't strangle you

2010-10-15T08:26:00.002-04:00

This lunatic started stangling a Disney bus driver while his baby was next to him because the bus was full.

If you've ever been to Disney then you know that the end of the night buses are always packed and the ride home can take a while. El lunatic started saying he should have priority because he had a baby.Hey jackass..95% of people getting on these buses have tired ,cranky kids who want to get to their hotel.

Stay out of my Disney D bag

Reservation for Four at the Castle Please

2010-10-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

I know Karen likes to talk directly with her people when making a Disney dining reservation. I, however, enjoy the anonymity of online reservations. It's always baffled me that a company as big as Disney required you to call and actually talk to someone. Ew.

I was thrilled when they recently unveiled their new online dining reservation service and I've been using it for dining reservations for my family Disney trip in January.

And to take it to the next nerd-level Disney just announced "near me". This new service allows you to check for table-service availability at nearby park restaurants using the location-based services on your supported Android, Blackberry or iPhone device.

Simply search “disneyworld.com/dining” from your phones browser, or visit http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/m/ and choose to view “map view” of dining results. I'll never have to talk to another human being again!

Smell Like a Monster? But of Course!

2010-10-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

I have avoided Barney. The Thomas obsession seems to have faded. And it was only recently that Elmo made a surprising comeback after being discarded for Blues Clues (the Joe episodes... not that other guy).

If you must watch a show over and over and over, let it be something decent. Case in point, Grover's new parody for the Old Spice ads.

The sweepstakes queen first winning trip recap- fevers, gross food and all

2010-10-11T09:57:00.008-04:00

Well my first winning sweepstakes trip is but a distant memory. The family and I had 5 great days that went by much too quickly and of course had it's ups and downs. It started with my 9 year old getting a fever right as we were heading to the airport. The boy who never gets sick got SICK. Strep throat followed...needless to say this was not his greatest trip but being the Disney trooper that he is he never complained and tried to enjoy everything as much as he could. The 6 year old wild one did'nt stop for a second. Typical girl..

Pool off property

The trip included passes for WDW , airfare ( for 2 ) 3 nights accomodations off property and all our transportation. The hotel was nice enough and very spacious , but being the Disney snob that I am all I could wish for was Saturday when we were checking into the Wilderness lodge on our own dime. My husband , who needed to be convinced to switch hotels, woke me up at 5:30 a.m whispering " I'm too excited to sleep..I just want to get to the Wilderness Lodge." I have raised him well.

Home sweet Home

All the events planned by the contest were great -for the most part- and we did break the worlds record for making the biggest smiley face. The people we met along the way were all so nice and just as excited as us to be there. Afterwards there was a brunch where my husband became BFF's with Joey Fatone.

Fool...

That night however is a part of my life I would like to block forever. They took us all to a farewell diner at the Pirate Adventure dinner show. Just walking into the building made me nauseous and as soon as I saw the food I knew why. I apologize to anyone who is fond of these dinner shows but they are just not for me. Bad acting, horrific food slopped onto your plate off a serving cart and a nasty smell from the arena. My son even leaned over to me and said " mom these are the worst chicken nuggets". I advised my entire family to not eat anything and they were more than happy to listen. I have no pictures to post..the less I remember the better I am.

Obviously the best parts of the trip were our times at the parks and of course our one lone night on property. My son even got to raise the flag at the Wilderness Lodge the next morning. It just goes to show you that it is worth every dime and having a BF with a Disney Vacation club is even better. We have now promised to pay her for point usage ( 2012 ) as we can never stray far from property again. A Disney pimp if you will...

So I have started entering more contest again but will be mindful of entering those for off property hotel . A house off property is one thing, a hotel is another. Again, I apologize if you like these hotels, I am just far too much of a princess.

~ Karen

Johnny available for mutiny tutorials...why did'nt I think of that!?

2010-10-08T15:28:00.006-04:00

Seriously...a wee little girl writes to my dream asking on lessons in mutiny and gets a personal appearance by the Captain himself ? I am ashamed of myself for not conning my 6 year old into doing this.

I need inspiration on what to say to get him to Massachusetts. Help rid me of my awful accent or perhaps a lesson in pumpkin carving. Whatever it takes.

This 9 year old is my new hero. She did in months what I've been trying to do for 24 years.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649580/20101008/story.jhtml

~ Karen

One point tip of the day- I should take my own advice

2010-09-27T18:53:00.004-04:00

As I get ready to depart on my free trip that I won- yes I am a winner- to Disney World, I leave you with a one point tip of the week. I am positive that I will not be following my own advice as those delicious mickey ice cream bars are at least the points for 2 days. I will try to convince myself that all the walking I will be doing cancels it out, but seriously...who am I kidding.

My one point tip is a super yummy cocolate pretzel blast mini treat bar made by WW. I bought them at a meeting site for $5.00. That was the sale price. There was a good amount in the box and it did hit the chocolate spot nicely. They were like a mini watchamacalit - old school candy reference.

Enjoy!

~ Karen

One point tip of the week

2010-09-15T07:49:00.004-04:00

Here's another one point tip of the week for everyone. If you are a breakfast lover then this one is for you.

Try Thomas' light , multi grain english muffins. Only 1 point which is less than a weight watchers bagel. Add some peanut butter or an egg white and there's your protein and your ready to roll.

Mama always said breakfast is the most important meal of the day!