What an awesome concept. For 10 years I’ve been saving frequent flyer points and now, thanks to Virgin Atlantic Airways, I might actually be able to do something exciting, adventurous, out-of-this world!

I’d love to cash in my frequent flyer miles for a real journey into space. Apparently, I’m not alone. British businessman Alan Watts has traded his multitude of frequent-flyer miles for a real journey 75 miles (120 kilometers) above Earth. According to CNN, “Watts has racked up 2 million flyer miles and plans to travel on the world's first commercial tourism flights to space. He will be among the first 1,000 people to travel on a space tourism program in 2009 with Virgin Galactic, an offshoot of British entrepreneur Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic. Flights cost $200,000 (about 100,000 pounds, euro155,000).”

My daughter, who wants to be an astronaut and is extremely serious about her goal, is going to start begging me, pleading with me to save my frequent flyer points for her! Each person will have three days of training before boarding the spacecraft, which travels at more than 3,000 miles per hour (4,800 kilometers per hour). Seriously, how cool is this!

On my journey, I’ll be sure to take with me the sterling silver Lord’s Prayer bracelet or maybe the Life is a journey, not a destination bracelet, also engraved on a sterling silver bar. From Signal Catalog. I'll be sure my kids wear the ever fashionable authentic looking space suit for kids - only $49.95 (great for Halloween)!

Posted by Melody at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s a real tragedy, but public schools throughout the nation have cut funding among most in-school music programs. There is little, if any, emphasis put on how music lessons in pulic schools help kids improve in areas of focus, math and general overall intelligence. There is even less funding for band instruments, such as trumpets, electric guitars or saxophones.

Lot’s of hype has occurred over the last decade about the “Mozart Effect” and yet continued research shows that listening and studying music has a positive affect on intelligence, mental health, and even increasing your immune system.

So as a parent, it infuriates me that schools have cut funding? As I’ve written before, I’m very involved in programs and symphonies that bring music, for FREE, into the public schools. Just yesterday, my kids enjoyed a four-piece brass ensemble. They learned about classical composers such as Bach, Beethoven, & Strauss as they listened to a trumpet and a saxaphone. They then learned about how jazz was originally created from Africa, and perfected in New Orleans. They heard great clips from Louis Armstrong. The kids loved it. Though it was in the lunchroom cafeteria with horrible acoustics (and the assembly lasted only 50 minutes), the kids were exposed to music. I watched and smiled as they swayed to the beat and tapped their feet to the rhythm.

We have several great music sites that supply band instruments, mouthpiece, trumpet music, electric guitars and guitar chord charts, saxophone accessories, woodwind instruments and clarinet, pearl drums, Ludwig drums and Tama drums, Marshall amplifiers Brasswind Catalog,
Music 123, Woodwind Catalog, Drum Catalogs and recording equipment.

Posted by Melody at 05:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Life is so unpredictable. I’m trying to be a good girl, pumping iron at 6 am at the club, doing my leg presses as previously instructed 6 years ago my physical therapist, and suddenly, I feel the rip in my ligament, going into my meniscus.

Oh my God, the pain!!!!!!!!!

So instead of being a wise, logical and smart female executive, what do I do … I carefully get off the leg press and go and work out with the leg abductor machine.
What a complete moronic thing to do.

Hence, my tennis game is canceled for 6 weeks, and my tennis partner is pissed.
As for my newly purchased sexy tennis shorts and tank top --- I can only hope that by sitting on a couch waiting for my injured knee to heal, that I won’t gain any weight.

Posted by Melody at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You're going to a party or dinner with friends and typically you bring a bottle of wine, right? Standard modern day social procedure. But when it comes to actually giving someone a present, you don't normally think of wine. At least I don't. But why not? 98% of the people I know love wine and serve it regularly.

So....this catalog gets dropped on my desk. New customer. And I start leafing through it. Interesting. Not a wine club per say, where you order someone a subscription and then they get a couple bottles every month. All of these wine gifts are one time deliveries of 6 to 12 bottles. And interesting groupings. A wine gift basket for the grill. Many sets from Califorinia obviously. And sets combining wines of the world and American wines. Spain, Australia, France, etc. Very cool. And you can make your own custom wine gift baskets or take their expert suggestions. I'm sticking with their expertise thank you.

And there's FREE shipping on all orders. So no $$ surprises.

You can order their FREE Catalog here

Posted by Melody at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have just about had it! No, I’m not just a little upset … I’m very upset. We just broke our 3rd toaster oven in my house. I just hate it when one side of my cinnamon raisin bagel is burnt, and the other side still partially frozen (I keep my bagels in the freezer).

So I just bought myself a modern and contemporary chrome looking toaster oven, with built in broil, real temperatures going up to 400 degrees, and the most amazing part … a “keep warm” setting. It’s from Kitchen Universe. It was priced great for what you get. No longer do I need to turn on my double Thermador convection oven (that holds about two 14 pound turkeys in one oven) to warm 20 chicken nuggets.

I told my husband, “Look honey, think of the $$$ we’ll save on electricity” as he balked at the $79.95 price tag. The normal retail price was $140, on sale, with FREE Shipping! I think I got a great deal!

Posted by Melody at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What the heck is a SHRUG? Do you know what a SHRUG is? I didn’t know, until recently. It’s the hottest and definitely the most chic in wedding lingerie and honeymoon apparel. A shrug is a hand-crocheted shawl that you wear over the tiniest pieces of lingerie.

I have a friend who is turning 40! It’s the second time around for her (marriage, that is), and this chick better look great for her fiancé. I’ve been invited to a surprise-wedding shower, and I can’t wait. When a group of woman (mind you, I did NOT say girls) gets together and toasts a friend (who has 3 kids) … it calls for the best in French Champagne.

It’s not easy being a single Mom, in your forties, and trying to find a soul mate. I am thrilled to be celebrating this milestone in my friend’s life, and what could be better than wedding lingerie of sexy nighties, ultra shear and tantalizing camisoles draped in hand-crocheted shrugs? Awesome honeymoon apparel!

Carabella’s has an incredible selection of shrugs. Check out Carabella’s beautiful silk charmeuse camisole, gorgeous hand-crocheted shawl and matching bikini bottoms. What I like best, is that they offer FREE shipping if you spend $100 or more!

Posted by Melody at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you live in South Florida, the latin/spanish cooking you get inundated with is Cuban and South American. Fine. It's pretty good, I'll give it that. But I personally have a love for Mexican - and real authentic Mexican. Chain Mexican restaurants are useless. So I couldn't have been happier when we discovered this company Chimayo To Go.

They are from somewhere called Ojo Sarco, New Mexico - population 400 - so they've GOT to know what they are doing. And from looking through their catalog, they've got everything you'd need to prepare any authentic Mexican recipe and what look to be mouthwatering Southwestern snacks. Yum. Small and family owned, they've got chile powder, all kinds of dried chilies, and a slew of various hot sauces from timid to fire burning.

And if you're not a tv show-worthy chef, like myself, there's some recipes too, and their catalog offers some hard core mexican cookbooks to order as well.

And there's 10% off all orders too. So bring on the Habanero chile powder - I think I can take it :)

You can order their FREE Catalog here

Posted by Melody at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I think it is absolutely fabulous that the board game Monopoly has finally caught up with the 21st century. Since Monopoly was first introduced in 1935--in the midst of the Great Depression – it was a game about building business empires.

The game actually has two sides … on one hand it encourages the player to acquire vast amounts of real estate. On the other, it portrays business as not ethical, somewhat criminal (jail time). My husband grew up playing Monopoly, and it's the ONLY game he consistantly wins, and wins and wins (it's so infuriating playing against him!)

The latest version screams of capitalism. Starbucks coffee, McDonald’s French fries, Motorola cell phones, Toyota Prius, or New Balance sneakers. What amazes me, as a true marketer, is that these companies DID NOT pay for this incredible FREE advertising and promotion. Be still my heart … with over 250 million games sold in the past, and the amount of publicity and consumer attention this new game is getting … it’s worth gold for these companies. Gosh, I wish they had used Catalogs.com as a property.I wonder what we’d be worth?

I love the new properties in Atlantic City, which now include real estate from around the country, selected by online vote. I know CNN had a big polling and vote, where consumers could vote for the best and most current properties.

The end result ... the railroads have become airports, hyperinflation has set in--for passing Go, you collect $2 million--but Times Square is a bargain at $4 mil, and you can buy the White House for a mere $3.2 million.

Time had a recent article today about capitalism. I thought, personally, that it was a bit negative, but then I am a born marketer and advertiser and realize, from a business prospective, what enormous public relations Hasbro is achieving. My hat is off to Hasbro's marketing guru's.

Get 10% off all Monopoly orders from Board Games Express and enjoy!

Posted by Melody at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday I held my girlfriends hand as she squeezed it, ever so tightly, as the nurse injected the chemotherapy into her port. For a brief moment, I thought my fingers would break as she squeezed. Then, a sigh of relief.

For the next 1-½ hours, we discussed life, men, politics, philanthropy, children, shopping, and yes, even my blog (as she’s an avid and faithful reader).

What amazed me most about Memorial Breast Cancer Center is that it incorporates the best of Western and Eastern philosophies to complement the traditional treatment of chemotherapy and radiation.

Instead of exam room #1 … #9, each room has Chinese lettering, and beneath it the rooms are named (such as Freedom, Peace, Beauty, Tranquility). Women have the option to participate in alternative therapies, including acupuncture, massage therapy and Chinese herbal medicine.

Why do I feel this is so important? Because, unfortunately, it is not the first time I’ve sat holding one’s hand during chemo treatment. The entire “aurora” was peaceful, calming, gorgeous décor, almost like a spa atmosphere. A stark contrast to Mount Sinai Medical Center which put all the woman receiving chemo in a “circular pit”, no privacy and cold, sterile hospital décor. Here, the feeling reminded me of serenity, of a peaceful place. The nurses offered not only the patient’s warm, heated blankets but the friends, as well.

When my friend mentioned that the I.V. tubing for this particular round of chemo had to be specialized, because the chemicals would burn right through the normal plastic tubing of IV’s, it made me shudder.

My girlfriend did something really smart … she sent out an email to her friends asking for S P E C I F I C areas of help. I told her, “This is the greatest gift you can give your friends. Often, people don’t know how they can help (other than to send flowers.) Flowers are awesome and immediately after a mastectomy, while in the hospital, they are great (Check out Proflowers -- great deals), but often cancer patients need assistance driving to and from chemo, picking up groceries, picking up kids from carpool, going shopping for wigs (check out Beauty Trends and get FREE shipping and handling on first order over $50.00, plus a FREE instructional video with first wig purchased.

To me, the millisecond that I received her “help needed” email, I responded as a willing and able driver. She told me that within the hour, more friends had offered than she knew what to do.

My advice to cancer patients – reach out and ask for specific help. It makes your friends feel better than you will ever realize!!

Posted by Melody at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Even though I've had my share of kids already, I've got friends my age still having children. Crazy. But doing my part as the good friend, and entrepaneur that I am, I've directed them to one of my merchants here - Baby Because. They've got everything for babies and some really funky new jogging strollers and such. Of course they've got the standared stuff like cloth diapers and the usual baby gear and supplies, but there's way more than that if you get digging into their catalog. BabyBecause is really an online baby boutique with the newest baby things, baby slings and carriers, etc.

Or maybe you've got to shop for a baby gift and you want to get something a bit more unusual, maybe consider a cozy Moses basket or a comfy baby sling. Love those. Double jogging strollers make great baby gifts for twins, or a basket full of natural baby care products is kind of something different from the traditional clothing or blanket gift. Whatever you need for your baby, they've got it.

Best of all you get FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $125.

You can order their FREE Catalog here

Posted by Melody at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Our clients never cease to amaze me ... creativity, public relations blitzes, combined with a heartwarming animal lovers rescue mission ... all rolled into one. And yes, it’s a catalog company that’s behind this very clever marketing campaign.

And I love it ... Get Out Of The Dog House is a video contest whereby customers use dinner gifts from GourmetStation to get out of the dog house. Maybe you forgot your partner’s birthday, or forgot and never returned your neighbor’s power tools, or spilled coffee on your co-worker’s report. You messed up .. big time and landed in the Dog House.

Tell your story in a 2 minute video of how you got into the dog house and how you got out of the dog house. Win prizes worth up to $1,099 that will get you out of the dog house and keep you out of the dog house!

Plus, they are aiming directly at the hearts of animal lovers with their $10 donation to the National Borzoi Rescue Foundation, a grass roots organization with the mission of rescuing Borzoi (Russian Wolfhounds) from distress situations and finding the right homes for these deserving dogs.

My hats off to Donna Lynes-Miller, the founder of GourmetStation. This typifies how catalog companies need to “think out of the box” and adapt to fun and challenging ploys to capture market share in the ever competitive direct mail and on-line shopping industry.

Posted by Melody at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As I’ve blogged often about my own Mom, who is an amputee, I sent her this hot and quite controversial blog about “Why Won’t God Heal Amputees?” My own mother’s response is the best … this is probably one of the reasons I love her SOOOOOOO much . . .

My Mom wrote, “Leslie: It would take a theologian to answer this! Did you see how long it is?! If you want to comment, then I would suggest that you say something to the effect that even though over six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, most did not forsake their God—nor did the families of those killed on 9/11. Just because there are stories of miraculous healings, it doesn’t mean God has forsaken a particular group of individuals, namely amputees. Some might say that He has given man/woman the ability to help amputees—space age prosthetics; and who knows what the future will bring? Perhaps the ability to graft new limbs? So the whole idea of God being a fake because He’s ignored amputees is a ridiculous concept.”

I love the fact that my Mom is so bright, and get’s right down to the point of things. And yes, even at my old age, I still refer often and frequently to my Mom for her advice.

The article I referenced above states in summary, "No matter how many people pray, no matter how often they pray, no matter how sincere they are, no matter how much they believe, no matter how deserving the amputee, what we know is that prayers do not inspire God to regenerate amputated legs. This happens despite what Jesus promises us in Matthew 21:21, John 14:14, Mark 11:24, etc." It's a pretty ridiculous article.

Posted by Melody at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

How do these women do it? I arrive at the health club at 6 a.m. and they’re wearing color-coordinated skimpy exercise spandex stretch tops with matching leggings. They have lipstick on and eyeliner, and diamond stud earrings. The latest trend among elite health clubs is wearing color-coordinated footwear that matches your outfits.

I, on the other hand, desperately need to go shopping. The other day, I dragged myself out-of-bed and pulled on a 7-year-old t-shirt with a hole around the collar (I think it was bleached too much). I wore zero make-up, and in-between lifting weights; I snag the “sleep” out of my eye and wipe it on my 10-year-old black comfortable Nike pants.
I basically left the health club not feeling great about myself.

Fast forward to the next day … I wore a very stylish Ralph Lauren matching top and pant set, managed to swipe lipstick on at the traffic light, and as I lifted weights over my head and checked out my own pectoral muscles and bicuspids in the mirror, I felt revitalized and reenergized. I had a great day.

Take note woman … if you dress the part … you’ll have a better workout, feel better about yourself, and start your day knowing that you’re putting your best foot forward. And realistically, it takes the exact same amount of time to pull over your head a new colorful stylish top as it does a 7 year old torn t-shirt.

Get Free Shipping on all athletic shoes, or check out Carabella for Free Shipping on orders over $100 on excercise clothes Physique Body Ware USA, and Lucy.com for great pilates apparel.

Posted by Melody at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)