This is the start of my new series of “Happy Monday!” photos and videos.
To kick it off, here’s super cute Prince Harry dancing in Jamaica in 2012 while celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Happy Monday!
Archives for September 2013
Emmys 2013
September 23, 2013 by
I watched the 2013 Emmy Awards last night. All 3 hours and 10 minutes of it. I thought Neil Patrick Harris was a fun host. I kinda figured Breaking Bad was going to win Outstanding Drama Series. It’s the biggest television sensation right now and I’ve not watched one single episode. I was routing for Jon Hamm to win Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Mad Men, but he lost to Jeff Daniels from The Newsroom. I was going to write about that, because I also really like Jeff Daniels. Then there was Tina Fey and Amy Poehler being funny in the front row. And Will Ferrell being funny with his kids. And Michael Douglas being funny to Matt Damon. But I just kept coming back to this image:
This is awesome actress and Modern Family diva, Sofia Vergara, partying down after Modern Family won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for the FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW. (Yay! It’s one of my favorite shows!) She also had on one of my favorite dresses of the night. She looked FABULOUS in red. She then posted pictures to her social media account all night long. She was twerking, eating a cheeseburger at Jimmy Fallon’s after-party, and having a blast.
So, that’s my Emmy recap. It pretty much sums up the entire night for me. Nothing too crazy memorable except for Sofia Vergara in a really hot Vera Wang dress. I know my husband agrees.
Hey, Jessie!
September 18, 2013 by
When we were at our beach condo this summer, the kids started watching Jessie on Disney Channel. They became seriously hooked (or rather, ADDICTED) to the show after just three episodes. For the rest of the week, we all watched Jessie while we ate our dinner in our PJs. Confession: I became addicted too!
It’s the cutest show. It features the awesomely lovely and talented Debby Ryan as Jessie. Jessie is a nanny from Texas. She comes to the Big Apple with the hopes of becoming an actress, but she ends up taking care of a Manhattan penthouse full of kids: Emma and her adopted siblings Luke, Ravi, and Zuri. Daniel really loves Ravi’s humor and his giant pet lizard, Mrs. Kipling, and Annabel adores Zuri’s outfits. She picked out a fun outfit for her Kindergarten orientation because it looked like something “Zuri would wear.” Well, Zuri is a little fashionista.
Disney Channel ran a promo during the first two weeks of September pushing their BRAND NEW JESSIE EPISODE on Friday, September 13th. And it was a SPECIAL HOUR-LONG EPISODE! My kids begged to watch it and we decided to make it a fun family night. We ordered New York style pizza and made a special dessert: “New York City” ice cream sandwiches. The kids drew windows on the buildings with colored icing tubes.
They both loved the new episode titled “G.I. Jessie” where we finally got to meet Jessie’s Dad! Jessie is great for boys and girls because Daniel could not stop talking about the “flying car” and Annabel was all about Emma’s new boyfriend. But I’m warning all you parents now, once you start watching Jessie, you will walk around singing the catchy theme song WHEREVER YOU GO.
“It feels like a party everyday. Hey, hey, hey, hey, HEY, JESSIE!”
Now you’re ready for the Jessie Season 3 premiere this October! Be sure to sign up for my Pop Kids Report weekly newsletter so you’ll ALWAYS be up-to-date on all the Disney Channel TV premieres, movies, and more! Plus, it’s free!
There’s No Place Like Home
September 15, 2013 by
We’ve spent the entire day at home as a family having a wonderful, relaxing time. And celebrating this:
Happy 12th anniversary, Baby. We’ve spent a dozen years as a married couple and many more years as best friends and partners in crime. Thank you for making all of the days memorable. Thank you for always making me laugh. Thank you for being an awesome Hubbie and Daddy.
Annabel gave us another anniversary memory by hitting this milestone:
She’s been wiggling that tooth all week and I told her to please wait until today so we would always remember she lost her first baby tooth on our anniversary. And she listened to me! My girl. She is excited to finally use the tooth fairy pillow that has been patiently waiting in her dresser drawer. (She’s been jealous of her brother’s tooth pillow for over a year now.)
We also cozied up on the couch and watched The Wizard of Oz for the first time as a family. The kids adored it, just like I thought they would. Annabel would now like to be Glinda the Good Witch for Halloween. Because of the pink sparkle, of course.
Milkshake Cake
September 12, 2013 by
Daniel turned seven last week and he requested a “milkshake cake” for his birthday. He’s never been a big fan of regular cake. Sure, he’ll eat a piece at a friend’s party, but it’s not his favorite. He’s always asked for a McDonald’s vanilla milkshake as his special treat for passing the next level of his math class or getting good grades on his report card. So a milkshake cake made perfect sense. We ordered seven small milkshakes, arranged them on a tray, threw in some colorful straws, added the candles, and VOILA! I think Daniel just invented the next birthday cake craze.
And you can check out the DONUT CAKE from Daniel’s “Cars and Trucks and Things That Go” Birthday Party HERE.
John Mayer in Tampa, FL
September 11, 2013 by
Hubbie and I drove three hours to Tampa this past weekend to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary with Mr. John Mayer. He was playing at Tampa’s gorgeous outdoor amphitheater with Phillip Phillips. We decided to book a room at the because it was right across the street from the venue AND we would get the chance to play a little blackjack! Yay!
I always make the mistake of starting at the slot machines. While I lost $20 in 2 minutes on some quarter game, Hubbie was having a good ol’ time at the blackjack table. I joined him and we both ended up winning 200 bucks! I always say that gambling is so much fun, but only if you win!
We met our friend Tim for dinner at the yummy Council Oak restaurant right inside the casino. It was soooo delicious. I had the red snapper special while the boys had steaks. We also shared a plate of oysters and a bottle of red. I was so ready for JM after that awesome pre-game dinner!
We arrived just in time to hear Phillip sing his smash hit, “Home.” He was on fire. He was pumped. I wish I had it on video, but I had to just experience the moment. There was a short intermission before John came on. After grabbing a John Mayer T-shirt, tote bag (I can’t resist a tote bag!), and a couple of dark beers on draft, we were ready to party!
I wore my John Mayer-inspired neck piece that night. My father-in-law brought it back from Nicaragua for me and I was excited to wear it to the concert.
John came on stage and kicked everything off with “Queen of California.” I can honestly say I enjoyed every single song choice. He mostly played songs from his two new albums, Paradise Valley and Born & Raised.
He threw in a few classics like “Vultures,” “Gravity,” “Neon,” and this one:
There was also a cover of “Don’t Stop Believing.” Our seats were awesome (floor and center) and I even got to see John play the guitar behind his back! My favorite parts of all JM concerts are when he just wails on that guitar. I’m sure my husband is sick of me going on and on about how talented he is on the guitar and and what an amazing songwriter he is, but I know my girl Katy Perry agrees!
My ears were ringing and my throat was soar from singing all night long, but it was so worth it. And I’m ready to do it all again when John comes to Jacksonville! He JUST added Jax to his fall tour dates on Tuesday, December 10th. He wasn’t doing any media meet-and-greets this time, so I may have to save up and make a donation to John’s awesome veterans charity so I can hang out with him again. We need a new pic, don’t you think?
You can read all about my love for John Mayer HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Katy Perry: Roar!
September 6, 2013 by
Katy Perry revealed the cover art for her brand new album, Prism, this morning on Good Morning America. She appeared on the talk show wearing a cute daisy dress which my 5-year-old daughter now wants. Prism will be released Tuesday, October 22nd. Katy told GMA she wanted the cover to be light and glowy. She looks beautiful and angelic, doesn’t she? And check out the cool Instagram-style filter.
I love Katy because she’s funky and fun, but she also sends a good message to young girls. She writes empowerment anthems including her fierce new single, “Roar,” which is now the number one song in the country! (Bye, “Blurred Lines.”) “Roar” is all about “girl power” and standing up for yourself. Here’s the official music video featuring Katy as a “Queen of the Jungle” with lots of cute animal friends. My personal goal is to make “Roar” the new Friday anthem. Let’s start our weekends off with a big ROAR!
Katy also talked to GMA about her boyfriend, John Mayer. She sings a duet with John on his new album, Paradise Valley, called “Who You Love.” She said she’s been a big fan of John’s for a long time and was honored to sing and write with him. Awwww.
John and Katy’s instagram pic from July 4, 2013
And do you remember the controversy surrounding Katy’s (non) appearance on Sesame Street a few years back? It was about one revealing yellow dress. (Katy can’t really hide her assets.) I thought PBS went a little far by deciding not to air her segment at all. She was playing hide-and-seek with Elmo! I thought it was sweet. I mean, it’s NOTHING compared to some of the controversial things we’ve seen recently from young female performers. (*Cough* Miley *Cough*) Here’s a little Katy flashback featuring some enthralled preschoolers.
“American Idol” Season 13 Judges
September 4, 2013 by
Here are your confirmed judges for Season 13 of American Idol! Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick, Jr. I’m excited. I was starting to fade away from American Idol a little bit last year. I was frustrated and bored. I missed the stories about the kids who were auditioning. I thought the wacky judges were the center of the show and a big distraction. I like that Idol has returned to its original panel of three judges. (Although the trifecta will always be Simon, Randy, and Paula.) I like that these three stars are serious music industry veterans. Our “dawg,” Randy Jackson, will still be around as a mentor. (Woof!) And I will always love you, Ryan Seacrest. Let’s try this again, American Idol. My DVR is set for January 2014.
What do you think of this year’s American Idol judges? Will you be watching?
Warning: These Commercials Will Make You Cry
September 3, 2013 by
Is it strange that I have to put down my coffee mug and wipe away tears because a commercial for baby clothes comes on during Good Morning America? And then I have to go and rewind it two more times because it’s just so heartwrenchingly gooood. (And I want to run to school and drag Annabel out of class so I give her a long hug.)
Here’s the gosh darn tear-inducing Carter’s commercial, in case you haven’t seen it yet:
And then there’s this brand new, super emotional gum commercial (Yes, GUM commercial.) Wrigley made this Extra gum advertisement especially for all you emotionally soft Dads out there. I cried, too. (And I want to run to school and drag Annabel out of class so I can tell her she’ll be going to a local community college and living at home FOREVER.)
What commercial makes YOU cry? And does anyone know how to make small origami birds like that? I need to teach Hubbie ASAP.