Trader Joe's Employees Must Not Be From NY

Have you ever noticed that all of the Trader Joe's employees have these slightly neutral, cheerful, Southern California-ish accents?  I swear there must be a Trader Joe's school where they teach them to smile, speak in Trader Joe tongue and be overly accommodating.  Everyone there is so darn happy and helpful! The nerve! Don't they know they're in NY? I mean seriously, why must you be so nice? Is it really necessary for you to stand outside in the pouring rain with an umbrella and help me unload all of my grocery bags into my car!?  Must you open a register when the rest are busy and say "Hi Ma'am, I can help you over here!"? Must you make these adorable little "shopper in training" carts so my kids can have fun while grocery shopping??  I mean really - why must you be so nice??  

I love Trader Joe's for a variety of reasons.  The delicious peaches they had over the summer, sweet potato fries, Toasted Oatmeal Flakes Cereal, those mini chocolate chip cookies in a tub, but most of all because the people who work there are seriously some of the most helpful and pleasant people in this area.  Sadly, helpful, competent and pleasant people are hard to come by these days, so when you do run into them, you must take notice and thank them profusely.  My heartfelt thanks to the employees of Trader Joe's for making my shopping experience a pleasant and peaceful one.

  

"Fave Things Friday"

I've been so out of the loop and so busy that I haven't had a single second to sit down and post anything on my precious blog. I am so sorry to my loyal followers, but I know that you've all been there when life just gets in the way of life. Anyway, so much has happened since the last time I posted and quite honestly, I do not even know where to begin. So instead of freaking out and making it complicated, I'm just going to give you the hit parade of some of my favorite things that I have encountered in the past few weeks! Hopefully this will bring me up to speed! So here it is -- the first, of the weekly post "FAVE THINGS FRIDAY".

1. Mohonk Mountain House: Ray and I went for our anniversary and truly there are no words in the English language that you describe how stunning and gorgeous this place is. Really. It is stunning. And just what we needed to calm our brains and reconnect with one another. Here is a picture of the hotel itself:

This is me getting ready to go on a hike....

Our hike, however, actually morphed into a "rock climb"

And after we climbed up and squeezed through this (a/k/a "The Crevice")

We had a view of this:

It doesn't really get any better for me.  Peace and quiet can do wonders for a busy brain.  We had an amazing 24 hours away - we talked, drank champagne and just enjoyed each other's company.  I know that sounds cheesey, but in the hustle and bustle of daily life, you can forget about all the reasons you married someone...and during this 24 hours, I found out that after 6 years, I love Ray more than I did on our wedding day. 

Which leads me to my most two fave things in the world:  Giuliana and Sofia.  Here they are on Halloween:

2.  Sophie the Giraffe Teether: Most moms probably know about this little giraffe, (I guess I'm the slacker(...but I still had to share.  Sophie is "designed to stimulate the senses (she makes a happy sound when squeezed) and soothe teething gums (safe for babies' mouths).  Isn't she cute?

She's even more chic because she's handmade in the French Alps, using all non-toxic food based paint.  She's pricey (retail:  $22.95-30.00, but I found her on Amazon for $16.95) - but she is well worth the money.  I mean, come on, what's cuter than a Sophie for Sofia??

3.  Sabra Classic Hummus Single Packs:  Ray found these at Costco yesterday and I personally think they are brilliant. 

I love hummus.  Any kind of hummus.  I love it so much that I could sit at my desk and continuously eat and entire container of it.  Which is not good for my waistline.  That is why I love these little single 2oz. packs.  They are super convenient, portion controlled, and really delish when paired with some baby carrots.  It would make a fabulous snack for the kids too, that is, if they like hummus. 

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!