News from BelleRinger PR

VITAL ACCESSORIES Ah, checklists. The most important part of packing is making sure you have everything you may need, right?! I'm at the brink of going berserk with all the what-if's and just-in-cases. Luckily, I found two reasons to relax. My awesome REI Luna backpack is made for the contours of a woman's body, is roomy and has lots of pockets. But it definitely needs accessories. I found these scrumptious luggage tags by Fluff at Mable's Unique Shopping Blog . These cupcakes, popsicles and ice cream cones with sprinkles made this frantic packer smile! Fluff's other tags are just as cute even though they have nothing to do with food. I found another "gotta-have-it" at Mable's. Attachable to any key ring, the BodyGard 5-in-1 Emergency Tool is a total must, especially if I end up renting a four-wheel drive Jeep to drive along the treacherous roads of Northern Costa Rica. This baby has a glass breaker, red distress light, LED flashlight, sonic alarm a...

REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR VITAMINS After numerous travel tips from worldly folks I'm more knowledgeable about practicing safety abroad and won't be drinking any water that isn't already bottled (unless I accidentally swallow some of the Pacific Ocean while surfing!). I've also found an incredible way to fight off those nasty viruses that can turn a relaxing vacation into a huge stress. I remember last September when I caught some sort of bug in Ireland - I was feverish and miserable for almost four days. Well, as far as I'm concerned, Costa Rica will be a happy, healthy adventure. I was skimming Daily Candy and came across an amazing article entitled, "Health Assurance." It was about Vuru , a company that creates customized supplement packs, making them easy to remember to take! The idea is absolutely perfect for a vacation since you can choose the duration of the supply. The packets are cute and will fit nicely in my travel bag. Plus, it beats carrying aroun...

READY FOR THE COSTA RICAN SUN I've learned while planning my Costa Rica adventure that products don't just pop out at you from the aisle shelves. Seek and you shall definitely uncover some amazing things. I plan on spending as much time outdoors as possible during this excursion, and yes, I'm aware of the adverse effects this may cause to my skin. Luckily, while browsing the Beauty Snob's blog I found Solar Protection Pads , created by Park Avenue Skin Care dermatologist Dr. Neal Shutlz. A set of 60 grease free pads is packaged in a container that could be mistaken for a compact (how convenient!) and has an SPF of 30. I'll be able to easily touch up or reapply - often! OK, maybe I'll throw in a backup lotion just to be on the safe side since I am traveling to a place in the neighborhood of our Earth's equator. I'm used to packing sunscreen with a consistency that doen't withstand an elevation of 40,000 feet, leaks onto everything, and has to be kep...

NO MORE THAN ONE COLOR AT A TIME, PLEASE I always notice other women's nails and manicures. Could it be because I've spent so much time, energy and money on my own? I hadn't given it much thought until I saw a post on The Beauty Insiders - you're missing out on some fun if you haven't read this blog by the beauty writers from Glamour. Before writing this post I thought about the history of my nails, back to the late 80s, when many of us in our first career jobs discovered that we could afford silk manicures from cheap nail salons. Ah, the glamour! I was the renegade in my office; I didn't wear pink or red polish - I opted for OPI's Gold Digger. It was a gorgeous shade of golden brown that wouldn't raise an eyebrow today but was definitely risky in those days. Silk, acrylic, gel, silk, natural, acrylic, gel, silk, natural . . . And the color wheel seemed to follow the nails - red, black, sheer or bright, dark, nude. That was the fun part. But who doesn...

SAY HELLO TO YUBA Yesterday I took my crazy puppy, Yuba, to Crissy Field , a beautiful dog-friendly beach in San Francisco, where he frolicked in the waves and finished digging holes the other had dogs started. Yuba is just over a year old, big as a pony, incredibly playful, and dedicated to destroying anything I can’t keep out of his reach. After about two hours of romping in the surf he was a disaster, in the cutest way possible - he'd dug a hole three feet deep and fallen asleep in it. As I watched his innocent puppy nose twitch, I wondered how the heck I'd get him dry and sand-free by the time we walked back to the car. Yuba had run himself ragged and happily pranced with sand clots in his eyes and drool wrapped around his nose. He smelled like the salty beach where we'd just spent the day. After surfing around The Pampered Puppy I found HappyTails' EyePads, which act as a nice cleaner in lieu of a shirt sleeve. The Pampered Puppy blog has a link to the Kool Dog Ka...

COUNTDOWN TO COSTA RICA This is only the first of what will probably be too many 'To Do' lists before The Big Trip. 1) Dog Sitter - Prices begin at about $60/night and surpass skyscrapers. Good thing I've networked with a responsible, retired animal lover and the ex-boyfriend I bought the dog with! 2) Rent - Saving for room and board abroad is like getting ready to pay rent for two places! This means NO fancy dinners or extra expenditures (except pedicures) for 2 months 3) Diet/Exercise - I am committed to feeling comfortable in a bikini by June. Diet details to come . . . 4) Itinerary - Ah, the debate between having one and winging it; I would feel a lot better if I knew where I was going to be sleeping at night, preferably before that night arrives. 5) Packing - This will become more important at the travel date nears. We're going during the 'winter,' but it isn't the full-blown rainy season yet, so this will be tricky. 6) Language - A dear friend of mine ...

COSTA RICA HERE WE COME! Spring is here and a change of scenery is needed soon. Fortunately for me, the Fairy Godmother of airline ticket contests has granted me a Costa Rican dream come true! After some spur of the moment research and brief consultations with anyone willing to listen, I'm whisking up a trip for two; 8 days of vacation in the north and central Pacific regions of this amazing country. After trekking through Europe last summer I learned that traveling in extremely close quarters can either make or break a trip (or a relationship). Not only do I need to plan what I have to pack and what I may need and what I most definitely cannot forget, I also have to prepare for obstacles we may each encounter, like language barriers (neither of us is fluent in Tico-Spanish or Spanish in general). He wants to rent a car - I think we should take public transportation for the lower cost and hassle. He doesn't want to plan everything to a T and neither do I, but I'm afraid we ...

THE BLACK KEYS HITS THE BIG TIME! Exciting news from the music world! One of my favorite bands, The Black Keys , a duo whose popularity has been cult status at best, has just burst onto the commercial music scene. This morning, during one of my spacing out, simultaneously reading, listening to iTunes on my computer and watching television, I heard the background music on a commercial, looked up, and realized that I was listening to The Black Keys while Adrianna Lima and Giselle Bunchen walked down a runway with wings! I was listening to one of my favorite bands in a Victoria's Secret ad! This has got to be one of the coolest ways to shoot to stardom, especially for these two guys, from Akron, Ohio nonetheless! Two landscaping, basement living, musically inclined white guys who have delta-blue in their souls are now selling out of vinyl and their songs are being chosen for million dollar ad campaigns and major motion pictures! (their song, "When the Lights Go Out," is be...

THE EASTER DRESS Ever since I can remember the women in my family have marked the beginning of Spring with 'The Easter Dress'. Shopping for the dress, buying the dress, wearing the dress - these were all important rituals us. The dress had to meet certain criteria: a style and color the elderly ladies would approve of, dressy enough to be worn to Easter Sunday church service and any wedding we may be invited to that spring or summer and detailed with little flowers, lace, and a sash or bow. Finding a dress that fit all these criteria was always a challenge. As I grew older I rebelled against the little flowers and lace but I still like bows and sashes. (They're good for hiding figure flaws.) I started shopping this morning and found a few options. This Shelli Segal wrap dress is a beautiful blue - and has the requisite bow. I found it at Nordstrom for a very affordable $195. I also found this dress by Pow Wow . I like the criss-cross bodice - it draws the eyes up from m...

GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK Being health conscious and globally aware is part of California’s culture; it only seems right that eco-friendly clothing cost proportionally as much as Bay Area gasoline. But of the ways available to protect our environment, I think ‘green’ fashion is probably the most fun and versatile. We’ve already embraced organically-grown and pesticide-free foods; now it’s time to do the same with our threads! I’ve been looking at ‘green’ fashion; unfortunately the cost of the clothing makes it unattainable for some of us. BTC Elements has amazing styles but $79.00 for a pair of shorts ? It makes more sense for me to buy recycled clothes from thrift stores. Another way to recycle! Great Green Goods features incredibly funky recycled home decor made from materials ranging from used Mardi Gras beads to old pipes. The inspiration and ability of 'green' artists make for some one-of-a-kind pieces, but again, some the costs aren't friendly to my budget. However th...

FALLING GRACEFULLY, WOMBAT STYLE I just finished reading about John Edwards' decision to continue his presidential campaign despite the recurrence of Elizabeth Edwards' cancer. For those of you who can't keep track of all of the Democratic candidates out there, John Edwards is the young cutie who is earnestly vowing to wipe out poverty in the US. My first reaction was to shriek 'You loser!' at the charming photo of him. Admittedly, it was the knee-jerk reaction of a married woman. The old, "I would kill my husband if . . ." But then I took a breath and thought about it. It's doubtful the majority of voters will listen to anything John says that doesn't pertain to his wife's illness and his reaction to it. If he stays in the race he's a dog, if he drops out he's a quitter, if he spends too much time thinking about it he's ambivalent . . . And what about Elizabeth? Shoulder on and shake hands with voters? Stay home and cherish every m...

THE LOST POST You're looking at a picture of me searching for the post I spent an hour composing. My tears aren't visible from the back but I'm sure you can visualize them. The beautifully written post disappeared when I tried to publish it. Enough said - no more whining from me today. Rather than rewrite the entry I'll just summarize it for you. It was an eloquent piece about some of the excellent blogs I read daily. A shout-out to some great bloggers. So here's an annotated version. I start my day with a cup of coffee and Dooce , Heather Armstrong's ramblings about her interesting life. I then do some virtual browsing at Design*Sponge , Modish and Cuteable . Then I go to A Girl's Gotta Spa , SheFinds and Cool Mom Picks for savvy product reviews. Trust me, readers, the original post was eloquent, humorous and insightful. All things that this one is not. But the blogs I've named are outstanding. The authors are all great writers and creative thinker...

A WHOLE LOT OF WHINING GOING ON There's been a lot of talk about the recent time change - none of it very positive. It irritated me for some very specific reasons. First, I lost an hour of reading time. I resent anything that cuts into my precious reading time. Right now I'm devouring some of J.D. Robb's brain candy; I missed an hour that should have been spent with Lieutenant Eve Dallas. My Sunday afternoon nap was another casualty. It's a tradition for me to have a snooze late Sunday afternoons and people who know me don't interfere with it. Another casualty was the hour I could have spent at the gym working off the Ben and Jerry's I ate Saturday. (I just learned that they'll deliver ice cream directly to your home. Check out this page for more information.) For those of you who persevered and read this entry - thank you. It feels good to get this off my chest.

PERSONAL ALL-TIME FAVORITE SHOES Isn’t that always the fun discussion? Before telling you about my favorite shoes I have to confess that living in a warm climate and loving regular pedicures has made me a huge fan of flip-flops. And I like pairing fashion and function - blending the two and looking great is a fun challenge. On that note, here are my current faves. 1) Joan & David "Circa" - Cream-colored sling backs with dark heel and toe accents. I paired these shoes with a cream, black and brown colored satin dress for a romantic dinner with a new boyfriend. I was one step out of the car when a woman across the street yelled out, "Great SHOES!" My boyfriend was impressed. 2) ROXY Telluride - Suede-upper/Fleece lined track shoes I ordered these from Zappos . My burgundy pair was so comfortable and lasted so long that I ordered a pair in camel. They kept my feet happy for 3 weeks of walking through Europe! 3) DANSKO Mary Janes - The soles of these shoes kept me c...

THE HOME FOR AGED WOMEN I've been wanting to write about my career stint as a Family Service Consultant at Skylawn Memorial Park , a cemetery in the luscious green mountains south of San Francisco, California. Imagine being recruited (yes, I was recruited) to be 'of service' to a grieving family planning a burial. The sheer goodness of the job was too much for my vanity to reject. So I was shocked when two days into the job I learned that I wasn't hired to counsel the grieving but to sell plots to the living. It's called selling 'pre-need' - talking the purchaser into buying their plot/niche/crypt/whatever before they die. I won't talk about the 'good' work I did by helping families plan services or design site markers. We've almost all experienced some part of that so there's not a whole lot to add. And I won't talk about the challenges of showing a prospective buyer a beautiful piece of 'property' - a burial site - and askin...

MY SPACE OR YOURS? Everyone knows something about myspace . It's one of those sites and trends that you’re either excited to be part of or embarrassed to admit that you aren't. I've had men ask me if I ‘myspace’. When did it become a verb? It's quickly becoming the gray area between the, "Want to go out sometime," and the "I'm too shy to ask," pick up lines and tactics. Some of these guys seem to think that if a girl ‘myspaces’ they can skip conversation (read relationships) and cut straight to the chase. That’s the first reason I won’t open an account. I started browsing the site recently and got caught up for hours. Some of the trends are pretty shallow and cliché. The most obvious is the user photo. When creating a myspace account you’re given the opportunity to post a user photo that’s seen by anyone who may come across your page. I saw three types, 1) Drunk women holding cocktails - usually the one in the middle is the one whose profile you...

MORE ABOUT FOOD Though I don't have an obsession with food I do get almost as excited about it as Frankie (my four-legged officemate) does. New readers - my 1/27/07 post has a picture of his beer-swilling twin. Yesterday I came across this dog feeder made from an actual wine crate. Not only does it look chic, but it's also very practical. Tall dogs don't need to bend too low to eat, uncouth dogs can't push their dishes around so easily, and lazy dogs have both dishes side by side. I know putting two dishes in one stand isn't new but there's probably at least one reader who's dazzled by the concept. Whiner and Diner (appropriate name, yes?) uses crates from US and European (oooh la la) wineries. Though I'm trying to focus on the aesthetics and practicality of the feeder, a little voice in my head says Frankie would look sophisticated if he drank wine from this feeder instead of beer from a bowl.

CHILD ADVOCATES NEEDED Many of us are familiar with foster care and group homes for abused, neglected, and abandoned children who are caught (through no fault of their own) in the over-burdened legal system. What some don't know about is Advocates for Children (or CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates), a non-profit organization that pairs these children with adult volunteers who spend time with them. These kids have social workers who represent them in the legal system and many have attorneys, therapists and other professionals who work with them. But what few of these children have is an adult who will be a constant presence in their lives, a person who will spend time with them on a regular basis. Child Advocates are court-appointed volunteers who fill that need. They spend a minimum of 10 - 13 hours a month with the child they work with, doing everything from going to the zoo, the movies and the library, to ensuring that the child receives any special assistance that may be n...

A BOOK FOR EVERY PARENT'S SHELF I just have to share this book with you - and hope you tell a friend about it. As a child-free woman I've always wondered how parents explain tattoos to their children. It can't be too difficult if Mom has one on her ankle or Dad's is on his arm. But if, like James in Mommy Has A Tattoo , a child only sees them on strangers it must be more difficult. Author Phil Pawde saw the need and wrote this darling book. He and his friends believe in teaching children to respect individuality in others and sum up their mission by "Teaching Tattoo Tolerance". Visit their site and read the story behind the book - it may sound familiar to some of you. (And make sure to look at the photo of Phil and his tattoos.)

WHEN YOU NEED A SASSY 'DO I love this picture of Breanna with her horse. I also like Breanna's hair. That pretty cascade of feathers and ribbons she's wearing is a Sassy Tail . They're all the rage with girls, tweens and teens. Even Cheetah Girl Sabrina wore one on her latest concert tour (you guessed it - she wore the Cheetah Grrl design!). Sassy Tails was founded by Kim Madden and her daughter, Heather, a budding fashionista. Heather was tired of pedestrian bows and worked with her mom to create these fun hair accessories. There's a great variety of styles - some with feathers, others beads - to choose from. My favorite is the hip Classic Camo- too bad I don't have enough hair to wear one . . .