I'm back! and more opinionated than ever

Home sweet home. Or in my case, home messy home. After a weekend of unpacking while fighting the urge to go to sleep in the middle of the day (lovely jetlag) all our stuff has been sorted and put away, and the laundry is in progress (courtesy of my lovely dh), but somehow the place is way messier than we found it when we got back. I say somehow but I actually know how: Stella is so excited about finding her toys again that she keeps pulling stuff out and showing it to us or leaving it around, so now there are toys in the kitchen, in the living room, in the bedroom, in the bathroom, in the office and of course in Stella's room - but hey, I'm thinking that for a 2-year old 2 weeks are actually a pretty long time, so the toys probably feel almost like new to her, so she has a right to be excited! If I got home after 6 months and found several boxes of new shoes I would be pretty excited too!

But I got home after only 2 weeks, didn't find any new shoes but got lots of opinions to share. So without further ado, here are my DOs and DON'Ts for this summer:

DOs:
- the sale at ShopBop.com: of course, because I am... well, ME, I went straight to the shoes. Check out this L.A.M.B. Gaia sandal, also available in bronze, and this sexy sandal by Michael Kors, it is practically a crime not to get them with those prices! Now, let me see if I can fit them in somewhere on my overworked credit card...

- Netflix: yes, I admit it, I love Netflix and I am not embarassed to say it! Thank you, Netflix, for coming up with a way to watch our favorite shows or any movies we might have missed without having to brave the heat to go to the DVD rental place, and for filling what would have otherwise been a boring summer of re-runs and blah reality TV.

- taking care of our skin before it's too late: and no, I don't mean yet another "put on your sunscreen, stay out of the sun" spiel. Read one of Dr. Nicholas Perricone's books: I swear the man is a genius. Sure, his products aren't exactly budget-friendly, but you might find, like I did, that following his nutrition/supplementation recommendations plus just one of his products is more than enough. Try following his 3-day Nutritional Face-Lift and if you want to take it one step further, maybe take advantage of the introductory kits available at Sephora, so you get to try an entire line for the price of one full-size product. My favorite product is the Amine Complex Face Lift - don't let the fact that it's now included in the Age Correct collection turn you off: this is a great product! I'm 31 and I LOVE it.

- making a few efforts to make our lifestyle more eco-friendly: I don't mean you have to now go vegan and start composting (though you may do so if you are so inclined), but I do think that everyone should really make an effort to be a little more respectful of our planet so that our children and granchildren can enjoy it too instead of being left to handle the mess. Being half-Swiss and having lived in Switzerland for almost 10 years, I have some things down pat, like recycling, taking public transportation whenever possible, using "green" cleaning products. But there's always room for improvement. I found the book Gorgeously Green very helpful for tips on being more eco-friendly without radical changes - she includes info and tips about anything: household, beauty, day-to-day life, clothing, and more. And now it's fashionable to be "green", so noone will tease you ;-)

DON'Ts:
- harem pants: seriously, these look like a joke that got way out of hand. I saw a few people wearing them while on vacation and they are possibly the most horrifingly unflattering piece of garment I have ever seen. Just don't go there.

- Madonna's latest album: oy. I used to be a big Madonna fan... but I firmly believe that Ray of Light was her best work and it's been going downhill since then. Music was still good, American Life was sort of hit and miss, Confessions on a Dance Floor included several catchy tunes but the lyrics were pretty blah, and now Hard Candy... oh my. This would be ok if it was just another pop princess trying to make a name for herself, but for Madonna, who is 50, basically a legend and really should know better and do better, this is just awful. It comes across as if she is trying way too hard to show she's still young and hip and she's still got it... which only shows that unfortunately she doesn't. And no matter how great her body looks (though she might want to stay away from pumping iron for a while) I have seen her half-naked on way too many covers and videos. Enough already - you look good and don't look like your age, we got it. Now get dressed. In something nice possibly.

On the fence about:
- Botkier for Target: I got home to find that Target had released the collection before the 21st, and I wasn't happy. Then I saw the photos, and I wasn't entirely mollified either. Some of these look cute, some look cheap. But many reviewers say that the photos don't do the handbags justice, so I'm reserving judgement for when I get to see them live (now don't you all rush to Target and buy everything or I'll have nothing to look at this weekend!).

And now tell me... what are your DOs and DON'Ts this summer?