Month: November 2012

World Prematurity Day

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In honor of World Prematurity Day, the Empire State building is Purple. I feel a special fondness for this… when I lived in Manhattan in college I lived basically across the street from the Empire State building. One night I came home, pretty drunk, at about 3AM (ahhh, college days) and my neighbor invited me into his apartment. He had a backyard off his ground floor apartment on 32nd street and from his yard you could look straight up and see the Empire State building. They must have been testing something on the lighting because they were flipping through the colors at a mile a minute, one after another after another- you honestly have no idea how many colors and combinations and shades of colors that building can change to. I don’t know what my neighbor was high on… life + an illegal substance, I’m sure, but the two of us, like fools, with our necks craned back, staring at this amazingly muchtastic light show in the sky, and saying profound stuff like “whoa. that’s cool.”
…knowing that they chose to make it purple for World Prematurity Day, whoa. That’s cool.

 

Muchness cookie bake-off

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I volunteered to bring cookies to Molly’s school Thanksgiving meal. When I signed up I had visions of hand decorated, hand baked cookies with icing and candy corn designed to muchy perfection…

Ya know what? That’s a lie.

I had visions of the stuff you buy pre-decorated in the refrigerator section of the supermarket that is sitting next to the yogurt.

And that’s what I bought. Because its fun for the kids and takes about as much time as their attention span will allow.

But, in the spirit of Muchness I bought two different brands so I could do a side by side review!

Pillsbury Thanksgiving Shape Sugar cookies
Vs.
Nestlé Thanksgiving Friends Sugar Cookies

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Fun Factor:
Pillsbury Thanksgiving Shape Sugar Cookies
Pros:
-Easy little pellets pop out of the bag and onto the cookie sheet. Not much to do.
Cons:
-Maybe too easy? Very little fun factor.
-All the designs are the same. A lame-o brown and orange turkey in a fedora.

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-They say they are Shaped cookies but the only shape they are is round. Boo.
-They took longer to cook than indicated in the package so I had to sit there like a watchdog. Annoying.

Nestlé Thanksgiving Friends Sugar Cookies
Pros:
-Nestlé cookies are die cut into a square sheet. You have to pop them out. You Then have leftover raw dough you can roll out and make into more cookies or feed to your little sister when moms not looking.
-assorted designs including “I’m thankful for…” which received the reply “my sister.”… #MuchnessMoment for mom.

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-cooked as described on the package

Cons:
– none really. I mean, they’re not the most incredibly incredible cookie on earth, but they deliver on their promises.

Taste:
They both pretty much tasted like sugary crap. I should know. I ate at least 3 of each. Personally, I liked the Nestlé better but neither will be winning any awards on The Cooking Channel.

The Overall Winner? Nestlé.

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Why? They were much muchier.

That’s it!
I know this post is likely to fascinate you with its insight and sophistication. Or maybe not.
I’m sharing it with you ‘cuz it was fun to think about ways to create a muchness moment of an obligation. I coulda gone bonkers and hand decorated a bunch if hand made cookies but that would have just stressed me out and been no fun at all. Alternatively, I coulda just offered to bring the plastic utensils, but really, what fun would that have been?
What’s something you maybe have to do that you could get creative and make into a Moment of Muchness, without making yourself crazy? Share your thoughts and inspire others in the comments below!
Xox, Tova

Muchness when it matters. Fundraising for a friend

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I want to raise money to help my friend and Muchness Challenge alum- Shannon.

Shannon is a TTTS mom. She lost her daughters Anna and Claire about two years ago after two laser surgeries to try and save them.

Four months ago she gave birth to her rainbow baby Zane. Since before he was born, Zane has been having medical issues that have surprised and confused his team of doctors. He’s spent much of his life in the hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries, including one for neuroblastoma, while his doctors explore reasons, explanations and diagnosis for his complicated and heartbreaking medical issues.

Now, upon their most recent potential diagnosis of Opsoclonus Myoclonus Ataxia Syndrome, a disease spo rare it affects only 1 in 10,000,000 annually, Shannon, who has 3 other young children, must travel to seek the care of a specialist. She’s started a fundraiser to try and cover their travel expenses and I’m asking for your help to raise some money.

If you have been thinking of buying a Muchness band for yourself or as a holiday gift, please click HERE to purchase.

For every band sold, I will donate $15 to Shannon’s fundraiser.

Click here to purchase a Muchness Band & Donate

Click here to donate directly.

Shannon, seen here wearing her Muchness band as a necklace, with some Muchy bracelets she won in a Muchness Contest last year – has been a big supporter of The Muchness and I hope I can raise a nice amount of money to tack onto my own donation.

You can read more about Zane’s journey on Shannon’s new blog ZaneLeland

Thanks so much for your support.

Zane’s Fundraiser

36. whoa.

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Yesterday I turned 36.

Thirty six.

36!!

Ya know who’s 36? Adults.

I remember when my mom was 36. Damn, she was old. At 36 she was widowed with 5 kids, the oldest of which was 16. I was 14.

But here’s the thing…. I feel really good about being 36. It feels like an important age. Like, when I was 15, 16 seemed like and important age. At 17, it was 18. At 19, 21. And after that, well, I didn’t really have an important age in my 20’s. I thought, at first, 24 would feel important. Like that was in my mind, the age of official entry into adulthood. Like, an appropriate age to start thinking about marriage. It wasn’t. Then I thought it would be 27. Nope. That wasn’t it either.

Somehow, 36 feels like an age I should have been looking forward to. It feels like a year when good stuff’s gonna happen…

…Maybe this should be the year I start lying about my age?

Hmmmm…. that’ll never work.

Yay!! It’s International Muchness Day!!! (& my birthday! who knew?)

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Make my day?

Share a #Muchness Moment on your Twitter or Facebook wall!

Make a Minute of Muchness Video!

Make my birthday wishes come true by reaching 500 LIKES in facebook! Invite your friends to LIKE the Finding My Muchness Facebook Page by posting THIS as your status:

It’s International Muchness Day! Need to add some sparkle, color and inspiration to your life? Go Find YOUR Muchness and LIKE Finding My Muchness’s Page! https://www.facebook.com/FindingMyMuchness 

Forever grateful for each and every one of you for all the support, encouragement and validation you have given me these last few years. I would NEVER have been able to follow this path to my own Muchness without you. I hope I am able to inspire all of you even a tiny fraction of the amount you’ve inspired me.

xoxox, Tova

PS – Thats the cake my awesomely talented cousin made me last year… YUP! Thats a Muchness Band on top!! 🙂 …It’s even Kosher! haha! Tell her Tova sent you….

 

Muchness, X-Factor Style

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So, remember when I posted about Paige Davis on The X-factor, and how she lost her Muchness? Well, I’m back for round two. Girlfriend has officially found her Muchness.

Ya think? I thought people only used rhinestones on their lips for photos. Not for singing extravaganzas!

Other notes of interest:

Love this Diamond chics jacket. And her name. Daimond. I mean really?

and that 13 year old Carly Rose is un-friggin-believable. Her voice and talent is what Muchtastic about her. Holy crap, she’s good.

The Minute of Muchness Prizes!

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Tomorrow is the big day!

The 2nd ANNUAL MUCHNESS DAY!!! (and my birthday- tee hee! Thank you, thank you all…. it’s nice to finally be able to drink legally! 🙂 )

Are you working on your Minute Of Muchness video? I hope so, but if not, don’t worry! The whole thing shouldn’t take you more than 90 seconds to do, soup to nuts!

Don’t think too hard, just go with your gut. It could be anything from happy clothes, cooking, reading, connecting with friends, creative outlets, even inspiring others with your honesty and voice, – whatever puts that feeling in your belly that lets you know you’re connecting to your inner Muchness! Be yourself and if you feel nervous or weird about talking into the camera, do it anyway! Feel the rush and then congratulate yourself on stepping out of your comfort zone to share some of the beauty that makes you, YOU!

Aaaaaand…. I got Prizes!

For the very first person that posts their Minute Of Muchness Video – it’s a Muchy water bottle! Ya know- staying hydrated is very important to a Muchy state of mind!

What else? Someones gonna win this adorable, fun, colorful and sparkly bracelet!

It’s the kind of thing you can throw on on a dreary day when you feel like crap and decided to wear all black and then  immediately, as if by some form of Muchness magic, you will be in a better mood. Results Guaranteed!

And, because I’m feeling generous, I decided to throw in this other prize… BUT, it will only be rewarded if we meet our goal of posting TEN – Minute Of Muchness Videos.

Check it out:

Pretty Muchtastic, right? It’s a three piece make-up pouch / clutch set – Brand new with Tags, from Nine West. It not only has sequins and shine and animal print, it’s also got the inspiring words Cherish • Treasure • Precious on each of the bags. Love it!

Wanna see MY Minute of Muchness? Check it out!

Upload your video to Youtube titled “Your name’s Minute of Muchness” and then share it on our FB wall!

Kablamo! You’re in!

Here’s the pretty looking directions for reference!

 

When Mom is Muchy…

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This weekend I had the opportunity to bring Molly and her cousin to see a musical rendition of Pinkalicious at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. It was packed solid with little girls in pink & sparkles and their moms… In khaki and beige.

The story was about Pinkalicious, obviously obsessed with pink and how, upon eating too many pink cupcakes, much to the horror and dismay of her uptight parents, she turns a glorious shade of pink. They bring her to the doctor and are informed that in the history of the world, there has only been one case of Pinkititis this severe. The horror!

The cure for Pinkititis? You must eat green foods. Duh. Pinkalicious doesn’t listen, and after an overdose of pink cupcakes, actually turns RED, which is completely unacceptable. She ultimately eats her greens and returns to her beautiful, natural human color. I know…. I could hear the phone ringing at the end of the show. I think it was Martin Scorsese.

But anyway…

As you know, I like to find the bigger Muchness Message in everything…

At the begining of the play, the mom was pretty uptight. Always bitching and moaning and cleaning and having very little patience with the kids. Looked a little like someone I used to know (minus the cleaning part… I never was really good at that). See her there on the left, in the purple? She looks quite worried, No?

The dad just followed her lead and the son was just kind of a lonely dork who didn’t want to play ball. But then, as the story unfolds, we learn that the DAD was, in fact, the only ever case of Pinkititis ever encountered!  After mom and dad both spoke their ultimate truth, that they LOVED PINK, well, the whole family dynamic improved! They all found their MUCHNESS in the color pink! The son even came down with a case of Pinkititis, and most excitedly, the mom got to wear a glorious, shiny pink dress with a hot pink feather boa! Pinkalicious’s friend came over, saw all the happiness and asked a question on so many youngsters minds… “This house is so fun! How come my house has to be so… beige?”

It’s important for me to note, in the spirit of sharing the story fully, that the other thing they discovered is that, when Pinkititis gets really severe, that’s actually the only color a person can see, and that kinda sucks. We like to see rainbows.

Final Synopsis: If you are a mom wondering how to brighten up your family life and enjoy your kids more, go get yourself a feather boa, an impractical, pretty colored dress and don’t worry so much about sweeping the damn floor every 15 minutes! 

The End.

A Minute Of Muchness….

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Ya know that feeling when you know you have a great idea but then something holds you back from acting on it? Maybe it’s procrastination, that you then beat yourself up over, or maybe it’s that voice in your head that tells you it’s gonna be so bad you just shouldn’t bother to start, or that fear that it’s gonna be so good you just won’t be able to handle it? Yeah. You’re not alone. I’ve been plagued by all three of those lately.

I had an idea forever-ago and acting on it is really scaring the crap out of me.

Reasons I’m scared include:
– I’m gonna look like a big loser.
– Nobody is gonna participate.
– I wasn’t clear enough in my “how-to” so people will tune out.
– Ummmm…nobody’s gonna participate and I’m gonna look like a big loser.

But then, I realize that is so. not. muchy. Seriously, I just have to remember, it’s not about me. It’s about helping people find their Muchness.

When I think about all the people who have found their MUCHNESS just by sharing what makes them feel muchy, I realize I just gotta feel the fear and do it anyway.

So here it is. I’m starting something new and it’s called A Minute of Muchness!

I want you to create a 1-minute video and share 3 ways you tap into your Muchness Moments.Three things that make you feel Muchy.
Because I want you to think about it and be inspired, and because I want other people to hear it and be inspired. And because I want to give away sparkly prizes to people that participate. and because I don’t want to be the only one with an awkward video on my site.
minute-of-muchness-screenshotClick to watch it!

So head on over HERE and see what it’s all about!
I plan to start posting them on November 15th – International Muchness Day.
By November 30th I expect to have at least Ten Minute of Muchness videos to share on the site!
Can we do it? I think we can!
My next goal? Get Ellen DeGeneres and Katy Perry to make Minute of Muchness videos. And why not??
CLICK …. CLICK…. CLICK and make a super easy and inspired Minute of Muchness Masterpiece!!!! 🙂
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Muchness Band I wanted to share…

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Don’t you just love this custom quote from a recent Muchness Band Order?

“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost,
The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” -J.R. Tolkien

I love it, and am proud that a portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to Sandy relief efforts.

If you’re thinking of ordering (The most thoughtful and inspiring gifts of ALL TIME) Muchness Bands as Holiday Gifts for your loved ones, please place your orders earlier rather than later. They can take a couple of days to print, pack and ship and I want to make sure you get your gifts in plenty of time for the holidays!!

If you haven’t yet seen the new packaging, here’s a pic. Custom designed and ready to slip into a stocking!

Go check them out in the Finding My Muchness Shop!