Now, you might be wondering why I'm writing about a soap dispenser . . . but I find this product to be a wedding registry must-have item and it also makes a wonderfully unique wedding gift for the newlyweds. This Sensor Soap Pump from Simple Human is unlike any I've ever seen. It runs on 4 AA batteries and you simply fill it with the soap or lotion of your choice, place your hand underneath, and out comes the soap/lotion. Couldn't be easier, no pumping and no spreading of germs! I've had the privilege of receiving a soap dispenser in black with silver and LOVE IT. (it's also available in white with silver) I'm using mine in the kitchen as I've never really liked the idea of pumping soap after touching raw meat. If Simple Human made one in white with brushed metal, I'd definitely be buying another one for our 1/2 bath. The only minor problem I have is that with 4 different soap flow settings, the lowest one still seems to dispense a bit more soap than I typically would use. But, maybe Simple Human could look into this for the next version of this product. To see more about the Sensor Soap Pump and other Simple Human innovations, please visit their web site.

PS: While I was given a Simple Human Sensor Soap Pump to test out, I was not in any way paid to make an endorsement, I simply wrote how I feel about the product.

What I love about Real Simple Weddings is that the guide is filled with a wealth of information and photos for planning a wedding. As the publication is put together in collaboration with Crate & Barrel, advertising is kept very minimal as the only ads shown are for Crate & Barrel (typically before the next chapter). But, this year's guide is basically last years with several new sections being added (see below) and all new featured Real Weddings. The bulk of the publication is identical, and the photos within the chapters are the same.

This years additions with new photos include:
• Dresses by Season
• Bridesmaids Attire (dressing with either same style/complementary colors or different styles/same color)
• Flowers - Pick Your Color Palette
• Flowers at a Glance (32 popular flowers and their "in" season
• Bouquets by Season
• Cakes by Season

If you are a new bride-to-be and don't have last year's Real Simple Weddings, then I highly suggest you head to your local Crate & Barrel to pick up a copy. It is filled with a tremendous amount of wedding tips and worksheets that I know you will love. But, if you already have the 2008 edition, I want to use the one you already have. Unless of course, you want to see the newest Real Weddings that have been published in the 2009 edition. You can also purchase a copy of the Real Simple Wedding Guide online at Crate & Barrel.

And, one last little note, more of an FYI: while there is a web site index, the actual resource links/credits associated with the images are not noted. Therefore, you will not be able to know the exact gown designer for the dress shown, cake baker, etc.

You can see last year's review of Real Simple Weddings here

A long overdue review of Charmed Life Music's Wedding Memories in Song CD by the lovely vocalist Renee Lopez. This CD has been in my cd player for months now just waiting to be reviewed. The music on this wedding cd is so touching and heartfelt, you will probably want to have some tissues nearby. Some of the songs are even written for unique family situations (ex. a parent has passed away). I've never known any other wedding cd to touch on these sentimental memories. Renee includes two versions that are written for either the mother or father that has passed away but whose memory will remain forever dear to your heart. There's also songs for the father/daughter dance, the couple's first dance and others.

The Wedding Memories in Song CD includes nine wedding songs with and without vocals. You can listen to samples of the songs online at Charmed Life Music as well as viewing the lyrics for each song.

Also, on the Charmed Life Music web site - you can download and purchase additional wedding songs that aren't available on the CD.

A little background on Charmed Life Music:
Renee Lopez, founder of Charmed Life music, married her husband Tom in 2002 on TLC's "The Wedding Story." As she searched for the "perfect" songs for her own wedding, she wanted something special and unique. Being a singer and songwriter, Charmed Life Music was born. The mission of Charmed Life Music is to create memorable music for your special day. Charmed Life Music can provides original wedding songs, CDs and custom songwriting services, as well as providing wedding vocalists, musicians and reception bands.

by Meg Cabot
This is the 3rd novel in Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble triolgy, featuring Lizzie Nichols, a restorer of vintage wedding gowns who is in the midst of beginning to plan her own wedding. Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author - you may recognize her name from the popular young adult fiction series The Princess Diaries which was also made into two hit movies by Disney.

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched begins with Lizzie accepting Luke's proposal, yet Luke's best friend Chaz quickly lets Lizzie know that Luke could never love her the way he does. Hmmmmm, what's a girl to do? While trying to plan her wedding to Luke at his family's chateau in France, she faces decisions that result in her breaking out in hives. Should she leave Luke for Chaz? Or should she marry Luke and move from NYC to Paris. And, what about her budding wedding design business? While Lizzie sorts thru these questions, she is surrounded by a great cast of supporting characters, including her Gran, her friends Shari and Tiffany, and the gum-snapper Ava Geck with her chihuahua.

In case you missed our exclusive release of Meg Cabot's latest video where she talks about her elopement on Monday, you can see it here. Meg's witty personality shines through in Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, even some of the quirks Meg has encountered in her own life, are passed onto Lizzie in the novel. This book was a sweet and fun read. I found myself not wanting to put it down, even though I should probably have been getting work done :) It's the perfect book for brides to read who want a temporary, yet still romantic escape, from all the tedious wedding planning.

Don't worry if you haven't read the first 2 books in the series, I haven't, and I don't feel that I've missed anything by starting with the latest release. Although... I am now off to start reading her other 2 books in the Queen of Babble Series. And, don't forget to enter our June contest to win your very own set of the Queen of Babble book series - 10 lucky winners will win a signed 3 book collection. Enter Here.

Last week I was given the opportunity to try the new product from Bumble and bumble called Creme de Coco Masque. It's a once a week treatment for your hair and the company says, "starting this regimen months or weeks before your wedding will ensure your hair is as healthy as possible for the big day". To give the masque the true test, I wanted to test it out with the matching shampoo and conditioner from the Bumble and bumble Creme de Coco line. I loved the results. My hair has never felt so smooth and soft. I think I might have finally found the hair cleaning system for me. My hair has been feeling very dry, so I couldn't wait to try out the masque. I will say that I was a bit skeptical after using the shampoo as my hair didn't feel very clean and they say you shouldn't need to use it 2x. I took their recommendation and let it go at 1x, applied the conditioner and then the masque. The entire line contains coconut oil and smells wonderful. After drying my hair I saw an immediate improvement, my hair finally had the smoothness that I seem to only get after being at the hair salon. Hooray for Bumble and bumble - I say it's a keeper. Has anybody else tried this new product yet? Please let me know your results if you are able to try it.

About the masque, from the Bb.Stylists: they recommend applying a generous amount of Creme de Coco Masque through clean, wet hair. For added treatment benefits, use with heat – wrap in a warm towel or sit in the sunshine. Rinse after seven minutes or more and be amazed by the slip-through-your-fingers silkiness. Creme de Coco Masque is great for all hair types, including the color treated, but ideal for even the dullest or driest of manes.