Siri is the personal assistant you always wanted (in your purse or pocket).

You simply speak or type into the phone with a request like, “Find new restaurants in New York.”  Speech is turned to text and the request is pushed to an appropriate service on the Web.  Not only does it bring back relevant information based on context, time of day, and your location, but it can even make reservations or buy tickets  with your consent.  The possibilities are endless - book a cab, buy baseball tickets, search for family friendly events…Awsome!

The app is now live (and free) in the App Store.

I think it’s time to retire that double stick tape and those stencils and shaped scissors.

Just checked out this great new site, Scrapblog and “Wow!” it makes my scrapbooks look ancient.

The best feature by far are the QuickMixes. Just upload photos and drag and drop into one of their many templates. I love the fact that you can create a 20 page scrapbook in under 30 minutes. I can’t even begin to imagine the hours I spent on my “old-fashioned” albums.  A great resource and I get to clear out some extra space in the office.

The service is free of charge and you can upload the scrapblog to your blog or send online.  Printing is a nominal fee.

They also sell cards and calendars.

Love, love, love it!

An uncharacteristic heat wave has sent the neighborhood kids for their water guns and buckets and parents into the air conditioned shelter of their homes.  Strange to have 90 degree weather in April?

It’s never too early to snag a great supply of water toys to last for the summer.

We especially love these:

Water Balloon Sling Shot - What boy or girl doesn’t love to launch balloons filled with liquid high in to the air? We snagged a few as one set is never enough.  Under $25 from Amazon.

Slip ‘N’ Slide Triple Racer - We love this as ALL the kids can participate.  Even the parents can participate. Just $30 from Costco.

Stream Machine Water Gun- The BEST way to soak your friends. Just place the barrell in water, pull back to fill, and squeeze together to fire one big stream! This water gun shoots farther than other big guns, but must be refilled each time. Around $15.

Super Soaker- Who can forget about this 20 year old company. Always have fun and colorful soakers. They have a great Spiderman model for about $10.

Lovely Mommy, Jessica Alba graces the March 2009 cover of Elle.

ELLE: You agreed to the concept for our shoot without ever seeing any of the designers’ clothes before. That’s pretty brave.

JA: I’m all about supporting anyone whose art is also the way they make their living. I was always a slave to the commerce end of [acting]—I needed to survive, make a living, get some grounding in the business. These guys probably aren’t making any money now, but at least they won’t be 50 and say, “Dammit, my dream was to be a designer.” They’re making it happen at 22.

ELLE: And they’re cute.

JA: So cute! I was telling my friend last night, You must have to be beautiful, very, very thin, ultracool, and very young to be a new designer these days.

ELLE: Sounds like being an actress.

JA: Not really, no.

ELLE: You don’t think being beautiful and thin has helped you?

JA: You have to be the best of whatever you are, but successful, cool actresses come in all shapes and sizes.

ELLE: True, but it’s hard to name an A-lister who’s not sample-size.

JA: It’s interesting that A-list also means commercially viable, versus being Frances McDormand, who’s amazing and A-list to me but doesn’t sell as many tickets.

ELLE: And doesn’t headline movies.

JA: She’ll probably have a more fulfilling career and a more fulfilling life, and maybe doesn’t need to make $20 million to be okay.

ELLE: Still, you snapped back into shape pretty fast after giving birth.

JA: I did it for the Campari job. [The workouts] were horrible. I cried. And I haven’t worked out since.

ELLE: Did you have to do anything besides exercise?

JA: I wore a girdle. Eight weeks after my girlfriend had her baby, you could see her six-pack. She told me to put an elastic band around my waist—any kind of band or girdle works. She was like, “I slept in it.” I didn’t recover as fast as she did. I don’t have a sixpack—that’s just not my body at all.

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Sadly we said good-bye to the ski season this past weekend. Sixty degree weather, near empty slopes and happy children made for a wonderful last hurrah.  Sticky snow made for easy bullet (straight down the hill) skiing for the kids, while parents lounged around the fire pits.

Reluctantly we packed away our ski equipment that will be too small next season.

More of Me Maternity certainly makes the frumpiest of us prego mamas, look absolutely chic and stylish.

Jessica Boulanger’s sophisticated and amazingly comfortable maternity dresses are pieces I’d wear any given day, baby  or not.

Although the price may seem a bit steep for a dress only worn for a few months, remember it is important for us to indulge every so often. Especially when we are pregnant.   wink, wink.