Sex toy producers are coming up with clever items that can be confused as traditional household items.

What about this blush brush?

Can you spot which item is for the household or sex toy?

Take the household item vs. sex toy quiz.

Let me know your score.  I got 9/12, which is not too bad of a score.

Mix Maven 

This is the year of the Baby in my family. Four babies will be born in 2008. The current score is 2 out and 2 to go.

I notice that the moms-to-be are all different and yet the same.

I have noticed that pregnant women like (not in any order):

1. Consuming food they would not normally eat. One of my cousins loves sweet desserts (sidebar: does not include any sweet vegetable, which she already found utterly disgusting), especially an occasional cookie or yellow cake with lemon frosting. Currently, she is totally disgusted by any sweet food or drink. She told me she is buying juice that with 17g-25g of sugar (no high fructose corn syrup.) Very cool to me! My favorite cousin was chowing down on soul food in her first trimester, which is funny because she does not normally eat soul food.
2. Banana Republic – Two of my cousins have been going to Banana Republic to purchase maternity clothes. (No, BR does not sell maternity clothes) The blouson tops and dresses allow them to hit up the clearance rack for cute clothes without having to spend the high price of maternity branded clothes.
3. Pregnancy websites and blogs. Books are great, but pregnant women love to read these websites and blogs because they get updated information and cool 3-D womb shots and fetal development e-mails. Check out Nymbler (a baby naming tool, quite innovative. Select your names that you like and the wizard will help you find other names that you might like) and BabyCenter.com
4. Guilt – This can be a valuable tool when asking husband to trek in the middle of the night to get food or get a glass of water downstairs in the kitchen. This should be used sparingly because you do not want to cause any feelings of resentment.
5. Looking at paint store websites. My favorite cousin’s latest obsession (again) is BenjaminMoore.com. She loves to decorate anyway and pregnancy has brought on a new project for her. She has been creating different color combos for me to check out. Oh fun times!!
6. Watching or recording the Baby Story on TLC. My cousin told me about how some of these women, the first-timers, want to have natural, drug-free delivery. I asked her would she do that and her answer is “HELL NOOOOO!!”
7. Shopping for nursery furniture. (see #5)
8. Shopping for baby clothes and accessories
9. Expensive diaper bags. On my cousin’s wish list: A Louis Vuitton Diaper bag (that is a no-go area) or a Coach (more acceptable)
10. Talking about their pregnancies. My fave cousin finds this conversation tends to be initiated by friends who already have kids and want to tell her about what they went through. She finds most of the information irrelevant to her situation.

I will update from time to time. Fun learning new things about motherhood.

Keep Believing,

Sexual Carob

 Happy Holidays!!!

Wow, it seems as though the time is just flying by that it is almost the end of 2007.  Well, Glossy Ones, I truly hope everyone ate well during the Thanksgiving holiday as well as had a productive shopping day the day afterward.  Like my cohorts, I, too, am posting my wish list for the holiday season.

Here is my list:

I love to cook and make everything easy.  I love this slow cookers especially since you can go turn it on before you leave home in the morning and come home to a meal ready for eating.  I can’t figure out why I never had one in the first place.  It’s a hassle to come home and figure out what you want to eat when it could be cooking while you’re at work.

I was at the House of Dereon website and this is on the cover, but I saw it first in Vibe.  I love the dress that Beyonce is wearing.  I could ROCK that dress.  This is truly a wish because it is not being sold on the website.  I checked every link on the page, but I am putting this on my wish anyway. 

I can not believe that I have grey suits, but no shoes to set it off.  So these grey shoes from JCPenny are nice for the work day. 

All of my friends know I love me some Bath and Body Works.  I even got my boyfriend to use the plugins at his house.  So this lovely basket is nice for those long days at the office or if you just want to relax and enjoy a NICE HOT BATH.  I also will take Bath and Body Works gift cards.

I couldn’t post without having a sexy item.  Well, I took a different approach since this is my Christmas wish list.  I absolutely love “Sex in the City”.  I can not wait for he movie to be released in May. Yipppppeeeeeeee!!!!  In order to complete my collection, I need seasons 2, 5 and 6 part 1.  A lot of places are still sold out. 

I need a wallet for my purse and I love this wristlet.  I have checked out the wallets and the one I want costs almost as much as my purse!

I don’t get to the movies that often this year, but I do enjoy a good movie every now and then.  A gift card helps especially at the concession stand.  It costs more to eat in the movie theatre than watch the movie itself.

I wish everyone a Safe and Merry Holiday.

Sensual Element 

Hey Pumps and Glossy Ones,

Mix Maven is feeling refreshed from the Thanksgiving break. Thankfully, the dinner went well and I was nice and full.

I enjoy Christmas. Even though, I do not always decorate my home for Christmas, the season is held very closely in my heart.

My favorite Christmas song ever is “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway. No one, and I mean NO ONE, sings this song as good he did. (Ok, honorable mention to Gloria Estefan, who comes the closest.)

Here is my Christmas Wish List:

MAC fans can never have enough MAC products, especially the brushes. This face brush set is a great for traveling. (Sidebar: Readers, please let me know if your thoughts on MAC loose beauty powders.)

Whoa lurdie, I love this Pink Satin Peep Toe Sandal by Christian Louboutin. These shoes are wonderful addition to any closet. I would pair them with an understated wrap dress, so the high-heeled marvel can be the focal point of the outfit.

Or maybe I will wear the peep toe sandal with a sassy apron while I bake some goodies for Mr. Maven. Before I bake, I need to get the KitchenAid 5-Quart stand mixer in a soft Pink. Now, if I could get one in fuschia, that would be super great!

I have always wanted another Louis Vuitton. When I was younger, my grandmother gave me one of her older Vuittons and I was so pleased to have it. I wore it out, until a strap fell off! LOL!! I am in love with the Trouville bag. Hmm maybe I need 2.

I love Neiman Marcus!! My aunt M likes to call “Neiman Marcus Last Call Sale”, “The First to Last Call Sale” because she does not think the prices are discounted enough. That being said, I want a Neiman Marcus gift card. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up Christmas morning and get a $1,000 NM gift card. Yes, adults can dream too!!

Since I enjoy reading, I want gift cards from Barnes and Noble and/or Borders. I love to collect home decor books and I also love a nice fiction read. I am backlogged…need to continue Zadie Smith’s On Beauty and Sophia Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic.

I wish you a safe and happy holidays. May all your dreams and wishes come true!!

Live Triumphantly,

Mix Maven

Hey Pumps and Glossy ones,

God willing, next week this time, we will be en route to our Thanksgiving destination, cooking up a storm, and/or getting ready for the Turkey day football match-up.

I recall a former classmate whining about feeling forced to spend time with her family and friends. She wanted to control how often the family gathered together. I told her to take it for what it was that if people wanted to get together for major holidays, then deal with it another way. Stop all the whining!

As we were reminded over the weekend, family and friends should not be taken for granted. I know that many of us make sure we connect with our loved ones.

We have a lot to be thankful for. In our daily devotionals, Mr. Maven and I thank God for our blessings. There are times in life, when everything is not what we want it to be, but God continues to provide.

What do you have to be thankful for? My friend LH and I were talking about how God has strengthened our Faith because sometimes we do things that we did not intend to do on a specific occasion like give an extra offering, helping out a student, church member or neighbor in need. God continues to provide and we are thankful. For example, one of my “aunts” told us about how she helped a friend who needed money, she gave the lady all the cash she had. She was happy that she could help her friend. She was reading her Bible and she found the exact amount of cash that she gave her friend. She is not sure how the money got there!! Wow, what a praise report!

So as we see, we all have something to be grateful for. Even if you are not a particularly religious, that does not exempt you from being thankful. Keep a Grateful or Thanksgiving journal. You will be surprised at all the things you have to be thankful for.

The ladies of Pumps and Gloss wish all of our wonderful readers a wonderful, fun and safe Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Mix Maven 

Happy Monday Glossy Ones,

Welcome to Pumps and Gloss’ Sex and Love Week!  If you want to see something specific this week, feel free to let us know!

MONDAY MELODIES

Since it is Sex and Love Week, I will share my favorite Sex song and favorite Love song.

Usher sets the mood with “Seduction.”  I would have posted “Alone” by Jodeci or ”That’s What It’s Made For” by Usher, but I couldn’t find any video of these songs!

I will always be a fan of SWV!  I can listen to “Use Your Heart” every day.  And gotta love how Taj works her part out.

There are SO many other songs I could list – anything by Jesse Powell, Johnny Gill, Boyz II Men, Blackstreet, etc.  My current favorite song is “Valentine” by Lloyd – my husband is sick of hearing it! LOL!

POETRY- “Love” by Shihan

CHUCKLE - I received this as an e-mail forward; author is unknown.

How To Treat a Woman

• Wine Her
• Dine Her
• Call Her
• Hold Her
• Surprise Her
• Compliment Her
• Smile at Her
• Listen to Her
• Laugh with Her
• Cry with Her
• Romance Her
• Encourage Her
• Believe in Her
• Pray with Her
• Pray for Her
• Cuddle with Her
• Shop with Her
• Give Her Jewelry
• Buy Her Flowers
• Hold Her Hand
• Write Her Love Letters
• Go to the end of the earth and back for Her

How to Treat a Man

• Show Up Naked
• Bring Chicken Wings
• Don’t Block the TV

LOVE QUIZZES

LovingYou.com has wonderful printable love quizzes for you and your mate to share.  These quizzes will cause you to open up and learn more about each other.  There are 16 different quizzes ranging from Sexual Favorites to Beliefs.  A great communication tool, the printable quizzes can be found here.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Clarence Carter’s “Strokin’” always did crack me up!  The lyrics are just too much.  And how I wish I could find “Candy Licker” by Marvin Sease - the title says it all!

ROMATIC RECIPES

Looking to set the mood right with a romantic meal?  Check out these sites for great meal ideas:

The Romantic

The Recipe Zaar

Advice Diva - She offers great tips on what qualities a romantic meal should have.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. ~ Galatians 5:6

Have a wonderful week and look out for more Sex and Love Week posts!

~ J.R.