Change has come.

So, it's 2:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. (Okay, that's a lie - I'm perfectly capable of sleeping; it's the little weiner dog who doesn't want to sleep, and will bark until I get up and sit with her).

Anyway, I just saw an infomercial for Barack Obama commemorative plates. Really? I know this was a "historic vote" (according to the commercial), but is the Obama market so hot that people want to pick up collectible plates? I can't imagine anyone (except for maybe Alex P. Keaton) who would want to decorate their home with presidential memorabilia.

Of course, maybe I'm wrong. And at an introductory price of only $19.99, maybe I should pick up a few for those Obama fans on my holiday list...

Looking ahead.

Thanksgiving is almost here, and not a moment too soon... I haven't had a day off work since the first week of September. Looking forward to spending a nice long weekend with hubby and the pumpkin.

We're spending family time together on Thanksgiving morning before driving down to NJ for dinner with my in-laws.

Of course, I will be spending Black Friday shopping with my mom - our annual tradition. We'll leave the house super-early and spend the day trying to wrap up most of our holiday shopping, then go out to lunch with hubby and the pumpkin, my dad, and my brother and his girlfriend.

This year, I am looking to pick up an outdoor playhouse for Baby H - he loves the one they have at school, and Toys R Us will have one on sale on Friday. Although I am a Black Friday veteran, I am still kind of intimidated by Toys R Us that day. They're on sale all weekend, though, so I guess I will wait until Friday afternoon and take my chances.

Saturday night, we are going to dinner at my brother and his girlfriend's house. And Sunday is family picture day - should be fun.

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Hey, you never know.

I had my 24 week doctor's appointment this afternoon (of course, I have rescheduled so many appointments over the past few months, I am actually at 25 weeks, but that's a different story).

Anyway, the waiting room at my doctor's office was packed when we got there, so hubby took a seat while I went to check in. I hear a rather lively conversation about the NY Lottery's Thanksgiving turkey raffle, but don't think much about it.

So, I sit down next to hubby and realize right away what they are talking about, as I am sitting right next to the one and only Yolanda Vega! How crazy is that?!? She is practically a legend in New York!

I didn't really say much to her - she was talking to hubby for a bit - and before I knew it, I was getting called in to see the doctor (one of the benefits of being pregnant - first in line!). She got called in at about the same time as me, and wished me luck.

At this point, two things are running through my head. First, Yolanda Vega and I have the same gynocologist! How bizarre is that? Second, regardless of your level of celebrity, it must be difficult to be recognized by people everywhere you go. She definitely didn't mind talking to everyone in the waiting room, but I know that a doctor's office is the last place where I want to partake in casual conversation. Maybe I would think differently if I was as known (and loved) as her.

Now does this mean that if I have a daughter, I must name her "Yolanda"? Hmmm...

Deal of the week.

Starting today, all Old Navy outerwear is up to 50 percent off. I am a coat-aholic, so I couldn't resist picking up this cute little maternity number to keep me warm this winter (if the temperature ever drops below 60 - it has been warm this week!):



Plus, if you use an Old Navy credit card (or a Gap one, as I learned), you can save an extra 10 percent off your purchase with the coupon code: TEN4WINTER. And, Gap Silver cardholders always get free shipping with coupon code: SILVER. (Yes, I shop at the Gap so much they promoted me to silver status.)

For those of you who prefer to shop in store, I read on GottaDeal.com that hats and scarves (and maybe gloves too?) are going to be on sale tomorrow for $1 - in-store only. Probably a good time to stock up!

Oh Canada!

I was listening to Sirius Hits 1 this morning (similar to Z100, for those of you in NY), and all of the broadcasters were preaching about how the election is over and we need to come together as one country. Of course, one of these DJs is the same person who said yesterday that if McCain won, he was moving to Canada.

So... I guess that because his candidate won, we should all hold hands and sing "Kumbaya." That type of hypocrisy just pisses me off.

Regardless of who won this election, I am still proud to be an American. Just because my candidate didn't win, I'm not going to pick up my toys and go home (or move to a neighboring country).

"Moving to Canada" always seems to be the empty threat that these people tend to spew when faced with things not going their way. God, I just wish that these people would actually put their money where their mouth is and get the h*ll out of this country. Enjoy the balmy winters - a far cry from Hollywood...

I voted.

Not like it matters, at least in the presidential election - New York is definitely an Obama state, regardless of how I vote.

At least I feel like I can make a difference in the local elections. I am particularly excited for my choice in candidate for Congress - maybe he will actually have a chance... we could use a change around here.

On a positive note, at least we won't have to hear about this damn election 24/7. Thank God for that!

The Jersey shore... in November

So, it's 2:30 am and I can't sleep, so I am watching "True Life" on MTV.

The subject? "I Have a Summer Share 2."

I don't know how MTV managed to find a house full of the most stereotypical Jersey guys/girls on earth, but they did. All of the guys are wearing tight shirts with the sleeves cut off to show their tattoos, and all of the girls are wearing way too much makeup and have total Jersey hair. They go clubbing, get into fights with the other patrons, and hook up with random girls. Right now, Tommy (the tough but sensitive one - of course) is all stressed out about something so he is doing shots at some club in Seaside Heights. Ick.

What's even more scary is I think that I hung out with guys like this before. Double ick.

PS - We find out at the end that Tommy is really just looking for a wife. NOte to Tommy: getting wasted and hooking up with random girls at Temptations and Merge probably isn't the best way to go about it...

An unlikely pair

Today, I was reading the latest issue of "American Baby" (lame, I know), when I saw an ad for Similac formula, featuring Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover.

From what I understand, Similac has remodeled its packaging from the traditional formula can to a rectangular package. According to the ad, it features a one-hand grip, a snazzy lid to hold the formula scoop and a wider opening to make it easier to scoop out formula.

Now, I am sure that the makers of Similac paid a small fortune to get Ty to endorse their product. And I know that he is a household name and, as a "design expert," would understand the motivation for a package redesign. But, I don't see the connection between Ty (a single man who knows nothing of the trials and tribulations associated with scooping formula) and the average mom who reads this publication and decides what formula to feed her child. Is Ty's face on a formula ad going to sway anyone to actually purchase the product? Maybe it will make people stop and take notice, but I think that could've been done just as successfully by just showing the new formula package (it really is quite different).

As a marketer, I am torn on the concept of celebrity endorsements. Sometimes, they work wonderfully (I am thinking of the Campbell's chunky soup ads or even the new VW ad with Brooke Shields), but I think that's often due to an emotional connection between the celebrity and the brand. The chunky soup brand is positioned as a hearty meal for real men; what better way to portray that than by showing tough, manly football players (who, deep down inside, need the wisdom and guidance of their mothers to be sure that they are eating right)?

In cases like this, though, I wonder if the budget allocated to the celebrity could be better spent. Perfect example - when I worked for a large real estate company, we used Ringo Starr as the "face" of our new training CDs and DVDs. The concept? The training materials served as "a little help from (your) friends" at the real estate company. A real stretch - I am convinced that the reason we went with the campaign was so our EVP of Marketing could meet Ringo (actually, we all met him, but that's a story for another day). Did the campaign work? Not sure, but we did find a ton of the training videos on eBay shortly after they were released.

PS - I never used formula with Baby H, so I am definitely not the right person to answer this, but I think that - for the most part - parents of children who are formula-fed tend to stick with the brand of formula that is given to them at the hospital, as long as they don't have any adverse reactions. I had a friend who worked at a hospital once tell me that there usually was no rhyme or reason for the formula brand given to the new mother - at her particular hospital, it was Similac for girls, Enfamil for boys.

Really?

Is November 1 now officially the start of the holiday season?

I was watching TV this morning, and saw a commercial for Bob's Trees ("millions of branches to serve you").

According to the commercial, you can now head over and select your Christmas tree. Of course, what I didn't realize is that you just tag your tree now, and then pick it up closer to the holidays (I saw the commercial at 6am, so I wasn't quite awake yet).

Now, I love Christmas, but I'm not ready to start thinking about picking out the perfect tree. Now picking out the perfect present... that's a different story...