new "never wet" product kinda blowing my mind.

check out this new "never wet" product that protects just about anything from getting wet. sound weird?

it is until you watch this video of a guy dunking his iPhone into a glass of water like it's no big deal.

like one review said, "i def want to get some before it's confirmed it causes cancer & kills honey bees." ha.

tip: free magazine subscriptions for your iPad

how? 

via the zinio app with your (free) phoenix public library card.
read more here.

thanks to the free perk, we just loaded up our iPad with all kinds of magazine subscriptions like
US Weekly, Dwell,  Rolling Stone GQ, Consumer Reports, Car & Driver, National GeographicTraveler....

go for it.

she wore an itsy bitsy yellow polka dot... romper.

have you checked out old navy's baby & toddler clothes? oh my goodness some stuff is so cute (& inexpensive)! 

i snagged makaela's romper there along with some other goodness. how sweet is a little girl with pigtails?

...

another super fun iPhone photography app: a beautiful mess.

i've been having a ton of fun with the new app released just this week by the sisters at A Beautiful Mess. 

the app is full of all kinds of borders, doodles & words to let you do things like this... 

and this...

and this...

and this...

it's $.99 for the basic app #abeautifulmess and then you can "unlock" additional features for more moola. 

 happy photo editing! 

see ya on the gram @teribockting & @dancendan

hint: a fantastic iPhoto photo editing app.

it's currently my favorite iPhone toy.
lots & lots of filters. 
shapes + letters for framing & cropping. 
nifty film exposures to add & rotate. 
instant sharing to social channels.

the possibilities are endless. 

i got the "lite" version.
& it's worth all 99 pennies.
click the logo to check out the website & download the app --->

how you can advance alzheimer's research & help doctors find a cure.

it's pretty awesome how one medical researcher is using social media and online tools to conduct major research.

a genome expert hopes to test 1 million people for a major Alzheimer's study. 

"Before we can discover new treatments for brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, we need to understand the human genetic blueprint - DNA - that determines how the brain works in healthy individuals," said said. "Then we will be better equipped to develop new medicines and therapies for individuals with brain disorders." Read more here.

anyone ages 18 to 80 can take the 10-minute online memory test. the test will be used to gather clues into cognition and find subjects for a Phase II clinical trial to determine how people's memory changes as they age and whether there are lifestyle choices that might lead to clues into Alzheimer's and other brain disorders. My results were kinda scary. 

Want to be a part of Project MindCrowd? 

Click Here To Take The Test Now.

do it. and share it with your friends and family.

documentary: 56 UP (playing at the Film Bar).

have you heard this documentary? 56 UP?

The UP Series started in 1964 when one director interviewed 14 children from all over England with diverse backgrounds, to ask them about their lives and their dreams for the future. And then, every seven years, the director went back to talk to the same 14 children and examining the progression of their lives... until they were 56 years old.


The film gets rave reviews, even Roger Ebert ranking it as one of the top 10 films of all time.

Both D and I have been looking forward to seeing it. Sounds so interesting. Makes you think about what factors really steer the course of your life.

I'm super excited to see 56 UP is playing at the beloved Film Bar in downtown Phoenix. We're going this week. Click here to check out the very limited Film Bar dates and showtimes.

music trivia night at the crescent ballroom.

last sunday we joined alex, heather and alicia for indie rock trivia night at the crescent ballroom and it was the perfect way to wind down the weekend. we rode our bikes over around 6:30 pm, had a beer, played some trivia with friends and cruised home at 8 pm to grill dinner. 

despite being convinced we wouldn't be much help at all (alex, heather & alicia are all music mavens), it was fun to see how everyone brought something different to the table and contributed. it's not strictly music trivia - there's a mix of pop culture, history (dad - you'd be so disappointed i missed the first line of Moby Dick) & other random stuff like... what animal is on the fruit stripes gum wrapper? spell hemorrhoid. the theme song for "friday night lights" is by what artist? 

our team wound up in third place. the top two teams get gift cards to crescent plus two tickets to an upcoming show. 

who's in for the next round?

 check out the crescent calendar for dates. 

the great expiration date debate.

danny's a freak about expiration dates. if it's a day over - it's trashed. period. 

i'm more in the camp of "if it still looks and smells okay, it's probably fine." 

but things do get a little hairy sometimes. i'll admit that. and how long do things in the freezer really last? 

should you put all your veggies in the fridge? leave them on the counter? 

i'll be printing this nifty infographic for the inside of our kitchen's pantry doors. 

The Shelf Life of Food infographic by LindsaySnowOsborn.

a bliss filled sunday morning.

stephanie and i started our sunday at the W Scottsdale's Bliss Spa for some serious pampering. the day commenced with a cup of coffee in robe and our girl time ended with a delicious pomegranate cocktail by the pool. we both opted for a facial and added on a microdermabraision treatment (a process that gently removes your top layer of dead skin). have you had microdermabraision before? it was both of our first times and my skin feels really soft. we both loved our facials and are already planning our next visit back. we're thinking quarterly. i'm in the mindset now that facials should just be mandatory maintenance - like the dentist. after all, it is your face, right?

glowing.

how could you not be after that?
 plus, i had a divine massage the day before. it was the ultimate spa weekend for moi.

pssst: we snagged an online deal - $99 for up to $200 worth of services + a complimentary cocktail. 

keep your eyes peeled for the next one. no fine print & totally worth it. 

instagram snaps now streaming on le blog.

Psssstt…. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, but my Instagram feed is now streaming to the blog.

Your Insta-what?? Huh? Well, Mom, Dad, Vicky, Meme… I take pictures on my iPhone for this social media thing called Instagram. My friends can see my pictures and comments – and now you can, too!

Most of these pictures don’t make it to the blog, so consider them and their corresponding captions a little bonus. Just clicky clicky those lil square pictures on the right-hand side of the blog and voila.

And if you're on the gram and wanna follow along there, my snaps are at @teribockting and Ting is @dancendan

only time will tell...

happy election day, folks. 

off to the polls we go. none of this early ballot mail-in crap. 

for me, it's all about the experience. welllll... that and the "i voted" sticker.

i'd probably actually consider the mail-in variety if they included a sticker in the package.

i'm serious. that's not a joke.  

 i'll be rocking my "i voted" sticker all day long. 

loud & proud. 

p.s. today only:

Phoenicians - Citizen Public House is offering you a free Chopped Salad (yum!) if you flash your sticker.

Nationwide - Exercise your right to vote and Urban Outfitters will reward you with 20% off your in-store total.

see - it pays to vote. 

and to wear the sticker. 

trader joe's and their magical brooms.

fall really snuck up on me this year. not to be annoying, but how is it the end of october? seriously. 

 

i walked into trader joe's the other night and my sniffer started going crazy. i know that scent! i had completely forgotten about these gems i discovered last year, and the sight of them made me a happy girl.  

 

these magical brooms are just $3.99 and will fill your home with the sweet cinnamon smell of fall.

 

idea: paired with TJ's wine or a bouquet of flowers, this would be a festive twist on the typical hostess gift.

 

super awesome tips for your everyday life.

i recently came across these tips on another blog and just have to share. some of them are new and  really great!

these were my favorites. for the complete list visit this blog.

would have been helpful in oregon! mom & dad - give it a try and let us know!

Instagram cheat sheet.

was cruising Pinterest and bumped into this fun Instagram cheat sheet by aussie blogger Fat Mum Slim. if you're a regular Instagram user, you probably know most of these but i found a few to be new & useful. enjoy! 

follow The Tings on Instagram via @teribockting // @dancendan 

coming up daffodils.

trader joe's currently has bunches of ten daffodils for $1.29. 

go get yourself a few bunches to brighten your home and office.

 we're loving them. 

hope you had a beautiful spring weekend.

kitchen tip :: veggie storage.

we've started chopping our vegetables in bulk and storing them in mason jars in our fridge (or any old glass jar - pickle or mayo jars washed out). it's the best idea ever. all your veggies stay fresh and are chopped and ready to go. makes meal prep a whole lot quicker and easier! plus, your fridge looks super organized and nothing smells.

this weekend, try this: be present.

danny and i are often reminding each other to "be present" - it sounds so simple, but it can be very difficult. sometimes your brain is busy with thoughts of work, life and to-do lists... but the killer is technology. it's out of control and danny and i are guilty as charged. people today are obsessed with being connected. it's become socially acceptable to be playing on your iPhone during drinks with friends, blogging on your computer while watching a movie with your husband or just walking away from the dinner table to go watch TV before everyone is done. i remember when "call waiting" came out and my parents refused to opt-in because they couldn't think of anything ruder than interrupting a phone call to answer another one. oh, how things have changed. 

last weekend we were at The Vig with some friends and noticed that everyone had their iPhones out and were constantly checking them... facebook, instagram, e-mail, twitter, texts... sheesh. in an effort to "be present" we decided to stack our phones in the middle of the table face down and participate in a "phone fast" for the rest of our time together. it's amazing how engaging conversations are when people aren't distracted (myself included). 

next time you're out with friends, i challenge you to encourage a phone fast... it's a fun little social experiment. 

a totally awesome iPhone app.

love going to concerts but feel like you're sometimes out of the loop with tour dates? you're going to love Songkick. The free app taps into your personal iTunes music library and uses GPS to let you know when your favorite artists are playing a show near you. Via push notifications, Songkick alerts you to scheduled dates and reminders to get your tickets. you can map locations, add the concert to your calendar, learn about new festivals... it's so great. 

don't have music on your iPhone? no problem, enter your favorite bands manually or simply use the website. 

christmas gifts :: to thank or not to thank?

well, of course you should always thank people.

but, as we near the end of january, i'd love to hear your thoughts on written thank you cards for christmas & holiday gifts. 

do you send them? (be honest). why or why not? do you receive them? is it the one time a year that a written thank you is not necessary? or is a written thank you for a gift always proper etiquette?

okay, go... i'm really curious to get your feedback.

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