One person administering Reiki, while another person receives it. It is helpful to both of them!

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

Most of us have heard of Reiki (pronounced Ray-Key), but maybe we don’t know exactly what it is. And it’s hard to describe, unless you’ve experienced it. But even then, it’s hard to define.

I have experienced it and I still can’t explain it, other than when it was over it felt like I’d woken up from a nice, long nap. But instead of waking up cranky, I felt great!

But Reiki is so much more than that. So, I asked two Reiki Practitioners to shed some light on this ancient holistic phenomenon: Bridget Papagno, aka the Essential Lightworker, a Reiki Master, and Karen Drosnes, Reiki Level II Practitioner,  owner of Soul Connection Holistic Coaching.

Tobi Schwartz-Cassell: What is Reiki?

Bridget Papagno, Reiki Master and owner of Essential Lightworker

Bridget Papagno: Reiki is one of the holistic techniques used to help reduce stress and promote relaxation and healing. We conduct the healing by “laying on hands,” which is based on the idea that “life force energy” flows through us.
Karen Drosnes: Life force energy is what keeps us alive. If a person’s life force energy is low, she or he is more likely to get sick or feel stressed. If it’s high, that person is more capable of being healthy and happy.

TSC: Is Reiki like a massage in that you have to remove your clothes?
KD: No. When coming in for a Reiki treatment, you remain fully clothed. But just like massage, you can lay on a table or sit in a chair.

TSC: What can a client expect when she or he comes to you for the first time?
BP: The Reiki practitioner will place their hands on parts of your body—with your permission, of course!—while sending intentions of love and healing to you. She or he will channel Reiki energy to you through their palm chakras.
KD: It’s possible that you might notice sensations where the practitioner’s hands are. People often do. Heat and subtle movement can also be felt, sometimes. Or, you may notice that areas of your body become more open, and feel more comfortable. If you came in with pain, it will likely diminish, and possibly disappear.
BP: But keep in mind, that no matter where the Reiki practitioner’s hands are, no matter how relaxed that light contact might make you feel, the most important benefit of Reiki healing is what’s happening inside your body. And that’s the best part, because that’s where your body remembers what it knows best—how to heal itself.

TSC: Are there any dangers in receiving Reiki?
BP: There are no known risks, and Reiki has been practiced for at least 3,000 years! There is no known danger associated with it. But as with everything, you need to check out anyone you’re considering going to for any Energy healing, whether it’s Reiki, acupuncture, acupressure or massage. Not every practitioner is right for you, and that’s okay!
KD: You need to be comfortable with someone you are allowing to work in your energy, so you will receive the most out of your treatment. Also important for you to know is that Reiki is not a religion or specific spiritual belief system. It’s open to all energy, meaning everyone—humans, pets and even objects!

Karen Drosnes, Reiki Level II Practitioner, owner of Soul Connection Holistic Coaching

TSC: What are the benefits of Reiki?
BP: Reiki promotes health and wellbeing by assisting with pain management, encouraging mental clarity, releasing stress, relieving depression, and reducing anxiety.
KD: It also aids relaxation, improves sleep, soothes digestion, strengthens self-esteem, heightens self-awareness and intuition, and even offers support for substance abuse recovery.

TSC: What do you, as a Reiki Practitioner, get out of it?
KD: Being of service to others is my purpose here on Earth as a Light Being. As I assist others in their healing process, I too receive healing of the mind, body and Soul and we all have something to heal from. My heart fills with joy when others receive just what they need to live a more healthy and fulfilling life.
BP: What I get out of giving Reiki is healing and joy. I am a channel for the energy, so it flows through me, to you. Witnessing people leave my office feeling lighter, relaxed and in less discomfort, warms my heart EVERY TIME.  Watching them experience their own body’s ability to heal is amazing. I truly appreciate every client who allows me to help them help themselves.

TSC: What is a Reiki Share?
BP: Rather than one-on-one practice, we come together in community. We gather for an evening of well-intentioned people, joyfully and carefully using healing energy! Everyone there has a chance to both give and receive Reiki. No experience is required. Depending on how many people are present, everyone usually spends about 8-15 minutes on the table and the rest of the time offering to others. You will get Reiki from a whole bunch of people at once. (Click here for Bridget’s Reiki Share schedule)

TSC: What can someone expect to pay for a Reiki session?
Both Karen and Bridget agreed that the cost of a session in our area ranges between $60 and $130 per hour.

Readers, have you ever had Reiki? Would you recommend it to a friend? Do you administer Reiki? If so, what are your thoughts about it? I’d love to know you think of Reiki, so please comment below.

Hope to see you at our Dec 6 Women’s Shopping Expo! Bridget and Karen will both be there! It’s FREE but you MUST register. Click here for the info.

Click here for info on Bridget Papagno

Click here for info on Karen Drosnes

❤

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

Some of us are happy to say ‘so long’ to the heat, humidity and frizzy hair of summer. Others, like me, approach the end of summer with dread, and the only way I can bear it is knowing that there’s another one just around the corner.

Not that I love living through 90-degree days. I just know how blessed I am to be able to hide out in my air-conditioned apartment when the going gets tough.

What I will miss is the freedom. The freedom to leave the house with wet hair, toss on easy-breezy clothes (not in that order) and eat food from an outdoor grill. But mostly, I hate the cold.

Hate.

It.

Among my friends, I’m in the minority. They love the crisp weather, colorful leaves, pumpkin-flavored coffees, blah…blah…blah…

So, I turned to my 950+ friends in our Franks & Beans’ Facebook Group—South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun—and asked, “Are you happy to see summer end?” And, as always, they came through.

In the “I’ll Miss Summer” Camp:

• KW: “Not happy. Life circumstances shortened my time to enjoy the summer. I also don’t enjoy less daylight. Let’s rewind at least 4 weeks, take out rain and humidity, and have the temp at 85 or below.”
• CP: “No, I love the hot weather. I am, however, tired of the humidity, rain (devastated my garden tomatoes) and uneven temperatures. I hate snow, cold, and especially ice!”
• MM: “No. I do love fall weather, but I’m always sad when summer ends, kids go back to school, and crazy activities start again.”
• MR-C: “No, because it means winter is on the way ☹.”
• SFK: “No. I hate the cold weather. I love long days and warm weather.”
• JCK: “I miss seeing my grandchildren whenever I want.”
• JW: “Never happy to see it end!!! Love being able to walk outside as you are–flip flops, shorts etc. Hate being bundled up, (sweaters, coats), am so happy not wearing shoes and socks, and most of all don’t enjoy being cold. And it gets dark early. The fall depresses me. Give me long days of sunshine and heat! Another summer perk-local summer produce!” (Note from Tobi: YES, YES, YES! 😘)
• LH: “No I love the warm weather, long summer nights. It always seems like there is more time to do things at night after work.”
• LAG: “I would’ve enjoyed the summer more if it hadn’t been so humid this past season. However, I do like longer days, not looking forward to cold weather.”
• SR: “No. I know that the shorter days are coming after summer ends.”
• EAW: “I for one am not happy to see summer end. I can’t tolerate the cold or snow anymore. I hate it, don’t want to deal with it at all.”
• LSY: “Love summer at the beach!”
• RLS: “Never want to see it end. I’m a beach person and I look forward to it all year.”
• MD: “No. Don’t want the cold weather yet.”
• GMG: “Noooooo…I love summer!”
• PP: “Summers are just too short! I love the long, lazy, crazy days- nothing like daylight til 9pm. Keeps me motivated to get things done with time left to just enjoy. And then there’s the beautiful blue ocean, the refreshing scent of the salt water, and the sandy beaches. Need I say more?”
• NH: “No, as I was away most of the summer and would love some beach time. September is supposed to be lovely. I’m counting on it.”

And those who are happy to see the summer end:

• SB: “Yes. I am tired of the heat!”
• CD: “Yes. I hate heat and humidity.”
• SC: “Yes! Love cool weather!”
• MK: “Me too!”
• JC: “Cool weather begins, holidays are rolling around the corner, the atmosphere is calmer and fun. Sweaters, long pants, scarves and beautiful colors.”
• BT: “I love the fall colors and cool breezes and opening the windows.”
• JP: “Fall is my favorite season! I love the gorgeous changing leaves, the cooler, more breathable air, the lack of mosquitoes, which love me so, Halloween and Thanksgiving, and the promise of new beginnings. However, what I do lament is how quickly the season went and that we didn’t do more “summery” things like go to the boardwalk. I only went to the beach once. But, I must admit I love Fall on the beach because it’s less crowded, more comfortable and we can let the dogs run free!”
• MRD: “Fall is my favorite season though I do love the warm weather, but not this summer. Did not enjoy it and unfortunately, due to some health issues with my husband, we were not able to do much of anything this summer. Hoping and praying for better days ahead.”
• MP: “Yep! I’m ready for fall colors and Halloween decorations!”
• MM: “No more bugs! Also the air conditioning in my car is broken. Not looking forward to shoveling snow though.”
• DH: “Yes! I know I’m in the minority but I love a crisp fall day! Burning my apple candles, sleeping with the windows open, and pot roast!”
• BWU: “Yes! Fall is the best. Not a big fan of heat and humidity.”
• LB: “As I’ve gotten older, the change in seasons has gotten more bittersweet … I’m always glad to see Spring and I’m equally sad to realize there’s one less Winter in front of me.”
• RSI: “Love swimming in our pool….love wearing flip flops….do not love heat and humidity….do not love bugs (of any kind, except maybe butterflies and ladybugs)…..love fall crisp weather….love the Jewish High Holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving….SO….yes I am ready to move ahead to fall!”

A different perspective from a Florida Girl who used to be a South Jersey Girl:

• AR: “Not happy to see summer end because of the snow birds who show for the winter. Yes, happy to see summer end because the heat will leave soon, I hope.”

And then there are three women who summed it up for all of us:

• MC: “I love summer but that being said, I’m looking forward to refreshing, breathable weather. The heat and humidity were off the charts this year. Spring and summer are my favorite seasons. Fall and winter not so much.”
• PQ: “I miss the longer hours of sunlight and the feeling of freedom, but I’m OK with fall coming (but NOT winter).”
• KT: “Yes and no. I like it warm, beach, pool, pretty gardens, lightweight clothing. Really dislike HUMIDITY!!! Like the cool of fall, pretty leaves. Winter stinks!”

Thank you to everyone who answered. And if you didn’t get the chance, I’d love to know your thoughts: Are you going to miss summer? Why? Simply comment below.

See you in the fall!

❤

By Dawn Watson, Guest Blogger,
Authordawnowatson@gmail.com 

I grew up poor. Not homeless poor, but the kind of poor where I had to start working when I was 14 to contribute to the household. It’s just how it was.

My mother had to look for bargains everywhere, including the grocery store. We clipped coupons until our fingers were calloused, looked for sales and substituted cheaper ingredients than what recipes called for. I was 18 before I realized you were expected to add hamburger to Hamburger Helper in order to complete the dish.

I packed my lunch bag with cheese ends and bologna ends between slices of expired bread and took a knife with me to cut the worms out of my over-ripe apple. For supper, we had unlabeled cans of food and ate whatever was in them; they were cheaper because shoppers had to guess their contents, which was fun for us, imagining what was in them.

The one item we could eat to our heart’s content was cabbage and boy, did we eat a lot of it! Boiled, boiled then fried, boiled then fried with bologna ends, in soups, with a dab of mayonnaise as a salad, grated with a dab of mayo for coleslaw. Our house forever smelled of cabbage.

I’ve always had a bad stomach and I remember how I suffered from “Cabbage Overload” even as a kid. My entrance into a room was usually followed by the question, “What in the world is that smell?” It’s cabbage, Dude.

I stopped eating the stuff when I nabbed my first boyfriend because I didn’t want the house (or me) to stink. My mother was upset but I was anorexic by then so it didn’t really matter what she made—I wasn’t going to eat it. Besides, I had a pretty decent part-time job so I could buy the groceries and watch happily as she chowed down on roast beef and fried chicken with fresh vegetables.

My boyfriend loved fast food and would sometimes bring over bags of McDonald’s hamburgers and French fries and we’d all sit there gorging ourselves. I’d stop eating for two or three days after that to maintain my figure but boy, those binges were awesome! And not a cabbage leaf in sight!

Years later, whenever my Irish husband requested corned beef and cabbage I would make idle promises and then ‘forget’ to make it.

On our 15th wedding anniversary, we decided to go to a fancy French restaurant to celebrate. The waiters were polished, the background music was romantic, and my husband, who had been taking language lessons from a taped program, ordered from the menu in French.

“Choux farci, s’il vous plait,” he told the waiter. I was impressed.

The wine flowed and we flirted with one another shamelessly until our waiter returned, balancing two cloches. He served Madame first, whisking off the cloche as though unveiling a masterpiece.

My smile faded as I caught a whiff of a familiar smell.

“What is this?” I asked him.

“Choux farci, Madame,” he replied airily. “Stuffed cabbage.”

My husband watched intently as I took my first bite. “Good?” he asked. “I know you don’t like cooking it so I thought it would be fun to have someone else make it for us.”

I had never told him about my cabbage-laced history and therefore knew he was innocent of any prank. I must admit that the dish was good, the evening was wonderful, and it ended with us dancing to C’est Si Bon sung by Yves Montand, after dinner as it was broadcast by speakers in the parking lot.

Both my husband and my mother are gone, now and occasionally I buy a head of cabbage and cook it up just like my mother used to. The smell is no longer repulsive; it’s nostalgic, part of the store of my fondest memories, along with clipping coupons and thrifty shopping.

And sometimes when I’m grocery shopping I buy a few unlabeled cans, just for the fun of it.

PS from Tobi: Can you relate to Dawn’s story? Tell us yours in the comment section below.

Dawn Watson is the author of nine books, writes for her blog “Just Sayin'” and for a local newspaper. She has two adult children, is a dog trainer and owner of Brother of the Wolf since 2008, is a service dog trainer, and was widowed in 2011. Contact Dawn at Authordawnowatson@gmail.com.

by Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

Many of you know about my new Facebook Group called South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun. It’s an amazing group of women of all ages who hang out, boost each other’s confidence, ask for and give advice, and share a few giggles. Each weekday, I ask a question and the incredible members of the group give me the most fun and thoughtful answers.

The other day, I asked, “What’s the weirdest thing you wore in high school?” Overwhelmingly the answer was those ugly, awful blue gym suits. Wow. That took me back. My answer was, “Peter Max bell bottoms and gaucho pants.” But at least when I wore those, I felt stylish and proud. When I thought back to the days I’d donned that mortifying blue bloomer gym suit, it brought me back to a painful time in my past.

You see, when I was a kid, I was skinny. Gawky. A pathetic little toothpick. Nice people would say I was lucky. But I never felt lucky. I felt scrawny and ugly.

I was at my most scrawny in gym class, wearing those ugly blue bloomers. For the girls who were built, they accentuated the positive. For me, they accentuated everything I hated about my body. Singer songwriter Janis Ian was my hero. She sang what I lived:

“To those whose names were never called
when choosing sides for basketball…”*

Throw in cystic acne and that was me.

I hated gym. I hated being one of the last two girls chosen (it was always, “Ugh. If I have to take one of them, I’ll take Cindy, you take Tobi.”). I hated showering in front of the other girls. I hated changing in front of them, too—they wore bras. I didn’t even have enough boobs to fill my undershirts. I hated being tormented by the gym teachers and taunted by the mean girls when the gym teachers weren’t looking. I hated my abdominal muscles because they’d still hurt two days after doing those relentless sit-ups. But more than anything, I hated wearing those damned blue bloomers.

The day I graduated high school was one of the happiest of my life. No one was ever going to force me to take gym again! Ha! I was finally in control of my life!

Now I’m 62. And the last word you’d use to describe me is “scrawny.” But with the added poundage came added confidence. Maybe the confidence also came from recognizing my own value as a person.

But if given the choice, I would NEVER put on one of those indescribably appallingly hideous blue gym suits ever again.

So, how about you? Did you have to wear one of those dreaded things for gym class? If not, what was the weirdest thing you wore in high school? I’d love to hear from you, so please comment below.

And be sure to check out South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun!

❤,

* Lyrics from “At Seventeen” written by Janis Ian, appearing on the LP Between the Lines, © Mine Music Ltd./EMI Music Publishing Japan Ltd. All rights reserved; international copyright secured.

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

I am not gonna lie. I love cupcakes.

I love eating them, watching TV shows about them and writing about them.

As a matter of fact, last September, I wrote an article called, “Cupcake Wars: What Do They Do with those 1,000 Leftover Cupcakes?” I did the research on that question, and it was quite an eye-opener.

So, you can imagine how I felt when Beneficial Bank contacted me to produce a fundraiser for them, featuring the very worthy non-profit Mothers Matter, and equally spotlighting cupcake decorating! Ruth Scott of Cupcakes by Ruth is going to give me (and everyone else) two cupcakes and all stuff we’ll need to decorate them and I’m going to feel just like I’m on Cupcake Wars! And so will you!

Ruth will lead us in decorating two “down the shore” cupcakes, complete with edible seashells and mermaid tails. I can hardly contain myself. But it won’t be fun unless you’re there.

Tickets start at $30, but the price goes up at 11:59pm on May 9, so hurry! Click here for all the info on this event.

I honestly don’t know if I am more excited about decorating those cupcakes…or eating them. Wait a minute. I know. I am MOST excited about raising funds for Mothers Matter.

Hope to see you there. 😊

♥,

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

If your name is Diana, Jessica or Vanessa, you might be a graphic designer. (Source: Verdant Labs)

Does your name reveal your age? Or your profession?

You bet it does!

If you’re a Baby Boomer Woman, chances are your name is not Emma, Isabella, Charlotte or Harper. Because those are among the Top 10 names for baby girls born in 2016.

In fact, the Social Security Office has kept track of all the baby girl and boy names from the 1880s to the 2010s. That’s how I know that the following are the Top 10 baby girl names from the 1950s:

1. Mary
2. Linda
3. Patricia
4. Susan
5. Deborah
6. Barbara
7. Debra
8. Karen
9. Nancy
10. Donna

The list above comes from a larger list of the Top 200 girls’ and boys’ names from the 1950s.

Baby girl names of the 60s changed. Kind of. Here’s that Top 10:

1. Lisa
2. Mary
3. Susan
4. Karen
5. Kimberly
6. Patricia
7. Linda
8. Donna
9. Michelle
10. Cynthia

They even provide a way to tell the most popular names by your state and birth year!

Here are the Top 10 baby girl names for the State of New Jersey in 1988:

1. Jessica
2. Ashley
3. Amanda
4. Nicole
5. Jennifer
6. Stephanie
7. Lauren
8. Melissa
9. Danielle
10. Samantha

Verdant Labs, creator of an app for baby name research, has tapped pubic records to produce a chart entitled, Top Disproportionately Common Names by Profession. (A tiny version of this is pictured above). Professions on the chart run the gamut from photographer, geologist and football coach to librarian, meteorologist and journalist.

Now that I brought those to your attention, here are the top:

• Photographer names: Hugo, Bruno & Zoe (I did not make that up)
• Geologist names: Leonard, William & Frederick (I expected to see Ross on that list, but didn’t)
• Football coach names: Dan, Mike & Rich (Not one woman on that list)
• Librarian names: Eleanor, Abigail & Margot (Not one man on that list)
• Meteorologist names: Mike, Scott & Jeff
• Journalist names: Jonah, Gideon & Alastair (Again, I did not make this up)

So, if your name is Billy, Joey or Mickey, you might be a drummer.

And if your name is Patricia, Lori or Raymond, you could be a hairstylist.

Or if your name is Constance, Penelope or Stella, maybe you are a social worker.

And, if you’re in your 50s, you may have gone through school with at least one Kimberly, Michelle or Cynthia.

And if you’re in your 40s, you may have played hopscotch or Barbies with at least one Amy, Heather or Nicole.

So, what’s the takeaway from all this? Well, if you want to hide your age, you’d better change your name. And if you’re hoping your future child becomes a judge, consider naming him Josiah, Archibald or Rufus, and not Eddie, Tom or Ben. Because if you do, he might just become a stuntman, and then you’ll never stop worrying.

♥,

PS: Does your name match up with any of the professions? Check out a larger, readable version of the “Top Disproportionately Common Names by Profession” chart, and then tell us in the comment section below.

PPS: If you want to play the Social Security name game, click here.

PPPS: If you enjoyed this blog post, please consider sharing it on social media! Here’s the link to use: https://www.franksandbeans.net/does-your-name-reveal-your-age-or-profession/. Thank you!

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

When Franks & Beans Team Member Kim Konefsky told me the name of the March 21^st snowstorm, I thought she was joking. But the joke, as it turned out, was on me. Literally.

The name of the winter storm that caused the postponement of our March 21^st event is Toby.

It got me thinking. How are storms named? And who names them? As it turns out, winter storms are named by The Weather Channel.

But according to the National Hurricane Center’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, naming rights for tropical storms and hurricanes is given to an international committee of the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization.

So why do I care?

When someone names a storm after you, you want to know how and why.

Anyway, unlike me, the storm named for me has turned out to be a real pain in the neck. Let me offer a brief explanation. The winter storm that preceded Toby was Skyler, and the one before Skyler was Riley. It was Riley who caused us to postpone our March 7^th event. To remedy this, we rolled March 7^th into our March 21^st event because, well, what could go wrong?

Now we know. We had to, once again, postpone our March 7^th and 21^st events, and reschedule them for April 19.

(It doesn’t snow in April, right?)

And one more thing. Hey, Weather Channel. I have a bone to pick with you. I had to wait a long time for a storm to be named for me, and you got the spelling wrong. My mom was very specific in how she wanted my name to be spelled. #SeeMyBirthCertificate

Okay. That rant felt good. I hope to see you on April 19^th!

(It doesn’t snow in April, right?)

♥,

PS: Has a storm ever been named for you? If so, which one? Please share your answer in the comments below.

PPS: Check out our twice-postponed event. Did I mention it’s been rescheduled for April 19?

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

We’re all so happy on the second Sunday in March. But we’re brought to our knees in despair on the first Sunday in November.

In March, we lose an hour, but what’s an hour compared to the promise of spring? In November, we gain an hour, but it’s small consolation considering we are heading into the anguish of winter.

Will we never get off this sick Merry-Go-Round?

The answer: probably not.

But don’t blame the farmers! They were never into the scam initiated and perpetuated by the Chamber of Commerce, back in the day.

But why should I tell you, when Eliza Mills does such a better job?

Hint: Click here for the whole story

♥,

PS: Daylight Saving Time: Thumbs up or thumbs down? Please comment in the Comments Section below. TIA. 🙂

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

It’s not that I don’t have genial family and friends who refuse to offer me good wishes. I am blessed with the most supportive, friendly, nutty bunch in the entire Universe. But they tend to wish me a Happy Hanukkah. And to them, I wish a Happy or a Merry, whatever the case may be.

The people who I want to wish me a Merry Christmas are those I know casually who don’t give my religion a second thought when wishing me such a lovely greeting. And why should they? Wishing me or anyone a Merry Christmas, no matter what their or my religion, is a lovely greeting of the season! And, for those who celebrate, it’s also a reminder of the true reason for the season.

So, if you see me on the street or at a party or wherever at this time of year, please don’t hold back because you’re not sure what I celebrate. Wish me a Merry Christmas! Or, a Happy Hanukkah! I’m proud of my heritage and the beauty that comes with it, so no worries. I promise you, you won’t hurt my feelings, whatever greeting you bestow upon me.

And if all else fails, and you’re not sure what to say, please say, “Happy New Year!” Because every one of us—whether we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Ramadan, Festivus or any other holiday—every single one of us could really use it.

Happy everything, everyone!

Big Hugs & Love,

♥,

PS: Please share your thoughts on this post in the comments section below, and please be sure to wish me a Merry Christmas!

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

This is the question I asked of an entire spectrum of people. Some I know, some I don’t. Some are female, some are male. Some are young and some are my age. 😉

The winning answer: “Yes! Of course I name my cars!”

An eBay study, published in Fortune Magazine, found that 40% of Millennials name their cars, as opposed to 25% of Baby Boomers.

Despite those numbers, from the time my Baby Boomer friends and I started purchasing our cars in our 20s, we totally named them! Do I remember what I named mine? No. Does my current car have a name? You bet. It’s “Dot.”

So, here’s what I found out in my search:

Kerry D has a formula for naming her cars. “I usually go for alliteration,” she told me. Thus, her cars’ names: “Apollo the Accord,” “Nathan the Navigator,” “Ian the Intrepid” and “Carlos the Chrysler.”

Patricia Q-A’s last car was “Sandy,” a beige Toyota. Her very first car was purchased in the late 70s. It was a baby blue Mustang named “Livingston Blue” for singer Livingston Taylor.

Colleen M had a 1985 750-Honda Motorcycle she named “Godzilla.” The name was inspired by a Blue Oyster Cult song.

Bill S told me, “I own two Mustangs. They are based on a body that Ford code-named FOX. The hatchback has been a hobby car modified with junkyard parts. It’s a red FOX named “Fred Sanford.” The newer convertible was going to be “Ginger” but after driving it for a week I felt it was a bit clumsy and not light on its feet.” So instead of “Fred and Ginger,” Bill’s cars are named “Fred and Ethel.”

Natalie H’s Nissan was named “Maria.” Her Expedition was “Oprah.” She hasn’t yet settled on a name for her GMC Envoy.

Olivia A borrows her mom’s Red Ford Taurus X. Her boyfriend named it “Big Red.”

Melissa A has often contemplated getting vanity plates, but never thought to actually name her car. She doesn’t have to. Her daughter is Olivia A (above), whose boyfriend has already named it “Big Red.” Melissa got a big kick out of that.

Back in the day, Sharon G, named her dad’s car. She was 16 at the time and worked at Gino’s. Her dad always picked her up after her shift was over at 1 AM. He’d dutifully show up in his big black Mercury Grand Marquis, which to her and her co-workers looked just like a shark. You guessed it. They all named it “The Shark.”

Christy B-C called her red minivan “Minnie.” When it became her daughter’s car, she renamed it “Minnie Driver.”

Connor S owns “Rhonda the Honda.”

Natalie D owns “Terry the GMC Terrain.”

Shaina G’s first Mazda was named “Mushi Mushi.” Therefore, her second one is named “Mushi Mush II.”

And then there’s Denise F, who blew everyone out of the water. She’s had a lot of cars over the years, so hang on to your seatbelt! They are: “Joey,” “Lilac,” “Louie,” “Orangy,” “Blue Boy,” “Tighty Whitey” and “Rosy,” just to name a few.

We spend a lot of time in our cars, so they deserve a name! Right?

So, what was/is your cars’ name(s)? Please post in the Comments Section below!

♥,

PS: Don’t miss our 3^rd Annual Franks & Beans Women’s Shopping Expo presented by the Genesis Wealth Advisor Group at Aenigma in Collingswood! Everyone who pre-registers and brings her ticket gets a $5 Aenigma gift certificate to use that night! Plus: 17 vendors, complimentary wine and refreshments and prizes! Click here for your tickets.

I need your help in the kitchen!

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

As Thanksgiving draws near, I am once again in search of recipes. To be specific, vegetarian appetizer recipes.

There are two things I firmly believe in, in regard to the Thanksgiving kitchen:

1. Most hosts need help and are happy when guests ask to bring something
2. Most guests wouldn’t dream of coming to a Thanksgiving dinner (or any other dinner party) empty handed

My specialty is dessert. I love to bake. My second favorite recipes to make are side dishes. But where we will be enjoying Thanksgiving 2017 is at two of our BFFs’ home. We are so happy to be welcomed into their family celebration, that I will bring anything they ask. Even if that means appetizers.

And there’s one more step to this equation. I am vegetarian, so I need to be able to eat what I bring.

So, there you have it. I need your help. Please comment below with your idea(s) for vegetarian Thanksgiving appetizers. You’re short on time? Just give me the name of it and I’ll google it. Have some extra time? Give me the full-blown recipe! Simply comment below.

The Franks & Beans Family–Stan, Jardin, Molly, Kim, Linda and me–wishes you and your family a very Joyful Thanksgiving!

♥,

PS: On Nov 13 at midnight, Early Bird Pricing for our Dec 14 Holiday Psychic Dinner goes away! And our Dec 6 Signature Psychic Dinner is nearly sold out. Get your tix for both, now!

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

WARNING: This blog post may be inappropriate for the squeamish. (Like me.)

The Gruesome Twosome–Stan and I at the party at the Essential Lightworker’s house! Photo by Brent Samuelson. He and wife Kristen are founders of Three Little Birds Perinatal & Palliative Care Advocacy & Support Centers. Our makeup was done skillfully and beautifully by Jae Burton.

I would hate to think as I advance in age that I am becoming a crochety old lady. But I have to say that Halloween used to be about Jack-o-Lanterns, ghosts that were kinda like Caspar, and more candy than you could possibly eat.

My costumes of preference were always cute (like the year I was Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz) or beautiful (like the rose-selling girl I dressed as in Kindergarten). For that costume, my mom made a huge beautiful skirt of skillfully crimped red streamers, and made roses out of said streamers. It took her weeks, but when she was finished, it was magnificent. Of course, there were kids who dressed up as skeletons, half-dead soldiers and other gory things, but nothing was ever too scary.

I will admit that our costumes this year bordered on the blech. Our daughter’s BFF made us up as rotting zombies. But we were tasteful zombies, all decked out in formal ware. So, we were more funny than frightful.

In 2017, Halloween is all about the shock, and not as much about the fun. It’s been a long time coming—creeping toward us like a bloody spider made from red Jell-O.

Case in point, my last blog post was about my obsession with “Cupcake Wars” on The Food Network and the Cooking Channel, where the grossest thing you’ll see during the year is the chefs using beef jerky in cupcakes.

Now I find myself unwillingly watching “Halloween Chopped” and “Halloween Wars.” On “Chopped,” the chefs recently had to butcher eels, being forewarned that undercooked eel would be lethal to the judges. They also had to use congealed pig blood. (you were forewarned)

One of last night’s episodes of “Halloween Wars” featured a pumpkin sculpture of a slaughtered two-headed pig with vomit made from candy. Needless to say, I quickly changed to the Cooking Channel, but they were showing how to deep fry butter. All-in-all, a nauseating night for TV cooking shows.

So I’ll persevere until November 1, when the Thanksgiving and Holiday cooking shows begin to pop up to comfort me. I’ll slide right back into my safe place of pretty cookies and layer cakes and dishes of butternut squash.

Until next October…

Bwah-ha-ha!

♥,

PS: Am I really an old fuddy duddy when it comes to this gruesome and grotesque turn that Halloween has taken? You can give it to me straight. I can handle it. I’ve seen candy vomit and deep-fried butter.

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

Did you ever wonder what happens to the leftovers on Cupcake Wars? (Photo courtesy of Food Network)

At the end of a long day, I reward myself by plopping in front of the tube to binge watch Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. If you have cable or the internet, you have 24/7 access to the show.

I love watching how inventive the bakers get when told to create cupcakes with crazy combos like barbecued beef jerky, Cheez Whiz and Marshmallow Peeps.

I don’t like—but understand why—they give the bakers such a short time to complete their tasks. (I’m guessing the producers think all the panic and mayhem makes for “good TV.”) But if insufficient time is a problem, imagine having to figure out how to incorporate tilapia into a cupcake (no lie, that was really an ingredient on one of the episodes).

The show starts with four bakers. There are two elimination rounds and by the end, two remain to battle it out. The winner takes her or his cupcakes to some swanky event, like the celebration Mattel produced when they introduced Barbie’s new DreamHouse. The winner also gets $10,000 and I would assume, tons of PR for her or his business in her or his hometown print and digital newspapers.

Cupcake Wars finalists’ displays from July 2016. Each hold 1,000 cupcakes to go to a swanky party. (Photo courtesy of Jon’s Blog.)

The last round assigns a carpenter to each of the two finalists to come up with a party display, as well as a bunch of baker wannabes to help the finalists bake and decorate the 1,000 cupcakes. In the final minutes, everyone helps load them on to the huge display.

A winner is chosen, and the last two minutes of the show take place at the swanky party.

All lots of fun, but it leaves me wondering. What do they do with the loser’s 1,000 cupcakes?

I did a little online research, starting with the Food Network and Cooking Channel websites (Fun Fact: they are sister networks). But where I really got the scoop was on websites like HuffPost,  mediamikes.com, and Natalie Slater’s bakeanddestroy.com. Slater was a judge on the pilot, and on her website’s FAQs, answers the question that, apparently I’m not the only one asking:

“My grandpa wanted to know what we did with all those cupcakes. The ones that didn’t go to the Alma Awards were eaten by the cast and crew. Yeah, that’s right. We ate them. We’re on a show called Cupcake Wars! We obviously enjoy eating cupcakes!”

Professional pastry chef Val Anne Hielte Welch was on FN’s Cake Challenge in 2010 and though she’s never been on Cupcake Wars, she does have some insight: “I can’t answer for certain, but the winner’s cake (on Cake Challenge) of course went to the person that it was for. The rest of the cakes (we came in second place) went right into giant trash cans. I was horrified by that because I hate to see perfectly good food wasted. I inquired why they couldn’t have been donated to a food bank or a homeless shelter, and they told me that liability issues prevent them from doing that.”

So what kinds of cupcakes do you like to bake? One of my BFFs makes German Chocolate cupcakes for me, using Mounds Bars. Seriously, I have no words. And that is highly unusual for me.

♥,

PS: So now that I’ve written my blog post about high calorie food, I’m going to promo our next event, set for Oct 18, and featuring Certified Clinical Hypnotist Katherine Nuyens. Ironically, after a 5-course meal at Illiano’s in Medford, all guests will choose one food they’d like to completely eliminate from their diet. Choose anything, sweet or savory. Oreos? Pasta? Candy cigarettes? Katherine will then put us into a light trance to make that happen.

And what will I choose to eliminate on Oct 18? You can bet it won’t be cupcakes.

by Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

You may remember my last blog post about the man I kept meeting in the elevator where Stan and I now live. When I’d see this man, my neighbor, he’d never smile. When I had my dog Fred with me, he’d crack a half smile at him, but that was it.

Well guess what? His name is Craig.

And here’s how I found out.

Stan and I were babysitting for his sister’s dog last week while she and her husband were in Iceland. (Fun Fact: Did you know that Iceland is green and Greenland is icy?) Anyway, while they were gone, little Casper would ride the elevator with Fred and I when it was time for their walks.

One time, when we boarded the elevator, the-man-who-never-smiled was in there. And guess what? He smiled! He also spoke! He said with a chuckle, “So you have two now!” I laughed and told him we were babysitting for the little white dog. By then, it was time to depart the elevator.

Casper and her parents are now home together, safe and sound.

Yesterday, Fred and I boarded the elevator, and there was the mystery man, again. We said hi to each other and exchanged some quick pleasantries (already an improvement!) and as we were getting off, I asked, “What’s your name?” He said, “Craig.” I said, “Mine’s Tobi.”

We smiled, and went on our merry separate ways.

So to everyone who commented with your helpful advice, Craig, Fred and I thank you.

With lots of ♥,

PS: This month, we’ve got two events to look forward to! This coming Thursday evening, Sept 14 is our next Painting Dinner with Artist & Instructor Susan Roop. On Tuesday evening, Sept 19, we’re doing another Psychic Dinner with Psychic Medium Judy Dingler.

Only 8 tix left for Painting and 7 tix left for Psychic. Don’t miss out! Hoping to see you!

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

The question, “What do people really do in elevators?” is…

1. A provocative question
2. The headline of an award-winning brochure I wrote for a client several years ago
3. Both

It’s both.

So, “What do people really do in elevators?”…

…Nothing.

I’m guessing you’ve experienced this.

I certainly have.

As many of you know, my husband and I recently downsized and moved into an apartment. It’s a new community, so our building is only half occupied. That means that I either ride the elevator with him, alone, or with my dog Fred. When it’s just Fred and me in the elevator, the conversation is typically one-sided with me telling him what a good and handsome boy he is and how much I love him.

Once in a while, as he and I wait for the elevator to arrive, the doors open, and there’s another rider in there. You can tell who the dog lovers are and aren’t.

When the doors open and a dog person sees him, he or she will light up. They will tell him what a good and handsome boy he is. Needless to say, Fred is developing quite the ego.

When the elevator doors open, and the first thing to cross the threshold is Fred’s nose, the ones who are not dog people will jump back. I feel terrible about this, but Fred needs to take a potty break, so we get in anyway. By the end of the ride, that person is hopefully not still up against the wall on tippy toes.

When I enter the elevator alone, either the passenger who’s already inside will strike up a conversation, or I will. It begins with, “which floor are you on?” or “when did you move in?” The Q & A is just long enough to take one of us to our destination floor and say a quick goodbye.

But there is one guy who lives in my building who rides the elevator in silence. He doesn’t smile either. He’s silent when I’m alone or with Fred. It’s uncomfortable. And though I am a social person, I can’t seem to bring myself to strike up a conversation with him, making the trip up or down even more awkward.

So I am asking you for your help. What would you say to this man if you were to get onto the elevator with him?

What have you said when you’ve ridden elevators with others? Please use the Comment section below.

Your responses will really help me out!

With lots of ♥,

PS: We bid a sad farewell to Jules Thin Crust. They will soon be closing. We are looking forward to partying at our next destination, The Silver Diner. All the details are here.

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

As many of you know, we moved about two weeks ago, so we’re still feeling our way around our new neighborhood and the surrounding area. That means getting comfortable with a new grocery store, pharmacy and PetSmart.

Here we were on our first day in our new home, and our daughter Jardin came down with the flu. She stuck it out for several days, allowing it to run its course. But when it became apparent that that wasn’t happening, she visited the doctor who gave her a prescription. Several days later, she still wasn’t herself, so she called the doc who gave her a list of OTC items to take—one for her cough, one for her congestion, and on and on.

I got to our new pharmacy after 9 PM, and couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t finding the decongestant he recommended. I was told that it has to be purchased from the pharmacist, but the pharmacy counter was now closed. In desperation, I started searching the aisles, trying to find something—anything!—that would bring my kid some relief! And then I spotted it. Vicks VapoRub^TM. Remember Vicks? That pearlescent goo in the blue jar that your mom rubbed on your chest when you were sick? So I picked up the box, read it, and there it was—all of her symptoms, and all of them addressed by Vicks. And the best part—it’s made from all natural stuff. So instead of bringing home an armload of medicines, I was hopeful we could take a step back in time with one of those time-tested natural remedies.

Sure enough, it helped her cough, congestion, aches and probably some other things I wasn’t even aware of.

As it turns out, you can find an entire list of issues Vicks can help, on the website eDrugsearch.com. In its article, “20 Brilliant Ways to Use Vicks VapoRub^TM,” Vicks can be used as a:

• Mosquito repellent
• Earache remedy
• Treatment for nail fungus
• Sinus headache alleviant
• And believe it or not, a cat pee deterrent

There are so many other natural remedies that are low-cost and available. According to the website PositiveHealthWellness.com, there are “7 Natural Cures for Ear Infections” including:

• Garlic Oil
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Tea Tree Oil
• And even Breast Milk

And if you want to go to the source of all things natural that can help alleviate a litany of ailments, check out Aromatherapy. Based on the essential oils of plants (which is what you’ll find in Vicks), Aromatherapy is dispensed as oil that can be released in the air, used topically, and in some cases, taken internally. Mt. Laurel’s Essential Lightworker Bridget Papagno says, “One oil I like to work with is called Helichrysum. I use it in nine of my blends.”

Papagno blends Helichrysum Oil with other oils, (in some cases Peppermint, in other cases Rosemary, Cedarwood or Citrus), to create blends to use for:

1. After Sun Soother
2. Youth in a Bottle (sign me up!)
3. Skin Nourisher
4. Post Workout Blend
5. Blemish Reducer
6. Razor Relief Serum
7. Energize and Uplift
8. Fatigue Be Gone
9. Breathe Easy

And that’s just what she can do with one oil! Personally, I have always been fascinated with Aromatherapy, and relied on it for nausea when I was pregnant. This modality is an all-natural way to relieve distress—both physical and emotional—and all these years later, I still trust and use it.

What are your favorite tried-and-true all-natural remedies? I would love to hear about them, so please be sure to comment below.

♥,

PS: Want to meet Essential Lightworker Bridget Papagno as well as Psychic Medium Marie Gilbert for short private readings? Join us on August 10 at Aenigma Jewelry in Collingswood! Click here for more details.

PPS: Click here to find out how to win 2 $40 gift certificates for you and your BFF from Lindsay Radziak of the Pampered Chef.

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

I love America with all my heart, and consider myself very patriotic. I am indebted to my grandparents who came and settled here because of the freedom and beauty we enjoy. The freedom that our veterans—then and now—have secured for us. And the freedoms that many living in other countries, are profoundly lacking.

I am grateful for my liberty every day, but on the 4^th of July, I am even more grateful because I get a sense that we’re all in it together. That wherever you go, you see flags; red, white and blue banners, and decorations. It truly makes my heart swell.

I was a patriotic child, too. But I experienced dread and extreme discomfort surrounding the 4th of July. The discomfort was never based in disloyalty, but in fear.

My parents always took my sister Molly and I to the fireworks on Independence Day, and every year, my trepidation grew. The noises scared me badly, especially when the booms would pound through my body. I was also frightened by the large crowds. To be perfectly honest, I could never understand what the appeal of the fireworks was.

On one 4^th of July in particular, already rattled from the evening’s “festivities,” we arrived home, and as I mounted the front steps, a firecracker exploded at my feet. That was it for me. No more fireworks.

My family would still go to the fireworks every year, but my parents allowed me to stay safely in the car and watch from the windows with my fingers in my ears. They and my sister were stationed outside the car, guarding me, and enjoying the display.

When I was a teen, I’d go with my friends to the fireworks because that’s what you did on the 4^th of July. I considered myself lucky that the explosives were launched after dark—and that my friends were mesmerized by what they were watching in the sky. It meant they weren’t paying attention to me, knees tightly locked to my chest, and fingers in my ears. What was it about those damned fireworks that everyone loved so much?

Every year, I dreaded the 4^th of July.

Then I met this really nice guy named Stan who eventually became my husband. God truly does work in mysterious ways, because Stan LOVES the 4^th of July more than anyone I know, and more than any other holiday. He LIVES for fireworks. His birthday is July 7, and he considers the 4^th his own personal kickoff day. Case in point, back in the early 70s, his family lived in California where the sale of fireworks were legal. His fondest memory of his Bar Mitzvah is that his parents purchased and set off fireworks to celebrate.

So there I was again, going to see the fireworks on the 4^th of July, while everyone was in the best mood, and I was freaked out (but had to appear as if I was holding it all together). While we were watching, my fingers firmly in my ears, Stan would shout out to me what he was seeing. He told me about the reds, the purples and the blues and the yellows that he was seeing. I found that to be fascinating! He really saw all those colors?

And there it was.

I finally understood. People go to fireworks to see the beautiful colors, in addition to the formations, in the sky. As a woman who was born colorblind, I never realized that fireworks were colorful. NOW it all made sense. That’s why the people who come, put up with the noise and the crowds.

After that night, I gave myself permission to never have to go to a fireworks display again. Ever.

And now, no matter how or where we celebrate the 4^th of July, it is my pleasure to hustle everyone out of my house (or hustle home if I’m at someone else’s house) and watch Stan and whomever accompanies him, go off to see the fireworks.

I crank up the air conditioning, scoop the ice cream, turn on the TV, and snuggle with my pets. It is my personal time and I get to do whatever I want. And most importantly, I don’t have to be subjected to deafening noises and celebratory crowds.

And now, I’m not just in awe of this holiday, I finally can say that I love it.

And now I understand what the fuss with fall leaves is all about. But that’s another story for another day…

♥,

PS: What’s your favorite holiday, and why? Is there a holiday you don’t like? I’d love to hear about it, so please comment below.

PPS: Click here to find out how to win 2 $40 gift certificates for you and your BFF from Lindsay Radziak of the Pampered Chef.

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

Just when I thought I’d learned everything I could possibly learn from selling my stuff on Facebook…I ended up learning more.

To get you up to speed, my hubby Stan and I are downsizing and moving to a lovely apartment community. But we don’t want to shoehorn our stuff into our brand new place. So we’re donating some of it; and selling some of it on Craig’s List (Stan’s job) and some of it on Facebook (my job).

I can’t begin to tell you how much pleasure I derive from someone finally getting her or his hands on something they’ve been needing or wanting for a really long time, for a really low price. It makes them happy and it makes me happy. But don’t for a moment think that everyone out there is nice. Many are not. You’ll see at the end of this post, how I progressed from Good Guy to Bad Ass while I learned that:

1. Some people have been searching for YEARS for something that’s been collecting dust in your home. Someone came to my home for purposes other than buying my stuff. She spotted an item and asked if it was for sale. I  said yes, and she was delighted because she’d been searching for this discontinued piece for ten years! Boy, was SHE happy. And so was I.
2. Some items can lie dead in the water while others can create a major frenzy. Who would have thought my set of Mikasa dishes could generate well over 20 requests?
3. You have to watch your words. While doing an internet search to get an idea of how to price a red metal rocking chair, I Googled “metal rocker” and could not for the life of me, understand why these guys kept coming up. Eventually, I “got” it. Duh…
4. Buyers want something, but not necessarily for the reasons you’d think. Remember the aforementioned Mikasa dishes? It’s service for 16, complete with hostess pieces. Yet the person who purchased the entire set only wanted it for the cups, saucers and dessert plates. I just found that to be really interesting!
5. People ask the most surprising questions. A woman was inquiring about our large wrap-around sectional sofa with built-in recliners and queen foldout. She asked if we’d deliver.
6. When mama’s gotta have it, she’s gotta have it. One mother of 5 packed up the kids and high-tailed it here, to purchase an item. She begged me to mark the item ‘SOLD’ on Facebook while she was on her way. (Spoiler alert: Here’s where my Bad Assery begins.) I had already learned that you don’t mark anything ‘SOLD’ until it’s sold. So to make sure she got here in time, she kept me posted on her whereabouts, texting me every time she turned onto the next road. I begged her to be careful and to stop texting me because she had her kids in the car! She finally got here, took a look and…you guessed it, declined.
7. Some people are downright mean. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m human, and I make mistakes. And as a newbie selling stuff on Facebook, I’m learning the rules of the road as I go along. A woman, we’ll call her Henrietta, had the misfortune of encountering me at the very beginning of my journey. Here’s my crime: I forgot that on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, I’d promised Henrietta that she could pick up a $5 candle holder on the Tuesday after Memorial Day Weekend.

On Tuesday, she sent me a Facebook PM, asking when she could pick up her $5 candle holder. I apologized profusely, telling her I’d made a mistake and sold it to someone else, just the day before. That woman chastised me, berated me and reminded me that I am a business owner in the community so I’d better watch my step. That last one was creepy because it meant she’d “looked me up.” I was extremely distressed, and asked her what I could do to make it up to her. Her request was absurd.

Next thing you know, a Facebook Friend spotted this person badmouthing me on that Facebook yard sale site! I wasn’t tagged correctly, so I would never have known about it were it not for my Facebook Friend. Henrietta had posted her poison on two different places on that site, and people started ganging up on me! All for a $5 candle holder! My Facebook Friend and other friends who saw it, gave me equal time with their lovely comments, and one of them had the presence of mind to tag the admins, who promptly took down the offending posts.

Will this incident stop me from continuing to post our stuff on Facebook yard sale sites? Hell no!

And here’s the happy ending: the gentleman who actually purchased that $5 candle holder did so for his 20-something, profoundly disabled daughter. They are moving into a new apartment together so he can properly care for her. I am grateful that my candle holder will help brighten their new home. And before we’d let him leave, Stan and I put together some items we hoped his daughter might enjoy. As the man reached into his pocket, we said no.

Because you can’t put a price tag on how it feels to make someone else smile.

♥,

PS: I’d love to hear about your Facebook online yard sale adventures! Please post them in the comment section below.

PPS: Speaking of Facebook, click here to find out how to win gift certificates from Kris Cornog of Tastefully Simple!