Mix It Up

A very good friend of ours has created a cocktail too good to pass up. It's so good, she's entered it into a contest, the Mionetto Cocktail contest. And if she wins she'll be headed to NYC to mix it up for the grand prize. This would have been a great cocktail to celebrate Valentine's day, but since we're a day late, how about celebrating that we turn back the clocks and welcome in spring in less than a month?

MIONETINI
Created by Stacey BallisChicago, IL

INGREDIENTS:
1 oz Mionetto Brut1 oz premium vodka
1 oz Elderflower Liqueur
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz pineapple juice
For rim of glass:1 T lemon juice1 T sugar in the raw1 t grains of paradise, ground
For Float:1 T Mionetto Brut

PREPARATION:
Fill shaker with ice, and shake all ingredients well.
Dip rim of martini glass in lemon juice and then in the combined sugar and grains of paradise.
Strain cocktail into glass and float 1 T Mionetto Brut on the top for extra fizz.

Cooking Up Some Love

A survey from Whole Foods Markets says that an astonishing 81% of married people would prefer a meal cooked by their spouse to a restaurant meal. While half of the respondents acknowledged the weak economy as part of their preference, 64% also say they also believe a home-cooked meal is more intimate or special, and 73% believe it's more personal and thoughtful.

The Economics of Intimacy

Stress -- financial or otherwise -- can cause levels of libido-stoking testosterone to drop, says Beverly Whipple, Ph.D., a neurophysiologist and coauthor of "The G-Spot: And Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality."

And when a guy loses his provider status it's a blow to his ego and manhood - not exactly the feeling he wants to bring into the bed.

If you're the one who's been let go? Research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that when a woman's income is reduced by just 20 percent, her self-worth and sex drive can plummet.

One more reason to hope our economy is on the road to recovery.

Valentine's By the Numbers

- Half of the U.S. population celebrates Valentine’s Day by purchasing at least one greeting card, according to Hallmark.

- Last year, according to an MSNBC report, Americans spent as much as 13.7 billion last Valentine's Day 2006, up 22 percent from just five years ago.

- 73% of flowers are bought by men, and only 27% are by women.

- Chocolate and candy sales reach profits of $1,011 billion during Valentines.

- Approximately 1 in 4 Americans do not celebrate the holiday at all.

- 15% of American women (and even men) send flowers to themselves on Valentine's Day.

At the end of the day, regardless of why you do something nice or who you're doing it to, isn't it great to have a day where people remember that it's nice to appreciate someone?

We Heart Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is for lovers and that's probably why we've been receiving so many orders for our Valentine's Surprise. And you know what? We don't blame them! We just started shipping the surprises out so they arrive in time for the big day, and the items in this special surprise are just so cool.

Honestly, it's a really great surprise. Almost makes me wish we could make it part of the regular surprise packages.

A Hallmark Holiday?

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, and the economy continuing to look gloomy, the traditional fancy restaurant dinner, roses and jewelry are now on lots of people's "way too extravagant" list. So American Greetings and Hallmark are preparing for Valentine's Day, recession style.

More than 191 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year (and that doesn't even include the kind kids pass out in school).

"In times of economic uncertainty, we see people being reminded of what's most important in life," says Rochelle Lulow, creative director of the Cleveland-based American Greetings. "That means focusing their efforts on nurturing their relationships with friends and family. Valentine's Day is all about reaching out and telling someone that you love them."

Based on research that found consumers want cards that differentiate the various stages of romance--from the frisky beginnings to the schmaltzy ever-afters--the company has introduced a 26-card line called Lovematters. "We've learned that it really is the little things that define a relationship. Gestures don't have to be grand or expensive, but they do need to be genuine and heartfelt," she says.

Here's an idea: forget the stereotypical roses and cupid-cutout cards, which, honestly, don't take much imagination and certainly don't express true feelings. And instead do something that says, "I want us to spend time together, just the two of us, having fun, being playful, and remembering how much we actually enjoy one another."

Yep. Give your love a Valentine's Surprise and you'll both be happier than Snoopy with a big old heart in his hands.

Less Stress, Easier Number Crunching

The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine has long reported the benefits of massage, including reduced stress levels.

And who doesn't have stress these days?

Touch can not only improve your physical health (who hasn't wanted a good massage after a grueling workout), it can improve your mental health as well.

Even the International Journal of Neuroscience found that massage has benefits - people who participated in a massage study completed math problems in less time than the control group. Even better, they made fewer mistakes!

Less stress and an easier time balancing the check book? Sounds like a good massage can make life a little more tolerable for all of us.

The Honeymoon Doesn't Have to be Over!

Listen to this, thanks to USA Today.

New brain scans of people who say they are still in love after being married for decades are similar to scans of those who have just fallen in love, leading researchers to conclude that long-term relationships can be just as passionate and romantic as new love.

"We're confident it's real," says psychologist Arthur Aron of the State University of New York-Stony Brook, one of the researchers involved in the study. "That's what the brain scans are telling us. People can't fake that."

"A lot of other research always suggested romantic love is over by 12 to 15 months. This suggests that may not have to be the case," says Richmond Thompson, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Bowdoin College, who was not involved in the study.

And just in case you think this is all scientific bunk, we can prove it's true!!

We have received more than 8 orders from people celebrating over 20 years together - isn't that crazy? After all these years they're still sending each other gifts they can share and enjoy.

And the cards are so nice.

So I believe what the scientists have proven. And I didn't even have to put on a lab coat!

Au Naturale

We've had several requests for organic or "vegan friendly" products. So we went on a hunt, searching for products that these members would feel comfortable using.

And we found some! The thing is, we like them so much, and like that they're made from all natural ingredients and most come in earth-friendly packaging, that we're going to include them in our standard surprises as well.

We hope that more manufacturers take a hint here and pursue the development of more products that contain or are made from natural, renewable ingredients. We'd love to find more!

Sweet Dreams

Ready to hit the pillow?

A little sensual massage followed by some dancing in the sheets releases sleep-inducing endorphins.

Nighty night.