I received an email today that had the subject line: Does Reading Matter?

And I got all hot and bothered about it because yes, of course reading matters. It matters a lot. Trust me, I haz opinions on this subject.

Turns out, the email’s author has opinions on the matter too, and sent me a lovely article outlining them. It’s well worth your time, with some fresh reading recommendations in there, to keep you occupied while I gather my own feverishly opinionated post together.

(First, feast your eyes on this photo of Cass reading back in 2011, when she was 7. Be still my beating heart; where’d my little girl go?)

Does Reading Matter?

By Chantal Jauvin

With April upon us, thousands of families are starting to negotiate what they will do for their summer vacations. The stakes are high: Wi-Fi or not? Together or separately? Away camps or day camps? Parents, children, couples, relatives and friends, vying to create their perfect version of a summer holiday.

The choices have multiplied to such an extent that the option of simply dropping by the local library to pick up a stack of books for the cottage, the park or the backyard seems a distant memory. People bemoan their lack of time to read. The reasons are endless: work, chauffeuring the kids, barely enough time for yoga, tax season, too much time looking at the computer screen, and the new season of House of Cards. In other words, life gets in the way of reading.

So, why do we shortchange our reading time? Does reading still matter?

Most people would agree that being able to read matters. Yet as many as 32 million adults in the U.S. cannot, according to the U.S. Department of Education figures from December 2015. But there is an even more alarming statistic: 19% of high school students graduate without being able to read. These statistics raise some alarming questions: Do we have enough jobs to employ so many illiterate people? Will those jobs pay sufficiently to keep them out of poverty?

If we stretch our vision to look at the state of global literacy, the same research found that 775 million people around the world cannot read. Because some cultures still place less value on girl’s formal education while their brothers are encouraged to attend school, females account for 66% of that number. Whether at home or abroad, the ramifications of illiteracy are obvious: poverty, social exclusion and limited access to medical care.

The statistics can be argued with, reframed or countered. The simple fact remains: illiteracy severely limits quality of life both in economic terms and in the possibilities of enjoyment. Parents, advocates, government officials, students may not agree on how to fix the problem, but everyone agrees that the ability to read beyond a basic level is crucial.

Americans spend 2 hours and 46 minutes out of each day watching television. Young adults between the ages of 15 and 19 spend only 4.2 minutes per day reading during weekends and holidays (excluding homework-related reading). Reading habits increase only marginally later in life. Americans ages 45 to 54 engage in leisure reading only 26.4 minutes a day, (American Time Use Survey, 2013).

If we agree about the importance of reading, why do spend so little time enjoying it? The reasons vary by person, but perhaps the root cause has more to do with our cost-benefit analysis of the use of our time. A regular workout regime, say 3 times a week, 45 minutes each session, provides a tangible result. Reading’s benefits are less obvious.

Huffington Post has taken a look at the science behind reading and offers us concrete reasons to read more often. “6 Science-Backed Reasons to Go Read a Book Right Now” include:

1. Stress reduction: It takes only 6 minutes of reading to begin lowering your stress level. 
2. Longer-lasting memory function: People who start to read early and continue to do so throughout their lives experience slower memory decline.
3. Better sleep: Sleep experts recommend reading before bed to improve the quality of sleep.

Science aside, there are some other compelling reasons to read more often.

1. To learn from history.

Reading historical fiction provides insights into our past. Reading about Queen Isabella’s rule in Spain through the eyes of author C.W. Gortner in The Queen’s Vow provides a compelling way to understand the events and personalities who ruled this country in this period.

2. To prepare for action.

In this age of instant gratification, books are our 24-hour-a-day teachers. They are available to help us plan a trip, learn a new skill or face a personal challenge. They provide privacy to test ourselves by taking self-help quizzes or improving the way we face life. Consider Amy Cuddy’s new book Presence: Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges.

3. To boost imagination and creativity.

A book can provide a different perspective on life. Lee Miller: A Life by Carolyn Burke challenges the reader to see the world through the lens and life of a talented photographer. People who suffer from isolation often find solace when they encounter a character who shares their values and experiences. This affirmation validates their views and often spurs their creativity.

4. To increase our empathy.

Our world faces constant challenges requiring us to empathize with people facing situations we ourselves have not encountered. That Bird Has My Wings by Jarvis Jay Masters depicts the journey of a man on death row. Books bridge the gap between situations unknown to us and universal themes of our human condition: struggles with faith, self-forgiveness and judgment of others.

5. To be a responsible citizen of the world.

Margaret Atwood explains this best: “Reading and writing, like everything else, improve with practice. And, of course, if there are no young readers and writers, there will shortly be no older ones. Literacy will be dead, and democracy – which many believe goes hand in hand with it – will be dead as well.”

It’s always the right time to do something good for your health, your mind, your soul. But summer is an especially opportune occasion, which provides us more open space in our lives. Fill that space with something that matters; have a summer fling with reading, and see where it goes.

Chantal Jauvin is an international attorney who has combined her passion for experiencing other cultures with her pursuit of a global legal career. She has lived in Japan, Mexico, Cambodia, Russia, Austria, taking shorter assignments in Vietnam while pursuing her MBA studies in the UK. She has negotiated in Paris, Buenos Aires, and Sao Paulo often enough to almost call these cities home. Igniting her lifelong enthusiasm for language and other societies, she has turned her attention to writing in her quest to understand how our souls are touched by the blended world in which we live. Jauvin currently resides with her husband in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Her new book The Boy with a Bamboo Heart tells the story of a street orphan who created a children’s charity called FORDEC. The book can be purchased on Amazon and ChantalJauvin.com

Connect with Chantal Jauvin on LinkedIn, Facebook , and on her website, http://chantaljauvin.com/. For more information on FORDEC, please visit http://fordecusa.org/.

My favorite gifts for young kids and baby showers (and really most other gift giving occasions, if I’m being honest) are books. The classics, to be sure, but I also try to rustle up some new titles that I think the recipient is unlikely to receive from any other quarter.

My First Science Textbooks are chemistry storybooks for the very young, written by a chemistry teacher with his two-year-old daughter in mind.

I love love love this.

Book I: Protons and Neutrons
Book II: Electrons
Book III: The Atom

My First Chemistry Textbooks are hardcover children’s books, each with 32 or more full color paper pages. Our goal is to add a few additional workbook pages at the end of the books so adults and kids can play, interact and discuss the content covered throughout the books.

This is at the Kickstarter stage at the moment, but it fully funded within 8 hours! The initial fundraising goal was $4500 and they’re close to $100,000 now. Which is AMAZING.

For $35, you can reserve one copy each of the three books in the series plus access to the E-book versions. For $36 you get them in board book form.

For $65, you get one each in hardback form and one each in board book form. Think of it as the “grow with me” edition.

For $100, you get FOUR board book copies of each title plus access to the E-book versions, so you can donate to your classroom or library AND give away copies at your next baby shower or little kid birthday.

There are other donation levels available, those are just my favorites.

Check it out and reserve your copies now! Estimated delivery is October 2016.

I don’t have cable, so I was “watching” the recent Video Music Awards through commentary on Twitter and Facebook and catching up on the important bits as clips were posted to various websites. It’s funny, I don’t feel I missed much, I was just operating on a ten minute delay or so.

Afterwards, of course, the overwhelming majority of sentiment goes like this:

1. OMG, all these performers are attention whores and everything they said/did/wore was for the attention, how pathetic

2. FFS, <insert name of media outlet here>, I remember when you used to report actual news, why does anyone care about <insert name of celebrity here>?

Example: I’m so sick of that Miley Cyrus. Stop giving her attention. She’s just trying to be the next Madonna.

Madonna? Madonna who? Oh, you mean the woman who was instrumental for pushing the artistic envelope when it came to music video; who is, if not the Queen at least a duchess of the Girl Power movement; who released over a dozen albums over three decades; who sold over 300 million records (making her the best selling female musical artist of all time); who went on to star in films, write books and found her own entertainment company? Who, by the by, was criticized every damn step of the way? That Madonna? Why the hell would anyone want to try to be her?

Remember Like a Virgin at the VMAs? The original wardrobe malfunction?

I think it’s strange that we lambast the famous for craving attention, as it is the motivation that drives the creative instinct and the hustle to get it seen, and the “media” (by which I mean anyone who seeks to reach an audience beyond their friends and family) for distributing content that generates that attention.

This is what we call entertainment. It’s not a new concept.

Performers stand before us on whatever stage they choose, and we choose to pay attention to it. And far more often than not, we criticize not only their talent and their creations, but their faces, their bodies, their casual remarks, their vacation choices, their wardrobes, their partners and their children.

It’s amazing that anyone chooses to create and perform at all, let alone in a way that is mass distributed, that makes them “famous.” But for those with the music, the words, the magic within them, the idea of not sharing is to deny your spirit.

Let’s be real: to amass any sort of fame for what you’ve produced, there needs to be a healthy amount of ego. There is no such thing as a truly humble celebrity. Thankful, grateful, yes. But to keep creating things of note, you can’t act like your talent was a happy coincidence, a tangential gift. You have to own your talent. You have to think: yes, I made this, and it is good, and I can do it again.

You have to believe that what you’re putting out there is something the world absolutely wants and needs to see. You have to take energy from the other parts of your life and dedicate it to the center of your universe, your craft. And then you have to take care of the thousand and one mundane details that don’t actually directly pertain to your craft, the first and most important being promote, promote, promote.

1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.

If your ego isn’t quite up to snuff, then the act of creation is terrifying and the act of promotion is paralyzing. What was so clever, concise, innovative, important while being constructed in your mind becomes insipid and trivial once you imagine how the world will belittle and criticize.

And they will. No matter how brilliant and talented you are. No matter if they are strangers, your friends or your bedmates. It’s going to happen. It’s going to happen anyway, whether you’re just doing normal day to day things or giving birth to things of joy and consequence. It’s just a matter of degree.

Your job isn’t to cater to the masses. Your job is to put the thing into the world that only you can. Not everybody is going to like it and that’s fine.

So you may as well bask in how brilliant and talented you are while you build big, important things, and let them chatter as they must. 

There’s nothing wrong with a little ego, and a little fear. It’s far better than the alternative: to do nothing ever worth talking about.

Feel the fear— and then go ahead. Dance like everyone is watching.

Faced with fear, we all recoil. The question is:

what do we do next?

-Ralph Keyes, The Courage to Write (affiliate link)

FWIW, I don’t care much for Miley Cyrus either. I’m old, I guess.

Refreshingly, I honestly don’t think she cares what I care.

Some random thoughts about Valentine’s Day and “romance”, both of which I hate.

1. There’s an episode of Malcolm in the Middle where Lois challenges Hal’s statement that he never even thinks about other women. Lois says something like, “If that’s true, that makes me look bad because I’ve looked at other men. It means you love me more.” And Hal answers, “Oh honey, I’ve always known I love you more. If you loved me as much as I loved you, nothing would ever get done. We’d never leave the bedroom.”

That notion of accepting you love someone more and being perfectly ok with it? That’s the most real, romantic version of love I’ve ever heard of.

2. I’ve never seen the movie Say Anything, but if a guy was going to stand outside my window holding a boombox, I’d really want it to be playing this song.

I want a girl with a mind like a diamond
I want a girl who knows what’s best
I want a girl with shoes that cut
And eyes that burn like cigarettes

I want a girl with the right allocations
Who’s fast and thorough
And sharp as a tack
She’s playing with her jewelry
She’s putting up her hair
She’s touring the facility
And picking up slack

I want a girl with a short skirt and a lonnnng jacket……

3. In spite of being a dysfunctional unromantic beast I can be brought to tears by love songs AND anti-love songs (which are really still love songs, just to former or unrequited loves). Here’s this year’s soundtrack.

Just Give Me a Reason- P!nk and Nate Ruess

I can’t even with this song. I love it so much. I’ve been there, where there is no logical reason to go on with a relationship, and you’re begging for something to hold onto. Or, I can equally relate to it as a love song to someone with a mental illness.

Also, I just want to give Nate Ruess big hugs. All day long.

True Love- P!nk

P!nk does all the best dysfunctional love songs. When this one came out, I saw a lot of people on Facebook who really had a problem with the lyrics and I was baffled. I told Jeff it was our song and I’m pretty sure he’s refused to ever listen to it.

Anyway, the video is a bit silly, but so is the song.

Say Hey (I Love You)- Michael Franti & Spearhead

Makes me smile all the smiles. I think this would make a great first dance at a wedding.

You’re No Good- Bob Dylan

It’s not a playlist unless Dylan’s on it. I love to sing this one. (There’s a YouTube video of me singing it out there somewhere.)

Say Something- A Great Big World with Christina Aguilera

This is the first time I’ve seen the video, and I don’t love it. In my mind’s eye it’s a couple in the middle of a fight and one has just given up arguing… the other is trying to fight for the relationship but ultimately realizes the loving thing to do is to let both parties go on with their lives and try to find happiness elsewhere. Very similar to Just Give Me a Reason, I suppose.

Please Do Not Go- Violent Femmes

I’ve loved this song for so long I’m at a loss to explain why. It was one of the first ones I demanded my son learn to play after he started playing guitar.

Same Love- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Not my favorite Macklemore song, but the one I’m happiest to see get airplay. “No freedom until we’re equal, damn right I support it.”

Don’t read the comments. Just don’t.

Jesus & Mary Chain and Hope Sandoval

This song = my teenage dating years.

Take a Bow- Rihanna

I’m not a big Rihanna fan AT ALL, but this is a beautiful song. Full of hurt and anger over misplaced love… the video is pretty cheeky though, takes the edge off.

Gives You Hell- All American Rejects

Am I getting old? This video doesn’t make any sense to me. Great anti love song though (even as it smacks of “why didn’t you love meeeee?”)— pretty much every spurned teen’s fantasy to be have this song apply to them.

You Oughtta Know- Alanis Morissette

Still my vote for best scorned woman anthem ever. (Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats gets an honorable mention.)

Right Here Waiting- Richard Marx

Including this one as a present to my husband. Happy V Day Jeff! This is as romantical as I get.

Here’s last year’s playlist.

Here’s a tongue-in-cheek Valentine’s Day playlist arranged by BPM I put together for FitFluential. “Love” or “Heart” shows up in the title or band name, but mostly it’s a fun cardio playlist to get your heart rate up.

RedEnvelope posted a love song/anti love song list this week too. It’s pretty good (and I’m sharing because I had a kickass experience with them this month as a customer so they’re on my nice list).

Hit me with your favorites! I love new playlists.

Image from local production of Into the Woods

Usually when a press release appears in my inbox I kind of glance over it and either think “cool, but I don’t have any time to write that up right now” or “jumping jeebus on a pogo stick, why do these people think I have time to write this stuff up?”

HOWEVER, I actually read this one with a ton of barely repressed squealy excitement and I figured I’m probably not the only one who’s been waiting to read it. I still don’t have a lot of time so this is mainly a cut and paste. Comments in BOLD are obviously me being obnoxious.

  DISNEY’S “INTO THE WOODS” VENTURES INTO PRODUCTION FEATURING AWARD-WINNING CAST & PRODUCTION TEAM

Film to Feature Songs from the Award-Winning Stage Show,
Plus Brand-New Song by Stephen Sondheim

BURBANK, Calif. (Sept. 16, 2013) – Disney’s “Into the Woods” kicked off production last week, featuring an award-winning production team and all-star ensemble cast. Rob Marshall, the talented filmmaker behind the Academy Award®-winning musical “Chicago” and Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” helms the film, which is based on the Tony®-winning original musical by James Lapine, who also penned the screenplay, and legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, who provides the music and lyrics—including an all-new song for the big-screen adaptation THAT I HOPE DOES NOT DETRACT FROM THE ORIGINAL, AND POSSIBLY PERFECT, PLAY. “Into the Woods” is produced by Marshall, John DeLuca, “Wicked” producer Marc Platt and Callum McDougall. Shooting in studio and on location throughout England, the film is slated for a December 25, 2014, holiday release. <—– SQUEEEE—- MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MEEEEE

“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.

The all-star ensemble cast includes:
· Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “August: Osage County”) portrays the Witch who wishes to reverse a curse so that her beauty may be restored. WHUT. I DON’T EVEN LIKE MERYL STREEP BUT I THINK SHE WILL BE FUN.
· Emily Blunt (“Looper,” “The Young Victoria,” “The Devil Wears Prada”) is the Baker’s Wife, a childless woman who longs to be a mother.
· James Corden (Broadway’s “One Man, Two Guvnors,” “The Three Musketeers,” “Gavin & Stacey”) plays the role of the Baker, a hard-working man who desperately wants to start a family.
· Anna Kendrick (“Pitch Perfect,” “Up in the Air”) fills the shoes of Cinderella, who finds herself on a journey of self-discovery.
· Chris Pine (“Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Jack Ryan”) portrays Cinderella’s Prince, charming and impossibly handsome, who is on an endless quest to find his bride.
· Johnny Depp (“Pirates of the Caribbean” films, “The Lone Ranger,” “Sweeney Todd”) steps in as the Wolf, who sets his sights on Little Red Riding Hood. OF COURSE. 15 YEARS AGO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY REALLY COOL, I HOPE IT STILL IS.
· Lilla Crawford (Broadway’s “Annie”) makes her feature-film debut as Little Red Riding Hood, a smart and spunky girl who journeys into the woods, finding unexpected adventures along the way.
· Daniel Huttlestone (“Les Misérables”) lands the role of Jack, an absentminded and adventurous boy who trades his treasured cow for five magic beans.
· Tracey Ullman joins the cast as Jack’s Mother, a poor and exasperated mom who is overwhelmed, yet fiercely protective of her son. YAY YRACEY ULLMAN! WHERE HAS SHE BEEN LATELY?
· Christine Baranski (“Mamma Mia!,” “Chicago” “The Good Wife”) takes on the infamous Stepmother who wishes for riches and grandeur; she’ll do anything to marry off one of her daughters to a prince.
· MacKenzie Mauzy (“Brother’s Keeper,” Broadway’s “Next to Normal”) plays Rapunzel, a sheltered young woman who experiences the world beyond her tower for the first time.
· Billy Magnussen (Broadway’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “The East”) is the dashing and eager Prince who courts Rapunzel.

Celebrated actors from the stage and screen fill the supporting roles, including Tammy Blanchard (“Blue Jasmine,” “The Good Shepherd”) and Lucy Punch (“Bad Teacher,” “Dinner for Schmucks”) as Cinderella’s spoiled stepsisters, Florinda and Lucinda. Richard Glover (“Sightseers,” “St. Trinian’s”) is the Princes’ royal steward, Frances de la Tour (“Hugo,” “Alice In Wonderland”) portrays the giant, and Simon Russell Beale (“The Deep Blue Sea”) is the Baker’s father. Actress Joanna Riding (“My Fair Lady,” “Carousel”) portrays Cinderella’s late mother, and Little Red Riding Hood’s beloved granny is played by Annette Crosbie (“Calendar Girls,” “The Slipper and the Rose”).

The big-screen adaptation welcomes songs from the stage musical, including “Children Will Listen,” “Giants in the Sky,” “On the Steps of the Palace,” “No One Is Alone” and “Agony,” among others. Additionally, Sondheim has penned an all-new song for the story’s theatrical debut.

The award-winning production team includes Dion Beebe (“Collateral,” “Chicago,” “Nine”), Oscar® winner for the Marshall-helmed “Memoirs of a Geisha,” as director of photography. Dennis Gassner (“Skyfall,” “Quantum of Solace”), who won his own Oscar for “Bugsy,” serves as production designer, and three-time Oscar winner Colleen Atwood (“Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Chicago,” “Alice In Wonderland”) is costume designer.

“Into the Woods” premiered on Broadway on Nov. 5, 1987, at the Martin Beck Theatre. The production, which ran for 764 performances, won Tony® Awards for best score, best book and best actress in a musical. Among other awards, the musical received five Drama Desk awards, including best musical. “Into the Woods” has been produced around the world, including a 1988 U.S. tour, a 1990 West End production, Broadway and London revivals, in addition to a television production, DVD recording and a 10-year-anniversary concert.

Now, a lot of those names I do recognize but don’t really have an opinion about yet; quite literally I found this in my inbox maybe 5 minutes ago. If you have more insight pretty please do share.

In any case I’m excited for Christmas 2014! Who will join me in dressing up and singing along at the theater?

So Cindy of Whatever Works is throwing a party. A virtual Progressive Party, where house #1 has the appetizers, house #2 has the salad, house #3 serves up the main course, and so on. It’s a potluck with GPS.

Only in this case the hosts are Philly-area bloggers, and the houses are blogs. You savvy?

I just wasn’t inspired to cook for a crowd (I’m difficult like that), so I volunteered to plate some hot tunes for you all. And as always I bring a heaping helping of bad humor to the party. Enjoy.

(Song titles are in bold. Progressive Party recipe links are after the story. Scroll to the end and hit play to listen to the entire playlist.)

All I Wanna Do is have some fun. So let’s Get The Party Started!

In my mind, this is how the party would go down for me and Jeff:

We’ve prepped for this party by skipping lunch- we’ve got the Appetite Blues. We descend onto the first houses and tear through the appetizers; the awkward conversation we make doesn’t disguise that we’re Hungry Like the Wolf.

Appetizers take the edge off, and we move on to salads like civilized folks. Forks and knives and napkins and polite conversation, y’all. Or in my case, awkward conversation. We munch our Vegetables nestled in their beds of lettuce and I mention to some random person how Every I Time I Eat Vegetables It Makes Me Think Of You.

On a hot summer’s night there’s nothing like a cold beverage to wash down good food and assuage the socially awkward fear of making more stupid observations out loud, so as we hit up houses serving before dinner apértifs some of us may seek out the hard liquor. Hey, liquor before beer, never fear, amiright?

Soon enough the pours and the conversation are flowing like Red Red Wine. First there’s a Champagne Supernova, then choices of Gin & Juice or Tequila. No one touches the Funky Cold Medina… yet. Look at what grownups we are.

I throw back One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer for the road. (Don’t worry. My darling husband is my designated driver as usual, and sticks to Orange Crush.)

Now, When I Drink, I fancy myself quite the conversationalist. The anecdotes and jokes fall from my tongue Just Like Honey. Understandably, you, innocent partygoer, are alarmed as I corner you with my wit and labyrinthine stories. You make as if you might take off early, but you Can’t Go Back to Jersey, darling, not after those drinks. Anyway, by the time the Dinner Bell rings I can tell that We’re Going to Be Friends.

The drinks continue to flow throughout the meal— we’re a fun group— and soon enough You’re My Best Friend. Par for the course when you have a group of friends and alcohol, we start reminiscing about the old days of our friendship, wonder why we don’t spend more time together, make grandiose plans for the future. We grow sentimental. La La Love You, man.

We sit in a Circle and talk about how you can Lean on Me and are grateful that you Stand by Me, but, you know. That’s What Friends Are for. By the time we’re singing about our Friends in Low Places and attempting conga lines to We Are Family, though, we recognize that this has gone far enough and it’s time to sober up.

Dessert time! “C” is for Cookie, and maybe Candy too. Perhaps a seasonal Cherry Pie? Not quite ready for the night to end, I sip One More Cup of Coffee with Milk and Sugar; Jeff has the Cold Tea Blues.

And then Candy Girl Kelly Brown breaks out her stash of gummy bears soaked in vodka, and I can’t help breaking out into The Gummy Bear Song, and Jeff is nudging me to leave, and I feel rude going, but he points out Who Says You Can’t Go Home.

Yeah, well, I suddenly realize it’s past 2 in the morning and maybe I was ready to leave anyway, Where Is My Mind. Jeff whispers that there is no need for extended goodbyes, we’ll all see each other again soon I promise, Shut Up and Let Me Go.

Or something like that. Maybe your parties are different 🙂

 Not a Spotify user? You should be, it’s awesome. You can sign up here. It’s free unless you want to upgrade (and not to upsell you- it’s worth every penny).

But since it has come to my attention that some people don’t use Spotify and don’t wanna: here are the songs on Amazon.

All I Wanna Do (Sheryl Crow)
Get The Party Started (P!nk)
Appetite Blues (Lightnin’ Hopkins)
Hungry Like the Wolf (Duran Duran)
Vegetables (The Beach Boys)
Everytime I Eat Vegetables It Makes Me Think Of You (The Ramones)
Cold Beverage (G Love & Special Sauce)
Red, Red Wine (Neil Diamond)
Champagne Supernova (Oasis)
Gin And Juice (Snoop Dogg)
Tequila (The Champs)
Funky Cold Medina (Tone Loc)
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (George Thorogood & the Destroyers)
Orange Crush (R.E.M.)
When I Drink (The Avett Brothers)
Just Like Honey (Jesus & Mary Chain)
Can’t Go Back To Jersey (G Love & Special Sauce)
Dinner Bell (They Might Be Giants)
We’re Going To Be Friends (The White Stripes)
You’re My Best Friend (Queen)
La La Love You (Pixies)
Circle (Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians)
Lean On Me (Bill Withers)
Stand By Me (Ben E King)
That’s What Friends Are For (Dionne Warwick)
Friends In Low Places (Garth Brooks)
We Are Family (Sister Sledge)
”C” Is For Cookie (Cookie Monster)
Candy (Iggy Pop & Kate Pierson)
Cherry Pie (Warrant)
One More Cup Of Coffee (Bob Dylan)
Milk And Sugar (G Love & Special Sauce)
Cold Tea Blues (Cowboy Junkies)
Candy Girl (New Edition)
The Gummy Bear Song (Gummibar)
Who Says You Can’t Go Home (Bon Jovi With Jennifer Nettles)
Where Is My Mind? (Pixies)
Shut Up And Let Me Go (The Ting Tings)

To get the full Progressively Perfect Virtual Dinner Party blog hop experience, click the links below in order:

 Appetizers

• Diapered Daze and Knights- Tuna Salad Rolls
• The Fabulous Food Fairy- Roasted Tomato Caprice in Garlic Bread Bowls
• Worthington Lower- Chili Layered Dip
• Chockababy- Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings

Salad

• Life at the BAT Cave- Chipotle Shrimp Salad
• Life Without Pink- Homemade Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad 
• Look What Mom Found- Dad Too!- Veggie and Pasta Summer Salad 

Drinks

• Real: The Kitchen and Beyond- Blackberry Melon Lemonade
• Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps- Moscow Mule Beer Cocktails

Entrees

• The Vintage Mom- Kale & Zucchini Meatloaf
• Souffle Bombay- Lettuce Wraps
• the whole-y grail- Family Friendly Grilled Pizza 5 Ways
• Whatever Works- Spicy Sausage & Arugula Pasta

Coffee, Tea & Dessert

• An Opera Singer in the Kitchen- Dark Chocolate Cream Pie with Berries
• Will’s World- S’mores Frozen Coffee

Here are the corrections. The only one that isn’t live is Sarah’s, but I am assuming that her URL will just be changed to today’s date (which I did). I’m so sorry!!!

• A Grande Life- No Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
• The Naughty Mommy- Key Lime Pie
• Legos and Lattes- Vanilla Spiced Chai Lattes

Late Night

• The Turnip Farmer- Vodka Gummi Bears

Decorations, Outfits and Music

• Crafty Garden Mama- Eco Friendly Entertaining
• Finnegan and the Hughes- Dressing the Kiddos
• Honey Badger Mom- Progressive Party Playlist, Playa!

Hope you have as much fun reading through the party as we did planning it!