After having a chatty lunch with two fellow bloggers, Twitter enthusiasts, and Northwest Indiana residents, Natalie and Jennifer, we realized that there are a lot of great bloggers and Twitterers in our area, but we’ve yet to hear of a region tweet-up.

So, I’m proposing one in the near future. Preferably an establishment with a good drink special. Someplace in Merrillville? Don Pablos? Hooters? I’m taking suggestions on time and place. I’ll make sure the restaurant knows we plan on taking over and bring the nametags.

All bloggers and Twitter users are welcome. You’ll have more fun if you’re of legal drinking age. Are you up for it?

Spread the word and RT:

Are you ready for an NWI tweet-up? Suggest dates and times! http://tinyurl.com/dl7azy

The last few days have been absolutely beautiful outside. The temps have ranged from 60 to almost 75 degrees with lots of sunshine. We even headed to the beach to take our dog for a walk along the shoreline, and along the way we saw lots of motorcycles out enjoying the first warm weekend.

Of course, after we passed the first few motorcycles, Mike said that we needed to get a bike, which means he’d be part of the metric motorcycle community, which is all about cruiser customizing. A place for bikers to discuss their rides, and share pictures and videos.

The first thing Mike would add to the bike? A sidecar for our dog.

I watch the ABC World News with Charlie Gibson every evening while I am eating dinner or getting in some Wii Fit stepping. I absolutely love Charlie and the way he engages everyone in the news and I especially enjoy that he tells me that he hopes I had a great day at the end of every broadcast. It’s his signature sign-off.

The other evening, I was super excited to hear Charlie introduce a segment about something I’m going to get to see firsthand this fall…Dolphin Bubbles at SeaWorld! Just watch, and you’ll quickly see why I was so captivated by the video…

Everybody knows that dolphins are super intelligent, but the story goes that one dolphin started blowing bubbles and taught all the other dolphins how to do the same! Now they all blow perfect circles, push them around with their noses, and swim through them to entertain themselves and the SeaWorld guests! It’s easy to see why the dolphins are a huge attraction at the park.

All of their personalities really start to shine when you see all the dolphins playing and interacting with each other, and I can’t wait to see dolphin bubbles for myself when I visit in October!

Before I dive into this post, lets get one thing clear…I’m not pregnant. There’s not a flicker of desire to become pregnant. If I were to become pregnant, I would use all 9 months to eat marshmallow fluff and then complain incessantly about how I can’t even fit into the Liz Lang maternity clothes from Target.

That being said, I’m a strong proponent of stem cell research and solutions and am so happy our president is making strides to progress the study of steam cells. Currently, Cryo-cell offers some amazing opportunities to collect and preserve stem cells. From banking your baby’s cord blood, to collecting monthly menstrual blood, there are risk-free and pain-free ways to harvest stem cells which have been used to treat more than 70 diseases, including malignancies, anemia and metabolic and immune system disorders.

Their current offer makes harvesting and storing stem cells a more affordable option for parents looking to protect their children. No doubt, it’s an investment, but an investment that may pay for itself many times over through the course of your child’s life.

The site encourages interested women and expectant parents to “compare us” because they know they offer the most advanced services at the most affordable price that could one day save your child’s life.

Oh, my sweet, wonderful, beautiful blog! How I’ve missed you! I’ve barely been able to spout off at all during the past week and I’ve missed blogging terribly, so I’m excited to jump back in with this week’s Four Foods on Friday.

1. Olive oil. What kind do you prefer to use?

I buy Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil. It’s not light in calories, just a lighter olive oil flavor. It also has a higher spoke point, so it’s great for sautéing.

2. Meatballs. Do you make them from scratch, buy premade cooked or buy premade frozen?

I’ve been making them from scratch with spinach, feta cheese, and an egg to bind.

3. Do you use napkins at home? Paper or cloth?

I don’t like the texture of paper napkins, unless it’s the expensive kind, so we use paper towels. Generic Target brand, of course.

4. Share a recipe for a white sauce.

I don’t have a recipe for white sauce, but I have a recipe to make your favorite white sauce extra fancy!

Champagne Sauce

To every 2 cups of your favorite cream sauce, add approximately 2 tablespoons of reduced chicken stock. Simmer and whisk sauce for approximately 20 minutes. Prior to serving, add 1/2 cup of champagne, stir and serve.