Saw Safe House with friends on Friday night. Decent movie, though I’m not a fan of when they take “movie magic liberties” and don’t connect the dots properly.
We met friends Saturday morning for a mommy and mini-me pedicure.
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In All Things, Choose Joy
A couple months ago, one of the kids’ teachers said to me, “You’re always so happy.” I laughed, because I certainly don’t always feel that way. But on the days when I’m not feeling especially happy about something, I choose joy. I like that she said that about me, and that that’s one of the outward perceptions I might project.
There was a stunning sunset one night last week and as I uploaded the picture, a friend mentioned that she saw the sunset and thought of me. She wanted to know if that was weird. Heck no! I love that she saw something happy, and that she knew I’d be all over it, and thought of me.
I frequently get e-mails with photos of rainbows that readers have spotted somewhere, or accidental heart-shaped things that they’ve come across during their day. And I love that those things remind people of me.
As I wore a second shirt with sequins on it to work this week, one of my co-workers said she’s going to call me “Sparkles.” Hey, I can whine with the best of them, so I’ll take it!
Sometimes, being happy comes easy. It requires no effort. It just is.
Some days, it means making a conscious decision.
And then? Then, I choose joy.
The above picture was taken one morning this week, on the way to take Nick to school. I love the bright sunshine peeking through the raindrops on the car window. It seemed like the perfect spot to put one of my favorite mantras.
Choose joy.
(And lucky for you, the print is available in my Etsy shop! Go get one of your very own while they last, and spread the word.)
Have a wonderful, joy-filled weekend, my loves. xoxo
Gift Giving Ideas for the Holiday Season
With Christmas and Hanukkah just days away, it seems only fitting that I share a little gift giving guide. If you’re anything like me (and I *can’t* be the only one!), there are still bits and pieces to cross off your list between now and when the festivities get underway. Below are some things that I happen to like and use, or things that I’ve picked up for people on my own list, and then a bit of randomness thrown in for good measure. Happy shopping!
For inexpensive stocking stuffers, I don’t think you can ever go wrong (or have enough) of white athletic socks, bobby pins, barrettes, ponytail holders, or lip balm. I’m a sucker for any of that stuff, and use it all constantly. Maybelline sells New York Baby Lips Repairing Lip Balm with SPF 20 for four bucks a pop, available at your favorite drug store. I also love ChapStick brand (cherry!), Luna’s Lemon Zest, and any of the Nivea or Burt’s Bees varieties. I always stick a handful of lip balms in the kids’ stockings. Mostly because they always steal mine (ick!), and mostly because we all use it all the time. One on my nightstand, one on each of my desks, one in the car … you know how it goes.
Lotion is another great go-to when you’re looking to fill out a basket or stocking. Again, I keep them everywhere because mine and Madeline’s skin gets crazydry this time of year, so we’re constantly lathering. I love the Vaseline lotion, and the Moisture Wrap one from Nivea. My mom swears by the original scented version of Jergens, and has been using it since her college days.
Shampoo and conditioner? Yes, please! Thems in the know say that you should switch between various shampoos and conditioners so your hair doesn’t get too used to the same product, so we usually have a few different bottles going on. Although I haven’t tried it yet, the Pro-V flat to volume shampoo from Pantene is the next one on my list.
You know how I’m kind of into a little sparkle here and there, right? Express has answered that call with a whole dang Sequin Shop for me (and you!). Everything is now 30% off with free shipping.This sequin sweatshirt is on my list — too cute! I’m also determined to have one of those sequined dresses on my frame come Spring. (Go ELB!) If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen my shout-out to J. Crew jewlery earlier in the week. I love them for a good statement necklace (besides, of course, loving their clothes as well). Right now, you can shop in the store or online and take 30% off everything. Online, use the code CHEER for free shipping.
Now for the kids…
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Make-Up Tips? Keep It Simple
Thanks to L’Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks. Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.
When it comes to make-up, I love finding a new “this is it” product, especially if it includes the teensiest amount of sparkle. And in the grand scheme of things, the fact that there is any sparkle, glitter, or sequins in my house (and there is, um, just a tad), is a surprising fact in and of itself. Mostly because, growing up, my Mom was all about the glitter and sequins. Which was met with heavily rolled eyes. From me. I was, after all, a teenager. So I have that excuse going for me. But these days, I kind of embrace it. Um, like a lot. And with the holiday season, it’s easy to find a new nail polish or eyeshadow with a hint of little shimmer. Just restrain me. Please. The running joke in our house, one of many, is that you are officially a member of the family if you have a speck of glitter on your face. With clothing, make-up, and countless craft projects, it’s no surprise that we’re all sporting flecks of stardust on our face at one point or another.
So my glitter infatuation aside, in the challenge of getting me and the kids out the door for school and work every morning, my focus is all about keeping it simple. The less products and steps involved the better. Why use three products if you can find one that will do the same thing? Why add to your morning craziness if you can maybe do part of your skin care routine (you know, assuming you have one, ’cause I still don’t) at night?
And the best tip I can give you out of everything? Bring back-up! I have a make-up bag in my car that is an exact duplicate of what I put on in the morning at home. So if I need a touch-up during the day, or won’t head home before an evening out, then I’m set. And who am I kidding? Sometimes it’s also perfect for a two minute application when I get to work in the morning because not a stitch of make-up made it on before I left the house with two sleepy kids.
My other tip is relating to how to store all your make-up stuffs. I’ve been meaning to blog about this like f-o-r-e-v-e-r, and today finally provided the perfect opportunity. I can’t stand clutter in the bathroom. And with make-up products, it can get overwhelming. And fast. How to keep it all neatly corralled and looking pretty? A seemingly tall order was fixed after a quick trip to our local Goodwill store. A few years ago, I picked up these pretty little jars, a steal at ten cents each. They’re the perfect vessel to hold all the mascaras, eyeliners, bobby pins, and such. …
Recipe: Two Cheese Egg Frittatas to Go
Weekday breakfast has always been one of my challenges. And it remains so. The mornings are crazy, trying to get the kids up and to school and me to work on time. All while making lunches, checking backpacks, and making sleeping beauties move at the speed of light. Children that don’t wake up on their own are not happy children, and then rushing them only compounds the situation. So breakfast? Usually the grab-and-go variety.
The folks at Land ‘O Lakes and Betty Crocker asked me, along with a few other bloggers, to come up with a new breakfast recipe highlighting Land ‘O Lake products, natch. Frittatas are one of my favorite on-the-run breakfasts because you can make them the night before and totally customize them to suit every little picky eater’s palate. Aside from not having to rush to be somewhere, what more could you want?
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How to Snap Out of a Funk … in 10 Easy Steps
But, of course, we all know it’s not that easy, is it? But the idea really isn’t about snapping out of your funk, but more so, redirecting your funkiness. A dear friend popped up on GoogleTalk late this afternoon and mentioned she was in a funk. Given the cold, wet, and downright dreary day we’ve had here in the Northeast today, I can’t say I blame her, but this funk was pre-weather. We’ve all been there. Sometimes more often than we care to admit. A big overwhelming feeling of the blahs. The I-don’t-want-to-do-anything thank you very much. But the question is … how best to defunk yourself? For me, it comes down to basically taking a mind break. Doing something that requires absolutely, positively zero brain power.
- Make a list of things that put you in your happy place. And go do one.
- Watch cartoons with the kids.
- Bake up a batch of homemade cookies. Nothing says defunk thyself more than a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.
- Take a nap.
- Grab a coloring book and a box of fresh Crayolas and go to town. In my early 20s, it was one of my favorite forms of therapy. And to this day, the reason why I have my very own set of markers and crayons that I don’t share with the kids.
- Clean out your pantry or a kitchen cabinet that overwhelms you. I don’t just mean rearrange everything. Empty it, wipe it down, throw away what you don’t need, donate what you don’t want, and put it all back. Neater. Better.
- Go through your shoe collection. What fits? What doesn’t? Toss, donate, trade, trash.
- Chick-lit. Invented for defunkifying sessions, no doubt.
- Purge. Whether it’s your filing cabinet, the top of your desk, or your nightstand, or a combination of all three, go through and purge. Nothing makes me breathe deeper than getting rid of stuff.
- Paint your nails. The Fall line of Essie is swoonworthy, just ask my friend, Beth. Take a few minutes, indulge in some me time, and pretty up those digits.
Would love to hear about YOUR ways to snap out of a funk – do share with the class! Although not currently in a funk, my mindless activity tonight included hole-punching millions of scalloped circles and butterflies. And I don’t think “millions” is an exaggeration. The circles are for a project I’m making for Madeline’s room (tutorial coming when it’s done), and with the scraps I had leftover, I made butterfly confetti. Butterfly confetti which can be yours with a purchase from my Etsy shop. Perfect for scrapbooking, a photo shoot, table decorating, or an upcoming fete, they are tiny, pretty, and all shades of pink. Doesn’t pink make everything better? Oh wait, that might be bacon. It makes me happy just to look at them. And now I can send YOU that happiness too.
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Recipe: Almost But Not Really Guilt-Free Fried Chicken
Mystic says that I can rationalize anything.
He may be right.
But I prefer to think of it as explaining.
Defending.
Proving my case.
Showing the light.
Such was the case with this here fried chicken.
It’s almost positively healthy.
Or as healthy as fried chicken is ever going to get.
You feel me?
Like, it could have been completely fried from start to finish.
But it’s not.
It only fries for a few minutes and then cooks in the oven until done.
That’s better, right?
I see you nodding. It’s like girl math, you know?
Another recipe courtesy of Pinterest via the Handmade from the Home blog. I would definitely make it again. But I think it needs more salt.
But don’t mind me.
I think everything needs more salt.
October 18, 2011 – Bonus Photo
Madeline had a lunchtime playdate today. As soon as I saw how beautiful the light was, I silently cursed myself for not having my long lens with me. Man, was it ever gorgeous! Want this for your very own? The print is available right this very second in my Etsy shop. Use code OCTSAVINGS at check-out this month for free shipping during October in the US.
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Random Wednesday Happenings
This little one fell at school today while dancing, and got a busted, bloody, swollen lip in return. I talked to her a few minutes after it happened, and she was happily sucking on an ice pop. The Director put Madeline’s hair up to keep it from getting bloody and darn it, she looks so cute. I try every day to coerce her into letting me do something, ANYTHING, with her hair, to no avail. Her teacher said after everyone saw her with her hair back, and her gorgeous eyes showing, all the kids kept coming up to her to tell her how beautiful she looked, so maybe there’s hope for tomorrow morning.
She picked these weeds flowers for me this afternoon and said, “Mommy, you can carry these when you marry your boyfriend.” Calm yourself, it doesn’t mean I have an announcement. It just means a very adorable little girl has a romantic streak. And gosh, when did she stop looking like a baby?? She needs to stop this growing up stuff. I’m not nearly ready for her to look so grown-up.
A few of you asked questions about Maxwell. He is a 75 lb Golden Retriever. We adopted him from a rescue group that a friend recommended. He was lucky in that his history isn’t as terrible as they usually are when they’re rescued. He was one of two goldens owned by a husband and wife. The husband is very sick and they were no longer able to care for their dogs. Tomorrow will be two weeks that Maxwell has been with us. The kids adore him, and he has definitely acclimated himself really well. When his previous owners noted, in a letter direct from the dog to us, that he is a 75 pound lap dog, they weren’t kidding. If you’re on the couch, he will climb right on your lap. If you’re lying in bed, he gets as close as he can to you without being on top of you. As long as he learns to leave Madeline’s toys, for, well, Madeline, we’re golden. Ha.
People, we have a 9-year-old boy in the house. And I think there is a girl on his radar. Or something. Because the cologne and deodorant ritual has started. Lord help us. Not sure if this Mama is ready.
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Food Writers’ Road Trip: Weekend Photos in Review
So what happens when three food writers set off on a Boston road trip? We come back with a ton of stories and a scant amount of pictures. A normal weekend usually nets me a minimum of 200 pictures. This weekend? I barely scraped a hundred. And forty or so of those were from the ride home. The laughs and the characters we met along the way, however, more than made up for it. And when I say characters, I mean characters.
That’s Joanne from Eats Well with Others and Patsy from Family, Friends and Food, by the way. If you’re not a reader of their web sites already, do check them out.
On the way to pick up Joanne in NYC, we may or may not have made a wrong turn. Twice. I blame the music. And Patsy. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Our next picture didn’t happen until we reached the Mass Pike. A pathetic excuse for a freelance photographer I am. This time, Joanne was in the car too, so I’m blaming both of them. Too much talking! We sadly missed every “Welcome to…” state sign on the whole ride down. Three states. Three signs. I’d like to say we made up for it on the ride home. We kinda didn’t.
My Dad works in engineering, so when I saw these pastel-colored storage tanks as we neared our destination, I had to take a picture for him. Well, actually I stopped on the highway so Patsy could take it. You know, Safe Driving 101 and all.
After two days with me, the girls might be now used to my “wait, we have to stop everything and take pictures of the sky” problem fascination.
Just no getting away from Mystic.
What do three food writers eat for dinner when they head to Boston for a food conference? Lobster? No. Chow-dah? Nope. Steamers? Negatory. Homemade granola bars and strawberries brought from home. At 10:30 pm. I wish I was kidding, but the best food we had all weekend was likely the roasted vegetable wraps from the rest stop on our drive home. Sad. Very sad. But great fodder for blog posts, coming to a web site near you.
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Summer 2011: Six Flags Safari
Warning: Picture overload. If you know me and the kids and how much we love animals, then you’ll know that the 30+ pictures below show great restraint on my part.
When my sister and I were kids, summers meant one thing: a trip to Six Flags/Great Adventure with my Dad and friends. We’d leave the house super-early to make sure we were at the park gate when they opened, and spend the entire day riding the rides, doing the loop-de-loops and sustaining ourselves with hot dogs and sodas. ‘Tis just the type of adventure that cherished memories are made from. Of course now that I’m a full-fledged grown-up and pretty chicken-sh!t about rides, I no longer do anything that goes upside down, super fast, defies the laws of gravity or vows to make me sick.
Although the safari has been there seemingly forever, I have never been. The kids actually went last year with The Ex, but after our visit this weekend, I think it’s safe to say they’d go again and again. So would I. It was on my Summer Bucket List last year, but we never made it. This summer, I was determined.
Billed as the largest drive-thru safari in the US, it’s four-and-a-half miles of jungle goodness. You pay per person ($21), and can drive at your own pace. It tickled me to see the giraffes and bears just ambling up to the cars like it was a completely normal occurrence. Why of course the giraffe is eating off the top of my car, why wouldn’t he be?
We entered the safari with six pictures on my camera card. Nick checked when we left, and the total was up to 511. Yeah, we took a few pictures. On the way home, we talked about our favorite parts and we all agreed: the giraffes, the bear cubs and the baboons. I totally just typed baboobs there first. Oops.
Love this photo because it reminds me of one of Madeline’s favorite books, Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree, and of course, her nickname, Monkey. Even if these are baboons.
We could have watched these bear cubs for hours. They alternated between playing with huge sticks and logs and cleaning in between their toes. Too cute.
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Pinterest, Sweetnicks Sponsorship and More
Forgive me, folks, but we’re going to go a bit random tonight. Not every posting has to be all neat and orderly, right?
First order of business… have you discovered Pinterest yet? It completely satisfies my inner magazine clipper. I have files and files of clippings I’ve culled from magazines over the years, featuring ideas on everything from centerpieces and party decor, to Valentine’s Day party ideas and BBQ food. Pinterest takes all that and organizes it online. It’s the coolest thing ever, and I daresay, quite addicting. The photos are beyond gorgeous, each one breathtaking in its own way. When you see a photo you like, just pin it to your virtual bulletin board. You can have boards organized by any category that you want, so when you’re looking for a great craft to keep the kids busy this summer, for example, just go to your board with all your pins and find one that’s fits your current need. La la love it. Are you already on Pinterest? Drop me a line or follow me – love getting inspired by what other people are finding.
Second … sponsoring Sweetnicks. Sponsoring is a kinder, gentler way of saying “advertise here!” Over the years, I have added a few well-placed ads on the sidebar, but have kept it limited to a select group of larger corporations or networks. The times, they are a’changing. Like many other blogs and sites out there, I will be carving out a spot on the sidebar to include small ads that are perfect to advertise your own web site, your Etsy or Big Cartel shop and the like. For my readers, I promise it won’t interfere with your enjoyment of my site, but it just may introduce you to a fun new artisan or site that you might not have otherwise discovered. For those crafters, Etsy addicts and alike, this is the perfect, inexpensive way to get the word out about you, your site and/or your store and advertise here. Do drop me a line for more information and a rate sheet. And tell your friends. And thank you.
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Fashion: Thinking Outside the Box
When it comes to looking for a particular piece of clothing (or even an accessory) for my wardrobe, I’ve learned that it’s good to think outside the box a bit.
My favorite work-out t-shirts are from the men’s section of Old Navy. It’s a simple v-neck shirt, but the nearly-identical t-shirt on the women’s side is twice the price. Go figure. And this weekend? The shirt on the women’s side was $12 and the shirt on the men’s side was $3.99.
Accessories meant for kids’ hair work just as well for grown-ups hair. You know, excluding the bright pops of day-glo pink and Hello Kitty emblems. Some of my favorite hair accessories have been Etsy buys that I bought with Madeline in mind. She hasn’t jumped on the hair accessory bandwagon yet, and in the meantime, they work perfectly well for my hair. And as Beth and I found out awhile back, hair accessories at J. Crew’s Crewcuts (their kid store) were cheaper than the adult counterparts across the hallway. For the same basic thing.
That’s two easy ways to think outside the box when you’re trying to hunt something down … check the men’s department and the kid’s department as well.
I have one more for you. Check sleepwear.
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