Scarf-ing it Up!

I just scarfed down a delightful Thanksgiving dinner at my sister-in-law’s house. I’m quite a turkey fanatic, so I’m looking forward to another turkey dinner tomorrow, and then turkey soup, turkey salad, turkey sandwiches, and any other turkey thing Forrest Gump would endorse.

Speaking of “scarfing” things… I went Outlet shopping Sunday with my gal pals, and got quite a few cute scarves. ShopKim has inspired me to start wearing scarves, so you’ll see my first two attempts below… I wore two scarves in one week, aren’t I the adventurous one?

Girl’s Weekend
Friday I headed down to the Ocean for a girls getaway weekend. Three good friends and I got a condo on the beach and partied like rock-stars. OK, what we really did was go out and drink and dance all night, and laze around all day. Saturday was unbelievable… four moms, sitting around with NO obligations. We didn’t have to make lunches, put kids down for a nap, play Pretty Pretty Princess, or watch Disney. We just sat back, kicked our feet up, talked (without interruption) and relaxed all day. No juice boxes, chicken nuggets or Mac and Cheese in sight. Oops, scratch that.  My friend did order Mac and Cheese for dinner one night… but it was Mac and Cheese stuffed acorn squash with chorizo sausage, toasted bread crumbs, glazed carrots & brussel sprouts, so it was a tad bit fancier than the Kraft boxed stuff.

Sunday was the icing on the cake… we went Outlet shopping! We had a great weekend all around and I look forward to future getaways with the ladies.

Giving Thanks
As cliché as it sounds, I am truly thankful to have a wonderful family, great friends, a roof over my head, and food on my table.  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!


And now, for my gratuitous scarfy outfit posts...

Monday

Sweater: Van Heusen Outlet
Scarf: Gap Outlet
New favorite bracelet: Bass Outlet
Everything else: Boring previously purchased stuff that I didn't get at the Outlets on Sunday :)

Wednesday

Went a bit Horse Country..
Sweater: No clue, had it forever
Scarf: Gap Outlet (surprise)
Pants: J. Crew (yippee, cords are back in)
Boots: DSW














And that's all folks... until I scrounge up some more free time.  Sitting here watching The Office via On- Demand.  Another rare treat!
 

Playing Catch-up

Sunday

Went to a local restaurant for dinner with a bunch of gal pals.  Had a great time seeing everyone.  I was quite unsure about this brown/purple match up, but went with it anyway.  Needed an excuse to wear my new brown boots! 

Sweater and Necklace: Kohl's

Belt and Brown Shirt: Target

Jeans and Bracelets: The Loft

Boots: DSW

Monday

After the night out Sunday, I had no desire to go to work on Monday.  I was  feeling STUFFED from the dinner, so I wanted to cover my BFA (Big Fat Arse) when I put on these pants.  I put on the top, but it just seemed too frumpy and boring hanging out over my pants.  I threw on the sweater and belt and voila, this is what I ended up with...

Sweater & Pants: The Loft

Belt: Random pair of pants

Shirt: Kohl's

Necklace: Etsy purchase

Tuesday

I wanted to finally wear my jacket from White House Black Market.  It was easy enough to throw on with some black pants.  It also gave me the excuse to wear one of my new necklaces from ShopKim!

 

Jacket: WhiteHouse Black Market

Necklace: ShopKim - Birdsong Glass Tile Pendant

Pants and Black Cami: The Loft

I have to agree with my pal over at DoYouReallyWantToKnow....  I like my outfits better in person.  When I look back at the pics I really doubt myself.  But, I'm forcing myself to post them anyway... and hopefully she will too!

Until next time...

Where Does the Time Go?

 
Wow, I've really been blog-slacking lately.  I just haven't had time to make updates. Here are a few things that have been taking up my time (a.k.a. all my excuses):

Halloween
Can never get things done around Halloween time!  Halloween night was a success as I managed to get my DS into his Buzz Lightyear costume. And, of course, my DD had no problem dressing up in her adorable kitty costume (especially since I let her wear lipstick).  Granted, it started pouring down rain while we were out trick-or-treating, but we were only a few blocks from the house when it started (and it was fairly warm out).

My iPhone
I've been distracted playing with my new iPhone. Who knew a phone could be so much fun!?  I'm an app-a-holic right now, downloading various pointless phone-apps (free ones only). And, I keep walking around saying "There's an App For That!" Yes, I'm annoying to be around right now... for my friends’ sake, I hope the excitement wears off soon.

Reading Twilight
I finally started reading Twilight, so that’s also eating into my blog time. I’m about 100 pages in and it seems to be a good read so far. Not sure how the whole fantasy aspect will play out. I’m such a realist that I have a hard time enjoying fantasy books. Hopefully the whole vampire thing will be introduced in some sort of ‘believable’ way. We’ll see.

And I Wore This
Finally wore my new dress and belt yesterday (both purchased via Bluefly.com). I just love this dress and can't wait to wear it with other tops and shoes, it should be a pretty flexible addition to my wardrobe.

Dress - BCBG Max Azria
Belt - Calvin Klein
Cardigan - Forever 21
Necklace - Lotus Jewelry Studio
Frog Bracelet - Gift from hubby about 11 years ago













Here's a close-up of the froggies...

 

Party Time!

       
The Girls are Back in Town (or Left in Town rather)

Hubby went with the guys to Michigan this weekend for the Penn St./Michigan game. So, that leaves us wives back home with all the kiddos. In an effort to “out fun” the guys, we’re having a big “moms and kids” sleepover tonight. Potentially there will be 5 moms, and 10 kids (with a minimum of 4 moms, 8 kids). Something tells me the men will NOT envy our get together tonight! That said, we plan on an evening of total indulgence for both the adults AND the kids.

Costume Mystery and Mayhem
Well, I bought an adorable cat costume for my daughter two weeks ago. And a good friend gave me an awesome Buzz Lightyear costume for my son (with light up wings and everything).

Problem 1: Daughter has already managed to “lose” her cat ears and tail. I haven’t helped look for them yet, but wish me luck on finding them - I can't imagine they've gone very far.  I refuse to buy a second costume!

Problem 2: Son will NOT put on the Buzz Lightyear costume. So, I’ve now started Costume Exposure Therapy. I’ve been putting it out in front of him, tempting him to at least put a leg in the suit. I’ve even had my daughter put it on so he could see it on someone (even though it’s 4 sizes too small for her). No luck yet. I don’t know if I need to
      a) push the issue, forcing him into it
      b) have him go costume-less or
      c) just get him something he will wear.

Now, of course, if either of them wanted more shoes, I'd buy THOSE in a heartbeat.  One can never have enough shoes.  :)
 

Shoes, Skinny Jeans and Money Saved

  
Knock Knock
Who's there?  The shoe man!  My new shoes just arrived at my doorstep, thanks to Shoeline.com.  I ordered them Saturday and they arrived today... not bad for free shipping!  I "needed" a pair of red shoes, and these did not disappoint.   Can't wait to wear them...

Not 21 Anymore
Sunday I took my first trip into a Forever 21 store.  Lots of great clothes and accessories.  I picked up my first pair of skinny jeans.  I didn't have time to try them on, so I just bought what looked like my size.  I got home and pulled them on.  They slid nicely up my lower legs, but didn't make it past my thighs.  Apparently, my calves are "Forever 21" but my ass is more like "Mother of 2 Kids."  Oh well, they are going back to the store.   I stopped in to the more mommy-friendly Loft today at lunch and bought some "Mother of 2 Kids" sized skinny jeans.. much better!

Money Saved
I went to buy this jacket today from Eddie Bauer.  I need a brown jacket for the Fall.  Well, it's SOLD OUT.  Darn it, now I'm disappointed.  But doesn't this mean I've "saved money" by not buying this? Oh, what to do with all this "saved" money :)

What a Monday!

Visit to the ER
Well, my Darling Son lost a battle with a book shelf at day care today, and earned his very first stitches. Unfortunately, the hospital was swamped (lots of H1N1 going around) so it took us THREE hours to get his two tiny stitches (just over his right cheekbone).  I should have sewn him up myself! I'm actually surprised that his first foray into getting stitches at the ER was so minor.  He handled it like a champ.

Outfit
So, today's outfit was also the outfit I got to wear to the ER.  Was it wrong for me to worry about my DS getting blood on my new cardigan and my white shirt?  Fear not, he got lots of hugs and kisses, just lots of dabs with tissues!  Sorry for the poor pic quality... my DS kept jumping in the picture this morning, and saying CHEEEEEESE!

Shirt: Eddie Bauer
Cardigan: H "&" M
Pants: The Loft
Boots: Simply Vera
Belt, Short necklace: Can't remember
Long Necklace: Kohl's
Bracelet: Smyth Jewelers



Raining on My Budget
So, it was cold and rainy all weekend. Saturday we stayed in ALL DAY.  There wasn't much to do but peruse the internet. A little Bluefly here, a bit of Stylefinder there, a sprinkle of Zappos, a dash of Shoeline.com. Wow, there's a lot of nice stuff out there. After a "few" online purchases, I was inspired to head to the local mall on Sunday with my DD.  She picked out my new cardigan (pictured above), and a few other goodies.  Can't wait until my new online purchases start arriving... hope everything fits!

It's only Monday and I'm sooooo done with this week already!

I'm a Winner!

 
So, it wasn't pretty, but it was worth it.
I went to work in this perfectly acceptable outfit.

 (Side Note:  Do you see the look on Pooh Bear's face in the above picture?  I dont' think he likes my outfit.)

Then, I changed into the outfit below for our IT department's  costume contest.  I was "Dorothy After the Tornado." My nickname was Dirty Dorothy, as a play off of Naughty Dorothy (who would have been considerably more attractive).

To create my costume, I did the following:
--Mashed the dress into wet grass and mulch
--Put wet leaves in my hair and on my dress
--Shredded the bottom of my dress
--Put black X's over the dog's eyes (poor ToTo)
--Broke the heel off of one of my homemade ruby slippers
--Applied lovely mascara and a black-eye
--Did lots of hair teasing and hair spraying
--And the icing on the cake was... applied tooth black-out wax. Oh, so very attractive.

Here's the very flattering picture:
(I'm not even removing the red-eye on this one.  I think it kinda works with the outfit.)

So, what did I win? 
A $250 Gift Certificate to the Apple Store. Yup, 250 buckaroos!
It was sooooo worth it!

I'm off to the office Happy Hour (and back in my NORMAL clothes now!)

Have a great weekend!
 

Friday's Quickly Approaching

   
Can She Win It?
I started getting my Halloween costume together tonight. Though I typically dress up each year, I was actually thinking of skipping it this year. But, then, they announced a costume contest at the office, with REALLY GREAT prizes. And, well, I LOVE WINNING THINGS. The contest is THIS Friday, so it’s going to be quite weird dressing up a full week before Halloween, but winning is winning, so I gotta do it! I don’t want to invest a lot of money, and this is really short notice, so I'm turning to items already in the closet. I was Dorothy last year as part of a group costume at work (which included the Wicked Witch, Tin Man, Lion, Scarecrow, Oz, and a ton of props). I still have the Dorothy outfit, so I’m going to convert it into… “Dorothy After the Tornado.” I’ll be tearing up my blue gingham dress, teasing my pig-tails like crazy, applying messed up make-up, smeary mascara and perhaps adding a black-eye. Whatever it takes to make it look like I’ve been through a tornado.  Who knows what else I’ll come up with… I doubt Toto will make it through alive :)

I’ll be sure to take pictures of the end result.

Tuesday's Pic
Brown was my theme today... I bought this top a few months back at Cache, but this is the first time I’ve worn it. I just couldn't figure out what pants to wear with it... black didn't seem to work, and flat brown was just too much brown.  Pulled out these these pants this morning and figured they were just brown enough to work. So, here it goes:

Shirt: Cache
Pants: Kohl's
Necklace: Melissa McMacken Designs - won via a charity raffle
Ring: Amber ring from Italy (gift)
Bracelet: Kohl's
 
I'm thinking I'll also try this top with some skinny jeans (which I still need to buy) and knee high brown boots.

Monday List & Krazy Kid

   
Lists Lists, I Love Lists
In following suit with my pals at ShopKim and DoYouReallyWantToKnow, I too have compiled a list of the little things that make me smile; things that just brighten my day.

• Donuts left over from someone else's morning meeting (especially if they're chocolate frosted)
• Shoes that look great and feel great
• The smoky smell of a wood fire
• Seeing my DD play nicely with her little brother
• A witty crossword puzzle clue
• The huge grin and sweet giggle from my DS every time he successfully pees in the potty
• Having my DS or DD fall asleep in my arms (a rare treat)
• Looking through old pictures
• Good service at a restaurant, especially during lunch, when time is of the essence
• 8pm Thursday nights (Survivor night)
• When hubby randomly brings me home a bag of Hershey's Caramel treasures
• A freshly washed and waxed car

Weekend Update
Had fun at a local event on Saturday with the hubby and kids.  There were lots of local vendors and plenty of  fun for the kids.  Milkshake (the band) played live.  There were several moonbounces, the kids could decorate pumpkins, eat cotton candy, watch a magic show, and even get their hair colored; all of this was included in the uber reasonable entrance fee of $10/adult $5/kid.  I'd have paid that must JUST for the crazy hair!  DD was really loving it... here are some pics (again face removed for her privacy).

Thursday's Pics & Scarf Giveaway!

  
Girl Power

My DD had another successful outfit day today. She never ceases to amaze me. And, this kid loves the camera. She was so upset when I told her that her face would’t be showing. I explained that she could make the choice to show her face when she’s older, but not at six years old!

Shirt and Skort: The Children's Place

Tights and Belt: Target

Shoes: Kohl's

I’m questioning the success of my own outfit yesterday. (I worked from home today, so no outfit pic for today.) The shirt has a built-in high waist belt. Is it some sort of fashion faux pas to have the belt ‘built-in’ to the outfit already? If so, LET ME KNOW! :)  The color of the shirt is actually more of a dark green (it appears blue in the picture).  What are your thoughts on the necklace? Anyway, here it is:

Shirt: Kohl's (please, feign surprise)

Pants: Ann Taylor Loft

Necklace:  Dunno

Bracelets: Smyth Jewelers

Shopping Around and Getting Lucky
I can really relate to TracyH's blog post about shopping in cycles. I was recently on a Kohl’s kick, so I’ve been wearing a bunch of Kohl’s stuff lately. Let’s see where my next splurge takes me. I’ve been drooling over White House Black Market stuff lately.  Of course... if I happen to win this new scarf (check out the Fell4Fashion give away!) then I could go on another shopping spree and buy an entire outfit to go with it.  I’ve yet to wear a fashion scarf, so I’d love to have this be my inspiration! Check it here, and good luck!!!

Thanks to chickdowntown and Fell4Fashion for offering the giveaway!

.

Lists & Links - Quick Post

 
I Need To

• Read the Twilight books so I can see what all the hype is about (my gal pals insist that I get on board)
• Stop using so many paper towels (what a wasteful habit)
• Get a tripod for my camera

I Want To

•  See The Invention Of Lying (I’m a huge fan of Ricky Gervais)
• Get an Invisibelt
• Get an Instant Button
• Own this sweater, tights and boots (I don’t think I could pull off the shorts, but I love them too)

 

Another Great (Yet Exhausting) Weekend

 
Friday Fun
Friday was finally the day of our annual charity event. This is the third year in a row that we've done this, and it definitely gets easier each year. We didn't raise as much as last year, but that's to be expected in a recession year. It was still just as fun (I love the planning meetings!). Plus, I won the following two amazing raffle prizes:

1) A ten passenger limo for an evening. We've already decided that we’ll use it with four other couples, all close friends of ours, to spend a night out on the town. Two of the men in the group are having milestone birthdays in February, so we'll most likely use it in February for a night of birthday fun (as if we need an excuse to get sitters and party together). I can't wait!

2 ) A beautiful necklace donated by Lotus Jewelry Studio. If you've never seen their jewelry, you really need to check out their website. Each piece is just amazing. I won the sterling silver Heidi necklace (pictured below). A big thanks to Lotus for donating this item for our charity raffle!

Saturday Sitters
Saturday night turned into an adults only get together, which is quite a rarity for us. My social circle consists mostly of couples that have young kids (from 15 months to 8 years old), so kid free outings are hard to arrange. Three couples managed to get sitters and we gathered at our friend’s house where we ate big kid food, drank big kid drinks, and had big kid conversations (with a few swear words interspersed). Not a single chicken nugget or juice box in sight. It was such a nice treat to just relax with a group of adults for a change. (T&M we missed you!)

This is what I wore, including my newly won “Heidi Necklace”

It’s funny that I find it harder to dress for casual evenings. I can’t wear jeans to work, so I’m in the habit of dressing up a bit. Trying to dress casually in jeans is always a challenge for me.

Earrings: Imports from Zirconia
Shirt: Kohl's (with a Loft cami underneath)
Jeans: Ann Taylor Loft
Necklace: Lotus Jewelry Studio
Boots: Can't remember... just wanted to wear something comfy

Wednesday's Outfit and Advice Needed

Crabs Rule

I went to a company sponsored crab feast yesterday, and I easily put down two dozen crabs. I haven't been able to eat crabs in quite a while, so I was over compensating.  It's hard to dig into crabs at home, or in a restaurant, with a two year old around.  The feast was from 3pm to 7pm, outdoors, and we followed it with a trip to a local bar.  This is what I wore:

I wanted a chance to wear my new boots to start breaking them in. They turned out to be pretty comfortable, and I had no problem wearing them all through the evening (even did a little dancing).  I purposely didn't wear any rings or bracelets because I knew I'd be picking crabs all night!

Sweater: Kohl's
Necklace: White House Black Market
Jeans & Cami: Ann Taylor Loft
Boots: Simply Vera

I think I missed an opportunity to wear a double necklace with this one.  Maybe next time!

Close up of my new boots (a bit fuzzy):

ATTEMPT #1 - Opinions Needed
I bought this skirt last week White House|Black Market. And, now I need to decide what to wear with it. Below is Attempt #1. I wore this for less than an hour... I was working from home and threw this on for the sole purposes of driving to daycare to pick up my DS.  So, all of four adults and ten kids actually saw me in this.  Now I need your opinions and advice.... what could I add or change to improve this outfit?  Is it OK the way it is? Are the black tights/high boots working? I know this skirt looks great with bare legs and strappy heels, but I want to try winterize it. Maybe open the jacket and put on a wide belt? Here it is...

Any and all suggestions welcome...

Good Find
Oh, and I just started following this blogger... love love love her style...District Of Chic.  She has some killer shoes too!

Running Behind, and It's Only Tuesday

Weekend Fun
I attended an all day charity event Saturday at a friend's house. Hubby played wiffle ball (hard-core sport) and, as expected, his team didn't make it past the first round. The advantage to this was that his team was finished playing BEFORE the rain started, and thus we all got to spend more time under the tents with the food and alcohol, and less time on the muddy field in the rain. Oh darn. Guess you can't win them all :)

Sunday Change of Plans
Initially hubby, DD and I we were going to go to Hershey Park, sans our two year old DS. After all the fun he had Saturday night, and a wicked cold, hubby was NOT feeling well Sunday morning. So, we had the baby sitter come anyway, to watch our DS, while hubby slept and nursed his cold. DD and I went to Hershey park as a mother/daughter thing. Luckily for me, she's no slouch when it comes to roller coasters. She was tall enough to ride many of the roller coasters... and boy did she! The first ride we got on was the Wild Mouse NEVER AGAIN. That ride was way too scary for me, but she muscled through it just fine. I even got her to go upside down on the SooperDooperLooper . After several rides, she decided it was time to try her hand at the carnival games. Unfortunately (for the family budget) I'm as addicted to winning things as she is. We blew through all the cash in my wallet, and I didn't have my ATM card... so I bummed more even more cash off a friend at the park. MUST WIN MORE STUFF... The two of us just couldn't stop! We left the park broke, with a bag full of stuffed animals worth about $10. Not exactly what you'd call a positive "teaching moment" for my daughter!

Funny Reading Moment
While walking through Hershey Park, we saw a big dome shaped building that housed a bunch of arcade games. DD looked at the big sign over the building and asked "Why does that sign say Play Dumb?" The sign actually read "Play DOME," but she thought dome was pronounced DUMB. Was this some sort of subliminal message that playing the games is DUMB? I really should have taken the hint... step away from the water guns and ring toss games and get on the doggone rides!!!

Thank You Dilemma
I helped out a friend on Saturday, and she thanked me Monday by presenting me with a wonderful thank you gift - a nice shirt and a beautiful necklace (see pic below), both from the Loft. And now, I'm faced with the age old question: if someone gives you a very nice thank you gift for doing something for them, do you then send them a thank you for a thank you? Then, do they thank you for that? :)

Today, I Wore This

I wanted to wear the sweater (so comfy) and the shirt worked well with my the new necklace. Started out with some peep-toe flats, but switched to these heels because I wanted to feel taller today.


Sweater/Pants: Kohl's
Necklace: Gift from Friend (from the Loft)
Belt: Came with another pair of pants
Bracelet: Target Clearance (one of my favorite bracelets)





Another Funny Picture Moment
If you zoom in on the picture, the book on the shelf behind my head just happens to be Gray's Anatomy. For all those Grey's Anatomy fans out there... this is the medical text book that all med students know and love (or hate). This book is what makes the show's title so great; it's a shout out to a famous anatomy book. I had assumed everyone knew about Gray's Anatomy (the book) until I was recently enlightened (by more than one of my friends) to the fact that many people have simply never heard of it before. Most people just assumed that Grey's Anatomy was titled after Meredith Grey. Hmmm. Well, now ya'all know, if you didn't already!

Stars for My Superstar
Yes, my DD finally earned back her bedroom door. Since it has been put back on the hinges, I've seen a great improvement in her attitude towards her brother. Even though she no longer earns stars for doing so, she now seems to perform more random "acts of kindness" towards him. It's quite a nice change, and I hope the good behavior keeps up!

I Don't Like Coming Up With Blog Titles

Daughter's Outfit
Well, my outfit Wednesday was a fashion disaster, and I worked from home today, so no outfit pics for me. However, my Darling Daughter had an interesting outfit on today, so I snapped her pic before she headed off to school. I think she's been sneaking onto the the Internet and reading Danielle's Fell4Fashion blog. Check out the "belt look" she went with today.

Necklace, Ring and Bracelet: Designed by DD (note the color similarity to Danielle's Fruity Pebbles necklace)
Shirt: Target
Shoes: Kohl's or Target (wish they had them in my size)
Skirt: Children's Place (I think)
Belt: Your guess is as good as mine

Can't Stop Laughing
SO, after I uploaded this picture, I clicked preview to look at the enlarged picture version, and what do I see? In my fireplace is...my MISSING HAIRBRUSH. Go ahead, click on the image. You'll see it. My fireplace is very dark inside, so you normally can't see inside of it. However, the flash of the camera was apparentlyy enough to show something not visible to the naked eye (it's so C.S.I). I just now tried to get it out of there, but my hubby put a black zip tie on the fireplace doors to keep our two year old son from sticking things in there... guess he was a little late! Sure hope I remember to pull it out before our first fire of the season, 'cuz I'm sure the smell of melting plastic isn't very pleasant!

Health Update
Unbelievable. My Mother in Law is heading home from the hospital today. Crazy fast recovery! Still a long road ahead, but she's bound to feel even better when she gets back into her own house and own bed, and out of the hospital environment. What an amazing woman!

Good Night
Watched Survivor, the first hour of Grey's Anatomy (will watch the second hour online another night) and then Project Runway. Thursday is my TV night...three shows in a row. I'm so worn out now! Off to bed.

Dragging Through Tuesday

Outfit Picture
Well, I had to start somewhere, so here's my first outfit picture. I had crazy red eyes, and a REALLY sleepy look on my face (see below for explanation) so I cropped my head off on this one.

I know the green camisole is from Ann Taylor, and the pants are from Kohl's. The ring was a gift from my mother in law (brought back from Italy). I'll include a close up of it some time in the future.

I guess I'm going to need to start paying more attention as to where my stuff comes from so I can give more details in the future!

I really liked the necklace match up, as it pulls out the greens in my top (kinda hard to see in the picture).

Kids are Fun
My son has an ear infection, so WE didn't get much sleep last night (main reason I cropped my head out of the above picture). Guess I can't complain too much though, because his antibiotics seem to be kicking in already. He's sleeping soundly, for now at least. Cross your fingers for me!

Good Parent... or Bad Parent?
OK, so, let me first preface this by saying my two year old son is "THAT KID." He's the one that amusement park operators dread, the one that makes them use that "emergency stop" button. We went to an amusement park last month and THREE, count 'um, THREE different ride operators had to stop their rides because my DS was trying to climb up, over or off the ride while in motion.
SO, am I a good parent, or bad parent, for getting a baby sitter for our trip to Hershey Park this Sunday??? It's a Family Day thing for my company. By leaving my DS at home, my Darling Daughter will be able to have a whole day to herself with Mom and Dad... am I just saying that to try to justify leaving Darling Son at home and alleviate some mommy guilt????

Star Tally
For those keeping track... Darling Daughter is up to 34 stars, only one shy of earning back her bedroom door. Wonder how long she'll keep it when she gets it back!

MIL Update
My mother-in-law is doing GREAT! She already moved out of the ICU and into a private room. She's taking visitors, chatting on the phone, and even starting to walk around. None of us thought she'd recover this quickly after the surgery! Happy days!

Monday Round-up

Weekend Fun
Had a great weekend. Hubby went out Saturday night with the guys, while the ladies hung out together. Hubby was out til 2AM, and for those of you who know him IRL, you realize what an amazing feat that was! He had a great time, and so did we (the gals). My friend (and party host) whipped up some amazing orange and pomegranate martinis that I think I'm STILL feeling, three days later. Next day (Sunday), we headed over to another friend's house so the guys could "practice" for an upcoming WHIFFLE BALL charity tournament (yes, whiffle ball). Any excuse to gather with friends, consume alcohol and support a good cause!

Bad Parenting
So, we all make parenting mistakes sometimes, right? Well, mine (for the weekend) was allowing my six year old to watch the Shakira with Wyclef Jean in the "Hips Don't Lie" video. Sharkira can really MOVE... I just don't like watching my six year old trying to emulate her moves! Ooops.

Good Parenting
To counteract my bad parenting, I pulled up Sesame Street on the PC and let her (and my two year old) watch a bunch of Sesame Street skits. Whew, now I'm sure my daughter will try to dance like Big Bird and not like Shakira...

On a More Personal Note
My mother-in-law made it through her surgery today OK, and docs seem optimistic that they got everything (tumor in lung). She's in amazing health for an 84 year old (actually, she's in good health for a 60 year old!). Recovery is difficult when you lose partial lung function (you have to work your way back up to full lung capacity using lung strengthening techniques). Luckily she's a strong and vibrant person, so I think as long as our family helps her keep her spirits up over the next few days (which are gonna be really hard) she'll be able to push through and get back to feeling good again in no time. Keep your fingers crossed for her!

And now...
Well, I've managed to spend time writing this blog entry, and now feel that it's too late to start running (even though I'm sitting here in my running clothes with my sneakers on). I'm such a slacker! I have a 5K coming up in October and I'm soooo not ready for it. I was doing so well... I ran my first EVER 5K in March. Then, ran one in April, May and June. I took off in July and August (too hot)... but now I'm supposed to be jumping back on the band wagon. Can't jump on the band wagon if I can't catch up to it.... really must start running again...

My First Titled Blog

Learning Curve
So, a friend pointed out to me that my previous blogs have not been titled. Well look at me now, all titled up, and no place to go. This blogging thing is new for me, so I'll get there... just give me time. I mean, I just got texting on my phone three months ago for goodness sakes... please let me crawl out from under this rock nice and slowly!

Kids
It always amazes me how much fun a simple roll of tape and a pair of scissors can be to a kid. My son had a blast last night cutting the junk mail into a million pieces, and sticking tape all over everything. $2 worth of tape and scissors can keep him entertained longer than a $20 toy!

Charity Fun
I went over to a friend's house last night to work on planning an upcoming charity event. It was a very successful evening of planning and chatting with the gals. It's amazing how much easier it is to plan things with a nice glass of red wine in your hand. This did cause me to miss the premier of Survivor, my TV guilty pleasure. I'll have to catch up online tonight... assuming they post it by then. I should have gone old school and TAPED it... yes, I still have a VCR, and no, I don't have a DVR (but I do have a DVD player, so go easy on me!)

Doesn't everyone else?
I iron. I iron a lot. Rarely does a day go by that I don't iron at least one article of my clothing. I'll iron my jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, tank tops, dress shirts, camisoles, my son's baby blankets, my table clothes and cloth dinner napkins. If it wrinkles, I'll iron it. I iron my 2 year old's shirts and shorts, and my daughter's clothes (when she lets me). If I wear something all day, and want to wear it out in the evening, I'll iron it again. Wearing linen is sooo painful for me, so I usually avoid it. I have a beautiful linen top that looks great, WHEN IT'S IRONED. I've been known to put it on a hanger in the car in the monring, and not actually put it on until AFTER I drop my son off at daycare...carrying a kid on you hip wrinkles your clothing! Apparently, this is not quite the norm... and I didn't realize this was an oddity until fairly recently.

Maybe wrinkled clothing represents some underlying sense of disorder in the universe that I'm trying to resolve with a little heat and steam in the morning? If any ironing addicts are out there, please let me know and we can start a local IA (Ironers Anonymous) support group. Ironers of the world, unite...and keep it smooth.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

New Toys
Hooray! I'm sitting here writing this on my brand new laptop! And, my new desktop PC is sitting in the library awaiting setup by my hubby. My old desktop is really dragging and I've been on edge waiting for it to crash. Today is like Christmas (only better, because we never buy expensive things for Christmas!!)

Girl Power
For those of you keeping count, my daughter has earned 19 stars so far (35 needed to get her bedroom door back). She's been so good, and so nice to everyone, I'm kinda hoping she NEVER gets her door back! I'm very happy with her behavior... let's see if it lasts!

Making Progress
I've now figured out the time delay feature on my camera, and have taken a few outfit pictures, which I may post... hey, I can probably hook up my camera to this laptop! Possibilities are endless!

And, before I go...
Don't you hate it when you mangle the spelling of a word so badly that spell check can't even suggest the correct spelling? Then, you fix a few letters, re-spellcheck, andspell check still has no clue what you're trying to spell? Guess it is just the curse of the spell check generation!

Girl Trouble, Part 2

Girl Trouble, Part 2
Well, my dearest daughter pushed me over the edge Thursday evening with her bad behavior towards her 2 year old brother. Having been an "only child" for four years before he came along, she developed some bad habits. Sharing is not one her strong points (<-- major understatement). She's been extremely possessive over her room and toys, and freaks out if little bro steps a single FOOT over her threshold. She pushes him out physically, and slams the door in the crying kids face. Not so nice. So... I walked into her room Thursday to help her find something after school, and son followed me in... as soon as he entered, she freaked out, pushed him, and then.... kicked at his face. Six year old foot in two year old face - not a good match. I quietly called down to hubby "Hun, I'm going to need you to REMOVE daughter's door to her bedroom." I explained that her room is no longer HERS, it is a shared family room, and if she'd like to earn back some privacy, she'll need to show RESPECT to all the family members. Needless to say, she cried for the rest of the evening. Whilst hubby was reading her to sleep, I created a "Respect" chart for her to earn stars (35 stars to get her door back). Made a pretty basic chart with 4 chances each day to earn a star:

• Nice to everyone in the family - MORNING
• Nice to everyone in the family - AFTERNOON
• Nice to everyone in the family - EVENING
• Ate Dinner with good manners & no complaints.

Then, I added two "Bonus" opportunities to earn stars each day:

• Shared a toy with brother
• Played nicely with brother.

When daughter woke up Friday morning, she was a GEM. Sooo sweet to her brother, and whole family. Came home from school, still nice. Ate dinner (including pork chops!) with no complaints. Then, she played for an hour dancing around and laughing with her brother. I swear she's never been this nice to him. Almost too sweet (keeps kissing him on the head). But, I'd rather see forced sweetness over meanness. And, perhaps she'll learn to earnestly enjoy playing with her brother (she really did seem to have fun with him).

It's now Saturday morning. Daughter woke up and has again been very sweet to me and to her brother. They played nicely together for 45 minutes, and now are playing independent of one another. Let's see how long we can keep this peace going!

Feel free to post your bets on how many days it will take her to earn back her bedroom door!

Weekend Update
So, had a great long weekend, but still playing catch-up at work. Oddly enough, work still goes on around the world while the US is taking a holiday! Still have YET to take any pictures, but I'm sure I'll get to it one day.
We got my daughter a loft bed this weekend, so she now has room for a full sized desk under her bed. First thing she said when she climbed up into her bed was "Oh, mommy, it's perfect. Just perfect!" So, I guess she likes it! When she gets home from school now, she runs right up to her desk to do her homework (any excuse to keep away from her little brother). She has so much more room now... and of course since she has cathedral ceilings in her room, she doesn't even feel squished when up in the loft. I want to trade rooms with her now :)

Generation Gap?
Background Info: In addition to an Apple iPod Nano and Shuffle, I have a big "old and clunky" Apple iPod (first gen 60GB video iPod - aka50lbs of music). It's fine for the car or at the office, but when I throw it in my purse to transport from place to place, it REALLY weighs down my purse.
The Story: My sister in-law is about 17 years older than I am. We went to a family gathering this past weekend in DC, and we drove down together. When packing up our stuff to go, she lifted up her purse and said "Gee, this thing is really heavy." Then, she peered down inside her purse to see what was making it so heavy. She then said "Oh, it's my Apple." I immediately thought "She must have big clunky Apple iPod like me." She then pulled out... an apple. Apparently "apple" is also a name for a fruit. Hmmm, wonder if they named the fruit after those little MP3
players....

Gripe of the Day
I have a very strong (perhaps unnatural) dislike for those cheap looking black plastic "solar lights" that people stick all over their front yards, under the illusion that they provide illumination. The light these things put out is barely visible, just an eerie faint blue light that screams "I got eight of these at Home Depot for only 30 bucks!"
These lights have no redeeming value, and actually detract from any surrounding landscaping. Plus any "energy savings" realized by using solar power is FAR OFFSET by the energy and resources it must take to make these cheapo pieces of non-biodegradable plastic and ship them over to the US. They will just end up in a land fill within a year of purchase (after the Fed Ex guy backs over them). If you REALLY need to illuminate your yard, consider spending a little more on something that will last a longer, looks nicer, improves your homes value, and will stay out of the land fill.

Friday Shopping
Wow, went to lunch today to spend my Kohl's bucks.... and their evil ploy worked; I ended up spending MORE than just my Kohl's bucks! At least I got a cute purse, or two, and some black ankle boots, and, well, let me just stop there. No need to commit my sins to writing.

I really need to start posting some outfit pictures so I can get feedback from my fashion fiend friends. But, I first need to figure out how to use the delay feature on my camera (if it even has one) so I can take the pictures myself.

Girl Trouble
My poor daughter had a full on break down this morning. She just does not handle schedule changes well. Her Before and After care (where her bus usually picks up/drops off) was CLOSED today.
This meant that daddy or mommy were going to take her to school and pick her up. This change was just too much, so she started with the "my stomach hurts, my throat hurts, and my forehead feels hot." A good friend stepped up and said, "hey, bring her over to our house so she can catch the bus from here [with two of her friends]". According to hubby, it ended with screaming and crying as daughter was physically stuffed onto the bus, while hubby just smiled and waved goodbye. Hopefully, she straightened up once school started. Can't wait to hear about how her return home on this other bus goes today...

Last night daughter had about 35 minutes of homework, math and a fair amount of writing. Seemed like quite a lot. Her handwriting looks better than mine already (thank goodness).

Miscellany

• Why do people pile stuffed animals in the back of their car windows for 'decoration?' It looks ridiculous, especially, when they start to fade out.
• OH THANK GOODNESS - SKINNY THIGHS ARE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH!!!
  

Gallimaufries

• Wow, gallimaufry, what a great word. I like it even better than miscellany. I'm going to use it more often.
• Daughter's first day of school (yesterday) went well. She woke up and was BOUNCING off the walls with excitement. Had the 'perfect' outfit picked out, and looked adorable. Day 2 (today) not as much of a success. Apparently, she left her lunch in daddy's car, and spazzed out at Before Care - the Director called hubby about it. Luckily for daugher, Daddy was kind enough to leave work, and head over to her school to drop it off before her lunch period. Heaven forbid the kid just buy lunch! She just does not handle change (or surprises) very well. Hmm, wonder who she get's that from....
• Wore my beaded&embroidered scoop neck Anthropologie shirt to work today for the first time. My daughter adores it, but I'm not too fond of it. Already got a few complements. Guess I should trust my daughter's fashion instincts... they're more fine tuned than mine will ever be!
• I dropped my diamond earring in the sink on Saturday (down the drain, never to be seen again). Thank goodness it was imported from Zirconia.
• Am I the only one totally freaked out about the possibility of incandescent bulbs being banned in the US? We always keep the lights pretty low, and on dimmer switches, and we prefer a soft yellow light to a clear white light. Please don't take my incandescent bulbs away!!! Let's hope they can come up with a better alternative than the mercury filled, slow to light, and harsh looking fluorescent bulbs before a ban makes it over to the US.
  

Friday's Miscellany

I love when I get a perfectly ripe banana, it really sets the tone for the day.

I took my daughter to meet her new 1st grade teacher. Walked her all around the room, visited the various 'centers' and talked with the teacher. Daughter's only comment after the room tour: "I like her purse." A thousand new things in a new classroom, and THIS is what my daughter notices? (It was a Vera Bradley mid-sized tote.) I'm in so much trouble!

I'm having a few friends over tomorrow night to play cards. Why do I feel like I'm cheating on my one group of friends any time I have another group of friends over? I feel guilty about way too many things of very little consequence... perhaps I was a Catholic in a previous life. Of course, if Catholics don't believe in re-incarnation, that would have been difficult.

What have I've garnered from my first purchase of Lucky magazine?

• I really don't like fold-over boots.
• I need to buy something plaid.

And, with those kinds of insights... fashion world here I come (HA!)

Got some great deals at Kohl's today, got a tad bit carried away, but with all good stuff. I did let my daughter talk me into some adorable animal print peep toe heels (on clearance). If my daughter likes them, they're bound to be a hit!

I can't believe how expensive it is to buy school supplies for a first grader. I just spent $95, and that's with only buying stuff from her list, and getting only the cheapo $.39 folders. Crazy!

How do you answer this (asked by 6-year old daughter): "Mom, why do bras have all that pretty stuff on them if no one is ever going to see them?"

Can't believe it's back to work again tomorrow.. a week off was just not enough!

I read USA Today on the way back from the beach. Saw a blurb about two men breaking into a JC Penny and stealing $1.5 million in merchandise. I didn't realize JC Penny kept that much merchandise under one roof. We're not talking Saks Fifth Avenue here. I mean, what's the most expensive thing you can buy at JC Penny's? Well, time for me to find out...
Browsing over to the JC Penny website, I found some $1500 Plasma TVs. So, if two guys could sneak out with 1000 plasma TVs, we're up to $1.5 million. Kinda heavy, and you'd need a really big truck.

Now, over to the Saks Fifth Avenue website. (CAUTION: Do not try this at home! Browsing the Saks Women's Apparel, Shoes and Handbags section could result in exceeding your credit card limits.) At $5,000 each, these two guys would only have needed to swipe 300 little black dresses from Saks to reach a $1.5 million heist. Gotta say I really like this dress... and this little clutch to go with it... I MUST stop browsing this site.. I'm now looking through the "clearance" section and thinking gee, that's only $200...and hey, FREE SHIPPING...
Anyway... goodnight!

Miscellaneous

Well, the family made it to the Beach by 6pm Sunday; had a Saturday start condo, but hubby worked Saturday through till Sunday at 11am on a major project roll-out. Yuck for work! But, his boss gave us a VERY nice GC to a local waterfront restaurant. We used some of the GC last night... lobster, steak, crab cakes, the works... and still have money left over. Nothing like "speed eating" to get us through a nice dinner with a 2 year old at the table. Had fun cruising the boardwalk, beautiful weather. Boy loved jamming out to the music being piped out of the stores. I even got a compliment on my new sun dress from a random boardwalk gal. Will have to show ShopKim and see if she likes it too! Have been struggling by without Internet access until today (finally found someone willing to 'share' their network connection). It's been really hard not being able to Google things. I did manage to Google on hubby's blackberry yesterday looking up a local address... just had to get my Google fix. We could use some more sleep... kiddos don't get the "sleeping in" on vacation thing. Though they are fine with the "staying up late" on vacation thing. Oh well! Got my 6 year old on a crazy ride yesterday, and she loved it. I'm raising my own roller coaster riding pal. Our daily beach escapades have been fun, and having the kiddie pool on the beach has been a huge hit...

Pet Peeve of the Day
People who jay walk on extremely busy streets, even though there are cross walks just a few yards away.

Googled Today
So I read the police blotter this morning, and saw the following entry "A large plastic jar containing $800 in pennies was stolen from...[local store]."
$800 in pennies? That would be 80,000 pennies. Of course, I had to Google the weight of a penny (3.11 grams), which equates to 248,800 grams of pennies. Another Google search revealed that there are 453.592 grams in a pound. Thus, $800 in pennies weighs 548 pounds. Hmmm, 548 pounds of pennies in a "large plastic jar?" Wow, that's some plastic jar (and a very strong thief). Something tells me the shop owner may have been stretching the truth a bit about the worth of his piggie bank.

Etc.
I could set my watch to the time my toddler wakes up in the morning. 6:22am, every morning. I'm gonna put this kid back in his crib. Toddler bed gives him way too much freedom to get out of bed in the morning!

Like Free Stuff?

Fell4Fashion is giving away a chance to win some great ShopKim Jewelry! Go check it out!!!

Random Tip (courtesy of a co-worker)
When going to the beach with younger kids, take a small inflatable kiddie pool with you. That way while you're lounging on the beach, the kids can have fun filling it with water. And, the littler kids can stay closer to you, especially if they are afraid of the ocean waves.

Pet Peeve of the Day
People who rely on Medicaid and Social Security who have the nerve to complain about Obama "socializing" medical care. Seriously? If you can get and pay for you own heath coverage yourself, please DO IT and stop going to rallies complaining about big government. Baltimore Sun Article

Etc.
I'm starting my list of what to pack for our beach trip, and it's really stressing me out. I absolutely dread packing.
Daughter went to a playground with her summer camp, and loved it. She called it "Tire Town." The pictures look under-whelming, but she can't stop talking about it, so I think I'll take kiddies to this park one weekend.

Well, here it is, my first blog entry. I had a really rough time picking a blog name. My friend had lots of GREAT name suggestions, all of which were taken already. After trying numerous iterations and combinations, and feeling an overwhelming sense of defeat, I realized that, like most of the things I do, I was just way over thinking it.
And thus, I gave up and picked the most appropriate name of all.... wayoverthinkingit.

Not sure where I'm going with this blog. Let me over think that a while and I get back to ya....

And with that, my first entry comes to an abrubt end.