I'm sick. I think it's a sinus infection or just a bad cold. (And poor Riley has the same thing.) This is a fair representation of how I've been spending my time:
I'll spare you from any photos of my red nose and puffy eyes...this one is bad enough.
There's the Crocs, which I never wear out of the house (except to the mailbox, and even then I pray the neighbors aren't looking.)
Then the kitty blanket, which I've had forever, and is the warmest blanket I have. I'm not sure you'll ever see it featured draped over the back of a couch in a Pottery Barn catalog, though.
And then, yes, the roll of toilet paper. I used all of our Kleenex yesterday, so I've been carrying this around with me from room to room.
There's just all kinds of glamour happening over here today.
Hi. It's me again. I still haven't heard from you. I hope you're doing well. I think of you often. Especially in moments like this:
She's cute, I know. But she's blurry without you.
I know I shouldn't, but I worry about you. In fact, I really began to worry the other night when I saw that news report that Ritz camera was filing for Chapter 11. After all, they are the ones that took you away from me and are supposed to be taking care of you. If they do anything to hurt you - and I mean anything - I will hunt them down and make them sorry they ever took you away from me.
OK, I'll leave you alone now. Just remember that sage advice that Kit gave Vivian in Pretty Woman: "Take care of you." (By the way, after seeing that news story I immediately called the Ritz camera headquarters in a panic, fearing that my lens would be lost in their bankruptcy. They assured me that this is merely a "restructuring", and that it will continue to to be "business as usual". I'm still nervous.)
I had to physically restrain myself at Target the other day. I found three super cute pairs of shoes for Avery, but I kept my cool and purchased only one. And how cute are they?
They didn't have my size. I also saw some super cute baby bedding there. Not that I'm in the market for that. I'm not. But if I was....
So last week I told you about the evil Cadbury Mini Eggs that I purchased and subsequently ate and the (minimal amount of) guilt associated with that indulgence. I'm not apologizing for that, but I will apologize for what I'm about to do.
I am going to warn you right now: DO NOT MAKE THE FOLLOWING RECIPE. Don't do it. I'm giving you this warning because I don't want to be held responsible if you make it and eat it and eat it until you're sick. So consider yourself warned.
Having said that...you should totally make this! It's easy and delicious and everyone LOVES it. {I got this recipe from a dear friend who happens to be a personal chef (among many other things) and everything she ever makes is delicious. So when she talks (or hands out recipes), I listen.} I don't know really what to call this, but I just refer to it as Cheater Toffee.
The ingredients of this Cheater Toffee couldn't be more basic. You need saltine crackers (I used wheat crackers because, you know, then it's healthy. Hahahaha! That was a good one, huh?), 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, and a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Simple.
First, arrange crackers in a rimmed baking sheet.
(Confidential to my lens: I still miss you. You haven't called. Do you see what my life is like without you?Don't make me stalk you on Facebook....)
Melt together the butter and sugar on the stove top until the sugar is no longer grainy.
Once it's melted, pour it over the crackers then bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. (Your house is starting to smell good at this point.)
After 10 minutes, remove the pan and sprinkle the bag of chocolate chips on top.
It's getting more evil by the minute, isn't it?
Stick the pan back in the oven for 2 minutes, then when it comes out spread the chocolate chips across the crackers. Refrigerate for one hour and then break apart into delicious, toffee-sized goodness.
Don't let the bad picture quality fool you. This stuff is (as my Pampa would say) good and good.
Make it! Or don't. I'll stop bossing you now.
*****
Cheater Toffee -1.5 sleeves of saltine crackers -1 cup butter -1 cup sugar -1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
On a rimmed cookie sheet, lay out the crackers whole, sides touching. Melt the butter and sugar together on stove top until sugar is no longer 'grainy'. Pour over crackers. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (crackers will be toffee colored). Pour bag of chips over that, melt in oven for 2 minutes. Spread chips smoothly over crackers. Refrigerate for 1+ hours. Take out and break into pieces.
Isn't it so nice that good TV is back? Probably my biggest complaint about summer is that we are subjected to ridiculous summer variety shows such as "Wipe Out". If it weren't for quality summer programming such as Big Brother I just don't know what we would do. But now is not the time to think about the long summer TV drought. These are the blissful days of Lost, The Amazing Race, 30 Rock, The Office...my Tivo is working overtime and I love it.
So last night, the kids were asleep and Gary and I sat down (FINALLY) and turned on Survivor. There are two guys on one of the tribes who have become friends. There's JT, a cattle rancher from Alabama, and Stephen, a New Yorker through and through. These guys are complete opposites. One the resourceful country boy, and one the slick city boy. They are a perfect match.
Gary grew up in the country, and we now live in the 'burbs, so I wondered where he places himself on the 'city boy'/'country boy' scale. He thought for only half a minute before he decided that he was a country boy but without the common sense.
I don't want to paint the wrong picture of Gary. He's undeniably the smartest person I know, but is definitely lacking in the street smarts category. From what I know of New Yorkers (courtesy of my brother-in-law and the movie "My Cousin Vinnie"), Gary would NEVER be able to pass as one. Here, let me prove my point:
There was the time when he was 18 years old and went to a pawn shop to buy a guitar. He spotted the Gibson Les Paul that he wanted, and the shop owner saw him looking it over. He told Gary to feel free to make an offer. So Gary said, "I'll buy it." That was his offer. He offered to buy it at full price.
There was also the time when he got a job as a bagger at supermarket in our home town. On his first day, the guys working there must have spotted Gary as an easy target. They told Gary that one of his tasks would be to make sure the oil and vinegar in the salad dressings did not separate, as the separation would make the salad dressing spoil. They told him he was required to shake them all one by one. Gary believed them, and only figured out he was being punked when they were all standing at the end of the aisle laughing at him shaking the bottles of Wishbone.
Poor Gary. He's better now, and not quite as green, but there are still moments when I think, "He is sooo lucky to have me."
I'm just the right amount of jaded for him. I'm the Stephen to his JT.
My camera lens has only been gone 5 days, and already I'm missing it like crazy. Pictures taken with a phone are just not an acceptable substitute. Take this photo, for instance:
Look how grainy it is. And overexposed. And then dark in some areas. And isn't it crazy how it almost makes it look as if there are several loads of laundry waiting to be folded on my totally clean couch?
How annoying.
Confidential to my lens: Miss you. It's not the same here without you. Please come back to me soon. Call me.
Is there really ever a right answer when someone says, "OK, so I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" I mean, it doesn't really matter, right? The good is always tempered by the bad. So, since it doesn't matter, I'll give you the bad news first.
The bad news is, my camera lens broke. (Pardon me while I choke back a sob.) One minute it was working perfectly, the next it was making horrible grinding noises. I came to the conclusion that horrible grinding noises are never good...on anything...ever.
OK, so for the good news. The good news is that, shockingly, it was still under warranty. (This is so not our typical luck.) So my lens is off at the lens doctor right now. It will return to me in *gasp* 4 - 6 weeks.
Which means (more bad news here) for the next 4 - 6 weeks you will have to endure photos of this quality:
Ooh. That there is a baaaad quality picture. My apologies. (iPhone + poor lighting = see above.)
Not only is that illustrating a bad quality photo, but also the aforementioned evil. Did you spot it?
It's true. You saw correctly. Cadbury Mini Eggs. Pure, unadulterated evil. And I love them.
I needed them today to do some power crafting. (I did get a mini bag, and I did have to share them - of course - so I didn't feel too guilty.)
Well...maybe a little guilt. But at least I stayed away from the Reese's eggs. That's got to count for something, right?
There was a short time in my life when I thought bumper stickers were very cool. When I was probably around 8 years old I went to a Jazzercize class with my mom and they gave me a bumper sticker. I came home and begged my dad to let me put it on our car. How laughable it is now that I actually thought that MY dad (of all people) would agree to that! Now, in general, I guess it's safe to say I have taken after my dad and am not a fan of the majority of stickers people put on cars. I guess it's for the same reason I don't have tattoos: there's nothing I want permanently displayed on my car.
I've noticed in the last several years that there seems to have been a rise in popularity of bumper stickers. I think it all began with the "My Kid is an Honor Student..." stickers. Who doesn't love those? Of course I will be so proud when my kids make honor roll in junior high school (I'll be especially proud if my boys aren't wearing the skinny skater jeans) but I'm pretty sure I won't display it on my car.
Then there's the oh-so-classic Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame) peeing on -Ford, -Chevy, -football teams, -you name it. Now that is cool. Whenever I see anyone with a sticker of Calvin relieving himself I have to fight the urge to run that car off the road just to tell them how cool they are.
That leads me to the stick figure family decals. Now, I know I am running the risk of offending someone here, and for that I am sorry. I will say that in general, I'm not a fan of the stick figure family decals. You know the ones: there's a stick figure drawing of the dad, the mom, the kids, and the family dog. They're kind of cute, I suppose, but I guess I don't get the point. TODAY, however, I saw a stick figure family decal that blew all others away. It was a "Dad", a "Mom", and - here it comes - THREE CATS. I'm not kidding. There were no kids. Just cats. And it's not like there was a space in between the mom and the cats, as if the kid got washed off in the car wash. Nope. No kids - just cats. Wow.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate all car embellishments. My dear friend has a "G" on her van that plays homage to her Georgia roots. I LOVE her "G" decal because, frankly, it's the only way I can recognize her car around town! I definitely don't think all bumper stickers are bad. Just the cheesy ones. Don't look for this on my car any day soon:
There are some aspects of being a 'homemaker' that I grudgingly endure. I do the laundry, I clean the bathrooms, I vacuum the floors. I don't really enjoy any of those duties (does anyone?), but I do them anyway. There are certain domestic duties that I flat out do not like. Therefore, I don't do them unless I absolutely have to. At the top of this list is ironing. I don't iron. I mean, occasionally I will iron but only if there's a really good reason.
Gary going to work is not a really good reason.
I don't iron Gary's work shorts. (And, incidentally, neither does he. Luckily Pixar is a very laid-back place to work so if he's a little wrinkly it's not a huge deal.) Most days I can hang up his shirts out of the dryer quickly enough so they aren't too wrinkled.
Today, however, was not one of those mornings. Gary was getting dressed for work when I noticed he was particularly wrinkly. In my state of apparent extreme sleep deprivation, I asked him if he wanted me to iron his shirt. He said he didn't have time, so I offered up the next best thing which is, of course, a few squirts of Downy Wrinkle Relesaser.
(I'm a big fan of Downy Wrinkle Releaser. I'm not sure that it works super well...but I'd say it takes the edge off of the wrinkle.)
Without even giving it a second thought, Gary immediately and rudely snubbed my offer of Downy Wrinkle Releaser. He claimed he didn't want me spraying him with chemicals. In an attempt to stand up for this glorious product, I proceeded to read him the list of ingredients in hopes of proving that Downy Wrinkle Releaser isn't filled with horrific chemicals. Here are the ingredients I read to him, as are printed on the spray bottle: "fiber relaxers, water, quality control agents and perfume".
There. Doesn't that clear it all up? (Apparently there are no real regulations as far as what must be printed on certain household products.)
Needless to say Gary went to work wrinkled and my iron stayed firmly planted in my linen closet. Anyone who snubs Downy Wrinkle Releaser is on his own. There's nothing more I can do for him.
Update on Riley's dentist visit: thankfully, it was totally uneventful. Turns out the cavity was so shallow he didn't even need novacaine. They gave him the "happy air" (as they called it) and went to work. He was a total trooper and didn't even flinch once. He was slightly disappointed, however, that he didn't leave the dental office with a gold tooth like one of his classmates has. Can't win them all, apparently.
--------------------------------
Normally I rely on my fashion-savvy friend Kacey over at 3 Bay B Chicks to alert me to sales, trends, and other general fashion finds. Today, however, I got an email from my sweet friend Mari in Houston informing me of an awesome sale on e.l.f. make-up. Apparently Nordstrom has purchased e.l.f. and will be plastering their name on e.l.f products, so the people at e.l.f. are trying to purge their inventory and thus selling almost all of their make-up for (get this) $1 each. Go check it out. (And, if you order $15 or more enter the code CAROLINA at check-out for an additional $7.50 off!)
**Update: Apparently most e.l.f make-up is always $1, so now I'm not sure about the validity of the Nordstrom part...BUT that doesn't change the fact that I ordered 15 products for $14.95! That's good stuff. **
-------------------------------- One other thing I wanted to mention: I don't know if you have heard of this sweet family, but they lost their 11 month old daughter Cora to cancer on Saturday. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the loss of their beautiful baby. A friend of theirs has devoted some items in her etsy shop to help raise money to build a playground in Cora's honor. Go to her site and look at her cute things and, if you're so inclined, buy a headband in honor of Cora.
Riley has to have a cavity filled today (his first...and hopefully his last). It's in between two molars which, I suppose, means we need to be better about flossing those teeth. Guilt.
He's not nervous: he knows he's getting laughing gas and was comparing himself to one of the Joker's victim's (from the Batman cartoons). I'm nervous, though. I know how much I hate going to the dentist so I have knots in my stomach thinking about him there. I'm just hoping he doesn't leave the appointment acting like this boy:
I am currently jumping headfirst into almost every woman's nightmare. I am --- and it almost pains me to type it --- bathing suit shopping.
Ugh. I just had an involuntary body shudder.
Gary and I will mark our 10 year anniversary this July. To celebrate, we are heading to Cabo in April. Without kids. (Eeeee!) I'm very excited, but at the same time know this means I will be in swimwear for four solid days.
There goes another shudder.
So today I was browsing online for that perfect suit that will cover up tummy pooches, make certain areas look perky and youthful, and give the illusion that my milky white skin is, in fact, olive-colored and flawless. I don't think that's asking a lot of a suit, do you?
I came across some tankinis at Victoria's Secret that might work (not your typical VS Heidi Klum bikini) and thought I'd order them and see how they look from every angle known to the human eye in the privacy of my own mirror. I was shocked when I was about to complete the online check out: shipping charges were - get this - $18.99. For two swim suits. Um...what? I know they're not string bikinis, but they don't weigh that much!
I thus resorted to my favorite trick: googling coupon codes. Do you do this? You can google a coupon code for just about any online retailer. My favorite site is retailmenot.com. In my search tonight I found a $30 off coupon for Victoria's Secret. So that pays for that ridiculous $18.99 shipping plus an extra $11.00. Not bad.
Now, once the suits get here we'll see if they really live up to their "Miracle Suit" claim.
(Just don't expect any photos of this little experiment....)
Every day I try my best to eat healthy food. I eat only whole grain breads and (usually) pasta, I drink soy milk and try to buy organic whenever possible. I do my best to avoid saturated fats and love just about any kind of fruit. And when I heard that dark chocolate was healthy in small amounts, I was giddy. I'm not saying by any means that my diet is perfect, but I try.
One problem I do have in my diet, however, is that it is lacking in leafy green vegetables. I seem to have a tough time incorporating those darned leafy greens into our daily - or even weekly - meals. I'll admit that I'm pretty uneducated when it comes to cooking these types of vegetables. My experience starts and ends with spinach. I do really enjoy spinach, both raw and cooked. I eat it in eggs, on sanwiches, in tortilla wraps, and like this:
This was tonight's dinner. It's really the only way I know to cook spinach. (Well, other than creamed spinach, but I'm not sure I can count that as healthy.) It's just spinach with some balsamic dressing topped with salmon with seasoning and a little grated parmesan. Pop it in a 400 degree oven until the salmon is done and voila. So easy and healthy. But that's the extent of my leafy green knowledge.
So I'm wondering if you have any favorite ways to cook leafy green vegetables? Swiss Chard? Arugula? Collard Greens? Escarole? Mustard greens? Anyone?
I'd love a few recipes, if you're willing to share.
(But please, please, don't anyone mention spinach dip. Because if you try to convince me it's healthy I might have to try to believe you and that would not mean good things for my waistline.)
My little Riley is very hard on himself. He puts a lot of pressure on himself to be perfect, and when he's not perfect he's not happy. He wants to do everything right in school, and if something doesn't go completely as planned he has a hard time letting it go.
Today he received his spelling test back from Friday and - gasp - he missed one word. He misspelled the word 'team'. When he saw the test and his mistake, he was utterly devastated. He began to cry, lamented that we didn't study the words enough, and generally beat himself up over it. I tried to console him and tell him it's OK to make a mistake, it's great to not be perfect all of the time, but he wasn't having any of it.
Honestly, I know how he feels. I was the same way in school and hated, hated, making mistakes. So I know he comes by this trait honestly. But I feel such compassion for him and the pressure he is putting on himself. I don't want him to feel he has to be perfect all of the time.
When he was going to bed I gave him a kiss and told him how proud I am of him for all of his hard work in school. He said, "Yea, for my bad work on my spelling test." It broke my heart.
I'm open to suggestions from any reformed Type-A personalities out there that can give me some advice on how to convince him it's OK to make mistakes. I'm still a practicing Type-A myself, so I need all the help I can get....
Posts
