Eat Play Love

As we were walking into our front door yesterday, SJ commented to me,
" we shouldn't wipe down those yucky cobwebs stuck with bugs. They are
so Halloweeny!"I quickly replied, "the natural look is what I was going for." So on
my to do list for tomorrow is cleaning the entryway of inhabitants.Happy Halloween!

Yesterday morning, I was in a bit of a rush to get out of the house worrying about being on time for the girl's flu shot appointment. We were brushing teeth in the bathroom, moments from walking out of the door. I was crouched down at GL's level to give her teeth one final swipe. As I reached out to pick her up and stand up at the same time, a pain radiated from the center of my spine and shot out to my sides. I immediately reacted with a yell.

My brain's initial reaction was to just keep on moving and pretend like the pain didn't exist. But it did. My eyes were welling up from the waves of pain that would come from the center of my spine if I moved in a particular way or any way really. I tried desperately to forget about it and we all headed out the door. To GL's dismay, I could not bend over and "Zip It", it being her jacket. She must have chanted "Zip It" about twenty times.

By the time we made it to the Doctor's office, I was literall…

Although I half heartedly attempted to gather some real facts for this post, I came up short. I'm sure they exist, so for this Tuesday Tips, we are getting an emotionally charged post. With "Being Green" being the overused buzz word of the year, my goodness wouldn't we all agree that the Presidential Campaign of 2008 threw the notion of Being Green out the window?

Here's a list of my gripes with the Election Waste:

Junk Mail, glossy color paper advertisements wasting valuable resources and paper. Even if they are recyclable they are terrible. Every day in the last month, I must receive no less than 5 politically charged mailers.

Jet-setting around the country. I know the environmental impact of flying on private jets is horrific, not even jumbo jets. I can't imagine the atmospheric destruction that was caused from McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden visiting a different state every single day. With their ticket typically in different parts of the country in a single da…

The next ten days may be incredibly long, but for me, my duty is done. Friday morning before heading off to Aspen for the weekend we cast our ballots. Here's hoping true change sweeps the country November 4th!

Although there is a part of me that loves voting on Election Day, I didn't want to take any chances this year, so we decided to go early. Of course we took the girls, I grew up going to vote with my parents. I thinking voting is such an important value to embrace with our children. I love America and I love being an active part of a Democracy!

No matter who gets your vote, I hope you value your right enough to go cast your ballot!

Sometimes New Yorkers tend to be a bit snarky (a witty mannerism, personality, or behavior that is a combination of sarcasm and cynicism). One fine day, we were walking down the street and I overheard someone say, "I just don't get cupcakes, what's the big deal?". Of course, the popularity of cupcakes was being called into question by someone residing in New York City. How typical.

Let me share what the big deal about cupcakes is, they are delightful little manageable treats. Cupcakes are portion control at it's finest. Cupcakes are portability at it's finest. Cupcakes need no forks or utensils. Cupcakes need, two free hands, one to peel back the paper wrapper, one to place up to mouth, and one open mouth ready to indulge.

Why in the world do we need to get down on cupcakes, I think they are brilliant. 

So where did I indulge in cupcakes on my New York City getaway? Two places, but I have a third cake experience to throw off the competition. First, the Magnol…

If you don't use Blogger or Google Reader, please delete. This email will contain not one piece of relevant information to you. If you do, please read on, for I am confused and a bit mad. 
If anyone else out there gets frustrated when you "follow a blog" then that blog gets put into a special folder in Google Reader. A special folder you don't realize exists until a week has gone by. Then you try your hardest to figure out how to just get all your blogs in the INBOX of Google Reader, but they want a damn folder of their own. A blogs I am following folder, seems kind of silly doesn't it. I mean all the blogs in my reader I am following, Duh?
Does this sound crazy or remotely familiar to you? Because I really just want all my blogs in one folder, not two. 
Carry on...

Packing my bags for NYC, I left most signs of Granolaville (that's what my host in NYC calls where I live in Colorado, it's not that far off in all honesty) behind me. I valiantly attempted to leave my fleece jackets, stainless steel water bottles, and synthetic layers back home in my closet. Instead I planned outfits I thought would be most appropriate for hitting the streets of the West Village. 
After our arrival to the West Village on the lower side of Manhattan, our host informed us that we had a 9:30pm dinner reservation. Aah, was that announcement echoed with laughter, for KS and I are usually in bed by that time or definitely in our comfy cozies for the night. But we were game. We were taking this, on vacation living it up, thing very happily in stride. That same evening turned out to be the biggest night for us. The city was permeating our beings and we were definitely ready to hob knob until the wee hours of the morning. 
The beauty of the days following was not having…

The weekend getaway to New York City, left me teetering on the edge of under slept, hungry, and somewhat foggy. After a day of travel, I had to pick myself up by the bootstraps and get my ass to Grad School for my class that evening. Lucky for me, my hubby was kind enough to actually drive me both ways, I think he was concerned about my conditional fogginess as well. I am happy to report that I did not fall asleep in class, although I felt myself about to nod off when asked to skim a long article. 
My head nestled right into my pillow when I collapsed into bed, after what felt like the longest day on earth. Nothing really compares to resting in the comfort of your own bed, the one I take for granted night after night. But last night I relished in it's comfort, my favorite sheets and comforter wrapped around me. I awoke refreshed, thank goodness, ready for my first day back on the job. 
I know you are wondering, how was it, how was the weekend away with no kids?
There are so many thin…

Growing up, New York City was always referred to as "THE city". Before my departure in conversation I would just casually mention how I was off to "the city" this weekend. Now that I think of it, some of my friends in Colorado probably were like, huh the city? 
Delightfully enough, the city has been wonderful, the west village is incredibly quaint and charming. I've fallen right into the culture, with my swift pace on the street, dinners after 9 pm, and plenty of window shopping. With not being on a tight schedule, just being free to meander through the streets, we've happened upon wonderful spots. Yesterday I quite randomly found a mini pair of Tretorns to match my pair for Sj. How stinking cute is that?
Although I have yet to set my eyes on Balthazar, we've managed to find some wonderful culinary gems. Today Balthazar is in the cards for me. Last night, we had fish and chips, from A Salt and Battery which was once featured on Bobby Flay's Throwdown.…

The passing of the last five years has almost completely gone in a blink of an eye. Obviously there were the moments that felt like they lasted forever (hello newborn phase!), but for the most part I am still in awe that my oldest daughter is five. Long ago, I would measure time by school years, throwing in the oh, that was in "fill in the blank" grade when that happened. But now I happily measure time by the milestones in my daughters lives. Funny how that happens.

The other day I was packing my suitcase for a trip I am taking this weekend and it hit me, this was the first time in five years I was packing my suitcase just for myself. It was five years ago and a couple of weeks when I first packed a suitcase with little itty bitty newborn baby clothes in my hospital suitcase mixed with my comfy post-partum leave the hospital clothes, some fresh socks, toiletries, and my favorite music. Over the years it slowly turned into diapers, toys, books, way too many pink outfits, oh an…

During the week, most evenings I spend about an hour after the girls have been lulled to sleep on the computer. Unless it's Top Chef or Project Runway night, I feel very disenchanted by evening television. All the election smear commercials, it fills my brain with static, a bad static that I just want to escape. Unfortunately I'm not much of a serial television watcher. My hubby was actually shocked to see me sitting on the couch a few weeks ago, flipping back and forth between E.R. and Scrubs. In all honesty I have never watched a hospital drama, EVER. But during their season openers, I watched both. Don't ask me why. I even felt a bit weepy. How in the world do you hospital drama lovers do it, week after week?

Well back to my real story. Lately my new handy device, the iPhone , has changed my computer habits. During the day, I'd pop into my computer to, you know to quickly check my email, or see what's updated in reader, or what's up on FaceBook, and then a c…

People may laugh at the notion that when you blog, you form a community. Over time, I've found this circle of women that I just adore, that are scattered across the country from California to Texas to D.C. to NYC to Chicago to Boston to five miles from my own house and all sorts of places I have never heard of in between! I love getting to know someone through their blog, for typically most bloggers share the good, the bad, and the quirky! The circle of people I have met through blogging have just been a delight, so today we are honoring one of those women, via the web!

Today some of folks in my little blogging circle and her blogging circle are throwing a virtual SURPRISE baby shower for iMommy, who is due with her second child in less than one month! The theme of the shower is to offer her some advice and I can't think of a better group of people than bloggers, to give advice. So Caitlin, I wish you a speedy delivery, a speedier recovery, and these tiny nuggets of wisdom as y…

Months and months ago, I picked up a beautiful remnant of a vintage floral print at a thrift store for $2.00. From the shape of it, I have concluded that it's former life was fancying up one's table. The fabric left me inspired to make something with it, to give it a new life. After many searches on the web, I was unable to locate a free how-to pattern for a purse that I really dug. But there are tons out there, so many creative people just sharing their ideas. During my hunt for the perfect purse pattern, I found Amy Butler designs. Oh they are so delightful.

After coming to the conclusion that I would have to pay for a pattern, I decided on the Birdie Sling. I found a hip fabric shop, Fancy Tiger, in Denver and took a little drive on a Sunday afternoon and picked up the pattern. I also purchased the liner material (white background with the animals, flowers, and trees) at the shop. It's a precious little gem in the world of generic chain craft stores, toting blah fabr…

Have you ever thought about quirky things from your childhood, that no one knows about you? For some strange reason, I love reminiscing about my mastery of a particular video game way back in 1985.

Hours upon hours escaped me during my impressionable adolescence playing the brilliant game, Super Mario Brothers for Nintendo. I clearly remember skipping meals because I was on the cusp of saving the Princess, I could taste it. Nothing, I mean nothing could pry me away from the machine. How are kids getting fat playing video games these days, they must not be of the completely mesmerizing variety, I mean who would actually stop to eat?

Funny enough my family didn't even own a Super Nintendo, my neighbors did. So apparently they had no qualms with me living in their basement morning, noon, and night, fondling their controllers.

There's nothing quite like the feeling of being successful at Super Mario Brothers, the best selling video game of all time. Of knowing which tunnel to duck i…

Have you ever met a finicky beverage drinker? Let's just say you have now. For me, it can never just be a plain old anything. "I'll have a coke". Nah. Not me. I'm the half and half drinker. All of my favorite beverages contain 1/2 of one drink and 1/2 of another.

First and foremost, the Arnold Palmer. 1/2 iced tea and 1/2 lemonade. One of the best beverages on the planet. Only problem, it has to be freshly made ingredients. If the waitress walks up with an Arnold Palmer made with Pink Lemonade, I just cringe inside. Or if they make it with pre-sweetened tea, it's just appalling. I've learned most of the ins and outs of where to order an Arnold Palmer from experience.Trust me, it's hit or miss in the Arnold Palmer department.

Then, there's the Shandy. Now the Shandy has many variations. It's most well known for being 1/2 ale (preferably Bass) and 1/2 lemonade, although I order it with Sprite. A good pal in jolly ol' England turned me onto th…

Well cold season descended upon us a bit sooner than I anticipated this year. Of course with the start of school comes the influx of viruses. GL was hit a bit harder and has a nighttime cough, which is tapering off after the first week. 

If you haven't heard cough syrups for children under six are not recommended, PERIOD. Last year there was a ban on products targeting younger children and a recent study just concluded that cough syrup related calls to poison control center have dropped by 50%. Now obviously there are situations where particular medicines may be prescribed by a Pediatrician for your children, by no means am I talking about such conditions.

We take the natural cold care route in our home, ONLY AFTER a trip to the Doctor to check on their lungs to make sure they are clear and there is no sign of wheezing, their ears are infection free, and their sinuses aren't infected. When your child had a cold due to virus, there aren't very many prescription options to he…

A year ago the reality of my lifestyle temporarily vacated my mind when I was giddy during the purchase of a white slip covered chair for my living room. Yes, WHITE. My love for white furniture was born around eight years ago when I discovered all things Rachel Ashwell, Shabby Chic. 

For years our design style has been eclectic. Not necessarily by choice, but more grounded in pick up a piece of furniture here or there, with hopes that it all goes together. Most realistically speaking our first baby, a 100 pound black lab, forced me to suppress my growing desire for slip covered casual, hang out at my beach cottage, white furniture. Then the girls arrived and yet again, my dream furniture was put on the back burner. Right around when GL was a newborn, I couldn't pass this chair up. I wanted so desperately to have "grown up" furniture. I had hope that my home's aesthetic could mesh with life with small children. 

Up until a couple of months ago, my white chair purchase w…

Where in the world have I run off to? Take a moment to guess, hopefully some place very exotic with drinks served out of fresh pineapples and little cute umbrellas. Good job, that story sounds much better than my reality. I suppose it would be fair to say life got in the way of my time to sit down and write this week. Oh and a little virus that's left GL coughing at around Midnight or 2 am since Monday night. Give or take any combination of the two. I'm the type that actually just coaxes my coughing children to get out of bed, have a homemade orange juice popsicle, and give the body a chance to recuperate a bit from the coughing fits. Usually it works until a fine time such as 6:15am .

But most nights as I lay in bed, awake at some awful hour, my mind races as to what I should blog about, like any good blogging mind does. Then it's my challenge to craft my under slept induced posts to real life.

In honor of it finally being Friday, I'm ending with a glimpse into my brill…