Tonight I returned to the grocery store, list in hand this time, and actually bought food for several meals. As surprising as it may sound, milk and Wheat Thins and Boursin didn’t exactly fill the pantry. And while I was there, I decided to give Redbox another try. (And I realized I spelled it wrong in my last post; it’s taking every ounce of self-control I have not to go back and fix them. Well, that and I am trying to get off the computer so I can go hop into bed.) This time the Redbox worked, but naturally it didn’t have the same movie selection as the Redbox that scorned me last night, so I had to settle for a drama instead of the chick flick I had in mind. It really is trying to be me.
And of course now I’m contemplating skipping out on the movie because I am too tired to breathe, which makes absolutely no sense since I slept 12 hours last night. My dear husband got up with the kids this morning while I slept in. It was divine. As I’ve said before, there is no place in the world I’d rather be than in bed. I’d love to tell you that I woke up refreshed and inspired for a new day, but instead I woke up with a sore, swollen throat. Joy. I knew I was going to get sick right before Blissdom. I just knew it. Cause I’m a glass-half-full kinda girl.
I wasn’t planning on going anywhere today until my husband poked his head into my office around lunchtime and suggested that I go out and have some time to myself. “And find something besides stretch pants,” he added.
Yes, you heard it here first. I was practically ordered to go to the mall.
See, my husband has a thing about stretch pants. He basically hates them. And that’s about all I’ve been wearing since Christmas. Here’s the thing about wearing stretch pants, though. When you put on your regular clothes after living in sweatpants for weeks on end, the regular clothes feel rather restricting. I’d like to think it’s because snaps and zippers don’t have as much give as spandex, but I have a sneaking suspicion it has more to do with that extra 5 pounds I’ve been clinging to. Perhaps I would have more luck budging that 5 pounds if I retired the stretch pants.
At any rate, I threw on some jeans and a sweater and boots and high-tailed it out the door before my husband could change his mind. But ironically, I found myself wandering the mall feeling as uninspired as I did last night at the grocery store. Even the mall is depressing this time of year. I left with nothing but 4 pair of tights — one for me and 3 for the girls. Oh, and then there was that pit stop at the Girl Scout Cookie stand. But that hardly counts because the cookies were gone before I got home.
Any-WHO. (That one was for June. Who loves me even though I say any-WHO.)
I actually made a homemade meal tonight — I tried Kim’s meatball hoagies recipe and I’ll forgive her for calling them subs instead of hoagies because they were SO DELISH. They are pretty easy to whip up and don’t call for anything unusual unless sage is unusual. (I surprised myself by actually having some in my pantry!)
And now I have a big decision to make — a date with my pillow or a Charlie Wilson’s War? Which would you choose?
I should be curled up on the couch right now under my green chenille afghan by the warmth of the gas logs. Instead I’m shivering in my office chair at my usual perch in front of the computer. WHY? Because when I was at the grocery store this evening, I noticed the Red Box by the entrance — do y’all have those? It’s like a soda or snack machine dispenser but instead of buying sodas and snacks, you can rent movies. I had never tried the Red Box before because it looked intimidating and I generally only try new experiences under duress.
But I knew that tonight I’d be home alone after the kids went to bed, and I had a sudden hankerin’ for a chick flick so I stopped by the Red Box on my way out and gave it my best shot. All went swimmingly until it was time for the machine to spit out the movie, and then nothing happened. I stopped a passerby to ask if I was supposed to be doing something, and she said that it usually pops out right away. So we waited for a few minutes, and just as I was about to call the 800-number on the box, I got an error message that reassured me that my card would not be charged but also informed me to try again another time.
And THAT is why I’m sitting here rather than watching a movie. Aren’t you glad you asked?
Speaking of the grocery store, I had a sudden and rare opportunity tonight to shop unhindered by demanding children, but I was lost without a list. I wandered the aisles until I finally gave in to the fact that I am totally uninspired in the cooking department these days. I bought a few bare essentials such as milk and Boursin and Wheat Thins and then called the Mexican take-out joint nearby and placed an order for dinner.
That would make tonight the second night in a row that we have had takeout for dinner. Which is disgusting, I know, don’t judge me. Takeout is a funny thing. It always sounds good in theory, but it never quite lives up to its expectations. Food has a way of all tasting the same after it’s been sitting in a paper bag for 20 minutes.
And speaking of absolutely nothing related to high maintenance automobiles, my car is fixed. AGAIN. My husband worked from home today so we could take my minivan to the dealer’s, and a mere $550 later, I have working front AND rear windshield wipers and 5 working door handles. So it’s as good as new. Or, you know, as new as a Toyota can be with 110,000 miles on it.
Oh get this. On the way to pick up the car, we had the whole family packed like sardines into my husband’s pickup truck and we witnessed a near head-on collision. The cars missed each other by about 2 feet. Fortunately neither was going too fast to stop. I wish you could say the same for my heart. It was like watching a TV show play out before my eyes — I could see what was about to happen but I couldn’t do anything to stop it. But all’s well that ends well, and I’m sure everyone drove a little more carefully after that!
So that’s about the sum total of my day. I can NOT believe that a week from today I’ll be in Nashville at BlissDom09!! Sorry, I just had to throw that in. I still have video footage of my outfits waiting to be edited and produced, so maybe I’ll save myself the trouble and just TELL you what I’m planning to wear. I will probably be wearing jeans and a black sweater and a certain pair of red patent leather pumps one night and a familiar taupe sweater dress with brown boots the next. The end. That is all.
If you are looking for a way to tame the midriff bulge, I have just the product for you! Run on over to Chic Critique and read about my experience with Slimpressions shapewear. And sign up for the giveaway!
Last week I showed you my cool new blog cards (I just can’t call them business cards without giggling a little bit) and now I’m going to show you some fun options to carry your blog cards with style. If you’re going to Blissdom or Mom 2.0 Summit or BlogHer or even just riding around town, you need something to carry your cards in, right? Even if you have no need for blog cards or business cards, mommy cards are all the rage nowadays. You can find cute ones here, here, and here.
So I thought I’d do a little roundup of stylish card cases I’ve found.
The first place I went to look was Etsy, and I found GracieDesigns. I love these because you can put your own cards on one side and the ones you collect on the other.
Girlymama also makes a similar style at her Etsy shop, Eliza Grace Designs. Take a look at this grey garden card holder. SO CUTE!
buttonpom makes a fun pouch-style card case. I like how she designed the flap.
Now this one from Mommy-Cards.com is sleek and simple and stylish. Yes, I like alliteration. This one is aptly called Simple Silver.
Finally, there is this gorgeous Bosca Leather Card Case at Executive Essentials.
If money were no object, I would go for that leather one, hands-down. I think it’s gorgeous. But instead I purchased the grey garden card holder from Eliza Grace Design because it’s adorable AND affordable. And I like the idea of putting my card in the one side and the ones I collect on the other.
So there you have it! Some card holders for your consideration!
Growing up we always prayed for snow days. I mean, what could be better than a lazy day to sleep in, play in the snow, and drink hot chocolate?
Then I became a teacher. And I prayed for snow days. I mean, what could be better than a lazy day to sleep in, linger over my morning coffee, and pickle my brain with daytime TV?
Then I became a parent. And I prayed for snow days. After all, what could be better than an entire day spent with my precious offspring…
::SCRIIIITCH::
That was the sound of the record player grinding to a halt.
See, what I failed to consider was that my precious offspring are accustomed to spending 7 hours a day in a stimulating environment. A day to do nothing SOUNDS enticing, but it’s only fun for about two hours. Around 10AM the bickering and complaints of boredom ensue. That’s when I make them turn off all electronic devices and mosey on outside.
But they can only play in the snow for about an hour before they succumb to the elements. At that point, my front door is flung wide as a pack of kids (usually including a few neighborhood boys and, as yesterday would have it, the two daughters of a good friend who I agreed to watch for the day) tromp in, leaving a trail of soggy winter gear in their wake while simultaneously demanding hot chocolate.
If you’ve done the math, you realize that it’s not even lunchtime at this point.
I really want to be one of Those Moms — you know the ones that have the homes that all the kids gravitate to because they are warm and welcoming and laid-back and FUN? I try, but it doesn’t come naturally. I want kids to feel welcome here, and I want them around so I can supervise their activities (and language) so I welcome them in with open arms and offer hot chocolate and homemade cookies, but after about an hour of noise and chaos I’m ready to kick them out.
Instead, I grit my teeth and start to offer a menu of options — Monopoly, Boochie, ping pong, arts and crafts, play-doh… But have you ever tried to get a group of kids to agree on the same activity?
Finally I resort to the ultimatums. Find something to play in the next TWO MINUTES or everyone is going home. That usually gets the response I’m looking for, albeit temporarily. There must be a universal law somewhere that states that children can only get along playing a single activity for 30 minutes before fighting breaks out — at least in my house, anyway.
When I absolutely can take no more, I tell everyone with an artificial smile that I think it’s time to go to their respective homes. Then they spend the next 10 minutes alternately chasing each other around the house and gathering their belongings while I remind them 2 or 20 times to get their shoes and coats on and skedaddle. Finally I manage to hustle them out the door, look at the clock, see that it’s 4PM, and decide it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.
A 2-hour delay will do quite nicely next time, thankyouverymuch.
Just a mom attempting to juggle three kids, four blogs, a blog design business, and the laundry. 
