The Ultimate Blog Party 2011

Hi to all of the new people popping by today for The Ultimate Blog Party!  I'm so glad you're stopping by!

Oh my words...I've written and re-written this line trying to figure out how in the heck to introduce myself to all you fun, new people stopping by today.  And, I'm just gonna go with the confession that I have no freaking clue how to successfully capture you all in a witty way to make you want to come back and visit day after day after day.

So...let's go with basics.  My name is Logan Wolfram and this is my blog!

But for real, I started this blog after some prodding from too many friends and I'd say that around these parts, I write about a little bit of everything.  I'm a Spanish-major... turned radio ad exec...turned jewelry designer...turned decorator... turned stay-at-home-mom to 2 boys (ages 4 and 1) who keeps life interesting by keeping it varied and keeping it REAL.

I've found that my overt friendliness lends itself to a propensity for public verbal diarrhea, often making for a good laugh and some awkward social moments....which of course, I share with you when they happen.

I am no stranger to the evils of human nature, and often share about what I like to call "Tales of a Lesser Woman."  You will find me posting sometimes about things like my grown-up Temper Tantrum, or the time I mortifyingly pooted during a dinner party, or sometimes when I'm a jerk and have to serve myself up a slice of Humble Pie.

Cooking has been big on my list of favorite things since the days of my Suzy bake oven, and after spending some time in the kitchen of a fantastic restaurant out of college, I learned some helpful things there too.  So I share tips and recipes that I think are worth repeating.  And you can always know that even though I'm not too vain to share my escapades into the mortifyingly embarrassing, I am much too vain to share a recipe that won't knock your socks off and keep you coming back for more.  Yummies like Fig and Sausage Pizza, Southern Shrimp and Grits, the best Banana Bread EVER, and Chocolate Whoppers to name a few.

And then there are always some musings on fabulous finds or just the utterly ridiculous...things like horrible fashion trends, a little Hanky Panky, and Bon Bons that aren't what you think, but will change your life.

I always have SOME creative project going at my house too, so you can pretty much count on postings of ideas for crafts to do with kids, tips for creating dreamy decor (complete with stunning guest posts occasionally,) and projects like how to turn an antique headboard into a bench.

And once in awhile...I write about things that really do matter too.  About faith, and family, and just living and loving in this world that doesn't always return the favor.

I never knew when I started this "blogging thing" that I'd find a voice that I didn't know I had.  Or that I'd meet people that I didn't realize I needed.  Or that I'd have fun in ways I never imagined....but I have...all of those things.  And I'm glad you're here.  And I hope you'll come back... and that we can be friends... and all that jazz!

Because I think that this Life is a whole lot like Dessert....sweet enough to eat by the mouthful, big and full enough to share, and on occasion because you took in too much...leaving you with a bit of indigestion!

Thanks for stopping by!

Make sure to leave a comment here and a random winner will be chosen at the end of the Party to win these earrings! (I'll announce April 9th, and yes, I did make them.  One day I'll teach you how to make some too!) Don't forget to click on the button below to link up to the Ultimate Blog Party!

Style or Vile?! J. Crew has done it again!!!

You may remember a post I did a few weeks ago with some smashing pictures out of a recent J. Crew catalogue.  If not, you really should check it out HERE. 

And I hoped with all my little heart that it was a mistake, a fluke.  That the J. Crew I've known and loved for years just had a "whoops" moment.

Alas, I fear not.

Dear J. Crew,
It's simple.
You. Are. Losing. Me!

Someone please enlighten me....What is with the socks?! 

 Orange socks with sandals last catalogue, now this?!

I'm sorry also because this whole Saggy Baggy Elephant look....it doesn't even flatter these toothpick models! ---->

<-----Ummm....not buying it!  Don't think this works even on 

S A T

U R D

A Y S.

<---- I imagine this guy saying something to the women on the right like "Excuse me Miss, I noticed your skirt seemed a bit loose.  Perhaps you'd like to cinch the waist a little tighter with my... necktie?!"

<---- "Ahh, just another lazy day at the beach.  Gonna bring out the cashmere cardi and tuck my shirt into my polka dot... 

bikini bottoms?!"

"And later I'm gonna run home, borrow my boyfriend's boxer shorts and tuck my silk blouse into those.  It's the new ghetto chic! *girly laugh and hair toss*  I'm totally SO down!" --->

<----And last but not least.  

I just thought this guy needed a button. So I gave him one.

And Yes....it does say...

Looks like this might be a very unfashionable season for me if this is what's in style.

To write or not to write....tips on Thank You Notes

I think I heard a saying once that went something like...

"Southern born and Southern bred, and when I die I'll be Southern dead."

And any good Southerner, well "bless our hearts," we know how to mind our manners.

My mom enrolled me in cotillion when I was in middle school to learn etiquette.  Things like which fork to use at dinner if there are 5 of them, how to foxtrot (which has been ever so helpful in child-rearing), how to write a proper acceptance letter to a wedding (because at 12 I was hot on the wedding circuit,) and more!  And I'm not even as prim and proper as some, but when it comes to questions on etiquette, you can bet that if I don't already know it, I'll find out.  

And noone knows what's proper better than Emily Post.

Last night I went to a baby shower of a dear friend.  I just love baby showers and I LOVE giving gifts!  But after writing almost 450 Thank You notes surrounding the occasion of my own nuptials, I really don't love writing Thank You notes anymore.  I still do them, and there are times when I really enjoy writing a note (particularly when I have received something unexpected, or from someone far away) but I often feel like after a shower for a person, she is left with a pile of notes that have to get written to thank someone she was actually able to hug and gush over a gift with in person.


And since my wedding, I learned something pretty interesting about Thank You Note etiquette...

"The rule of thumb is that you should send a written note any time you receive a gift (even a ‘thank you’ gift) and the giver wasn’t there to thank in person." - Emily Post

That's what her book said when I got married.  But I wanted to double check again in case something had changed, so I went to none other than EmilyPost.com to find the answer.  And I did come across something interesting that I thought I'd share with regards to note writing.


And here's what Emily herself says about it:

It’s never wrong to send a written thank-you—and—people always appreciate getting “thanks” in writing. Why? Handwritten notes are warmer and more special than other forms of thank-yous. The rule of thumb is that you should send a written note any time you receive a gift (even a ‘thank you’ gift) and the giver wasn’t there to thank in person. But notes are not always necessary. If, for example, the gift is from a close friend or relative (and it’s not a wedding gift) you can email or call instead if you prefer. Below are some other note-writing guidelines:

Shower gifts:  Even though the gift giver attended the shower in your honor and you had a chance to say thanks for her gift, you should still send a written note.

Wedding gifts:  Each wedding gift should be acknowledged with a written note within three months of receipt of the gift. It’s best to write the notes as soon as possible after gifts arrive, however. Write a note even if you have thanked the giver in person.

Congratulatory gifts or cards:  Anyone who sends a present, or a card with a personally written message, should receive a note in return.

Gifts received when sick:  Thank-you notes should be written as soon as the patient feels well enough—or a friend or relative can write the notes. It’s okay to call close friends rather than write.

Condolence notes or gifts:  Everyone who has sent a personal note, flowers or a donation should get a written thank-you. A close friend or relative can write the notes on the recipient’s behalf.

So to my friend the baby shower was for... Turns out that I was wrong.  It appears that mannerly speaking, for a shower gift, you still have to write a note even though you thanked us all and hugged us all last night.  I will say however, DO NOT write one to me...still.  I know you liked the gift.

So according to Ms. Post, I'm not sure that there is an occasion to not write a note after all.  Dinner invitation maybe?  But I have a list of rules that I'll share with you for dealing with me.

If I give you a gift and you open it in front of me, give me a hug and thank me then.  Instead of writing me a note later, just do something nice for yourself...like take a bath, or have a glass of wine!

If I bring a gift to your wedding, I do want a note...not so much that you can gush over the thing that I picked out for you that wasn't on your registry, but mostly so that I can know you got it and it wasn't broken.  Same things goes for if I mail you something.  And, for me, you can call me, or shoot me an email to let me know.  Mostly, I want something letting me know that you actually received what I took the time to get for you.

But I will say this... despite all the rules and etiquette surrounding Thank You notes, there really is something to be said for leafing through bills and magazines by the mailbox and seeing an envelope with a handwritten name on it that is shaped like a piece of stationary.  It's a good feeling.  And in an age where everything is geared towards electronics, and being quick and efficient, pretty much anyone I know gets a warm fuzzy feeling when reading a handwritten note.  I'll say though that my favorite ones are unexpected...the ones just to say "thanks for being a friend", "hope your week gets better," "I'm praying for you just because I love you," or "just thinking of you."

So if I've ever forgotten to write you a note, then I'm sorry.  If you've ever forgotten to write me one, no sweat.  It seems to me that ol' Emily defined what's truly mannerly though when she said:

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use."

And I'm thinking that if THAT statement is your rule of thumb... to write or not to write will be less of a question.

PS. For Thank You notes from kids, HERE are some good ideas on how to get those done. (This is also something that with me personally...you don't have to do!)

Chronic Conversational Colitis...I said something stupid...again

I'm a really friendly person.  Like the kind of friendly who talks to random strangers in the grocery store, or in line at Lowes, or wherever I am really.  My husband says I'm a "social butterfly," and I guess that's pretty much true.  But there is a downside to overt friendliness for me.  I've shared about this problem before.

 

Like the time I met Joe McIntyre (from New Kids on the Block)

 

...total verbal diarrhea.

 Instead of saying something clever or smooth or normal, I had what I call an "I carried a watermelon" moment.  (From Dirty Dancing...when that's all Baby can think to say about why she's at the staff dance party....awkward verbal moments...you know what I'm talking about.)  Anyways, I met Joe McIntyre when I was working at a Top 40 radio station several years back and he was interviewing on the air.  The morning show was over, I went upstairs to check the advertising logs (I sold advertising) and Joe walked back in to take a picture with the morning show guys.  And there I was.  So when introduced, it went something like this....

Morning show guys: "Hey Logan, have you met Joe?  This is Joe."

Me: "No, I haven't.  Hey.  When I was a kid I totally painted your name on my Keds in puff paint."

The end.

I totally carried a watermelon!  What the crap?!....Puff Paint?!?!  (Don't worry Rebecca Kirkland...I didn't take you down with me, even though you were my accomplice in the puff paint shenanigans.)

So today, I had another verbal and social moronic moment. 

We went to Arbys to meet a friend for lunch after she'd invited Tid Bit to one of those inflatable jumping places this morning.  When I walked in (holding Hudson mind you,) the manager was sort of hilariously trying to scratch his back on the wall.  Clearly one of those hard to reach middle-of-the-back itches. He kinda laughed and said "I can't get it!"  SO without thinking much about it I was like "turn around...I'll scratch it for you!"

So I scratched the random manager's back at Arbys.  To which he then says "Well hey.  So, what are you up to later...tonight...or another time?"

I was completely mortified and awkwardly waved my left hand in the air laughing and saying "I'm so sorry...I'm totally married....totally married....totally married!"

Um....awkward.  Especially when I realized that I wasn't even wearing my wedding band!  Thankfully I didn't launch into the reason I wasn't wearing it....got eczema after I had my first child, it gets worse when I take a shower, forgot to put it back on, now waving my hand around like a moron as if I'm sporting it anyways.

Oh have mercy.  Then he offered to carry my tray since I was holding the baby and I said "oh...I see...I scratch your back, you scratch mine?!" trying to lighten the already awkward cloud in the air that I'd caused.

Yeah....didn't help.

One day perhaps I'll find a remedy for my chronic conversational colitis.  (yeah, that's just another clever way I came up with to say verbal diarrhea.)  Til then maybe I can just  on occasion try to....

Hope today you eat more of your own food than words!

Who are you?...in 4 words or less.

Women are a lot of things.

And for some reason today I got to thinking about all that I am as a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, and all the other titles that could easily apply to me.  And then I started wondering if I had to put into words all of that, but somehow a compilation spanning beyond each individual thing....what would I say?

So I did what anyone would do and I posted the question on facebook!  With a twist...4 words or less.

If you had to sum up your role as wife, mom, friend, daughter, etc in 4 words or less (but one cohesive thought)...what would you say?

 And so far...I'm loving the responses.  Some gals are writing things like:

Work of Heart

Exhausted but Worth It

Hard Work that's Rewarding

Earthly Warrior for Jesus

Loving Those I Love

Serving My Divine Purpose

Frustrated with Joy

From Bows to Screwdrivers

And I can't quite decide myself what I'd say...but I keep thinking of things like "Two Hands Holding Many, More than Just Mom, One Life Changing Many"....but I can't pin it down just yet.

So from facebook to blogroll....Who are you in 4 words or less? (This has to be one cohesive thought...not just 4 words.)

Get the comments rolling.  I think this one will be fun!

 

 

Ps. I know you've all seen the picture above of "Rosie the Riveter" which was made popular during WWII.  I put her up there because she's become quite the symbol of all that women can do.  To learn more about the interesting history of Rosie and that picture, click HERE.  Pretty interesting stuff. Thanks Wikipedia!

Parties!... Easter Egg hunt and Brunch

I'm gonna try to be a little strategic here to throw out ideas I have for upcoming seasonal stuff in time that you could actually implement them for THIS current season.  But... I have to be completely honest and tell you that I didn't do a darn thing for St. Patricks Day save wearing green and making my children do it too.  Sorry.

I guess now would also be the time to confess to you that I don't change the wreath on my front door for each Hallmark inspired holiday, I don't do a new mantle for each of the 4 seasons, and I don't celebrate Halloween either.  So if you're disappointed and don't ever want to come back....well, that's your choice, but I do hope you'll stick around despite my choices and shortcomings.

Easter though...well that's just something worth celebrating in my book.  Christmas is my favorite, but if Jesus wasn't born first, then he couldn't have died, and then the raising from the dead wouldn't be happening either.  And well, resurrection is a big deal in my book...especially when the dying was done for me (and you.)

So celebrate Easter I will.  And it's one I like to make a big deal out of.

Three years ago we moved into our current house which is surrounded by over an acre of yard. It's really part of what we loved about this place.  House in town, pool in neighborhood, great school in walking distance, and big ol dirty yard for boys!  At the time we only had Tid Bit (Hudson was a more recent addition,) but I knew even then that a little boy needs a yard and dirt and sticks and freedom to play.

A big yard to me screams fun for parties too!  So that's just what we do around here...we have parties!

The Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch started the first Easter we were here and this year will be the third annual!  It might just be my favorite party of all.  I think this year I sent an evite to a couple hundred people....yes I did say a couple hundred.  I just love a good party with loads of people! (this stuff on the left, well that's not from my party, but I think I just might copy some of it this year. SO CUTE!)

Everyone comes at about 10am and brings a brunch item.  Yes...this party is a pot luck.  I like for pot luck to be a little more inspired though, so the requirement for this one is that it be a brunch item...think homemade cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, egg casseroles, yummy salads, muffins.  Glory glory I love breakfast foods!  So everyone brings something yummy first of all.  Also, for each child participating in the egg hunt, they must bring 12 pre-filled eggs.  My kiddo has severe peanut allergies, so I request no peanut products inside.  Hey...it's my party, I can specify if I want to!

Then usually around 11am we send all the men-folk outside to hide the eggs around our yard.  Remember Shannon from a post awhile back?  Well, she lives next door, and the past couple of years she's let the egg hunt bleed into her big old yard too!  (I'm hoping she'll let us do it again this year!)  We've learned that part of making an egg hunt successful is dividing up the kids in age groups and sectoring off the hunting areas.  It's just not fun for an 18 month old to hunt beside a 10 year-old, so we split them up.  Usually kids who are 3 and under hunt in the most obvious area close to the house, then kids 4-6 hunt in another area, and 7 and up we send over to Shannon's yard for some trickier egg placement.

Now, the inside of my house isn't big enough to hold 200 people either, and I don't really want that many people (and their kids) eating all over my house at once, so I suggest on the invite that people bring picnic blankets to spread all around.  I've also found that it can be helpful to have drink stations both inside and outside to minimize repeat traffic through the house just to get drink refills.  And if you can get your hands on some, buy giant drink dispensers.  Then you can make tons of lemonade, tea or water and not have to be refilling pitchers like a crazy person the whole time!

I set up the dining room for all of the main food, plates, cups, utensils, etc.  Oh yeah, we provide all of that stuff.  The only thing people have to bring is a dish to share and eggs to hunt.  Drinks and all the particulars, we take care of providing.

Now, I should warn you about having an Easter Egg Hunt at your house.  If you are particular about cleanliness, this may not be the party for you, as all the in and out of the house leaves some clean-up at the end.  But I'll tell you a little Secret of a Great Illusionist...before a party like this, don't you dare think about mopping your floors!  Give a swift vacuum to look tidy and save the heavy scrubbing for afterwards....because that's when you'll need it!

So friends, there's still time for you to send an evite and do one of these this year too!  Easter is April 24th, so you have plenty of time to get a party together!  And when you come up with fun ideas, let me know!  One of these days I'm gonna learn how to do a linky party...this would be the PERFECT post for that!

<----For now, look at these chocolate covered strawberries that my blogger friend Beth made....I'm SO gonna copy her and have these at our party!!!  Click HERE to learn how to copy her too!

Anyhow.  Hope I've inspired you to have a party of your own!  I'll be posting more about this as I iron out details and start working on decorations!  I even bought astroturf the other day to use as tablecloths....oh, I'm just so excited!

More to come!

Good gravy...I just learned how to do a linky party!  Thanks Beth!!

Food for Thought....Do what you say!

Oh my words is it raining cats and dogs here.  The kind of soaking rain that is great for our grass, but will inevitably do a number on our septic tank....again.  Better enjoy the master bathroom today, because I forsee a good 4-8 days ahead of avoidance.  One day we'll add more drainfields....one day.

So I have to tell you about a situation that happened to me last night.  After a long day of surgery with a baby (and ridiculous comments from anesthesiologists,) I just wasn't in the mood for "situations."

My mom came to help yesterday with my kiddos.  (SO thankful for her by the way!)  And last night, at the end of a hard day, she treated us to take out.  Good takeout too!

I called to place the order over the phone and when the girl put me on hold to transfer the call, I was listening to the restaurant's pre-recorded loop of specials, advertisements, etc.  Pretty much as soon as I was put on hold there was an add saying "If you place a pick-up order online with our online ordering service, as a way to say thank-you, we will give you 4 of our delicious bakery muffins absolutely free!"

So obviously, I hung up and got online!  They have good muffins people!

I placed the order online, so excited about my 4 free muffins!  If I'd known there was online ordering, I'd probably have done that anyways...but I didn't.  So thanks to their phone information loop, I was going to score 4 muffins now too!  WOOHOO!

The hubs asked me after I'd placed the order if we'd get bread with our dinner since it was pick-up and I wasn't sure, so I called to ask.  Also, I figured if I got to choose the muffin types, I might as well ask that too.  Turned out we did get bread!  Score.  But get a load of the following conversation....

Me: "Oh, I also wanted to ask about the 4 muffins we get for ordering online.  Do I get to choose the flavors or is it prepackaged?"

Hostess: "I don't know about the muffins. Let me ask my manager."

pause...she comes back. "Ma'm, we don't offer muffins just for ordering online.  I'm not sure where you saw that online, but our store does not do that."

"Well, I didn't see it online.  I called originally to place my order with you and when you placed me on hold, I heard it on your phone loop.  It was your store's phone that offered the special."

"I'm sorry ma'm, I am not aware of that special.  We do not offer muffins for online ordering.  I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."

Ok....now let me just say here that I do have a pretty decent understanding of the English language, and if something says "If you place a pick-up order online with our online ordering service, as a way to say thank-you, we will give you 4 of our delicious bakery muffins absolutely free!"...I don't know, I guess I understand that to mean that they will give you 4 actual delicious bakery muffins free.  If it had been in Chinese or German, I'm pretty sure I would have misunderstood, but this message was actually in my native language....English.  And I'm confident that I did not misunderstand.

So I said..."Well, that's fine if you don't stand by your own advertisement, but I would recommend that you remove the offer from your store's phone loop just to avoid further confusion."

And then I let it go.  But I was ticked.  Not because I care that much about the stupid muffins.  But I'm one of those people that if I say I'm going to do something, I do it.  And I expect other people to do the same.  And I REALLY expect businesses to stand by their own advertisements.  If they forgot to take a sign off of a sale rack, their fault...I think they should honor the sale price.  If they say buy one get one free and don't have an end date printed on the coupon....well, I expect that deal to be honored.  If a special is intended for "new customers only" but that isn't stated ANYWHERE in the ad, well then...even if I am an old customer...I expect that to be extended...even if it was just their goof.

I'm not trying to put anyone out of business or anything, but I just go by the old idea of "say what you mean, and mean what you say."  Oh yeah, I've read that before somewhere else too....how about "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'" from the Bible?!  All to say...I'm BIG on doing what you say.

When I was a freshman in college I volunteered to be in charge of the freshman Homecoming float project in the first month or so of school.  I was thrilled when 150 people signed up over a couple of days to help.  What a turn-out!  Until the time came to actually build the float and there were only TEN of us working on it.  All. Night. Long.  And that night I learned a sad but important lesson about the world.

 Most people do not do what they say they will do.

Bummer.

But that doesn't mean that I will be one of those people.

My mom was the one who went in to pick up our take-out.  I had forgotten to tell her about the muffin debauchle since we wouldn't be getting any muffins anyhow.  Apparently somewhere between the phone call and the pick-up though, a waiter there concurred with my understanding of the phone loop ad and I guess they decided we should get some muffins afterall.  So in the end, we got 4 delicious bakery muffins absolutely free because the restaurant did end up standing by what they had advertised.  But the moral of the story here for me is that...I have issues when people don't do what they say they will.

Be different people.  Be honorable.  Be trustworthy.  Be dependable.  And for crying out loud...don't say you'll do something if you know that you never will!

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.  ~Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

It's got to start somewhere.

Happy Weekend!

 

A Day in the Life....my baby had surgery.

Yesterday I made the most of the day with my kids.  We went to the zoo and had a picnic with some friends.  I needed yesterday to be a good day too, because I knew that today could be a hard one.

Hudson had his adenoids out this morning.  And tubes put in his ears.  And really, the worst thing of all to me was the frenulectomy.  Don't worry, I didn't know what that was before either.  It's for kids who are "tongue-tied."  Meaning, when they stick out their tongue, it looks kinda like this....

See...it doesn't stick out all the way...kinda curves back downwards. (that's not actually him.)

Well, Hudson had that.  So, they go up under the tongue and clip that piece of tissue that holds your tongue down because it's too long and can cause speech issues, etc.  (In infants it can often cause issues nursing, but didn't for Hudson ever which is probably why we didn't notice it earlier.)


Tid bit had his adenoids out last year (and tonsils), so I was prepared for that part.  And the tubes in the ears, well we know LOADS of kids who've had that done.  But this tongue thing....well it just made the whole thing pitiful.  And noone ever told me that I should wear a shirt I don't care about to the hospital because my shoulders were covered in blood when we left.

I don't know about you, but when my kids are bleeding...and a lot of it, well it just makes me cry.  Not to mention that when they come out of anesthesia they're just pitiful.  Crying and crying.  Man...just broke my heart!  I'm not the pass-out -at-the-sight-of-blood sort of person either, but it does make me sad.  And today, well his poor little mouth...it just kept bleeding and bleeding.  All over me when i was holding him after his surgery.  I feel sure I'll come up with some new tips for everyone about how to get blood out of a shirt that you really like.  Or not....  It remains to be seen.

Anyhow, we're home and he is sleeping now, and I'm thinking that despite the nice weather, I might just go take a nap too.  I'm exhausted.  Watching your child be pitiful just takes it right out of you!

Hopefully he'll be feeling better soon.  Sure do appreciate any prayers you feel like tossing to the Big Daddy in the sky on behalf of us!

PS.  You'll never guess who almost made an appearance at the hospital today either?!

No, I'm not kidding.

First words out of the anesthesiologist's mouth when he walks in to meet us and go over things.... "Oh, he has a crooked eye.  Do you know that he has a crooked eye?"

GROWL!!!

"Yes I know...does it have any affect on his ability to have anesthesia for this procedure today?"

"No."

"Alright then, moving on."

Are you kidding me?!  He clearly doesn't ever read my blog!?!?! LOL!

Ok...forgiving now.  Just had to tell you!

Mama Bear... and the unkind words

I had a moment today.... if you've been reading here for any time, you're probably not surprised by this as I have all kinds of "moments."  But today's moment....well I almost came unglued.

Being a mom is the most incredible thing I've ever done, and I'm often amazed by how quickly my emotions respond to things when it involves my kids.  You know the moments that you see your kids get leveled on a playground and some insane anger rises up in you to protect them?!  Or probably as they get older and an unfair call is made in an athletic event against them, and you want to take the ref out?  Or when someone else makes fun of them...

All I have to say is .....

Look OUT!  That's my baby you're messing with!

And you feel the protective mother bear rise up in you....ready to level the perpetraitor of the offense in one mighty blow.

And that's how I felt today...in the blink of an eye.

I have to tell you first that today is the MOST amazing day of weather possible here in the Southeast.  It's mid-seventies, sunny, wildly breezy, and the color of spring literally everywhere you turn.  Azaleas and cherry trees blooming all over, the scent of flowers drifting in the air, the pollen so thick my car looks a mustard color instead of the gray it normally is.  I'll take it though...Spring is in full swing here and I eat it up.  Which is why I decided to walk to pick Tid Bit up from school today.  

We live in the neighborhood just behind his school and it's the most pleasant walk to get there, complete with a neighbor's masterful garden path which dumps us out right at the edge of the school's practice fields.

<---- (PS. This is just a spring image of an amazing park where I live.  Gorgeous huh?!)

Anywhoo...we walked to school today to get Tid Bit.  And as we were strolling back through the halls of the school to head out the back door by the field we cut through to get home, well that's when the mother bear in me came out.

There was a class of kids, probably 7-8 year olds I'd guess, sitting along the wall in the hall...looked like a bathroom break maybe.  As we came up near them, one of the boys turned to his friend, laughed and pointed at Hudson and said...

"Look at how stupid that baby looks with his eyes crossed."

Mama Bear....  Bring it kid!

I don't care that the kid was 8.  My 4 year old knows if he's saying something just to be mean.  And this was just plain mean.  

Hudson is 14 months old and his left eye is a little turned inward.  And we have to patch his other eye for 30 minutes a day to try to strengthen the weak one (which I think is a cake-walk in the realm of health issues by the way.)  I think that the kid is gorgeous.  And even if that's just to me, well then fine.  

But have mercy....I tell you what... something in me bristled up and I quickly had to dismiss the thought of grabbing that boy by his ear and hurling him across the room super-hero style.  

 Making fun of others for their differences, well we just don't tolerate that in our household.  And I won't tolerate it towards my kids (or other kids for that matter) outside of my house hold either. 

So, in the 2 seconds that I had to process this offense between when it was delivered and when I was actually close enough to hurl the kid across the room, my mind raced as to how I should handle it.  Should I walk by and pretend that it never happened, should I seek out the teacher and let her know, should I say something myself, or should I resort to the super-hero toss?!  And being the not-afraid-of-confrontation person that I am, I decided that the offense was worth a word...and that random kid would at least have to feel embarrassed for being mean and getting busted for it, even if he didn't stop to think about it ever again.

I stopped my stroller and I looked straight at him and I said... "I heard you making fun of my little boy, and that just wasn't kind.  God makes each person in His image and he makes people different in all sorts of ways, but that doesn't make them less beautiful or less special.  You realize that God makes people different and special in different ways don't you?  And it's just not ok to make fun of people because God made them different from you."

And then I walked on and felt like I was about to burst into tears.

Kids are mean.  And for that matter...people are mean.  And if I could always protect my kids from the mean ones, and unkind words, and people who make fun of differences instead of loving for them and beyond them....well I'd do it, and I bet you would too.

But I can't....

So I am left with what I can figure is my only choice.   Teach my own children as best as I know how, to be better than those actions and unkind words themselves, teach them how to embrace differences or disabilities and find beauty in what makes us each different, and the biggest thing of all....teach them to forgive the people who don't.

Because those people are out there....everywhere.

Hudson won't have to forgive today because he's too young to understand what happened.  But I will....I will choose today to forgive that boy.  Do I think he deserves it?....No.  Do I deserve it when I mess up generally too?....well, No.   But, I have been forgiven by The Creator of the Universe.  And of one who has been forgiven much....

Much is required.

So today will require that I forgive more, love better, and teach my children to do the same.  And I'm pretty sure that tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and all the days after that will probably require much of the same.

Thanks for stopping by today!

How do you respond when faced with similar situations?  And how do you teach your children to respond?  I'm not wanting to have a judgement session here in the comments section at all, but just curious how you all are teaching your children to deal with situations like this too?

Also want to give kudos to www.kimdeloachphoto.com for the incredible picture of my baby here!  She's phenomenal if you're looking to preserve these precious days of your family too!

Steam Mops....the good, the bad, the ugly.

I'm not naturally the most tidy person in the world.  In fact, well....you know what, let's just keep it at "I'm not naturally tidy."

But once in awhile, I get bit by the super cleaning bug and when I do, I better get on it because it may be some time before it happens again.

Case in point....the day I bought a steam mop.

I have what appears to be a Mexican-type tile on the floors in my kitchen and laundry room. See...

They're not quite as yellow looking as this picture shows, but you get the idea.  And I guess I should be partly thankful that it takes a whole lot of junk to actually make these floors feel really dirty....since they sort of always feel dirty because of the shading.  Ok, so if I'm honest, I am kinda glad it takes a lot...I don't mop every day.  Alright, alright...I maybe mop once a week.  It's quick vacuuming or dustbusting for me most days.

But once in awhile, I want these babies as clean as they can possibly get.  So I decided that what I needed was a steam mop.  Now thankfully for me, The Hubs is a research kind of guy.  And if he wasn't, then it's ok because I think that I inherited some bizarre product research gene from my dad (you remember from the Hanky Panky post, he won't watch a movie without Wall Street Journal approval.)  Anywhoo....I wasn't going to just go to Lowes and buy the first one I saw...which would have been the Shark steam mop because it's everywhere.

And I'm glad I didn't...because doesn't rate nearly as highly as several others.

So at the time I checked which was a few months back, the Eureka EnviroSteam 313A was the highest rated on Consumer Reports (which you have to be a member of fyi to access their ratings....obviously with the research gene I have, we are members.)  That's the one I ended up with...ran about $89 when I bought it probably 5 months ago, is about $65 now. Currently on Consumer Reports though there is one called the H2O Ultra that is rating higher (although I will say it's not getting great user reviews.)  One thing I will tell you that I LOVE about about this mop is that the pads you use are easily washable.  Also, instead of using their custom pads, you could clip any old thick dishrag on and use them to clean your floors.  It's the hot sanitizing steam that gets the floors clean.  And with this model, you only have to hold the mop in place for 3 seconds over any area to actually sanitize since the water reaches about 220 degrees.  Both this and the next one I'll tell you about (the Haan FS-20) actually get hot enough to sanitize.  If they don't get hot enough to sanitize, then there's really not any benefit to getting this over a regular mop besides not having to wring it out periodically. 

<----- The other highly rated mop is the Haan FS-20 which in some places actually rated higher than the Eureka that I have.  I didn't get that one because I was in the mood to clean my floors THAT day that I bought it and I couldn't find the Haan in a store easily, plus the Eureka got higher reviews on some sites as well.  On Amazon they are roughly the same price.  Both this one and the Eureka take about 3 minutes to heat up, but they each sanitize a section by keeping in place for just 3 seconds (this one heats to about 212 degrees)...it's a slow pace cleaning, but not nearly as slow as some that require you to hold in place for a full 15 seconds to sanitize.  The longer you have to hold it in place by the way, the wetter it'll leave your floors in the end.

I'm just gonna go ahead and tell you....if you have a Shark, you probably like it....but that's probably because you haven't compared it to what these other mac-daddy mops can do.  The shark only heats up to 110 degrees and just fyi, that's warm enough to mop, but can't begin to touch sanitizing.  Which also means that glob of unknown goop that's been stuck on your floor for ages...well, it's not coming up with the Shark.  At 220 degrees, the Envirosteam heated up dried-on paint enough to scrape off with my fingernail.  I couldn't hardly get it off with a knife before.

If you want to keep reading more, HERE is a link from Amazon to a customer review I found very helpful in addition to my other research.

In the end though, if you are in the market for a steam mop...I'd recommend the Haan FS-20 or the Eureka Envirosteam 313A.  And if there are men reading this thinking of grabbing one of these gems up for your wife for Mother's Day....you are awesome.  As long as you give her a gift certificate for a massage for Mother's Day as well.  Do NOT...I repeat...DO NOT only give your wife a mop for Mother's Day.  It just doesn't send the loving message I know you want to send.  There's really nothing like saying "enjoy your day now honey, but get back to cleaning the floors tomorrow!"  I'd recommend coupling this gift with something that lets her take a load off for a couple of hours as well!

Well friends, happy cleaning!  And if you think I'm completely wrong, or have comments to add to my research, then please by all means post away!

I guess I should tell you that the above is my opinion but it's based upon reading easily 10 different site reviews and loads of consumer comments.  And don't I wish that I'd been compensated for these reviews....but I wasn't.  So this is straight up, my opinion.  If anyone would like to pay me for that though, I'm open to it! LOL!

Tales of a Lesser Woman: Even Mommies Throw Temper Tantrums

I know, I know.  The title says it all doesn't it?

<-----This was pretty much me today...for most of the day.  I know, awesome right?!

Today wasn't my best day.  Not even close.  It started great, but ONE thing went differently than I expected and I'm sorry to say I let it ruin my attitude for the rest of the day.  Yes, I did say for the rest of the day.

Have you ever read "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst?

If not, you really should.  This poor kid Alexander just has it rough one day and nothing goes quite like he'd wanted or expected it to.  And whenever I read this to Tid Bit, I always mention what the author never does, and that is that we have a choice to let our disappointments continue to ruin our day or not. 

Today, I'm very embarrassed to say that I did not model that very good advice that I give to my own son.  And very unfortunately, he was completely aware of my crappy attitude and behavior....and during his prayers tonight prayed that I'd have a better day and a better attitude tomorrow.  WOW!  Nothing like a 4 year old's prayers to kick you in the pants!

So you're probably wondering what went wrong today and I wish I could say it was something truly awful, but it wasn't.  It all stemmed from me being selfish and just having a crappy attitude when things didn't go like I'd expected. 

This morning we were getting ready for church and I made sure that Hudson would squeeze in at least an hour nap so that hopefully, just hopefully I'd be able to sit through the entire service today.  I think I've mentioned before that in the 14 months since he was born, I have been able to sit through an entire church service just once without being called out to get him (or in the earlier days having to go out to nurse him.)  It's been a LONG time since I've been able to be a part of an entire service...and I really miss it.  And today was a special day because our church has been collecting offerings over the past month to distribute to 7 community organizations that benefit the homeless, the elderly, the orphaned, the widows, the poor in finances and in spirit.  Today, we were totalling the monies and distributing checks to these groups.  Last year the goal was to raise $16,000 and give each group $2K, but we ended up raising $64,000 and each group was given a check for $8K....obviously exciting to see how generous our church body has been.  (If your'e wondering, I think we have about 600 members.) And all of this is above the normal giving.  So this year we wanted to try to give more.  And I really wanted to be able to be a part of the celebration service today.  And the plan was to come a little late so that Hudson could nap, and hopefully I could be there for the whole service.

We walked in, and no sooner than I had begun to look for a seat, the children's pastor asked me if I could please help out in the nursery because they were short staffed.  And right there is where I let go of my day....because there, my friends, is where my expectations weren't met.

I'm sitting here typing and shaking my head at myself and my awful attitude.  I was upset because this one time I was really trying to make it work for me, and I was asked to work for someone else.  It's so ironic too...I fell apart because I wanted to be involved with serving "the greater good" with our community partners, but at the same time my entire attitude just frankly sucked at having to serve in a capacity different from what I had set my mind upon. 

And to add insult to injury, Hudson actually stayed in his nursery class the entire time.  I guess I should be thankful that he did it, but instead it just made me feel more upset that everything I had done to insure that had actually worked...and I didn't get any of the benefit of those efforts like I'd hoped today.

On the way home, Tid Bit pitched a fit because he didn't get to jump in the bounce house at the Celebration Lunch after church.  Then Hudson started crying too.  My head hurt because I had cried before I went in to work in the nursery, and I was even more frustrated feeling at the picnic with all of my friends who were talking about how amazing the service was...and to give over $12K to each community group this year...how incredible. (Which it is by the way!) But I had wanted to be there.  I felt rotten.  Then the Hubs said something that made me mad, but I don't even remember what it was, so by the time we got home, I was in tears, I yelled at Tid Bit, hit the side of the car (and busted a blood vessel in my finger), and to really add to my ridiculousness, I kicked a baby gate over on my way to put myself in Time Out in my room.  Wow....I am awesome...I behaved exactly like my almost 5 year old.  And now I'm telling you all about it. 

I, friends, had a temper tantrum.

Have I mentioned that I'm not 5... but 32?!

Hopefully by the end here, you will maybe feel sort of better if you too have days like this.  If you don't, then I really would like to soak up some of your awesomeness.

SO here's the thing that keeps coming in my mind today.  And if you know me well, I'm sure I've said this in person plenty of times too.  Thanks to my friend, Trisha, who years ago said something to me that has always stuck....

"Expectations are preconceived resentments."

And when you think about it....it's true.

How many times do we get bent out of shape because something didn't go like we expected?  We expected to have a great birthday present, but instead we got a movie that we didn't want in a bag with a kid picking his nose on it from our spouse.  We expected that our kids would love that we took them to the zoo, but instead they pitch an all out fit when we don't let them buy $10 worth of crackers to throw in the general direction of the giraffes who don't eat them.  We expect a raise in our job, but when it comes it's just a slap in the face.  And the list goes on doesn't it?

When we expect things to go one way....we often set ourselves up for disappointment and/or resentment when they don't.

And PS...  Life doesn't generally go as expected.

So today I'm reminded that I need to make sure that for one...I clearly need to get a good night's sleep tonight!  Two, my expectations need to be held more loosely.  And three, I need to remember that serving is serving....whether it's giving more than I'm comfortable with to the poor .....or helping out in the nursery so maybe someone new could put their kids in and enjoy the service.  Serving is serving.  And the reality is that no matter how you serve, it will require something of you.

Today for me, it required me to expect less and give more. And I sure hope that next time I do a better job of it in my heart as well.







What expectations do you have in your life that leave you throwing a tantrum when they're not met?  Do you place expectations on others that may set up your relationships with them for failure?  When life doesn't go like you expect, how do you respond?


I do want to say that today's response isn't my M.O. by any stretch of the imagination.  It was just one of those days where it all hit me wrong...and it probably doesn't help that I'm in a horomonal state of the month either...but still, no excuse.  I want you to know that this confession is sadly the truth, but that it's also not how I function normally when faced with a disappointment!

White Done Right...Crisp Interiors guest post!

Drumroll please.....

The other day I posted about how I find myself at a loss when it comes to decorating with a lack of color...more specifically whites!  And without further ado, today I want to introduce you to Emily Knotts of Crisp Interiors who has some fabulous white-decorating pointers for all of us!  Woohoo!  And while she's here with us, I'm guest posting over at Crisp Interiors, so make sure to pop over there and read my offering of decorating with color! 

So ladies and gents....here she is!  Emily Knotts:

In the world of interior design, we are always encouraged to spend, spend, spend.    Just grab the latest issue of Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, or Restoration Hardware and you’ll see what I mean. 

Styles & trends.....well, they’re always changing.  Though I’d love to be able to switch things up in my home every time one of these fabulous catalogs lands on my doorstep, it’s just not in the budget.  THAT’S where my love of all things white comes in.  

It kind of makes me want to MELT into a room like this:

{image via Elle Decor}

The wonderful thing about decorating with WHITE (other than the fact that I just gush over it) is that it never gets old.  It lends itself to a timeless, beautiful and classic home with impeccable style. 

(See what I mean? A show stopper for sure!)

Since getting married last June and living on what we like to call the “newlywed budget” it’s been an exciting challenge to turn a once well-loved bachelor pad into a cozy home for two.  We have somehow managed to furnish almost our entire home with yard sale finds, antique store treasures, and thrift shop caste offs that my husband and I have either re-furbished or painted.  It really is amazing to see what a fresh coat of white can do to those walls and to those once forgotten pieces of furniture.

Along the way in this journey to create our home, my personal style has become one of simplicity.    It is my hope that when friends walk into our little cottage, it oozes a feeling of calm, comfortable & clutter free. 

If you’re like me and loving all things white lately, you might start with these simple tips (that I’ve learned from the pros along the way):

#1: Layer Up: Don’t be afraid to layer all shades of white:  They should all be slightly different so that your room lends itself to contrast and depth.  Choose toned down colors in a variety of values so that you end up with a soft mix of creamy and bright.

{Hop on over to Crisp Interiors to see the latest post on my favorite neutral paint color choices.}

{source unknown}

{image via Restoration Hardware}

#2 Natural Elements: Bring the outside in!  Elements of nature in the home are a great way to add contrast to a room washed in white.  Fresh flowers, ferns, bamboo, budding spring branches, soft natural wood elements, botanical prints...these will all break up the white but not take away from the calm, clean and crisp atmosphere.

{Source Unknown}

(loving the contrast of the natural wood and greenery with the crisp white kitchen)

{image via Restoration Hardware}

Loving the idea of a wall of framed botanical prints.

These work well in an old window pane as well....(that's next up on my project list!)

#3 Go for texture: Tactile materials: linen upholstery, cozy white wool rugs, overstuffed cushions, nubby cashmere throws....These all add visual and tactile interest. 

My very favorite go-to fabric that’s super cheap and easy: CANVAS drop cloth!  Works like a charm every time and people really do think it’s linen.  We’ve covered EVERYTHING in this stuff for next to nothing.

We recently gave these cane chairs new life with a clean coat of white paint, some ebony stain, and a fresh drop-cloth covered cushion! 

(See?  I love white so much that we even have WHITE FLOORS! Now that's dedication!)

(via Elle Decor)

#4 De-clutter: When you’re going all white, try your best to keep clutter away and out of sight.  I know it’s hard, but clutter will only reduce the calm and elegance that you’re going for.  

If you're lucky (and extremely organized), you might just end up with something like this:

(this is NOT my house by the way!  I'm not there QUITE yet!)

#5: Make it your own.  Play around with whites!  Make it as uniquely yours as you can!  Add pieces that inspire, that make you feel refreshed. 

Experiment with white until it feels just elegant enough, just peaceful enough, just fresh enough to be:

YOUR HOME! 

For me, it looks a little something like this when it all comes together. 

I can't wait to see what gorgeous creations you all come up with when white's done right!

Thanks for letting me drop by today!  I had such fun being Logan’s guest!

Leaving you with a quote by the insanely talented Andree Putman, French interior designer extraordinaire!

“To have style is to see beauty in modest things.”

Thanks for stopping by everyone, and don't forget to check out what I wrote today at Crisp Interiors! And while you're there, surf around for awhile!  I promise, you'll be glad you did!!!

- Logan