Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Yellow Is Not My Favorite Color Today

My car, front porch and I am pretty sure the inside of my lungs are yellow today.  Not a pretty pale yellow, or a bright sunshine yellow, but a nasty, cottony (is that even a word?) POLLEN yellow.

Despite an allergy shot and meds, I am not winning the battle but come tomorrow my hose and I will be in full force and I am determined to win the war this year!

Until then, sweet dreams of the non_pollen variety!


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Beantown...

I co-chaired Mini K's school auction this year.  It was Friday night and so much fun, but I spent the weekend catching up and watching Mini K play a great lacrosse game.  Our Sunday night dinner was spent with Mini K lobbying that we fly up to Boston for the "holiday" as it was educational.  Baby C spent dinner screaming Go Sox and Red Nation.  Then yesterday happened.

I am speechless and for me that is saying something.  I went to college in Boston, and watching those images yesterday took me back to more runs around Copley and down Newbury than I can count, cabs rides to and from Logan down Storrow Drive and evening spent at Dad's Diner, which I am not sure even still exists.

I met Mini K after school yesterday for track practice and she asked how fast the winner ran.  I answered and left it at that.  How do I tell a 7 year old we have some sick people in this world?  That an 8 year old boy has gone to heaven?  For the past decade we have been blessed, terrorism has been kept at bay by the men and women who stay up around the clock and see and hear things that we are shielded from, yet yesterday we saw it, and many many people felt it.  This morning Mini K came down for breakfast and I changed the channel thinking I had outsmarted her.  I was wrong.

On the way to school she said, I know something bad happened at the race yesterday and people went to heaven and are in the hospital.   I asked her how that made her feel and she said sad.  We arrived at school and I hugged her and she said something I will never forget:  "Mommy I knew something was wrong yesterday because you hugged me really tight like this.  Can you hug me really tight all the time?"  I nodded, told her I loved her, got in the car and burst into tears.  My sweet little 7 year old summed up what I think we as adults forget, tell the people in your life how much you love them, don't take them for granted and live each day.  Unfortunately, we live in a world with bad people, and while it took our government a day to label yesterday, we all knew that anyone with the intent to harm people is an act of terrorism, their nationality doesn't make it any easier to understand.

Tonight, the minnies are snuggled in their beds, tight hugs were given and prayers were said.

God Bless You Boston.  You are strong and a nation is hugging you tight!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Discount Thursday FInds

I had a different post planned for today, but decided to share some deals instead!  All but one of these you can double your savings by shopping through your Ebates account.  If you haven't joined Ebates yet, you are throwing money away so join HERE.

Horchow is offering 25-30% off the ENTIRE site, PLUS 6% cash back via Ebates.  If you pay with your Neimans Card and are an Incircle Member you get free shipping.  They currently have their monogrammed towels on sale, plus the additional 30% off makes them cost the price of a monogram...it's like getting the towel FREE!  I love giving these as graduation and housewarming gifts.

You can save an additional 30% off you purchase at Gilt with code:  GILT30.

C.Wonder is offering 30% off sale prices with code CITRUS and you can also get 5% cash back when you shop through Ebates.  They still have a lot of letters left in their fabulous monogrammed mugs.  These would be great as hostess gifts, teachers gifts or for yourself!



Happy Shopping!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Stick A Fork In It

This is NOT a recipe post.  Our dishwasher has been hungry for the past month...I am pretty sure it is on its last temper tantrum before it leaves us for dishwasher retirement home.  Unfortunately our forks have been the target its bad behavior!

So I know find myself on the search for new everyday flatware, or maybe an excuse to purchase new flatware.  If something sits still lon enough I will find a way to monogram it and my target is flatware.

I have found a few options and now I must decide.  If you have a set you love, and are willing to share, I would love some more choices.  Remember I have 2 minnies and am not looking for a service that I will need to hand wash!

This set from Ballard Designs has a vintage feel but is still casual, and there is always a coupon code for Ballard in Coastal or Southern Living.


I found this set on Ebay, a place I never would have thought to look for a set of new flatware.  I like the clean lines and classic block initial.


Believe it or not this 46 piece set is less than $60 with engraving!

Decisions, decisions....


Monday, April 8, 2013

Something to Remember

I haven't felt like blogging.  There isn't one thing, but just haven't felt like it.  Over the past week I have missed it.  I am now officially 38, my youngest is now almost 3 and another summer is taunting me in the not too distant future, but I have realized that the feeling of being unsettled might go away if I come back to just writing it all out, the good bad, the stuff that makes you wonder if I have lost it, essentially life!

This weekend was a reminder of how precious life is and how fast it can change.  I am a wife, a mother and the owner of two companies and I do not think I would be able to do any of these things without the wisdom and guidance of those that have gone before me.  I remember watching the news as a kid and not really knowing who the famous people were whose lives as ended.  Now it seems I remember them all...talk about feeling old.

The world has lost two amazing women in the last 72 hours:  Margaret Thatcher and Lilly Pulitzer.  One of them ran a country and the other created an empire based on living life to the fullest...neither required a discussion of the theory of "leaning in" neither took sides in the working mom vs. stay at home mom debate, both of them just lived their lives and did.

I can look in my closet, as well as Mini K's and Baby C's and see the impact that Lilly Pulitzer had on the world.  Her clothes make us smile, they make us think of vacations, and parties and family photos.  They are a wearable pick me up that were created out of one women's need to solve a problem and in solving the problem of juice stains she gifted us all with generations of happy memories, laughter and smiles.

Mini K had a date on Friday night...with her Daddy and without a moment's hesitation said I need to wear a Lilly dress.  Even 7 year olds know that a Lilly Pulitzer dress can change an evening!




Margaret Thatcher taught us all that a tough women is not another word for a witch.  She showed us how to go toe to toe with a man without the need for a quota or special help...in fact I think a lot of men wished they didn't pick a fight with her as it didn't end well for them.


Leave it to these two women to get me back to blogging.  I am not sure if anyone is still reading, but I am happy to be back!