Zuzu Wishes To Watch Wonder Pets, Says Nora.

Who's ready for the theatre?
THIS GIRL.

'Twas a good weekend. A great one, in fact.

I went on three- count 'em, three- dates this weekend.

Date One was with my husband to see the stellar Sky's The Limit, Weather Permitting at Second City's etc stage ('cause we know people in the show)!

Date Two was with Nat n' Rachael n' P.J. to see Underworld: Awakening in IMAX and 3D...at the behest of Nat n' me.

And Date Three was with my darling Nora Jane to see Emerald City Theatre's Snow White at The Apollo.

During Date One, P.J. screamed "Apple!" and "Korean!" at the improvisers, much to their dismay. (They hate "apple.")

During Date Two, Nat and I screamed "Too close, too close!" at the screen while bone fragments and glass flew at our faces.

And during Date Three, Nora screamed "I DO NOT LIKE HIM" at the magic mirror. Also, she requested that the lights come back on, please- I SAID PLEASE.

We also started ramping up for one of my very favorite holidays- Valentine's Day. This year's cards prove to be some of my favorite yet, most likely because I've [started to] let go of my OCD tendencies of card perfection and allowed my miniature Jackson Pollack wannabe to take over as Art Director. The result? Lots of glitter. The surprising and completely non-limiting choice of holiday and calendar stickers. Color pairings  that ought to hurt the eye...but somehow make us really, really happy.

And sure- absolutely- glitter has ended up in the bathtub, on dinner plates, between Susannah's toes, etc., etc., but I think we can all agree it's all worth it in the grand scheme of things. (Sorry, Suzy.)

This Valentine prep has completely derailed such tasks as Completing The Book For An Interested Party, Tweaking A Play So That The Ending Makes Sense/Doesn't Anger The Reader, and Pre-Treating The Baby's Laundry With Stain Stick.

I am just now realizing that in all of these stories, Susannah is getting the short end of the [stain] stick.

We'll make it up to her. In fact, we'll spend the rest of the day doing whatever she likes best.

As translated/decided by her big sister, Nora.

(Blanket tents and warm cocoa for everyone!)

Eaten Alive By Tonka Trucks.

Someone else who liked her
 toys a LOT...

Do you ever have the kind of night where you're dying to make a pan of brownies, eat more than your fair share, and just kinda need everyone to be okay with that? Only- you go to find the mix only to find no mix, and you wonder just what kinda jerk would banish all junk food from the house after New Year's...only to remember that it was, in fact, you?

So you make yourself a mug of hot cocoa...only you make it a questionably large mug, and when faced with the choice of mini marshmallows or whipped cream (I guess we didn't obliterate all of the junk, now did we?), you choose...both. Lots and lots of both.

And you feel no shame over this.

Except for maybe a twinge or two the next morning you begin to post a blog. For example.

I suppose it's my week for inconsequential whining.

After the rush of an absolutely perfectly organized (and clean!) dining room, I decided to tackle the playroom, formerly known as the family room, also formerly a space where one could sit even if one were not a miniature person.

I can admit my mistakes when I make them.

And I made one.

Irrationally enough, I thought it would be a great idea to have all of the kids' large toys and stuff in the room where they, you know, play. Because there was a ball pit in the kitchen (or, as Nora calls it- a pit ball. Which sounds too much like pit bull. Which I also do not want in the kitchen). And there was a multi-room tent in the living room. A trampoline in the unfinished downstairs room. And in the playroom? A kitchen, two bookshelves, a train table, an art table, stacks and stacks of "projects," a stroller, a Lego wagon, a wagon wagon, a ride-on Lion King safari car, and babies. Not even including the real one.

And since Suzy got, well, more mobile, she's brought an exersaucer and a swing into the room.

You know it's bad when your new kid brings two pieces into the mix (as opposed to your toddler's fifteen pieces) and you're all like- THIS BABY IS CHANGING EVERYTHING.

We're not spendy, nor are we actual hoarders. We just happen to know some incredible gifters, and we happen to have been on the receiving end of some insane hand-me-down action. And if you think I'm bad about loving my possessions too much...well, you should see Miss N.J. in action.

She loves everything.

She is playing with everything.

Yes, even that thing under that other thing.

But since I was hot off of my dining room victory, I thought I could tame the beast that is childhood play. And I was schooled.

It was like playing a game of Jenga with Escher.

Even after I had stacked and sorted and made piles (to donate- shh...) and hid some larger items in the closet and cleaned and dusted and mopped and lost Susannah under some toys and then found her but lost Doc Bullfrog...it was still too much. There wasn't enough wall space.

I debated getting rid of Zuzu's swing but, as she was still in it, I realized that perhaps she could keep that one item. 

So I lofted. I channeled my first year room at Hampshire and perpendiculared that shiz. I cleared out more stuff and pulled the couch out into the center of the room and shifted furniture and put the wagon in P.J.'s office (sorry) and STILL there wasn't enough room.

It beat me. The playroom won.

The judges might hafta strip me of the Feng Shui Master title [that I've given myself].

In other First World Problem News, The Food I'm Eating Is Too Delicious and My Fifties Are Too Crisp.

I'm still really smarting over the brownie thing, though.

Zuzu has a good time.

...Mostly.

Keely Gets Purty. Kinda.

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the
Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/


I kept it simple for 2012.

"Consume more water," I said to myself. "Drink some drinking water," as Nora calls it.

And while this resolution may be easily crossed off of a daily list, perhaps I need to reach a little higher in terms of beauty and wellness goals. (I mean, you all remember my failed attempt at being non-sweatpantsy, right?)

"But beautifying oneself is expensive," you [I] say to yourself [myself]. "And I need to save money for things like food/a fur vest [/patching drywall]."

Thankfully, you [I] live next door to a Walgreens. (And let's be honest, if you live in a decently sized town, you probably do, too.) So let's make a new list for 2012, shall we?

Resolution #1- For The Love Of God, I WILL Do Something With My Hair.

- Whether this means updating my 5th grade hairstyle with sassy new hair clips, using a tourmaline ceramic brush (as opposed to the broken bristles of death that I currently wield), or finally realizing that perhaps to have hair that doesn't look shampooed and air-dried, one needs to put something on one's hair besides shampoo (and air).

Resolution #2- Scrub A Dub Dub, In Or Out Of The Tub.

- If you're anything like me, you're exceedingly dull. But just on the surface. Shallowly dull, that's you. (And me.) I think this is the year to have our skin(s?) reveal our inner sparkliness. (But not in a Twilight kinda way.) I'm talkin' natural facial fruity scrubs, sugar scrubs for all over that smell luscious enough to eat (but don't- neither should you eat lip gloss, no matter how good it smells. You are WELCOME), and all of those fun products that prevent our dry skin from making audible sounds from underneath our corduroy pant legs.

Resolution #3- Show A Little Cleavage. Toe Cleavage.

- Now, unless you can afford weekly pedicures (in which case I either hate you or would like you to become my best friend/sugar Daddy), there's gonna be a time where the heels of your feet could sand unfinished wood. But this is easily amended with those ridonkulously cool PedEgg foot files. Also, a good shea butter can do wonders. (Unless you have to immediately walk on a wood floor. Then- refrain.) And instant gratification can be found in a teensy bottle of bright nail color. Did you know that Pantone declared tangerine to be the color of the year for '12? And it's awfully easy to be both bold and trendy when it's your feet doing the boldy trending.

Let's all resolve to be more lovely in 2012. Within our budgets. Starting with me.

And hey, looks like I've just posted a nice li'l wishlist for easy gifting!

(How lovely is that?)