Cottonelle Clean Routine, AKA She's Talking About THAT?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cottonelle.

Friends, it seems like this is my week to talk about bodily functions. (Ha- you say- week?)

Yes, but this time it's legit and sponsored and not just me crying about being peed on in the wee (womp, womp) hours of the morning. At least it's not only that.

Cottonelle has unrolled (good Lord, I'm on fire) their new Cottonelle Care Routine, which pairs up their toilet paper with Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths. They've even brought in London-based immersive journalist Cherry Healy to get the word out about giving your bathroom routine a makeover. And we ain't talkin' marble vanities and autumnal eye shadows.

Boldly Go...and all that.

Now, I've always thought that Cottonelle was the Cadillac of toilet paper. (Not that I equate cars with wiping. 'Cause I don't. I actually don't think about cars all that much, bathroom care-notwithstanding.) It's super soft and rather pleasant, insomuch as that sorta thing goes. And as for the Cleansing Cloths? So great. Some of you folks- you know who you are- feel a bit of weirdness talking about personal care routines. NOT SO MUCH ME! My entire existence (or at least a goodly fraction of it) has been overtaken by the bathroom; potty training, sure, but it's also become that place with the functional lock where I can just hang out for a bit and everything will be a-ok as soon as Daddy (or some other reasonably responsible adult) comes home.

And as for the uninitiated to the glory of the personal cleansing cloth- ohmigawd, you guys. It's not weird at all. It's fabulous. You don't hear babies complaining about being gently wiped, do you? (I mean, you do, but not because it's odd. They're probably just gassy.) Using Cottonelle's Flushable Cleansing Cloths in addition to Cottonelle toilet paper is like getting a bonus shower, you end up feeling so clean. And who'd willingly turn down an extra shower? (Unless you're a hippie. Then, I guess you've made your choices, haven't you?) But for the rest of you- and I'm totally looking at you, parents- sometimes using a Cleansing Cloth is the closest you're gonna get to have some spa/alone time, youknowhatI'msayin'?

These great cloths now come in a sleek, newly designed, upright container- just perfect for placing out in the open, leaving your bathroom guests to think to themselves "Wow, she really cares about me." (Say it with a clean bum, that's my new motto.)

Doesn't that just yell "I care about you and your bathroom habits?"
Not the janky grout. No, that distinctly says "Stay away, friends."
But the cleansing cloths, those are nice.

Wanna join in the Cottonelle Clean Routine conversation? (Quite obviously, you do.) Check out the buzz on Facebook and add your own two cents. And go pick up your own Cottonelle products to see for yourself how fantabulous you'll feel!

You can report back to me and everything.

Or not.

We can just wink at each other and know that we both know.

It won't be weird at all.

Cottonelle wants to get you talking about your bum and on a better way to clean “down there” by using the Cottonelle Clean Routine. By combining the use of Cottonelle Toilet Paper and Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths, the Cottonelle Clean Routine is a revolutionary way to keep your bum cleaner.

Are you ready? Don’t be shy! Visit http://www.facebook.com/cottonelle to learn more about the Cottonelle Clean Routine and join the clean routine conversation.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cottonelle.

You Can Take The Mom Outta The Diaper Zone, But...

On Saturday, I got to drive up to Green Lake, Wisconsin, and take part in a beyond-terrific bachelorette party. (Okay, technically the party started the night before- in Madison, at the bars n' such- but out of respect to The Roo, I kept my pregnant self home until the lake house part of the festivities.

And it was festive. Seriously. The gals were a great bunch, and we did all sorts of lake house-y things such as sit on a dock for hours, have a wine tasting, eat n' eat n' eat (until it became downright laughable how much I had consumed), play games around a table until the wee hours, and even did crafts for the upcoming wedding. (As P.J. responded to me when I said we were doing bridal crafts: "...Ah." Why, don't guys usually do this kinda stuff at bachelor parties?)

I was even given a ridiculously awesome king-sized bed in my own room with an attached bathroom. (At this point in the pregnancy, those gestures alone reduced me to tears.) I WAS SO EXCITED for a solo night of opulent, decadent, glorious sleep.

YAY FOR BACHELORETTE PARTIES! (And cheese curds.)

Sometimes you just need to chill with your girls, amiright?

In fact, it would rank up there as one of the best overnight/get outta Dodge/gal times I've had in a looong time...except for the minor fact that, as I was climbing into said king-sized bed in said solitary room (with private bathroom)...

...I realized that I was not alone and that someone was in fact in my bed...

...and that someone was very drunk...

...and mistook the edge of the mattress for a toilet (same with the floor...and part of the hallway)...

...and so my hedonistic plans of sprawling in a bed and not gettin' up for no one were halted for about an hour...

...while I placed said drunk gal back in her bed, cleaned said pee-peed bed, cleaned said pee-peed floor (with help, oh, I had lots of help from just about every other non-drunk, non-pee-peed gal at the party) and cleaned my pajama pants because ohmyGodallthepee.

But it was fine. Because I [eventually] got to sleep. (Alone.) And it's like that old adage: If You Must Erroneously Pee On Someone In The Middle Of The Night, It Might As Well Be A Mom. (No one has ever actually said that.)

So yes, you're reading correctly. My oh-so rare chance to get a lot of sleep (alone) and not clean up a peed-upon mattress (and person) in the middle of the night was upended when I didn't get a lot of sleep (alone or otherwise) because I was cleaning up a peed-upon mattress (and person) in the middle of the night.

Sigh.

But I'll still chalk it up to a really great time away where I got to hang out with awesome ladies, talk about non-toddler things, replace all of the city air in my lungs with fresh air caught straight off the dock, and listen to British books on CD during the drive (because I am approximately 97 years old).

And when I came home to my girls and P.J.? I appreciated them so much. Because it's good to have a lengthy drive and [most of] and evening without tending to someone and time to actually miss them the people with whom I live.

Best of all? P.J. had put new sheets on the bed.

Country Crock & A Rockstar Casserole.

One of my Mom’s best friends is a wonderful woman named Ardell, and I count her as a second mother. I don’t bandy this term around lightly; two of my requirements for bestowing Second Motherdom upon someone is whether or not they've even driven me to the E.R., and whether or not they've created one of my all-time favorite dishes.

You know how some people are just ridiculously marvelous cooks? Ardell beats ‘em all. And one of those aforementioned all-time fave meals is something we've oh-so creatively dubbed “Ardell’s Chicken.” This dish is amazing. It’s the kind of casserole where a magical cook can take a handful of seemingly ordinary ingredients and create something that makes everyone’s heart (and belly) happy. 

Country Crock, that fabulous spread featuring a whopping 70% less fat than butter per serving (also zero partially hydrogenated oils, trans fat, or cholesterol, if you dig that sorta thing), is gathering up the best quick fix casseroles for this rather hectic time of year. And I'm thrilled to include the world-famous Ardell's Chicken to the list. (Check out Country Crock's Pinterest board for yummy inspiration!)

This casserole is perfect for cozy Fall nights- or when you'd like a Fall night to be cozy, despite having to drive around like a madwoman taking care of everyone's everything. And with ingredients you've probably already got on hand, it's a cinch to prepare.

While I will never be a renowned dinner photographer, it's important to note that this picture is hazy
because of all the fragrant steam coming from the casserole dish. And now I'm hungry again.

While no one in the whole world can make Ardell's Chicken quite like Ardell (really, we've all tried), I've added my best approximation below. And seriously, the beauty of this recipe is that so many ingredients can be added or swapped based on what you have. (I do it all the time and forget to write down the changes, much to the irritation of my sisters.) This casserole is so comforting and so delicious that it's absolutely impossible to go wrong.

I've served this dish to friends and family and at least one husband (okay, he was mine). It gets rave reviews every single time. Feel free to check out Country Crock's Facebook page for even more awesome dinnerific casserole ideas- some might even be as wonderful as Ardell's Chicken.

Who has the fanciest dinners of them all? It's a trick question.

But that's some pretty stiff competition.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

In Case You Missed It...

Friends, I've decided to do a wrap-up post for this week? Why? Let's break it down:

-I've been lucky enough to have bunches o' things posted around the internets...
-I've been purty awful about the self-promotion of such...
-I've been super, super warm this week...
-Which doesn't excuse laziness...
-But yeah, I'm gonna play that card today.

(I'm also pretty terrible at lists.)

SO. I call this In Case You Missed It/In Case I Never Told You About It (catchy and passive!):

On Friday, my article about awesome Fall-tacular stuff to do in the Chicagoland area posted at The Little Style File...(and yes, I'm considering Friday as part of "this week."Add it to the list of complaints, people.)

That same day, my review of Orthaheel wundy boots went live. Good Lord, I love new boots.

Monday, Nora went back to school and I showed a video of the best Extra gum commercial/tear-jerker silent film of the year...and everyone I know bawled.

Is she running towards me in glee?
Or is she ecstatic to be outta school?
Either way, she's happy.

The next day, I extolled the virtues of Savers Thrift Stores, and promptly made myself wanna go back there immediately.

Yesterday, I featured the sadder side of Back To School (and no, it has nothing to do with gum this time. Or overly hormonal mothers. Ahem).

And Wednesday also brought this happy-making piece over at The SITS Girls. Spread the love, yo.

Which brings us to today. And since you're already here, I shan't link to it.

But stay tuned, pals! I'm about to make the humongo jump over to a fabulous Wordpress site with all sorts of sparkly features. Also in my future? A snack.

(Possibly two.)