Not Very Simple

I love the magazine Real Simple. I just sat down for lunch and read an article where readers chime in on various topics. This month's topic was "What is your FAVORITE pantry staple." You wouldn't believe the answers. Here are some that made me think "Really?"

Saffron strands
Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta
Pine nuts
Hoisin sauce
Blue-cheese stuffed olives
Casina Rossa truffle and salt

Where are the real people? What about paprika? That is an answer I would expect. Sugar. Salt. Oregano. Thyme. Ketchup if you have kids.

As I continued to eat my egg, I wondered how do people get to this level of sophistication? I am lucky to get my egg made and eat it before the baby wakes up. Who are these people? Where do they live? Do they have jobs? And do they have chefs, nannies and a life?

I have staples. They are tea, milk, English muffins, ketchup, Kraft mac and cheese for the kids, fresh basil, salt, pepper, eggs and wine. I get fancy now and then but mostly, I am lucky to serve my family a hot meal on most nights.

So real people of the world, what are your pantry staples? Make me feel better. And don't you dare say Carina Rossa truffle and salt.

Making Us All Silly

Do you remember friendship beads? They were popular when I was in the fifth grade. I remember a boy Derek made me one and it had a red bead in the middle of some white ones. I took that as a sign of love. He would have used a more neutral color if he wasn't sending me a message of love. I was convinced. But, I was mistaken. Derek had his eyes on Nicola and I was just a good friend in the neighborhood.

The other day, Ryan got off of the bus and said he had to have Silly Bandz. What? What are they? He showed me his arm. On it was a rubbery bracelet that stretches into a shape. He was wearing an animal. A friend from the bus gave him one. He had to have them. Kids were trading them on the bus. He listed off the stores that had them and they were cheap. Surely, we could afford Silly Bandz.

So, like any sucker mother, I stopped into CVS, Walgreens and Borders. I had no luck. What would the package ever look like for a rubbery little bracelet? I tried to look cool and collected as I raced around every store breaking a sweat. No luck.

All of the moms on Facebook were helping each other find these all over town. One mom even had three extra packs and offered to share. That is mommy love. What a friend!

I eventually found ours online. With the baby, I was done visiting every store in town looking like a fool. I let the boys pick out some packages from the Sillybandz.com website. They were so excited. I remember sticker books, the jelly bracelets from the eighties and of course the friendship pins. I had to help them find the bracelets so they could remember trading them with their friends and creating memories.

So if your child has not mentioned Silly Bandz, get ready. They are coming to your school. I have included two pictures so you know what you are looking for. I know it is silly. But the kids were so excited. It was probably the best $5 I have spent in a long time.

Wake Up in the Morning Feeling Like P Diddy

Up all night.

Getting by on caffeine

Alcohol to soften the ages.

More sleepless nights.

Girls trip?

No. Another boring week in the life of a mommy with a baby.

But this schedule prepared me for my Vegas trip for 2010. I was really ready to get out. I needed to dance. I needed to let loose and I needed to have a great time. And we did.

In Vegas, I realized that I was in training for Vegas all year. I can get by with no sleep. I can stay up all night. No sleep in Vegas, no problem.

(In this photo: Sister, Sister, neighbor and me. This is before the orange dragons and martinis at Tao. It was a very calm dinner. Until the orange dragons kicked in.)

And here is a photo of me getting crazy at Lavo. We had the best time dancing the night away. Wouldn't change a bit of this trip.

We are going to party like ROCK STARS!

That was our anthem in Vegas. We were dead serious. It had been three years since our last girls trip to Vegas. My sisters and I meet our childhood neighbors there every year. We've added extra girls and some years we have a bunch of people. This year, we had four. We missed one of our neighbors but hope she can join us again next year when life works out a little better.

Rock stars have nothing on Moms. We are a strong group that can party with the best of them. We have been beaten up by the flu, mean mommies, tight jeans, mean teachers, sleepless days/nights and celebrities that are in shape one month after the birth of their baby. We can handle it all in Vegas. Dinner with celebrities (Chey from Chelsea Lately), too tight high heals, topless pool at the Wynn and even going to Hooters to see our favorite Vegas band Purple Reign. We can hang with the best of them. And the only question we had the day after we got home was "How many days until we can go back?" Nabe, we are down to 348. Forget Rock Stars. They got nothing on us.

Yo, Dude

I am pretty laid back. One of my friends said I am like a guy. Nothing really gets me upset. I am not sure that is a compliment or not.

I can think of one thing that really gets me upset. It makes me crazy. I hate driving by people's trash and seeing good things left for the trash man. What a waste. There are so many people barely getting by. And people work so hard for their money. Why can't they take the time to find someone to take their nicer items?

I know it takes about five minutes but to help someone out, why not? Five minutes is all it takes.

Really.

If you have nice items to give away, put them on your tree lawn with a sign that says "free." My kids love making this sign and we sneak back to our house and watch through the window. You can't imagine how excited kids get to see who scores their old toys. Make sure you do this a few days before trash pick-up and check the weather. It rains a lot in Ohio so you have to be strategic.

Another great option that I LOVE is freecycling. Have you heard about it? Check out this link to Cleveland's freecycle page. People list their needs and offers here on the link. Then, you receive an email with it daily. I have given away a desk, old weird house stuff and baby formula through this site. Once you list it, it is gone in a day. You privately coordinate the day/time of pick up with your winning responder. I just leave it on my porch so I don't have to chit chat (like a guy again) and it is done. LOVE THAT!

So, as you spring clean, don't toss your items into the trash. Remember the Goodwill, the Sal, your neighbors with a free sign or Freecycle. And from one dude to another, thanks.

The Fat Cheerleader

I spent 10 minutes picking at the blackheads on my nose last night at 3:30 a.m. Why? I used to do it in high school when I was anxious. And, I am anxious. I just received notice that my 20 year class reunion is in 15 weeks. Yes, I am freaking out. Big Time.

My first thought was "OK. How many weeks is that? Get me a calendar. How much more weight can I lose before August?" Fifteen weeks. I can handle that deadline. One pound a week until then puts me at my weight in my sophomore year. Cha-ching.

My second freak out moment was "Who will I sit with?" I really have no friends from high school that I keep in touch with. I have some Facebooky people but they really don't know me. I honestly am afraid to walk into the actual reunion. I might be sitting alone in a corner with my husband and margarita. That sounds perfect.

My final freak out before this turns into a novel was "What will I wear?" Casual place. August. I have at least have 15 weeks to figure it out and try not to look overdressed like I am freaking out.

My head is a spinning. I am off to rent some good reunion movies to really capture my anxiety. I remember Gross Point Blank and the Phoebe's from Friends movie about her reunion. Any others that I missing?

Now I know that many of you are saying I have nothing to worry about. I hear you. But, it is too late for freaking out. See, I was a cheerleader. Remember that most people say that the cheerleaders get fat after high school? I. Will. Not. Be. One. of. Those. Fat. Cheerleaders. But, I was also played violin in the orchestra. Yes, a geeky cheerleader. So, not many friends. But I loved my extra-curricular activities. Wow. All of my axieties from high school come flooding back. My big goal? It is to not pick my face apart before August. That is the true test. Oh man. I hope I make it until August.

(Can you find me? Front row, right in the middle)

Crazy Nights

Vegas. Oh the stories to tell and pictures to share. I will. I promise. But that requires some energy and I don't have any. Oh, the life with a baby. I can't concentrate long enough to get to it.

So, instead, I have a little tip to share.

Bedtimes are not the quiet, special time that I often read about on other mommy blogs. Are they lying? They must be. Bedtimes are not so quiet here and I don't linger at their doors. My children will hear me say "Mommy is off duty now. Time for bed. We are done." (Please no mean emails. I am doing the best I can.)

Kyle doesn't listen and he looks for the perfect book for twenty minutes (no exaggeration) and Ryan always needs his water glass refilled and reminded to get dressed while I hustle around trying to feed the million fish and get Elle settled. I am constantly reminding them to get dressed, brush their teeth and find their books.

After seven years, I have finally found a way to enjoy this time. Get ready. It is earth shattering. Are you ready? I take a cup of tea up to their bedroom with me. That is the secret. Amazing, I know. It forces me to sit down. It keeps me occupied and I can take it a little slower. Who knew that a twenty cent cup of tea could turn my crazy bedtime routine into something I can sort of enjoy?

You still won't catch me lingering at their door once I have said goodnight. My tea is finished and I am eager to run down the stairs and be off duty. But, I just had to share this simple solution to my bedtime routine. And if you need to add a little Baileys to your coffee or tea, I won't tell anyone. This mommy blogger won't judge or tell.

Hey There

Wow. It has been awhile. I go back and forth about this blog. I am not sure why I write and I am definitely not sure why you read it. I am a pretty open book if you know me so I don't think come here to find out anything you wouldn't find out if you saw me around. But, I am glad you visit now and then. I love writing and I love blogging. I just wish I had my life more in control so I could write more often. When I say I am barely hanging on, I mean it. Really.

In the past few months, I have written (and complained) that I can't keep up around the house. But guess what? I won a house cleaning at my early childhood PTA fundraiser. Isn't that perfect. Now, I have to work hard and get my house clean so I can have someone come in and clean my house for me. I know this sounds ridiculous. I don't want these ladies to waste time at my house. They are doing the baseboards, floors and showers. Not just a little light dusting and picking up my kids clothes.

My weight loss efforts are going GREAT! I have officially hit 30 lbs at Weight Watchers and before I joined I lost about 5 so I am 35 lbs thinner since October. I promise to post a picture soon. It is starting to show. If you know me in real life, I just look like I did before I got pregnant with Elle so it isn't so startling. I need to lose another 20 lbs to have a healthy BMI. That is my goal. I have reached my main goal. I have learned to eat healthy. I am eating vegetables and I am making healthy food. I could have lost this weight on my own like I did after I had Kyle but I wanted to learn how to cook healthy and eat those darn veggies.

I have so much to share. I promise to come back sooner. I am planning a friend's 40th birthday party and that is so much fun. I am heading to Vegas next week with my sisters and old neighborhood friends! FUN!!!! And we're staying at the Wynn! Amazing. So much to share. Come back soon. I promise I will too!