Hello Cupcake!

Last night I baked cupcakes to bring to work today and to bring to a Halloween party on Saturday.

Not too long ago I found Gartner Studios cupcake picks with printable stickers while browsing the wedding aisles in Michaels looking for tulle. The Gartner website has free online printing templates for their various products and they are very easy to use.

Think of all the possibilities for these picks:

Your favorite team's logo or abbreviation for a college game day party along with sugar sprinkles in your team's colors.

JOY! for Christmas cupcakes

Name, initials or monogram as shown here for a bridal shower, baby shower or birthday.

XOXO atop red velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day.

Or how about 4-OH! for that milestone birthday we all love to hate. ha!

Here's what I came up with for my Halloween cupcakes.

Devil's food cake, white icing, candy corn and a little BOO! makes for some yummy fun.

Fall Outfit #2 - J.Crew Wool Pleated-Silk Chimera Jacket

Here is my outfit of the day, such as it is at 6pm after being worn for nearly 12 hours. I had on a great-looking long sparkly necklace when I left the house this morning, but caught it on the corner of my keyboard drawer when I got up from my desk and all the sparkly loveliness went scattering across the floor.


I set Adam up with a show (Dragon Tales) and a drink (sippy cup, half water, half apple juice, warmed up in the microwave 27 seconds so it's not too cold. He's not high maintenance or anything.)

Then I went upstairs to take pictures of my sad self before I threw on my comfy-cozy Gap wide leg lounge pants and some sort of t-shirt.

After snapping close to 4,683 photos, I gave up. Honestly, every single one seemed blurry, off center, and just not good.

But, it's the best I've got - so here goes.

I'm wearing the wool pleated-silk chimera jacket from JCrew. My favorite sales assoc. at the Lenox Mall J.Crew knows I love jackets. One day as I was breezing by J.Crew chanting... look straight ahead, do not go in, do not go in... she spotted me and came running toward me with this jacket in hand. Never one to be rude, I obliged her by trying it on ...and the rest is history.

I normally buy J.Crew jackets in the long size because I can use the length in the torso and the sleeves. This jacket doesn't come in Tall, and the sleeves were "bracelet length", which on me was just a bit longer than 3/4. But it looked a little odd so I had the sleeves lengthened and it turned out great.

The jacket is comfortable and very easy to wear. I simply adore the ruffles.

And I promise/cross-my-heart I cleaned that mirror yesterday. My 4th child "Not Me" must have messed it up while
washing his crime fighting handsplaying in the water and wasting my good soap.

ACCESSORIES:

J.Crew Duchess Stone Bracelet in color dusty blossom. LOVE this bracelet. Not too heavy and and it doesn't flip and spin around on my wrist. Much more pleasant to wear that I initially thought it would be. I have it in every color (which I know greatly surprises my husband.)

J.Crew Crystal Cluster Ring. *swoon*

SHOES:
Bibiena by BCBG MaxAzria

JEANS:
Hudson "Supermodel" Bootcut

Apparently wearing Supermodel jeans does not dismiss me from cleaning mirrors and nuking apple juice.

** Treat ! **

One thing I get asked to do at Adam's preschool is make treat bags for various holidays. And though I am prone to saying *NO*, I am thrilled to say *YES* to this because it's a chance for me to be a little creative - and I can do it at home.

I thought I'd share some of my treat bag making tips since some of you may have treat bags in your future for the upcoming holidays.

I had 23 bags to fill this time - quite a large number! In the past I struggled a little trying to figure out what to put in them that would:

1. not be very expensive (except 23 - hello small fortune!)
2. would not just be a bag of junk tossed aside the minute the kids opened them, and
3. were age appropriate (no small parts, no chocolate, no peanuts, etc)



I keep a stash of holiday bags, velum bags, tins, containers, stickers and all sorts of ribbon and tulle on hand because they are key to turning a little somethin' into somethin' fun and great lookin'. I scour the sale bins at places like Hobby Lobby, Michael's and HomeGoods right after a holiday for things marked down 50% or more. The bags I used for this project I bought 10 for $1 at Hobby Lobby last year.

For the 3-4yo age group here are my best ideas for gift bag eats. Most of these can be purchased in quantities (like a box of fruit chews) which greatly reduces the cost per gift bag

* cereal bars (no chocolate or nuts)
* fruit chews in individual packets
* snack sized bags of Gold Fish or other similar crackers
* candy like Smarties, Starburst, Swedish Fish, and individually wrapped Twizzlers
* juice boxes/pouches
* Pez

For other goodies, I visit the dollar aisles at Target and Wal-Mart:

* glow sticks
* kiddie card games like Crazy 8, Old Main, Go Fish
* for girls: barrettes or ribbons, tiny lip gloss
* holiday themed socks
* yo-yo's
* small flashlights
* night lights
* stickers
* plastic bowls or snack plates in the holiday theme or colors

And of course I never buy anything that would annoy the parents!



Once my bags were filled, the fun really began for me. I folded down the tops, secured the back flap with scotch tape and then finished it off with a Halloween sticker. I punched holes in the flap and used black/white/orange themed ribbons in all sorts of combinations to fancy up the bag. I printed out the To/From tags on the computer, backed them with scrap booking paper cut with a scalloped 3" punch and attached them to the front of the bag.
At Adam's school, the kids are given their treat bags when they leave so they are not opening them and losing things and possibly eating things their parents don't want them to have. (BTW - I am well aware many of the bags will get shoved down into a backpack by sweet little 3yo hands with dirt under the nails. But at least I tried! ha!)
I also filled Halloween canisters for Adam's teachers. One place I look that often has some great things for teachers is the aisle with travel-sized products. Not everything there is for hygiene - you'd be surprised what you can find for not much money!

Ideas for grown ups:

* Burt's Bees lip gloss, soaps, lotions
* Holiday socks or gloves
* Starbucks or Blockbuster cards
* CHOCOLATE! Grown ups can have it!
* Small candles
* Note cards
* Cocktail napkins

I'd love to hear your gift bag ideas, too!
For some reason I have visions of Christmas bags dancing in my head.

Not Quite As Glamourous as a Pumpkin Patch, But Still Lots of Fun

A Few of My Favorite Things - This n' That

Red Diamond Wine
My husband and I did a lot of wine tasting the past couple of months, in search of red wines that were priced well ($11 and under) and GOOD. One of our very favorites is Red Diamond Merlot - about $9 per bottle.

Vanity Fair
I know. You love it. You read it already. And I used to read it cover-to-cover. I can distinctly remember passing up Saturday nights out in college to stay in my room and read VF. No club or date could hold a candle to Dominique Dunne. So all these years later I'm a subscriber again.

CK One by Calvin Klein

Just like CK One Summer that I wrote about a few months ago, CK One is another unisex scent more suited for the cooler months. Bergamont, musk and jasmine.... *swoon*

Gap Body - Pure Body Ts

I practically live the winter months in layered Ts. My long arms and height have caused many a frustrating day constantly yanking down the first layer shirt because it's too short. This summer I happened upon the Pure Body line at Gap Body and snatched up several of their tanks and short-sleeve Ts. And now with fall and winter upon us the long sleeve is perfect.



Studio Tools Facial Cleansing Sponges (3 pack)

These are just like they use at the spa when you get a facial. Not too thin, not too thick....just right. I don't use them all the time, but I snatch up two or three packs at Target when I see them because I've been told they are rarely in stock.

Your turn!

What are some of your favorite things this fall?

Just a Subtle Hint

Dear Santa,



I've been a really good girl this year.

And, though I know I've told you over and over and over again that I absolutely better not be gettin' anything related to housekeeping, kitchen activities or car maintenance and upkeep - I digress.

Just this once.

Because.... hello sweetness!
aka: KitchenAid 90th Anniversary Stand Mixer

In your favorite color - just like your jolly suit and Rudolph's nose.

And perfect for makin' those cookies you love so much.

Love, your favorite girl in the whole wide world

Fantastic (Or Maybe Not)

So the big topic of conversation around here is what the 3yo is going to be for Halloween.

Adam has a plethora of costume choices because I am a sucker for math like this:

little kids + costumes + playing dress-up = hours of entertainment, (or I'd even take 30 minutes)

Spiderman (with two different masks), Batman, Captain America (my personal favorite), one of the Transformers, Firefighter and Doctor are all possible Halloween night choices.

(And for the record I refuse to have a police officer costume in this house. Ever. Just sayin'.)

The other night, after Adam and I were done rehashing his costume-choice-of-the-moment, out of the blue he exclaimed:

Mom! You should be Mrs. Fantastic! She's so pretty and so cull! (that's COOL for those of you who don't speak Southern Toddler)



My chest puffed up a little, my eyes twinkled, I smiled from ear-to-ear....

What a sweet thing to say, son. Wonder where we could find a Mrs. Fantastic costume?

And then...
...as quickly as the glowing light and singing birds of sweetness appeared, they were gone.

Sweet son scowled. Scowled, I tell you!
And then he said:

Actually, you should be da wicked witch. 'Cause she's always tellin' da children what to do. Just like you do ta me all da time.

Watch out my pretties.

Momma's got a broom and she's ready to boss some people around.

Bless the YES

Countless books have been written about it...
There are seminars galore to teach you to be better at it...
Many women I know struggle with it...
Countless have undoubtedly sought therapy for it...

*IT* is the inability to say **NO** when someone asks you to do something, donate something, work at something, make something, commit to something, teach something, lead something, join something.

Last week as I listened to an acquaintance rattle off all the things she had done that morning (I swear she was holding her head in her hands), all the things she had yet to do that afternoon before picking her children up at three different schools, then all the after-school activities and commitments she had, I confess I zoned out. Though I shook my head feigning sympathy for her plight, in all honesty I could not relate.




Because...
you see...

I am one of those people who doesn't have trouble saying *NO*.
In fact, I say *NO* to almost everything I am asked to do above and beyond the little world in which I spin.

Not because I think I'm above doing it.
Or that I don't think people and organizations need help.

I say *NO* because most of the time saying *YES* would take away some of the precious little time I have with my family, and it would make me feel like I said *YES* in vain. I would not be saying *YES* with a happy heart. And it would eventually make me resent doing whatever it is I committed to doing, and resent the organization or people I am doing it for. Which is exactly the opposite of how I want to feel - and how they want me to feel.

Because I work upwards of 50-55 hours a week (including a long commute twice a day), I belong to exactly zero organizations/groups. Our two oldest kids do one non-school activity per season if they want, or sometimes they don't do any. Our preschooler does none. We are not running various and sundry places every night of the week with a spreadsheet formula for who-picks-up-who-when.

The other reason I usually say *NO* is that I have grown to realize that my personal stars just don't align very well for being a joiner, a committee member, a rah-rah or go-to-meetings kind of person. I don't do well trying to navigate various and sundry personalities all trying to meld toward one common cause.

Now, I'm not a total loss. There are times I say *YES* - usually when there is something I can do at home after the kids are in bed. Paper-y things like printing fliers and addressing invitations are good. Paper is not a minefield to me. We get along very well. And if I do say *YES*, you can bet your bippy I will come through. I make very few commitments, but I keep all of the commitments I make.

And, I'll always gladly donate money since I choose not to donate my time. Cash is king in a lot of instances, right? Right? (And do not get me started on children + fund raising. Help me Rhonda...That is another post for another day.)

So, then...
all that to say...

For all of you who say *YES*, I salute you. God bless you for the time, the effort, the energy, and the support you give to many, many groups and organizations. I am sure that most of you reading this say *YES* much more often than I.


And, even though I say *NO*, please don't think I don't realize that because of that, someone else has to say *YES*.

For all of you who drive, write, call, and attend. THANK YOU!

For all the PTA-ers, the Girl/Boy Scout leaders, the Sunday School teachers and the team Moms/Dads - THANK YOU!

For all of you who go early, stay late, work an extra shift and sell when you think you can't sell any more - THANK YOU!

My season right now is a season of raising teens/tweens/ and toddlers. Of working much more than I really want to, and often feeling like I am swimming up stream. Of trying to carve out some semblance of time with my husband (mac n' cheese and red wine anyone?) and maybe even a few snippets of time alone to recharge.

This, too, shall pass and change and I am sure there will be a season where I am much more ready, willing and inclined to say *YES* more often.

But until that time comes, I am forever grateful for all the *YES* women and men out there.

From the bottom of my heart- thank you!

Bra-Ha-Ha

Adam and I were at
our home away from homeTJMaxx last weekend. I was browsing the bath / body lotion / cologne aisle while Adam asked me no less than 137,912 times if we could go to da toy section, please mom can we go look at da toys now, no! not in a few minutes but diss minute, right now, I wanna go look at all dose neat toys.
And then he left the aisle I was in and went around the corner to the next aisle and then:

Mom! I found da bras! Dere are tons of dem. Big ones and liddle ones and all diff'rent colored ones. And I think dere da kind you wear ta work and not da kind you wear ta do your exercisin'. I don't wanna go look at da toys any more, Mom. I just wanna stay and look at all da bras. And can I touch dem, Mom? Pleeeeease?!!!

God bless all da liddle boys. And while you're at it... all da bras, too. Da work kind, and da exercisin' kind, and all dem bras in between.

Baking Down Memory Lane

I learned to cook and bake at a very young age by watching my mom in the kitchen. She had an avocado green KitchenAid stand mixer, Tupperware measuring cups, copper bottom pots and pans and very well used cookie sheets.

My mom used recipes from family and friends for the bulk of our meals and sweet treats. Many of them were made from memory, and many others were lovingly written on recipe cards. About ten years ago my mom wrote her favorite recipes on cards for me and I cherish them not only for all the tasty memories those recipes hold, but also because I get to see my mom's handwriting every time I use them.


I've compiled quite a collection of cookbooks over the years, but my favorite cookbook is from a small country church just outside my hometown. It was given to me for Christmas 1985 by two little girls to whom I taught ballet. I was a senior in high school and I think they were in 1st or 2nd grade. That was almost 25 years ago in case you're counting, and it seems like I use it more and more as the years tick by. Heck, it's almost vintage!

The recipe I make the most is chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. The page is ragged, a little slick from years of flour dust settling in, and now that I have kids of my own helping me bake, the pages are a little sticky, too. I have committed the recipe to memory long ago, but every time I make them, I have to have my beloved book propped open.

One of the very first things my mom taught me when baking was to cream the butter and sugar together very well first. I blend mine until it is fluffy. Then I add eggs and beat very well again.

* I also use 3-4x the amount of vanilla called for in almost everything I bake. I think it gives a much richer (but not sweeter) taste.

* For cookies I add an additional 1/4 cup (or little more) of flour. I like round, soft cookies - as opposed to thin and crispy - and I find this is one thing that helps. I also add 1/2 cup more oatmeal than called for.

* I also love to add chopped walnuts to these cookies. My husband recently suggested making them with white chocolate chips, oatmeal and macadamia nuts. Sounds pretty darn delicious to me.


And then there's the best part.

Eating
a whole plate
a whole stack
a whole dozen
some.

Give Me Legal Pads, Index Cards and White Out...or Give Me Death

I love office supplies. Pens, paper and file folders....**swoon**

If it clips, binds, organizes or fastens - I'm there!!!

So tonight when the {YOU ARE- YOU ARE} game we play in the bathtub took a turn towards Office Supplies, I was thrilled!

Squeaky Clean Toddler: Mom, you're a coffee cup!

Slightly Soggy Mom: You're a pen holder!

SCT: You're a pencil!
SSM: You're a yellow highlighter!

SCT: You're a pack of Sharpies!

Yes! That's my boy!
The Office Supply Gene has been successfully passed to the next generation.

And You Shall Take the Day Off and The Day Off Shall Set You Free

I have had a steady, paying job of some sort for 27 years. I've been (among other things) a babysitter, lawn mower, dance teacher, lifeguard, mail room clerk, waitress, swim instructor, private tutor, college lecturer, Clinique consultant, and lab assistant.

I've been working full-time for 22 years - over half my life.

I've been a working wife and mom for almost 8 years. I've had every insult, judgement and wrath hurled at me about how I'm ruining my kids' lives, I'm the bane of society for putting my kids in daycare and public school and how selfish I am to leave them with others while I ride off into the sunset on a white horse to {**gasp**} CLIMB THE CORPORATE LADDER.

I love to work - I really do. I grew up with a full-time working mom, who stands yet today as my most cherished role model.

I've met life-long friends at various jobs I've had over the years. Let's not kid anyone. I had the uncanny ability to zero in on people who had candy jars on their desks and big coffee mugs. Nothing says GIRLFRIEND like a huge + steamy cup of coffee and a couple bite-sized Snicker bars first thing in the morning.

The fashionista in me loves having a reason to wear skirts, heels, pretty accessories and jackets every day. (The pantyhose I could do without - thankyouverymuch.)

As my family has grown, so has my career. As my responsibilities as a new wife and mom expanded at home, so too did my roles and responsibilities at work.

Just when I think I can't possibly juggle one more ball, someone lobs one to me from left field and I somehow manage to still stay in the game. In fact, most of the time, the more I'm lobbed at, the better I become. I thrive on the spirit of competition - the next goal - the next project - the next Big Thing.

But I'm running out of steam. I'm tired.

Not pull-the-covers over my head-and-let-me-sleep-for-three-weeks tired (though sleeping past 6am would be nice). I'm tired of the two-hour commute, the constant phone calls, the complaining customers, the insurance rates that always go up.

I'm tired of laying people off, cutting hours, cutting costs. I'm downsized to death.

I'm tired of rushing and racing against the clock. I'm tired of counting down minutes and miles.

I'm tired of being "on" from 7am until 9pm, wherein the only time I get to myself is in the shower and in the car.

So I took yesterday off.

And I didn't try to cram as much into the day as humanly possible. I didn't schedule a dental appointment, or a haircut. I didn't go to Target or get my car serviced. I didn't answer my phone or check email.

I stayed home. I slept past 7am. I lingered over my cup of coffee, and then lingered over another. I pinned my bangs up with a clippy and skipped the makeup. I did laundry and remembered to put fabric softener in every single load. Then I folded it and put it away, one load at a time.

I rearranged my bookcases and I vacuumed. I read a magazine. I finished decorating my house for fall. (I've been at it for a month for heaven's sake.) I fluffed pillows, hung wreaths and filed recipes.

I watched a Netflix show without having to hit pause even once. I wrote a real-live-drop-in-the-mail letter to a friend.

I organized the linen closet.

It was what I needed. Not enough of what I needed, but good enough for now. It was enough to give my battery a little charge.

I've never really believed the grass is greener on the other side. It all has to be mowed and it all has weeds.

But a little part of me wants to be like the people who have the stay-at-home grass. The people who get to shuffle around a little in the morning in their fuzzy slippers and sweats. I want to be like those who don't have to hit the ground running, unless it's the kind of running that works up a sweat and burns lots of calories.

Just for awhile I'd love to have the freedom to take a 10am pilates class or meet a friend for coffee at the last minute, and for no reason at all.

Just for awhile I'd love to throw caution to the wind and get more into a homemaking routine and less into financial statements and sales margin.

I'll always be a working girl. It's part of who I have been for so long I can't imagine it any other way. But when the going gets tough....

...the tough girl takes a day off.

Pass the coffee and the candy jar.

Conversations from the Back Seat #4941

While driving home with my precious 3yo:

Mom, it smells like pickin-nose in here.

Pickin-nose??!!! What does pickin-nose smell like?

Sorta like Wal-Mart.

**********************************************

FOR SALE: SUV
Looks great.
Drives great.
Apparently smells really bad.