FEELING: If I had a dollar for every time the phrase "Well, damn." crosses my mind throughout the day, I'd have enough money to buy this West Elm console for the living room (swoon!). The words are simple, liberating, but also quite calming. For instance, Max erupts like a volcano just minutes before I'm ready to leave the house and spit up streams down the pant leg of my fuchsia chinos — well, damn. In the process of feeding the bebe and pups, I forget the pot of turkey chili I made is more than just simmering; it's burnt — well, damn. The UPS man drops by and Beesly begins to bark, now Max is awake from his nap — well, damn. You get the gist. I typically get my feathers ruffled when things don't go according to plan (Type-A(shley) alert), but I've learned with a baby this is the norm. Upon thinking or uttering the words, "Well, damn.", I've found that I'm able to accept what goes awry and just keep chugging along. And for those rare instances when things exceed my expectations and I'm left befuddled in the best way, I switch gears and opt for "Hot damn!" Try incorporating both phrases into your daily routine. I really think I'm on to something here.
THANKFUL FOR: I'm not sure how we could have possibly survived the first four months of Max without our Mamaroo seat. The kid loves it and spends a good chunk of his day in car ride or kangaroo mode. In the heat of a colicky fit, it's usually the only way to soothe him (baby straight jacket required). One afternoon last week, the swing started to make some weird sounds and I was afraid we used it too much and it was dying on me. Well, damn. I freaked and wondered how I could manage life without this little gem! Thankfully, with a little trouble shooting I realized an error on my part when switching from the upright/seated position to the recline position. Hot damn! It got me thinking about the baby gear we've acquired and what pieces have been invaluable. To anyone with a bun in the oven, this snazzy machine will be your best friend. Oh, and extra bonus points to 4moms for not creating an eyesore!
THINKING ABOUT: Last Friday, something terrible happened. I got a hole in the thigh area of my Matchstick jeans!!! Well, damn. This was especially awful because it's pretty much the only pair of denim I own that fits postpartum. I've had this particular pair for FOUR months. How could it be?! I was distraught and truly convinced the quality of J.Crew's denim has gone downhill, but I'll save that for another post. Sigh. In a state of desperation I pulled out the Rubbermaid containers filled with my old pants. I wanted to cry because I wasn't sure I was mentally prepared for this moment, but I suppose it was inevitable. Lo and behold, I was able to button my old jeans. Hot damn! I'll be honest, there's still A LOT of work that needs to be done because they look and feel a tad bit snug, but it's nice to have some options again. I felt good about the progress I've made thus far, so I was curious to try on my old shorts. Yikes! Let's just say, it wasn't pretty. Ha Ha! I've always been pretty driven by goals, so this gives me something to work toward and a reason to pedal harder when I'm on my bike. Yay for happy accidents and subtle reminders to keep going!
THANKFUL FOR: I'm not sure how we could have possibly survived the first four months of Max without our Mamaroo seat. The kid loves it and spends a good chunk of his day in car ride or kangaroo mode. In the heat of a colicky fit, it's usually the only way to soothe him (baby straight jacket required). One afternoon last week, the swing started to make some weird sounds and I was afraid we used it too much and it was dying on me. Well, damn. I freaked and wondered how I could manage life without this little gem! Thankfully, with a little trouble shooting I realized an error on my part when switching from the upright/seated position to the recline position. Hot damn! It got me thinking about the baby gear we've acquired and what pieces have been invaluable. To anyone with a bun in the oven, this snazzy machine will be your best friend. Oh, and extra bonus points to 4moms for not creating an eyesore!
THINKING ABOUT: Last Friday, something terrible happened. I got a hole in the thigh area of my Matchstick jeans!!! Well, damn. This was especially awful because it's pretty much the only pair of denim I own that fits postpartum. I've had this particular pair for FOUR months. How could it be?! I was distraught and truly convinced the quality of J.Crew's denim has gone downhill, but I'll save that for another post. Sigh. In a state of desperation I pulled out the Rubbermaid containers filled with my old pants. I wanted to cry because I wasn't sure I was mentally prepared for this moment, but I suppose it was inevitable. Lo and behold, I was able to button my old jeans. Hot damn! I'll be honest, there's still A LOT of work that needs to be done because they look and feel a tad bit snug, but it's nice to have some options again. I felt good about the progress I've made thus far, so I was curious to try on my old shorts. Yikes! Let's just say, it wasn't pretty. Ha Ha! I've always been pretty driven by goals, so this gives me something to work toward and a reason to pedal harder when I'm on my bike. Yay for happy accidents and subtle reminders to keep going!
EATING: Remember when I mentioned turkey chili a few minutes ago? Yeah, well here's the recipe. Any time I've prepared it for family and friends, they've asked for the recipe. It's easy, delicious, and low-fat. I'm still not exactly sure how I managed to mess it up after making the chili for two years. Oy! There really is a first for EVERYTHING. This time around, I was left with an extra "smoky" batch and a stock pot that needed to soak for a full 24 hours. Thank goodness for Febreze and aromatic candles!
WATCHING: I recently learned my parents have been recording Watch What Happens Live and tuning into Bravo on a regular basis. Get. Out. The fact that I can discuss the quirky nuances of Andy Cohen's Clubhouse with them makes me incredibly giddy. I always loved chatting with them before, but now we get to use terms such as mazel, jackhole, and guzzlet. Squee! Perhaps the next time we're together, we can play games like "Amanda Peet, Are These Your Feet?" and bust out the ol' shotski.
READING: Tatiana of Flora & Fauna is just darling, you guys. If you don't follow her blog or Instagram already, you MUST! The images she shares of her sweet family are lovely and her words are just as wonderful. I can't remember when or how I stumbled upon her site, but I'm SO happy I did. She's like a breath of fresh air. Last week, Tatiana's "Getting Sorted" post spoke to me in a really BIG way. Since we move around a lot, meeting new people can be tough on this introvert. Making friends is a lot of work and I often feel as though people don't really "get" me. This excerpt had me nodding along excitedly with a double-barrel grin plastered all over m' mug. She was able to articulate what I feel all too often, and I couldn't be more grateful to her for sharing her thoughts.
"And there are so many labels to choose from and if you don't fit any of them it starts to feel like you don't belong. I'm not happy enough. I'm not sarcastic/sardonic/funny enough. I'm not chic enough. I care too much. I don't care enough. I share too much. I don't share enough. I post too often. I don't post often enough... So I ship myself off to the island of misfit toys looking for someone who is an introvert but also have a big mouth like me, who likes fashion but also sweatpants, who thinks her children are the biggest blessing and a gift from God but also locks herself in the bathroom with a bag of chocolate kisses and fantasizes about being childless in Vegas and reading a magazine front to back in one sitting (seriously though what kind of bliss would that be???), who loves Kazuo Ishiguro but also all the Real Housewives franchises (Orange County will always be my favorite) and who can never consistently use the same Instagram filter and knows that's it's probably totally ruining her game. You know the line "if you don't have anything nice to say come sit by me" well my line should be "if you're a total weirdo and don't fit in come sit by me." Really please do join me, it's just me and... well nobody else but that means there's plenty of room!"
LOVING: On Monday, Max and I ran a few errands and topped off the morning in town with a little Starbucks. Obvi. As we made our way through the drive-thru, I pulled up to pay and the girl working at the window said, "Hey, your baby isn't crying today!" I couldn't help but smirk because she was right. This felt like a first; I'm certain it was. You see, as long as The Rig is in motion he's happy. The funny business of starting and stopping in a drive-thru makes him extra fussy, but this time around things were different. Part of me felt really proud of the little guy and slightly embarrassed that she knows us well enough to remember that I'm the hot mess in the VeeDubb who frequents the joint for Caramel Macchiatos while my sweet child sounds off like an alarm. Ha Ha! You know, if Max can keep this up, they may just invite us to come back more often. Hot damn!
Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!
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