THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

ADMIT ONE BY ELLEN SURREY

THINKING ABOUT: Avid Bravo fans, have you ever thought about what your Real Housewives tagline might be? I always get a little nervous for Clubhouse guests whenever a caller poses the predictable question. You know it's coming, but if you were in their position would you be prepared? In the event I was invited on Watch What Happens Live, I have NO clue how I'd respond, but I pray it would be as effortless and witty as someone like Tina Fey. Don't we all?! But here's the good news, the lovely folks at Bravo created a tagline generator for those of us who aren't quick on our feet. Unfortunately for me, I got all excited and typed in my name only to get a really lame response. "Men come and go, but cats are forever." Girl, bye. Did Andy really forget how I feel about felines?

FEELING: Swell Rio was supposed to have their first ever Farmer's Market last Saturday. You guys, I looked forward to going to this inaugural event for almost three weeks. I was ecstatic to do something over the weekend that didn't consist of Walmart or Home Depot, so I got out my snazziest basket, loaded the family into our car, and headed into town with the goofiest grin on my face. As we got closer to the Civic Center (the supposed location), nothing was there. Flyboy drove around the perimeter twice while I double-checked the event info on Facebook. No vendors, no people, no nothing. Perplexed by the fictitious event, we headed to Starbucks and learned that evening they had to reschedule the event for a later date. Because of course...

THANKFUL FOR: Flyboy's work hours have improved so much over the past few months. It's been a real treat to get to eat dinner together as a family, spend quality time as a trio, and have some relief when I feel all Maxed out. I could get used to this!

EATING: My parents mailed us a care package recently and it was filled with Trader Joe's goodies, most of which we've already tried and love. To shake things up a little, they included a jar of this Hot and Sweet Chili Jam. WHOA BABY! We're obsessed with the spreadable goodness. On the weekends whenever Flyboy has fired up the grill and we're waiting on the coals to do their thing, we like to sip on the adult beverage of our choice and dip crackers or pretzels into a big ol' schmear of this hot and sweet surprise. It's especially tasty drizzled over some Laughing Cow or cream cheese. Clearly we're going to have to stock up the next time we visit San Antonio, because this whole cocktails and crackers thing has quickly become one of my favorite weekend rituals.

LISTENING TO: I guess it was only a matter of time before Max added the phrase "Uh-Oh!" to his repertoire. It all started this past weekend when he threw his bowl of yogurt on the kitchen floor. [Insert deep sigh here.] The cuteness—Max uttering the phrase, NOT the mess—lasted all of two seconds before we realized the insincere and Valley Girl tone in which he likes to say the phrase. It's almost as though he thinks saying it gives him carte blanche and we're left correcting him some MORE. For the record, I think the level of sass that comes with Max's expression must have been modeled by Flyboy. It only makes sense! That guy is full of sass.

WATCHING: This docu-dork is beyond giddy to see The First Monday in May—a documentary that examines the debate over whether fashion should ever be considered art. The film, which will be released in theaters this April, gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what went into planning the 2015 Met Gala. For those of you having a total fangirl moment, you'll want to watch the trailer here.

READING: Wednesday afternoon, I put Max down for his nap, closed his bedroom door and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Every day I live for this very moment because it means that we survived the first part of our day together, I get a big fat dose of freedom for a few hours, and we get to tackle the second half of the day with a clean slate. After tidying up the house yesterday, I sat down to work on today's blog and came across an article in my Facebook feed entitled Saying Goodbye To My Boy. Because I'm a giant sap, I clicked on the link, and then proceeded to sob at my desk. Years from now, I hope I can look back and write a similar tale to Wendy's. I feel like it's a mother's sign of a job well done. But for now, I'm going to savor this time while my little guy is still little.

LOVING: In this week's edition of "monkey see, monkey do", I give you Maxwell and his affinity for all things tubular or cylindrical. You see, our observant tot thinks that anything shaped like this must be applied to his lips and reapplied throughout the day. Hmm, where would he see such a thing? Perhaps the cosmetic case chock-full of balms and lip color has something to do with that?! Anywho, I clearly had NO business adding another lipstick to my collection, but I'm really glad I did because Bobbi Brown's Art Stick in Dusty Pink has become my absolute FAVORITE!! If you're in the market for some low-maintenance lip color or eager to experiment with a new product, you'll adore this lipstick meets liner. It's rare that I purchase anything from Bobbi Brown's line that I don't end up loving and this is no exception. Just as promised, the chunky pencil glides on effortlessly and delivers a creamy matte finish.

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!