Happy St. Patty's Day!

While my days of sitting in a pub drinking green beer are long gone, its been replaced with another St. Patty's Day tradition. 

Actually, my husband and kids participate. 
I let them have their fun. 
Then I let them clean up. 
I'll explain.

Every year, my kids try to catch a leprechaun.  They are sneaky, smart and not easily caught. Actually, not ever caught.  (I'm talking about the leprechauns, here.)  That never stops my kids from setting a trap and putting out the fake gold coins as a lure.  This year, they tried to catch him in the wicker chest where we store the extra blankets. 

Didn't work.

Instead, we got a messy living room. 
The little stool was upturned. 
The sofa cushions and pillows were all over the floor. 
The gold coins were scattered around. 
Magazines were tossed about. 
And a note was left: 

Favorite things...

One of the things I can't live without (especially when I travel) is Downey Wrinkle Releaser.  (Disclaimer:  They are not paying me to write this...they don't know me or even care who I am.)

Not only does it have that fresh-out-of-Mom's-laundry-room scent, but it works like a charm. 

Just spread the garment on your bed or any hard surface,
lightly mist the surface,
then smooth it with your hands. 

Easy as pie.  It works best with knit cottons.  Wovens tend to need a hot iron, but I have to admit that I've gotten by in a pinch using it on wovens.  Love it.  Can't live without it. 

You should try it.  You can buy it in a little travel size to test it out.  Hint:  I even use it when I iron...which admittedly isn't very often!

I admit that I buy a lot of my clothes at Costco and Target.  I don't always have time to get to the mall (sorry Macy's, don't be jealous!) and I seem to be at Costco once a week.  Don't even get me started on how often I'm at Target. 

(Hint:  I've been there twice in one day before...but don't tell anyone.  Its a little embarassing.)  I stopped wearing khaki pants with a red top (no matter how cute the top) because once, at Target, I was asked where the toothpaste aisle was.

I really didn't think shopping for clothes at Costco or Target was big deal until the fashion police, aka: other moms, started noticing.  Which made me wonder...if they don't buy clothes there, then how did they know that was where I bought mine?  Come on, people, who can resist a $7 v-neck tshirt from Target?  You can't tell me that you can walk by the massive area in the middle of Costco with all those flat tables piled with clothes and not take a look.  The printed and sequined tshirts for $12.99?  The Gloria Vanderbilt stretch jeans for $16.99?  The down filled vest with a fake fur collar for $24.99?  I know the mom down the street got her new Seven Jeans at Costco for $99.99, don't tell me she didn't.

Look, I'm all about comfortable clothes I can throw in the washer and dryer.  I'm a sucker for a good sale/good price/good deal.  Yes, looking cute is important, too.   That's why, my friends, I accessorize my Target and Costco clothes.

More on the importance of accessorizing later...

Gettin' old...

I turned 40 last October.

I now have 3 gray hairs and need reading glasses. 

You'd think the gray hair would be easy to cover up, but when I tried to dye my hair the same shade of basic brown to hide it, my hair turned red.  So I tried a darker color.  It was dark for a day, then turned red.  So I bought special "color-safe" shampoo and conditioner and tried again.  It turned red.  I went to my hair stylist.  It washed out.  And turned red.  So now I'm stuck as a redhead.  I'll try again, but I want to give my hair a break.  Meanwhile, I have a nice brown skunk stripe at my root line.

My DH has been bugging me to go to the optometrist since I went last time...three years ago.  I really hate going there because as we speak, my eyes burn just a bit everytime I blink.  Those yellow drops are a really good nap deterent because no way would I lay down for a little shut eye right now (and trust me, its the perfect cold and rainy day for that). 

So three years ago, I was border-line if I needed reading glasses to I opted not to get them.  Now, I can tell a difference as I move my book a little further from my face when I read and have begrudgingly decided to get them...for READING ONLY.  I was offered bifocals so I could just wear them all the time, uh, no thanks.  Not that there's anything wrong with glasses...but its a reminder that I'm getting older. 

The glasses I picked out are kinda cute, though. 

I was at Target a little while ago to grab a few things and I happened to walk down the seasonal home decor aisle.  There are cute little Valentine's Day frames, red pillows, throw rugs and a few pictures to hang on the wall.  There were some candles, nice vases and seashells for spring decorating. 

Next to the seashells was a 5 pound container of sand. 

Beach sand.  Light brown, fine grain beach sand. 

In case I've never mentioned it...I live in San Diego.  Now, I do live inland about 20 minutes from the closest breaking wave, but still. 

Sand.  Target sells little containers of sand.

Because I have a retail background, I understand and appreciate why Target changes out the back to school supply section with Halloween in August (and includes a back corner with Christmas basics).  I  understand why Valentine's Day and Christmas overlap.  I get why St. Patrick's Day only gets an endcap display and since its January, I'm prepared to see summer lawn chairs in the next few weeks.

Retailers like Target and Walmart have strictly timed floor models that they adhere to whether you're in San Diego or St. Paul.  It makes sense for merchandise flow reasons.  They can ship certain merchandise for all stores at the same time.  You can walk into a Target in any town and know that it looks just like the Target 1,000 miles away.  I bought my kids new ski pants in October when it was 90 degrees out.

The only variance I've noticed is that our Target sells sunblock year-round.  They didn't used to.  It used to come out with the summer merchandise and disappear when Halloween popped up.  They finally got wise to lost sales and began stocking sunblock year round.

But selling sand in San Diego?

New Year Organizing

I always get an organizing bug at the beginning of the year.  Actually, I always have it, but its worse every January. 

I clean closets out.
I purge the office.
I shred things.
I call Amvets for a pick up.

I've unloaded so much stuff I can't believe there's not more room under my bathroom sink.  I threw out old conditioners, lotions, half empty bottles of hairspray and checked all the medicine expiration dates.  (That's an important one!)  I also found some Zicam, which I just found out was recalled.

I got rid of clothes that I didn't wear for the last two summers.  I got rid of dingy socks.  (Santa brought me new ones!)  I purged my daughter's room, too.  There were clothes that she had out grown...in taste and size.  I also filled a kitchen garbage bag with paper to recycle.  She loves to draw, write, make up menus, design clothes and generally waste paper.  I shouldn't admit this, but I buy boxes of paper from Costco.  You know the kind that has 8 reams in it?  I donate some to school, of course, because they can't afford it, the rest stays here and slowly dwindles over the course of the year. 

Anyways, I cleaned out my kitchen drawers, too.  I have so many utensils and gadgets that I never use.  They just take up space...so they're sitting in the Amvets thrift store, too.  I got into the bottom of my dining room hutch and got rid of old candles, candle holders and vases that didn't mean anything to me.  I have a lot of things that were wedding gifts that are still sitting in their original boxes, but I can't bear to part with them.

I'm hoping to get a trash bin one day soon so I can chuck a bunch of stuff.  You know, old lawn chairs, the wheelbarrow with the hole in the middle and the flat tire, the parts of the old built in sandbox that my son used once.  (I never let my daughter play in it, it was too gross!)  If I'm lucky, I can get my husband to climb up to the rafters and see what we can get rid of up there, too!!

It feels so good to purge-toss-organize. Next up...the office...

A day in my life...

I joined a new gym today.  Its called The House.  Its not one of those New Year's Resolutions...it had more to do with the fact that my insurance company approved the monthly membership to be reimbursed through our benefits program.  We were out of moola in our benefits for 2009, so I'm starting it up in 2010.  (I have to wonder if this will still be an option in a few years when the Gov't takes over healthcare.  I'm taking yoga, its preventative, so I'll go out on a limb and say 'no', it won't be covered.)

Anywho, I took a svaroopa yoga class.  For those of you not up on your yoga terminology, its a relaxive (is that even a word?) gentle form of yoga designed to open up your spine and the muscles around it.  (Did you hear my voice get soft, gentle and slow when I said that?)  That's why I need yoga...apparently I have scoliosis according to my Dr.  Must be adult-on set.
"Quit that aerobics class and get into yoga.  You need to strengthen your back," she scolded me last time I was there. 

All I know is my great grandmother was nearly bent in half, bless her heart and I don't want to end up that way.  So I'm taking yoga. 

It was pretty relaxing, I have to admit.  You need five heavy blankets.  Yes, five.  Very heavy wool blankets.  You fold and bolster them to put under your knees while lying on your back.  You also use them folded up in different yoga positions.  It was pretty interesting and the instructor was very nice, stopping to show me where to put the folded blankets.  The class was much busier than I thought it would be...I think I'll go back on Thursday.  It seems to work pretty well if I run at the park after I drop the kids, then head to the gym. 

Time to get back into a new routine for the new year.

I like to take pictures of flowers.  I'm no fancy-smansy photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I like to take pictures of flowers and landscape, have a bunch printed out, then make cards out of them.  You can go to a craft store (or scrapbook store) and buy blank note cards and envelopes.  Paste the picture on the front and voila!!!  You have a nice note card.  Since people rarely send letters any more, everyone enjoys a nice note card. 

Here is a pic I've used to make a note card:

I love petunias.  Have you ever noticed that they're sticky?  I love them, though, they're so bright.  And speaking of bright...

Here is another picture:

These are ranaculas.  They only bloom for about a month each year.  What color!!

I'll post more pics when I can find them in my vault of picures. 

Favorite things...

I found a new favorite thing.  Its cool.  It saved me a bunch of money, but more on that later. 

Its called Lemi Shine.
(Disclaimer:  I don't know anyone at Lemi Shine, they aren't paying me a dime, not even in free Lemi Shine.)

Let me back up a little.  A few months ago, I was ready to head to Sears to look for a new dishwasher.  Mine was almost 8 years old and I thought a new one might get my dishes cleaner and get rid of those awful spots on my glasses.  They were looking milky, not clear. 

Then I thought about it.  Maybe I should just get new glasses.  After all, they were almost 8 years old.  (Sensing a theme here?  Yes, I moved into my house almost 8 years ago.)  Then I was reading my favorite blog, The Pioneer Woman, and she mentioned Lemi Shine.  I thought, a $3.49 fix might be more cost effective than a new dishwasher OR new glasses.  So I ran to Target, bought some, ran home and started the diswasher.  Lo and behold, my glasses looked better. 

A week later, the white scalely build up at the bottom of my dishwasher was gone. 

I'm telling you, this stuff is amazing.  A miralce.  A $3.49 fix.  One of my most favorite things.