Just Sayin'

Thanks to Auntie Char for these fun shirts for Ben and Lucy. You rock!

Indulgence Delayed

So obviously I can't read a calendar. Somehow I got it into my head that the Miss America pageant was tonight, even though the graphic I posted clearly says Jan. 30. Wow, the brain cells are evaporating quicker than I thought. Sorry if I got anyone all excited for nothing. :)

Here She Is...

My guilty pleasure is on tonight, but we won't be home to watch it! Thankfully, a friend is going to record it on her DVR so we can sit around and dissect the pageant afterwards. Oh, the drama of Miss America, home of fake tans, false eyelashes, double stick tape, Vaseline on the teeth, strategically placed chicken cutlets, and more makeup than Tammy Fay Baker and Dolly Parton combined. Pure spectacle. I love it.

Will you be watching?

Three Cheers for Winter!

As you may know, I'm not a huge fan of the cold, but don't you just love the abundance of citrus fruit during the winter months? Ben and I are slowly working our way through this 18 pound bag of grapefruit and I'm about to go get an 8 pound bag of oranges this weekend. Eating such yummy jewels lets me pretend that I'm actually in one of the warm places where such delicacies originate (i.e. California, Florida, etc.) If only partaking could make it so... When we lived in Arizona people had tons of lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange trees in their yards. If people couldn't eat the fruit fast enough and the trees became overburdened, pesky roof rats would come to eat the leftovers and then chew through wires and other parts of the house. To avoid this problem, a little old couple we knew would leave bags of fresh grapefruit on our doorstep. Thinking about them makes me smile. Another wonderful thing about citrus is the smell of orange blossoms. You know it's spring when you can smell the orange blossoms in bloom.

Everyone else in the world probably already does this, but I've just started buying bags of frozen mangoes, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Defrost a bowlful overnight, mix with your favorite yogurt flavor and voila! A perfect parfait.

Do you have a favorite fruit and any preferred method of eating it?

Wash and Wear

Does your house ever look like this? I was astounded by our mega-pile of laundry this morning.

We had some of Ben's friends over to play so I felt very productive catching up on emails, cleaning, etc. while the kiddos frolicked. Sometimes it's nice just to have a day at home in your PJs with nowhere to go. Granted, I don't take advantage of those type of days very often.

Just curious, how many loads of laundry do you do per week? We're averaging four. Do you spread it out over the week or just crank it all out in one day (my preferred method)? Do you have any tricks for making the job more bearable or even perhaps enjoyable? I love to fold laundry while listening to something good or watching a movie or TV show. It gives me something to look forward to while contemplating the seemingly endless pile of whites.

A Little Help

Yes, I know my blog needs lots of help, so to avoid getting overwhelmed with all that needs to be caught up on, I'll just give a tiny book recommendation. I'm almost done with The Help and it's the best book I've read in a while. Let's just say that I've read 350 of 450 pages since Friday afternoon. The characters are engaging, the storyline engrossing with interweaving tales set in a pivotal point in American history (Jackson, Mississippi 1962), and the author offers multiple mysteries and tidbits that keep you reading to find out how everything resolves. Go here for a synopsis and get on the waiting list at your library because it's been named on multiple reviews as one of the best books of 2009. Let me know if you've read it and what you thought, or if you're waiting for your chance to dive in. I've spent many a cozy hour in my bed or on the couch this weekend curled up with my copy.

Have you read anything else good lately? Any favorite books of 2009?

Card Shark

Now that the weather's getting cold we've had to find more indoor activities. We've discovered that Ben is quite good at Uno and although he's only four, he's a worthy opponent. I think he got that Haws game-playing gene. He does lay his cards out on the table so he (and everyone else)can see them, so it's not really a surprise what card he'll play, but fun, nonetheless. He likes to collect all the Wild cards and then try to slip them into his hand before we notice.