Thursday, May 20, 2010

Duh...

So, I'd just like to share with all of you a quick moment when I try something, then realize I am an idiot for not thinking of it sooner.

Use your kids' cleansers/lotions/etc. on yourself.

(If you don't want to read my ramblings about this, admittedly mundane topic, you can leave now and go back to reading much more interesting blogs. I won't blame you.)

You see... basically since my rambunctious - uh, I mean precious - baby boy was born he's had crazy skin problems. Itchy, rough, patchy, hive-y (I know, it's not a word, but Benjamin HAS been hive-y)... and the doctor said we had to use Cetaphil and Eucerin and Aquaphor instead of the (literally) gallons of Johnson & Johnson baby soap I bought in preparation for his arrival. (About half of that is the lavender scent in the purple bottle.)

The good news: the clinical, non-scented stuff does calm his skin (a little)
The bad news: he had NEVER had that baby smell

You know the smell. It's the one that makes you say: "oooooooohhhhh. I just love the way baaaabies smeeeelllll...." And you melt a little.

And I don't know why, but this Ben never smelling like a baby thing kinda' bothered me. (I mean, he smelled just fine most of the time. Just not like a baaaaaaby.)

I resigned myself to using the yellow bottle J&J on the dogs. (No matter how much of that stuff you use, they do NOT smell like babies. But sometimes, their feet smell like tortilla chips when they are sleeping. Does that happen to your dogs? No? It's just me? Please don't have me committed.) But for some reason the lavender stuff just didn't seem right to use on the pups.

To complicate the matter, my workspouse gave me the most lovely gift of Mustela baby stuff for my surprise baby shower. It smells soooo good and is super expensive. And it's just been sitting around.

Until now.

Ben's skin is still super sensitive. But -- and this is my duh! moment -- mine isn't!

So I've been using the Mustela stuff on myself. And you know what? It's great! So soft and not irritating and it smells great and it even removes makeup. (I mean, smashed baby food has to be tougher to remove than makeup, so I'm not really surprised.)

So, you busy moms out there, I know you don't have time for daily spa treatments or lengthy pampering routines. But this, you can do. And you don't have to spend a any money. Scope that changing table and treat yourself (and do it now, because one of those little munchkins is sure to need your attention soon).

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Iced coffee

Sometimes I feel like a total weirdo when I walk about my building toting my homemade ice cold coffee. Yes, I realize it can look a little like muddy water, but trust me people, it's delish.

First let me say that I still have my coffee training wheels on. I require a heavy dose of sweetener and milk in my coffee. But when the proportions are right, they are oh so right. Coffee has become a part of my workday routine. And I am big on routines. I take comfort in them and get a little bent out of shape when they don't happen.

In the cool months, I make hot coffee at home just before I walk out the door, pour it into my travel mug and drinking piping hot on my way to work. Sometimes it's gone before I reach the sitter's house. Sometimes, a third of it makes it into the building. I'm a fast drinker, so it doesn't last long. The speed with which I manage to swallow this scalding beverage is one reason I make it at home. It seems a crime to swallow $5 in less than 10 minutes on a daily basis for a Starbucks.

But when it's warm, I brew my coffee early in the morning. I doctor it up and let it cool at home, then pour it over ice when I get to work. It's divine. The perfect way to start my day.

Iced coffee:
This is a method more than a recipe.

First, brew the coffee:
- 1/3 cup coffee grounds
- Water filled up to the 4 cup line on your pot

Then, flip the lid open, doctor it up and let it cool on the counter. I add:
- 3-4 ounces skim milk
- 3 sweet and lows
- 2 tablespoons sugar free Hershey's syrup OR 1 tablespoons Starbucks mocha powder + 1 tablespoon water

Pour over lots of ice and drink with a straw.


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.... on a completely unrelated note.... I'm super excited to report our fancy schmancy digital camera is arriving tomorrow! I am so excited that I can't even come up with a synonym for excited. Seriously excited. I don't know if I've mentioned my lack of photography on the blog is rooted in my sincere self-consciousness of the terrible pics that come from our point-and-shoot. (It's totally the camera's fault, right? Can't have anything to do with the photographer. Right? Right.) Anyway, expect to see much improved photography soon! Woo hoo! Did I mention that I'm excited?

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Today I washed...

Today I washed:
  • Laundry
  • Dishes
  • My kid
  • A wheelbarrow
  • My driveway

...but...

I never managed to wash myself. Ahhh... such is life as a homeowner and a mother. :)

That said, I had a fantastical Mother's Day. Just wonderful.

I slept in -- until 7:50 a.m. -- and woke up in a cabin in Hocking Hills. This morning was the morning after a fantastic bachelorette party for a fantabulous woman who'll make a supurb wife and a stellar mother herself some day. I know that's a lot of superlatives, but she's just that lovely. And so were the other women at the party.

I came home to a husband, mom and dad working in the yard. Mulching and weeding and making it look wonderful. Just so wonderful! (Have I mentioned I live in my dream home? I do. I LOVE our house.)

Speaking of that husband, he and Benjamin gave me the most thoughtful cards and gifts of chocolate... and a free pass to go on a fabric spree at JoAnn's. Woo hoo!

So at almost 11:00 p.m. on my third mother's day (yes, I count the one when I was pregnant), I am declaring this my best mother's day ever. And I'm certain I'll sleep well tonight. Mulching (and eating chocolate) is hard work!