Swingin’ Chandeliers

I’ve lived in my house for three and a half years, and we’ve done a TON of work on it…but we still have a very, very long way to go!  For example, we have yet to replace the light fixtures, and it’s a real problem.  I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEM!  The previous owners seemingly just went to the local hardware store and bought whatever was on sale.  When you walk through our front door you see a modern ceiling fan, and even more modern light fixture over the fireplace (which is a whole different post, that baby needs some love!), then if you look straight through there is another modern light with two fans in the kitchen that makes me feel like I’m going to be dive bombed by a WWII plane, coupled with a traditional pendant light that desperately needs to be removed.  The worst, though, is the giant, hideous, Tuscan style chandelier in the dining room.  RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY HOUSE.  I’m assuming they thought “hmm, Tuscany is fancy, this will make our dining room formal!” but then totally forgot that you can see into the other rooms.  I have no idea.  I will never figure these people out.  Here are some shots from before we moved in:

Anyway, after much photoshopping and blog hopping and pinning and thinking, I finally decided for sure what style of chandelier I want.  Since my ideal style would best be described as the lovechild of mid-century glam and Hollywood regency (that’s a thing, right?) I really couldn’t resist the idea of a sputnik chandelier.  I LOVE them.  LOVE.  My husband is not really on board, but he also didn’t think we could paint the dining room black, but we did and it works.  No one should question me.  Anyway, I have it narrowed down to four.  Behold:

(One, Two, Three, Four)

Now the question is do I choose the obvious and go brass because it’s all the rage, or is brass so totally 2014 that I’ll hate it within 5 minutes?  I mean, in 2015 copper is the new girl with the mini skirt and IDGAF attitude.  Do I want to be her?  Yes.  But they don’t make sputniks in copper yet.  Do I do chrome/nickel and stick with the existing scheme of all my fixtures?  I can’t decide, which is really unlike me.  Feel free to chime in if you have an opinion.  In the meantime I’ll be Googling pictures of chandeliers.

Fancy Breastfeeding: How to Dress Up When Your Babe Wants to Chow Down

One of my sisters is getting married in March, and my other sister and I were texting this morning about what to wear to various wedding-related events so we look appropriate amazing, while still having boob access.  I pulled together a few outfit ideas I’ve picked up during my two years of breastfeeding so you too can look good and nurse comfortably (except for the shoes…most of those actually look pretty uncomfortable).

Outfit 1: Shirt/Skirt/Shoes/Earrings

Outfit 2: Shirt/Skirt/Shoes/Earrings

Outfit 3: Dress/Shoes/Earrings

Outfit 4: Dress/Shoes/Earrings

Outfit 5: Dress/Shoes/Earrings

On Getting Your Shit Together

This is where I tell you how to get your life on track so you can live your life like an Instagram star!  LOL, just kidding!  My house, my wardrobe, my children’s hair are all out of control messy.  We had a really, supremely terrible year last year, and the bummers keep on coming.  As a result, my already tenuous grasp on my life has suffered even more.  Even the happy addition of a new baby last year totally derailed my life.  I have, however, recently rediscovered an old pleasure that really really helps me to rein in my anxiety.  Yesterday I was flipping out about how many things I need to do.  I have a thousand mental tabs open at all times, and spreadsheets and Pinterest boards attempt to corral the crazy, but I get so overwhelmed sometimes that I just shut down.  I don’t know where to start, and I can’t organize my priorities, so I watch TV with a glass of wine and go to bed instead of dealing with the looming tasks that haunt my every waking minute.  It’s exhausting.

I decided I needed to process what needed to be done instead of trying to think it over, and so I went old school.  I busted out a pen and paper and started jotting down the things I need to do.  We rely so much on technology, but really I feel more stressed when I spend too much time on my computer and my phone.  My brain doesn’t organize that kind of information the same way.  A real list, on paper, feels so good.  It’s tangible, and you can physically cross things off as you go.

Making a list on paper seems straightforward enough, but I do have a few tips (a list about making lists…there is something wrong with me):

1. Always, always, always include a couple of easy to accomplish activities so you can cross something off right away. It’s really motivating!  Even if the first thing on your list is “#1: Write a List” just so you can cross it off.  It’s awesome.
2. Make sure your paper is lined. Pretty paper sounds great, and is great, but lined paper is the best.  It feels really neat and organized, and that’s the exact feeling you’re going for.
3. Get a pen you really like. There’s something really cathartic about writing things down, but you need to feel good about it.  Something easy to write with that you can use to cross items off with a flourish!
4. Write a list before bed. It prevents you from running through the things you need to be doing while you’re trying to fall asleep.  If you’ve already thought things through, and written them down, you’re free to let them go until the morning.
5. Keep close tabs on your paper. I write EVERYTHING I need to do on my lists and sometimes I lose them…and then sometimes my husband finds them and they’re really embarrassing.

I do try to keep a running master list.  I’ve been using this free one for years, but I stumbled across these awesome notepads this morning and I think I might have to buy them!

Breast Milk v. Pink Eye: The Verdict

I have never had much luck with home remedies.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good hot toddy, but that’s mostly because it’s warm booze and honey (recipe below), not because it’s actually healing.  I did some research, and there is some legitimate science behind breast milk’s healing properties.  With zero time to go to the doctor, but a fountain of fresh milk at my disposal, it seemed worth a try.  Guess what.  It worked.  It actually worked.

The crunchy blogs I read all claimed that putting fresh milk in your eye three times in one day should be enough to clear things up.  I was certain the remedy had failed me when I went to bed with an itchy red eye the first night.  In the morning, however, my eye was very much improved.  I went ahead with two more doses, and by the afternoon of the second day my eye was all clear.  Today, day three, I’m back to wearing my regular make up (all germ-free replacements, of course).

I was going to throw some science at you regarding immunoglobulin A, but there wasn’t really anything scientific about my approach, so just take it as is.  It worked for me.

Anyway, here’s my hot toddy recipe.  It’s the same as everyone else’s, but I’ll include it in case you’ve never made one.

1 cup boiling water (or hot tea)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 generous tablespoon of honey

1 shot (or 2, no judgement here) of whiskey

Mix it all together and drink it.  It will make you feel all warm and fuzzy.  It’s awesome when you have a cold.

How To Be A Good Parent

I think we can all agree that letting your kid wear socks with sandals is bad parenting.

I’m by no means a parenting expert, because parenting experts aren’t a real thing.  Even so, I’ve been at this for a few years now and I’ve picked up a few things on my journey.  I have a million tips that I will share with you, but this is the only one that works for everyone.  Absorb this.  Make it yours.

You do you.  That’s it.  This isn’t novel advice by any means, but it’s worth repeating.  No matter how innocent, how genuine, how heartfelt and reasonable and researched your actions, someone is going to think you’re wrong.  For every parent that agrees with you that you should keep your newborn home in 100 degree heat, there’s another who thinks you’re a lunatic helicopter parent.  For every person who thinks its fine that your baby eats food from a pouch, there’s another who will criticize the sugar content.  For every parent who thinks you should only make your kids’ food from scratch, there’s another who thinks you should be spending that time playing with your children.  The catch is, for every baby who likes to be worn, there is one who can’t stand to be restricted.  For every baby who won’t take a bottle there’s one who won’t latch at the breast.  We each have a million micro reasons to make the decisions we do, and no one knows the inner workings of our families, our children, and ourselves.  We all have to do what works for us.

I used to spend hours researching every parenting decision I made before I learned to trust my gut.  The moment that clicked for me was when I read two articles back to back linking the way we put our babies to sleep with addiction.  The first said that if you didn’t let your baby cry it out they would never learn to self-soothe and would turn to drugs and alcohol to soothe themselves as they grew older.  The second said if you let your baby cry they would learn that no one would be there to comfort them and they would turn to drugs and alcohol as they grew older to replace the love that was missing from their lives.  In that moment I realized that no one has any idea what they’re talking about and maybe, just maybe, we put too much pressure on a time in our children’s lives that they won’t even remember.  We’re all doing a great job at some things and a terrible job at some things, and we probably won’t find out which are which for twenty years at least.  So, just do your best, trust your gut, and close your ears.

Breast Milk: A Totally Normal Story

Oh don’t mind me. I’m just squirting breast milk on my eyeball in the office bathroom like a totally normal person.

I think I’ve lost my mind.  I’m diving straight back into this blogging thing sans filter.  As  breastfeeding moms know, breast milk is constantly touted a miracle drug.  Sure, it’s fine as a food for your baby, or whatever,  but it can do so much more… according to the internet.  Yesterday my right eye started bothering me.  Today, it’s full force infected, and taking my left eye down with it.  Any sane person would probably head to the doctor for prescription antibiotic drops, but I don’t have time for that.  I have a busy day today.  So instead, I put breast milk ON MY EYEBALLS.  The internet swears it works, and who am I to question legions of crunchy moms?*  Honestly, so far it feels pretty good.  Stay tuned for results.

 

*Except for crunchy anti-vaxxers.  I question them 100%.

Hi!

Hey Y’all!  Long time, no blog.  I haven’t posted since July 2013, and phew, some of those old posts are super embarrassing.  I started blogging in 2010 as an aimless twenty-seven year old who was trying to figure out what she wanted to do when she grew up…and it worked!  She did! It was really exciting!  Then that young dummy, right before heading back to school, went and got herself knocked up.  Except she wasn’t really a dummy because she now has the two best kids on the whole planet.  Except she might be a dummy because she can’t decide if she’s writing in first or third person.  Of course, she/I might just be a weirdo. I’m leaving the old posts up so you can see how lame this blog used to be, but hopefully I’ll be taking things in a better direction as an aimless 31 year old.  There will be some mom stuff, some tips, some food, some fashion, some home decor, some whatever the fuck I feel like that day.  You know, the usual.

The blog might take some time to gel, but I need and miss having an outlet since my entire life is loading seismic data, and trying to get my kids to sleep.  Oh, and laundry.  I do a lot of laundry.  I hope you enjoy the new content, and that I’m able to actually stick with this.  I’m getting a good laugh reading some old posts.  So much complaining about how busy I was.  Hilarious.  Anyway, welcome back!