As The Boy and I were spending a delightful day at the park, I overheard a couple of women talking about how they just can’t seem to find the motivation to add weights into their routines.  As the discussion continued, one woman lamented to the other that she hates how her arms jiggle underneath, but she just doesn’t know how to get rid of it. 

I contemplated inserting myself into the conversation, but then I thought I would seem a) nosey for listening and b) creepy, because how the hell do they know I actually know what I’m talking about.  Perhaps I should start carrying around my credentials to pass out when I hear conversations such as these? 

Arm jiggle is a common worry amongst women.  First, it isn’t as bad as you think.  Even women with very fit arms will have jiggle as they wave.  It’s called gravity and your skin and muscles aren’t cement.  So, give yourself somewhat of a break!  Second, there is an extremely easy lift to combat that jiggle, and you’ve known how to do it since you were a kid…

Arm circles!  Funny how I can still hear the groans of certain individuals from my Sculpt class as I say this.  Yes, arm circles with the addition of hand weights can firm up the underside of your arm quick as a flash with some consistency. 

To pick the right weight (after all, you don’t want to hurt your shoulder in the process), choose a light weight, like 2 or 3lbs (For instance, I use 6lbs and lift routinely).  Holding it with your non-dominant hand’s palm facing down and arm out straight in front of your body, lift that weight straight over your head.  If you can do this 3-4 times without thrusting your back, that’s the perfect weight for you.  If it’s too easy, go up a pound. 

Holding a weight in each hand, have your arms out to the side and do arm circles with palms facing up.  Then, palms facing down.  Make big circles, make little circles, switch directions.  In between circles, hold the weights out with straight arms and pause to the count of 10. 

Consistency is key here. Do this 3 times a week after your run, or Sun Salutations or whenever your child is busy playing cars for a minute or two. 

Time to fly,

Liz 

Sh*t I've Said to My Toddler This Week

Bobby has been a special breed of mischievous the past few days. He goes in these phases where he will be mostly agreeable and fairly easy to handle for a for a week or two. It's just long enough for me to think that I've got him pegged and that maybe, just maybe, this toddler thing isn't as bad as I've made it out to be. Then, out of nowhere, some kind of wild, wiley streak sets in where he is just a non-stop fireball for a few days.

One day she is going to beat his ass. I probably won't stop her.

Have you ever heard some of the things that come out of your mouth to your kids? Like really stopped and listened to the things you have to say to these tiny drunk people toddlers? It's complete absurdity. I decided to stop and record the ridiculous things I say to my child this week. I do, of course, say plenty of normal, sweet, typical good-mom things to him. And I do discipline him for his many infractions. But nobody cares about that. Here's a snapshot of the bizarre:

"We have to stay out of the garbage." 

"The pelican will bite you."

"The baby doesn't eat Lysol wipes. Seriously, stop trying to feed the baby Lysol wipes. Don't MAKE me come stop you."
"How did sausage get there?"

"Ugh...Don't lick the dust pan, dude."

"Get your hands out of the garbage right now!"

"Sweetie, I'm sorry you fell, but that's what happens when you scatter chocolate raisins all over the kitchen floor."
"We don't drink syrup out of the bottle."

"I will pick you up and carry you out of this store right this minute."

"Where did you dump all the hand sanitizer?"
"Are apples even good in ketchup?"

"Thanks for smearing the butt paste all over yourself."

"I'm seriously going to laugh when that pelican bites you."

"How'd you get in the dryer?"

"We're out of ketchup. I give up. Let's have bacon for dinner."

"Please don't eat tree bark."
"Sweetheart, the light bulb goes inside the lamp. Wait, why do you have a light bulb?"

"How did broccoli get on the stairs?"

"Spit. Out. The. Thumbtacks."

"That is two-day-old trash! Noooo!!"

"Get your hands out of your diaper. It's rude."

"Dude, you're sucking on a tea bag that I know I've put in the garbage three times."

"Back away from the pelican!"

"Are these your teeth marks on the package of hotdogs?"

"In this house, you nap, or you die."

And it's only Wednesday.

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette

Breaking Bread with Chocolate Babka

I love making new recipes of breads that come from different cultures, and I love the history involved.  No matter the culture or religion, people all across the world share this commonality: we all celebrate with food.  Life, death, marriages, births, and achievements are all celebrated with special foods. 

Yesterday, I was drawn to Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Babka Bread recipe…. After all, chocolate intertwined in yeasted dough would draw anyone to it.  Babka, sounds Jewish, and certainly, there are many stories of Babka originating in Israel.  However, it is also unique to Eastern Europe, bread sweetened with dried fruit as chocolate and oranges were luxuries most in the region could not afford.  Chocolate was likely added later, an American-Jewish invention, and a great one at that. 

But whether Israeli, Eastern European, or Jewish in origin, one thing that was on my mind as I was making this recipe was World War II.  Today marks the 70^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and the few remaining prisoners who survived will make their way there, to remember while most of the world chooses to forget. 

My husband I visited Dachau on our honeymoon, a somber day that I would never change.  It is amazing how much sorrow you can feel by simply looking at an empty barrack.  And that is how we get people to remember, to feel compassion for others, to understand there is more than self in this world.  

This past weekend, we took our son to a park to play, and upon arrival there, a similar aged boy approached Luke, claimed he was a dinosaur, and proceeded to roar. A friendship was born, later solidified by the sharing, albeit reluctantly, of a donut.  The boy’s name was Ira. 

How many instances like this were stolen from our world?  Jewish children cruelly and methodically murdered; German children wrongly manipulated to be driven by hatred.

I follow The GreatestGenerations Foundation on Facebook, and talk about a great non-profit.  They have been posting stories all week long of Holocaust survivors, and one quote really stuck for me.  Mrs. Susan (Zuzkai) Kluger, 80, was taken to Auschwitz in 1944.  While she was chosen for hard labor, her mother and sister were sent to the gas chambers.  Here is her quote: “When you’ve been to the hell and survived, nothing matters other than being happy.  I loved my children.  I gave them 100% love, everything my mother gave to me, because that is all you have.”

And in the spirit of love, this bread is just that, a product to share with those you cherish, a way to celebrate, to thank, to feel love with each bite.  It is a time-consuming bread, but the effort is worth it.  I can’t improve upon Smitten Kitchen’s recipes (they’re fantastic always), so here is the link to her recipe.  Below are the step-by-step pictures of assembly to finish:

The only couple of notes I have are that I used orange peel, and I think I would leave it without it next time.  I’m not crazy about orange and chocolate (I know some are), so it doesn’t really do anything for me.  Also, I did make this recipe in one day by mixing the dough in the morning, letting it double in a warm place for 3 hours, and then I put it in the fridge for an hour before rolling out. 

For those who enjoy reading books about Europe during World War II, here are a couple of books that I highly recommend:

Finding Rebecca by Eoin Dempsey

The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman

The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah Mccoy

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

All of these books will bring tears to your eyes, but sadness is good.  Without sadness, we can't know happiness.  You should be happy, especially for those robbed of time to do just that.

Time to fly,

Liz 

Lightening Up

Well, Alex left yesterday for three weeks, and I am flying solo once again. Whenever he leaves, I always like to start some kind of project. It helps the time go faster when I am working on something specific. You know, because I don't have enough going on to begin with. (On an unrelated note, I have already fished a golf ball out of the toilet this morning. How's your Monday going?)

And my baby daughter looks like Hitler when she eats peas, but I'm trying not to dwell on that.

I've decided that my project this time is to lighten things up--physically, mentally, and visually. I have been working on shrinking my stomach lately. That is the first step of lightening up (for me), and it means I just have to eat less all the way around. That's difficult for me, as I tend to eat portions as big as my husband. I just really enjoy eating. But I am trying to eat significantly smaller portions and to not eat after 7pm. That part is also huge for me, too, as I tend to sneak down into the kitchen around midnight and binge on carbs. I've been pretty good the past few week, and I am already a couple of pounds down.

Mentally lightening up is an easy one for me. I am just focusing on things I can do instead of things I can't change, planning things to look forward to, and thinking about the positive things in life instead of the negative. The beautiful sunshine that we have seen in Florida for the past couple of days surely helps. Bobby is in a sour, no-pictures-please mood and has been antagonistic to his sister this morning, so I think we may go down for an early nap and then take a long afternoon stroll out in this beautiful weather.

Visually lightening is the most fun. My downstairs feels a bit disconnected. My kitchen and dining area feel bright and light, while my living room feels dark and a little too warm for my taste. I do like the reds and mushroom colors, but they aren't "me," and I'm just kind of over them for the moment. 

Luckily, I have neutral furniture, and changing up the color scheme is a matter of simply swapping out accessories. I can easily and painlessly switch the ottoman and pillows out for the wood coffee table in our guest house. Then all I need are a couple of different pillows, a new painting, and a few different colored accessories. I can paint some artwork myself (it won't be a Van Gogh, but it'll suffice), and I can spraypaint some accessories I already have. Then I'm considering re-painting the backs of my built-in bookshelves. They were white when we moved in, and I painted them the mushroom color that they currently are, which made a world of difference (and for the price of a sample of paint!). But I'm thinking that repainting them a nice blue/gray/green will make a big difference for minimal effort and cost. I'm liking these color schemes:

Another thing that I am thinking will lighten things up is switching out the lamp shades on our lamps. We currently have these heavy brown shades that are opaque and block a ton of the light (doesn't this negate the point of the lamps?). Some simple, inexpensive white shades should give off a lot more light and brighten up the space a ton. 

I am also excited about adding in some bright, fun colors to my wardrobe. I tend to go for neutral colors, as those are more versatile. But I also tend to buy neutral jewelry, like gold, and then I'm left with a completely neutral closet. My workout wear is the worst. I haven't bought workout clothes since 2008, and everything I have is grey, black, and white. I'll admit that I don't work out a ton ever these days, but who wants to with such blah workout wear? I maintain that you are more likely to do something that you don't want to do if you can do it in style. I was silently judging people shopping in Walmart yesterday, and I passed a very bright neon activewear section that stopped me in my tracks. These tank tops were on sale for $3, and this fun jacket was less than $10. That's pretty remarkable, so I scooped them up, and then immediately went home to go for a brisk walk with the kiddos. They also had some yoga and running capris with fun pops of color. I'm typically more into Target than Walmart, but you can't deny that those are a great deal!

And in the spirit of lightening things up, this little beauty can crawl now! Hooray! 

Not.

Happy Monday!

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette

DIY Pom Pom Valentine's Garland

I may or may not have an obsession with garlands. I'll drape a garland over anything that will sit still long enough. While I do love the popular tassel garland that you can find all over Instagram and Pinterest right now, I was wanting to go in a different direction for my Valentine's Day garland. I finally decided on a pom-pom garland, because there's something very sweet about pom-poms. Garlands tend to be inexplicably expensive (especially the tassel garlands. Those are definitely worth a DIY project), and I hate paying for something I can make myself. So I set out to make my own garland. It did take some time; I sat down and made these after the kids were asleep while we watch grownup tv. After I became efficient at making the poms, I could make one in about 5 minutes. It's a great project for doing in front of the tv (I wish I'd realized this when I was on bed rest while pregnant with Vivi for 11 years). But it's easy peasy, and I promise anybody--even those with minimal crafting skills--can make this. 

First, you need to fashion a pom-pom maker. The main thing you need here are two parallel sticks. You can use anything--forks, pens, chopsticks. But I used sharpies duct taped to an old cd. Classy, I know, but it gets the job done. I did break out the sassy Hello Kitty duck tape, at least. Once you have taped the sticks parallel to something handheld, you can begin the pom-pom making project.

You will need:

*pom-pom making device

*yarn in whatever colors (for this garland, we are using red, pink, and white)

*scissors

*canvas needles (I found mine in the crochet section at Walmart)

*thick and strong thread

Take the pom-pom making device in one hand and the end of yarn in the other. Wrap the yarn around the sticks over and over.

Continue wrapping for a while until you have made a large ball of yarn (the more yarn you use, the bigger the pom-pom). Cut with scissors and set aside. Cut roughly an 8in strip of yarn.

 

Fish the strip of yarn through the middle of the yarn ball and tie in a knot.

Flip over and tie a double know on the other side of the ball. Both sides should have a secure knot.

 

Hold the yarn ball and begin cutting the loops all the way around.

 

Continue cutting until there are no loops left. You will have a very shaggy pom-pom.

 

Now it's time for ball-shaving, so to speak. Begin cutting the shaggy pom down until you have a neat pom-pom. You will have a lot of discarded yarn. Alex lamented that this is not a very eco-friendly project, to which I say, "pssshhhh." It's cute. Whatev.

Once you have all your pom-poms made, thread your canvas needle.

Insert your threaded needle into the center of a pom-pom and slide onto the string. 

 

Continue until finished.

{nail color is Essie's bump up the pumps}

There you have it! Pretty easy and cute, right? I love it and think it is a fun addition to our foyer. Plus, it makes me happy to know that I made something pretty for my home for under $10. That's a win in my book!

I am getting eager for Spring and am ready to inject a bit of brightness and color into my home and closet. I have been crushing on a lot of fun Springy things:

*this Kate Spade striped tablecloth would be fab draped over a table for a party.

*this Janie & Jack romper needs to get in Vivi's closet asap.

*these jadeite cake stands would be perfect for Spring. I am having to talk myself out of these daily.

*this emerald green desk is making me completely reevaluate my downstairs decor.

*also, has anyone else been watching Hindsight, the new 90's period dramedy on VH1. I know, I haven't watched VH1 since I was maybe 16 years old, and I expected this show to be a bit cheesy. But it's not! It's actually really cute and fun. Might be worth checking out if you are looking for a new show.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette

The Older Crowd & The Birthday Boy

Today, The Boy turns 3, and each age becomes more and more fun.  I remember the awe of his early discovery of hands.  How fascinating!  And, like any over-the-moon mama, I recorded such things and rewatched them countless times and sent them to family and friends.  Now, I record less, because there is simply no time to grab the camera as my heart beats out of my chest at his daring adventures.  Of course, these would be the more interesting videos. 

On The Boy’s first birthday, I recorded this parenting gem: 

You’ve heard parenting is a learning process, right?  C’mon, you laughed at that video.  Don’t judge me. 

At age 3, I have learned that The Boy loves to mimic older kids.  Lucky for us, we live in a neighborhood filled with older kids, who are so good with The Boy.  He gets to play 8-year old chase, tag, hide-and-seek, received his first birthday party invite and has even been invited to go play Barbies with his 8-year old “girlfriend”, which did not go well as he wanted to destroy the Barbie home. 

Due to all of this interaction with the older crowd, we also get some great 8-year old phrases repeated in this house, which are nothing but laughable coming out of a 3-year old’s mouth. 

“That’s not fair.” 
I’m quite certain he has no idea what this is actually referring to, but he does use it a lot in contexts such as these: “Bath time, buddy!” “Ooooh, that’s not fair!”  “Time to go home.”  “That’s not fair!”  “No, do not feed your crumbs to Wrigley.” “That’s not fair!”  If anything, the dog seems to have someone on her side. 

“Stupid ­fill in the blank.” 

Sigh.  The “stupid” word.  It’s not a bad word.  I don’t mind it being used… By an older kid who understands it shouldn’t be an adjective for everything.  But, The Boy has been using it quite a bit.  If the helicopter falls, then he shouts, “Stupid helicopter!” If he trips, “Stupid floor.”  You get it.  I’m not making a big deal of it other than to repeat what he says but replacing “stupid” with silly.  First-child parenting problem?  Probably.   I’m not losing sleep over it.

“Pull my finger.” 
This is not something he learned from the 8-year olds.  This is something that indicates a man, my husband, now resides in our home.  Of course, The Boy still has it backwards, which if he farts, he then comes up to you, says, “I stinky tooted.  Pull my finger!”  But, the men in the house find it quite hilarious.  I admit, I get a laugh out of it too.  I just hope we have a few years to work on what is acceptable in public before a teacher approaches me about a pull my finger episode in class.  Hey, who am I kidding, the other boys in school will probably think it’s great. 

The Boy’s birthday celebration will just be us (and yes, he still brings up how he shouldn’t touch the candle- a memory like an elephant, this one).  I’m in the process of making a Hostess Cupcake replica for a cake.  In my mind, it’s amazing.  We shall see how it turns out.  Luckily, give The Boy something sweet, and it’s amazing to him, so I’m guessing I’ll come out on top. 

Each birthday and each year brings another year of joy and fun.  And, he certainly keeps getting cuter by the minute.  

Time to fly... I have a cake to finish,

Liz 

Books for the Cultured Child

Okay, I'm kind of kidding about the cultured child thing. We aren't that pretentious over here, since my kid eats out of the garbage sometimes. But Bobby has finally gotten interested in reading books before bed (it only took almost two years), so I like to keep our little library interesting. While I was in Barnes and Noble the other day, you know what? I realized there are just tons of fun books in every subject, and while there are plenty of silly and nonsensical books, there are also plenty of books with a purpose. Books that teach while still remaining interesting. Here are a few of my favorites*. 

*Keep in mind that these are for a variety of ages. Some are for tots, while others are for older kids. I never really pay attention to the age recommendations, because Bobby likes to sit in my lap and listen and look at the pictures, regardless of whether he totally understands..but to each his own.

 Andy Warhol's Colors // A Picnic with Monet // On an Island with Gauguin // Painting with Picasso //Pantone Colors // Sharing with Renoir // Quiet Time with Cassatt // Touch the Art: Pop Warhol's Top

 When Bob Met Woody // One Love // Take Me Home, Country Roads // Yellow Submarine // Forever Young // ABCs of Rock // Every Little Thing

BabyLit Pride and Prejudice  // BabyLit Sense & Sensibilty // BabyLit Anna Karenina // Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart // BabyLit Romeo + Juliet // BabyLit Jane Eyre // Goodnight Mr. Darcy // BabyLit Moby-Dick

 Rosie Revere, Engineer // I am Amelia Earhart // Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World // Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride // Mary Walker Wears the Pants // I am Rosa Parks // Violet the Pilot

Electric Ben  // I am Albert Einstein // Manfish: A Story of Jaques Cousteau // Just Being Audrey // Helen's Big World // President Taft is Stuck in the Bath // I am Abraham Lincoln // Noah Webster and his Words

 Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones // You're Toast and Other Methaphors We Adore // Punctuation Takes a Vacation // Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story // Little Red Writing // Nouns and Verbs Have a Field Day

The Story of "The Star-Spangled Banner" // Good Night, America // F is for Flag // Woody Guthrie's Riding in My Car // This Land is Your Land // Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters // America the Beautiful // I Have a Dream 

All of these are great, but as a former English Major myself, I am particularly partial to the English literature baby books. The BabyLit series is my favorite. Don't worry, you aren't actually reading Anna Karenina to a baby. The BabyLit books are centered around counting/colors/etc, and use classic literature as a tool. It's especially great if you are familiar with the classic literature in question, because you can ad lib and fill in the gaps, but it's totally fine if you aren't familiar with it, either. Good Night, Mr. Darcy is an adorable parody of the favorite Good Night, Moon; I just love it. All of the books on the English board are baby and tot appropriate.

I also love the books on the Grammarian board, since bad grammar drives me nuts. These are not really appropriate for babies. They will be great for older kids, though. 

I love, love, love the Forever Young book on the Musician board. Mainly because it is such a sweet prayer for your child. Aside from that, the illustrations are fun for kids, but it also has tons of musical allusions that the Rock and Roll enthusiast can get behind. I genuinely enjoy reading it, because I get a lot out of it, too. 

The books on the Artiste board are great for tots. I am especially fond of the Pantone Colors book...as in I may put it on my own coffee table. It's so neat.

I also love the books on the Feminist board. The Rosa Parks and Amelia Earhart books could be good for tots, but the other books are probably better for kids just a little bit older. I really want Vivi to know about the ladies who have paved the way for equal rights for women, and I want her to grow up knowing that she can do anything she wants to do.

And, regardless of your political views and opinions of our current president, I think we can all agree that his children's book is pretty amazing. It really is a lovely book. I love all the books on the Patriot board, and I want my kids to grow up proud of our country and aware of our struggles. 

I hope that y'all will check some of these books out! There is something for every kid (and adult) here, regardless of age and interest. They really are adorable.

Happy Hump Day!

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette