Riot and Frolic

a mostly ballroom dance, but also a bunch of other stuff, blog

recent posts

about

I own and rock people’s faces off teaching ballroom dancing at Dancers Studio in St. Paul, MN. My husband and I compete professionally in American style and wrangle eight children in our spare time. I’ve been teaching and competing in ballroom dancing for over 25 years and have lots of opinions on it. I am an expert by any means, but there are quite a few dancers who are better than me and I have a solid knowledge of basic technique, so suck it.

Category: Domesticality

  • Making a List, Checking It Twice

    With the heat index in Minnesota being over 100 degrees for, like, the 75th day in a row, I thought you all needed a reminder HOW AWESOME SUMMER IS.   Remember this? Romantic patio date? Check.  It involved a ton of food, whiskey, and some classic Bratt portraiture.   photo bombing our own photo  …

  • The Garden of A Little Bit of Evil

    After I walked in the door from vacation and dropped my seventeen bags in the entry, I glanced into the backyard and saw the garden.  I mean, The Garden. It had grown. view from the weeds The pumpkins have kicked the sugar snap peas out of the trellis.  "Squatters," the pumpkins tell me, of the…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love- Action Version

    – slacker alert! (For some reason, I say that in my head with my best Austin Powers impersonation.)  "Vacation" totally messes with you, doesn't it?  Naptimes have been wasted doing meaningless things like unpacking and laundry, instead of awesome things like blogging.  Lame.  And dang it if I'll ever get those girls off their party…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

    – this is my Monday post… because it's Monday… right?   – just agree with me.   – cooked dinner and lunch for 30 people with no major mishaps and quite a few compliments.   – have 243 pictures to download and sort from the Bratt family festivities of last week. – slept in a…

  • Beach Pail List

    The term "bucket list" bugs me, so we will henceforth refer to it as The Beach Pail List.   can you dig it   Resources: photo and font manipulation by the Phonto app Minnesota's bike share program- Nice Ride Aesop's Table and Connie's Cones on Dale Street St. Clair Broiler in St. Paul the new Como…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

    – V and Mae Cake's new hobby?  Feeding Zoo.  It's hilarious and surprisingly effective.   – V also has taken to making my bed in the morning.  Other chores I have pawned off on the wee ones?  feeding the cat changing the garbage bags fetching the mail setting the table I'm close to sitting back…

  • One Thing

    Maybe it's my new Zen from the yogas, but I've been trying to do One Thing lately.  Like, One Thing at a time until it's done. ommmmmmmmg, this is not what I do, or look like Tricky. It's very easy to sit down at the computer to, say, write a blog post, and end up…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

    – organized the DVD collection.  Controversial decision: filing "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace" under "J", and both "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" under "B".   – that vanilla extract I made?  Almost gone.  That's some gooooood bakin'.   or vanilla vodka, whatev – being reminded that I have the best friends ever  in…

  • Facts About Motherhood

    As I'm huddled under three blankies, covered in princess accessories (I might have a crown on), trying to fend off some mild food poisoning, I thought I'd remind, or warn, you about the joys of my not-so-new job. You will never EVER get a good night's sleep again.  Those babies come out kicking and screaming,…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

    – funnest trip to the doctor EVER.  They were stickers, water fountains, and HAND BALLOONS!  I must say that the staff at the St. Joseph's Hospital Outpatient Lab went over and above the call of duty.   The Zoo had to get some blood drawn, and after a couple attempts (yes, with needles- Zoo was…