Riot and Frolic

Things I Use

May 16, 2012

Continuing on this week's theme ("stuff"), I will let you in all the products I use and write love letters to companies about. Really. Love letters.

Dear IKEA Bekvam stool,

You and I have been through a lot over the years. You never turned on me, even when my offspring started eating on, stepping on, running into, and hauling you all over the place. You really support me (when I need to change a lightbulb or get that one serving dish down). Thanks for all your hard work.

Someday, I'll treat you to a nice spa day, makeover and everything. Maybe something like this?

Source: Pink Argyle

Ode to my Coffee Mugs:

O, Coffee Mugs, how you delight,

In the morning when I rise,

8 or so hours after mid-night.

Sipping from you, I feel so wise.

Whether it's scooters or flowers,

Plain stripes or china,

You make my daybreak sweet like toffee.

Because in the morning, sun or showers,

I have to get some of

That beautiful drink called coffee.

Source: Anthropologie

Thanks, Nea! Source: Starbucks

P.S. Starbucks mug generally rock.

Hey Team Apple,

You guys have been real champs, from my folks' first Apple IIe to The G's MacBook Pro and all my iPod and laptop and desktop and iPhone generations in between, Team Apple has stood by my homework, Tetris, Googling, and interwebbing ventures with intuitive and pretty design.

Go Team.

Aaaaaah yeeeeeah. Floppies. [Source]

Frankie, my love,

We've only been together a few months, but I know our love will last.

You take me to yoga class (and hold my mat with your strap-py arms [get it?]) to out on the town to the playground, without blinking an eye.

Not only do you hold my lipstick and phone while I'm shopping, but you hold stinky diapers on occassion, also. That's real love.

Stay classy.

You're the best

What are your beloved things? Any household belongings that you love as much as your cat/children?

Third Rock

One year ago: The cake was delicious.
Mega-Ultimate Baby Stuff List

May 15, 2012
I'll lie to you and tell you that people ask me all the time if I have any fav baby products.

I won't lie and tell you that I happen to know more than a few people who are jumping (or have recently jumped) onto the breeder bandwagon and might want some advice. Or gifts. Whatever.

In my experience, here are the things that go BOOM! in my mommaland (remember, 3 girls under 4).
- Baby Trend Sit N Stand Deluxe Stroller– this stroller is the shit. I can't even be PC when talking about it, it rocks my world that much. It's made for two kids, right? But because of the "age range" of my children and their proclivity to be as close to one another as possible (either to annoy or endear, it goes back and forth), all 3 of my little beans can fit on this at the same time and not exceed any weight restrictions. The front seat also fits most (like 90%) of all infant car seats, so if you are planning on having more than one child BUY THIS STROLLER.
the stroller that changed the world
- Thirsties Duo Wrap – I spoken of these before, but it's worth saying twice that these bad boys are great. I love the colors and, duh, waterproofness of these diaper covers. They have elastic around the legs and even when wee Zoo's diaper was super-soaked, this nifty cover didn't leak.
for the cloth diapering hippie set
- Circo's Enchanted Tree Play Tent– The G and I got this for Mae Cake for her 2nd birthday and all the little girls (and maybe momma, too) sincerely adore this hideout. I'm sure there's similar ones out there, but I love that there's no princesses or other brandification on a toddler plaything for once.
who doesn't need one of these?
- The First Years 5 Pack Take & Toss Straw Sippers– I hate sippy cups. "Leak-proof"= nightmare to clean, false, and expensive. These cute little cups are cheap and simple.
  
  don't spend money on sippy cups
- Munchkin Powdered Formula Dispenser– best $3 ever
- Camelbak Kid's Bottle– in a complete 180 from the previous item, Mae Cake's dear friend has one of these that she was fascinated with, so she also got this for her birthday. She loves it, and I haven't seen it leak yet and OH MY GOSH LOOK AT HOW CUTE THEY ARE!
or spend a lot of money on sippy cups

because these are cute
- BABYBJÖRN Toilet Trainer– we have a stand-alone toddler potty, but the older two seem to enjoy the real thing more. Put this mini seat on top of your regular toilet seat and watch the magic happen.
sit on it
- BABYBJÖRN Safe Step– goes well with the above thingy.
stand on it
- Infantino Flip Front 2 Back Carrier– surprisingly a no-frills kind of girl when it comes to my kids, after trying out a sling or two and a Moby Wrap, I really love the easy-on, easy-off accessibility of this baby carrier. Babies have seemed happy and comfortable and so have I.
  
  pretend you're pregnant all over again
- Pampers Baby Dry– big fan. Big fan.
good for their word
- Anything by Carter's or Osh Kosh B'gosh . The Genuine Kids line by OKBg at Target is so cute, it makes me want to vomit. I mean, look at this hat. LOOK AT THIS HAT!
Mae Cake needs this, and an iced tea
- Graco Pack N Play Playard with Bassinet– duh, right? Everyone needs this. They're great for the first few months when the babe's rooming in and obviously convenient when traveling. I have never needed any of the fun accoutrements that are available besides the bassinet (baby shelf), although they do look neat.
the basic version

the deluxe version

That's it! Them's all of my gotta-have-it kid stuff. What's your go-to baby shower gift? Have any secret weapons you or your ma used? Do tell!

One year ago today- List of Last Week's Labors of Love
List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

May 14, 2012

– hungry, hard-working house guests of the familial variety. Residing (um, re-siding… putting new siding on…) the house. Good times. Lots of food.

– toddler-made bracelets. I let them play in the attic for a bit (it's kind of a spare bedroom) and they found the pony beads and pipecleaners. And my crafty little ladies? Figured out how to bead all on their own.

the work of crafty geniuses

– the plural of "genius" is definitely "geni", from now on.

– did I mention how much I cooked? Oh, yeah, A LOT. Like Man Food three meals a day for five days.

– and on a schedule at least two hours earlier than usual ("you mean you eat dinner at 5pm? that is craaaaazy talk"). Dancerworld does not mesh well with other worlds sometimes. I feel like I have jetlag.

– six boxes of canning jars. Some blue (aka awesome), antique ones. So excited to do things with these. Including canning.

vintage box included!

– another chalkboard window finally finished. This one took about 5 months from sanding to dry. It's not as sturdy as my first one, so I'm going to deem it "Eilene".

fingertips= eraser

– lots of playground time. Hey, those playgrounds are generally nail and construction debris-free!

Mae Cake pushing V on the m-g-r

– buying a coffeemaker FO SHO! I borrowed my parents' super-swank one to keep my father-in-law happy (did it work?) and having a bucket of fresh coffee in the morning upon awakening (hello, auto feature!) is the bee's knees.

good morning, sunshine

– a week of free yoga at CorePower Yoga. I recommend going (and name-dropping yours truly).

I've taken the "C1" class (for beginners) 3 times and all the instructors were great. It's in a warm room (85* or so) and is accessible for all ages and abilities. All you need is a mat (available for rental), a towel, and some water.

The studios are pretty- painted dark, but with lots of natural light (especially the Grand Ave. studio). They have sweet little lounge areas with drinking fountains and water coolers (necessary for the sweat sessions the studio produces) and spiffy locker rooms. I was impressed.

Next, I'm trying Hot Yoga (like Bikram, but less… everything) and then a C1.5 class. Excited!

– hot off the presses: a not bad picture! Actually, a pretty great picture. Egor is the best.

– discovered lululemon's blog. Lots of reading ensued. Besides loving nearly every piece of inventory in their store, they write a fun and interesting blog. Thanks, you.

or like a mallwalker. whatever.

Hope you had a great weekend!
Let’s Meditate

May 10, 2012
It's been a crazy week (so what if it's only Thursday) with the house guests/construction workers, 100-year-old dirt floating nonchalantly into my house through the "walls", feeding grown men 3 meals a day [I'll fill you in later], and you know, owning three children; so let's have some nice relaxy time together.
- I'm going to yoga tomorrow. That's exciting. Or calming. It's something, that's for sure. I'm pretty sure it involves breathing and not talking, so I'm in.
- My ma-in-law sent me about 2000 canning jars. Okay, maybe it's 100. But I'm going to can things. And probably put candles in 89 of them.
everywhere
- I got some film developed. Like film film. From 6 years ago. My old apartment. My cat. The G, when we had just started dating. FLASHBACKS.
the kind that rewinds

my cat, back when she was on every. roll. of. film

The G, washing dishes. That was the entire kitchen right there. And where is that plant now?

My tiny illegal Christmas tree and an odd tableau

completely random shot at the old studio. When did I take this? While I was dancing?

my bestie, being pretty in a hotel. Why were we in a hotel?

skipping ahead- little V

skipping ahead again- trying to finish the roll of film
- Mae Cake was playing with my phone.
Good night, y'all.
I’m, like, “whoa”.

May 9, 2012

What the frack.

People read my blog.

Yeah, yeah, I could play it cool and "oh, yeah, I'm super popular and I have like 17,356 followers and I have an assistant to watch my small children whilst I type MAH BLOG" but that would be a lie.

And even crazier than actual people reading my blog (and not just those pesky aliens who invented the interwebs [Al Gore?]), there are people who read my blog that I've never met.

Like, sure, my aunts read it (heeeeey, you) and maybe my brother-in-law when he gets bored, but strangers read it. If you put my readers in a room (maybe a classroom or something, there's no need for an auditorium or anything), I'd be all, "Hey, Barbara! How's it going?" [yes, I mean you, BABS], but then to some of you, I'd be all, "O. M. G. HI! HOW ARE YOU? YOU READ MAH BLOG? THAT IS SOOOOO COOL. LET'S HAVE SOME ICE CREAM AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER."

Because I tend to speak in sarcastic acronyms and very loudly when I meet new people (what. I get nervous). And ice cream makes everyone happy.

But now, I feel pressure. Why are you reading?! Am I funny/stupid/helpful enough!? Am I performing well enough?! Are my posts big/long enough!? [TWSS!]

Gah.

The anxiety.

Good times.

Anyhoo…

THANKS FOR READING! You all are the BEST and this panic attack/outpouring of gratitude will surely subside by…

GO FORTH AND CONQUER!
Lacking…

May 8, 2012

Today, I am lacking in kitchen tips (I promised the last 4 here), gardening advice, and anniversary hulabaloo.

First of all, it's really hard to come up with 10 kitchen tips when you're not that good at kitchening.

Second, it's really hard to come up with gardening advice when you're not that good at gardening.

Thirdly, holy crap, April 27th was my blog's damn birthday and I didn't even bake it a cake.

Let's go back…

I DO have two more kitchen tips and whoa, one of them will change your life, but doing a "Top 8 Kitchen Tips" seems a little like a cop-out or false advertising or something.

Maybe I should ask YOU for gardening advice. I took the little baby plants out of their first home- seed starting pods- and put them in the dirt of my raised bed. Now what? Is this what it's like to send your 18 year olds off to college? Because I do not like it.

So, after today, I think I'm going to recycle all my blog posts from last year, 'cause let's face it, most of you weren't reading then anyway, right? Or were you… Stalker.

And I really wish I could have baked a cake and taken pictures of the ol' R'n'F eating it because that is just. so. cute.

In honor of the 365+ days of weirdness I have entitled you to, next week will be all about "Stuff I Love" because we all know I like me some stuff. There'll be kitchen stuff and dance stuff and crafty stuff and baby stuff and well, you get it.

While you're thinking about buying me stuff (what? I still really neeeeeeeed that Snoopy SnoCone Machine), go buy your mom a card. No, that's not the start of a joke. It's Mom's Day on Sunday and being a mom ain't easy because we all are CRAZY and you know you had a poopy diaper at least once that made her gag, so get thee to a Hallmark store (or ball up and go to Patina for some real serious goods) and show some respect to that lady.

What? I love her.
List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

May 7, 2012

– broke out the kiddie pool. Screaming, running, falling, and getting drenched ARE SO FUN!

– plants are in the garden! While the hilarity of the kiddie pool entertained the older ladies, I got my hands dirty. Literally.

– meanwhile, Zoo slept peacefully with her favorite pillow. Yes, she sleeps with a pillow. On her stomach.

– a fort for the ladies. And then a BETTER FORT for me. And The G. Yes, we watched a movie in here. And had snacks.

– a really beautiful service for my dear great uncle, who passed away last month.

– I randomly assigned myself the goal of finishing a 5K in 27 minutes. I found this website that calculates your pace based on your desired finishing time.

And then I laughed and laughed and laughed.

That's fast…er than I'm going right now.

– my first facial! More about this later. It was like a massage… for your face. Right?

– ran my half marathon on Sunday. I didn't die, fall down, or puke, so score. The pics? Me, at 1am the "night" before… NOT TIRED; the chilly morning, looking down at my shoes; my bestie and me at the finish line.

– me, running. I am not a normal person.

It was part Phoebe, part Jim Carrey.

– judging the youths at Ballroom Magic, this awesome program one of my esteemed former co-workers started to promote ballroom amongst kids. I was purposefully being optimistic, doing one "thing to work on" for every 4 compliments or so, during my written critiques.

Yet, at the end, one of the young men I was watching approached me:

"Kate. I liked your judging… It was harsher than I was used to, but I liked it."

That's right. I'm harsh.

But this is not
List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

May 1, 2012

– the stench of spray-on tan. For a solid week.

– girls wearing flowers in their hair.

they look exactly the same!

– V has learned how to point, then shoot. Her subject matter is something else.

I'm not worthy!

– veggie "pizza". Guess who's making this EVERY WEEK? The ladies totally loved it. So did I. Even after it was left out on the counter overnight. And in the car for another hour.

We take our chances on sketchily-stored chicken and eggs and fish and all those other scary e.coli-carrying foods ALL THE TIME. And they're still delicious. That said, if I ever get food poisoning, I really deserve it.

And don't eat our leftovers.

still great!

– another baby learns to crawl at Wisconsin State Dancesport Championships. Her reaction:

I did it!

– gah. I'm spring cleaning. Again. WHY DO I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF? I swear, I barely bought anything last year. But I didn't get rid of anything either. So I'm selling this super neat microwave cart…

um, I don't own a microwave…

this cute telephone table and 2 chairs…

nor do I have a "telephone"…

and this bomb-ass old melamine dinnerware set. I LOVE this set, but haven't used it… ever. *sad face. And really, I'm not going to have a dinner party for 50.

Golden Harvest!

not to mention the two ballroom gowns that I have no need of anymore…

I want you to buy this and put a big 80s tiered skirt on it.

For reals. Big. Fluffy. Skirt.

No, it's not the same dress

See? this one has floats

– and yes, I'm selling protein powder, too. It's delish. And healthy. You can click on the ViSalus link in the sidebar, or just ask me.

– my fake nails are killing me. My typing tempo is so slow.

– finished the awesome photo-a-day contest at Line of Dance. Don't worry; you can join the next one in June.

– starting the May photo-a-day game from fat mum slim. She takes amazing pics with her iPhone. I'm trying. Here's the fun:

And that is IT!

Dang it. He's still really good looking
Weekend at WSDC 2012

April 30, 2012

Let's take a peek at my weekend attending the Wisconsin State Dancesport Championships. It's not DWTS, but it is a lot of hairspray and rhinestones. And coffee. Lots of coffee.

Yet no photos of me in costume. I always forget. And feel stupid asking people to take them. Sorry!

Sexiest picture ever on this blog:

pre-drive run= sweating off tanner

Awesome hotel room provided by friend, America. 2 story windows, free full breakfast, free WI-FI, full kitchen:

ridiculous hotel room, ridiculous baby

MKE's Residence Inn art and architecture

Slowest long run EVER! on Friday. Milwaukee is very perty. Had to stop to take pictures:

ginormous windcatcher in Veterans Park

the Riverwalk, about 3.5 miles from our hotel

Mini-vaca with only one child= lots of naps:

relaxing on our day off

WSDC packs everyone in to this beautiful ballroom:

the fab Pfister Hotel ballroom

These aren't mine:

frocks

This will blind you at any time of day:

more rhinestones than you can shake a stick at

Getting ready takes about 2 hours. I don't have pics of the final product, but here's some of the process:

preppin'

more preppin'

Morning after the competition. Hit up a local landmark for some food:

breakfast at the MKE Public Market

duh

Dancing went great.

On Thursday, we got 5th place in the Rising Star (the lesser of the 2 Pro divisions) Smooth out of 24 couples. Weeee! We just missed the final for Rising Star Rhythm, but expected as much.

Saturday, we made the semi-final (beating 12 couples) in Open (the more competitive Pro division) Rhythm, which was awesome. Then, we didn't even make the semi for Open Smooth. "Flabbergasted" I think is my word for that one. It felt great, though. [I'm choosing to believe that was a fluke and not our result in Rising Star. There are good reasons for me to believe that, besides leaving my ego intact.]

Have a great week, people!

Love you!
As Usual…

April 27, 2012

I'm sitting in an amazing hotel room (free brekkie! 2 story windows! full kitchen! free WI-FI!) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, recovering from a big night of dancing at the Wisconsin State Dancesport Championships (25 year anniversary!). Dancing went great (made finals from a quarterfinal! didn't fall down!).

The G and I have only one little lady with us (the wee Zoo), so it's a bit of a vacation for us.

I'm going to go for a run around the lake (not literally, duh), then we're going to hit up the competition hotel for some schmoozing and fun. I'll take pictures of the amazing dresses and goodies and everything today and give you the lowdown tomorrow.

How hard it is to type with fake nails?

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