TWTW - Q3

Friday work work, then convened on the basement couch with the fam. I read most of the night. Nails: OPI Lost My Bikini in Molokini & China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle. We started Hunters on Amazon but I was asleep within minutes. 

Saturday I was alone in my house. For more than three hours. MFD and Vincent were out volunteering for Caring for Friends, getting food packages ready for home bound people. I finished a book, started another, lounged, and enjoyed knowing no other human was even breathing in my vicinity. They picked up Reen's on the way back so I had a hoagie for lunch and wings for dinner and we watched Hunters all afternoon and evening. We're all about to see the extent of MFD's hair too. 

Sunday was Eva the Diva's 6th birthday so a car parade was in order. MFD brought his megaphone. Pics stolen from Evan Leslie Images and also a still from Frank's video. It was nice/hard to see friends. Like my heart swelled with joy and I started to cry behind my glasses and couldn't look directly at people. LOL this is all so fucking weird. My Dad also dropped off turkey and cupcakes and stuff for a cute "complete" turkey dinner. And a happy rock in my favorite color. Since I forgot to brush my teeth and applied eye cream to my entire face that morning, I just chilled outside for four hours in the afternoon, finishing a book and starting another. MFD and I watched Better Off Dead. Our dryer sensor started blinking so we put clothes outside to dry and will try trouble shooting that Monday.

Weekly food prep: Something with ground beef is on the menu today. Veggies and pasta and ground beef? I don't know. It's Vincent's birthday today so I'm going to make some pie thing too. 

Week four. The forecast is good here for the week, and I'm thankful for that. Petty FWP sad to be missing Easter at the shore with Mom and fam. 

TWTW - the one with the causes and projects

Friday began early and was long and stressful. Luckily my canine coworkers were good for some comfort and laughs. I dipped out at lunch to pick up a book from the library and supplies from the city for the Saturday cleanup. MFD arrived late afternoon and did his shore chores. My dad and Carol got there around 8 and we had pizza and talked until about 10. I was up until after 12:30 finishing a book. 

Saturday I slept in until 7, then MFD, Carol and I did our beach cleanup while my Dad started on projects. 

MFD left at 10 with Gus and Mae and we got to work: I changed out bedding on the third floor, Carol and I organized mattress encasements and protectors, Carol filled my new shell lamp and went through the kitchen towels to pull the bad ones, we lined the powder room windows with film since the new curtains are more sheer, my Dad hung some stuff and moved some stuff around, and I cleaned out the oven manually. Dad also fixed the rusted out hinges on the outside shower door and removed caulk and re-caulked one of the showers.

Other Saturday stuff: windy AF, dog walks, Carol dog sitting, Dad and Carol took me to lunch at Kessel's Korner (first time!) for a delicious burger and onion rings and to dinner at Luigi's. Thanks for the project help, supplies, and food!

After dinner was the oven cleaning, some new canvas prints ordering, Phillies win, and car packing.

Sunday 

Dad and Carol cleaned upstairs and my Dad put a new doorknob on the door of the room he stays in because he didn't like the old one LOL. I was up  to vacuum upstairs, finishing picking up, and hit the road. Adulting is careening down the Expressway, mainlining coffee, and listening to Black Sabbath while planning a bathroom stop before the March of Dimes March for Babies walk. Team Eva the Diva killed it again with three new canine members - B.B., Bruce, and Bender. Bruce was a loon and Bender had to be carried most of the way but when he was down Nina was walking him and I could concentrate on Bruce the fool. Some pics stolen from Amanda.

I meant to do a lot of things when I got home but I was wiped. I managed a load of laundry, marinating chicken, making breakfasts, painting my nails, and cleaning out the fridge. Otherwise I was sedentary with the dogs, reading. 

Game of Thrones. 

Weekly food prep: breakfast is scrambled eggs with spinach, ham, and everything bagel seasoning. I was going to make a bunch of other shit but surprise my oven which worked when the goddamn repair person came out IS NOT WORKING AGAIN and I was over it. Three lunches needed, they'll be leftovers. Grilled chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, and veggies for a few dinners and pasta with veggie meat sauce for a few

Hope yours was fab. 

Thursday Thoughts - who will provide the grand design, what is yours and what is mine

1. I see you out there ladies. I'm with you.

2. This looks like a crime scene, but it was a delicious birthday month treat from Gran Caffe L'Aquila near my office: bomboloni with gelato accented with amarena cherries in honor of San Giuseppe-their version of a Zeppole Di San Giuseppe. Delicious.

 3. I am all signed up to walk again on Team Eva the Diva at the March of Dimes event at the end of April. Premature birth affects about 450,000 babies here in the United States, and in April 2014, Eva was one of them, and she is nowhere near alone - quite a few of my friends have had children born prematurely. I'm walking at the March for Babies to get the message out about this terrible problem and if you are inclined to make a donation, that would be awesome. Together we can help the March of Dimes fight prematurity so more babies can get the strongest start possible. Bruce and Bender are going to be walking too.

4. Tommy John sent me some underwear and a tank to try and seriously...the underwear was like not wearing any and the tank was a v in the front and back and felt awesome to wear, like so comfortable it felt close to skin. Both are more than I'd typically pay for either item but after inspection of my undershirts and underwear when I did my Marie Kondo situation a few months back, both are on the replace list and I'm willing to pay a little more to get something that feels good. The packaging made me laugh too. Check out Tommy John's recently launched women's line at https://tommyjohn.com/collections/womens . I'm not really a product pusher especially of underwear but trust me you will not regret it. 

5. In other mail news, super cool to get my friend Rich's book in the mail that I beta read. I'm excited for you Rich! Thank you for trusting me to read it and thank you for sending the copy. It is freaking cool to see your friends published. I know Church Kids is right up the alley of some Show Us Your Books people, so I hope you guys check it out on Amazon.

6. I watched some of that HBO documentary about the insane silicon valley lady with the blood and the fake voice (why can't I just google titles?) but wasn't really into it. Her voice sounded like Jame Gumb from Silence of the Lambs. I am pumped for The Dirt, the Motley Crue biopic that comes out on Netflix Friday. 

7. The City Council At-Large races are heating up here during primary season in Philly. If you’re local and want to chat about candidates, hit me up! The field is huge on the dem side, the most candidates are running since 1983. What’s going on in your local elections and how are you getting involved to make sure your community leadership reflects how you want life to be? 

8. This week in dog town: I'm trying a new dry food (Whole Earth Farms) and CBD oil. 

9. Reminder:

10. Ecards. You all filling out those office pools?

What appears after the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts is a song lyric to whatever I'm listening to when I start to write the post. This week is The Last Resort by The Eagles

TWTW - the one with the split

Nothing fires up your Friday morning like fire truck excitement - my neighbor smelled gas, but nothing came of it. Lunch was a local's special Cuban for $5.55 from Sunrise Cafe. When you work from the shore, you can be on the beach by 5:30 on Friday. And painting a closet soon after (Behr Ultra Offshore Mist). We were in bed by 8 to read. 

Saturday morning was foggy as fuck but Bruce and I were still on the beach for 45 minutes before hitting Drip N Scoop for coffee and heading back to paint the parts of the porch poles that are made unreachable by the awnings that are being re-hung this week (learned that lesson last year, staring at things that should have been painted but were not), putting a finishing coat on the closet, and finishing my book before heading home. 

Some time out in the sun with lost perros, then dinner at Dad & Carol's with my aunt, uncle, cousins, Stephen & Aubrey and the smart and sassy Lola Jean and cutest cuddliest Baby Seeeeeve. We hit Target in a down pour on the way home and I was in bed early again reading.

Sunday March for Babies for Team Eva the Diva, fruitless Marshalls trip for a mirror for the other shore bedroom, and lounging and cooking all day. 

Weekly food prep: scrambled eggs for breakfast, hummus/veggies/pita for lunch, dinner is leftover pasta with chicken and spinach + bread, and grilled chicken using a marinade I made up. 

It's nice to be able to work from the shore more with the office reno going down.

How was your weekend? Also, how is it the last day of April?

Five Things I Love About Raising a Fierce Little Girl

Our BFF Frank joins me on the eve of his 40th birthday to give you a special Friday Five. Frank does a guest post for me every year around his birthday and I love it. I also love him and Amanda who I would be friends with without Frank and their fabulous daughter Eva the Diva. And how could I not love a post about a fierce little lady? Happy 40th eve Frank! 

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When my daughter Eva was born Steph introduced us to an old Shakespeare quote "And though she be but little she is fierce" and Eva has lived up to that quote and then some. She is tiny but she is a powerhouse of personality and strength. It is equal parts fun and struggle. There are hundreds of things that I could list but here are the five things that I love about raising a fierce girl:

1.  It's funny.  

In the moment it can be very hard and frustrating but her faces, actions, and comments always make you laugh later on. She can explode or just give you a quiet stink eye. Either way its a riot to watch this tiny girl give off so much attitude.

2. It's rewarding. 

Anything worth doing is usually difficult and making her try things and learn new things is hard because of her strong will but once it clicks it is a thrill to watch her. I have learned that being fierce means that it has to be her idea.

3. It's inspiring. 

One great thing about her fierceness is the fact that she has no fear. This is a trait that she did not get from me and she inspires me everyday to get out of my comfort zone.

4. It's comforting.

Eva is very comfortable being on her own and doing her own thing. This gives me great comfort because I know that she is confident and sure of herself, something I hope she never loses.

5. It's taught me what fierce really means.

The fights, the sass, the attitude, and stubbornness are what people think of when they think fierce little girl. While all of those things are a huge part of my daughter, it is only half the story. The other half of her is intensely fierce in terms of love, caring, encouragement, and concern for everyone. If anyone has the tiniest thing happen to them she is the first one to ask if they are OK. In her class she always made sure that a child who was developmentally behind and a little ignored by the other kids was OK and included. That is fierce!! 

She will boss you around and mouth off but she will also tell you how great of a job you are doing and give you a giant hug if she thinks something is wrong. You need the mix of both to be truly fierce. A person who doesn't have the second half of the mix (encouragement and love) isn't fierce, they're just an asshole! I am so glad that she has taught me this and will make sure that she never lets go of these traits. 

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Cheers to everyone out there raising fierce little girls who will be the civic, professional, and community leaders of tomorrow, shaping our world with their fiery vision. 

Thanks Frank - and happy 40th tomorrow. Welcome to the club! Love you!

Have a great weekend you guys! 

Thursday Thoughts - Things I want my daughter to know

Happiest of birthday eves to one of my BFFs Amanda. She so kindly agreed to share 10 things she wants her daughter Eva the Diva to know. I love both of these ladies and I love this list. 

1. There is no purpose or advantage to being a mean girl. Ganging up on or putting other women down does not make you look powerful. It does not build you up in anyway. It does the opposite.

2. A relationship that is constantly making up and breaking up is a cycle that will never end, never improve, and is likely borderline emotional abuse. The drama can become addicting but it will not end the way you want it to. You are not Carrie Bradshaw and he is not Mr. Big.

3. If you ever find yourself in a situation and think, what if no one believes me - your dad and I will always believe you.

4. Surround yourself with friends who have your best interest at heart especially in your weakest, most vulnerable times.

5. I'm your mom, not your friend. We can't be friends until you are a grown woman.

6. The purpose of your 20s is find yourself, make mistakes, and have fun. If you happen to find the person you want to marry in that decade, great. But that should not be your sole purpose in life.
The end of your 20s is not a deadline to find a partner. I met your father one month before I turned 30...after spending my 20s feeling like I needed to be married by 30 (for some reason). It happens when it's supposed to.

7. Have a way to take of yourself. Never be in a position where you have to completely rely on another person. Marriages can end and spouses can die...sad but true.

8. Don't be afraid of confrontations and if someone confronts you don't be intimidated by it.

9. Keep a journal in middle school and high school, it will be a great read for you one day.

10. The hardest thing to overcome is a bad reputation.

What knowledge do you think is important for mothers to impart to their daughters?

Linking up with Kristin and Joey for Stuff & Things

TWTW - the last one in April

Friday night I was worn out. Totally. So I came home, I did my weights, vacuumed, did some laundry, then started doing a bunch of other shit. I meant to be in bed at 8 and got 100 second winds. I hate that. Other than that it was a low key night. Oh, and I sent MFD to the store for five things. This is what came back. Life lessons, my friends. Life lessons.

Saturday was a slow start. After I got my exercise in, I tried on every dress and pair of shoes I own and began the twice yearly complete wardrobe purge and reorganization I go through. This is still in progress as of today (Monday). It's a pain in the ass.

When I got tired of that, I went to get a manicure (Zoya Odette) and pedicure (OPI Senorita Rosalita - I can never wear this polish without thinking of my wedding, it's what was on my toes that weekend), then came home and read some mags in the sun.

We had a delicious dinner at my parents' house including a strawberry trifle dessert I wanted to eat 50 helpings of and which MFD did eat 50 helpings of.

You do not know what your patience level is until you go sneaker shopping with MFD. While he browsed interminably I left You Are Beautiful stickers around Dick's Sporting Goods like a dork. I also laughed uncontrollably at this picture on Instagram. MFD was all that's not that funny. Come on! Yes it is.

Sunday was the March of Dimes March For Babies. Team Eva the Diva rocked it. It was awesome to see a thriving, happy Eva next to her storyboard and it was a really nice day for a long walk for a good cause.

The umbrella is up, the new spring mats are out at both doors (both from Target), and the flowers are from Wegman's.

Weekly food prep: zucchini pie and berries for breakfast, orange peppers, carrots, and almonds for snacks; orzo salad with EVOO, caesar chicken thawed from the freezer, spinach, grape tomatoes, red onion, capers for lunches; and dinners are salmon, roasted potatoes, baked chicken, rice, and steamed veggies. Still working on that freezer and pantry cleanout.

This weekend in mail: Penzey's spices and this awesome Darth Vader tank top. Darth Vader is my alter ego. Are we calling that spirit animal these days?

This weekend in pugs...I can't even with Geege's tongue. The cutest. And Gus and Mae are now co-sleepers.

Sunday evening consisted of changing sheets and sitting on my ass. I didn't even make dinner. I ate Wegman's wings and animal crackers. Whoops. I was in bed before 8 and asleep before 10. It takes me a while to get used to so much fresh air again after a long winter. It tires me out.

I totally screwed myself for tonight, I have too much to do now. On a Monday. Barf.

Did you enter to win a $50 Target gift card Friday?

How was your weekend? Inquiring minds want to know.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

TWTW - the one with the stuff

Friday I went to BLO/OUT on Chestnut Street at lunch. I had a voucher and figured it was a good time to use it. I liked it, but they use Moroccan Oil products which my hair does not like. They do have you in and out so if you work in town it's possible to do it on your lunch hour.

Friday night Freddy & Alex got married. The rain held off and there was much joy, happiness, and good cheer. It was a fun night.

That's MFD officiating the ceremony up there.

Saturday I did weekly food prep: egg/cheese/ham muffins and a side of snap peas for breakfasts; zoodles with sauce and ground turkey for lunch; carrots, granny smith apples, and orange peppers for snacks; dinners - baked chicken and salmon, roasted potatoes, roasted brussels and steamed asparagus. I also made my inaugural batch of bulk iced coffee. 

I laid my clothes out for the week, did some exercise at home and ran errands - Produce Junction, Redner's, and Ross. This was the first week after the 40/40 and I exercised six out of seven days. 

Saturday night we celebrated Eva the Diva's first birthday in grand diva style. The theme was Wonder Woman because she is one. I love a well executed party theme. Great job super parents!

Sunday was sheet changing and the dreaded winter cleanup of the yard. Hatey hate hate hate. It did serve as three hours of exercise for the day though. I gave up at three hours. There's more to do. Here's a nice photo of the flowers I bought this week and some ugly yard pics. Enjoy!

The dogs supervised me in the yard, so when we came in they were spent. Mae is pretty much hanging off the couch. LOL

Sunday dinner, magazines, and CSI Cyber rounded out the day.

Other things:
-#TeamHillary

Tomorrow! Please come back and show us your books.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending