Monday's Nugget

Memorial Weekend Plans and a List

2013-05-24T08:30:00.004-07:00

Have a Happy Memorial Day! What are your weekend plans? Tonight I am taking Grace downtown to the Friday Night Fair. It should be fun, but the weather is unseasonably cool today, so we'll have to wear our jackets and skip the ice cream sammies. We're going boating tomorrow with some friends and I can't wait! It should be heavenly and I'll be sure to post pics.

Here are some links from around the web I think you'll enjoy.

Be safe! Have Fun!

Love, L

I wore a fishtail braid the other day and got so many compliments on it. I always just assume that people know how to do a fishtail because it's so simple, but that's not always the case. Here are some easy peasy instructions if you'd like to know how.

Would redesigning food labels make us healthier? This is clever!

Give wine bottles another life- Hanging planters and tumblers

Having a Memorial Day bash? Let your cocktails pick your playlist and worry about one less thing.

You've been Rick-Rolled!

This man makes me laugh until I can't breathe!
Gorgeous Kennedy photo via ironingboardcollective.wordpress.com

How to Sugar Wax Your Hair DOWN THERE!

2013-05-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Since Memorial Day is right around the corner, let's talk pubic hair.

This weekend many women will be fretting if there is a single stray hair poking out from the sides of their bathing suit bottom. Oh, the horror! Of course we all know we can touch up with a quick shave, spend some money and get waxed, spend a lot of money and have everything lasered so we never have to worry about it again, (until, of course, pubic hair comes back in style!) or we could sugar it ourselves and end up with smooth, beach-ready, nether regions.
No, I've never "sugared" my bikini line before, but if any of you brave souls want to give it a try, here is an awesome, informative blog post about how to get that freshly waxed feeling without waxing and without spending a dime.
Who's ready for the beach?

Love,
Lana

Photo courtesy of last year's vacation album. NOT! It's really from blushbox.com. You'll find more bikini waxing trends there than you'll know what to do with.

The Power of a Three Year Old's Prayer

2013-05-23T08:21:00.001-07:00

"If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children." -Gandhi

Yesterday, my daughter and I visited some Muslim friends and spent a pretty good chunk of the day on their farm. While Grace and her tiny friends ran barefoot and practiced somersaults on rolling, lush, green hills, I sat with two women and talked about children, life, and writing, while we drank rose tea from red and white polka dot tea cups. When our last sip of tea was drank, we moved out from under the cool shade of the giant tree and into the sun to eat lunch together. Not once did I worry about Grace or get that panicked feeling that I sometimes do when she wanders out of my sight at the park. The chickens and the two spunky, gray kittens that ran freely through the yard did a great job keeping her entertained and close to the picnic tables where we sat and sunned our winter white arms.

Shortly after lunch, as plates that were licked clean of ho'made strawberry shortcake were swept away and carried into the house, I noticed a large mat being spread out onto the grass and women beginning to cover their heads with veils. I don't have much knowledge about the Muslim religion, but I know enough that these simple actions meant that my friends were getting ready to have their afternoon prayer. Not wanting to intrude on their sacred time, I quickly ran inside to gather Grace's long abandoned muck boots and to thank my friend for the wonderful afternoon.

I walked out the screen door and into the warm, afternoon light. With tiny, pink boots in hand, I began to scan the landscape for Grace. I soon found her, seated next to her friend, participating in prayer. She was smiling at her friends, kneeling on her knees that are full of bruises and scratches and being quiet as a church mouse.

I sat back and silently watched her for the duration of the prayer. My family is Catholic, but I have long been intrigued by the captivating rituals of other religions. I am unable to understand how something so beautiful and sacred can be the start of some much misunderstanding in the world. I feel blessed that I have an open mind and that my family never told me that any type of religion was "bad". Instead we were taught to live by The Golden Rule, and to this day that simple mantra runs as deep in my body as my own blood.

When Prayer was finished, Grace hopped up, came running over to me and asked, "Did you see us prayin' Mommy? Just like church?" To her, there was no difference. And while I am smart enough to know that there were some differences, does it really matter? Can't we all just kneel next to our neighbor, bow our heads, and be thankful for the good, beautiful things in life?

Love,

Lana

OK, How Can I Help?

2013-05-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Often times in life, tragic events happen that leave us feeling confused and heart-broken. For the past few days, all I have been able to think about are the people in Oklahoma and how their world has been turned upside down. Literally. When there is so much devastation it can feel a bit overwhelming to figure out where we are needed the most. I have complied a list of effective charities that will help begin to put people back on their feet.

If you live in Oklahoma or are planning to travel there and assist those in need, here is a link that you might find really informative. Your hands are doing what all of our hearts wish that they could. God bless you and stay safe!

For the rest of us that are planning to help in other ways:

The Importance of Girlfriends

2013-05-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Someone once told me that you are a lucky person if you can count on one hand the number of "real" friends you have in your life. I couldn't agree more. Real friends, and I'm not talking about that ridiculous number of Facebook "friends" we all have, are diamonds in the rough. So when you have a girlfriend like that, and life, marriages, long distance and kids is making it hard for you to find time to connect, what do you do?

We've all been there: We schedule a play date with our bestie and her kids in hopes of spending some quality time together, but our naive dreams are quickly dashed to bits by interrupted conversations, clingy children, dirty diapers, and the world's most impressive temper tantrums. Before you know it you are hugging each other goodbye, shrugging shoulders, and making promises of a seeing one another soon. You have so much to talk about and you miss each other dearly, but before you know it another 6 months has passed. Sure you've emailed, sent texts and even shared pics of your cute little nuggets in their Easter best, but come on! That's not what we want, ladies. We want wine. We want to drop the "F" bomb without spelling it out. We want to talk about who's on the cover of People Magazine. We want to connect without someone crawling up our leg. We want what we had before the kids came along.
There's always so much hoopla surrounding how to keep your relationship with your significant other ignited after children come into the picture, but little focus is put on friendship. I can't figure out why this is, because friends are such a deep rooted extension of who we are. Truthfully, we fell in love with them, too. Real friends have chemistry, spark and stories that we never, ever tell anyone. Not even our spouses.
Maybe you are one of those women who has it all figured out. Perhaps once a month, you and a group of ladies meet for drinks, dinner and that perfect conversation and belly laughter that is only achieved at a table filled with women, but, I'm about to get all Angelina Jolie on you and admit something: I don't particularly like huge groups of women. I prefer the closeness of just a few great friends. I am already juggling so much, and sometimes being around lots of women exhausts me.
So if you are like me and notice that your friendships could use some TLC, start planning that girl trip you always talk about. You won't regret it!

Love,
Lana

Photo by dawnandross

Grace's First Trip to the St. Louis Zoo

2013-05-21T08:06:00.001-07:00

We took Grace to the St. Louis Zoo for the first time this weekend. The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful time looking at all the animals and catching up with Jim's family for dinner afterwards. Here are a few pictures if you are curious about how an almost-3-year-old charms a snake.

Here she is! All ready to set off on her very first zoo trip. The zoo has changed A LOT since we had been almost 7 (!!) years ago, but if you have never been, the St. Louis Zoo is absolutely breathtaking and you should put it on your bucket list. There is no admittance fee and you are allowed to bring in your own food and drinks, so essentially you can have a totally free adventure. Some of the exhibits cost money to enter, but we skipped those on Saturday. We are going to go back when it's less crowded so we don't have to wait in the long lines. However, if your children have more patience than Grace, by all means try to see everything you can. It's worth it!

Grace flopped down on a bench and exclaimed, "I need a rest!" about 10 minutes after we were there. Thank God she quickly recovered, because we ended up wandering around for almost 4 hours.

This is a picture of me, Grace and The Photo Bomber with a statue of Phil the Gorilla. (When I was kid, his stuffed remains were in The Children's Zoo!)

The giraffes have always been my favorite and I think they might have been Grace's too. She stood at this wooden fence for a long time, taking it all in.

Here are my two favorite snake charmers.

Grace was really very brave and well-behaved at the zoo. Especially when it came to petting bronze animal statues.

Ducking into a tunnel to see an underwater "river" it a great way to beat the heat.

Here we are in the Cypress Swamp. Grace is spread out on the dock looking at all sorts of aquatic birds. Bird poop can't kill you, right?

Here we are at the very end of our zoo trip. We saved the elephants for last because they are what Grace was the most excited to see. When she started to get fussy we'd just say, "Oh! We're almost to the elephants! Do you think you can make it that far?" and she would perk right up. If you are making plans to visit the zoo, make sure you stop and see the new baby elephant!. Here are some pictures of her. She's super tiny and cute, but was hiding from us so we missed her.

Grace gives the St. Louis Zoo a big thumbs up, but our day wasn't over yet.

Directly across from the zoo, located in historic Dogtown, is Pat's Neighborhood Bar & Grill. When I was living in St. Louis, my roommate and I would frequent this place for ice cold beer and lots of fried food. Our trip wouldn't have been complete without stopping in and having a frosty beer and an order of crispy onion rings with horseradish dipping sauce. YUM! (Plus, this is where Jim and I had our first date!) Across the street from Pat's Bar is Turtle Park, where tons kids (and adults!) climb all over gigantic concrete turtles, people are picnicking in the shade, and families go to relax after a long day of walking around the zoo.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. My thoughts and prayers and with Oklahoma City. Words cannot express how devastated I feel for everyone affected by tornadoes there.

Love,

Lana

An Invitation Fit for a Tiny Cowgirl

2013-05-17T07:30:00.001-07:00

Howdy! The first thing you want to do when making invitations to a Wild West Party is personalize them with an adorable picture of your teeny-tiny buckaroo. If I still used film, it would have taken me an entire roll to get the one picture that I ended up using on Grace's invitations, but in the end I chose this one. I think it captures her great big personality, all wrapped up in one tiny, hot pink bandanna. She. Is. A. Ham.

After you have chosen which picture you want to use, upload it onto one of the dozens of websites that allow you to make changes to your original photograph. (I like www.picmonkey.com, but I am sure there are other websites that are just as good.) Once you are there, you want go to where it says "Edit Your Photo", then just fool around with your photograph until it's to your liking. I cropped this picture of Grace so that I could get rid of the big black truck in the background. Then I changed the tone from "color" to "sepia", adjusted the intensity so there was still a hint of color because I wanted the pink bandanna to show. Once that was done, I applied dark edges to the whole thing. Now it looks a little like an old tintype! Perfect for our Wild West party. From there, you want to upload your completed picture onto Walgreen's website and order as many wallet-sized prints as you need to make your invitations.

Wanted: For throwing a fit at Target on Sunday

Next, you are going to spend some time in Hobby Lobby, Michael's, or whatever craft store you prefer. You want to find some plain brown invitations and some scrapbook paper that has a good western feel to it. I chose an old wooden barn print and a bandanna print that were on sale for 50% off, which made them 20 cents a sheet, and I used my Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon to buy the brown cards and envelopes. Total bill at Hobby Schlobby? $4.73!

Now comes the part of the invitation that includes all those important questions like: Who? What? Where? Date and Time? But instead of using the standard, old, boring invitation format, make this one original! Be silly and creative. People love getting invitations that make them smile. Here's how I worded Grace's and my family is so excited that some of them are dressing up! (PS: that was not a requirement, and no, they aren't on medication.)

See how I cut and glued the paper that looked like an old barn onto the right side of the invite and the "Wanted Poster" onto the left? I did that because I wanted the invitation to feel like the Wanted Poster was hanging on the side of an old rustic building. Mission accomplished!

After I had completed the inside of the invitation, I moved onto the front. (I'm bass-akwards like that. You could do the front first, if you wanted. It probably would make more sense, but in the end, the finish product is the same and nobody will you know you did it "wrong" until you blog about it.)

Here, I cut and glued the bandanna print paper onto the front side of the invitation. Then I used photo mounts to adhere Grace's wallet-sized, tintype photo to the bandanna print paper. I thought it looked better placed at an angle. Next, I used a small hole punch and punched out a hole on the right side of the invitations. Then I threaded a small piece of twine through the hole and tied the invitations closed with a neat little bow. Ain't that purty?

Note: A bit of twine adds no extra postage, but lots of flair to your invites.
Hooray for the small things!

Once I had all the invitations stuffed into envelopes, I sealed each one with one of these adorable stickers I found at Hobby Lobby. These were the most expensive part of these invitations, weighing in at $2.49 for 2 sheets of 12 stickers.

And just when you think the fun is over, you get to address all of these pretty little babies. Honestly, this was my favorite part because I gave each person a Wild West nickname. Patty became "Persnickety Patty", Beth became "Black Strap Beth", and David became "Dangerous Dave". We laughed so hard coming up with different names for each family member and so will you!

Welp, folks. There it is. The first post from Grace's Western Party! Stay tuned for the entire kit n kaboodle!

Happy Trails,

Lana

Curious what your Wild West name would be?

The Perfect Wedding Gift for Everyone...Seriously

2013-05-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ah, wedding season is upon us, and many of us will be spending our Saturday afternoons checking fancy linens, dishes, and strange kitchen utensils off of a gift registry list at Bed Bath & Beyond. I have mixed feelings about gift registries. I understand the point of them, but I also have an issue when a couple has been living together for years and then decides to get married and register for really expensive, unnecessary stuff. That is not the purpose of a gift registry, in my humble opinion. It's goal is to help two people, who are broke-as-a-joke, begin to carve out a life together that doesn't involve eating off paper plates for the first six months. But I digress.
If you are invited to a bridal shower in the near future, please do the bride and the groom a giant favor and give them a copy of Fall in Love for Life - Inspiration from a 73-Year Marriage. It is small enough to fit into a white and silver, over-the-top wedding gift bag, right alongside dish towels, spatulas, and a set of 100% Egyptian Cotton sheets, but don't be deceived by it's tiny size, because this book is packed with the marital wisdom of a couple who were happily married for 73 years.

Barbara and Harry Cooper

Written by Barbara "Cutie" Cooper, from The OGs, with the aid of her two granddaughters, this darling memoir is filled with advice that every couple needs to know. Tucking into the first few pages feels like sitting down and talking to your favorite grandma, if she was Jewish and 1000 times more hip. Soon, you are nodding in agreement at her simple, marital wisdom and wondering why more people haven't lived by her sage advice. Covering everything from the wedding night jitters, (do people still get those?) to the death of her beloved husband, Harry, 73 years after saying "I Do", Cutie lets us into her world and makes loving fun. Hysterical, even. Share this book with couples who are just starting out, give it to someone for their 50th anniversary, or read it yourself when you feel like you need renewed faith in your marriage, spouse, and life. It's a gift to be treasured.

Love,
Lana

How to Plan a Party for an Urban Cowgirl

2013-05-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

Grace's 3rd birthday is right around the corner, so we have been knee-deep in party planning. This year, she wanted a "Little House on the Prairie" party, which I was totally down with except for two things:
1. I don't know how or have the desire to sew bonnets and calico dresses.
2. Shaking cream into butter doesn't sound like a very fun party trick.
So, instead of doing Little House, (Sorry Ingalls Family! We still love you!) we are doing "Wild West! Three Year Old Girl Style!" You might be wondering what exactly that means, and I'm hear to tell you that I have no freaking clue, but as it turns out, every single cowboy themed party idea I could find was aimed at little boys. This really sort of bothers me for obvious reasons, but more importantly, it's really putting a kink in my last minute party planning style. Turns out that I'm really having to get creative in order to make my little girl's Wild West dream party come true.
The first step in proper party planning is the invitation. (I think I heard that somewhere, but maybe that's wrong. Don't listen to me!) So of course that meant that Grace and I had to take a trip out to the back yard and take a gazillion pictures in hopes of getting one (ONE!) that was decent enough to glue onto the front of invitations being mailed to our family.

As you can see, Grace was giving me a run for my money, but in her defense, I think she's just about the prettiest little buckaroo I ever did see.

Hoping to make Calamity Jane proud,
Lana

Vidalia Onion Sandwiches

2013-05-14T05:56:00.001-07:00

When Jim and I first started dating, he would come at meet me at work during my lunch hour, and we would sit on the tailgate of his old green Ford and eat Vidalia Onion Sandwiches that he brought from home. From what I recall, the days were always beautiful, I always felt loved, and my lunch hour was always entirely too fast. I adored those little lunch hour dates almost much as the sweet, watery, crisp taste of Vidalia onions that were the star of our sandwiches.

Trust me, I know what you are thinking: "An onion sandwich! You've got to be joking me!" But honestly, Vidalia onions aren't like your every day, run-of-the-mill yellow onions. They are sweet and have a very low "heat" intensity, unlike most other types of onion, but they still have that satisfying crunch that onion lover's can't live without. Plus, they don't leave your breath smelling like you ate, well, an onion sandwich for lunch. Take it from me and Jim, who canoodled and fell in love over these delightful springtime sandwiches, you gotta try these.

Vidalia Onion Sandwiches
1 medium Vidalia onion, sliced
4 slices white bread
yellow mustard
enough thick slices of sharp cheddar to cover a slice of bread

Lay your bread slices out flat on the counter and spread a thick layer of yellow mustard over two pieces.
Top the mustard with Vidalia onion slices and then lay the cheddar on top of the onion.
Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheddar, slice horizontally and serve with good pickles or chips.

What Your Sleep Position Says About You

2013-05-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Jim woke up with a stiff neck yesterday, and I told him I bet it's because of the way he sleeps. He's always sprawled out on his stomach, with his arms and neck twisted at strange, uncomfortable looking angles. Try as I might, I can never understand how people are able to sleep that way. Especially women. Don't your boobs get squished, ladies?
Have you ever wondered what your sleep position says about you? I don't know if this study is legit, but it's still pretty interesting. I'm mostly a side sleeper, but I start out on my back with one arm draped over my forehead as if I am about to faint. Apparently this means that I am super cool, have lots of charisma, and will someday be awarded a Nobel Prize for Blogging. Huh.

Hope you slept well!

Love,
Lana

The Importance of Date Night to a Stay-at-Home Mom

2013-05-11T20:05:00.002-07:00

Vintage Love Tumblr

The other night, Jim and I were having an argument about something, and before I even knew what was happening I was crying and saying how I couldn't remember the last time we went on a date. It just sort of tumbled out of my mouth, and before that moment I hadn't even realized that it was bothering me, but it was. We have tons of reasons why it's been so long since we've had a night out on the town, but I don't want to bore you with them all. So here's five:

Jim's just graduated law school and for the past 3 years most of his free time has been spent studying.
We use our free time to do things that we enjoy, like tennis and running, but we do them separately while the other person stays home with Grace.
We live far away from family and don't have the luxury of relatives to dole Grace out to once a week.
We feel a little guilty always asking our neighbor to watch Grace. She's awesome and would do it in a second, but still...
We don't have a whole lot of mad money. Want to know why? Read reason #1 again and also remember that I'm a stay-at-home mom, so despite working my ass off, feeding my family home cooked meals every night and raising my own child, I don't get paid.

These are all totally legit reasons why we have put romanticizing one another on the back burner. No, I take that back. It's not even on the stove, folks, much less a burner, and the truth is, I really miss it. I love Jim and I think he is one of the funniest most engaging people I have ever known, but I don't get that part of him very often. Instead I get the dad version of him. Hell, most of the time I call him "Daddy", and not in some sex kitten kind of way, but in the "Daddy, will you help Grace cut up her egg while I pour her some more juice?" kind of way.
So after my little meltdown the other night, I laid in bed and tried to understand why date night is so important to me. Here is what I came up with:

I stay at home all day with a 3 year old. Yes, we have some fun outings scattered through out the week that I really enjoy, but the majority of my time is spent with someone who wants to play "Finger Friends" and talk about Arial, Tianna, and Rapunzel. I love Grace more than anything, but "Finger Friends" is something I can do without.
I hardly ever have a reason to get dressed up, so I live in comfy pants and my favorite coral colored long sleeve t-shirt from Old Navy. Putting on mascara seems like an exciting treat, even though I used to wear it every day. I don't get a lunch break or a potty break. Happy hour has turned into that golden hour between when Grace finally falls asleep and I do. Margaritas are not involved.
I can't remember the last real conversation I had with Jim when Grace didn't interrupt us. Someone once called toddlers Talk Blockers, and I couldn't have said it better myself.
In case you are wondering, yes, I have girlfriends who I can go out with and yes, sometimes I do go and do something "just for me", but that's not the same as sitting across the table from the man I love, wearing clothes that I feel pretty in, and eating a meal that I didn't have to cook.

So for those of you who are in the same boat that I am in, here are 25 Date Night Ideas That Aren't Cheesy. Actually, some of them are cheesy, but who cares?

Short on funds? Friday I'm in Love has some cheap, totally unique date ideas.

Also, this. :)

Famous Moms

2013-05-11T07:13:00.001-07:00

Click here to see more Famous Moms

Time ran an interesting piece in honor of Mother's Day this year. They put together a collection of photographs of children with their famous mothers. I loved the photograph of Jackie Kennedy reading a bedtime story to Caroline by candlelight, but the one of Joan Crawford gives me chills. Mommy Dearest she was not! Which photograph is your favorite?

Sending out some mommy love,
Lana

Remodeling the Outside Your House? Check this Out!

2013-05-09T13:28:00.001-07:00

Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC
West East North

Jim and I always drive around town, looking at homes, and oohing and aahing over different colors of siding. We play this game where we will say, "Would you rather have that color siding on our house, or did you like the siding on that one house we saw on the way to ____________ better?" We play this game because right now our house is green, but not a pretty green. I think the technical color is "Holy Shit That's Green" but I can't be certain.

I have dreams of residing our home. Sometimes in my dream, it's a beautiful butter cream yellow, but sometimes it's cottage blue. Other times it is sage, which is a totally different shade of green than, "Holy Shit That's Green". Trust me on that one.

The problem is that sometimes you just don't know what color will look best on your house until you've seen the finished product, and that takes a giant leap of color-picking faith. But now, there is a way to see your house completely resided in any color you wish without having to spend a dime.

Whether you are residing the home you currently live in, or building the home of your dreams, don't go to the home improvement store without checking out this website first.

PS-25 of the coolest homes on earth!

Cute and Easy Mother's Day Craft

2013-05-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

After Story Time at the library on Tuesday, the kids all made these cute little Mother's Day cards.

I had looked on Pinterest for some crafty ideas for Mother's Day crafts, but I am so over making flowers out of Grace's hand print. It's starting to feel a little unoriginal. (Note to all you crafty mommy's: Hand print crafts are cute, but oh-so-messy!) Anyway, this little project was so darn adorable, easy and mess-free, that I had to share it with you all. Plus, it didn't require pant, which is a gigantic bonus in my book.

Here's what you need:

stick glue
cupcake baking cups in 2 sizes: regular and mini
blue and green construction paper
scissors
wallet sized pictures of your favorite nugget(s)

Here's what you do:

Have an adult, (that's you DAD) cut leaves and stems out of green construction paper.
Now, cut the wallet-sized picture of your child into a circular shape that fits into the smallest cupcake wrapper.
Help your kids glue the stem and leaves onto blue construction paper.
Once the base of the flower is glued into place, glue the biggest cupcake wrapper to the top of the stem.
Next, glue the mini-cupcake wrapper inside of the regular-sized cupcake wrapper.
Once everything is dry, glue your gorgeous child's photograph into the center of the smallest cupcake wrapper and place it in an envelope addressed to The World's Greatest Mom/Grandma/Great-Grandma.
Voila! There you have it. The easiest do-it-yourself card ever!

NOTE: Mom's love this kind of stuff, but we also like manicures, pedicures, spa-days, mini-vacations, going out to dinner. I think (hope) you get the idea.

Love,

Lana

All credit for this super project goes to the awesome librarians at The CPL. Thanks, Ms. Mary & Ms. Pat!

Mark Bittman Talks Us into Eating a Little Bit Better

2013-05-08T07:48:00.002-07:00

Click Here for More Information

It should come as no surprise that I love Mark Bittman. He's kind of a smart-ass, knows his way around the kitchen, and has a slight New York accent that makes me swoon. More importantly, he's got the right idea when it comes to eating: He wants us to Eat Vegan Before 6:00.
I'm not going to go into the long, drawn out details about why eating a mostly vegan lifestyle is better for your health and better for Mother Earth. You've heard that all before. The problem is, that despite knowing that we need to eat better, most of us don't.
I stopped eating meat about two years ago when I read a book called A Diet for a New America. After reading that book, I stopped craving meat and started craving more information about what I was putting into my body. In the years prior to self-educating myself about cooking and nutrition, I believed that I was making pretty healthy choices. Boy, was I wrong. I feel a little ashamed to admit that not once did I ever stop to think about how the animals were raised and how what they were fed also affected the quality of the food I was consuming. Pesticides on produce? I could have cared less. After all, I washed my fruit and veggies. Sometimes.

When I became a vegetarian, I thought that I was making a really smart decision. And I was! But after taking a closer look at my diet, I realized that aside from not eating meat and buying organic produce, I wasn't really eating better. And wasn't that my goal all along? Sure, now my eggs are free-range and local. And that block of cheese in the fridge? It's organic. But I still eat the hell out of it. Let me be a little more clear: I eat A LOT of cheese and eggs. In fact, I'd go so far to say that when I stopped eating meat, I doubled my consumption of the two ingredients the French can't live without.
Because learning how to eat healthy is an ongoing lesson, I am taking Mr. Bittman's challenge. I am going to eat vegan before 6:00 pm for one month and see how it goes. I imagine that this eating plan will encourage me to eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and I am excited about that. I also think it will force me to get a little more creative in the kitchen, which is something that really makes my heart go pitter-patter. (Even more than Mark himself!) Yes, I am aware that means that shirred eggs and I have to part ways until dinner time, but it's a small sacrifice I am willing to make. Are you?

Help! I already miss butter,
Lana

PS: Once again, my favorite TED Talk.

Learning to Say "No!" in French

2013-05-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

Click here to buy French Twist

This is what I am reading right now, and let me tell you, it's got me feeling like a great big asshole of a mom. Just in time for Mother's Day, too! How sweet.
Here's what's been going down in our house: In the past week, I have said "no" to Grace more than I think I ever have in her wittle bitty life. I have taken her precious Lincoln Logs away from her for two days as punishment when she refused to pick them up after one (ONE!) warning. Last night, during a later than usual bath time, I asked her to pull the plug and step out of the bathtub so that I could dry her off. Instead of listening to me, she chose to act like she hadn't heard my request and continued playing with Woody and Buzz Lightyear. So instead of asking her twice, I reached over, pulled the plug, and gave her a look that said, "I mean business!" Almost immediately she started to cry and ask me "Why my eyes were looking at her like that?". I swear that at that very moment, my heart broke into a million pieces, but instead of pulling her close and telling her that I love her to infinity and beyond, I just kept looking at her and whispered in my toughest voice, "Because I am The Chief in this house, and you better not forget it."

The Chief. That's what Catherine Crawford, author of French Twist - An American Mom's Experiment in Parisian Parenting says to call yourself. But my mom? She used to call herself "The Boss". If that's too Bruce Springsteeny for you, "The Queen" would work, too. Basically it means that you need to become the master of your domain, but not in a Seinfeld kinda way. That's a blog post for another day.
I never really imagined that I would be implementing this kind of discipline on Grace. For the record, she is a really fantastic child, but there are days when she tests me, and those days are becoming all too frequent. The reason I picked up this book is because every where I look, I see toddlers (including Grace!) who are The Chiefs of their family. Parents are warning them, putting them in time out, threatening them, counting to three, and then you know what happens? Mom and Dad don't follow through. And guess what? It's not working! And the kids? THEY KNOW IT! They are on to us, man, and this is not the way it's supposed to be.
So if you are like me, and your child is getting away with behavior that makes you stop and think, "Who is this little demon and where is my baby?!" then perhaps you should pick up a copy of this book. It's full of hilarious advice, (some that I agree with and some that I most certainly do not!) but it's still a pretty darn good read. Plus, I think it would make a super Mother's Day gift for someone who is beginning to understand why animals sometimes eat their young.

Don't have time to read the book? Say no and mean it, Chief.

Off to eat some brie and say "No!" 1000 times,
Lana

Salute to Mom

2013-05-06T13:52:00.001-07:00

This video makes me feel like I swallowed a golf ball every time I watch it. I guess it's because until I had a child of my very own, I never realized how much work goes into being a mother.
I'm proud to me part of the group, ladies.
Love,
Lana

Gatsby Fever

2013-05-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

It seems like every where I look, people have Gatsby fever, and I have to wonder, is it because of Leo? Or because they loved the book? Or both? All this hub-bub is making me want to pull my old, tattered copy down off the shelf and devour it in a single sitting. Fitzgerald is good for that kind of reading. Speaking of reading, here is a really awesome website that boasts the Best 100 Opening Lines from Books! It's so mesmerizing, that I surfed through it for about an hour last night, but I admit being disappointed that A Tree Grows in Brooklyn didn't make the list.
What's your favorite opening line in a book? Does it coincide with your favorite novel?

Love,
Lana

PS: "Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York."
Phew, that feels better.

I Have a Fashion Question! (Surprised?)

2013-05-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with lightweight, gauzy, tops this year, and so I just bought this beautiful, blue, blouse (English lesson for the day: alliteration!) at Old Navy yesterday, and now I have a question for you:
Can I wear it with white shorts and gold jewelry? And if I can, then what color shoes do I wear?

Thanks a bunch,
Lana

Chocolate DIY Self-Tanner?

2013-05-02T06:32:00.002-07:00

Marilyn Monroe-Hampton Beach Summer 1957

Summer is right around the corner, and that means that parts of our bodies that haven't seen the light of day in months are going to be exposed to other people's eyes via shorter clothes and swimsuits. Does that thought scare you as much as it does me? I dread the first time my milky white legs make their appearance! And swimsuits? Ugh, don't even get me started.
By now, we all know that tanning beds are the devil, and that self-tanners stink to high-heaven, so how's a gal supposed to get a safe, sun-kissed glow just in time for the season? How about homemade self-tanners made from...wait for it...Nutella! I swear this is true! Maria, over at www.mariasself.com, slathers all sorts of chocolate delights into her skin to achieve a safe, natural, delicious-tasting (?!) tan.
Is this something you would try? I keep thinking there would be no way I would end up with an even tan. Too many self-inflicted lick marks.

I'm still not sure what to think about this,
Lana

PS-
Do you wax your lady business? Maybe you shouldn't.
Also, 25 Iconic Swimsuit Beauties.

Cabin Fever

2013-05-01T12:17:00.004-07:00

On Saturday night, I went to a silent auction and bid on a one-night stay at this beautiful cabin. And guess what? I was the highest bidder! So sometime very soon, me, Jim, my sister and her husband are going to take a night, and head out the beautiful Tom Cat Cabins, which are nestled in the rolling hills of Southern Illinois.
It's been quite awhile since Jim and I have been on vacation, (law school kind of cramps your travelin' style!) so I've been ready to "get away" for a really long time. Lucky for us, "getting away" to somewhere beautiful and rustic means driving about 10 minutes east of our home. When is the last time you took a little vacation from your everyday life? It doesn't have to be expensive; I got this cabin for $30 a couple!
I have been having lovely daydreams about the four of us cooking a yummy dinner, drinking some delicious red wine, soaking in the hot tub, laughing, listening to some great music, and maybe even playing a board game or two. To make the deal even sweeter, my awesome mom said to let her know when we are going, and she would be happy to stay at our house with Grace and our two nieces! Isn't that great? I'm a little worried about being away from Grace for a night, (I have never spent a night away from her!) but I'm trying not to think about that right now, and just enjoy the anticipation of our mini-vacation.

I Break for Log Cabins,
Lana

How to Eat a Violet

2013-05-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Grace had a field trip yesterday to one of the small, privately-owned parks here in our neighborhood. The park itself is kind of wild and overgrown, but in an intriguing way. Lemon balm is bursting from all areas, filling the air with a sweet citrus scent anytime anyone brushes against it. Other herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and velvety lamb's ear, filled the other planter boxes, and right in the middle of all the lush vegetation was a handmade, wooden playground.

The quaint, little park is tucked just far enough away from the street, that the moment you step under the small arbor leading into the garden, you feel like you are in another world - one where time has slowed down, and pink-faced, carefree children dance around upon mounds and mounds of purple, heavily scented violets.

Speaking of violets, did you know that you can eat them? They have a sweet, subtle taste, and the children who were brave enough to try them thought they were such an exciting, beautiful little treat.

Grace getting ready to taste a violet.

Have you ever eaten a violet? (Or what about a dandelion? You can eat those, too. I tasted my first one yesterday and sort of liked it! ) Today, because it is May Day and I could think of no better time to cook with flowers, I am going to be making this Lemon and Violet Drizzle Cake by Good Food.

Click here for the recipe for GF's Lemon and Violet Drizzle Cake.

Doesn't it look like the absolutely perfect dish for celebrating springtime and May flowers? I think I would eat just about anything if it's drizzled with lemon icing. Even a shy little violet.

Happy May Day!

Love, Lana

Vegetarian Cheeseburger Salad

2013-04-30T12:50:00.003-07:00

Hey, guys! How are ya? I have been so busy today, but I wanted to share this recipe with you. It's the Vegetarian Cheeseburger Salad that I made for dinner a few weeks ago. I know, that seems like the world's biggest oxymoron, trumping the ever famous "giant shrimp" one, but that's not the point. The point is that you are going to love this. Piles of crisp, watery, romaine lettuce, topped with juicy cherry tomatoes, juicy Gimme Lean Beef, spicy red onions, tons of gooey, melty, cheddar cheese and crunchy, buttery, perfectly salted croutons. It doesn't get much better than this folks.

All credit for the original Cheeseburger Salad goes straight to The Pioneer Woman. (However, all her credit goes to Pampered Chef, so I am sure that pretty soon we are really going to find out that Kevin Bacon invented the original Cheeseburger Salad). Anyway, that woman can cook, and this salad is no exception. If you are a red meat-eater, here is the recipe for hers. I am sure it's pretty darn tasty, but, uhm, pssst: We don't eat meat. Because of this, I have made it my life-long mission to find recipes that otherwise wouldn't be an option for us, make a few changes here and there, and transform them into a meal we can enjoy, too.
Now, let's get moving. We've got fish to fry...or a salad to make...you get my drift.
Basically, when it comes to the vegetarian version of this salad, the only thing you do differently is substitute Gimme Lean Ground Meat for the ground beef. It's that simple, but that one simple, teeny-tiny twist turns it from a meat lover's dish to a vegetarian paradise. Make it tonight for Meatless Monday! Eat outside and serve it with a crisp, perfect, springtime beer in a frosty pint glass. This is what sunny weather is all about, guys!

Vegetarian Cheeseburger Salad

2 Tb vegetable oil
~~2 pounds Ground Beef~~
1-15 oz. package Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style Vegetable Protein
1/3 cup Ketchup
1 teaspoon Yellow Mustard
1 Tablespoon Dijon Or Spicy Mustard
2 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce
4 whole Hamburger Buns
1 stick Butter
2 heads Romaine Or Green-Leaf Lettuce, Torn
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
8 whole Dill Pickle Spears, Cubed
1 whole Red Onion, Sliced

(Adapted from ~~The Pampered Chef~~ The Pioneer Woman)

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
Brown ~~meat~~ Gimme Lean in a large skillet over medium heat. Then remove it from the heat and ~~drain off the fat.~~
Add ketchup, mustards and barbecue sauce to the ~~meat~~ Gimme Lean and stir to combine.
Taste and add more of whatever you think it needs. Keep warm.
Cut hamburger buns into 1-inch cubes.
Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a separate skillet over low heat, then add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Toast the croutons in the skillet over low heat for about 10 -12 minutes, adding 1/4 stick of butter every couple of minutes until you've used the whole stick. (This will ensure all the croutons soak up the butter and toast nicely.)
To assemble each salad, pile torn lettuce on a plate. Pile on a good quantity of the meat mixture, then top with plenty of grated cheddar. Add diced tomato, chunks of pickles and slices of red onion over the top. Then sprinkle warm croutons all around the plate.

Love,

Lana

The True Story of a Little Girl and her Bruise

2013-04-29T10:01:00.001-07:00

Grace bumped her shin last night, and this morning she discovered that she developed a small bruise. This, of course, resulted in the immediate development of total hysteria.
There were tears involved.
There were panicked screams involved.
There is a Little Mermaid Band-aid involved.
It's bad, folks.
Right now, Grace has her little leg elevated on a tiny yellow and white zig-zag patterned pillow. We might not survive this. After all, we are talking about a bruise here, and we all know how dangerous they can be.

Lord Help Us,
Lana

PS-Did I mention there is no blood involved? It's a bruise.