The painful sound of my husband’s dry, hacking cough woke me in the middle of night. He was tossing and turning, clearly uncomfortable yet somehow still sleeping. Unable to fall back to sleep because of his persistent coughing, I gently nudged him and suggested he take some cough syrup.

“Mmmmm,” he replied, in what I assumed was agreement.

The minutes ticked by but my husband didn’t budge. Cranky and irritated, I elbowed him a bit harder. “Psst…” I whispered. “Your cough is really bad. Please go take some medicine.”

“Mmmmm…”

Want to know what happened next? Click here to read the rest of my post over on Lifetime Moms!

the post Men vs. medicine appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

According to my recent reader survey, 30% of you use an RSS service to follow Bunny & Dolly. Google Reader was my RSS service of choice, but when I learned that it will be shutting down on July 1st, I made the switch over to Feedly. So far I’m liking it; it has a clean and intuitive interface that works well on both my computer and mobile devices.

Other bloggers I know are using The Old Reader as their replacement, which supposedly functions exactly like Google Reader.

However, I want to make it even easier for you to be informed of new blog posts. Below is a sign-up form to receive Bunny & Dolly updates delivered straight to your inbox. (This sign-up link will also live in the sidebar to the right.)

Bonus: By subscribing, you’ll occasionally receive bonus content not featured on the blog!

What other blogs do you regularly read? I’m in the process of updating my RSS subscriptions and am looking for new inspiration.

P.S. – This is a new RSS to email service, so if you’re currently receiving email updates, you may want to join this list. Sorry for the confusion!

the post Bunny & Dolly in your inbox appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

Most toddlers get a kick out of mixing and stirring, but I hope that Levi’s interest in cooking is not just a developmental phase and that he inherited his father’s culinary know-how. See, there’s not much I can teach Levi in the kitchen besides how to microwave macaroni and cheese, make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and order a pizza for dinner.

However, it’s hard for either of us to prepare anything while balancing Levi on one hip. And he insists on being held so that he can watch all of the pouring and scooping and button pressing.

Levi and I have our morning routine nailed — acting as my left arm, he opens and closes the microwave for me — but cooking anything other than oatmeal with him in my arms is a challenge. (Ok, cooking anything for me is a challenge.) Levi wants to be more involved, but there’s just no safe way for him to be right now.

Levi loves to help in the kitchen, and I love that he loves to help.

I’d like to get Levi a safety stool so he can assist us the kitchen. A popular option is the GuideCraft Kitchen Helper, but it’s expensive and ugly. Decorative cut outs of stars, circles and squares and a mini chalkboard panel are just not my style. However, I do like that it folds up when not in use since our kitchen is not even large enough for a table.

I prefer the simpler look of the Little Partners Learning Tower (and it comes in white!) but it’s even more expensive. Two-hundred dollars for a kitchen stool? Really?

So I suggested to JB that he buy a couple of wooden boards and build Levi a copycat kitchen helper. I mean, how hard could it be? It turns out that the instructions for a DIY helping tower are very complicated — at least to my untrained eye. (Woodworking is not my forte, although once I nailed together a very small wooden shelf at sleep-away camp when I was 10 or 11.)

I suppose starting with a pre-made step stool as a base, like this Bekvam learning tower, would make the job a little bit easier… or wouldn’t it?

I would love to know how your little ones — children who are too small to simply stand on a chair — help in the kitchen. Do you have a kitchen helper or learning tower? Did you DIY some sort of safety stool? Or do you just cook all of your meals on the floor?

the post The kitchen helper appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

With the unofficial start of summer less than a week away, it’s time to swap my well-worn winter shoes for sandals, flats, and wedges. The problem is that I’m bored with all of my warm weather shoes. The solution? Time to go shoe shopping.

I don’t know about you, but I can spend hours browsing online department and speciality shoe stores and ultimately not purchase anything. And it’s usually not because I don’t see anything I like. Just the opposite — there are too many things I like, and I can’t decide which to buy!

Sheena Iyengar, author of “The Art of Choosing,” conducted a 1995 study researching choice. When she offered 24 varieties of jam as samples, 60% of customers stopped by her booth but only 3% purchased a jar. However, when only six jars of jam were displayed, 40% of customers stopped by and 30% made a purchase.

When discussing her famous 1995 jam study, Professor Iyengar explained that the study “raised the hypothesis that the presence of choice might be appealing as a theory, but in reality, people might find more and more choice to actually be debilitating,” according to The New York Times.

So what does this have to do with shoe shopping? Well, when ShoeDazzle asked me to check out how they are changing women’s online shopping experiences, I was intrigued. First, you take a short quiz so ShoeDazzle can identify your style and are presented with personalized shoe and accessory recommendations in your very own “showroom.”

Each month you’ll receive a new showroom that fits your individual style, and as new products get added to the site, ShoeDazzle will continue to tailor your personalized recommendations. Essentially, you’re browsing a curated collection of shoes and handbags selected just for you (although you do have the option to search the entire site), and fewer options mean you’ll be less likely to feel overwhelmed!

Above are a couple of summer shoes from my showroom. I was happily surprised by how much I liked so many of the options presented to me; I could really see myself wearing many of them, especially the four in the photo.

Another surprise? The cost. All of the shoes are very reasonably priced. Plus, if you make a purchase within two days of taking the quiz, you’ll get 25% off your first item ordered.

Oh, and their Chief Stylist? The inimitable Rachel Zoe!

Curious? Click here to take your ShoeDazzle style quiz and let me know what you think!

Thanks to ShoeDazzle for supporting today’s discussion! As always, opinions are my own.

the post Shop your very own showroom appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

My friend’s mom, Wendy Keil, passed away after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer in September 2011. Wendy’s family formed Walking for Wendy to continue her fight to raise awareness of and funding for the disease. Did you know that pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States?

Here are some other key facts about pancreatic cancer:

• Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of any major cancer.
• There are no early diagnostic tools.
• It is the most under-funded, under-recognized and least-studied of all major cancer killers, with only 2% of the National Cancer Institute’s annual budget dedicated to pancreatic cancer research.
• There is no cure.

Fighting for a cure, one step at a time.

For the second year in a row, I’ll be leading the Walking for Wendy team at the PurpleStride Omaha event on June 9th. We’ll be participating in the 1-mile walk/run, and I would love for you to join us. If you live in Omaha, please visit our team page to sign up. Once again we’ll be providing team members with Walking for Wendy purple and white baseball t-shirts.

If you don’t live in Omaha but would like to make a contribution, you can also donate by visiting our team page. Walking for Wendy hopes to raise $100,000 by participating in 22 events this year, and our team goal is $580!

The video above features highlights from Walking for Wendy teams at 2012 PurpleStride events across the country. The Walking for Wendy theme song was written by Franke Previte, who also wrote ”(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life.” Patrick Swayze chose that song for the movie “Dirty Dancing,” and when Patrick died of pancreatic cancer, Franke decided to get involved with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to honor his friend. He wrote this incredible song to honor Wendy as a result of the work that Walking for Wendy has done in support of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

If you have any questions about the Omaha walk, please email me!

the post Walking for Wendy appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

We celebrated Mother’s Day with a special event at Montessori.

We had the world’s longest pizza lunch date.

We waved to the doggy.

We made a brief visit to the Omaha Farmer’s Market on a windy Saturday morning.

We bought peonies at Whole Foods.

We took turns getting sick.

We helped Dad clean up the car seat we barfed in earlier that day (before we started feeling sick again).

We had a moment with the dog.

We toasted the arrival of Dunkin’ Donuts to Nebraska with a “light and sweet” coffee.

It finally feels like spring here in Omaha (actually, it feels more like summer). I hope it’s warm where you live and that you get to enjoy some time outside this weekend!

P.S. – Check out my Instagram profile for more photos from the week.

the post Friday Rewind appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

Today I’m debuting a new series, “The Dolly Half-Dozen.” Essentially, it’s a way for me to round up some of my favorite links and showcase them in a more interesting way than just tacking them onto the end of my Friday post. (Especially now that those posts are changing. Are you liking the idea of Friday Rewind?)

Admittedly, this series is still a work in progress. See, I was originally thinking I’d call it “The Dolly Dozen” and would share 12 links. Moving forward, I may go back to that idea, but I didn’t want to sit on these links while I deliberated between a dozen and a half-dozen.

Anyway.

Heather’s strawberry popsicles have a secret ingredient.

The six major anxieties of social media, including Instagram FOMO and “Pinspirational” inferiority complexes.

They say this scientific 7-minute workout is brutal but effective. (Would you try it?)

Social media has its problems, but it can also help you feel less lonely. (via @alliepal)

I’m suddenly inspired to wear bold blue eyeliner.

When a doughnut and a croissant have a baby, the offspring is called a cronut. (Only in New York!)

Bonus link! Multitasking and creativity

(Psst… What do you think? Six or 12 links next time?)

the post The Dolly Half-Dozen appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

The Backstory

In part one of the basement makeover, I shared my, ahem, distaste for the wall colors chosen by the previous owners: maroon and taupe. In addition to just being ugly colors, they made the room feel dark and heavy. Although the room is a walk-out with a door, full-size window, and two small rectangular windows, it’s still a basement. A dark(ish) basement.

Still, I didn’t want to paint. I thought the job would be too much work for JB and I to do alone (all that woodwork!) and too expensive to hire a painter. Plus, I have a history of being unable to choose paint colors in a timely fashion and didn’t want to have to deal with making a decision.

The Inspiration

Jessica took one look at the basement and quickly nixed my idea to simply cover up the maroon walls with colorful artwork. She reiterated what I’ve read in countless decor magazines: the fastest way to change the look of a room is to paint. Even if we did nothing else to the space, mixing up the wall color would make a huge difference.

After talking about my vision for the basement — a living space that’s both kid-friendly and grown-up — Jessica walked around my house to get a sense of my aesthetic. Stopping in front of a large MTA poster by Julia Rothman that hangs in our dining room, she asked how I’d feel about using the illustration as our color inspiration. Specifically, how did I feel about teal?

Who was I to argue with the professional? Although the idea of brightly colored walls was slightly out of my comfort zone (no other room in my house features a color as vibrant as teal), I could see how teal would open up the space and give the basement a modern, playful feeling.

Plus, if the color choice was left up to me, we’d still be waiting for my (lack of) decision.

The Plan

Pulling out her Sherwin-Williams fan deck (a designer always carries color swatches in her bag!), Jessica quickly matched two shades of teal in the poster to Tidewater and Lagoon. Jessica convinced me that a teal color scheme would feel gender and age neutral. Basically, girls, boys, kids, and adults could comfortably hang out in there.

She explained that two shades of teal would bring more depth to the room and accent the molding that’s already there, creating more architectural character. Painting the entire space in the darker shade would have felt too heavy in a basement without much natural light.

Jessica strongly recommended that we also paint the woodwork and trim white to match the rest of the house and to brighten up the room even more. I was open to the idea until I received quotes from several painters. All of them wanted to charge an additional $300+ to do the trim, but I decided I’d rather spend that money on new furniture and accessories for the room.

Once Jessica reassured me that the colors we had chosen would still work with the brown chair rail and molding, I booked the painter and ordered our Sherwin-Williams paint. Sherwin-Williams graciously supplied us with paint from their new Emerald line, including tinted primer for the textured wallpaper that the previous owners had painted that awful maroon.

The Results

It took just half a Friday and half a Monday for our painter to complete the room, partly because he was efficient and partly because the Emerald paint from Sherwin-Williams did such a good job of covering up the red and taupe wall colors.

The transformation was incredible. Suddenly, the space looked larger and cleaner. Even the painter commented on how much more modern the room appeared minus the dated man cave colors.

Would I have preferred white trim? Yes. Am I unhappy with how it looks now? Not at all. The space would have looked crisp and clean if the woodwork had been painted, but I think the brown trim gives it an earthy, relaxed vibe. What do you think?

Next up: Rearranging and adding furniture!

the post Bunny & Dolly’s Basement Makeover: Part 2 appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

Browsing through Half Price Books recently, I came across the book Home Again in the children’s section. The cover art alone — an illustration of a daddy in fatigues holding his baby — made me feel weepy, so I quickly jammed the book back on the shelf. While my husband’s safe at home, I don’t want to think about him being separated from our son.

However, with the possibility of a deployment looming, perhaps reading books about mommies and daddies in the military is the best way to prepare our almost two year old for when the time comes. Although he’s likely too young to fully understand our military life, reading stories about deployments with him now probably wouldn’t hurt…

To check out my round-up of deployment books for kids, click over to Lifetime Moms!

the post Deployment books for kids appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013

Yesterday was a special day for both me and Levi: Mother’s Day and his 22-month birthday! As planned, we met with friends for a delicious brunch and then relaxed at home before taking a field trip to Lauritzen Gardens to view an amazing Lego exhibit. (I’ll share photos on the blog later this week.)

The day ended with Facetime and phone calls with family and watching Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood while cuddling on our bed. Levi started acting out of sorts after bath time — whiney and clingy — so I let him stay up past his bedtime for extra snuggles. JB and I figured he was either teething or had a tummy ache from eating too much at dinner.

My poor baby.

At 22 months old, Levi…

…requests either oatmeal or mac and cheese for breakfast every morning

…always wants to be held while we’re cooking in the kitchen, asking, “Pee up! Pee up!”

…can count to nine (JB and I were totally shocked. Now I know how Emily felt when Ramona did it.)

…scoops and dumps

…wants to walk up and down the stairs instead of crawling

…thinks walking being pulled by the dog to the mailbox is hysterical

…instructs us to sit down on the couch while he plays in the living room

…also tells us where and when to sit at the dining room table

…likes to drag his toy boxes to the front hall mat and arrange his toys on the stairs

…dances to the music from his LeapFrog Leaptop — he loves to bounce and spin

…thinks it’s funny to eat the bubbles in his bath

…will eat applesauce or yogurt from pouches again after a month-long boycott

…has small size-5 feet that are getting harder to slide into slip-on sneakers because they’re so chubby

…requests SuperWHY! more often than “Elmo! Elmo!”

…loves to read Llama Llama books and The Lady with the Alligator Purse

…is showing more interest in toy cars and trains but still prefers his play kitchen above all

…speaks 2- or 3-word sentences

…yells “monkeys!” whenever we drive past the zoo

…drinks out of toddler-size cups for most of his meals at home

P.S. – Hopefully these DSLR photos make up for last month’s all-iPhone photos post!

the post This is 22 Months Old appeared first on Bunny and Dolly © 2013