Ugh.The Croup is not a rock band…but it is on tour. We have front row seats.

Ugh. Ana has been sick for the last two days with the croup. And not the “let’s cuddle and watch a movie because I don’t feel well” sick, oh nooooo, it’s the “I’m going to bitch and bitch and bitch because we can’t go anywhere, and this fever & cough is bullshit” sick.

And if your little one has had the croup, then you know that the “I feel fine” daytime child will be up all night hacking like a sad little seal- and you’ll be right beside her. As a result, I’m exhausted. But somehow she’s running around, literally running and chasing the cat. How?

Notice the blurred action shot…

 

Because I’m beat, I’m not spewing the usual quality advice, tips, or life lessons that you’ve come to erroneously rely on me for, but rather, I’d like to take this time to tell you about something wonderful that happened to me. Oh, you’re going to love this!

Remember when Brian & I went to Turks and Caicos recently? Well guess who got their period halfway through the trip? (Hint: It wasn’t Brian)

 

Well, the day we returned home I found a huge box on my front porch, and the whole family gathered around as I carefully opened the lid. Holy smokes! I was nearly blinded by the beauty of its contents! (the rest of the family lost interest)

Steph from Tampax, had sent me the most awesome personal feminine assortment ever! She even enclosed a sweet note thanking me for my post about re-using Tampax boxes as gift and lunch boxes (psst, I don’t recommend packing fish sandwiches).

I couldn’t believe the timing…and Steph’s kindness! I wonder if she knows she’s my new BFF? Or if our periods have synced yet?

Thanks Steph!

If you haven’t done it already, and you’re still menstruating (or incontinent), I suggest you follow Tampax on twitter, @Tampax

Alrighty guys, I’m going to see if Ana will stop jumping on me so I can nap now. Have a great day!
Ever deal with the croup? Get your period on vacation? BLAH, am I right?

 

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Cheapo Wino Review Wednesday! Angeline Cabernet

 

Angeline Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2011 – $14.99

Winery Tasting Notes: “Layered aromas of ripe cherry, cocoa, cedar, anise and baking spices lead into a soft, richly textured mouthful of cherry, vanilla and spice flavors. This wine is elegantly balanced, yet immensely approachable.

Food & Wine Pairing: Pair this luscious wine with roast beef, Cauliflower Au Gratin and garlic mashed potatoes. <—– This seems oddly specific

 

Kim’s Notes: I accidentally started tasting this at 4:30pm, breaking my “5:00 pm, to assure myself I’m not a closet alcoholic” rule. In my defense, it was a rainy and dark day…it felt like 5:01.

I found this wine to be fruity, sweet, smooth, and a little oaky. It tasted a lot like my old cheap favorite, Apothic. Notice I said “old favorite”, that’s because they both evoke a slight phlegmy feeling in the back of my throat that I no longer enjoy.  Maybe phlegm is the “richly textured mouthful” they were describing? All that aside, it’s actually a pretty good wine.

You know, this review reminds me of a little (and quite possibly boring) story…

 

I once splurged on these B.O.C. sandals:

I thought they were the most beautiful, comfortable, ‘goes with everything’ shoes ever! I made friends and family try them on, while I oohed & aahed over their floral wedge heel. I told anyone who would listen about their pillow-like soles. I regaled total strangers with stories of vigorous mall walking, without acquiring so much as a blister. Honestly, I put missionaries, and even cults, to shame.

So one day, at the end of the summer, I came across these same shoes on a clearance rack at DSW. I searched high and low for my size, all the while calculating how many pairs I’d need to last me until my deathbed. Sadly they didn’t have my size…but they did have my BFF’s size. I called her, no answer. I struggled with the decision, “Do I buy her a pair? Was she just being kind when she said she liked them? Hmm, she didn’t seem that into them.” You see, she’s a very kind person so I never know- with me, on the other hand, you’ll know immediately if I hate something, I get a shitty look on my face.

It was a tough choice, but I decided not to buy them.

Fast forward to last summer, I pulled them out…AND I HATED THEM! Ugh. They went with nothing! They were too clunky! Too unrefined! And so, I never wore them.

Fast, fast forward to this spring, I wore them out while shopping with my BFF, and guess what she said? “Hey, I really like those shoes! Where did you get them?”

WTF?! Are you kidding me, Joanne?!

 

Moral of the story: I obviously have great taste, and just because I’ve outgrown something doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it.

Can you please validate me by clicking this banner? Thanks!
PS- after you click the banner it’ll seem like nothing happened but trust me, you voted! and I’ll love you a little bit more…but not more than my wine. sorry.
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Our Weekend through crappy pics

“Our weekend through crappy pics” is low on both words and quality photographs.

 

Friday

On Friday we signed the kids up for Kid’s Night Out, and Brian & I went out to dinner ALONE.

You remember Kid’s Night Out, the babysitting service at the gym…where Collin is always the oldest kid…and forced to decorate fairy wands with the preschoolers…

Aww, he loves it.

 

At the restaurant, Brian and I worked on being the most pretentious diners ever by bringing our own wine decanter (which took up about 1/3 of the table’s diameter).

 

Saturday

I often ask myself “What the hell was I thinking?”, and purchasing a bug collecting kit for Ana gave me another opportunity to mutter that all-too-familiar phrase.

 

Her victims? Ants.  Ana loves herself some ants!  She can often be found tracking them, “feeding” them heavy acorns, and “petting” them until they “fall asleep” into a black mushy ball.   Think Lennie from Of Mice and Men.

I struggled with the guilt of letting her basically kill any ants that were unfortunate enough to cross her path.  Then Brian reminded me of my hypocrisy…

remember this:

And so I said “carry on”.  But their deaths weren’t in vain…it bought us about 15 minutes of quiet.  I drank a margarita.

 

Sunday

We went to a super fun neighborhood BBQ where our children rolled in dirt and we rolled in delicious fatty food.  Oh, and I broke out my Mommy’s Sippy Cup!  Everyone wanted to know where they could get their own spill-proof wine cup, well here it is… www.mommyssippycup.com

 

Monday

I went to the grocery store to buy some last minute stuff, I turned around and saw this…

Holy shit!

“Ana, Mommy needs you to gently set down the explosives,  That’s right…now walk very slowly back towards me.”

WTF, Acme?  One moment I’m deciding between regular or jumbo marshmallows, the next I’m talking to my kid like I’m a member of the Bomb Squad.

 

After our close call with death (because I feel like being an alarmist today), we headed to Lowes and bought a fire pit!  Brian did not approve of this purchase, but Brian wasn’t with us. hahahah

And can I just say, we are the worst fire builders ever!  Initially, I thought “Cavemen did this, how hard can it be?”   Well guys, we had to re-light a piece of newspaper3 times.

Brian eventually got the fire roaring while I was putting Ana down.  I find the timing suspicious, I think he might have thrown a DuraFlame log in there.

 

How was your weekend?

Can you please validate me by clicking this banner? Thanks!
PS- after you click the banner it’ll seem like nothing happened but trust me, you voted! and I’ll love you a little bit more…but not more than my wine. sorry.
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Free Advice Friday! From Frumpy to Fabulous!

Dear Kim,

The summer season will be here next week and I look like crap. I dread taking my kids to the pool! Do you have any tips or advice to get me in shape quick? Ok, maybe not in shape, but maybe feeling better about myself?

Sincerely,

Frumpy in Frampton

 

 

Dear Frumpy,

Obviously you haven’t seen my body lately. In fact, just before reading your letter I was trying to determine if I prefer my chocolate chips to be milk chocolate or dark chocolate. I tried doing a blind taste test with my industrial sized Costco bags, but no one was there to tell me which one I selected. So tomorrow I’m setting up a scoring system and creating elimination rounds based on flavor, texture, swimwear, and raw talent. I hear milk Chocolate will perform a fire swallowing act- clearly a bad decision. But I digress…

Frumpy, despite my recent weight gain, I do have some advice for you (and trust me, I’d look a lot worse if I didn’t follow it).

 

Diet

Eat healthier! Avoid sugars, simple carbs, and alcohol on weekdays, between the hours of 9am – 9:15am. If you slip up, don’t be too hard on yourself, fifteen minutes is a long time to abstain.

Also, consider replacing the unhealthy snacks in your house with healthy ones, something you’d never eat in a million years. For example, try replacing Doritos with Mexican Spice flavored worms,
20130524-002233.jpg

or substituting potato chips with salt & vinegar crickets,
20130524-002538.jpg

or chocolate bars with laxatives.

 

Water

Drink water, tons and tons of water! If you hate the taste of plain water, you can always add lemon or filter it through ground coffee beans and fermented grapes from the Napa region.

 

Fitness

Making small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, choosing a stand up tanning booth instead of a lay down one, mixing cake batter by hand, and riding your bike to the Dairy Queen in one of those reflective sweatsuits, can make tiny differences in your overall health. And those tiny differences, my friend, will add up to make small differences that you can almost maybe see!

If you’re feeling really motivated, consider joining a gym that offers free childcare. You can use that hour to have some coffee and think about ways to get in shape.

 

Motivation

There are a lot of different ways to motivate yourself, but I’m only familiar with the unhealthy ones, like self-shaming. This can be anything from squeezing a thigh into your size 4 wedding dress to lining the inside of your sunglasses with fat pics of yourself. The sky’s the limit.

Also, know your weaknesses, anticipate the ways in which you’ll sabatoge yourself, and have an action plan to circumvent them. For example, I know that if it’s storming I won’t get out of my car and walk from the gym parking lot to the gym. So now, when it rains, I arrive in the parking lot an hour early and call AAA to tell them that my car broke down. When they arrive, I ask them for a ride to the front door. Don’t worry, it’s all covered under my insurance.

Frumpy, I hope I’ve given you some advice you can use. I’m almost certain that if you follow my suggestions, you’ll be in shape in no time…(really…there’s no time in which you’ll be in shape).

Have a great summer!
Kim

Can you please validate me by clicking this banner? Thanks!
PS- after you click the banner it’ll seem like nothing happened but trust me, you voted! and I’ll love you a little bit more…but not more than my wine. sorry.
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