Two Tell Tale Signs It’s Spring

Pollen kicking anyone else’s arse this week???

Hello Birthday Month!

Talk about a day late and a dollar short but HELLO APRIL! April is pretty much my favorite month, and yes it has everything to do with the fact that it’s my birthday month. I love cake like a fat kid loves cake. Don’t believe me?

Can I just say it’s moments like that, when I’m shoving my face into an entire cake, that I feel the most grown up. I know that sounds completely backwards, but think about it. If I wasn’t a grown up, I’d totally get yelled out for doing something like that. But my house, my cake, my rules. I promise I only did this after all guests had left.

Enough about cake, lets talk about April. We have a big month ahead folks. First it’s Easter (and Whitney’s birthday!), followed by my birthday, followed by a long weekend in North Carolina! Sooooo excited for a mini-vaca. We’re visiting friends who moved down there and scheduling this visit was on my Get Sh*t Done list. Our friends have two labs too, so the boys are coming with us for one big crazy happy Lab Party. You can bet I’ll be sharing lots of pictures from the trip. We get back from NC just in time for Sara’s baby shower and Owen’s christening. Joey was asked to be Owen’s Godfather, so we’ll be practicing our Marlon Brando impressions starting now. We’re scheduled to round out the month with the Run Amuck mud run, but all the friends we were supposed to be running with are dropping like flies (way to get pregnant Kacie ;)), so our last weekend in April is TBD.

So what does April have in store for you? I hope it involves cake.

Yeah, So About That…

Lets talk about the time I got really freakin’ excited when I realized Rita’s was giving away free Italian Ice to celebrate the first official day of spring. It was about, oh, give or take 45 minutes ago. And if you know me, then you know nothing gets me moving like the prospect of free dessert.

My plan, like all poorly hatched plans, came together in about 30 seconds. I’d throw the kids in the car, run over to Rita’s and have free Italian Ice for dinner. Hello spring!

Step one, load up! Now, we rarely transport the dogs in my car because two 80 pound labs in a ford mustang with slippery leather seats isn’t exactly comfortable. Although it sure is a sight to see…

And since Rita’s isn’t far from our house, I figured I could deal with the jumping back and forth as they decide which window is the best to hang their heads out of. What I didn’t anticipate and couldn’t deal with though was the line! I had somehow convinced myself that most people were eating dinner right about now, and therefore I’d be ahead of the crowd with my brilliant plan.

Wrong. Clearly I’m a free Rita’s virgin. The line wrapped clear around the back of the building and the only parking was across the street in the 7-11 parking lot. Now if it was Free Rita’s Custard I may have considered waiting in line, but instead I made one big circle and home we went. Yeah, so about that time I tried to go on a little evening “celebrate the season” adventure. Total fail.

Pizza’s in the oven.

Transitions

Mother Nature sure is delivering this week. Even though she has me back to walking the dogs at o’dark-thirty, she’s making up for it in 80 degree weather and evening light. It’s the time of year I realize that I’m so ready for the transition to spring, to break out the flip flops and to sit outside soaking in the pollen soaked fresh air. When it comes to the simple things in life, not much compares to the happiness of sleeping with the windows wide open, under warm covers with the cool breeze pouring in.

And as if one good transition deserves another, Joey just started work on a new project and with it comes overnight hours. We are the proverbial two ships passing during the week now, which can be hard to get used to. Thank goodness for my four-legged friends to keep me company. The transition is without a doubt harder on him, physically and mentally, and it reminds me about the fact that relationships take work. You need to think outside yourself, and find ways to support your partner. It can be as simple as a note left on the kitchen counter or making an extra run to the grocery store for their favorite dinner. The same holds true for friendships. I think we all get so wrapped up in our own lives sometimes that we forget to think outside of ourselves. I challenge you to pick three friends and to go send them a text message or an email right now letting them know you’re thinking about them. It will make you feel really good, I promise. And you never know who might just need a friend this very instant.

Here are my three:

Mrs. Cagg — Thanks for making my blog a part of your nightly ritual! Your compliments mean more than words. xo!

Julia — I know this makes me sound so old, but I am seriously so proud of you! You’ve always been so beautiful inside and out, and now you’re taking the world by storm!

Jackie — Happy National Registered Dietitan’s Day! I miss you, and hope we can see each other soon.

Endorsed: Swiffer 360 Dusters

I am fully aware that this endorsement puts me in the old and boring category, but I swear this product is the Justin Timberlake of the cleaning world — they’re bringin’ cleaning back….yeah! (Too much?)

Despite the snow in the weekend forecast I decided it was time for a little Spring Cleaning.  I went to Target to buy a cleaning caddy and lots of fun cleaning products to gear myself up for the big scrub down. Shopping makes everything better, plus I am determined to stop sucking at being an adult.

The bottom line is that I would like to know where Swiffer Dusters have been all my life. They pick up dust like no one’s business and I actually found myself a little sad when all was said and dusted.

Me. Sad. Over Cleaning!

Yes people, they’re just that good. They’re about $4.50 for the starter kit (handle and three dusters) and about $8.50 for a 6 count refill pack.  PS: You can find a coupon here.