In the mood for a little shoppin?

I might like to shop (just a little). So the holidays are, well, like Christmas. I found some great deals this week you might be interested in:

25% off everything at Shade Clothing. Even sale stuff. Go here.


I let the children open matching Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve last year (and I love the way the pictures turned out). $10 at Gymboree right now after a 30% off coupon you can get here. And they may or may not be getting the matching snowman slippers too.

Shop on.

A Little White Lie

This is coming:

Sun: Mainly cloudy, cold, windy, flurries.

		FRI Fri: Rain turning over to snow. 41 33

Here's the thing. I say I "don't mind the winters." I take my mother's "house of cold-people" jokes and snide wintery remarks in stride. I tell prospective residents I'm interviewing at work that "the winters aren't as bad as everyone says."

I think I lied.

Who am I kidding? My first Minneapolis memory is being in the airport as a teenager and meeting a guy who got frostbite on his nose FROM WALKING TO THE PARKING LOT AND BACK.

I'm not ready. It's been 65 degrees here for the last week and the children and I walked around the zoo today without our coats.

Winter, please don't come. I don't want frostbite. But on a brighter note -- anyone want to go cute scarf and hat shopping?

I Tried

I tried to be a good wife today and mow up the leaves in the yard before it rained.
But I ran out of leaf bags. And then the lawn mower ran out of gas. And I stepped in dog poo.
Twice.

I tried to stick to my "no snacking on candy" goal.
But we have way too many of these left. Darn my kid and his 2 1/2 hours of trick or treating.

I tried to feed my children healthy food.
But playgroup was here today. And Luke is obsessed with cheeseburgers.

I'm getting back on the wagon . . . tomorrow.

The Creative Type

 . . . I am not.

But I'm glad I married one.  And I'm glad I have friends who are.

Because look what they can do!

 My incredibly creative and stylish friend Mercedes made this ensemble for Evie.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I'm so impressed by people who can do this.  She also just started an etsy shop (spiced sugar) so you can have one, too.  Check it out here ( I stole the pictures from there).  I think, however, that she doesn't really need the store because she could just sell them all right to me and not have to go through the hassle.

I want candy

Halloween highlights:

- We made halloween pops

       (check them out here on my super-creative friend Stacey's blog)

- The kids ate the suckers 

(after their dinner of candy and before their late night snack of more candy.  I'm a great mom)
- The kids looked adorable (fairy princess Evie and dragon Luke)

- Grandma came to visit, dressed like a tough biker-chick (complete with chaps), making this officially the best Halloween ever for Luke
- Evie was the belle of the ball (and learned to say "crick or ceek" at every house, plus did a happy little candy dance).  Luke trick-or-treated till he dropped (seriously, 2 1/2 hours).  
Hope you all had a great Halloween!

I spy something orange

And round.

That makes my kids cry.

Carving pumpkins at the Barringers :

Evie helps

Luke helps
**those are the total number of seeds my brave kid pulled out of the pumpkin. He won't touch the "pumpkin goo"

Daddy ends up doing most of the carving and pumpkin-goo removal
***because, frankly, I don't much like touching it either

But we finish them. And they're darn cute.

The end.

There isn't much . . .

that can get my boys off the couch during football afternoons.

except:

a big pile of freshly-raked leaves

and a game of backyard ball.

(seriously, that kid's got an arm).