What's Cooking

I've been dying for red meat lately, and there's a tiny fall-like chill in the air. So I'm making this tonight.

Our Big New Family

We love our new kiddies. I mean kitties.

Addictive Fruit Pops

OMG - these are SO good! I've been eating the strawberry ones for a while now but I think I might try some other flavors. Don't bother with any other brands... none of them are good except for Edy's.

Sale Alert!

Check out this big sale from Bliss.

Of course Paula Deen is involved...

Krispy Kreme and Taste of the South magazine are sponsoring a recipe contest for desserts using Krispy Kreme donuts as the primary ingredient. Paula Deen made Bill Nicholson's Krispy Kreme bread pudding, so that idea is out. I have an idea but I'm not sure my behind can stand the testing that would be involved to get it right.

Any volunteers?

Sweet Shoes

I like these. And these.

And these.

Things That Are Soft

I sleep on my side. I put one of these puppies under my head and wrap an arm around another (thankfully Deuce doesn't like down pillows) and it feels like going to sleep in a cloud. Yum.











I'm not that picky about socks, but these feel sooooo good.














I am on my second pair of these. They are my go-to pants for bed, lounging around the apartment, and occasionally for after a yoga class or swimming (worn with flip flops, not sneakers). They are so soft and stretchy.





I got a free sample of this in a Lancome gift with purchase. It is super soft and has really made my skin look better since I've been using it. It might be too heavy for the summer, but now that the season is changing it is perfect.

Let the people speak!

I can't figure out how to have a Q&A type of section on the blog, as requested by my loyal readers (ahem, Kate). Instead, I will moderate comments which means that they'll all get emailed to me before posting. So if you have a question, please post it as a comment to any post and I will answer it post haste!

All Tangled Up No More...

I love Built NY. Maybe it's because using their products mean using neoprene every day. I just saw this charger organizer this weekend and I love it. With 6 compartments you can keep your cell, blackberry, camera, iPod, and other chargers packed up neatly in one place when you travel. Plus, it's so cute!

Terrific Housekeeper Gone Bye-Bye

I don't blame her. Undoubtedly, we drove her away with our steep stairs and post-hurricane-like spread of clothes and bags and magazines. Every week she came and restored order for us. Friday nights have become a special gift to myself, where I get to walk into this orderly neat home and feel like my life is just as put together as our apartment. At least for a few hours.

Now it's just me and Ross left to clean up after ourselves. I imagine that if we even really try, it won't go well.

So I am on the hunt now for some cleaning schedules that make sense when the two people who live together work 60+ hours per week and go to the gym and play in fantasy sports leagues (well, when one of them does), and get massages and basically have lots of other things to do than pick up after their spouse who doesn't care if clothes and magazines and shoes are everywhere. Wait, did I say that?

Real Simple magazine has a great schedule for each room with things to do every day, week, and season. Will I do it? Not sure. Can we divide these tasks between us? Probably not. But it's a good start.

Martha has this list of 6 things to do every day. If I add a seventh, fold clothes and put away shoes (which could fall in the clutter category but is really a whole other project in my mind), then our place would look terrific all the time.

The hard question is where is the solution or to-do list that will make me feel like actually doing this stuff every day? When given the choice between chores and something fun, I will choose fun every time. But I guess when Lily's magic touch was always just a few days away I could make that choice. Now it's just us and our mess.

Until we find a new cleaning woman....