things I love: winter doldrums edition, part 2

 

Well, the winter blues are still dragging me down, so I thought I’d talk about five more things that are lifting me up these cold-ass days:

*This new mug from Anthropologie. The last thing on earth I need is another mug in the house, but it made me smile and right now, inexpensive things that make me smile are oh-so-worth it. I’d rather spend my cash on a one-way ticket to San Diego, however….

 

 

*These flowers Jane and I picked out at Whole Foods. I sorely needed a dose of spring in this frigid, icy weather.

 

*Rehearsal. Like I’ve mentioned, I’m helping out with my theater group’s production of Li’l Abner this winter. I’m not hugely involved, as I will be directing the next show and that will keep me away from home a lot. But the weekly doses I get of rehearsal just make me so happy that I’ve kept up with this ridiculous hobby of mine. Plus, I don’t have to memorize any lines, which is a huge bonus.

*As you know, I’m laying off talking about Jane’s life here on the blog, but I have to just quickly say how thrilled I am that she seems to be doing well with her work – loving the stars and comments from her teacher on her homework (and girl has lots of homework). I work hard with her in the morning on her reading and writing, and it just makes me feel good that maybe I’m helping a little bit.

*A new schedule on the horizon. I know, I know, Jane has five more months of kindergarten, which means five more months of this ridiculous schedule that has me racing off to work at 11:30 a.m. when she leaves for school. We’re only halfway through the school year, really. But this whole afternoon kindergarten thing is still weird to me, and I will be JUST SO HAPPY when summer is here and she heads to camp in the morning and I can go to work at a normal time. We definitely keep busy in the mornings, but it just all feels like a delayed start to the real part of the day (work/school).

What are you loving today?

things I love: winter doldrums edition

Oh you guys, you guys, I so much (SPOILER ALERT) hate this time of year.  I’m not trying to wish my life away or anything, but the darkness of January really eats at me, you know? It’s like a super-heavy wet blanket is just sitting on my head, making me miserable. I am trying not to be all gloom-and-doom, I really am. But sometimes it’s really a fight. So today I’m going to fight it by coming up with five things I am loving right now:

1)      Downton Abbey is BACK. And it is as delicious and dramatic and pretty and wonderful as ever. God, I’ve read so many reviews that say the show is total crap at this point, and not only do I disagree, I simply don’t care because it MAKES ME HAPPY. I remember when it was airing in the UK a few months ago, and I was SO TEMPTED to go online and watch, but I knew it would be extra-special to watch it in January, because it’s such a miserable month for me. Oh, Amanda – you are just brilliant sometimes, do you know that?

2)      This mascara. OK, so you know how I have a monthly Birchbox subscription, right? I’m going to be doing reviews of products with a couple of my friends here on the blog once we get our shit together. (Side note: this is HILARIOUS because I know very little about beauty products, obvs.) And while I will probably never pay $42 for a full tube of this magical concoction, because I am cheap like that, I wish someone would buy it for me. It doesn’t flake, give me raccoon eyes, or lose its luster in any way as the day goes on (and on). Love.

3)      My new iPhone. Oh my love affair. For its capacity to take good pictures, for its battery that doesn’t lose its charge in 15 minutes, for the apps, for the fact that I’m not on the receiving end of Blackberry barbs anymore. And so many other things.

4)      Three-day weekends. We’ve got one coming up this weekend because of MLK on Monday. After having 11 days off at the holidays, it sucked to go back to regular life and a regular (hectic) schedule. So this is a little mid-January treat.

5)      The fact that I broke myself of my holiday cookie diet. It’s hard to come off of that diet, you know? There’s something about December that screams “Yes, I WILL have that cookie! Or maybe three cookies! Or all of the cookies!” Which is all well and good for a couple of weeks and then there is that terrible moment when you realize that, yes, cookie season is over and yes, you didn’t lose 25 pounds last year only to gain it all back in baked goods weight. (Another side note: for those who care, I have maintained 15 of my 25 pound weight loss from the 17 Day Diet. I’m pleased with that, although I am working to lose 5 right now, and plan to be there by spring. Nothing radical this time – just incorporating the lessons I learned about CARBS and how much I LOVE them but how sometimes I shouldn’t love them SO MUCH).  Anyway, the point is, I’m now back to a more reasonable diet, one that doesn’t make me want to crash at 4 p.m.

What are you loving today?

Instafan.

Let’s talk for a second about how much I love Instagram.

I fucking love it.

If you know me – and you do, you do – you know that I am a HUGE MEGA FAN of social media. You will never hear me talking about shutting down my Facebook account or quitting Twitter. I love being in contact with people all the live long day. For someone who is solo with a five-year-old every morning, it’s my lifeline. And God forbid I have your cell phone number and I’m bored, because my texting fingers go crazy.

Instagram was the first app I downloaded when I got the iPhone 5 in December. I mean, the iPhone OBVIOUSLY takes superior pictures tothat piece o’ shit Blackberry I had, but I love the filters and especially the social aspect of Instagram. Scrolling through my feed and seeing a little glimpse of people’s everyday lives is like a soothing balm. Everything is so pretty and lovely and I love it.

And I know I’m like five years late to the Instagram and iPhone party, but here I am, too-late-to-even-be-fashionably-late. If you care to follow, I’m asg923.

 

 

 

weekend update.

Hello, lovelies! Sorry for the absence this week – just getting back into the swing of our crazy life. This was the first full work-week I’ve had in, like, a month. Plus, Jane was back to dance class, I had rehearsal for a show I’m helping out with (Li’l Abner), PLUS dinner plans with friends last night – so, all in all, not a BAD week, just a busy one.

With that, it’s on to the weekend:

Friday: Tonight, Greg and I are going to see the hilarious hit comedy, Zero Dark Thirty. But seriously, I’m actually nervous to see this movie. I know there are torture scenes and a have a feeling Katheryn Bigelow didn’t just gloss over them, you know? BUT, Greg wants to see it, and I dragged him to Les Miserables (only the BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR) a couple of weeks ago, so off we go. All of this means that I will, quite shockingly, have seen THREE of the Best Picture Oscar nominees (including Lincoln). That’s a lot of highbrow movie watching for me.

Saturday: Welp, tomorrow I have some thrilling plans to scrub the house during the day. I know, I know – you are jealous. Saturday night we are going out to dinner with the in-laws for my FIL’s birthday. During the winter, it’s hyper-important for me to have at least one outing planned per day on the weekends. I go absolutely stir-fucking-crazy otherwise. My SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is in high-gear right now, and I must keep busy to push through. I know, I know, it’s a little bit lighter later now – but having it not-completely-dark at 5 p.m. isn’t enough for me. I fantasize about the days where it’s light out until 9. With great, great longing. GREAT LONGING.

Sunday: We are going to watch some of this “football” that people get so excited about at a friend’s house Sunday afternoon. I will probably not so much be “watching” this “football,” but I’m happy to hang with friends nevertheless.

And you?

weekend update.

Why is it that three-day work weeks always feel the longest? Particularly after 11 days off? Well, it's finally Friday Friday Friday and I am thrilled. (Although, to be honest, it has been nice to get back into the regular routine as well. Stuffing cookies in my mouth-hole all day isn't an especially productive use of my time, although it IS delicious.)

Oh oh oh, and I have my car back after two and a half weeks! Greg did all of the repair work and then we had it totally painted - so my 2002 Honda Accord looks shiny and new! Whoo hoo! And now, like Greg said, we're just waiting to see if the whole thing falls into pieces when it hits a speed bump.

So. Weekend. This weekend we are headed off to New Jersey to stay with Greg's old college roommate, Dimitry, his wife Jackie, and their two kids. I THINK the kids are now all old enough to play with each other and maybe give us 30-second bursts of peace, but we'll see. No matter, I'm excited to get out of the house for the weekend. It's hilarious how much our weekends with Dimitry have changed over the past 11 years - we used to stay in his bachelor pad in Jersey City and go into Manhattan til all hours. Now we'll be lucky if we stay up until 10.

AND my excitement over the return of THIS and my darling Matthew Crawley on Sunday night cannot be overstated. CAN. NOT.

and then it was 2013.

I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve and New Year's Day! We did. Jimmy and I managed to stay awake til midnight watching Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest's Rockin' New Year's Eve (or whatever it's called now) after Greg, Jane and I got home from our friends' house at 10. Side note re: this broadcast: why did Fergie have her hand on her hip every time they showed her? Every. Single. Time. I'm no model or anything, but try a new pose every once in a while, Fergie! Anyway, we hosted our annual New Year's Day party yesterday with great success, and I have to say I was simply SHOCKED this morning when I woke up and realized I had to be a productive member of society again. WHATEVER, society. Also, my stomach is really mad at me for not feeding it any cookies today. WHATEVER, pants that are starting to get a little tight.

WHATEVER.

I want this year to be great, I really do. I made a lot of social plans today to help move this gloomy month of January along. I'm also helping out with my theater group's production of Li'l Abner, which goes up next month. Speaking of which, I have to run off to rehearsal for that now. Happy New Year, friends. Let's kick ass, shall we?

Jimmy looks thrilled to be my midnight date, doesn't he?