April's Rules For A Potential New Roommate (From Parks & Recreation)

1. You can't use the front door, you have to climb in through the window

2. No personal phone conversations

3. If you ever speak to me in Spanish, use the formal usted

4. No electricity after 6 pm

5. If you ever watch sad movie, you have to wear mascara so we can see if you have been crying

6. No noise on Mondays

7. No TV after breakfast

Mix CD From High School My Best Friend and I Made- "Our Songs"

1. Dust on the Bottle- David Lee Murphy

2. Black- Pearl Jam

3. Back to Good- Matchbox 20

4. Heads Carolina, Tails California- Jo Dee Messina

5. Fishin' in the Dark- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

6. Glycerine- Bush

7. Vogue- Madonna

8. Tainted Love- Soft Cell

9. Cecelia- Simon & Garfunkel

10. Something to Talk About- Bonnie Raitt

11. Cumbersome- Seven Mary Three

12. 1979- Smashing Pumpkins

13. Shoop- Salt-n-Pepa

14. Killing Me Softly- The Fugees

15. Hey Jealousy- Gin Blossoms

16. Don't Fear the Reaper- Blue Oyster Cult

17. Strong Enough- Sheryl Crow

18. Man Who Sold the World- Nirvana

19. Long December- Counting Crows

20. Into Your Arms- Lemonheads

21. Can't Find a Better Man- Pearl Jam

Favorite 30 Rock Moments

1. When Tracy's "metaphor" claims that affirmative action was devised to keep minorities and women in competition as a distraction in order for the white man government to inject AIDS into chicken nuggets. He later bursts onto the stage in his debut on TGS and shouts, "I'm from the government and I'm here to inspect your nuggets"

2. When Liz comes out wearing denim overall shorts, and Jack looks at her in surprised disgust and gasps, "lesbian Mario Brothers."

3. Jack saying, "Lemon, if you were any other woman on the earth, I'd be turned on right now." (I don't remember why he said it, but it was hilarious.

4. Liz making the million dollar donation speech for the "Jack and Elizabeth Donaghy School for Teen Drama, the Arts, and Feelings" on TV with that odd "rich" accent

5. Jack explaining why the minister thought she would have been the bride at his wedding (mosquito netting over her face, shoes on the beach...)

6. Liz wondered why Jack was wearing a tux, to which he replied, "Lemon, it's after 6...what am I, a farmer?"

7. When Jack and Liz were at the 6 Sigma (?) conference and his microphone was on during his self-affirmation in the bathroom...Liz wanted to save him and distract the crowd, so she jumped up on stage and sang, "Everybody Dance now!" and ripped open her shirt and started awkward dancing in her bra.

8. Speaking of, her awkward performance in front of the green screen shooting the opening to her never-made-it show. (did her "sexy" look like she was shooting a basketball? I can't remember, but it was genius)

9. Dressing up like Princess Leia and her hologram speech to get excused from jury duty

10. Jack telling Liz to "never follow a hippie to a second location" during the Carrie Fischer episode

11. The Cleveland Song with Jason Sudekis

12. Liz and Jack's faces while the HR person was quizzing them about their appropriateness of their work relationship

13. Kenneth saying he doesn't drink hot liquids because it's the "devil's temperature"

14. When Liz defended Tracy biting Dakota Fanning in the face because "if you hear his version of it, she kind of deserved it."

15. At a bar with Jenna, Liz wonders if a guy would buy her mozzerella sticks instead of a drink.

16. When Jack decides to update the demographic forms because they include colored people, broads, fairies, and commies.

17. Maybe anything that Jack says

Coming Out of the (Coldwater Creek) Closet

1. Love this

2. And this

3. Perfect

4. Accessorizing this as I type

5. Sweet little guys

6. Cute

7. Love

8. In "River Blue"- beautiful

9. Like this

10. Cute cute

11. Pretty

12. Like these

13. Would tailor this down to perfection

14. Need this

15. Pretty...with some sunglasses and ripped-up skinny jeans

16. Love this cuff

17. Great print

18. Cute

19. Pretty- would be perfect in my spring wardrobe

20. In "cool taupe"-would go with anything

My Groupons

1. I have 2 saved for Sweet Art

2. One more for a 10 class pass to D's Yoga

3. Two for Chevy's mexican restaurant

4. $30 at One 19 North restaurant

5. $50 Groupon at Coldwater Creek (bought it for my mom)

What R Sleeps With

1. A little striped pillow

2. His blankie- a little brown blanket that has a monkey head

3. A Bla Bla dog that we just call "your dog"

4. His Baby Stella doll named Max

5. A big brown polka dot blanket that's monogrammed the McEntire's gifted him when he was born

The Kids Easter Baskets

1. They both received ducks that you wind up and they swim around the bath

2. R got a Green Toys race car

3. W got a Green Toys tea set

4. W got a gremadcha headband

5. They both have Schleich figures- baby lamb for W, a rhino for R

6. My mom bought them 2 books to add- Gossie & Gertie for W and Ollie the Stomper for R

7. W has some Piggy Paint nail polish

8. R got a pair of rain boots

9. Plenty of paper grass and our reusable eggs

10. Some Sixlets

Some Green Products I Bought To Celebrate Earth Day Sales

1. A purple Klean Kanteen for W with a sippy top

2. Another silver Klean Kanteen with a loop top

3. 2 "sports caps" for the KKs, because those are the lids my kids prefer

4. 2 clear domes for the sippy cup KKs for when we are out and about with them

5. LunchBots were 40% off yesterday! I bought one of each size

What I Ate Yesterday

1. A bowl of Quaker Oat Squares with blueberries and almond milk and half a banana

2. Spinach salad with roasted asparagus, wheatberries, red quinoa, carrots, edamame, and beets

3. Bowl of plain popcorn

4. Baked sweet potato with greek yogurt, salsa, walnuts, and white cheddar

5. Some peanut butter M&Ms

What I Accomplished Yesterday

1. Cleaned the house

2. Yoga

3. Ran errands

4. Baked beet cookies

5. Switched clothes out- winter for summer!

6. Ran with Aaron

7. Made lasagna for dinner

8. Folded laundry

Right Now

1. Ray LaMontagne's "Let it Be Me" playing

2. House = a total mess

3. Eating a quesadilla filled with spinach, black beans, corn, Daiya, and sweet potato

4. Laundry running

5. Kids napping

6. Dressed in workout clothes

7. Now "Like Rock & Roll and Radio" playing

8. Drinking some lime water

9. A pile of forms for W's school next year are waiting on me to fill out and mail

10. The fish is swimming around

What We Did When My Sister And Niece Were In Town

1. A great deal of chatting

2. The little girls twirled and danced and dressed up a lot

3. Vegan sweet treat snacking

4. Breakfasts at home

5. Lunch at Rooster

6. Fairy tale tea with the girls

7. Dinner at Pi

8. Watched Hoarders, Extreme Couponing, and Amazing Race while giving each other full-body massages (she's better than me)

9. Went to Lafayette Park with Grandma Linda, Albert, and Hope to play and feed the swans and geese

10. Facebook stalked people from our past

11. Quesadilla and guacamole send-off lunch

thanks for coming, Jenny!

Field Trips I Took My 4K Preschoolers On When I Was A 4K Teacher

1. The dental health theater downtown

2. Purina Farms

3. Grants Farm

4. Eckerts for peach picking (we then made peach pie the next day)

5. Eckerts for apple picking (we then made apple cobbler the next day)

6. Tower Grove Park

7. City Museum

8. The zoo

9. Eugene Field House

10. World Aquarium

20 Things I Use Every Day

1. My keys
2. My phone
3. Remote control
4. Garlic salt
5. Cumin (is that weird?)
6. At least one bobby pin
7. Face lotion
8. My robe
9. Phone charger
10. Spray cleaner for my counters
11. I would say my mind, but that is sometimes questionable
12. Toaster oven
13. Toilet
14. Toothbrush & Toothpaste
15. I would also say a bra, but that's also sometimes, well mostly, questionable
16. Olive oil
17. Spinach
18. Puddy's leash
19. Trash and recycling
20. Glasses

Things I'm Not Down With

1. Saying vacay. Come on, just one more syllable is all! Especially men saying it. There's no better way to sound like a sorority girl heading out for spring break.
2. Having to wear North Face outerwear to an Easter egg hunt. Where am I?
3. Referring to people as "cuz". My cousins an I are all from tiny towns without any fancy schooling and we all manage to refer to each other as "cousin"
4. Those shoes that have toes. I don't even know what they are called. I don't want to know. Because then the nightmares will surely start if they take up any more of my brain space.
5. When I am folding laundry and I think something is inside out, so I fix it, only to realize it was right in the beginning, and then I have to fix it again. Ahh!
6. Ferrets as pets
7. Waking up any less than 1 hour before you have to wake up to go to the bathroom.
8. Lions and tigers as pets. That's just asking for trouble.
9. People stealing copper. My husband especially hates this.
10. This public school in Chicago banning packed lunches from home.
11. My laundry room right now. It's become the mecca for all things crappy and displaced.

12. Clorox "Green Works" line. Just stick to the toxic stuff, please and let the legitimate green companies make cleaners for us. The subpar quality is only giving green cleaners a bad rap for the general population.

13. The gas prices. I hear they're high. I should start paying attention.

Whole Foods Shopping List On This Rainy Day

1. Tortilla shells
2. Salsa
3. Daiya "cheese"
4. Avocado
5. Vegan chocolate chips
6. Whole wheat pastry flour
7. Organic frozen corn
8. Coconut milk yogurt
9. Agave nectar
10. Organic cheese
11. Almond milk
12. Earth Balance
13. Applesauce
14. Turbinado sugar
15. Blueberries
16. Bananas
17. Toilet paper
18. Diapers

The Gloriousness That Was Yesterday

1. Managed a small miracle and got the kids and me out the door by 8:00 am. Actually, a huge miracle.
2. Got to drop off BOTH my children at school. This girl needed a break.
3. Manicure/Pedicure with The Missy Lang
4. City Creperie with Missy. I got the most delicious crepe I've ever eaten. The mediterranean veggie with a buckwheat crepe.
5. Took kids to Shaw Park with my husband
6. Both babies napped
7. Had to take Puddy to get a bath. You'd think that wouldn't make this list, but he smelled so bad before. And after...so good.
8. Took the kids to Demun Park
9. Perfect weather! A two-park-trips kind of day.
10. Went to see Ninfa and got an awesome hair cut.
11. Went for a run to clear my head and pray.
12. Wonky dinner because I was tired- a container of pineapple chunks and a bowl of Quaker Oat Squares with almond milk. It surprisingly hit the spot.
13. Watched the TiVoed Oprah- so good! 4 words- Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett. 2 of my favorites.


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What W Sleeps With Every Night

1. Her blankie (pink Little Giraffe brand)

2. A blanket and full-sized pillow

3. Abby Cadabby doll

4. Her ballerina doll named Leah Ballerina that one of the managers at our grocery store gave her because she loves W so much

5. A Bla Bla doll named Baby Hope

6. Baby Stella

7. Chops the little bear

8. Her tiny bird named Balloon

9. Baby Penguin

10. A little bunny named Sweet Moo-Moos

Appointments I Lined Up Last Week

1. My regular doctor check-up

2. Me & my husband's dental appointment

3. Hair cut for next week

4. Kid's hair cuts for next week

5. Eye doctor for me

6. Puddy's grooming appointments until the end of the year

7. Kid's pediatrician check-ups (3 year and 2 year)

Who's On Today's Playlist

1. Emmylou Harris
2. The Avett Brothers
3. Crystal Gayle
4. Beth Nielsen Chapman
5. Ray LaMontagne
6. Whiskeytown
7. Aimee Mann
8. Leonard Cohen
9. Alison Krauss & Union Station
10. Cat Stevens
11. Nick Drake
12. Loretta Lynn
13. Iron & Wine
14. Jon Hardy + the Public
15. Merle Haggard
16. Josh Ritter
17. Glen Hansard
18. Patsy Cline
19. Richard Ashcroft
20. Willie Nelson

What's In My Left Crisper

1. Baby spinach
2. Celery
3. An eggplant
4. Two avocados
5. An asparagus bunch
6. Red beets
7. A half of a red pepper
8. A purple onion
9. A head of broccoli
10. A bag of baby carrots
12. A container of once frozen corn
13. Kale bunch

Because I Don't Have Any Weekend Plans, I'm Going To...

1. Clean the house, because it's been a while
2. Take a nap
3. Clean out the microwave and toaster oven
4. Buy some photo albums and summer shoes for the kids
5. Bake a pie
6. Go on a long walk with the Reinbergs and play at the Arch grounds
7. Make a fancy meal
8. Switch my clothes out (winter to storage, summer to my closet)
9. Movie night with the kids
10. Go for a jog
11. Clean out the fridge
12. Go to yoga

Right Now

1. Listening to Alison Krauss & Union Station
2. Belly full of leftover pizza from a restaurant last night. Made me a little sick last night, but I'm so anal about leftovers being eaten, that I rolled the dice and had it for lunch. Fingers crossed...
3. Wearing shorts!
4. Watching my dog have some bizarre dream because he's "running" in his sleep
5. Drinking some water (no ice)
6. Realizing this is the only weekend that I don't have plans until mid-May
7. Looking at the rest of the groceries I need to put away
8. Excited to go to the zoo (went yesterday, too...love this weather)
9. Thinking I should get up and pick up the house before the kids wake up
10. Hungry for something sweet and remembering I have some "Just Raspberries"

Animals I Love

1. Starfish

2. Peacocks

3. Giraffes

4. Octopus

5. Camels

6. Owls

7. Grasshoppers

8. Elephants

9. Rabbits

10. Prairie dogs

What I Should Have Asked For For My Birthday

1. People to stop making those smiley faces out of a colon and ).
2. For my iPhone not to auto-correct "the" and change it into "Tge" every time I type it. That's not annoying.
3. Generally, for my iPhone to not be a piece.
4. This dress
5. For everyone to please stop talking about Charlie Sheen. I can't take it anymore. He's not even cool. His last moment of coolness was in Lucas, circa 1985.
6. For Greek to not have ended. I don't care. I loved that show. I'm not ashamed to say it.
7. These boots

8. For my inner ears to not feel like they are being pierced until they are about to explode every time I move faster than a slow jog

9. A maid

10. One of my sister's full-body massages. That might sound awkward, but my family is very close.

11. This shirt

12. Stoby's strawberry cake

13. A warm weather day at the Buffalo River

14. For my children to have non-runny noses for just one day

15. For Genevieve Gorder to be my friend

16. A personal Ray LaMontagne concert

A List Of Random Statements I Pulled Out Of W Because I Wanted Her To Do This List Today In Honor Of It Being Her Birthday- It Was Like Pulling Teeth

1. Happy birthday to myself
2. Happy birthday to myself again
3. Happy birthday to mama yesterday
4. You say "cheese!" when you take a picture
5. I can dance
6. I could have cupcakes for my birthday
7. I want to go to Ozzie's for my birthday dinner with Daddy when he gets home from his office.
8. Can we go to the City Museum (yes we can)
9. Do I look beautiful?
10. Diego and Dora are brother and sisters
11. Can I have some stickers?
12. Where's my blanket?
13. R is being a booger
14. And Puddy's being a booger
15. I don't know what I can say
16. It's my birthday!

My Spring Fashion Checklist

1. Maxi dress- maybe stripes?
2. Kick-ass pair of cutoffs
3. 3/4 length cardigan that goes with everything
4. Trusty cowboy boots
5. Group-able bracelets
6. A worn-in button up shirt
7. Gladiator sandals
8. Some high-waisted statement shorts
9. Jean jacket
10. Barely-there scarf
11. Gunmetal chandelier earrings
12. A blush colored tank top
13. Some aviators
14. A pack of wife-beaters
15. A bikini that stays put
16. A wispy eyelet dress


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What I'm Excited About

1. Friday Night Lights in 2 weeks
2. My dad building W a doll house
3. My birthday tomorrow, W's birthday Tuesday
4. Summer!
5. Farmer's Market
6. My birthday dinner. At Cracker Barrel.
7. Country Music Awards tonight
8. W taking ballet
9. A quilt I'm collecting fabric for
10. Spending all my birthday gift cards.

What's In My Faux-Chicken Salad

1. Chickpeas, mashed to varying degrees and some left whole

2. Veganaise (a mayonnaise alternative)

3. Diced celery

4. Sliced purple grapes

5. Diced apples

6. Chopped walnuts

7. Diced pickles

8. Garlic salt

9. Celery seed

What My Parents Bought For Us On Their Visit Here

1. 5 meals out

2. Anthropologie gift card for my birthday

3. Spices at Penzey's

4. W a princess dress for her birthday (and a t-shirt and a dress at City Sprouts)

5. Groceries at Whole Foods

6. Whole Foods gift card

7. Little horses for my kids

8. Easter cookie cutters- W has been requesting cut-out cookies

9. Lots of snacks for the kids and me