Our Afternoon In Little Rock

1. Headed down with my mom and both of my children
2. Stopped on the way out for Sonic Happy Hour drinks
3. Mom bought me the prettiest swimsuit at Dillards
4. The kids got new pajamas. W would want me to say that she also got her first nightgown.
5. We drive over to the railroad yards where my dad works. R got to get out and go see the trains and see Papaw working.
6. Met my little sister at Cafe Bossanova for a Brazilian dinner
7. Stopped by Kroger for a few things
8. Endured my son's horrifyingly stinky feet on the way home after he threw his shoes off



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My Mom's Favorites

1. Favorite song- Remember When
2. Favorite restaurant menu item- Sancho enchilada style from Mexican villa
3. Favorite color- Red or purple
4. Favorite author- Danielle Steele
5. Favorite movie- Dirty Dancing or Shawshank Redemption or Pretty Woman
6. Favorite show- Friday Night Lights
7. Favorite city- Charleston, SC
8. Favorite restaurant- Mexican Villa
9. Favorite dessert- Key lime pie
10. Favorite memory from our childhood- all Christmas mornings

My Glorious 2.5 Hour Drive Today

1. Drove down the gloriously scenic HWY 65 between Branson and Conway
2. The kids both slept in the car, even though it was only 10 am
3. I had a bevy of new music to listen to
4. I had a pile of Organic Valley pomegranate pucker candies
5. The weather was perfect, only a light drizzle around Clinton
6. I did not get behind any tractors, slow big rigs, or silver-hairs manned RVs to slow me down

My Big Brother's Top Ten Favorite Songs Of All Time

1. These are the Days- Van Morrison
2. High Enough- Damn Yankees
3. Faithfully- Journey
4. Come Monday- Jimmy Buffet
5. Jesse's Girl- Rick Springfield
6. Forever Young- Rod Stewart
7. Basket Case- Green Day
8. Sweet Thing- Van Morrison
9. Father and Son- Cat Stevens
10. Drift Away- Dobie Gray


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A Recipe For A Fun Birthday Party

1. A bounce house
2. A pool
3. Sprinklers
4. Pizza
5. Cookie cake
6. Watermelon
7. A bubble machine
8. Juice boxes
9. Gift bags
10. Sweet friends
11. A big ball
12. A diving board

10 Things About My "Will Be Two Years Old Tomorrow" Son

1. His words are few, but he's working on it
2. He would prefer to eat broccoli and green beans over ice cream and sno-cones
3. He likes to dance in his car seat
4. He is all boy- he is fascinated with balls, trains, trucks, boats, and horses
5. He has this visor with a dinosaur on the top that he likes to wear most of the time
6. He wants to everything that his big sister does
7. He doesn't like melted cheese, as in nachos, quesadillas, or grilled cheese sandwiches. He'll eat pizza, though.
8. He's a whiz with puzzles
9. He has really sensitive skin
10. He loves slides- the taller, the better

Right Now

1. Can't think of a list, so I'm just doing a "Right Now."
2. Listening to "Whiter Shade of Pale" (Procol Harum) and feeling nostalgic
3. R and W are playing like they are taking their babies to a picnic at the park
4. Thawing out my daily brownie
5. Pinto beans cooking in the rice cooker to make some refried beans
6. Puddy is digging at a ball wedged under the sofa
7. Now I'm listening to Oasis' "Champagne Supernova"
8. Staring at the to-do list for R's birthday party
9. Still wearing just a robe and have bed head- it's 10:00 in the morning
10. Just broke up a toddler fight and gave some toddler bathroom assistance
11. Now I'm listening to Jon Hardy & The Public's "Love Gone Wrong"
12. There is a parade of sirens outside
13. Trying to clean off our shift key because it looks like a coal miner's been at our computer
14. I think we'll have a legitimate picnic at the park today
15. Now listening to Local Natives' "Who Knows Who Cares"
16. W is requesting "Travelin' Soldier" so that's up next
17. W is wearing 12-18 month old pants, so they are like bermuda shorts on her
18. W is requesting Disney Princess music, so I put on the Cranberries and told her it was Princess Jasmine. #momneedsthisliesometimes
19. I'm drinking strawberry-infused water (sliced strawberries in water)
20. The kids are trying to ride our 20 pound dog
21. Just announced we are going to the library and have lunch at Sweet Art when I get dressed.

My Little Sister's Top Ten Favorite Songs Of All Time

1. Chelsea Hotel- Leonard Cohen
2. A Case of You- Joni Mitchell
3. Fruits of My Labor- Lucinda Williams
4. Tougher Than The Rest- Bruce Springsteen
5. Banjo Moon- Greg Brown
6. Catch the Wind- Donovan
7. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters-Elton John
8. Smile- Kevin Kerby
9. You Are Everything- The Stylistics
10. Arkansas- Damien Jurado


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Sweet Treats In Our House Right Now

1. Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk ice cream
2. Breyer's natural vanilla ice cream
3. So Delicious vanilla soy ice cream
4. Trader Joe's Cats Cookies
5. Homemade cream cheese brownies- individually frozen to keep me from eating them all in one day
6. Cinnamon and chocolate chip cookies- again, frozen in very small batches
7. Edy's Lemonade fruit bar popsicles
8. A big bag of Reese's Pieces that we gave Andy for Father's Day
9. Some Organic Valley lollipops

What I'm Loving Lately

1. Sno cones
2. The Pocket Sailor app on my iPhone
3. Pinterest
4. Succulents
5. Brownies
6. My lava rock that keeps my heels summer-ready
7. Crochet lace
8. Eye makeup
9. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand
10. Swimsuit shopping
11. Antique shopping
12. My friend Laura's blog. She's super beautiful, all-around, so if you're the jealous type, stay away.
13. This salad. Per Katy's suggestion, I added quinoa (and cumin and garlic), and it was lovely. Even better the second day.
14. Citygarden splashing
15. Arnold Palmers (my favorite combo is Simply Lemonade and McAlister's sweet tea, with more lemonade than tea)
16. Chunky guacamole (is that better, Tracy?)

17. Peaches

The Cute Sayings On My Whole Foods Reusable Bag

1. Just beet it
2. Recyclers Rock My World
3. What a Friend We Have in Cheeses
4. I'd Rather be Cleansing
5. Whole paycheck...for local farmers.
6. Tree Hugger
7. Soy to the World
8. I heart sustainable fisheries
9. Ask me about my quinoa
10. Make lunch, not War
11. Bring your own bag
12. Dream in Green
13. I Swim With Dolphins
14. My Compost Brings All the Flowers To the Yard
15. Assume the (yoga) position
16. Braised and infused
17. Some Like it Raw
18. Grow a Pear and Support Local Farming
19. Well behaved grocers rarely make history

My Kids Were As Good As Gold When I Drug Them Around To...

1. Steinmart
2. Two different TJ Maxx stores (I know, I don't normally go to these places, but I was on a mission. A successful mission!)
3. Kids Sportsworld, where I encountered the rudest woman. Not ever going back.
4. McAlister's Deli for lunch
5. Wal Mart
6. Target
7. Head to Toe Dancewear to load up for W's ballet/tap classes that start Monday!

Celebrities Whose Closets I'd Like To Raid

1. Zooey Deschanel

2. Audrina Patridge

3. Gwyneth Paltrow

4. Keri Russell

5. Nicole Richie

6. Michelle Williams

7. Blake Lively

8. Sienna Miller

Good Beer Without The Guilt

from this article

1. Amstel Light (95 cal, 5 G carbs)

2. Beck's Premier Light (64 cal, 3.9 G carbs)

3. Budweiser Select (99 cal, 3.1 G carbs)

4. Coors Light (102 cal, 5 G carbs)

5. Corona Light (99 cal, 5 G carbs)

6. Heineken Light (99 cal, 6.8 G carbs)

7. Miller Chill (110 cal, 6.5 G carbs)

8. Miller Light (96 cal, 3.2 G carbs)

9. O'Douls (65 cal, 13.3 G carbs), um, not beer

10. Sam Adams Light (119 cal, 9.6 G carbs)

Things I Have An Unhealthy Obsession With

1. Gangs and gangsters- don't get me started

2. Christopher Radko ornaments

3. Baldknobbers

4. Garlic salt (you don't carry it in your purse on occasion?)

5. IMDb- when I watch a program or a movie, I want to know who the actors are, what else they've starred in (for my 6 degrees purposes), the trivia from the film, and the goofs in the film (those are my favorites)

6. St. Louis history

7. Little House on the Prairie

8. Prisons (and prison gangs, because they are slightly different than regular gangs)

9. All around criminal activity

10. And, Christmas

My House Looks Infinitely Better If I...

1. Clean my kitchen counters (in our loft, they are right in the middle of our home)
2. Pick up the puzzles
3. Pick up the cars
4. Make our bed
5. Put the double stroller in the laundry room
6. Take the tablecloth off
7. Clean the glass coffee table and end table

8. Put on pants


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The Deliciousness That's Simmering Away In My Rice Cooker

1. Brown lentils
2. Minced garlic
3. Italian seasoning
4. Vegetable broth


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What We Did This Weekend

1. Spent the WHOLE weekend in Branson with my WHOLE family

2. Drove to Hurley to visit my grandparents

3. A lot of trampoline jumping

4. Celebrated my nephew's ELEVENTH! birthday with a monster-themed birthday party

5. Stayed up late too many nights, but had a fun time doing it

6. Spent Sunday at Silver Dollar City- my sweet baby girl rode her first big ride, The Lost River

7. Visited with my Aunt Patsy

8. Ate a traditional Dean Family mexican dinner

This Week's iTunes Purchases

1. Josh Ritter's So Runs The World Away
2. Middle Brother, self-titled
3. The Decemberists- The King is Dead
4. The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow
5. Death Cab for Cutie's Codes and Keys
6. Matthew and the Atlas
7. Kings of Leon, Come Around Sundown

My Husband's Top Ten Favorite Songs Of All Time

1. For Me This Is Heaven- Jimmy Eat World
2. I've Got You Under My Skin- Frank Sinatra
3. Styrofoam Plates- Death Cab For Cutie
4. Empty- Ray LaMontagne
5. Paranoid Android- Radiohead
6. She's Always A Woman- Billy Joel
7. Another Horsedreamer's Blues- Counting Crows
8. Silver Spring- Fleetwood Mac
9. Shine- David Gray
10. Delicate- Damien Rice


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My Favorite Yo My Goodness Order

1. Strawberry yogurt
2. Mango yogurt
3. Tart yogurt
4. Blueberries
5. Raspberries
6. Coconut
7. Almonds
8. Pecans
9. Mini chocolate chips


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Shopping Notes

1. I like to shop alone best, but when my husband or someone else is with me, I tend to be more responsible and practical. That doesn't always make for a fun experience, though.

2. I usually always wear a tank top while shopping in case I need to try on something in the middle of the store or I need a layer in the dressing room.

3. I use the sales ladies in the dressing rooms and other people trying on for ideas, opinions, etc. I'm not afraid to have a worker get something for me, help me zip up, or help me take something off. Sales ladies earn their money when I'm at the store.

4. I also try to wear non-ugly bras granny panties since the sales people will more than likely see them.

5. The girls at Anthropologie are my favorites. They are not afraid to be honest. There is an older woman who works there that I love and only make big purchases when she's working.

6. It's nearly impossible to find my embarrassingly true bra size, 30A. Bras never fit this protruding-rib-cage-long-torso-skinny-flat-chested gal.

7. I never stay in the tiny fitting room when trying on. I always go out to the big 3-way mirrors.

8. Shopping, even just browsing and looking around, is very therapeutic for me and is how I usually choose to spend my free time.

9. I jokingly say that I don't like to shop in the sales section because I don't want to dress like a poor person. That's only 15% true.

10. I wear a small and my shoe size is 8. My stuff never makes it long enough to be on sale.

11. My favorite stores are JCrew, Nordstrom, Anthropologie.

12. My favorite place to shop is Wicker Park in Chicago.

13. I get too stressed out trying to shop in those big stores like Macys, Kohls, and TJ Maxx. So clearly, I'm not a Maxxinista.

14. I can take my kids shopping if we have the double stroller and if I make a mid-trip stop at Mrs. Fields.

15. My biggest shopping pet peeve is how tiny the Galleria Baby Gap is. Impossible to take a double stroller into, so I have to go alone. Which is annoying and causes me to do a lot of exchanges there.

16. I love shopping with my little sister. She has good taste and challenges me.

What I'm Looking Forward To

1. Beach vacation
2. Home by Novogratz on HGTV. So excited.

3. W's ballet class to begin

4. David Gray in Kansas City July 9

5. Seeing my whole family in Branson this weekend

6. Crazy Stupid Love. Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Steve Carell. And Ryan Gosling.

7. Peach season

What I Ate Today

1. Banana
2. Bowl of cereal- Kashi Cinnamon Harvest mixed with Full Circle Honey O's-with almond milk
3. Sauteed green beans and spinach and leftover hasbrown casserole, water
4. Plain greek yogurt with chia seeds, water
5. Black bean nachos and a blood orange lemonade from Chevys

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My Favorite Childhood Cartoons

1. DuckTales
2. Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers
3. Woody Woodpecker (but my favorite was the featured "Chilly Willy the Penguin")
4. Get-A-Long Gang
5. The Littles
6. Smurfs
7. Jem
8. Alvin & the Chipmunks

My Fun & Busy Week This Week

1. Opera tonight with my sister-in-law

2. Running errands Monday

3. Having a friend over for dinner on Monday evening

4. World Bird Sanctuary with the kids on Tuesday

5. Tuesday night art fair committee meeting and also a class at the Journey

6. Wednesday moms group in the a.m.

7. Out with some friends Wednesday night

8. Thursday, the kids are going to grandma's so that I can get stuff done--errands, pack, clean out the car, etc.

9. Going to Branson on the weekend to celebrate my nephew's birthday and head over to Silver Dollar City

Today's Purchases

1. Toilet paper from Target

2. Markers, posterboard, a puzzle, and sticky tack from Bradburns for a list project

3. Potting soil from Bayer's Garden on Hampton for my jade plant the guy at Whole Foods just gave me because we had a long talk about succulents

Today

1. Explore and picnic at Laumeier Sculpture Park with friends

2. Take the kids to Art & Air (an art fair) in Webster Groves

3. After dinner, Andy and I are taking the kids to ride the ferris wheel atop City Museum

Celebrities From St. Louis

1. Tennessee Williams

2. Chuck Berry

3. Buddy Ebsem

4. Mary Engelbriet

5. Jackie Joyner Kersee

6. Sheryl Crow

7. Kimora Lee Simmons

8. Ellie Kemper (Erin from the Office)

9. Phyllis Smith (Phyllis from the Office)

10. Jenna Fischer (Pam from the Office)

11. Josephine Baker

12. Max Factor (the makeup guy)

13. Scott Bakula (the Quantum Leap actor)

14. Akon (the singer. I only know him because of his song with Gwen Stefani that was all the rage while I was on a cruise several years ago...got a lot of play time on the lido deck)

15. Ike and Tina Turner

16. Yogi Berra

17. Cedric the Entertainer

18. Jimmy Connors

19. Charles Lindbergh

20. Dredd Scott

21. Maya Angelou

22. Phyllis Diller

23. Daniel Boone

24. Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

25. Joseph Pulitzer (think Pulitzer Prize)

26. Bob Costas

27. Taylor Momsen (Jenny from Gossip Girl)

28. Kate Capshaw

29. T.S. Eliot

30. The Wallace family NASCAR drivers

31. Harry Caray

32. Nelly

33. David Lee (NBA)

34. Mark Twain

35. Andy Cohen

36. Miles Davis

Because Brunch Always Sounds Good, Here's My Favorite Brunch Items

1. Tofu scramble

2. Baked apples

3. Roasted asparagus

4. French toast

5. Fruit salad, but without the buzzkill melon chunks

6. Gooey cinnamon rolls or these (those are coming with me to my moms group in a couple of weeks)

7. Mini muffins, preferably blueberry

8. Cheese grits

9. Peach cobbler