2 things. Pinterest and swimming.

Dress-up time at dance last week 

What a happy cat.

You know, looking at pictures like these reminds me that I should start keeping a camera on me at all times.  Because all I ever have on me is my phone and while the pictures don't exactly suck, they could be SO much better.

I've recently decided that every single day, I need to think of all the good things that happened on that particular day.  Just for kicks and to go to sleep with something positive on my brain, nothing complicated.  Plus, for me, it's so often the little things that make me happy.

Like yesterday.  My aunt Deloris joined Pinterest (after I twisted her arm by telling her about it on Saturday and sent her an invitation Sunday).  If you don't know what Pinterest is or think it's a waste of time similar to Facebook (Kim, I'm looking at you), you are missing out!  At first, it's confusing because you really aren't sure how it works or what to do.  I mean, an online pinboard?  Who needs that?  Well, I'll tell you:  Me.  And probably you too.  It is such a fantastic resource for being creative, thinking of something for dinner, time-saving tips, cool photography, hysterically funny euphemisms, odd or interesting products, and so much more. 

The way it basically works:  When you log in, you see lots of pictures of, well, stuff- and they all have captions telling you what it is or what it's about.  If you hover over the picture, you can "like" it, comment on it, or re-pin it.  If you just click on the picture, it will take you to the pinboard of the person who pinned it.  If it's a recipe or list or you just want to know more, click the picture again and it will route to the website from which the picture originated. 

If you really like one of these pictures you see and decide to re-pin it, you will be asked to pick a category in which to put it.  And if you want to make up your own category, you can.  For example, if I re-pin a yummy recipe, I put it in my "What New Year's Resolutions?" category.  You don't have to be a member or have an account to browse.  I highly recommend checking it out.

If you have a Pinterest account, you're probably reading thinking, "yes, yes it is the most wonderful thing ever in the world"!!!  If you don't have an account, you probably just think I'm crazy.

Another cool thing about yesterday is that Kenzie had her first swimming lesson.  We have tried for 3 years to get our kid to take lessons because she is so fearful of the water.  She doesn't even let us carry her and pull her through the shallow end.  Each time we tried to get her to play with us or mentioned lessons, she cried like we were chasing her with a machete, so we didn't press the issue until now.  She's never had a bad experience, I just think it's high time she learned.  I've never had to be super worried about Kenzie jumping into, or even falling into, a pool or body of water.  She has never wanted to be close enough to the water.  At best, she will sit on the steps at a pool or dig for shells on a shore.  But she's now at an age where she's going to pool parties and such.  And what if she falls in?  Or someone pushes her in?  I shudder to even think about it. 

So we made a deal.  She really likes the childcare rooms at the gym we just joined.  It's called Kid City.  And even though we have only been members for a little over a week, she begs to go.  Which makes lets us go to the gym.  So I told her that if she would take swimming lessons, we would go to Kid City at least 3 times per week.

And it worked.

Her instructor's name is Janna.  And she's a very no-nonsense, matter-of-fact type person.  But she's not stern in a way that's scary.  I sat in on the lesson yesterday and watched in awe as sKenzie allowed herself to be pulled through the pool, kicking her legs as instructed, in water that would have been way over her head.  We thought it was best to get private lessons so she wouldn't be distracted, and also so she would learn more quickly and confidently.

When the lesson was over, she was all smiles and told me, "Mom, you were right, that was fun & I want to do it again next week!  And I didn't sink!  I can't believe you were right"!

Well of course I was, Kenzie.  Mom's are always right :)



Sugar Hangovers

Well, it's the day after Valentine's day and I have now been stuffing my face with sugar and fat for about 26 hours now (minus time spent sleeping, of course).  For school, Kenzie and I made red velvet cupcakes with homemade cherry buttercream frosting Monday night and I brought the rest to work.  My first stab at making icing from scratch went really great.  Maybe because it's just Crisco, butter, powdered sugar, and a little milk.  So super easy.  And super yum too.

Yesterday evening was chock full of assorted chocolate goodies from Erin:  Lindor truffles, Russell Stover chocolates, Sweethearts (the ones where the pink ones taste like Pepto Bismol and must be thrown out), AND Cherry M&M's.  Yes, you read that right.  They now have cherry/chocolate M&M's.  And they are fabulous.  You must go out and treat yourself to a bag.

This morning's breakfast was a cupcake and some Valentine candy.  My snacks so far have been cherry M&M's.  And just now, my friend Susan brought in the best day-after-Valentine's-day treat of all:

Yes, girl scout cookies have arrived.  And anyone who remembers (or shared) my personal devastation that occurred a few years ago when they discontinued "Lemon Coolers" should know that these "Savannah Smiles" are identical (in taste and flavor) to Lemon Coolers!

Best.  Valentine's.  Ever.

In a somewhat related story, Erin and I joined a gym this past Sunday.  But everyone knows that calories don't count on Valentine's day.  Or the day before.  Or the day after.

This is not a PSA. But it could be.

I really like to be tan.  Wait, scratch that.  I LOVE to be tan.  And I don't mean Jersey Shore orange Oompa Loompa tan.  I mean deep, dark, "I just came back from vacation in Brazil" bronze.  A tan can perform miracles:  It covers up spider veins, hides blemishes, and makes you look thinner.  Unfortunately, there is a flip side to this.

It can also cause cancer (like melanoma, for example, for which there is really no cure).

My immediate family history already includes cancer.  So genetics may or may not be on my side.  I also dissect about 1000 possible cancer specimens every week.  Having literally watched people die a slow painful death from cancer (most recently my father-in-law), I would really like to do whatever I can to NOT get it.

So in the fall of 2005 I stopped laying in the sun.  I stopped going to tanning beds (which were recently classified as a known carcinogen).  And I tried to embrace being pale.  Even though I knew I was warding off cancer (along with early wrinkles and leathery skin), I really loathed the way I looked.  It was pitiful really.  So pale lasted about a month.

Since then, I swear I think I have tried every single sunless tanner on the market.  I have done lotions, creams, and sprays at home.  I have gone to spray booths and I have even stood stark naked while a technician airbrushed the tanner on me.  I know what works for my chemical make up and I know what really, really does not.  I do lectures on skin cancer prevention and am always, without fail, asked what type of sunless tanner I use because it always looks natural like a "real" tan.  I like to consider myself a pro.

Then this happened yesterday.

Yes, I am ashamed to admit that in my haste for my first spray tan of the year, I neither put barrier cream on my soles nor wore flip flops.  I just kind of forgot.  So each time I changed positions while being sprayed, I stepped on the mist on the floor.  And never thought a thing about it.  Although the lighting isn't the best in this pic (which I just snapped with my phone), there really isn't a glare on my arch.  Your eyes do not deceive you.  My feet are the darkest, deepest, brown I have ever seen.  The picture truly does not do them justice.  It is sadly, much worse (and darker) in person.  And it looks utterly ridiculous.  Although it does prove that I have pretty good arches.  There are no flat feet on this girl!  If you have ever had this happen to you, then you know that this color will have to wear off.  There is no amount of scrubbing, or lemon juice, or anything else that will get this off my feet.  I'm probably at least a week out from normal soles.

You're probably thinking, "So what, who cares?  It's winter and no one will see your feet."  Well friends, you are wrong.  Tonight Erin, Kenzie and I are going to an event called "Jammin' in Your Jammies" to benefit Children's Hospital.  It's an overnight fest at a hotel downtown where you wear your jammies and dance, play games, and swim in the indoor pool, which Kenzie is most excited about.

Oh yes, there will be swimming.

And the last time I checked, it is not appropriate to wear shoes in a pool.  My cover is blown.

List Entry #1

Last night I made the decision to start a list.  And maybe it will turn into lots of pages.  Or maybe eventually a book, who knows.  The list will basically be for Kenzie.  It will chronicle things I've learned that make life easier or things that I wish I had known earlier in life.  It's purpose will be to save her from many headaches.

Like clothes that have a "dry clean only" tag.

I've figured out that just because some items have that tag, doesn't really mean it HAS to be dry cleaned.  Lots of times, that tag should really say, "you can machine-wash in cold water, then let this air dry, definitely don't put in the dryer or you'll be sorry".  And I've really only ruined a sweater or two this way.  Considering how much laundry I do and how many clothes items I have, I consider this is a really good track record.

If you're like me, you have a bag sitting around somewhere with the stuff that needs to be taken to the cleaners.  And how long does it sit there before it actually makes that trip?  And how long did you forget about the clothes AT the cleaners before you went to go pick them up?  Unless it's leather, silk, or a coat, it's just a hassle and usually not worth the trouble for me.

Well, I really wish someone would have told me about lined dress pants.  Especially cuffed ones.

They washed beautifully.  They just looked very wrinkled and although tempted, I was not about to put them in the dryer.  I've been wanting to wear them for the past couple days, but I didn't want to take the 5 minutes to drag out the ironing board and iron them.

Wait, did I say 5 minutes?  Because I should have said THIRTY minutes.

I didn't realize that washing the pants had seriously jacked up the cuffs at the bottom.  Because dress pants aren't really rolled and cuffed.  They are just sewn to look that way.  And that little 1/4 inch lip at the top of the cuff is extraordinarily difficult to put back.  Especially when you have to make the other leg match.  And getting the lining smooth inside the legs to iron accurately and thoroughly?  Forget about it.

I am wearing the pants today.  And they look fabulous.  But I will absolutely not be spending 30 minutes ironing them again.  Ever.  This is one of those times that the tag should say, "Dry clean only.  No, seriously.  Not worth the time to iron."

So we have our first item on the list:

1. Do not ever think you are saving time or money by washing lined dress pants (with or without cuffs) rather than dry cleaning like the label says.  Unless you like feeling angry and frustrated while ironing.  

Oh, and the picture is from Kenzie's recital last month.  There were 5 pictures taken of the 3 of us.  The only one that had all 3 of us smiling with our eyes open also had someone walking in front of the camera.  Of course it did.  But I still like it so I used it anyway.

An Afternoon in the Life of Tara

Happy New Year to you!  So, would you rather read an interesting story or see unedited pictures from the holidays?  Interesting story?  Yes, I thought so.

To walk a day (yesterday to be exact) in my shoes, you would:

3 p.m.

• Pick up Kenzie in the pouring rain.
• Take a curvy, hilly back road home. 
• See clods of mud all over road with muddy rainwater washing over.
• Run over clods of mud.
• Realize clods of mud are actually clods of skunk.
• Shrug shoulders, continue driving home, leave garage door open to air out smell.

3:30

• Get back into car.
• Be overwhelmed by lingering skunk scent.
• Drive on interstate in pouring rain to dance class.

4:45

• Get back into car.
• Be overwhelmed by lingering skunk scent.  Even on the inside of the car.
• Feel sad regret that you ran over skunk, even though it was in several pieces.

5:00

• Pull into garage, leave door open to air out.

8:00 THE NEXT MORNING!

• Walk into garage, still smell skunk.  Like a lot.

8:20

• Arrive at work, 9 miles away, still smell skunk.

And what did I learn?  Skunk does not wear off of car tires.  Even after miles and miles of driving.  Even in the pouring rain.  In the future, avoid clods of mud at all costs.  Because they could be skunks.  You just never know.

Yes, I still feel bad about it.