Five for Friday - March 31st

1.  It's almost April Fool's Day.  I'm not quite sure what I'm doing with my family, but I just want to remind everyone that it's not too late to send your kids a "Welcome to Chore Camp" letter and brochure.  I sent my son a letter telling him that he was accepted to Chore Sleepaway Camp, and that he will spend all day "learning to clean and scrub" and will even take a field trip to another camp to clean up their camp... because the other kids are too busy swimming and having fun to clean.  Still one of my favorite pranks!  Click here for the letter and brochure post.

2.   I bought a magical shirt, actually two magical shirts, because when you find a magical shirt you buy it in all the colors!  I first saw it on a mom at school and thought it was pretty, then I saw it on a different lady at the bank, and thought it looked good on her.   They both were different body types, then I stumbled on the shirt on a Target rack, and I love it.  I'm pretty sure it looks good on everyone and everyone deserves a pretty blouse, so I'm telling the world about it. 

3. Go see Boss Baby this weekend!   We got to get a glimpse of this movie on a tour of Dreamworks and the few bits we saw were hilarious. Plus we know a person or two who was involved into bringing this to life and love supporting our friends in their success.  You can see the trailer here. 

4. I love Scout Bags!  This is the BEST reusable bag ever.   I have had two of their bags for five years and they are the strongest and sturdiest bag I have ever seen.  They are really sturdy plasticky textile, so you can hose them out after the beach, or wipe them down, and the Original Deano bag holds everything.  (I also love the Bagette for groceries!) People always ask me about these bags when I'm out shopping and right now they have a free tote with $50 Purchase and a rare sale!  At first when I saw the prices of these bags I cringed, but they last forever. It's worth it and you deserve it.

5. So, print out a chore camp letter, buy a magical shirt, see Boss Baby, and buy a Scout bag!  Man I am bossy today!  

Five for Friday - St. Patricks Day Edition

1.  It's St. Patricks Day.  Today not only do we celebrate St. Patrick, we celebrate birthmothers everywhere.   Fourteen years ago today, we met an amazing woman who would change the course of our lives.   We met Mr. Boys Birthmom on St. Patricks Day and a few months later she placed a beautiful baby in our arms.  I can not describe the love I have for birthmoms. Without them, I would not be a parent, it's a gift I don't take for granted.  Today, we celebrate Birthmom's everywhere, they are truly angels that roam the earth.

2.  I love my house, probably too much.  My Chalet is my happy place.  Right now the hillside is covered in green and yellow blooms and the weather has been sunny and warm.   We are swimming and I'm taking my computer outside every day to do some work.  It has been heaven.

3. The only downside of the beautiful weather and the abundant winter rains is that there are about 74 million bugs.  I'm pretty sure this is what it's like to live in Florida.  Also, I learned that my kids cannot close the back door even if their life depended on it.   So, I spend my evenings trying to shoo the bugs back outside.

4.  This St. Patricks Day, we are going to try playing "Cabbage Baseball"  It's like regular baseball, but you use a cabbage as a ball.  I think it might be a terrible idea or a brilliant idea, I'll keep you posted.   

5.  I am fairly late to the Podcast game.  I really only started listening to them a year ago.  However, I keep finding new ones that I love.  Currently, I'm loving My Favorite Murder.   It's entertaining and mildly intellectually stimulating.  I love a true crime story and I love being entertained, so this is a perfect blend for me.  If you like that kind of thing, check it out.  (Fair Warning, there is a lot of language.)

Five for Friday - March 3rd

1.  I had the worlds greatest 40th Birthday Party.  It deserves a post of it's own, but I can't believe I'm 40.   I'm a lucky gal.

2. In preparation for the party, we needed more seating.  I ended up buying some chairs that weren't the right fit.   Then I realized, what I really want are covers to dress up the folding chairs we already have so that everything looks the same.

These chair covers are so crazy cheap! I always thought they were like $15 -20 each for a chair cover, turns out they are not. I wish I had thought of these earlier.

3.  Currently, my family can't get enough of Trader Joe's Gyros.   Delicious and super easy!

4.  I am completely obsessed with Richard Simmons!  Actually, the podcast "Missing Richard Simmons". It is fascinating and I can't stop thinking about it.

5.  After listening to each episode, I can't help but reflect on my encounters with Richard Simmons. My mom and I would watch him on QVC, selling his Deal-a-Meal and crying along with the people who called in.   Then fast forward to when I was in college, I was the bookkeeper at a business two doors down from Slimmons, the gym Richard owned.   I would often leave at the same time as him and we would talk in the parking lot.  He was the nicest person, always complimented me, and remembered the name of my dog!  Seriously, he is the most genuine person I've ever met!