Currently.

My super boy.

 

I am currently...
 

....eating hot sauce and sriracha all day every day. I found a pin this week for sriracha ramen with green onions and can't stop thinking about it.

 

...making the usual progress around this old house. My one-chore-a-day mentality is working. Some days I manage to scrub every inch of the living room with a toothbrush or go through all my clothes to weed out things for donations but other days I only have time to wash Rowan's bottles. It's all progress.

 

...listening to old school Ryan Adams. I found the Demolition CD in my car about a month ago and I just can't stop. I love him so much and that album is one of the tippy tippy tops.

 

...reading nada at the moment, unfortunately, unless magazines count (and even then I have a stack of those being ignored too). Once I have some time I may pick up Gone Girl and jump on that train about three years too late.

 

...watching Gilmore Girls from the beginning. It's like falling in love all over again and I want to move to Stars Hollow. How good is that show? Ugh, I love it so much.

 

...loving air conditioning! Now that ours is fixed, I am so grateful for it. Those two days with a house standing still at 89 degrees was basically the worst. Sweat 4 dayz.

  

 ...looking forward to the weekend and enjoying this summery afternoon with my tiny main squeeze! We are hitting a local splashpad and having a picnic with two of our favorites then we're taking care of some errands and making time for play. Just play. Finger painting, maybe a movie, swinging on our backyard swing. After my stress-full post yesterday, I am eyes-wide-open that I need to make more time for fun. Tomorrow I have date night with Rhyno and plan to actually use it as a date...not a night cleaning the house. 

 

Have a great weekend!

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Currently.

Rowan's first time finger painting! This was before he realized just how big of a mess he could make.

I am currently...
 

....eating sweet potatoes for dinner every.single.day. I am such a creature of habit when it comes to meals and right now I am in the habit of eat a sweet potato with non-dairy butter and a pinch of salt with a side of spicy steamed veggies and tofu for dinner almost every single week night. What can I say? It's quick, easy, and effing delicious.

 

...making big plans! I recently bought a paper planner to map out future blog posts in hopes of FINALLY making this a consistent and productive outlet for myself. I'm also working on getting our home in order and purging more junk (unused kitchen appliances, books we won't read again, excess blankets. It all must go). Thirty is just around the bend and I want to go into my next decade with a clean, fresh, organized start.

 

...listening to Tear in My Heart by twenty one pilots. I have such a soft spot for twenty one pilots and this new song is my favorite. I cannot stop listening to it. 

 

...reading  something new! I mentioned earlier this week I just finished the Andy Cohen Diaries and now I'm looking for something else to sink my teeth into. A nearly bought Go Set a Watchman out of sheer curiosity but after reading the initial reviews I just can't bring myself to tarnish my love of To Kill a Mockingbird. Not yet, any way.

...watching unREAL on Lifetime (I know, Lifetime? Seriously.) I watched the pilot after seeing some interesting previews and BOY that stuff sucks you in. It's dark, interesting, and pokes at the reality TV bear. It's a total guilty pleasure, glass of wine after the baby goes to bed watch.

 

...loving the sunshine when we get it! This summer has been so rainy and full of storms, the days of sunshine are extra special. Any time it is sunny enough but not insanely humid, the babe and I head out to the patio for dinner (at our shower my other mother bought me a pop-up outdoor high chair and it ROCKS). I've never been a huge fan of summer--hi, it's super hot and I sweat and boo hiss--but I'm learning to just soak in the moment....even if the moment itself is soaked in sweat and melted makeup.
 

 ...looking forward to a more relaxed schedule! The last six-ish months have been insane with work and obligations (which is a good thing in freelancing, for sure). But I'm working on that work-life balance and I've been making myself really stick to it. I was working from the time I got up until the time I went to bed almost every day and I was getting burnt out and felt guilty. Now, I'm creating boundaries and being honest about when I am and am not available. I'm happy to be busy with work but I am making it a priority to NOT answer emails while I give the baby a bath or hop on calls when I'm about to put him down for the night. I love what I do and I love being a mom, I'm just learning to strike that balance of the two.

 

 

Have a great weekend!

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Currently.

Trader Joe's has the BEST flowers.

I am currently...
 

....eating new things! I recently tried a raw, vegan restaurant near my house and LOVED it. My mom gifted me a subscription to Conscious Box and I was able to try almond chocolate spread and a kale chocolate bar. I'm trying to open myself up to new things healthwise and so far it's working out well. Even though I am trying new things, I also find myself eating my favorite things over and over (I'm such a creature of habit). Dinner is usually a big steamed sweet potato, a nice scoop of spicy hummus, steamed broccoli. Breakfast is a green smoothie. Sometimes rituals and habits are just super comforting (and easy), you know?

...making lots of progress around the house. Last week I made a goal to do at least one small cleaning/organizing project every day (more if I have time). I feel like after having the baby I let the whole house go, understandably so. It's starting to feel a bit overwhelming so my end goal is just to get the whole house organized and clean and get rid of some junk. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there. Emphasis on slowly.

...listening to all the Jenny Lewis! I'm seeing her live for the first time in a few weeks and I am so excited. I will probably cry and scream like a Beatles fangirl back in the day.

...reading  all the research on teething solutions. Poor little Robot started teething earlier this week and it stinks! I have tried everything to bring him some relief.

...watching something new on Netflix, hopefully! My cousin/sister/BFF Samantha and I recently started watching Hart of Dixie "together" (meaning we obsessively IMed while we each watched episodes at our house). After a cheesy but strong start, I quickly fell out of love with Dr. Zoe Hart. The lack of character development and flat plot lines kind of zapped my urge to binge watch this one. We're looking for a new show to obsess over and thinking about Revenge.

...loving myself. On 4/20 (LOL) I realized I had exactly six months until I turn 30. I made a resolution to just love myself and my life. I'm being better to my body physically and mentally--eating more greens and thinking less mean things about this bod o' mine. I had fallen a bit out of love with our house in the last few months so I took on some projects to reignite my passion for this space. Love, love all around.
 

 ...looking forward to a lot! This is going to be a busy, busy month with two concerts, Rowan's baptism and a small family party afterward, little get togethers, and lots of great work projects.

Have a great weekend!

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Currently.

Attack of the fifty foot Babysaurus.

 

I am currently...

 

....eating clean and dairy-free! After some diet trial and error and long nights of baby cries, our pediatrician and I came to the conclusion that my Rowanasaurus doesn't tolerate dairy proteins well. As a breastfeeding mama that means I am cutting out dairy altogether. I've been completely dairy-free for almost a week now and I feel pretty great. Since what I put in my body is directing impacting my baby, I have made a huge effort to eat as clean and healthy as possible. My favorite go-to lunch lately has been a HUGE salad full of spinach, tofu, raw veggies like carrots and celery, pomegranate arils, a drizzle of olive oil and a quick sprinkle of red pepper flakes. 

...making big plans and getting ready to take big risks. More on that another time.

...listening to Murder By Death, always. I have been listening to this live version of Foxglove on loop for days now. It's my favorite MBD song and I just can't get enough. Every night before bed, I walk Rowan around the house to say goodnight to every room and we end in my bedroom and listen to music while I nurse him in the dark. Since I listened to SO much MBD while I was pregnant I always wait to see if he recognizes the voices or melodies.

...reading  Yes Please by Amy Poehler. I just started on this since it was a Christmas gift. I am a HUGE Amy fan and have been looking forward to tearing into this book for months. I am planning to set aside an hour for myself this weekend to fill up a bubble bath, light some candles, hand the baby to Rhyno, and dive in to this book.

...watching all the Netflix. My awesome mom surprised me with a Kindle Fire for Christmas to keep me entertained during middle of the night feedings. I've watched a few documentaries (including one on breastfeeding that was the exact stereotype you might think it is) and reruns of shows like Roseanne.  I also hooked my Hulu account up to the Fire and use that for my guilty pleasure shows (hi, Real Housewives and Snooki & JWoww).

...loving my babe! I'll dedicate like a trillion more posts to him but, real talk, motherhood has huge challenges but I'm enjoying it so much. After nights of no sleep and constant feedings and gassy baby cries, one smile from Rowan kind of makes the frustrations melt away. I truly never knew I could love someone so much and feel so protective of a person or want to be around someone. Last week he kept me up ALL NIGHT. In the morning he was a bear and blew out his diaper twice. He peed through his pajamas and spit up on me right after I got dressed. By the time my mom got here to babysit while I worked I was more than happy to hand him over for a few hours but after an hour? I missed him. I had to sneak downstairs at lunch to give him a smooch and hug. When my eyes burn because I'm so tired at 2am while feeding him, I try to remind myself he'll only be little for so long. A few nights ago I was exhausted and up with him for the fourth time in a few hours (dang baby belly aches), while I fed him I held his hand and got teary-eyed realizing this moment will pass. I'll blink and he'll be all grown up. I'll turn around and he won't need me at 2am anymore, he won't need my snuggles quite so often, he won't fall asleep in my arms, and I'll long for the late nights with him. I'm loving being his mom and trying to love even the most trying moments.

 

 ...looking forward to the year ahead! The more I think about what's to come, the more excited I get.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

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Currently.

Oh, Violet, those back wrinkles for dayz...

I am currently...

....eating whatever I want! I am definitely enjoying these last few weeks of pregnancy eating. Milkshakes and spinach smoothies and sliced avocado and peanut M&Ms. Man, I am going to miss eating for two.

...making holiday plans! I'm already making plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations around our house. We opted out of decorating for Halloween like we usually do since the babe is due in just over a week and will most likely be coming home when it's time to take everything down (which is my job...I can't imagine wanting to do that after giving birth...).

...listening to Murder By Death. I bought Rhyno the full vinyl collection for his birthday last month and we have been enjoying spinning those records in our bedroom at all hours of the day. Love, love, love.

...reading  This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. I totally meant to read this over summer before seeing the movie but wound up working backwards. Rhyno and I went on a little morning date a few weekends ago and decided to see a movie. I thought it was pretty good and we immediately went to the bookstore afterward to pick this bad boy up. It's super different than the movie but I'm loving it so far (I'm a little over halfway through). I definitely recommend it so far.

...watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. Fun fact, I had never seen a whole episode before last week (I know, I know). After the series was released on Netflix I finally decided to give it a chance and wound up really enjoying it. After finishing Desperate Housewives earlier this month I'm almost caught up on prime time TV from 2008!

...loving organization at work, at home, in everything. I spent the last two months getting every corner of my life organized and it feels so wonderful to have everything in order.

 ...looking forward to meeting baby cakes any day now (of course)!

Have a great weekend!

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Currently.

 A few of my 100 Happy Days. 

 (Clockwise from top left: a sweet handmade and made from recycled materials surprise from an old friend for Babysaurus, celebrating Grandparents Day & the Bears game with my parents, chalkboard paint on every dang thing, a delicious creme brulee milkshake, a gorgeous morning sky, and a big package for Babysaurus--this kid gets the best and most thoughtful mail!)

I am currently...

....eating whenever I can. I still feel like the desire to eat never fades but I get full so much faster than usual. This week I made chili in the slow cooker for dinner. After a heaping bowl, Rhyno was so full he could hardly move. After a heaping bowl, I was craving cereal and proceeded to have two bowls. I'm still on the fruit craze (hello, honeycrisp apples, you sexy bitches) and pumpkin granola is all I ever want. Also, hot chocolate or lemonde? ALL THE TIME. 

...making plans for Rhyno's birthday! He turns 32 next Saturday and I want to make his day really special as his last birthday with just the two of us. I had originally planned to hit up a Lucky Boys Confusion and Mest show (talk about throwback, right?) at a local venue but the doc let me know the loud volume may not be best for babe. I'm thinking maybe dinner and a movie or a trip to a museum. Rhyno is pretty low-key (for his last birthday his request was Taco Bell and episodes of The League). I'm also researching some local breweries since he's a bit of a beer nerd.

...listening to Centuries by Fall Out Boy.  I love them so much. I have listened to this song at least 3,874,978 times already.

...reading all the baby books I should have read back in my first trimester. Still. Can I make an addendum to this one to include what I'm writing? I started compiling the pregnancy pieces of our baby book and have had such a special time remembering finding out we were pregnant and announcing it and what I've been craving.

...watching Masterchef! We don't have cable so Tuesday nights are my "catch up on Masterchef via Hulu" nights. I don't want to pass out any spoilers but BOTH people I was rooting for were recently booted so now I have my fingers crossed for Elizabeth. I'm a huge fan of this show, you might remember my cousin-like-a-sister and I even had a finale viewing party with our own Mystery Box challenge last year (remember?).

...loving that Fall is just around the corner! We've had a few cold and rainy days that I soaked up. I can't wait to light apple-scented candles and turn on our fireplace and crunch around on some leaves.

 

 ...looking forward to our baby shower in just a few weeks! I've been trying my darnedest to find a really knock-out dress, that's my main project for the weekend.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

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Currently.

It's almost the weekend, can I get a big, fat amen!?

 A few of my 100 Happy Days. 

 (Clockwise from top left: my bump at 31 weeks--only two more months to go!, my Dad on his first day home, tiny gnomes all around our yard, and tons of health food)

I am currently...

....eating, um, constantly. That's all there is to it. Every morning I make a giant smoothie with an entire bag of spinach, almond milk, two bananas, a heap of coconut oil, and a sprinkle of cinnamon as my pre-breakfast. Then I have fruit and yogurt. Then I have a giant lunch. Then I have a giant snack. You get the picture. I'm enjoying it while I can since I know once babe is here, it's back to Jillian Michaels and watching calories.

...making ROOM! We're still working on deep cleaning the house (I have officially learned that doing things while very pregnant takes 5468435135 times longer than usual). We've made room in the kitchen cabinets for baby bottles and there is now space in the linen closet for extra boxes of diapers. This long weekend's big project is our bedroom. We have a bit of re-arranging to do to make room for the pack and play/bassinet and we are in dire need of winterizing our closet (fall-erizing?) to make more room now that we share a closet for the first time in YEARS.

...listening to Car Radio by twenty one pilots. I want to stop. I just can't...and also, I don't want to.

...reading all the baby books I should have read back in my first trimester. 

...watching Desperate Housewives, still. Even Rhyno is watching it. Now that he's on an earlier schedule and I've been feeling pretty tuckered out lately we've been crawling into bed around 8:30pm (party animals) on weeknights to watch an episode or twenty before we go to sleep. We're on season 3 and DANG, I love Wisteria Lane. 

...loving leggings. And stretchy t-shirts. And anything that makes me feel less fat and more comfy. Remember when I used to wear tights and dresses every single day? Yeah, now it's black leggings and a long, stretchy t-shirt (with flip flops because my feet are large and in charge). 

 

 ...looking forward to this nice, long weekend! I'm totally in the mood for a three-day weekend and I'm hoping to pack it full of fun and productivity.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

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Currently.

Happy Friday! This week felt like a marathon, is it just me? Maybe it's the third trimester talking but I have been totally exhausted all week and I'm looking forward to the weekend to get things done around the house and (hopefully, maybe, please please please) relax a bit. 

 Some shots from my 100 Happy Days: a big, ol lunch, my two favorite roomies, the cutest baby clothes, and evening frisbee with Violet.

Until that clock strikes 5pm and this glorious weekend hits, I am currently...

....eating all the things, all the time. I consider myself lucky that I've been mostly craving really healthy things like egg salad with organic eggs and Greek yogurt or fresh fruit or broccoli with hot sauce or cucumbers with really garlicky hummus. Then again I also have days where I am 99% positive I will die if someone doesn't get this heifer a giant bag of peanut M&Ms and a giant tub of movie theater popcorn....

...making sense of this house once and for all! I am finding it rough to get a whole day to just work on the house (dang you, popularity and busy life) so I made a list (of course I did) of all the projects I want to get done within the next month. I'm planning to take the house one room at a time--decluttering, deep cleaning, and re-organizing--before Babysaurus comes.

...listening to Jenny Lewis, of course. Have you bought The Voyager yet? It's so beautiful and amazing and perfect dance music. I am pretty sure the baby is going to come out of the womb knowing every word and chord because I listen to the album at least once a day. I stumbled upon this video of Jenny performing The Voyager live with just an acoustic guitar. My heart grew three sizes that day.

...reading a giant stack of magazines. I wish I could say I was diving head first into Gone Girl or some other popular book but this ho is tired. Plus when you work in PR/media relations reading magazines counts as work research....right? So when I sit down with a stack of Star Magazine and Real Simple, I'm actually just being really great at my job.

...watching Desperate Housewives whenever I have a chance! I've seen up to season 3ish in the past but decided to re-watch it from the beginning. It's totally one of those shows where you can't just pick up where you left off. I tried to jump back in to season 3 and had no idea what was going on! I missed Wisteria Lane.

...loving my husband...corny, right? He starts a new job on Monday and recently signed up to coach 4-6 year olds in soccer for our local park district. I'm so proud of him and I think he's just the cutest. 

 

 ...looking forward to checking some big things off our to-do list: getting the house in order, my dad's surgery, and the like. I think I'll feel much more zen in the next few weeks, this week I have mostly felt like a crazy person. 

 

Have the coolest weekend, you hot babe!

 

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Currently.

One of my beloved rose bushes is finally starting to bloom! I caught this on Monday morning and knew good things were ahead. 

I am currently...

....eating all the fruits and veggies! Lots of bananas and broccoli and cherries and cauliflower. I'm trying to grow this baby as healthy as I can. Alright...so I'm also eating some vanilla soft serve here and there and everywhere all the time.

...making nursery plans! We've been working on clearing our former guest/junk room out in order to make space for babe. Time to paint and get things lookin' cute!

...listening to Shwayze! I got this CD on a whim years ago and it is one of my absolute favorite summer albums.

...reading all the books! I finally made my way back to the library--it had been a few months! I tore through a few Tori Spelling books (don't hate, I love her...most of the time), Bob Newhart's autobiography, and my first Stephen King in a looong time. I'm waiting for Judy Greer's new book to be available as well as Gone Girl and She's Come Undone. Any other suggestions?

...watching 30 Days. I love Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me used to be one of like two free movies on Hulu and we didn't have cable so I saw it probably three dozen times). Whilst perusing Netflix I saw that he had a show a few years ago. I LOVE the concept and binge watched all three seasons over a few weeks.

...loving summer! Even though I'm not a huge fan of the heat I really love having windows open, fans whirling, ice cream cones, and the sun that doesn't disappear til around 9pm.Rhyno and I were LAZY last summer (it was a real bad year) so we've been making an active effort to get out on the weekends and actually do things. We went to the zoo, we've gone for long walks along the canal, and this weekend we're hoping to do some gardening and plant a berry patch (hopefully it isn't too late). We got an inflatable pool on clearance last Fall and I'll be damned if we aren't going to set that up too! This preggo wants to float.

...looking forward to our first "big" ultrasound this afternoon! I haven't seen the actual peanut since a trip to the ER in March and though I do love hearing that heart beat at my doctor's appointments I am so anxious to see my babe up close. It's going to be ROUGH not to find out the gender but we are holding strong! Also, I cry with excitement every single time I think about our appointment so I am sure there will be eye rivers a-flowin'.  I'm sure you've noticed a theme here--I am ridiculously excited to be pregnant (so if you hate babies, it's probably time for you to jump ship). On Monday night I was laying in bed with a book and felt the very first kicks! So, so amazing.

  Have a fantastic weekend!

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Currently.

Our little entryway table is my favorite--filled with photos, cute kitschy things, and the most delicious smelling candle ever.

I am currently...

 

....eating clementines all day long! The sunnier days and warmer temperatures have made me want to break free from heavy soups and have me craving light, crisp fruit. I love Cuties so much and eat at least three a day.

 

...making a big, fat list of what needs to be cleaned for Spring cleaning this year inside the house and out. I plan to start tackling the indoors while Rhyno picks up old leaves, cutting grass, and prepping our garden for a fruitful (literally...and veggieful) summer!

 

...listening to all the Fall Out Boy in preparation for their July concert in Chicago! I'm so excited to see them and their latest album, Save Rock and Roll, is one of my very favorites. I could dance around to it for hours.

 

...reading through the Oh She Glows cookbook finding new recipes to try. Everything looks so good that it's hard to find just one recipe to make at a time!

 

...watching The Mindy Project! Rhyno and I have been catching up on episodes we missed. Dang, I love that Mindy so.

 

...loving 100 Happy Days! I can't say it enough, it just makes me feel good every day to take a break from the social media complaints and enjoy small things in life.

 

  Have a fantastic weekend!

 

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Currently.

 I love when my morning tea comes with a sweet message.

I am currently...

 

....eating honey crisp apples all day long! I saw them while grocery shopping and even though they were a bit more expensive, I couldn't resist. They are one of my very favorite foods and I'd eat them with every single meal if I could.

 

...making outfit choices for a trade show this weekend! I actually don't mind working trade shows and find that days typically fly by.

 

...listening to Robyn's Dancing on My Own. UGH, I love it so much. I played it on loop last year and have rediscovered it recently, much to Rhyno's chagrin. It is my favorite dance-around-the-kitchen-while-cooking-dinner jam.

 

...reading all the Susan J. Gilman books I can. Well, re-reading is the proper term. Gilman is one of my favorite writers and I LOVE everything she's written. During a stressful week I've been revisiting her last book Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven. Also, HI, her next book comes out in June. I am counting down the days. Her words make me so happy.

 

...watching everything on Netflix. We bough a TV early last year and just now learned it is capable of being connected to Hulu and Netflix. Duh doy. We finally watching Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 and now I am sad it was cancelled. Only the good get cancelled young...

 

...loving dreams of Spring! I've been dusting off my sunglasses and dresses and ballet flats. I've been itching to open the windows in our house and my car (dang, I love fresh air). Also, give me all the fruit. Let's get to the season where I can hop to the farmer's market and load up on every fruit possible.

 

...wishing one of my very best friends and one of the most darling, rock n' roll, smart, hilarious women in the world a happy birthday! Happy birthday, Katie! I love your guts so much I could cry happy tears and barf happy barfs...even though you love math.

 

  Have a fantastic weekend!

 

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Currently.

Our front room collage wall is FINALLY finished! Um, for now...

I am currently...

....eating so much egg salad! I know, it's such an old-man thing to eat but I have been loving up on egg salad (made with greek yogurt, mustard, green onion, and celery salt) over a bed of romaine lettuce and topped with chia seeds for lunch every work day. It's filling, quick, and I can make it ahead of time. Win, win, win.

...making Valentine's Day plans! Last year, we stayed home and made salmon & veggies (remember when I used to eat fish?). This year I told Rhyno he is in charge of the plans--we can stay in and eat tacos or go out to a fancy dinner. I am afraid of what he'll come up with....

...listening to When the Right One Comes Along from the Nashville soundtrack. I love Scarlett & Gunnar so much. This is their best song. I listen to it on repeat during my "cool down" at the gym and have to actively stop myself from singing along out loud.

...reading um, just magazines right now. I'm the worst. BUT. I am already pre-ordering One More Thing: Stories & Other Stories by B.J. Novak and  I Like You Just the Way I am by Jenny Mollen, two totally funny people that I just adore.

...watching all the Friday Night Lights (currently on season two). Once Rhyno and I caught up on Nashville (ohmygoshsogood) we needed a new show to watch together and my fierce, undying love of Connie Britton brought us to Friday Night Lights. We gave the pilot a test run and quickly found ourselves binge watching the first season. I love to Google spoilers and I have been actively fighting the urge to spoil the whole series for myself but as of right now I straight up love Tim Riggins and Matt Saracen.

...loving my dad. He's just the best and his love of Bruno Mars rivals my own (though no one's love of the Red Hot Chili Peppers rivals mine because Anthony Keidis can ALWAYS GET IT). During the (AMAZING) Superbowl halftime show we were texting one another about how we need to buy gold suit jackets and the conversation somehow evolved into my dad saying, "I need leg replacements." and I died laughing. I was also talking about John Stamos & yogurt and he said, "You lost me at Oinkos." I love him so much.

  Have a happy (and warm) weekend!

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Currently (One Day Early).

A fantastic read if you haven't already dug into it.

I am currently...

 

....eating off the cleanse and feeling rad! I have been staying within 1,200 calories but allowing myself cooked and (some) processed foods (like Boca substitutes and canned soup). Feeling SO good!

 

...making the best of the weekends! Now that I am (happily) back to working five days a week, I am re-realizing how short and how special weekends are. I am spending this one with family and my hubba.

 

...listening to the Civil Wars on loop. I am so, so in love, particularly with Poison and Wine and The One That Got Away. The other day I listened to Poison and Wine like 22,248 times in a row. Even though they hate one another, I love them both equally.

 

...reading all the rag mag issues about Awards season. Dang, I love this time of year. I love the beautiful dresses and the glamor of it all.

 

...watching SO MUCH NASHVILLE. When it premiered a couple years back, Rhyno and I watched the first few episodes but then cancelled cable and sort of forgot about it. We randomly found it online last week and have since binge watched the whole first season and started the second. DANG, that first season finale gutted me. I was a puddle of tears. And oh, the music. So. Much. Great. Music. I am so obsessed and can't stop watching or listening or talking about it. I have been listening to Lennon and Maisy on YouTube non-stop (their cover of Ho Hey is unbelievable).

 

...loving the idea of getting Violet a playmate. We have been searching rescue organizations for a good fit and had a let down last week. We had our hearts set on a cutie boy in a kill shelter down south and found out he can't be around cats. We are looking for that perfect fit now.

 

 Happy Thursday!

 

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Currently.

    

  Left: Some ChiBeria wind art in the snow on our back patio

Right: One of our side yards lookin' all beautiful and winterly wonderful

 

I am currently...

 

....eating a lot of soup and a lot of salad. Drinking a lot of juice and taking a lot of nutrition-boosters.  But, you know, I talked about that yesterday.

 

...making the somewhat long trek (40 minutes each way) to Trader Joe's this weekend! Dang, I miss living five minutes away from TJ's. I make the TJ Trek once every couple of months for my favorite staples (coconut oil, bread mixes, vitamins). I think I'm going to drag Rhyno along so we can call it a "date" and it'll seem more fun.

 

...on my To Do list finishing the final clean and purge in the house--the basement! This space is rough because we don't use it nearly as much as we should so we both tend to just shove any crap we don't want down there. I am going through all the closets and drawers to find the final bits of garbage or donations. Once the temps warm up a bit we'll tackle the garage and finally drop off all these boxes and bags of charity donations!

 

...listening to my old Pandora stations and it is such a trip. When I was a full-time office employee I had my stations down to a science, knowing when to change stations, which mixed well with which, how many skips I had left for the day, etc. Since then I haven't used it much but now that I am busier and working in my home office more I have been rocking that Florence + the Machine station mixed with Rilo Kiley all day, every day. Delicious.

 

...reading Crazy, Sexy Kitchen by Kris Carr. Are you even surprised? Rhyno is, by no means, a vegetarian but I am planning to start incorporating a couple of completely vegan meals into our dinner rotation every week once I am done with the Adventure Cleanse.

 

...watching The Mindy Project re-runs over and over. I love that Mindy Kaling.

 

...loving how pulled together our house feels now! Honestly, I'm so glad I did the purge & a bit of redecorating (on the top two levels anyhow). My office feels much calmer when helps with my workday. I love our punched up front room. I love our new entryway. Our kitchen feels more organized. Crazy cleaning addict for the win.

 

...hoping for a less arctic weekend full of relaxing, fun, and productivity. What are you up to this weekend?

 

 Have a great weekend!

 

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Currently.

Love bombs from two wonderful ladies in my life.

 

I am currently...

 

....eating so many delicious leftovers! My gramma is the world's best cook (no, seriously, she is) and she always makes everyone a dinner plate to take home. Rhyno and I treat it the leftovers like gold and dole out one tiny bite at a time to savor every morsel.

 

...making resolutions right and left. New Year's Eve is right around the bend, yo! I am so ready for a happy, healthy year.

 

...on my To Do list sadly packing up the Christmas decorations and happily doing a deep clean/purge of our home. Rhyno and I have been saying for weeks that we need to get rid of all the JUNK. We always try to purge but still hold on to some things. Nope, be gone, clutter! But, ugh, I will so miss you, my beloved Christmas tree and your bright colored lights. It is always so hard for me to undecorated my house after Christmas but I am SO looking forward to the fresh start.

 

...listening to all the Rilo Kiley I can get my hands on, like always. 2013 was a rough year for me and RK is my comfort object. They have been my favorite band, confidant, and best friend since I was 15. I swear I listen to The Frug a million times a day. Jenny Lewis has helped me through every good, bad, sad, and joyous moment in my life. My brother-in-law bought me one of my favorite albums of all time (The Execution of All Things) and I want to listen to it all day forever and ever.

 

...reading Melissa Explains It All by Melissa Joan Hart. I am a '90's girl and I love Melissa Joan Hart without shame. She is my favorite. I cannot resist a good memoir. I just cannot.

 

...watching less TV....it's a resolution that I am starting early. Dang, I miss TV. It works out though because the DVD player in our bedroom decided to crap out earlier this week (and we don't have cable TV in our house).

 

...loving how generous, wonderful, and thoughtful the people in my life are. Early in the week I came home from an emotionally rough day to two packages on my doorstep. I ripped each open and found what's pictured above. In each box was a perfect bundle of things I deeply love and honestly? I was moved to tears unwrapping each item. Lovely, beautiful surprises that made me feel so grateful to have such great friends.

 

...hoping for the most kick ass 2014 possible--for me and for you, too. 

 

 Have a great weekend!

 

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Currently.

 Our outdoor dino-mite Christmas decorations. Damn, we are urber nerdy.

I am currently...

 

....eating my favorite sweet potato soup from Allyson Kramer. I'm still juicing for breakfast and now I've added soup for lunches. At some point in life I might just go on a liquid cleanse. Just kidding. I wouldn't last, I like to chew things.

 

...making plans for New Year's Eve! I can't wait to hug the guts out of 2014, I am positive it'll be the best year and I'll be celebrating with some of my best friends in pajamas at a casino game night. Yes and yes and yes and yes.

 

...on my To Do list sending out holiday packages to out-of-town relatives! Once those go out today my holiday to-do list is officially all crossed off. It has taken SO much will power not to rip into the cookies I ordered for Rhyno's out-of-state family. I will be relieved when they are out of the house for good.

 

...listening to all the Christmas music! Mostly She & Him, the Carpenters, and Kelly Clarkson.

 

...reading every gosh darn thing on Buzzfeed. I have to start sleeping with my phone away from my bed because I catch myself staying up way too late flipping through the Buzzfeed app reading every single article.

 

...watching, um, everything. Sometimes, when working from home, I'll keep the TV on in the background (this is an annoying habit and weird because I was NEVER allowed to watch TV while I did homework as a kid). When you don't have cable and you work long hours, you quickly run out of things to watch. So you move to the basement to watch things on Hulu while you write and once you run out of the usual shows (New Girl, Mindy Project, Raising Hope, etc.) you get into trashy territory. The other night I found myself watching ::cringe:: Rock of Love: Season 1. It's so bad. So bad. If you've ever seen it, I promise you it is WAY worse than you remember. It's foul.

 

...loving the people in my life. I have such wonderful and supportive friends and family. I'm a lucky gal for sure. It's worth noting that my husband is kind of the best, too. After a particularly emotionally draining and difficult day yesterday I came home to find he had set up our outdoor Christmas dinosaurs (above photo) as a surprise AND when I walked in he handed me an early gift to cheer me up. It was an amazing FurryBones robot. I collect FurryBones and I am obsessed with cute robots. Not only was it just a perfect gift but it was so nice to come home to cheer and thoughtful gestures from my dude. Homerun, Rhyno.

 

...hoping for health and good cheer for everyone in my life. And yours. And everyone else's.

 

 

 Have the best dang weekend!

 

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Currently.

On loop.

 

I am currently...

 

....eating eggless tofu salad. SO GOOD! I've also been learning to juice like a champ (post on that forthcoming). I'm feeling amazing. Thanks, Kris Carr!

 

...making lists upon lists of things that need to be done for the holiday season! Gifts to be bought or made, Friends-giving to be planned, cookies to bake for a Cookie Exchange tomorrow.

 

...on my To Do list a slumber party with my nephew Charlie tomorrow! I am so excited to make pancakes and watch Fraggle Rock.

 

...listening to Panic at the Disco!'s Miss Jackson. I want to stop, I just can't. Last weekend my best friend turned to me very seriously and said, "I have to ask you a question...it's kind of personal. Are you as obsessed with Miss Jackson as I am?" Yes, yes, yes. I am indeed.

 

...reading Crazy Sexy Diet. Still. On loop. Just over and over. I keep going back to pieces of the book to re-read. I've also been catching up on so many blogs I love that I've been neglecting lately. Any good suggestions? My favorite thing is finding a new blog and going through the archives and feeling oh, so inspired.

 

...watching every Wes Anderson movie on loop forever. I had a marathon last week and since then I've been watching one hit after another.

 

...loving this fall weather and the leaves that cover our yard. It's almost time to get rid of the pumpkins on our porch (uncarved) but I just can't let go yet.

 

...hoping for work!

 

 

 Have such a great weekend!

 

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Currently.

 Cutie Violet takin' a Sunday snooze.

 

I am currently...

 

....eating so many avocados. We are getting to the time of year where buying an avocado is dicey--I have already purchased two that were straight up nasty. So now when I find one that is perfectly ripe, I slice it up and gobble it faster than you can say "Avocado Lover!"

 

...making Christmas gifts! I am so excited to give all my nephews and nieces homemade and awesome gifts. No fruitcake for this frugal gift-giver!

 

...on my To Do list deep cleaning our house before winter! I always like to do one last big clean before freezing weather sets in so I can open some windows to let fresh air in. I need to do that this week.

 

...listening to Runnin Around by Rilo Kiley. I have said before Rilo Kiley is my FAVORITE BAND EVER. I fell in love in high school and they basically just keep me alive (despite being broken up). I bought their RKives for myself as a birthday gift and I love it so much. I cried out of sheer happiness when I first gave it a listen (because the break up means this was the last new thing I might ever hear). Runnin Around reminds me of one of my newest and favorite friends and I love it so. Can't stop. Won't stop.

 

...reading Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr. It is changing my life hardcore.

 

...watching so many documentaries. I watched Blackfish last weekend and I was straight up haunted. As a longtime animal lover, I already knew the injustices of the fur and meat and pet mill industries but SeaWorld was a little shock. I grew up wanting so badly to be a dolphin/whale trainer. I had no idea the real depression whales face in captivity and now I can't NOT think about it. Hashtag Free Tilly, right? I have watched this doc two times in two days. So good. We also saw Gravity last weekend and I am in love. I was sobbing most of the time and I thought it was so amazing. I want to see it so many more times. I love outer space and whales...now both of those things are making me sad. WHY!?

 

...loving  my naughty little Violet. She is real crazy. We are learning to jog together and I find it calms her down a bit. Rhyno and I are still debating getting her a sibling so she has someone to play with and they can even one another out. Today I caught her laying on the coffee table and then she tore apart an entire box of tissues. Butt.

 

...hoping for a book deal! Just kidding...sort of. Just like everyone else, I have been outlining some things and I'd really like it to work out. I have been laying out pages whenever I have a few minutes to spare and my office looks like a crazy villain's post-it filled lair.

 

...thankful for every dang thing. Hot damn, my life is so good.

 

 Have the best Halloween-Eve!

 

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Currently.

I am currently...

 

....eating honeycrisp apples! One of my favorite, favorite parts of Fall. So sweet and wonderful.

 

...making Christmas gifts. I'm starting to scope out some handmade gift ides for friends and family. I need to get to work on those pretty soon!

 

...on my To Do list is demo-ing the garage. Rhyno started ripping the place up last weekend and we are hoping to get it all dry-walled and sealed before winter.

 

...listening to the Jillian Michaels podcast. I downloaded them all from iTunes a while ago and was slowly working my way through whenever I felt like it. I'm trying now to listen to them for inspiration when I'm cooking or cleaning. It's nice to get a little dose of Jillbot every day.

 

...reading a few different things. I mentioned re-reading The Secret. Since seeing the movie, I also picked up The Bling Ring book as a bit of a guilty pleasure. Dang, I love reading.

 

...watching The League. I've been meaning to catch up on the new Fall shows but I keep watching reruns of The League instead. I. love. funny.

 

...loving Fall, of course. Having the windows open, pumpkin candles, spooky movies, playing Frisbee with Violet at dusk, even sweeping up all the leaves on our patio. I say it all the time but I don't care. I LOVE FALL.

 

...hoping for good things, like always. :)

 

...thankful for pretty much everything. Sometimes I catch myself walking around our house and I'm just thankful for everything we have. It's easy to focus on what you don't have or the problems, but it's refreshing to go in the kitchen and be thankful you have food, go to the closet and be thankful you have clothes, etc.

 

 Have a great weekend!

 

If you also partake in Currently posts, please link up in the comments!

Things of the Current Variety.

 

I am currently...

....eating Body for Life's Cool Taco Salad (I sub Boca Crumbles for the ground beef). It is SO good! Plus, it's easy to make big batches of it and throw into tupperware for the week's lunches. I eat it with one multi-grain pita and cucumber slices. Filling, delicious, and chock full o' goodness.

...making door stops. Now that the weather is totally gorgeous and amazing I have happily turned off our air conditioning for the year. Having the windows open on a breezy, Fall-like day is one of my very favorite things ever...but our doors loudly slamming shut every time a big gust blows through? Not my very favorite (especially if either cat gets stuck in the room and their loud cries don't subside until I free them). I've been scouting online to find a cheap, cute way to make door stops to match each room. 

...listening to Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus (this is the audio, not the nearly NSFW music video). I know, I know. You are asking yourself, "why?!" Why? Cause I dig it a lot. I will say it forever that I like (almost) all types of music and sometimes that includes a really mainstream, poppy power ballad. 

...reading Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar by Kelly Oxford. I've been on the waiting list at the library for this bad boy since it came out a couple months ago. When I finally got the email that it was my turn to check it out, I was psyched! Um, that feeling didn't last very long. Though not terrible, it wasn't as funny as a lot of other short story/memoir books I've read and some of the stories dragged on a bit. Next on my list? A couple of reads by the wonderful Nora Ephron.

...hoping for good, good, good things. :)

...watching old shows on Hulu! Thank goodness for Hulu. I found I Love Lucy (my favorite TV show of all time), Bewitched, and Mary Tyler Moore. Watching these old shows draws me back into my childhood and they are three of my top picks. On top of that, Rhyno hooked up my Hulu account to our PS3 in the basement so I can treadmill jog to Lucille Ball on our big screen. I will never believe TV will be as funny or authentic as it was in the good, ol' days. I have seen every single episode of I Love Lucy at least 20 times and I still laugh. My mom and I used to watch it every single night from age 2 to 20, watching it makes me think of her and then makes me think of awesomeness.

...loving having a cup of coffee as a treat once a week instead of depending on it every morning. I know, I was surprised too. I mentioned that I had planned to cut coffee off of my grocery list for a little while and I have stuck to that. For the first week-ish I felt totally sluggish around 3pm every single day like clockwork. Around 6pm I'd get my daily headache. Since those caffeine withdrawal side effects have subsided, I have actually enjoyed not waiting for the coffee to heat up in the morning and, hey, no coffee breath! On Saturday morning I asked Rhyno to grab me a black coffee at McDonald's while he was running errands and it was so nice to have java as a low-calorie treat!

...thankful for so many good, helpful, thoughtful people in my life. It always gives me that melty feeling when people go out of their way to do something sweet for me. It really touches me to know there are people rooting for me and people are willing to extend a hand without any end-game. Dang, people are so rad sometimes. 

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