I'm too lazy to think of a title for this post

I broke one of my cardinal rules the other day : always pick out your outfit for the following day before going to bed. Actually, I can't take credit for this one. This was my mother's rule when my sister and I were growing up and even though we didn't necessarily like it, we both appreciated the fact that it made mornings easier and a little less rushed. Obvi, I am married now and don't have to live by my mother's rules these days but I still try to adhere to it. It seems like when I don't two things happen to me: 1) I run at least 10 minutes behind schedule 2) I get to work and end up hating my outfit.

Somehow I was able to avoid running late this morning (7am phone call with my sister ensures that I'm on time) but I got to work and HATED my outfit. Of course that made for a really long day and I got grumpy every time I saw myself in the mirror. I guess the moral of the story here is this: Mom, you were right again :)

Not much else to report to you tonight. I don't have any other controversial things to write about, so I'll recap my Friday night adventures with Ellie. (Nobody will probably care to read this other than my mom and sister)

I went up to Kimmie and Dave's on Friday night to keep Ellie while they went to a hockey game. I had just seen Ellie a few days earlier, but was looking forward to a night with her nonetheless. When I got there, she was awake and happy but really tired so Kimmie put her in her favorite nap spot to rest for a bit.



She woke up prematurely and because of that was tired and cranky. She actually pitched a huge fit when we were trying to get her back to sleep. Such a fit that I was glad her mother was there to calm her down. Once Kimmie gave her a little snack, she was tired but happy so she played on her play mat for a bit. Her favorite play mat activity is the earthquake - this is where I shake the bars so all the animals and attachments swing wildly. Funny how the littlest things amaze babies.



then we played super-baby (she absolutley LOVES this)



I have been craving Moe's for three weeks now, and thought that Ellie might let me indulge this craving so I put her in her car seat and loaded her up. She wasn't having it. She cried and screamed as I was buckling her in and then some more as I put her into the car. Once she started choking from crying so hard, I decided it wasn't worth it and took her back inside. (Not to mention I felt terrible for torturing her unnecisarilly) As soon as she was out of her carrier she got happy again. I eventually gave her a bottle and tried to load her up again. I had pretty much decided against going to Moe's by this point but we did have to do one little outing.



Had to go get a prescription for a job that was too big for Boudreaux (for Ellie, I don't have diaper rash)

By the time we got home, Ellie was fast asleep. She needed a nap, so I was relieved but feared waking her up for her next bottle and her bath. I let her sleep while I scrounged up some food in Kimmie's house and then picked her up once I was finished. She of course rubbed her eyes and stuck out her lower lip to let me know that she wasn't thrilled with me.

I took her upstairs for bath time. This is something that I cannot screw up, apparently. Ellie loves her baths these days and I'm told that it is very relaxing for her.

Does this look like a relaxed baby? (I'll give you a hint: NO)

FAIL. She cried the whole time. I think the water must not have been warm enough because her poor little hands started to turn blue. (Yes, I'm going to be a shit mom.) As soon as I noticed this I got her out, lotioned, butt creamed, diapered, and in her pajamas. We read a few books then she sucked down another bottle and knocked out for the night.

I really did enjoy my evening with Ellie but I think I overheard her tell her mom not to let "dumb aunt Katie" give her any more baths.

Negative Nelly: She's She's Still Here

I know there are a few Obamanites who read my blog. Let me go ahead and apologize to you. Maybe just don't read this post at all. (But come back later in the week and I'll do my best to be non-offensive!)

I was waiting for Ben to get home this afternoon so I had the TV on ESPN. I also happen to have entered into the dead pool and was hoping the commentators could drop some knowledge on me as to what I can expect from all the teams. I was half listening, half reading blogs when I saw something out of place. Obama. On ESPN. Really? Of course I watched. He was going through his picks for the NCAA Tourney. I know he's a basketball fan and I can of course appreciate that he probably needs a break from the stress of his job from time to time. So sure, why not watch some basketball? No problem.

BUT how on earth does the man have time to do an interview with ESPN? And this is on the heels of him being interviewed on Jay Leno. (Or maybe right before ... I don't know the exact timeline). Hey Mr. President --- how about getting back to presidenting* our nation in crisis and spending a little less time being a celebrity. Thanks.

* I realize that isn't a real word. Sometimes I make things up.

P.S. Apparently Neal Boortz shares my sentiment on this.

Time for Change

I will get in so much trouble for posting this. Hope yall enjoy it because I'll certainly pay for it later!

With Spring approaching and the nice weather we have had recently, Ben has been spending much more time on golf -- practicing, playing, watching, talking about, etc. Golf is literally one of Ben's favorite things in the world and I totally get it. He is competitive and loves to challenge himself (and others) on the golf course as much as he possibly can. In order to be a decent golfer he has to practice and play frequently. I have always been supportive of this and frankly, I always will be. However. I do think it is time to draw a line in the sand.

I never take issue with Ben playing on the weekends. During the spring and summer, he typically plays at least once each weekend and sometimes two or even three times. This doesn't bother me too much (unless I want him to be at the lake with me) I also don't have a problem with him going on his loooong escapades to the PGA Superstore. That is his time and it is probably equivalent to my Target trips. I don't watch every tournament with him but I also don't try to dissuade him from watching. I really am pretty damn supportive.

The problem of late is that Ben has been going to the driving range after work at nights. That probably sounds a bit harsh, so allow me to explain myself. I cook dinner pretty much every night. When we first got married we agreed that dinner should be family time. At the table. This is the way I grew up and is a tradition I wish to continue when we have children. I don't mind eating late sometimes, but typically I like to have our dinner ready around 7 or 7:30. That is reasonable, right?

This isn't ever a problem unless Ben goes to the driving range. This spring is the first time I've noticed this happening with any regularity but I think it needs to stop. He comes home from work around 6:30 and changes to head to the driving range. He is there at least an hour but lately it has been more like 1.5 hours. This basically means he is getting home after 8:00 PM these days. I can't wait that late to eat dinner so I end up eating alone with a book or my laptop. And his sits in the microwave until he gets home.

I've instituted a new rule as of last night. Its fine if he wants to go to the driving range after work. No problem whatsoever. He just needs to go directly from work and be home by 7:30 so that we can spend some time together.

Is that too harsh? Or am I being fair?

GOOP Challenge

I heard some controversy over Gwyneth Paltrow's new website, GOOP, so of course this piqued my interest enough for me to actually go and check out the website. From what I can gather, it is meant to be a lifestyle website. There are 6 different categories to the site and each category gives tips on things from cooking to exercise to parenting advice. I haven't really spent much time on the site but it is somewhat interesting and I did sign up for the e-mail Newsletter.

I can see plenty of room for criticism here as it does seem to have a bit of a holier-than-though attitude. (I'm sorry Gwyneth -- I really do like you. Can we still be friends?) One thing that did catch my interest is a letter from Gwyneth about 'Sticktoitivness' where she discusses a new butt/upper thigh workout sequence. According to Gwyneth, this sequence is supposed to give you results in 10 days if you are consistent. I'm not really sure if I believe that, but I did 20 reps of each exercise yesterday and its pretty tough!

I am putting this on my blog for accountability purposes. I am not going to count yesterday's reps because I was still in the process of figuring out how to best do each exercise so I'm considering today Day 1. I'll do this in addition to my normal workouts. I'll keep yall posted!

Friday Favorites: Lip Gloss

Oops! I never really did get around to the Friday Favorites segment last week. Thanks to the hundreds of three people who participated! I think I'm going to change up the Friday Faves ever so slightly because I know its hard to think of products for a specific category. Also, I realize that yall actually have lives and don't have time to email me every week with your latest and greatest finds. So, with that in mind just email me or leave a comment if you discover something that you want to share with the other ten people who read this blog and I'll post it. I don't think I will limit this to just beauty products either because there are so many other things that I love!

And now for our 3 lip glosses ...

Neutrogena Lip Gloss -

my lips are sooo sensitive to makeup that they peel with almost any lip gloss. Wierd right? I guess I have an allergy, but I have tried YSL, Trish, Nars, Benefit, Covergirl, you name it... and nothing keeps my lips from peeling. I tried Neutrogena Lip gloss the other day and it is fabulous. No smell, no peeling, and it lasts for several hours. I have 3 different shades and could not be happier - my search is over!

Liplicious 2-in 1 Lip Stain & Gloss

I like the stain because it stays on better than a lipstick or lipgloss. Then the clear gloss adds a lot of shine and moisture and can be found at Bath & Body Works.

Smashbox O-Gloss

I love this stuff! It is a light gloss that enhances the natural pink color of your lips. A friend gave me a sample and I'm now hooked -- you can find it at Sephora for around $20. I especially like to use this when I don't want to wear lipstick yet I want to avoid having bare lips. (I really should give credit to Tracey for the discovery of this product as she is the one who gave me a sample of it. Thanks, Tracey!)

Becky – Did you notice that my comma usage has significantly decreased?

OMG!! I just discovered spell check in blogger. How did I not notice this before?

Late Winter/Early Spring Dress Code

With the weather warming up over the past few days, I've really been thinking a lot about my spring wardrobe. I find it terribly difficult to dress appropriately in the spring and feel that this is the time of year when many people are seasonally-challenged when it comes to dressing themselves. I know that is mean, but it is the absolute truth.

It really is tough, and I know I'm not the only one who has this plight. For instance, the high yesterday was supposed to be 81. 81 in early March!! Its still winter, so do you continue wearing winter colors? Do you bust out a dress and skip the tights? Do you wear hose? (my work environment is not formal enough for hose, so that isn't a consideration) Do you wear peep toes or stick with your classic pumps? And then what if it gets cold again later in the week? Can I pull my boots back out, or do I have to surrender them?

Once you get past the whole issue of what to wear, then you have to deal with the fact that you look ghostly. I mean I really think my legs probably would glow in the dark right now! I realize that it is fashionable to be pale, but I just can't stand it. Some people look great pale but I am just not one of those people. So what do you do? Do you use the smelly lotions that don't really work that well? Do you get a spray tan that really makes you look orange? Or do you just go to the tanning bed a couple of times where you can control it better? So tough.

Once we (at least for us in GA) get through early March, it starts to get a little easier. But you do still have to conquer the whole "when do I wear sandals?" issue. When is it right to pull them out? Do you base your sandal-wearing only on weather, or do you have a specific date before which it is simply unacceptable?

If you are a male reader, you're probably stopped reading at the second sentence. If you are a female reader, you probably have the same struggles. How do you handle them? What are your rules?

Also, on a totally random note .... do I use too many commas in my writing? I think I do.

Flip

Ben and I went to Flip again the other night, this time with a friend from out of town. While I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience, I have to admit it wasn't quite as perfect as the first time. The three of us arrived at the restaurant around 8pm. It was a Thursday night so we expected a bit of a wait, and were prepared for the fact that they would probably not give us an estimated wait time (they didn't do this the first time I went, because it had just opened). We ended up having to wait about 15 minutes longer than they estimated, and I was totally famished, so I wasn't too thrilled about that.

When we finally did get seated, we were seated in the "chef's chairs" overlooking the kitchen. At the risk of sounding like a whiny brat, I was annoyed with this too. The idea of chef's chairs is actually a good concept -- you sit at a bar and have a view of the kitchen. However, the ergonomics of this particular bar/chairs just didn't work. I am only 5'4" and found it uncomfortable, so of course Ben (who is 6'3") really had a hard time. Part of my annoyance was probably the fact that it was now 9pm and I was beyond starving. Once we had another round of Stellas, things improved.

The food at Flip, really is good. Its a burger joint, actually a burger boutique, but all of the burgers have a gourmet twist. It recently opened back in November and is the concept of last year's Top Chef runner-up, so it tends to stay pretty crowded. They don't take reservations, so you will most likely have to wait to be seated but it is well worth it.

I think Ben hit the jackpot with his meal. I'll be honest and say that I had a terrible case of food envy. He had the Chorizo burger, which I don't see on their online menu so you'll have to settle for my description: ground chorizo served with a layer of hashbrowns, a fried egg, manchego cheese, and romesco ketchup. Ben is a pretty picky eater and his typical hamburger consists of simply meat and ketchup ... no bun. (He'll kill me for writing that, but its true). So for a plain-jane eater like Ben, you can see that was quite an adventurous choice!

I chose the Southern burger this time, which was pretty good but honestly not as good as the burger that I had last time (the Butcher Cut -- I highly recommend this one). The Southern Burger comes country fried with green tomato ketchup, pimento cheese, and topped with home made pickles. I also had a side of asparagus tempura -- I LOVE asparagus, so I just couldn't resist them! Last time I went, they did not ask us to specify what temperature

RTR went with the Southern Burger, Po Boyger (ground shrimp, old bay mayo, fried lemon, and tobasco) , and Cole Slaw. We both agreed that the Southern Burger could have used a little more pimento cheese and he thought that the Po Boyger and Cole Slaw were a little too acidic, but still pretty good. Apparently the milkshakes at Flip are delish, so RTR ordered the pistachio and truffle one. Sounds odd, but really it was pretty good. There are some others that I would like to try, but since I've quit eating sweets right now I chose to abstain.

I was a little disenchanted with this experience, but I think that was mainly because of the longer than expected wait and the not great seating and not because of the food. If you live in Atlanta, you really should give Flip a try! The food is good and reasonably priced, and it has great atmosphere.

I have a few pics of our food, I may post those later. Or I may not.

R.I.P. Kody

I just found out this morning that my parents had to put my dog, Kody to sleep yesterday afternoon. Sad :(

Kody actually started out as my sister's dog, but he pretty much became my parent's dog once she went off to college. He was a sweet dog in his younger years, and a grumpy old bastard once he got older. Turns out, he had cataracts, diabetes, and possibly a tumor so they finally had to put him out of his misery. He's in a better place, but still its sad.

RIP, sweet Kodus.

Aquarium Visit

This post is a little late since I meant to do it Sunday night but oh well!

Ben and I had such a great weekend of relaxation. We didn't do a whole lot on Friday, which was fine by me because I'm always so exhausted by the end of the work week. Saturday morning, I was able to get up and run a few errands that I've needed to do for several months now! I just don't have time on the weekends anymore. So that was good.

Then, I came home and we got ready for the aquarium. Ben had given me some gorgeous lilies (although they do stain my counter tops -- I have to SCRUB to get the pollen off) as well as tickets to the Georgia Aquarium. I had been dying to go ever since it opened a few years ago, so this was a great gift!!

We started out in the Coldwater Quest exhibit, since it houses the beluga whales. This was probably my favorite portion of the whole museum and we spent a lot of time in the gallery just watching them swim around in their tank.

I also really liked this Japanese Octopus. Thought this was a great picture ...

Then we went to the Ocean Voyager exhibit where they have the huge whale sharks. There are 3 of them and they really are ginormous!! When you initially walk in to the exhibit there are a few smaller viewing galleries where you can see the whale and other sharks swimming around. Then they take you into a glass tunnel and you can view all the sharks swimming overhead. All the little kids freaked out when the big whale shark would swim overhead!

Then we saw some Garden Eeels -- they are called this (i assume) because they go up and down in the sand when fish swim by them. They were pretty interesting to watch!

Ben was in charge of the camera for this trip, which was a good thing because I wouldn't have been as patient as he was in trying to get good pictures. He really did take some excellent photos!

of seahorses

and Clownfish

and some jelly fish (this is one of my favorite pictures -- the colors and lighting are just perfect)

this is me in front of the tropical fish exhibit. I loved all the bright colors!

A skeery piranha

Gators

Ben in a tunnel

We finished the night by going to DePalmas for an Italian dinner complete with red wine. Perfect day!

The next morning we woke up to snow!! We went out to my parent's house to visit Ellie for the day. She LOVED the snow!