seven little bits of christmas

 















 

ten christmas gifts for the little g's

that won't break my already pathetic bank account balance or destroy my desire for a non-cluttered existence.




fortunately, grace and gus (now eight and four) are still relatively unaware of brand name hype around the holidays. sure, i hear 'i want that!' during Disney channel television commercials, but they both are actually pretty excited and accepting of non-traditional gift items. and with a mom that purges like it's her part-time job, i appreciate not having the pressure to fulfill wishlists crowded with over-priced pooping dolls and fifty dollar video games that will likely just collect dust in the crevices around the television screen.




so here it is, friends. this is what i'm shopping for this holiday season. all gifts are under twenty dollars, too!




grace:

only $4.99 at our local and fabulously unique toy shop

only $7.75 for my girl that loves this crazy series of doodled novels

only $14.99 for this ikea art easel, with paper refill rolls for five bucks!

only $16.50 for gold glitter pumps for the girl that likes a little glam in her life

only $11.30 for a moleskin journal in her fave color- perfect for future therapy sessions!

gus:

wyliepalooza gift card for our special #donttellgrace dates

only $14.95 for these too-cool-for-you new shoes

only $5.00 for this magical nightlight that will keep him in his bed all night (right?)

only $18.99 for 50 blocks for my creative building boy

only $15.79 for bathtime batman battles!

eight things you don't know about me

1. i rely on nature sounds via the ipad (a particular combination involving rainstorms, thunder, rain on roof, and winds) and oscillating fans to fall asleep at night.

2. i have never seen an episode of:

30 rock
the walking dead
grey's anatomy
the west wing
big bang theory
sons of anarchy
downton abbey
csi anything anywhere
law and order anything anywhere
two and a half men
and plenty other popular shows....

but i have watched every single episode of melrose place. twice.

3. i have a love/hate relationship with vegetables. more like love/haven't tried relationship. and like with fruit, i intend to explore new tastes this year. go ahead and roll your eyes, but these are the "crazy" ones i haven't tasted once in my 33 years:

green beans
asparagus
sweet potatoes
i almost said baked beans but thankfully realized it's not a vegetable
squash
broccoli
zucchini

4. i am the world's worst procrastinator. i have vivid memories of doing just that as early as a kindergartener. it's a horrible habit. on a side note, i apologize if you have left me a voicemail in the past 3 months; i plan to make time to listen to all fifty-nine of them very soon.

5. i quit watching all of my "shows" last fall, and never thought i could be happy without my housewives and fashion designing and interior decorating and top chefing. but you know what? it's so much better without all of it. instead i fill my space with spotify and grooveshark and itunes and pandora.

6. i cannot keep a pair of socks together. not mine, not anyone's. so if you see me wearing boots or other shoes that cover my feet entirely, i assure you that beneath that there are two mismatched socks. the same goes for grace.

7. i apparently used to be a tetris-wizard back in december of 1990. don't believe me? look here:

and i swear if you make one sarcastic comment about me naming my diary kitty, i will cut you.

8. i have a slight admiration/obsession with portraits of animals dressed in clothing. like a cat in a sweater vest or a doe in a smocked dress. nearly every room in our house has one hanging on a wall.

my ten favorite bob dylan songs

in no particular order...

no. 1
tangled up in blue

no. 2
you're a big girl now

no. 3
shelter from the storm

no. 4
visions of johanna

no. 5
hurricane

no. 6
john wesley harding

no. 7
the ballad of frankie lee & judas priest

no. 8
meet me in the morning

no. 9
all i really want to do

no. 10
you're gonna make me lonesome when you go

ten ingredients for a delicious (and uber-healthy!) lunch

i will be experimenting with and making and eating many more of these soon!

alfredo sauce
artisan wheat flatbread
fresh basil
spinach leaves
orange bell peppers
red bell peppers
minced garlic
shredded chicken
mozzarella cheese
yellow onions

mare's creation, ready to go in the oven:

twenty-one shows i've been to

or at least those that i can remember at this very moment. i guarantee there are at least a dozen more that i cannot recall due to ahem, various reasons....if you remember any, let me know!

feist
tori amos
civil wars
head & the heart*
jerry lee lewis
phish*
roger waters
mack 10
rusted root
ben harper*
bob dylan*
dave matthews*
coldplay
florence & the machine
avett brothers
matisyahu
ray lamontagne
brandi carlile*
new kids on the block
jack johnson
meiko

* = seen more than once

six new things i've tried this year

you may be shocked by some of these. i don't try new things, really. so for only being twenty-one days into the new year, i'd say i'm kicking ass.

1. clementines

2. yoga classes

3. bloody mary (note the singular tone of this particular item...lol)

4. strawberries

5. new recipes (meditteranean roasted pork loin and spicy chicken tortilla soup just yesterday!)

6. cheese curds

cheers to the possibility of many more new things before the year is over!