The Coat That Got Away ... Errrrr ... NOT!!

For those of you who did not read about my coat that got away, click here.

Well, not so fast Miss DKNY Julianne black coat. You think you can escape me that easily, but you can't!

Guess whose husband is in the U.S. right now on a business trip and just picked up a parcel waiting for him at the front desk that looks like this:

(Oh Lindsay I have learned so much from you!).

Yup, snagged it online (for $30 extra bucks-boo!) for a grand total of only $136 USD. Not bad for my new winter coat.  And I lucked out with free one-day shipping (didn't even know that existed). My husband just happened to be travelling to the U.S. on business so I though, why not? I have never sent purchases to a hotel pre-arrival, but apparently it works just fine.

So the next update will be a picture of proud me, successful hunter of the Julianne coat.  I'm just hoping that this isn't one of those cases where you obsess over an article of clothing that got away only to find it and realize it's not nearly as spectacular as you remember it.  Fingers crossed.

LadySmith

I Failed As A Mother: Recovering from Blankie Loss

Last week I failed as a mother ... I lost my son's blankie.

He is Linus when it comes to his blankie and loves it soo much.  To fully understand, you would have to see his sweet face and the sheer pleasure and security he feels as he reaches for his cozy fleece blanket, pulls it close to his face and then buries his head in it, surrounding himself with the wonderfulness it brings him.

And I lost it!

We were at the mall last week, didn't bring my usual stroller so we got one of those obnoxious mall fire-truck strollers.  My youngest dropped his blanket a couple of times (gross!) and I recovered it, but then when we were all packed up, stroller returned, back in the car and ready to pull away, I realized the blankie was missing!!!

Pulse elevating, mind swirling, frantically retracing my steps - nothing.  My eldest son saying so sweetly, "how is he going to fall asleep without his blankie?"  My fear exactly.

I found a shopping cart (remember I didn't have my stroller) and tore around the mall, taking my kids out to go up the escalator, finding another cart, going to every single store I had been in (six) and looking in the main areas ... NOTHING! Guest services - nothing!

I helplessly left my name, number and the description of the blanket with the guest services clerk, knowing that she didn't "get it" and knowing that I was not going to be getting a call from her - ever. It has his name on it for goodness sake.

When I got home, I called the person that had given it to us as a gift asking where they had gotten it. Luckily ... Toys R Us.  I called mall guest services a few hours later and again the next day - nothing.   I then called around to a whole pile of stores, NOTHING!  Then miraculously found a store that had some stock, ordered two and picked it up two days later (it was an hour away). I think my son knew it wasn't the exact one but he quickly adjusted to being Linus again and loves his two new blankies. 

Deep exhale.

What an adventure!

Do yourself a favour, don't bring blankies to public places!

Sincerely,


LadySmith

My Tea Bag is Choking!

No seriously, how many "layers of protection" does one tea bag need? I mean wouldn't one protective coating suffice?

I am always absolutely amazed when I peal off the layer of plastic around a new box of Earl Grey tea (or insert your favorite blend), only to find ... a cardboard box that now needs opening. Once the box is opened, surprisingly, each and every tea bag is enveloped in a personal paper package that, you guessed it, needs opening.  The tea leaves must be absolutely suffocating in there? 

I know, perhaps I am ranting slightly, but doesn't it amaze you sometimes how much packaging one little piece of food, drink or snack needs? Come on manufacturer's, slim down your packaging!

Sincerely,


LadySmith

Mom: Please Forgive Me For My Sink Debris

Multiple times throughout the day, as I peer into my sink, I think of my mother.

And I hear her voice saying something like, "Clean out your sink for goodness sakes! Look at all the food in it. Those drain covers are there for a reason ... to catch all of the food. This is disgusting." And she would be wearing her disgusted look of concern ... you know the one that says, "I didn't raise you like this!"

Thanks Mom.

I know that food lingering in the sink area or left in the drain without being properly disposed of was one of those things that drove my Mom crazy.

And as I have grown up, I notice that most of my Mom's pet peeves and ways of doing things have also, ironically enough, become my own ... but this one hasn't stuck.

It must be the stage of life I am in right now i.e. keeping my sink clean is virtually impossible and against all odds.  It's not that I'm a slob, or at least I don't think of myself as one. I love the look of clean sinks.

See, my sink can be clean!

My sink, until the final end of the night clean up, is gross.  You can find anything from cheerios, yogurt lids, snips off the milk bag, dried up play doh, lunch leftovers, fruit cores, dirty dishes, and other interesting debris inhabiting my sink.  There are just so many meals, so many plates, so many little people crumbs and discards and not enough time to clean up. Oh well, I'm not worried. I'm sure my Mom would understand ;)  although I know Martha would NOT.

Maybe in our next house, I'll request a garburator ... so much easier.

Yours in clogging the drain,

LadySmith

P.S. I spared you the picture of my sink during the day and went with the post clean-up version.

Top Ten Things ...

Ten Things I Don't Like About Coming Home From Being Away:

1.  Laundry
2.  My husband returning to work
3.  Finding bottles of old milk in the car ... two days later
4.  Old flowers in really stinky water
5.  Fruit Flies
6.  Unpacking and the never ending piles of everything
7.  No food in the fridge
8.  Did I mention laundry (forget the theory I mentioned here .. this is going to be an all-weeker)
9.  Colds
10.Realizing we are down to two diapers

Ten Things I Do Like About Coming Home From A Weekend Away:

1.  My bed ... ahhhhhhh
2.  My pillows ... ahhhhhh
3.  The kids being in their own beds and sleeping waaaay better
4.  My kid-proofed house
5.  My kid gates set up in all the right places
6.  Clean and tidy (hopefully, depending on how we left it)
7.  Feeling refreshed with a better perspective
8.  Cozy afternoon and evening with my husband and boys before the start of another busy week
9.  Not living out of a suitcase
10.  My shampoo

Of course I love going away and love coming home too.  Both directions have their benefits.
Enjoy all of your weekends whether at home ... or away.

LadySmith