It goes a long way

This isn't kid-related, so much as mommy-related.

I had a doctor's appointment last week and was fortunately able to pawn my child off on an unsuspecting grandparent. Ha! I had two people in the building comment on my hair looking cute. I don't say this to boast, but rather to share the conclusion I came to ...

It wasn't my hair. It was my lipstick.

My hair has looked the same for, oh, let's say 8 years. I don't think I had a particularly good hair day, though people do comment on my curly hair from time to time (you always want what you don't have. The hair is always greener??). I digress. The point is, I was actually wearing lipstick that day, and a kind of bright red color at that. I think people noticed!

I was inspired by this video (by previously mentioned favorite Jane Marie at The Hairpin):
The Guide to Bold Lipsticks (it's funny even if you don't want anything to do with lipstick).

I am a huge fan of chapstick. Not the Chapstick brand, per se, but really plain ol' Burts Bees is my absolute favorite. I wear it all the time. I've recently branched out to their tinted version - which I also really like - but even their darkest red tints don't show up that much on me.

So, I dug through some old random make-up and found a red color that I thought looked pretty good (based on the recommendations in the video: I was dressed to go out and already had a full face of make-up on). I have been wearing it here and there and always feel more put together, even if it is just running around town. So, my friends, my advice is that lipstick can make a mom, new or not-so-new, feel pretty good about herself.

Secondly, and in the same vein, I think a scarf does wonders for a new mom. Most outfits look much more put together with a scarf and it takes no time at all to put on. Yoga pants and a t-shirt? Momdrobe. Yoga pants and a t-shirt with a colorful scarf? Whoa! Look at that gal who clearly has her shit together. (Forget about the unwashed hair - they won't notice).

So ... lipstick and a scarf. They are good things.

In this season of sharing

Ellen graduated from Parents As Teachers this week. How is that possible? We talked about Kindergarten and everything, which is crazy town. Mind you, Ells has a late birthday, so she'll be almost 6 when she starts school, but still it's just right around the corner. (Literally, the school is right around the corner from our house and we talk about Kindergarten.every.day.)

Back to the topic at hand ... do you have a problem with sharing at your house? Ellen really does a pretty good job, for which I give full credit to daycare, but she does have her moments. Our P.A.T. educator gave us a good tip (especially for only children who don't have to share all day) ... have a chat with your little darling before a play date or big family gathering. Let them decide if there are 1 or 2 toys they don't want to share and put those away. Then, everything else is fair game.

We're hosting Christmas, so we might have to use this trick for a few of Santa's deliveries!

In the bag

Serious business today.

I need advice.

What kind of purse are you carrying these days??

I am finding myself in this strange period of not needing a diaper bag, yet needing both of my hands (and sometimes a 3rd hand) for child wrangling. I used the backpack with great success, and still do for long outings (zoo and such), but I just don't need it to run to Target.

I was gifted a very nice purse that I have used everyday for 2 years, yet it fell victim to the house renovations and has a big splotch of paint on the side. (Which pretty much just explains my life these days). The problem, though, is that it just goes over my shoulder like a normal purse, but doesn't stay on said shoulder when I am lunging for a child, or carrying 2 grocery bags and a child, or wrestling with a child in the freezer aisle.

I am definitely a 'purse' girl .. not in the sense that I care about labels or price (I'm cheap), but I carry a lot of things that seem necessary to me and I just can't swing the big wallet approach.

I was thinking a messenger / cross-body style? Or something with an option for messenger style? I don't want it to be too sporty looking. And, I need some kind of compartments inside - a huge tote bag is just a bottomless pit to lose things for me.

Suggestions? Tips? Pointers?

I'm all ears.

Worth repeating

Though I posted this on our family blog, I consider it a public service announcement.

I made a serious error in judgement this week. I took Ells to get some new colors and she picked the Crayola Twistables Slick Stix.


Do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy these for your child. Or husband. Or self. I even knew better - I had tried to purchase them before at the Crayola store and the sales gal talked me out of it. That really sums it all up right there. They are like coloring with lipstick that stains permanently and doesn't dry. Awesome - right?

Well, I tried to talk Ellen out of it at the store and just couldn't without a scene. I let her color with permanent markers (I know - crazytown), so I thought this couldn't be worse. She has never colored on anything that she wasn't supposed to and I always supervise. Well ... the royal purple color stick slowly catapulted itself off the table and, in slow motion, I screamed NOOOOOOOO! as it hit the carpet.

I think you can guess what happened. And, it was totally my fault. After a whole lot of Googling (news flash: the Crayola "stain tips" don't really cut it), I thought I would try the good ol' Magic Eraser first. It totally worked!!

Mr. Clean, I think I love you.