Resolution solutions

I know I'm only one month into my 2013 resolutions, but I am really pleased with my follow through. I think a big part of this early success is that I've been tracking my progress on a calendar. The simple act of circling a date after I work out, adding a smiley face when I pick up Molly, or drawing a heart when I have a date night with Jason, is so satisfying...I'm like a certain toddler with a potty poster who beams with pride every time a new sticker is added. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Here are a few resolution notes now that January is drawing to a close:

1. Exercise 3 days a week: This is a good goal for me. Totally doable. Especially since I signed up for a tennis class on Thursdays and discovered an easy strength training routine that I can do at home while watching Nashville. If I can make it to the gym one time over lunch or on the weekend, the goal is met. So far, I've managed to exercise 3 days a week for 4 weeks in a row. I'm feeling good and also liking the numbers on the scale. 
2. Pick up Molly early twice a month: This has also been working out for me, thanks to my up and down workload. Of course some days are busy and I get stuck late. But there have been 3 days this month when I've been able to catch the 5:08 train, 1 day when I was able to leave at 4, and then of course 2 full days of paid time off for Molly's surgery this month. Jason has signed up for a screen printing class every Tuesday for 8 weeks, so I will be handling pick-up duty at least once a week for the next couple of months. And he also has a few business trips coming up, including one this week from Wed to Sun. I'm feeling pretty good about my parental contributions so far and not really minding my full time schedule. Double bonus.
3. Plan a fun date with my main man at least once a month: This has turned out to be my favorite of the 3 resolutions. No surprise there :) Susie was kind enough to babysit last Thursday while Jason and I had our January date at Found, a new restaurant in Evanston that has a menu so interesting and tasty, we almost felt like we were dining in the city. Almost. And since we do still miss our city restaurants so much, we went ahead and made 2 reservations downtown for Feb, taking full advantage of the special prix fixe menus offered during Chicago Restaurant Week. Yum. I'm not sure yet what we'll do for our date in March, but I purchased tickets to The Book of Mormon for April. Would I have been so proactive if I didn't have this resolution to live up to and a little heart to draw in my notebook? Who knows! 

Beauty queen

Until now, we've just kind of let Molly's hair do what it does. Jason and I gave her a little snip at home about a year ago to get rid of the mullet, but haven't touched it since. So, it was high time we let a professional clean up those ragged ends.

For those who follow me on Instagram, these photos will look familiar:

Molly was a little skeptical at first

Things got better with hair clips and a look in the mirror

Pleased with the results

At the end, Molly received a certificate stating that she "Bravely received a haircut with high honors for good conduct and grown-up behavior." Ha!

MLK Day with Dad

Unlike me, Jason was lucky enough to have the day off on Monday. And although he could have dropped Molly off at school for at least a couple hours in the morning (as I probably would have done), he decided to be an awesome dad and have a day of fun with his little girl. Of course he kept me posted, and jealous, by sending pics throughout the day. I thought these were too cute not to share:

So happy to be home with her dad

Favorite restaurant -- Steak 'n Shake!

Before and after

I haven't written in a few days, but for good reason. Our internet has been down because we've been redoing the family room -- a much needed change! If you remember from one of my earlier posts, our family room originally looked like this:

Same old furniture from the Western condo, now shoved into a smaller space

When we moved into this house, we put our nice couch and big TV in the basement, thinking that we'd end up hanging out down there most of the time. But after living here for 6 months, we realized ... no one wanted to hang out in the basement. When a big game was on, or when we had people over, everyone always ended up cramming onto the 3-person couch to talk or stare up at the 26'' TV. Not ideal for 6 to 8 adults and at least 1 rambunctious toddler.

So, 2 weeks ago, Jason and I decided to upgrade our TV and computer / shelving situation:

Loooove Jason for painting the walls and putting these shelves together

AND, invest in a couch with more seating!

This sucker seats 7, no problem, yet it somehow seems less bulky than the original overstuffed couch and big leather chair

If you notice, there's a little throw pillow in the corner of the couch that I made to go with our new decor. I've been putting my new sewing room / desk to good use and have already finished 2 throw pillows! I've got supplies and ideas for at least 2 more. Hurrah! Feels good to be creative and get my craft on. Especially after being inspired by a better-than-expected Project Runway finale. No, I didn't think Anthony Ryan really deserved to win, but I did have to admit that both Emilio and Uli brought it with their runway collections. I'm officially hooked again and ready to see what the upcoming PR Teams has to offer. Hopefully it will inspire me to get moving on the front / living room!

The preschool flip

Watch Molly put her coat on all by herself. It's a move called "the preschool flip."

Team Josh

**Spoiler alert. Please don't read ahead if you are not caught up with Project Runway and do not want to know who made it to the final round**




Okay, now that that is out of the way...I just got off the phone with my mom after talking about the latest episode of Project Runway All Stars and have realized that I am (or was) Team Josh. How did that happen? He was so awful on Season 9. I remember strongly disliking him, yet somehow he redeemed himself on All Stars. He's nicer to the other contestants. He's funny. And you never really know what he's going to show you. Whether it's awful or amazing, at least it's going to be interesting and/or unexpected.

I guess it doesn't matter now that he was eliminated this week and we're left with Emilio, Anthony Ryan, and Uli, who are all talented, wonderful, and...kind of boring. I can already see in my head what they are going to show next week for the finale/mini fashion show. I'm picturing Emilio with a bunch of bold, fitted, one-color dresses, Uli with a couple of flowy/flirty, embellished numbers, and Anthony Ryan will panel some different fabrics together in an interesting way and cut the hems very short and "modern." Maybe that means they are being true to their aesthetic, as they all like to say, but it doesn't make for very good TV.

The past few seasons of PR have felt very "safe" to me. No truly memorable designs, like this from Christian and Chris March in Season 4:

Aw, Christian, miss you baby!

Or this from Jeffrey in Season 3:

I don't miss your ego, Jeffrey, but I do miss that crazy creativity

I don't know that I necessarily wanted Josh M to win All Stars. And I do really like Uli, Anthony Ryan, and Emilio, but I feel like the stuff they've been showing is available in the department stores now or walking around my ad agency.

Josh, on the other hand, gave us this:

It may not be good fashion, but my jaw hit the floor when it walked down the runway.  What was he thinking?

I just really wanted to see what Josh was going to put together for the finale. Then again, maybe Uli, Anthony Ryan, or Emilio will prove me wrong and show me something awesome. That's all I want. Not a bunch of pretty stuff in good taste. Wow me! 

Going, going, gone

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I could not put this book down. But did I like it? It's really hard to say! It was definitely a page-turner with a fast-moving plot and some nice twists and turns. I didn't really like any of the characters...but then again, that was probably the point.

Basically, if you haven't heard anything about this book, it's a modern day "whodunit" that's narrated by the suspects instead of a detective. At the center of the story is a once-perfect marriage that has been falling apart ever since the husband and wife (Nick and Amy) lost their jobs and had to move from New York City to Nowheresville, Missouri.

It's hard to describe the plot without giving away too much, so I'll leave it at that. I will say, like many of the other people I know who read this book, I did not love the ending. But I think the ending is probably one of the reasons it's been such a bestseller. So, don't let that stop you!



View all my reviews

All better

Whew, glad that's over! Molly had a minor procedure today - she had a bump by her eye called a pilomatrixoma that needed to be removed. It was a little scary for Jason and I because she had to go under for the surgery, but everything went well and we're on our way home. She's got a sucker and life is good :)

The hardest part will be keeping her out of the play room at daycare for two weeks... no more climbing wall until this thing heals!

A room of my own

Bit by bit, we're getting our house in order and acquiring the things we need to fill the rooms. Just today, we bought a new couch for the family room and 3 new, much-needed rugs to help soften the noise from the creaky floors. But more exciting (for me) than all of that, was the new desk and chair I put together this morning for my sewing room / office:

Light Blue Josephine Desk from World Market
White Snille Swivel Chair from Ikea

Finally! I have a place where I can set up my sewing machine and get crafty. A place where I can blog to my heart's content. A place where I can work uninterrupted with the door closed and Wilco Pandora blasting (ha!) from my cell phone. A place where I can power through my necessary correspondence (aka, thank you notes) without getting distracted. It's pretty wonderful. The room is a little inconvenient, tucked away off the back of the guest room on the second floor, but I love the privacy and the nice view of our charming street. Now if only I could figure out some sort of work from home schedule...wouldn't that be nice?!

Product round up

My sister-in-law Corinne gave me a few of her favorite beauty products for Christmas this year and it reminded me that I have discovered most of my must-haves through friend recommendations. So, I thought I would share the love on my blog. In no particular order, here are the products I can't seem to live without:

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

My sister B told me about CeraVe lotion years ago. Recently, our pediatric dermatologist recommended the slightly thicker moisturizing cream for Molly. I've been using it too and am hooked. It even helped clear up the angry red bumps on my arms and legs -- a must-have for the winter!

Phyto Universal Elixer - Scalp Stimulant

After Molly was born, I started having major problems with my scalp. It was so dry and itchy, at one point, I even thought I had psoriasis. Thanks to a helpful salesperson at Ulta, I discovered Phyto Universal Elixer. This stuff is expensive ($32), but I have not found anything else that works as well, even prescription treatments. It smells awful and I have to leave it on overnight for the best results, so I try to use it only when Jason is out of town. It's worth it though!

Butter London Yummy Mummy Nail Polish

Corinne gave me this nail polish for Christmas and it's already on my list of faves -- the perfect neutral color for fingernails. For toes, I love OPI Cajun Shrimp and Essie Forget Me Not. 

Ulta Eye Brow Gel

My hair is pretty straight, so it makes no sense to me that my eyebrows are curly. What gives? I started using  clear eye brow gel from Ulta and it has made such a difference -- I've even received a few compliments. On my brows. Crazy!

Dove Go Fresh Cucumber and Green Tea Deodorant

It works, it's cheap, and it smells good. I've been using this stuff for years. 

Gillette Spa Breeze Disposable Razors

Major time saver. I love these razors. You don't have to use soap or lather and in my crowded little stand-up shower, that makes a huge difference. 

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser

Again, I have to thank the B for this one. This face wash is so gentle and it seems to melt the make-up off my face. Even mascara. It's on the pricey side, but lasts forever. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Warning, this mascara is not for everyday use. It's intense, but gives you big fun lashes for special occasions. For work, I use Ulta brand mascara -- the orange tube. 

Cover Girl Invisible Cream Concealer

Ha, I've been using this stuff since I was a teenager! It's a really light concealer -- I don't like the thick kind. Perfect for covering up the red areas I get around my nose! 

Too Faced Naked Eye Eyeshadow Collection

I have to credit Dana for this one. After years of just brushing on a single basic neutral eyeshadow (Stila Kitten), she convinced me to get one of these kits from Too Faced. Apparently they have a bunch of different palettes, but I really like the Naked Eye kit for everyday wear. It's so easy to use and even includes little how-to cards that tell you what shade to put where to achieve the perfect neutral eye. Easy and awesome!