Some Choice Links Today
I can’t really say if you will think they’re choice links, but they were my choice, so they will always be choice.
♠ The wildly popular NY Times post about the Scientific 7-Minute Workout now has a timer, which shows the workout step as well as how many seconds left. To me, that is invaluable, otherwise I’d be doing chair steps in my office yelling “TWENTY-SEVEN…”
♠ A light little baked good that seems like a great summer treat: Raspberry Confetti Kisses!
♠ I haven’t even got to mention on the blog here about how much I love Hannibal. It is by far my favorite drama on network TV in years. Years. The Fannibals (yes, Hannibal Fans) have launched a campaign to make sure it gets picked up for another season, involving the hashtag #eattherude, which tickles me. You can see more about one woman’s campaign here, along with a jpg to download the above business card to send to NBC.
♠ One more link: Does anyone else have a super hard time getting rid of books? Books I have had for years and never read, new books I acquire, old books I didn’t particularly like, they’re all hanging out on my shelves, and it stops this month!
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
My ideas for this year’s Mother’s Day gifts really run the gamut. I like the idea of giving my mom one real quality piece that she can treasure, or a few things that will make her smile. Let’s see what I came up with:
Top Row: Make her something she can use, made with your own two hands - Lip Balm; give her something cozy that will remind her that you love her year-round: a cashmere sweater!; my mom loves clever things, and this Wooden Gem Necklace is totally clever.
Middle Row: My secret? I bought my mom the e-book version of Kelly Oxford’s Everything is Perfect When You’re a Liar. I bought it a month ago or so when it was on sale, and the best thing is you can schedule when you want it sent. So she will open up her e-reader Sunday and poof! A random new book will be on her bookshelf and I just know she’ll be thinking, “WTF, did I drunkenly buy a bunch of books?”; Bulbs: uh…I guess this one takes some forethought, since you should have planted them at least a month ago, but the traditional amaryllis or tulips would be great. I would vote live flowers always over a bouquet, that is, if your mom likes to garden, or tend plants. Another DIY if your mom enjoys jewelry – Painted Bracelets.
Bottom: I love these Gold Letter Balloons – I wish I could keep them filled for my mom year-round.
Lastly, if your mom is a fan of color, a spring/summer paper flower wreath is where it’s at!
Mother’s Day: An Education
Art by Katie Daisy. Card available through Parkside Papers
What have/did you learn from your mom? Among my top favorite things my mom has taught me:
1. Moisturize your neck.
2. Always change your undies. Sounds completely random, but we joke that there are more scenarios than the obvious “bluer” ones that you would be thankful you’re wearing a pair of clean Underoos.
3. Don’t wallow in the pity pool for too long.
There are also other things that moms can teach us by doing, no matter how positive or negative:
4. Don’t be late. My whole family on my mother’s side has a problem with punctuality. When we want a family gathering to start at 2pm, we tell people to be there at 1. It has taught me that for some things, on time is when you get there, but really, if someone is waiting for you, you’re already late.
Do you not know that much about your mom? Maybe try a mini interview.
Sleep Love
Photo via Serge Low Rider Instagram
I know I blogged about sleep a looong time ago (wow! Three years!), but sleep posts always bear repeating, and adding to.
This is just a quick one with recommendations for things that have helped me.
Dream Water. A nice, tiny little shot of something that really helps. It is pretty expensive, compared to you know, nothing, but when I have an event or something I need to be up early for work, or I have been dragging the entire day, I love having these because it really helps me stay asleep, which is one of my biggest sleep woes. You can even get a coupon to try your first bottle of Dream Water free!
Pure melatonin. This chemical already occurs naturally in your body, but taking just a tiny bit more helps to get you to sleep quickly. After reading the wiki page, I also see that I can cut these tablets in half and still have the same effect, so it’s like I just doubled my money!
Exercise. The Beau likes to work out at the beginning of the day, because it energizes him and makes him feel good. He is also a morning person. I don’t even start to really hit my functioning stride until 1pm, so the thought of doing rigorous exercise in the morning sounds akin to getting a root canal before running a marathon. The great news is, I don’t have to do it in the morning. My body works so that when I do my workout in the early evening, instead of being amped and energizing, it knows that this is the end the day. Plus, I don’t feel as bad eating pizza when I worked out 15 minutes before. 
The lightest of scents. I have a very picky nose. I know a lot of people that say that and then wear ounces of perfume, but I can assure you, if you wear too much perfume/hairspray/garlic pills, I will stay further away from you than is socially acceptable. But, if you fill your bedroom with the slightest of jasmine scents, it’s highly probably I will curl up on your pillow like a giant cat.
Epsom Salt soak. I do not like baths at all. But, when you fill a warm bath with Epsom salts? Sign me up! Did you know that magnesium is an element in regenerative sleep? And soaking in Epsom salts – or, magnesium sulfate – is a great way to get a bunch of it?
This is not a sponsored post. I just like recommending things I love.
My Home Bar: La Paloma
Does everyone live somewhere with access to Jarritos? I guess I have taken this for granted, just as people from back East get their My-T-Fine Pudding. Well, I have had a Jarritos in my day, and let me tell you, adding tequila to it only makes it better. I have never had the grapefruit flavor before, so here’s to delving into new jarrito-ry. Yes, I am thrilled I got to work in a Jarritos pun.
La Paloma, via Esquire:
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2 ounces tequila
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1/2 ounce lime juice
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pinch of salt
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grapefruit soda
Glass Type: Collins glass
Instructions
Combine the tequila (reposado, preferably), lime juice, and salt in a tall glass. Add ice, top off with grapefruit soda, and stir. The soda can be hard to find; we prefer the Mexican Jarritos brand, but anything will do, even, at last resort, lemon-lime soda with a splash of grapefruit juice. Some prefer the salt on the rim of the glass, but we say just throw it in. Others omit it entirely. Don’t.
Mother’s Day All Week!
Home is Where Your Mom Is, via Moglea
Well, really, isn’t every day Mother’s Day?
This week I will be doing all kinds of posts relating to MOMS!
Day 1: Cards.
Why would I start the week with cards, you ask? Well, for those of you a little further away (or if your mom enjoys mail), so you have time to choose and send a card before next Sunday!
There are a LOT of really great cards out there for moms, as I have written about them before, but I have updated that list with a few more:
Top: Mom, Grandma and Abuela cards from Paper Pastries; Mom who taught me everything, from Rifle Paper;
Bottom: Floral MOM, from Rifle Paper (many more Rifle cards – I want to get them all!); Queen for a day Crown Card, from Present and Correct
Also, for the tattoo-lovin’ mommy:
Parlor Tattoo PrintsGet your card in the mail soon, and join me again when I chat about Mother’s Day printables and crafts!
