New Tunes for Tuesday

I just got back from a really fun weekend away with some of my good girlfriends and Kevin is off all week! I am feeling really thankful as I type this. I am so blessed to have such good friends. I had such an amazing time with them all and it was good to get away. And it was good to miss my kids and husband! Sometimes I take them for granted. My heart feels really full!!

While I have a little time, I wanted to post about one of my new music faves: Greg Laswell. He's from Cali and has been around for a couple of years and I am really enjoying his sound. You may have heard his music on shows like 'Without A Trace', 'Grey's Anatomy' (which has really become a stupid show by the way), 'The Hills' and many more. He is also pretty tight with the super talented Ingrid Michaelson. I guess if you like labels, you would call his music "alternative." What really pulled me in is the depth and personality in his writing - each song tells a story. His voice is so comforting too. Like a worn in pair of jeans.

I have both of his albums and they've both been playing 24/7 since I got them a couple of months ago!! I don't think I will ever tire of them!! The first album is called 'Through Toledo.' Here are a couple of songs from that..... it was harder to find them on youtube because it's an older album.....

'Sing, Teresa Says'


'High and Low' - Live and so amazing!!!


The newest album is called 'Three Flights From Alto Nido' and it is superb! The name of the album translates to "high nest" in Spanish. He said that three flights up means that you're on your way to the high nest though you're not quite there yet. Cool, huh?

'Comes and Goes' - I love this one. It's about the tough times we all deal with at some point in our lives and how everything comes and goes in waves of good and bad. You just have to wait for the next wave and ride it to see where it goes!


'How the Day Sounds' - LOVE it


'Days Go On'


'The One I Love'


'And Then You' - sweet, slow song


There are so many other beautiful songs on both albums that I wasn't able to share because they aren't on youtube!!! So if you like what you've heard here, check the rest of his music out on amazon or playlist. Every single song of his is amazing and worth listening to over and over!!!!

VD stands for....

Valentine's Day!! Well, also venereal disease. But anyways, check out my cheesy Valentine's Day playlist!!! It's super fun and as commercial/hallmark holiday as VD is, I still like it. My absolute favorite thing about it is the candy hearts! Why?? Because they are made by Necco. Remember those Necco wafers?? They are my favorite!!! Anywho, I was excited to change the playlist because I was bored with the other one and ready for January to be over! Pretty much all of the songs have the word 'love' in them. Speaking of love, Happy 23rd birthday to my baby brother Ben!!!! I love you!

Things That Suck

Did any of you see SNL last weekend when Will Forte sang one of his hilarious songs on Weekend Update?? It was basically him singing about things he didn't like, but pretending he DID like them. So it was funny. See???

So I thought instead of flipping out about how cold it is here (it's -40 here with the wind chill), I would follow in Will's footsteps and be all sarcastic about it. So here's MY list of things that suck even MORE than this awful cold weather. See how I'm looking on the bright side??? In no particular order......I dislike:

-whiney kids
-hemroids
-adult acne
-stepping in dog poop
-going to the dentist OR the OB/GYN
-shepard's pie (you know, that awful casserole with mashed potatoes, canned green beans and ground beef?? please don't ever make that for me)
-Steve Winwood songs (I just can't stand his voice)
-toothpaste spit on the bathroom mirror
-puking/cleaning up someone else's puke
-stepping on a lego/legos
-paying bills
-being stuck in traffic
-heartburn
-going to the ER
-hangovers
-puppy mills
-potholes
-cold coffee
-stretch marks
-broken stuff (appliances, bones, etc)
-annoying people
-getting electricuted
-the stock market
-spam
-the Cubs/the Bears (sorry, people but they do)
-hair in inappropriate places (ear, nose, back - just effing SHAVE IT!)
-speedos
-Mondays
-getting sniffed in the crotch by a dog
-mad cow disease
-having the sewer back up in your house aka poop in your basement shower
-Walmart
-when your favorite show gets canceled
-the hiccups
-explosive diarrhea OR extreme constipation
-war
-getting the wrong order at the drive through
-car door dings
-when people steal your stuff
-missing socks
-telemarketers or when 'toll free call' comes up on the caller id
-decaf coffee or better yet, coffee grounds IN your cup of coffee
-bosses
-the return line at the store
-running out of gas
-repetative noises (tapping, pen clicking, jingling change - STOP IT NOW!)
-public restrooms
-ATM charges
-urinary tract infections
-taxes
-cartoons like The Family Guy or The Simpsons
-when your card gets declined
-crowds
-deadbeat parents
-dumb people



I am sure I could sit here all day and think of more things that suck! And I am sure you could add to the list - feel free to leave some more here. But looking on the bright side, these things all suck more than -40 degrees!!! Don't ever say that I'm not an optimistic person.

Listening to....

Since the holidays are over (boo!) and the Christmas music is put away, I have been listening to a lot of new music and busting out a few old albums too! I thought instead of the typical New Music Monday post, I would just blog about some of my favorite albums - my "must haves."



I have been listening to a lot of the album 'Singles' by Travis. You know them. They've been around forever. Like a good wine, they've only gotten better with age. This particular album is a bunch of their earlier singles. It's a nice way to get acquainted with the band if you've never really given them a good listen before now. Here are a few of my favorites!!!



"Sing"


"Driftwood"


"Writing to Reach You"


"Why Does It Always Rain On Me"


"Flowers In The Window" - weirdest music video EVER! Everyone is pregnant!


"Side"


"Walking In the Sun"


"Love Will Come Through"


I have also just ordered their 2007 album 'The Boy With No Name.' It has quite a few great songs on it as well!!! Here are a few!!!



"Closer"


"Big Chair"


"Battleships"


"My Eyes"


So that's what been playing around here as of late! I love the meloncholy, folk vibe Travis has going on. Plus, they're Scottish and as the old saying goes "if it's not Scottish, it's crap!" They have another album that just came out in 2008 which I have not had to pleasure of listening to YET. But I will get to it for sure!! For now, enjoy a little Travis on me!!

Cabin Fever

The holidays are over and we have a long stretch of winter ahead of us, folks. It's only the beginning on January, yet the cabin fever is beginning to set in already. As a mom, I can only try so hard to muster up excitement for the winter activities my kids enjoy - snow days of sledding, hot cocoa, etc. I am already so over it! The fact that it gets dark so fricking early is not helping either. People are so crabby too!! Have you noticed that or is it just me? Post-holiday letdown is in full effect, so watch out!

I am dreaming of summer!! Cooking out, sangria/margaritas on the patio, going out for ice cream, bike rides around the lake, running through the sprinkler, chatting with the neighbors in the backyard while the kids run around... I will NOT complain about winter because it is so counter productive. Not to mention the fact that I know I am not alone in feeling like this. You're stuck inside, you move less and eat more. It's easy to get down! I looked around online and found a list of things (on http://www.momstoday.com) that you can do to "fight cabin fever." Here they are, in no particular order:

1) Don't be alone too much. This is especially key for homeschoolers like myself. Get together with friends, other moms, family. Even if you can't go out, it's nice to have people over for coffee and just talk.

2) Take some time to relax. Find something that helps you calm down a focus. For me, I love a nice, warm bath. Even though I shower every morning, I like to take a bath every night with candles and just chill. Whatever relaxes you, do that!!!

3) Do something fun together! A craft, cooking dinner, reading poetry or a good book. We like to put on some loud music at least once a day and bust a move. It gets the blood flowing and helps with that pent up energy from being stuck inside.

4) Get out. Even though it's cold and bundling up really sucks, it's important to get fresh air and some sunlight on a regular basis. Germs are so bad because we're all stuck inside with the heat on and windows closed. Taking a quick walk or even opening the windows a crack for a few minutes each day really helps.

5) Help someone in need. During the holidays there are lots of clothing and food drives, but people need clothes and food all year round. Clean out that closet, load up the car and make a donation to your local Good Will. It will make you feel better to declutter AND you'll be helping someone else in the process. Being thankful for what we have and counting our blessings is always a lift to the spirits.

6) Fight the winter blues by bringing a little summer into your life. Have an indoor beach party - complete with a picnic, summer food/drinks, music. *OR* Embrace the time of year - have a pajama day, read books, wear fuzzy slipper, have homemade soup and warm, comfort food. Play fun slumber party games like Twister and Scrabble!

7) Take up a hobby, take a class. It's always good to learn something new!

8) Stay active! It's so easy to over-eat and become a couch potato in the winter. But your body and mind feel so much better when you get exercise on a regular basis. There are lots of great workout dvds out there!!

9) Laugh. It's a known stress reliever. And it's the one contagious thing most people don't mind catching!

10) Know that winter won't last forever!! We've already made it past the longest day of the year! Things can only go up from here!

Everybody always says "take care of yourself or you can't take care of anyone else." It's hard to do that when there are barely enough hours in the day to get everything done. But it's so true. Times are hard and there is so much negativity out there. It's easy to become stressed and overwhelmed especially at this time of year! But it doesn't have to be that way.

I took the time to put together a special 'cabin fever buster' playlist of my favorite summer songs. It will either help you with its happy, upbeatness or it will piss you off. Either way, chin up!!! Together, with these special tools, we can all fight cabin fever!!!

Finished!

Well, one room down and one more to go and we will officially be carpet free! We're hoping that will help with all the allergies and it certainly looks better. I still have to rework the decor a little bit in here, but for now here's what I did:









I took out a nightstand and angled Kevin's chest in the corner. I think it creates the illusion of more space. Plus, I felt it was a little too symetrical with the nightstands and matching lamps. Too matchy matchy. I took out the fake tree because I am so over it. It was a dust magnet and it was fake. What was I thinking with that??? Instead I think I am going to buy a comfy, white armchair from IKEA and black floor lamp and make the other corner next to the nightstand a little reading area - if there's room and I think there is. I also took the bedskirt off of the bed because it really served no purpose. I'd like to get some of the under-the-bed baskets for linens and other things instead. I am also thinking of all white bedding, but am not sure yet. I still need to get a couple of things for the top of my dresser and nightstand - maybe some pillar candles or a vase for flowers?? Not sure yet!!!

I'm happy to have this room done! I think a lot of people neglect their master bedrooms and here is why I think that's a mistake: it's the only space in your home that's just yours. It should be somewhere you can go and feel relaxed, not just a place where you throw your clothes and go to sleep at night. So get some paint in a color you love and clean up the clutter!! You'll be glad you did!

Time for Progress

2009 is here!!! Time for a fresh beginning! Kevin and I (well, mostly me) decided that we were sick of looking at unfinished projects and that January 1st was the perfect day to get started on some of them. So, we did some demo.

Lots of dust in the air!!!


Child labor....j/k - Ethan is a future do-it-yourselfer!! He loves helping us!!


We ripped the carpet up out of our room and were able to get the new subfloor down yesterday. This afternoon after Kevin gets home from work, we'll begin putting the new floor down. It is always so liberating to get that gross carpet out of here!! One room down, one more to go!!!!

One little project I forgot to post about that deserves some attention is our little tile facelift. I found these super cool vinyl decals for tiles online and put them on the tiles surrounding the bathtub in the master bathroom. They were VERY affordable!! Kevin had to help me because it was hard to get them straight and I have no patience. It turned out pretty cute and I think it adds some more interest over the plain, whiteness that was there before....





Here is the website you can purchase them from:
http://www.2jane.com/mibo-tile-sticker-tattoos.aspx

And thanks to a holiday giftcard from my mom and dad, I was able to go out and purchase a pretty rug for the front room. The only drawback to not having carpet is how cold the floor is in the winter. But the rugs help and look so pretty!! I got this one from Lowes....



Well, that's all for right now! I will post pictures of the completed bedroom when it's done and put back together. After taking a nice break from all these projects, I feel like I have renewed focus and energy!! There's something to be said for doing it yourself!