Bucket List...

Do you have a bucket list?  Mine's constantly evolving, but here's what's on it today...

Go here:

Kalima Resort & Spa, Phuket, Thailand

Do this:

I so wish that a SurfSET class would make its way to Vermont.  It's highly more likely that the class will make it here before any actual waves do...

Goal:

If you want to be picky, I could technically check this off my list already, because I've done headstands in my yoga class before.  But the goal I have is to be able to do one on my own, without feeling like I'm going to break myself.

PS:  Sorry for the overly beach-themed post.  Seems like kind of a tease this time of year.  But t's cold and nasty outside today, and I needed to imagine some happy, warm, coconut-scented breezes.

PPS:  The very second that my in-transit shipment of fragrance oils arrives at my doorstep, I'll begin concocting the above mentioned scent.  Stay tuned...


Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey

Headstand image from Yoga Pose Weekly

Sleep-training and pacifier woes...

We've had some seriously rough nights in our house lately with The Baby.  Basically, he naps beautifully during the day, goes to sleep at night perfectly with no protest, and then every night around 2am the shit ever-lovingly obliterates the fan.  Oh thank you, Tessa, for introducing me to Alphamom.  In this post, one of her readers wrote in with a question that is, verbatim  my exact dilemma.   It was nice to know that I'm not alone in my struggles.     

We started "sleep-training" back in September, and it actually went swimmingly (sort-of).  As far as getting The Baby to sleep it was a slam dunk, but I think it was also the beginning of a serious pacifier issue we're now stuck with.  Here's what's happening... I put him in bed awake, as all the "experts" say I should do, and he's 5 months old now, so also according to those "experts," no longer requires a middle-of-the-night feeding.  The hang-up we're having right now is that when he wakes up at 2am there are 2 scenarios.  I either go in as soon as he starts crying, put his pacifier back in, he immediately falls back to sleep (also proving the fact that he doesn't need to eat then), and he may stay that way until 6:30am, or continue every hour or two with the same deal.  The 2nd scenario, which we've been trying to power though for the last two nights is that when he starts to cry at 2am, we do nothing.  I lay there, bug-eyed awake, refraining from clawing my eyeballs out with guilt, listening to him cry, and cry, and cry, and... I'm becoming more and more jealous of my husband by the second, because he can sleep through anything, so he's unable to lay awake with me and share my gut-wrenching misery of listening to our baby wail while I consciously do nothing to help him.

Last night The Baby woke up while we were getting ready for bed also.  So we continued with the trend of the night before, and let him cry.  He only cried for a few minutes, and got himself right back to sleep.  We were feeling pretty smug about it at that point, thinking we were going to be those parents that only have to endure one night of screaming, and come out on the other sun-shiny end of things with a baby who miraculously taught himself not to freak out in the middle of the night anymore.  Not so much.  2am rolled around, and he was right back at it.  Worse than the night before.

So... do I continue going in and putting the pacifier back so he (and I) can drift happily back to sleep, but also have no idea when that charade will end?  Will I still be getting up in the middle of the night when he's 2?  For the love of God!  Or do I suck it up and listen to him scream until he figures out that he has assholes for parents that aren't going to come in and make him feel better when he cries in the middle of the night?  Should I just let him come to that reality as early as possible?

Everyone says that if letting him cry doesn't feel right, then it's probably not the right method for us.  And it doesn't feel right.  It feels fucking awful.  But so does waking up a billion times a night to go put a pacifier back in.  Sleeping in tiny little 1-2 hour bursts every night for the last 5 months feels awful also.  Anyone able to share some thoughts on this?  Anyone?  Bueller?


Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey

Here is the list you asked for...

Dear Husband.  Please start reading my blog so that you can stop asking what I want for Christmas... Then immediately stop again, so that I can continue posting embarrassing stories and photos of you without your knowledge.

Yes, some of these are duplicate entries from this post, but that's OK.  In translation for husbands... If she talks/posts/nags about it over and over again, she wicked wants it...

Also, this would probably be a whole lot easier for both of us if we'd just go back to what we had been doing for gifts in years past...Nothing.

1.  Earbuds.  I don't care if they're the Diane Von Fursenberg ones.  They just need to be able to blast the Beastie Boys into my ears at unsafe decibel levels while I pretend I'm running much faster than I really am.

2.  MCMC Fragrance samples.  I'd like to try Maine, Maui, and/or Love.     

3.  This clutch (if it comes back in stock in time).  Otherwise it'll be my next sewing project.

4.  Yoga pants.  Size Medium.  Bonus:  These could double as comfy-pants for couch time.  So those ones you don't like so much would come out less often...

5.  In-home spa time with mud mask, face cream (not pictured), and pumpkin-oatmeal scrub (also not pictured). Pumpkin!

6.  Out-of-the-house spa time.

PS:  These are not in order of wicked-want to kind-of-want.  If you need them in order, they are as follows, starting with most-wicked-wanted: 4, 5, 2, 1, 3, 6.

Thanks for stopping by,

-Lindsey

Why you're a good Mom...

My fellow blogger friend, Tessa, just posted a link to another fantastic post that I feel I have to keep going.  It warrants sharing over and over until every mother on the planet has it sunk into her brain... So check out this post entitled, "Why You're Never Failing as a Mother."

My favorite quote from the whole thing... "Feeling like you also need to keep on top of scrapbooking, weight loss, up-cycled onesies, handprints, crock pot meals, car seat recalls, sleeping patterns, poo consistency, pro-biotic supplements, swimming lessons, electromagnetic fields in your home and television exposure, is like trying to knit on a rollercoaster – it’s fucking hard."

Are your kids getting fed?  Do they have clothes?  Do they smile occasionally?  Yes?  Then you're doing fine.

There are definitely ups and downs to motherhood.  Trying to keep up with the Jones' is definitely one of the downs.  There's enormous pressure out there from (unfortunately) other Mothers.  It's hard not to see those around us with what looks like the ideal situation, and not try to measure up.  Please, PLEASE resist the urge to do so.  We (I) sometimes feel inadequate because I don't always meet the "standards" as far as breastfeeding, finances, the coolest toys, the nicest car, brand-name clothes, bilingual toddlers, and so on and so forth...  Well, for all that I say this:  My first son got teeth at 4 months of age (and used them), so I quit breastfeeding shortly thereafter.  We adopted our second son, and therefore I (obviously) didn't have any milk come in at all for that one, and he's been formula fed from day one.  I have no guilt about either one (Gasp!).  I quit my big-girl job a year ago to be home with my kids.  No I didn't get fired or laid off, so yes, it was a voluntary decision to have a way smaller balance in our bank account.  Also something I'm not sorry about, or harbor any guilt over.  My kids have fun with the toys they have, they get around fine in the car I drive, they do have brand-name clothes, but they're almost 100% 2nd hand, I'm thrilled if they learn English properly, and if they want to learn a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th language they're welcome to do so, and teach me too.  By someone's standards my kids are far from perfect.  But I like them just fine, and since they're mine, mine is the opinion that matters.

Besides, my Dad always says, "When you're perfect, there's nowhere to go but down."  I like the fact that my kids have the opportunity to feel what it's like to climb up instead of down...


Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey

Getting something (anything) done...

As someone who is a stay-at-home Mom, and also a small business owner (I guess that makes me a work-at-home Mom), I usually feel like there aren't enough hours in the day.  I know I'm not alone with this feeling.  It's something every mother on the face of the planet struggles with.  I believe the level of busy is usually described as "busier than a one-legged-man in an ass-kicking contest."  But truth be told, sometimes it's not that I'm SO busy.  It's that I'm SO busy thinking about all the stuff that needs to get done that I get overwhelmed at the size of the list, freeze, and set about doing all kind of other things instead of what has to be done.  So, yes, I'm constantly busy, and then, inevitably, in a downward spiral of feeling even more unsuccessful when the list keeps piling up, and I still haven't checked anything off.  Ugh...

Solution?  This List.  You could make your own, but let's face it, you don't have time...

Seriously, Folks, this is the key to success.  Breaking your giant list into smaller, more manageable parts makes is far less daunting, and far more likely to end up with items checked off.


Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey

Santa Baby: Gift Guide for her (me)...

I'm always blown away by the gift guides in magazines this time of year.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's a wildly fantastic gaggle of gifts ideas they come up with, but I always find them just a tad unrealistic for me.  Maybe you'd buy your Mom a $275 candle, but, not me.  Sorry Mom.  Yes, you're worth it.  But the penny-pincher in me would silently scream every time you lit it, like you were slowly melting away a bar of gold or something.  So I came up with my own gift guide this year.  This is the type of stuff I feel you can't go wrong with (at least for me, anyway)...

1.  A timeless, yet unique clutch (and this one in particular is surprisingly inexpensive, and completely handmade).

2.  A cozy flannel.  This one has some cool detail that makes it a bit more nifty than your standard button-down option.

3.  Any pair of low-heeled, rugged-tread boots is a friend of mine.

4.  I can't have enough scarves, and this one supports a great cause also.

5.  Yes, I make my own perfume, but that doesn't mean I'm not still intrigued by the ones others make also.  This one and this one, both by MCMC Fragrances, are on my short list of ones to try.

6.  A little pampering, like from this handmade mud mask, is always a welcome gift.

7.  A new Yoga mat.

8.  A super sweet skull to sit on my mantel. 

9.  A new set of dishes, because we can't seem to stop chipping pieces off the ones we have.

10.  Seriously, Folks, you have no idea how difficult it is to find a not-creepy Gnome.  This little guy passes the test and would look awesome in my garden next to Alice, my lavender plant.  Yes, the lavender plant is named Alice.  She came to me already named from the farmer I purchased her from last Summer.  One part very odd, and 2 parts completely awesome.

Thanks for stopping by,

-Lindsey     

The renegades of Renegade...

The Home T

To be completely honest, my journey to the Renegade Holiday Craft Fair in Brooklyn last weekend was kind of a bust financially.  Hurricane Sandy really did a number on the wallets of the crafting community when she swept through and tied up people's funds right before a major show came to town.  But what an amazing group of folks to show up anyway, put on a happy face, and try like hell to sell all the stuff they'd just spend months making for this event.   AND, even though it pretty much sucked financially, it was totally awesome in every other way.  The people I met there were so fun and creative, and great company to spend the weekend with.  We were all comrades in our freezing cold tents.  We all got each other coffee, shared stories, and  traded products so we could still get cool stuff even though we hadn't made the funds for extravagant purchases.   And in the wake of dismal sales, to still be able to come home and say, "that was fun," says something seriously awesome about the company I kept while I was there.

So I'd like to share with you some of the most truly amazing people I've ever met, and the truly amazing stuff they make...

Loren Caledonia

~Loren Caledonia.  This woman was my booth mate, and made seriously cool pieces of jewelry that were all totally my style.  If I'd made enough money to have some spending cash while I was there, I'd have had one of her necklaces in a heartbeat.  Not to mention the fact that she was a seriously cool chick to hang out with.  Admittedly, I was very nervous about who the show staff would pair me up with and if I'd be able to tolerate being 4 feet away from them all weekend.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun she was.   

Sweet Anthem

~Meredith Smith of Sweet Anthem.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and admit that I've been cyber-stalking Meredith for a while now, and was so excited when I found out that she was going to be at Renegade.  One, it gave me a major confidence boost to be chosen as a vendor along with someone of her talents, but two, it was going to give me a chance for this groupie to meet the star.  She did not disappoint.  She was super sweet, and every one of her perfumes was fantastic.  I went to bed Saturday night still smelling my wrist where I'd tested one of her fragrances.  Ew, that all sounded a little too "Cable guy" creepy...  In short, she rocks, so does her stuff, you should buy it.
~Ryan, and his lovely fiance of The Home T.  This guy had our great sense of humor for the weekend.  I'm on the waiting list for when they start making a Vermont T.

Rebel & Mercury

~Nikki Sherritt of Rebel & Mercury.  This girl was stuck right next to one of the openings in the tent, and was freezing her tush off the entire time, and had a huge smile on her face anyway.  That's true grit, folks.  Oh, and she makes amazing perfume, and also a line of candles that are giant and smell so amazing.

Haven Clean

~Kayce White of Haven Clean & Simple.  She made a point of making the rounds in the morning and chatting with other vendors, and her positive attitude was infectious.
~Jessica of Side Show Soaps.  I traded lotions with her, and am currently wearing the one called "Sword Swallower," which has a really great Coconut and ginger tea fragrance.  I so needed the warmth of this scent over the weekend to remind me of more tropical places, and take my mind off the bitter cold in our tents.  A jar of her scrub in the same scent is on my Christmas list for myself.

Side Show Soaps

So if you're going to be crowd bowling on Black Friday, Supporting a Small Business on Small Business Saturday, or giving your credit card a workout on Cyber Monday, keep these folks in mind.  They're great people with great products, and they all managed to smile and make everyone's life a little more fun through a weekend of dismal sales.  They rock.  Support them.


Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey