Don Draper has one, why shouldn’t you? That’s right, I am talking about a bar cart. I bought a bar cart at the Lucketts Store for $125 (identical to #4) last year. As I mentioned in Kirsten Krason’s Good Design with Kids in Mind series, sometimes you have to make concessions in decor with kids. Because I still have two little ones who might literally drink a bottle of Grey Goose, I use it more as a tea cart in our dining room.
I love the look and functionality of a well-styled bar cart. They are a great solution if you don’t have a bar, have limited cabinet space or just like to get your drink on. If you are in the market, check out the bar carts that made it onto Kiki’s List:
Everyone was running scared of the Salmon clan this weekend. Luckily E was able to recover in time to enjoy some of the festivities that we had planned. I, on the other hand, was benched. I was so bummed to miss out on Halloween with my girls. I have not eaten in two days, and there seems to be no end in sight.
Here are some pictures from the Halloween parade on Friday. I know that I have sung her praises before, but did I mention that my mother-in-law is also a talented seamstress? She made the girls’ costumes. While 99% of the population has no idea of who they are, these are some big characters in our house. E is Merliah Summers from Barbie and the Mermaid Tale and Anna is Toodee from Yo Gabba Gabba, of course.
WARNING.. Not advised to read unless you have a strong stomach, or are a Mom. The literature below is extremely…. well….gross.
Poor E- she had lice for 4th of July, strep for Labor Day, and we are really hoping that she is able to kick this stomach flu for Halloween. As most of you know, she started vomiting on Tuesday night. Well, yesterday we sent her to school for the first time because she seemed to be feeling much better. The girls’ school also had their annual Halloween parade, which is a big deal to these kiddos. So, off she went.
Mike and I showed up at 4:00 for the parade, and all seemed to be fine. She had a great day at school, and was so excited for the weekend to come. After the parade, we headed over to Chick-fil-A with friends. All of a sudden, I hear that E is in the bathroom crying… I knew it couldn’t be good. However, it couldn’t be much worse. Poor E had thought she just had to “toot”, but unfortunately, it was a lot more than a toot. The technical term for this is sharting. Whether or not they like to admit it, it happens to everyone at least once in their life. Back to E- let’s just say I had to throw away her panties, go to the car to get her new pants (Thank God I had some) and complete a rigorous clean up in that bathroom stall.
I thought the worst was behind us, oh what a fool I was. We got her home, put her in the tub, and all seemed to be okay. We headed down to the basement as a family to watch Scared Shrekless, which was awesome by the way. Throughout the movie there was a little toot here or there, and with each gastric explosion I would jump up and ask her if she was ok. All was good, or so I thought. Then it happened. The shart of all sharts. It all happened so fast, I am still perplexed by the whole thing. First, the shart, then E started screaming and flinging her arms in the air. I saw her trying to get her panties off. As I screamed “No, no, no!”, her soiled panties were flying through the air. Not my best motherly moment, but I lost it. I had been covered in vomit and feces for three days now, and finally broke. She got the couch, the dog, the rug, the pillows, there was even poop on her forehead. Mike heard the screaming and came running downstairs. We have a shower in our basement, so in it she went. And then the clean up began. I started the laundry and put E in clean clothes as Mike had to wash poor Bailey outside with a hose. After that, he left for a poker game that he had been looking forward to all week.
Now it was time for bed. I thought, this poor baby can’t have any more poop left in her body… I mean she hasn’t eaten in almost three days! I still had some Little Swimmers left in the linen closet, and surprisingly, she wanted to wear one. I read her two books and off she went. I crept into my bed, finished some e-mails and caught up on a few shows. I think I fell asleep around 12:30 or so. At 1:30 I heard the doors to my bedroom open and E was crying saying “it happened again!” I guided her to the bathroom, and put her in the tub. Her sheets were soiled beyond belief and she was crying hysterically. (Can we talk about how Little Swimmers don’t work AT ALL!) I could not have her wake up Lou, so I texted Mike and told him that I needed him to come home. He was here within 10 minutes. This time I stripped the bed, Mike got E dressed, and took her to bed.
This morning she has eaten toast, and drank some water (the menu of a prisoner) and so far so good. We are keeping our fingers crossed, as we have so many fun events and parties planned this weekend.
The Ann Taylor Loft brand was established in 1996 as a more casual, more affordable version of the Ann Taylor brand. Up until last spring, I was unimpressed. Ann Taylor LOFT, now renamed LOFT has been bringing their “A” game as of late. Check out the fantastic fall items that made it onto Kiki’s List:
My day started at 3:30 this morning when E climbed into bed with me. I knew she wasn’t feeling well, so I opened up the covers and wrapped my arms around her. When Mike is traveling, she likes to sleep on my side. She told me she was thirsty. I told her that there was a bottle of water on my nightstand that she could have a sip of. I heard one gulp and then “RRRHHALLLKKKK!” Projectile vomit all over my room. Not only was she covered- she got the sheets, the duvet, the bed skirt, the throw pillows that were on the floor next to the bed and worst of all.. there were chunks all over the white carpet.
I quickly sprang into action. Rinsed her down, stripped the bedding, the pillowcases and threw it all into the washer. I grabbed my can of spot shot (we keep a can on every level of our house) and kept applying, and applying, and applying… No dice. This stain was not going away (and neither was the smell.) Before leaving to drop Anna off at school, I hopped online to stanleysteemer.com.
Say what you want about jingles, but I had seen their commercials so many times, they were the first name that came to mind. I was able to schedule same day cleaning and I received a $25 discount for booking online. Within two hours I received a call that the crew was on their way. John and Rolando showed up at my door. I showed them the infamous spot, and a few others and they told me that they thought that they could get them out. I, on the other hand, was convinced we were going to have to trash this carpeting… but since we have a five year old, a two year old and a dog, I would really like to get a few more years out of it.
John and Rolando cleaned my entire upstairs and all of my area rugs within two hours. The stains? Completely gone. They also recommended a deodorizer to help with the smell… and now my bedroom is smelling like daisies.
Long story short- if you need your carpets cleaned, these are your guys… Ask for John and Rolando.
When we finished our basement, I was sure to put dibs on a space to build a craft room. I think it is so crucial to foster creativity in our children. As art and music programs are being cut at record levels within our schools, it is up to parents to pick up where the school systems are failing our youth.
Since I entered the blogosphere I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing people. Through the the virtual universe I have been introduced to new things and ideas that I never would have had the pleasure of experiencing without the miracle of modern technology.
This craft suite makes my little craft room look like a dump. Margaret has done an amazing job of mixing colors and textures that appeal to both kids and adults alike.
Can you believe this puppet show booth? What little one wouldn’t LOVE that?
I think it’s safe to say that everyone loves a good smokey eye. However, many women steer clear of this make-up maneuver for fear of 1. looking like a streetwalker and 2. looking like you slept in yesterday’s make-up. Obviously, neither of these options are appealing.
Fear no more ladies… Follow these 6 steps to smokey eye bliss. You can even do it yourself! To ensure you have a clean application be sure to do your eyes first, clean up any residue on your face, then apply concealer and foundation. Also, to avoid looking like a street walker, make sure to keep your lips nude, with only a touch of gloss. And lastly, easy on the blush ladies….
1. Prep your lids. Also known as a primer, these products keep your make-up from melting off. I love Trish McEvoyand MAC.
2. Apply Eyeliner. Although I generally use liquid liner, a powder applied with an eyeliner brush is best for smokey eyes. You could spend a lot of money on different colors, but my girl Bobbi has put it all together for you here. Start at the inner corner and work your way out. Make the line a bit thicker in the middle of the lid, then bring it back down as you move outward.
3. Line your lower lids. Use the same powder on the lower lid, apply generously, then smudge with your finger. Tip: Powder will sprinkle your face. I tend to lick tip tip of a Q-Tip to clean up under eye area.
4. Apply base color. Pick a cream, shimmery color to apply over top lid. Start at the inner corner and bring it up to your brow bone.
5. Blend, Blend, Blend. Start at the lash line and blend upwards. Essentially, the eyeliner “line” should disappear.
6. Apply a TON of mascara. I always go with jet black. This is my absolute favorite mascara.
Talk about smoke and mirrors- if you are still afraid… there’s always this. No matter your technique- smoke it up, then grab your clutch, put on your embellished heels and hit the town!
