Friday Things
1. I’m a couple of weeks late on this, but I couldn’t forget Joseph’s 6-month picture (we took a million pictures and couldn’t get him to take his hand out of his mouth)! Here’s a snapshot of what he’s been up to:
Stats: 25¾ inches tall and 16 lb 4 oz
Likes: Duke & Einstein, books, baths, rolling
Dislikes: Getting his hands wiped, sitting still
Favorite Toys: Activity jumper, bendy ball, take-along tunes, and his figure 8 teether.
Favorite Foods: Bananas, applesauce, sweet potatoes
It’s been so much fun to see his personality emerge and watch him observe his world and learn all sorts of new things. It’s amazing!
2. Tomorrow night, my husband and I are going out on our first date night since Joseph was born. I’m excited, but hate leaving the little guy.
3. What’s your favorite hand cream? Go!
4. Last Saturday, I was driving to the grocery store when I heard Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train” on the radio. It totally took me back to middle school, and then I got to thinking about how when I was in high school I always listened to the “alternative” radio station. Do kids still listen to alt-rock or is it all pop now?
5. I signed this petition to ensure that foods are labeled appropriately. I definitely want to know what I’m eating! If you feel the same way, click over and sign!
6. This food storage 101 graphic is an awesome reminder of the best way to store food in the refrigerator and freezer.
7. I have never packed an actual picnic (wah!), but this post on 12 Secrets for the Perfect Picnic has me totally inspired!
8. This is a fantastic article on how dogs can sense when people are sick, in pain and even dying. It was awesome to watch Einstein interact with my grandma as her health began to decline when we were all living at my mom’s house a number of years ago. The week before my grandma ended up in the hospital (and never came back home), Einstein refused to sleep anywhere but ON her bed. He had never slept there before, and not even treats could coax him away from her (and he will do ANYTHING for food). Dogs are truly amazing souls.
9. We finally got around to watching the first episode of season three of House of Cards, and… MEH. I heard so many poor reviews, but we LOVED the first two seasons so much, I had hope. However, we’re not even motivated enough to watch the second episode… does it get any better??
10. TGIF! Last weekend, I was the last one to go upstairs one night, and when I turned the corner to head upstairs, I saw this… Einstein waited up for me… such a sweet dog! :)
Joseph is just the cutest little guy ever! I am due to have a little boy one month from today and I have a two year old golden retriever. I enjoy reading your post every Friday to see how my life will change in just a short period of time. Thanks for linking that products/toys that Joseph likes!
My favorite regular daily use hand lotion is Cruel Itch Defense. It soothes dry, itchy skin and absorbs quickly, and isn’t greasy. For a more heavy duty hand cream, I love Look Ma, New Hands or Super Rich Hand Cream from the True Blue Spa line at Bath and Body Works.
OMG! Curel, not Cruel!
LOVED the story about Einstein & your Grandma. So amazing!
#3 Theraseal. It’s odorless and super gentle but also thick and protective, almost a barrier cream. I work in a hospital and have to wash my hands a lot, and this is the only lotion I use to prevent chopping.
Joseph is adorable! I love is squishy little legs. 16 lbs! I miss those days. My baby is going to kindergarten this fall and I still love picking her up and snuggling with her little face.
Hand creme: I hate to think about it because I don’t need any in the summer but my favorites in the dry dry months of winter are Yu-Be for serious repair and Soap & Glory’s Hand Food for everyday use. It smells just delicious!
I cannot wait to try the ice-cream sandwich recipe! Happy weekend!
Joseph is just so darn cute! I own a Jack Russell and he is super smart and so aware of our emotions as a family. Whenever anyone is upset, he hops on their lap and gives a few licks to remind us we are not alone. I have to write down those hand cream recommendations because I have very dry hands and haven’t been able to find something that helps. House of Cards was disappointing this season but I think it’s building to something better. I am on season 4 of Scandal and I love it!
He is so cute!!
And laughing, as I’ve never “packed an actual picnic” either :) I think it’s the thought of all the bugs that just puts me off them. Plus, here in Thailand, it’s just too darned hot.
My recommendation for lotion:
Gold Bond Ultimate Restoring CoQ10
There isn’t any other lotion that works quite like this one for me, even other Gold Bond ones, that heals in the winter and keeps my hands nice in the summer. I love it! Happy 6 months to Joseph! Happy news for me, I became (a young) Grammie 3 weeks ago, so I now have a little baby to snuggle, too!
Hi, Michelle,
First, I have to say Joseph gets cuter with each month that passes.
I just watch a clip from Jimmy Fallon’s show last night. Jimmy and Selma Hayek played a game called “Pup Quiz” They each had to answer questions about animals and the person answering correctly was given a golden puppy to hold. The first person to accumiulate 5 puppies would win the game. I am sure you can find the clip on his website…it is too adorable. The downside is thta it might give you puppy fever!
Love your baby..love your blog. Waleda hand cream. Its my first stop at my local sprouts everytime I shop. They have many yummy flavors..Its a hand transformer.
Joseph keeps getting cuter by the week! Incredible to think that he’s 6 months already . . . seems like you just had him. My Golden never ceases to amaze me with the attention she gives (and sometimes demands). They really do seem to have an innate sense about them of various situations. I guess there’s truly a reason they have earned the identification as “man’s best friend” . . . As for hand creams, I think Neutrogena Norwegian works amazing well in the winter on my badly chapped hands. I notice such a difference after using it the first time when my hands get rough and dry from having them in water during the winter. I also really like the L’Occitane Shea Butter and the Crabtree & Evelyn hand creams any other time of year. Even though it’s sometimes hard to find, I like the EOS hand cream in the blue “egg” for summer because it does the job of moisturizing and is light & non-greasy for the summer months.
I love your pictures, Joseph is adorable ! The picture of Einstein is precious .
Nothing like the unconditional love of a dog.
O’Keefees working hands hand cream is the best. I cook a lot am and washing my hands constantly, O’Keefes is the only thing that works for me.
Michelle,
I teach English to high schoolers and include a lyrics project as part of my poetry unit. The kids listen to a variety of music, with pop still the overall fav. However, there is something called dub step music now that popped up in their projects a couple of years ago (new genre to me). Some listen to country, some to electronica, some to rap and hip hop, and some even like classical…quite a variety of likes out there!
Finish House of Cards! It’s fantastic, and remember that this is the final season. The pace is slightly different, but keep in mind that he is President now so the methodology has to change in some ways. I can’t fathom anyone loving the first two seasons and not seeing this through. Even with only a 3-season run, it is one of THE best series I have ever watched. Hope you watch!
Dogs are definitely sweet souls; my sweet boy, Cos (God rest him, he just passed away last fall) knew I was sick when I had my daughter and would follow me EVERYwhere I went. He normally wasn’t like that- devoted, yes, but on me like glue? No.
His extra attention is actually what motivates me to make an extra doctor’s appointment, which saved mine and Aubrey’s life.
I’ll never forget that.
As for hand creams, I’m a big time hand washer so I keep Lubriderm Ultra Healing lotion pumps by every sink in my house- it has stopped my hands from splitting open, which they used to do from all the soap and water they come in contact with.
I like it because it absorbs so quickly and is immediately effective.
Your little man is such a handsome guy!
L’Occitane Shea Butter hand cream is the BEST.. even my hubby loves it! :) I prefer the original since the hubs uses it but you could pick it up in one of the more girly scents also.
http://usa.loccitane.com/shea-butter-hand-cream,82,1,29193,261659.htm?newversion=true&#s=29465
Joseph is adorable!!
L’Occitane hand cream is my favorite!
House of Cards season 3 was not my favorite. It gets better towards the end. Hoping it is just setting the plot for a great season 4!
Re House of Cards: The last episode is good, but it takes so long to get there, and you will have very little doubt about what happens. I think that we all got spoiled by episode 1 of season 2 blowing us away.
BEB – love following you, your life, and your food!
Joseph – precious!
Hand cream – L’Occitane shea butter or Crabtree & Evelyn ultra-moisturizing (many great scents to choose from).
My kids are 4 and 7- they love the Dropkick Murphys and the Black Keys, The Who, The Rolling Stones… You have to teach them what good music is!?
I love reading your updates about Joseph! My little girl was born on the 22nd so just a few days younger :) They are about the same height/weight but she still doesn’t have any teeth! And I agree with your comment on dogs. I think they can definitely sense what our emotions are. We have a black lab and she is always by your side if she senses you are upset about something.
This cream from target: http://www.target.com/p/sheamoisture-coconut-hibiscus-shea-butter-hand-cream-4-4-fl-oz/-/A-14333037#prodSlot=medium_1_10&term=hibiscus+coconut
Joseph is adorable! God bless him!
And Einstein–what a precious puppy!! Love him!
I absolutely LOVE The Naked Bee hand lotions. Grapefruit and Honey and Orange Blossom and Honey are my favorites! Mostly organic, softest skin and mouth watering scents!
I really like the solid lotion from Goat Milk Stuff (goatmilkstuff.com). It really helps chapped hands and it smells really great! (lilac is my favorite). Also, I have noticed that one of my cats in particular likes to hang around when I am upset or ill. He is the one who is very concerned whenever something different is happening. II think that he is part dog :-).
I so LOVE hearing about Joseph’s accomplishments, likes, dislikes, etc. Not only have my grandbabies all grown up, they’ve all moved hours away from us, so all we have are our cats, All I have to say in the way of advice is ENJOY EVERY SECOND – because as you are finding out, they grow up SO fast!
Speaking of cats, one of ours climbs up on my husband’s chest in the middle of the night and touches her nose to his lips and ultimately wakes him up. We have recently discovered that he has “PVCs” or missing heart beats. I swear that she knows this and is checking on him when he is having them as he sleeps. Animals are very amazing.
Favorite hand cream – Aveeno Daily Moisture. Perfect hand lotion. Not greasy, totally absorbs into your skin.
As for Einstein waiting for you – I say this all the time: There is absolutely nothing better than the love of a good dog! All of you are lucky to have each other! Have a wonderful weekend!
Hand cream – we do unscented because of my husband’s sensitivities. For higher end, Kiehl’s Ultimate Hand Salve. For drugstore – Neutrogena Norwegian hand cream. It’s a classic for a reason. Both come in great sizes to carry in my purse. For body lotion – the 2pack of Aveeno from Costco ;-) Happy Friday with your beautiful family!
Joseph is so cute! And he always looks so happy!
For hand cream I like Gold Bond Ultimate Healing (currently I’ve been buying my grocery store’s off-brand version). It is thick and creamy, works great, non-greasy and low fragrance (well, in my opinion it is!).
I work with a bunch of 20-somethings. I have found that many of them really like the music of my adolescence (which would have been early to mid-elementary for most of them). I think there was some really great music put out in the mid to late nineties. Maybe I’m just biased because that was my middle and high school music :)
Love, love, love that photo of Einstein! Such a sweet doggie!
I look forward to all of Joseph’s accomplishments because my granddaughter is a month younger. I was the one who recommended the Einstein Take Along Tunes because of how much my granddaughter enjoys it. I see that it is one of Joseph’s favorites. Glad to hear!
Joseph is such an adorable baby! He’s really growing so much. As far as hand cream, I recommend any hand creams from K. Hall Studio in St. Louis, it’s very good and I swear by it – it’s a hand crafted line of “spa” lotions. Here’s a link:
http://www.khalldesigns.com/. My personal favorite is the Simpatico line – it smells great and really works on my winter skin
#5 – I’ve got a reading recommendation for you if you’re interested in the subject of food production. The Omnivore’s Dilemma looks at the food industry from the pastoral stage all the way up through factory farming and processing. Really puts the whole process into perspective, and in a small way helps to understand the implications of GMOs while removing the scare tactics a lot of anti-GMO groups use. Frankly, I have zero concerns about GMOs because the scientific community’s consensus is that they are fine, not to mention what people think GMO means and what it really means are two completely different beasts. American consumers should be more worried about the fact that our diet is so corn-heavy due to US corn subsidies and the need to do *something* with the surplus of corn those policies have created. The book I recommended is a real eye-opener in that sense. I never imagined how much processed corn I was eating until I read it, and I think if more consumers knew about it, they’d realize where the real problem is rather than chasing down false fears about a process that has allowed us to ease up on pesticide use and in many places has been a huge boon in the fight against hunger and food insecurity. It’s a great read, so if you’re looking for something substantial to sink your teeth into, I’d highly recommend it. :)
Cathy,
My 3rd baby had this mystery rash that NOTHING would get rid of, I had her allergy tested for the “big 8” and it all came back fine. I scoured the internet and found pictures of rashes that looked just like hers and they all came back as people with corn allergies. I’m nursing, so I’ve had to cut corn out of MY diet. OMG, it’s IMPOSSIBLE. It’s in EVERYTHING – from bottled water to table salt to the soap we used to wash our dishes – as well as basically EVERY MEDICINE THERE IS. EVERYTHING. Every time I think I’ve cut it all out, I find something else it’s in. I’ve been slightly miserable being corn free, but my baby’s eczema is finally under control. I feel terrible, her life is going to be so much harder due to this allergy, and I have grown very, very wary of corn and our food system
Hi Cathy, I’ve read that book – it’s great! And I totally agree with you – the corn industry is INSANE. It’s EVERYWHERE. Once you start reading labels, it’s crazy to learn what goes into so many different products.
I live for the “Friday Things” posts! First, Joseph is the most adorable little fella. I totally enjoy the picture updates of him…he’s so photogenic! For the hand cream, my favorite is Remedy Hydraguard with Phytoplex: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KS9DLS6/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687742&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00AUX2YTW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0PWENEF7BE7F5YJ743DZ. My mom works at a hospital and they give this cream to their patients with dry, cracked skin. She orders a personal shipment and gives some to me, because I have very dry skin. It’s thick, but it’s an awesome moisturizer!
As for the article about the dogs, I totally deem that to be true! Back during my sophomore year of college, we suffered a house fire and lost A LOT of our things, including my mom’s car and the house itself. So my mom moved in with our aunt, who had a dog named Sadie (one thing about her – she’s very “sometimey” lol). About 3 months after the house fire, my grandma (my mom’s mom) passed away. As my mom stayed with my aunt during these trying times, Sadie would sleep outside my mom’s door at night and would constantly hang around my mom. Whenever my mom sat at the table or on the couch, Sadie would be right at her feet. It was the sweetest thing! So dogs can definitely sense when something’s not right.
Hope you guys have fun on your date night!
I really like this Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream. It’s moisturizing and not greasy.
http://www.clinique.com/product/1686/6768/Skin-Care/Hand-Body-Care/Deep-ComfortHand-and-Cuticle-Cream/Hand-and-Cuticle-Cream
Merino Lanolin hand creme is “hands down” the best! It is not greasy and works wonders overnight. IIt is made in New Zealand.
http://lanolin.co.nz/lanolin-skin-creme-450ml-pump.html
Hand cream… L’Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream in the large tube…hands down THE best!
Loving following you in your new role as Mom! Great job!
So may good things today!
And Joseph continues to be to most adorable baby!
I’m looking forward to reading the article about dogs and their ability to sense when people are ill
And yes! — I will definitely sign that petition. I hate that it’s often impossible to tell where a food was produced and exactly what is in it.
Have a lovely weekend!
About dogs – I read a quote from Bill Murray recently, something like “I don’t trust people who don’t like dogs, but I sure trust dogs who don’t like people.” So true!!! And about House of Cards – yes, this past season wasn’t as exciting, and it took us a long time to get through it because of that, as opposed to watching the first two seasons as fast as we could. But I think this 3rd season kind of sets up the 4th season, which could be very, very exciting given the way this 3rd season ends. Keep with it and watch it every now and then. Have a good weekend!
Wow — Joseph is so adorable and really getting big — God bless him! I use Cerave Moisturizing Cream, which is what my dermatologist recommended to me. That picture of Einstein waiting for you at the top of the steps was so cute, and although we don’t have any pets of our own, I have witnessed on more than one occasion the “sixth” sense that dogs, in particular, seem to have whenever someone near them is feeling sick. It’s really pretty amazing. Have a great weekend, Michelle, and enjoy your Sunday family dinner!
Joseph is so cute! Pets are the best- I have two cats and they know when something wrong. They’ll curl up as close to me as possible and snuggle until I’m feeling better.
I really like Peter Thomas Roth, the original scent Hemp lotion and Aveeno.
Joseph has got to be the most photogenic baby ever – such a good spirited little guy. Favorite hand lotion (because it is the only one that actually makes my 49 year old hands look slightly less than 49) is good old no frills Gold Bond Healing Hand Cream. Pets are awesome. I’ll never get people who don’t have a heart for animals.