Friday Things
1. This little guy loves to cuddle up when he sleeps. He prefers to be as close to Einstein as possible, but when Einstein has himself wedged into a corner, Duke snuggles up to anything he can find :)
2. Tomorrow is baby shower day! I have a feeling that once we are bursting at the seams with baby paraphernalia, things are going to feel a lot more real and imminent!
3. We finally got our first taste of snow yesterday afternoon. I know I’m in the minority, but I just loooooove the snow! It didn’t stick to much of anything other than our mulch beds and grill cover, but it made me feel all cozy just seeing it swirl around :)
4. On a semi-related note… I bought my first Christmas present this week… and it’s two weeks before Thanksgiving! This might be a new record for me. I was trying to have everything finished by Thanksgiving, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.
5. I’ve been doing quite a bit of purging lately (is this a nesting thing?) – I got rid of old toiletries and makeup that I haven’t used in ages, as well as some seasonal clothes that I know I didn’t wear last year. I found out about this monthly exercise called The Subtraction Project from Jen and it sounds awesome. It’s a daily assignment for month – each one has to do with cleaning out, organizing, etc. I haven’t started it yet, but I can’t wait to dig in!
6. Last week, I told you I was craving Pop-Tarts. So, I bought them. Not surprisingly, they totally underwhelmed me. Maybe I’ll make and freeze a batch of homemade Pop-Tarts if I’m feeling super productive one day :)
7. I got my hair trimmed yesterday and I feel like I’m stuck in a cycle of my hair not really growing even though I’m desperately trying to grow it longer. I would really love to grow it another three inches or so, and it DOES grow, but I go about every 8 to 10 weeks to get the dead ends trimmed off, and my hair lady swears she just cleans up the split and dead ends, but then it’s really significantly shorter. It’s an endless circle! Any tips on growing hair out without letting the ends get crazy?
8. I haven’t made a homemade pizza in ages, and I suddenly started craving one a couple of days ago. I need to whip one up next week! What’s your favorite homemade pizza flavors?
9. Are you watching Homeland this year? I was slightly concerned about what they were going to do with the story line after how last season ended, and I honestly wondered if it would be any good. I am most definitely pleasantly surprised at how good it’s been. The last few episodes with Carried have been, um, awkward? However, other than that, I think it’s been fantastic, and I become a bigger and bigger Quinn fan every week. I’m also LOVING Scandal! I wish they released the entire season at once; after binge-watching the first three seasons I got seriously spoiled! Important question: Fitz or Jake? I am 100% rooting for Olivia and Fitz.
10. TGIF! These two are totally BFF:
I love the Subtraction Project, an excellent concept and helpful nudge. I immediately signed up for the Jan 1st resolution. Imagine my surprise to find MY name on the blog’s market logo: AWeber Communications. Turns out it’s an acronym for Automated Web something. I was nonetheless excited to have a brief live chat with my virtual self on the way to getting help with my own decluttering efforts. Thanks for connecting us to so many useful and beautiful experiences. Your fan, Ann Weber
My favorite homemade pizza has a garlic cream sauce and is topped with diced red onion, roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts, kalamati olives and feta cheese. Kind of a Greek twist if you will. Very tasty.
I only get my hair cut about 3-4 times a year (last haircut was 10/31 and the one before that was 6/13). My stylist comments that I rarely have split ends and that my hair is generally in good shape (it’s thick, and pretty wave/curly in back, especially underneath, but straighter in the front). My suggestions are these: Don’t wash it every day. If you can handle, don’t even wash it every other day. Try to do it on the 3rd day, or even on the 4th, if you can. Luckily, my hair doesn’t get too greasy, so I can get away with that. Washing hair strips it of its natural oils, drying it out and making it more prone to split ends (which can travel up the hair shaft, necessitating a shorter cut than desired sometimes). Condition it well, and while I don’t do this, deep condition it once a week. Use a good leave-in conditioner. Minimize blow-drying. If you have to blow-dry (and I do, because I get too cold if I don’t), one way to shorten blow-drying time is to let your hair air dry for at least 15-20 minutes before bringing heat to it. I know you have curly hair – really do your best never to brush it, at most using a wide-tooth comb when wet.
As for pizza, one of my favorites is sun-dried tomato and basil pesto with portobello mushrooms and feta.
Coconut milk applied to your hair (20 – 30 minutes) about every 4 to 6 weeks is a very good, inexpensive conditioner. I agree on the washing – unless you’re sweating to the oldies everyday, give it a few days before washing. There are a lot of articles out there about the benefits of going ‘poo-less’, but I just haven’t been able to pull that trigger yet, lol.
I bought Pop Tarts recently too and remember them being so much better. I’ll stick to homemade ones too.
For you hair, try skipping one trim. I know it sounds like a long time, but unless your ends are really fried, it will be okay. I only get my hair highlighted and trimmed every 12-16 weeks and it’s fine. I also take 2500 mcg of biotin daily.
I’m loving Homeland too. They’ve done a good job revamping it.
Those dogs!!! So adorable.
Homeland…I swear Brodie didn’t really die. Somehow it was faked (or maybe just in my mind). Carrie is crazy as always. Love that show. Makes me sit on the edge of my chair (kind of like 24). We are behind in Australia…tell me Saul is not dead!
Snow…went “home” for a visit to Canada in summer…on September 8 it snowed in Calgary! Very unexpected and very fun.
We’ve just had flurries and its not sticking to anything. Pretty upset about it because I’m looking forward to snow as well :)
Michelle,
I don’t know how dogs sleep in those crazy positions. I would be sore for a week.
Have a great time at your baby shower. I’m sure you’ll get a whole bunch of stuff you’ll need for the baby.
Annamaria
We got our first dusting of snow last night….love snow, but not ready yet…still loving all the gorgeous fall color. 100% Jake. Outside of the whole president thing, my friend and I aren’t sure what the big attraction there is…Homeland is good this season, although I think Carrie’s character needs to evolve in some way…and I wish all of my shows released whole seasons at a time!
Wait until after you have the baby! I’m trying to grow my hair out also, but I’m 3 months post partum and it’s falling out like crazy! You have that to look forward to for 6 months afterwards!
Awww xx your dogs are just too cute!!! Xxx
For your hair – take Biotin supplements. My hair girl suggested it when I was growing out my hair and it worked like a charm. Also good for your skin/nails. Also, keep tabs on your iron levels. It surprising affects everything.
I am right with you in that minority! I LOVE snow…
I got so excited when we had some flurries yesterday. We MIGHT get some this weekend!
Enjoy your baby shower! AWWW…I’d love to snuggle with Duke! You have such beautiful dogs!!
Don’t grow your hair, get a sharp sassy cut. The first time your infant grabs a handful of that long hair – or gets a hair wrapped around his finger (or worse – penis – that happened to my baby brother), you’ll want to cut it all off anyway. I don’t get the whole long-hair trend. In my son’s year book (this year), there were only 3 girls that didn’t have the long hair, parted in the middle, hanging down on both sides – so boring. What catches my eye is when someone has a great cut, one that flatters hair type and face. Let’s face it, most women can’t really pull off the long hair look. The ones on TV have extensions – it’s not real hair. If you’re thinking I feel this way because I can’t pull it off, you are right! But, I did have long hair when I was younger, but always had it pulled back in a pony tail, bun, combs, etc., so I finally figured what’s the point and cut it all off.
I think you should make a blt pizza, yes mayo on the crust. We had our first snow yesterday.
My husband swears this is the best season yet of Homeland. And I agree about Quinn!!
Team Jake! He just seems better for Olivia than Fitz. I am also a snow lover. Can’t wait for the first snow fall.
Jake all the way!!! But then again I’ve been a fan of Scott Foley since the Felicity days. And to be honest… Fitz is starting to get on my nerves! Still love him but just lately I want to smack him across his face and tell him to snap out of it!
Can I volunteer to be a Duke snuggler???
I am IN LOVE with Scandal!! I don’t know what I will do when the Winter Hiatus will come. TEAM FITZ all the way!!!
Good morning, Michelle – I thought about you when I found this hoodie online:
Sweater For Two
Adorable! What baby wouldn’t love this? This hoodie is designed to slip on over a baby carrier (it has a hidden zipper to make getting it on and off a breeze), and keeps you and your baby bundled together and warm. This is perfect for walks or a day out shopping.
25 Brilliant Clothing Items You Didn’t Know You Could Buy
http://www.listotic.com/25-brilliant-clothing-items-didnt-know-buy/17/
Sheila
You can watch recent scandal episodes on your iPhone with the abc app!
I DVR it, but I hate waiting a week between episodes ;-)
Hi Michelle,
I started using a leave-in conditioner, plus some Argan oil on my hair, especially the damage prone areas, and now I only have to get it trimmed every four or five months. And the stylist always comments on how great it looks for waiting so long between cuts! Finally it is growing longer. I wish I didn’t need heat, but my fine, semi-wavy hair needs a blow dryer and curling iron daily!
I like making a Greek pizza. Sauce, baby spinach, slices of tomato, chopped onion, mozzarella and crumbled feta. A little sprinkling of oregano. Have fun at your shower!! I LOVE your dogs.
Don’t wo too much about your hair just now. Your body is really focused on growing a little guy and sending all its efforts there. Wait and see a few months after he is born.
A tip from someone with very long hair — the only way to grow out your hair long is to stop using heat. If you’re having to trim dead/split ends every 8-10 weeks, then you’re overfrying your hair with blow-dryers, straightening irons, curling irons, etc. Even heat-activated products can’t fully prevent the damage wrought.
When people ask me how my hair is so long, I tell them I don’t use heat products (except to blow-dry my bangs, which I trim regularly anyway) and that always cures them of wanting long hair! As I type this, my hair is *still* damp from my shower yesterday evening and it’s the next morning!
Have a great shower, it gets very real after that. Sounds like you see nesting…enjoy the time to do it. time is very precious after baby comes. That picture of pup cuddled up to the column is too cute.
Lori
My favorite homemade pizza is BBQ chicken. Just had it two nights ago!
Totally Olivia and Fitz all the way!!!
:))) Awww Duke! TGIF!
Enjoy your baby shower!
Your hair looks great.
I am right there with you on loving the snow! We got the tiniest dusting of snow (then freezing rain) here in Portland and I was instantly hoping for much more. I lived in Michigan for two years and really got to love it!
I am team Jake and Olivia over here :)
I used to have the same problem with my hair, they just didn’t grow much and I still had to get them trimmed. But then I started using Joico K-Pak shampoo and conditioner and my hair started growing like crazy :). To avoid getting the ends cut too soon, I use a good leave in conditioner (Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat) and a bit of Rich hair oil on the ends. Works like magic :).
And I am also blown away about how good Homeland has been this season, especially the last episode!
I love snow, too! We had a few flakes tonight, but I can’t wait for more!
Happy baby shower weekend! :)