Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!! Don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

RANDOM LINKS:

* Goop's quick, three day summer detox.

* 33 of the best documentaries on netflix streaming.

* Doesn't a watermelon margarita sound fabulous right now?

* No food is healthy, not even kale. YES!! Please read this!

* The best pool floats 2016.

* Easiest summer dinner ever. I so want to eat this right now.

* How cute are these shoes? I want every pair.

* 15 minute, 4 ingredient dinner, 0 pot dinner. Yum!

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!! I feel as if summer came on strong this year. Like I can't quite catch my breath. Luckily, there's the pool.

Anyways, T wanted a mohawk (just like Mr. T from the 80s'), so I took him to Hair Cuttery a few weeks ago. It's sort of a baby mohawk, but these things are probably best done in steps.

Have a fantastic 4th of July weekend! And don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

RANDOM LINKS:

* Is anyone else watching UnReal? I'm totally addicted. I used to watch the Bachelor every week and this fictional behind-the-scenes drama (created by a former Bachelor producer) is even better than the real "reality" show.

* A hangover cure?

* I think I'm going to order one of these for my new office. Though now I have to decide what to print.

* I went to this workshop two weeks ago and it was truly awesome.

* I loved everything about this post (because women are amazing).

* 33 ultimate summer vacations. I love a list.

* I want to vacation in a tiny house village!

* These look super yummy (and easy to make).

* Snapping a picture of your hotel room could help stop human trafficking.

* Funny feminism!!

* Prime Day is right around the corner (July 11), so Amazon is offering a free trial on prime memberships. Click here to access.

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Grateful List (May 2016)

As I've mentioned previously, May really wasn't a great month (SO. MUCH. RAIN.). But there were a few highlights . . .

Have a great weekend (we still have ONE MORE WEEK left of school) and don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

ARTS
* Watching The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Season 2 on Netflix.
* Attending Collected Stories (the play) with Lola at Four Mile Run theater
* Attending Edward Sharpe's concert at Wolftrap with Colleen
* Attending Josh Ritter's concert in Charlottesville with Dan
* Reading Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook

FOOD
* Dan buying me Sugar Shack donuts and tons of Honest Tea for Mothers' Day

PLACES
* F's fourth grade trip to Williamsburg, even in the rainy, cold we still had a (somewhat) good time.

STUFF
* Clean Reserve Discovery Layering set (fragrance kit)
* My new (much needed) red Hunter boots
* My new Boden dress
* CC Cream/Foundation from Mary Kay

ETC.
* Coming home to Liz's happy hour after three hours standing in the rain at Colonial Williamsburg
* Three great report cards (straight As for P and F; T doesn't receive grades yet but had wonderful comments)
* Lots of OT, kickboxing, and yoga
* Shine workshop with Cathi at Journey Yoga
* F's spring concert (she participated in: chorus, music makers, bucket brigade, and the flute)
* T and his friends making the fort into a police station - complete with a kitchen, jail, and shooting range
* A gorgeous outdoor moms' wine night at Megan's in-between rain storms
* Second shooting a wedding with Brandon Hunter
* P - "I don't understand how T's a leader among his group of friends. Who would want to follow T?"

VACATION (Our 4th annual trip to the Outer Banks, NC for the week after Memorial Day)
* Date night in Charlottesville on the way to Nags Head (my in-laws watched the kids) - Josh Ritter in concert and sangria outside!
* Gorgeous weather on days 1 and 2, even though storms were all around us (they just skipped over Nags Head)
* T FINALLY loving the pool (and never wanting to get out)
* "The world needs ditch diggers too" - wow can our boys make a major hole
* Chris's mixtape
* Playing in the waves with the kids
* Janet's sangria on the beach
* Watching Isla and Luke's best friendship (the youngest kids need to stick together)
* Dan finally realizing that Happy is a great dog

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

Happy Friday everyone! I'm so excited to spend my weekend at the Awesome Workshop!

Whatever you're doing, make sure to have fun. And don't forget to click on over to Cherish This Day to see this week's amazing!

RANDOM LINKS:

* This mail-order bookclub looks tempting (link via Bleubird). Even if I don't buy a subscription, I think I'll follow their book suggestions.

* 4 women with different incomes talk about the lives they can afford.

* This might be my new dream vacation.

* I want a set of the Women [Playing] Cards.

* WSJ's summer book preview. SO MANY OPTIONS!

* After reading this article, I really want a sphero!

* We saw this band live Tuesday night and now I can't stop listening!

* These gorgeous photos make me want to vacation in England.

* I want to watch the Durrells!

* Virginia's hidden beaches.

* Doesn't this sound like a great date night or moms' night?

Things to Do - Grateful List (April 2016)

May has been so rainy and cold that it seems impossible to believe that April was gorgeous (so. so. long ago.). Oh well, have a great weekend everyone! I love this photo of my favorite 4 year old tomboy rocking her short hair and flying a helicopter. Sometimes you have to hang out with a preschooler to remember how ridiculous gender stereotypes really are.

Happy Friday everyone! Don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!


ARTS
* Reading Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child
* Reading Marilyn French's The Women's Room
* Reading Edna O'Brien's The Country Girls Trilogy
* Listening to Nina Simone
* Attending Father John Misty's concert with Colleen
* Watching Malcom in the Middle as a family (esp. season 7, episode 1 - the burning man episode, now the kids really want to go!!)

FOOD
* Tail Up Goat with Shannon
* Making bee sting cake
* Gwyneth's new cookbook - It's All Easy - esp. almond citrus overnight oats and cauliflower tabouli

PLACES
* Parents' night out on Columbia Pike during this crazy early spring
* Sunday morning family dog walks on the trail next to Longbranch
* A gorgeous Monday (school holiday) at Flag Ponds Nature Park with friends
* Learning about turtle rescues at Long Branch Nature Center with Isla

ETC.
* Orange Theory three times a week and running with Kelly
* Cleaning out our old books (finally!)
* My new office!
* F writing a novel/short story about four friends
* P to T, "You'll never go first, I called dibs on everything on the day I was born."
* The kids' excitement over making Musicly videos with their friends (though I know I'll tire of it soon)
* Dinner club at Kelly's (steaks on the grill)

VACATION (weekend in Chicago with Dan)
* Drinks and dinner on Friday and Saturday night with high school friends
* Van Gogh's bedrooms at the Art Institute with my mom (though I'm still not sure why we waited in line to see three virtually identical paintings next to each other on a wall)
* Watching Naked and Afraid marathons in the hotel room while Dan worked (he had a big trial that week)

THE KIDS' LISTS:

F - a nice house to live in and food to eat, my family, that everything is so great

P - fantasy and comic books, chocolate, Coco and Happy, a lot of stuff that I don't want to tell you, playgrounds, hugs

T - soccer practice, my teachers, that grandma visited, craft projects with grandma, that you're back home from Chicago, that an author came to my school and gave me a book, swim lessons, Happy, Coco, family night, that today was a half day

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

Sorry for the radio silence lately. How I've missed this space. And I had so many fun things to share. But last week both my computers died (the old iMac and the new iMac), so I haven't been able to post anything.

The last 12 days have been a tornado of genius bar appointments, calls with Applecare and multi-day hardware fixes that didn't work. And then yesterday, I learned that the continual crashing of my new iMac may have caused my external hard drive to corrupt - where I store all my photos and my lightroom catalog (yes, I know I should have backed it up, but since both computers had so many issues I could never keep the computers from crashing for long enough to backup the drive). I find out today what it will cost to save my external (they said anywhere from $200 to $2000).

And then there's all this f***ing rain.

Always, that's enough ranting. I want to keep this space happy and positive. So have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!!

RANDOM LINKS:

* Have you seen this music video yet? It made me smile.

* Doesn't this photography/fiction book look really cool?

* Photoshopped movie stills with guns replaced by selfie sticks. THESE ARE AWESOME!!!

* The five big spring books.

* If I can get myself together, I might try and make this over the weekend.

* The busy person's lies. Interesting, I wonder if time tracking would just make me more frustrated about mind-numbing tasks (dish washing, standing in line, buying the same groceries week after week, driving kids around, etc.) or if it would help me appreciate the time I do have.

* This videogame looks beautiful and fun.

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

F's soccer team won. Can you tell? Happy weekend everyone! After 5 days of gloom, the weather is looking fabulous for a change. Yay!!

If you have a chance, don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day.

RANDOM LINKS:

* 4 men with different incomes open up on the lives they can afford.

* A whole museum devoted to the Olsen twins.

* 12 innocuous household items my son has turned into weapons.

* Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. I just bought this on Kickstarter, it looks awesome.

* Aren't these homemade summer soapsicles coolio? I think they'd make such cute teachers' gifts.

* And finally, over the next few weeks the Kennedy Center has lots of cool, free outdoor events as part of it's Ireland festival.

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!! T saved up his allowance for this Chewbacca mask, it growls and everything. Sort of creepy. Sort of fun.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

RANDOM LINKS:

* 1986 in photos. Wow, I feel old.

* "White savior Barbie." Funny??

* Top 10 family adventures in Europe. Each and every one sounds awesome.

* Drunk history on Harriet Tubman. This is awesome!

* 4000 years of world history in one single, beautiful chart. I wish this was a poster.

* 4 vital questions to teach your kids.

* Virginia's best hikes.

* An important reminder that sometimes donating money is better than donating things.

* Every Disney Theme Park in 75 hours.

* 24 movies you must watch before you turn 30 (I know we're all older than 30 now, but it's still a good list).

Things to Do - Grateful List (March 2016) & Cherish This Day

Based on this list, I watched an inordinate amount of TV in March. So it goes. Some months are just like that (I guess). Happy Friday everyone! Don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

ARTS
* Watching The Heavy Water War (Netflix)
* Watching 30 Degrees in February (Netflix)
* Watching the IMAX National Parks movie at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
* Watching Love (TV show) (Netflix)
* Watching Togetherness (TV show) (HBO/Amazon). Is anyone else watching this? I can't stop binging.
* Watching Naked & Afraid (TV show). We don't have cable, so I "discovered" this at our hotel in Williamsburg and now I'm obsessed.
* Taking Roxanne Bryan's Color Theory Class through Bloom Forum (so good!)
* Reading Annie Leibovitz's At Work
* Reading Kate Atkinson's A God in Ruins

FOOD
* Walking to Le Pain Quotidien with Trina on a gorgeous 75 degree day.

PLACES
* Orange Theory two days a week (love that place).
* A warm (and sunny) St. Patty's day Happy Hour at P. Brennans (remember how two years ago St. Patrick's day was a snow day?)
* The 4D movie at Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum (Williamsburg, VA)
* Our staycation spring break
M - Dog Park (Arlington, VA)
T - National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.)
W - Calvert Cliffs (Lusby, MD)
Thurs - Busch Gardens (Williamsburg, VA)
F - Ripley's Believe It or Not museum (Williamsburg, VA)
* Hiking Potomac Overlook with Dan's family on Easter (Arlington, VA)

STUFF
* My new office, which my amazing husband IKEAed and painted

ETC.
* Drinks on the porch! (loving these 75 degree days)
* 10 kid capture the flag games in our yard on half days (girls vs. boys)
* P scoring lots of goals this indoor soccer season
* Our three "rules": (1) No TV on weeknights; (2) Never under any circumstances knock a picture frame off a wall; and (3) You must learn all the words to Paul Simon's Graceland
* Walking the dogs with Isla
* T and Cole designing a Leprechaun trap (and spending hours with it).
* "My mom might be TOO free-range" - P to her friend
* "Running" with Kelly
* P's new "book", "Sibling Wars"
* T on the Presidential candidates "I don't like any of them. Hillary seems mean. Trump is a big jerk. And the old guys wants us to share all our stuff and sometimes I don't want to share."
* Ending the month drinking with Allegra on her new back porch

THE KIDS' LISTS:

F - A nice house to live in and food to eat, my family, Happy and Coco, my friends

P - Snuggles, cuddles, my friends, lots of stuff, watching Once Upon a Time

T - That I have a camera, that tomorrow's a half day, my bed, playing Monopoly, family movie night, reading books before bed, Cole coming over

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

I'm still having a lot of computer problems (ugh, electronic devices!!), but new posts are coming. I promise.

In the meantime, don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day. I'm so lucky in that I babysit the happiest 4 year old on the planet. All she needs is a few stuffed animals and the smiles keep coming.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!


RANDOM LINKS:

* Have you seen Simone Biles' new floor routine? I know nothing about gymnastics, but this is amazing to watch.

* Why affluent parents put so much pressure on their kids. I've read so many articles about insane over-parenting that look at the effects, I was glad to see someone finally write about the cause.

* I just checked out this new cookbook from the library (so excited!!). It's not as good as her last one, but still has lots of fun/easy/healthy recipes that I can't wait to make.

* We're hoping to visit here this summer. Doesn't it look awesome? (P's best friend went over spring break and said it was the "coolest place ever").

* Some of the original reviews of the Great Gatsby (it takes awhile for a classic to become a classic, or even "good" for that matter).

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE! We didn't adopt a new puppy (three dogs with three kids would be too much for me), but we have spent a lot of time fawning over our neighbor's new dog. Seriously, how cute is she?

Have a great weekend! And don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

RANDOM LINKS:

* I can't stop staring at these photos of people blending with their surroundings. So trippy cool.

* I want to make/eat/devour this cake.

* On the record player - I've been looking for something new to listen to lately, excited to check these out.

* Gift guide: presents for the 2016 election season. Love these!

* I want this photography book.

* Is anyone else watching Togetherness? I binge-watched Season 1 (we don't have cable so I purchased it through Amazon) and can't wait to dive into Season 2. So so good! I'm so sad that there won't be a Season 3.

* The grave of the female stranger.

* Has anyone read Marvel's new comic Squirrel Girl? She sounds awesome!

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

Sorry for the silence lately, in the process of exporting files from my old Mac to my new Mac the old harddrive corrupted and dealing with that has taken a lot of work (fingers crossed that the genius bar can recover something on Saturday).

In the meantime, don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day. And next week, if all goes well, I have lots of new material to post.

RANDOM LINKS:

* ‘Hikaru Dorodango’ is the Japanese Art of Turning Dirt into Perfect Spheres. Aren't these crazy beautiful?

* Everyone should read this fantastic essay on Nina Simone's face.

* I really want to do this!

* Why boys should read girl books.

* If you're looking for some inspiration, this is a fantastic photography workshop.

* Smithsonian sleepovers? Yes, please!

Things to Do - Grateful List (February 2016) & Cherish This Day

February is always such a long hard month (despite the fact that it doesn't have many days), but we made it through, with some help from the neighborhood's newest donut shop. So so good. Have a great weekend everyone!

And don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

ARTS
* Watching Better Call Saul, Season 1 on Netflix (love!!)
* Watching Mozart in the Jungle, Season 2 on Amazon Prime
* Reading Joshua Ferris's short story, the Breeze (in The Best American Short Stories 2014)
* Attending Oliverio (kids' play) at the Kennedy Center
* Attending Josh Ritter's concert at the 9:30 club
* My new photography books - Mary Ellen Mark on the Portrait and the Moment: The Photography Workshop Series, Annie Leibovitz at Work, Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models (Voices That Matter)
* P reading my old Sassy magazines

FOOD
* Hi-chew candy (F's friend introduced us and now we're all addicted)
* Restaurant week at Fiola Mare (so. so. good), thank you Ann!
* Hosting the first dinner club for parents of older kids (though this time we will avoid the after party!)
* Sugar Shack Donuts opens in our 'hood (prepare for massive weight gain).

PLACES
* An uncrowded day at the National Zoo, esp. hanging with the orangutan and reptiles
* Melt - a 2 hour Yin Friday at Journey Yoga (so relaxing!)
* Orange Theory Fitness (so so wonderful)

STUFF
* The boys' shopping cart fort-making kit.
* My new plaid v-neck shirt (which makes me feel happy).

ETC.
* This conversation: P - "I'm saving up for a new iphone."; F - "I'm saving up for a TV in our room."; T -"I'm saving up to become a unicorn."
* Our neighbor calling T "old school" because he doesn't like video games and wants to play outside all the time.
* Friends over for the Superbowl (no, I didn't actually watch the game)
* F & T building an obstacle course on our front lawn
* Kickboxing with Jessie 2-3 times a week
* Fitbit challenges in the heart of winter (forced me outside).
* An adorable first birthday cake smash photo shoot
* F, on choreographing We Haz Jazz, "mom, just to warn you, this play is totally random. It has no real plot, sort of like Ghostbusters."
* T's Valentines Day cards, which all said something along the lines of "I like you because you're funny" or "you always make me laugh."
* F performing in the school play while wearing her "This Is What a Feminist Looks Like" shirt (they had to wear something black)
* P - "I've learned that asking people if they're cranky doesn't really work - it just makes cranky people more cranky."
* As always, neighborhood wine nights and happy hours
* Straight As for P and F (T doesn't receive grades yet)

Things to Do - 5 Hours 'Til Bedtime, Cherish This Day, & Random Links

Happy Friday everyone! Don't forget to check out wonderful new posts on 5 Hours 'Til Bedtime and Cherish This Day!

RANDOM LINKS:

* Photos that make me anxious!

* Learn how to do anything - 20+ online classes (and most of them are free).

* What does the internet actually look like?

* Funny.

* 8 things ER doctors refuse to have in their homes.

* A guide to DC's must-see art. This is so cool.

Things to Do - Cherish This Day, 5 Hours 'Til Bedtime, & Random Links

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I spent some time with the flu virus and did not enjoy its company. Oh well, spring is on the way, right?

Great new posts are up on 5 Hours 'Til Bedtime and Cherish This Day, so don't forget to check out the awesomeness!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

RANDOM LINKS:

* THIS makes me want to plan a Disney vacation.

* Free Ruth Bader Ginsburg coloring sheets. YES!!!

* Airbnb is changing how tourists get to know Africa.

* Aren't these neon signs beautiful?

* I can't wait to watch this youtube video.

Things to Do - Random Links & Cherish This Day

Dan's mom gave us his old trumpet and now T carries/plays/annoys us with it all the time. On the upside, if I agree to "listen" he'll model for me anywhere. Love that evening backlight!

Have a great weekend! And don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day (and, even more awesome, on 5 Hours 'Til Bedtime!)

RANDOM LINKS:

* For the first time in years, I sort of want another tattoo, but only if I can get one of these.

* I really want to play this videogame (too bad we don't have an xbox).

* Valentine's poems for married people.

* Aren't these free printable NASA posters gorgeous?

* A court-ordered letter from Dora the Explorer's mother.

* The ultimate Virginia waterfalls road trip. Adding this to the bucket list!

* Disney villains without makeup. My favorite is Scar.

* These are my favorite kind of family photos. playing. laughing. dancing. fussing.

* Marriage tip - the 6:00 dinner. Genius!!!

* How yummy does this sauce sound?

* I didn't know it was possible to write a super funny post about a SUCCESSFUL homemade birthday cake, but Melissa managed crack me up while making me hungry as well!

* An awesome list of science-geared youtube channels for kids.

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

The other night at dinner, F told us she was saving her allowance for her own TV. Then P informed us she's saving up for a new itouch. And T followed that up by saying, "I'm saving up to become a unicorn", so he put a bag on his forehead and spent the rest of the night "unicorning." Love that kid.

Have a great weekend everyone! Don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day.

RANDOM LINKS:

* The best book covers of 2015. And now I want to read them all (just because of their pretty exteriors).

* Love this "as time goes by" photo series. Would be so odd to see myself age in portraits of this type.

* You can now rent Van Gogh's "The Bedroom" on Airbnb for $10 a night in Chicago.

* I really want to stay in this abandoned fishing village. So gorgeous.

* Does anyone want to take this class with me? I think it would be so much more fun if I could take it with a group.

* An online store that only stocks products that last a lifetime.

* The look for less - boys edition. I love those shoes!!

* YES!! YES!! YES!! This made my day!

* Funny.

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

Happy Friday everyone!! Don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

RANDOM LINKS:

* I'm part of a great new collaborative photography project called Five Hours 'Til Bedtime, click here to check us out!

* A free Smithsonian coloring book.

* The best Superbowl snack ever for board game geeks. If that's not enough food for you, try these 10 Inspired Superbowl recipes. I want to eat everything now!

* I REALLY want to read this (I loved Life of Pi).

* 7 problems I'm not going to solve for my kid.

* I love these surreal photos of different international cities.

* 21 Small Towns You Should Visit on Your Next American Road Trip. Has anyone ever visited Lititz, PA? I'm contemplating a weekend there.

* 10 best backpacking trips in U.S. National Parks (Can you tell I'm full of wanderlust lately?)

Things to Do - Random Links & Cherish This Day

UGH, THESE SNOW DAYS KEEP GOING! No school til Tuesday. I'm running out of steam everyone.

Have a great weekend everyone! And don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day.

RANDOM LINKS:

* 59 National parks in 52 weeks.JEALOUS!!!

* Miss Moss's best songs of 2015.

* Would you ditch the coffin for a pod?

* A huge list of January detox and cleanses.

* Into the fold. I can't even begin to say how much I love these photos.

* What do you think of the new Barbies? Does this mean you have to buy three separate Barbie wardrobes?

* For photoshop dorks like me, I've always wondered how they do this.

* The interpretive value of a chair: a personal reflection. Yes to all of this!!

* Have you ever used an Instant Pot? I'm intrigued.

* I think we're going to make this over the weekend. Because dessert is yummy.

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

Happy Friday everyone!! The photo above was taken a few weeks ago, actually almost a month ago, during our NYC trip, when we stopped in Queens and spent the night with one of my best friends and her family. Isn't there something wonderful about seeing your (older) children playing with younger kids? It makes me feel like I'm doing something right (or maybe I was just happy to sit back, have a glass of wine, and let the kids take care of the other kids).

Anyways, more photos from the trip are at the bottom of this post. Have a great weekend and stay warm during the upcoming snowstorm! And, if you have a chance, don't forget to check out this week's awesome on Cherish This Day!

RANDOM LINKS:

* NPR'S Book Concierge is back with 2015's picks. I love this website!

* I want to read this book. And right now I'm obsessed with this series (as in I can't stop reading).

* Dolly Parton on getting dirty. Cute!

* For photographers, this looks like a fun project on a cold day when you're stuck indoors.

* And don't forget, I'm offering a 25% discount for anyone who wants to book a winter photo shoot (trust me on this, winter photo shoots are so much more fun and easy going than autumn ones).

* Coffee table worthy magazines. These looks so pretty.