The Sky is Falling...again?!?

How worried am I supposed to be about the current economic crisis? Truly, I don't know. I am not anywhere near ready to retire, it could be 20-30 years from now. I am hoping to continue at my company for the foreseeable future. I love my company because it's exciting, challenging, and really just plain interesting. And, I've met some awesome people who I consider friends. So, I'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much. But, it's certainly not up to me. I can only do my job and do my job well.

Back to the economic issues, I keep hearing that we are in the worst economic crisis in our lifetime. Really? Is it like us being part of the most important election of our time? Because I've heard that too. What's the truth?

So, for our day-to-day life...what should we change? We don't spend a ton of money on stuff but I do like to spend my money. :) Do we need to start boosting our savings, just in case? Do we fiddle with our 401k accounts? Ugh. I dunno. I feel stupid because I really am just not informed enough. I rely a lot on J's financial intelligence cuz, hey, he's gotten us this far and things have been pretty good. He pays attention to this stuff way more than me and I am so thankful he has that knowledge cuz, left to my own devices, I would be screwed.

The holidays are fast approaching and I am worried about how all of this will affect that. Not that I focus solely on buying presents and stuff but hey, that's what you do during the season. :)

Back to my original point: what should the average Joe do?

Fire Sale

I have this really great closet in my bedroom. Both J and I have separate walk-in closets and I think it might have helped our marriage. Ha. Jason is very neat and organized. I, however, don't have that particular neatness gene--but only when it comes to my closet. I can't keep my closet clean for the life of me. I have stacks and stacks of clothes and tons of clothes on hangers yet half of them always end up in a pile on the floor. It drives Jason to the brink of insanity.

I do clean up the mess but invariably, it returns. I think about why I can't keep my closet clean. I mean, I keep the rest of the house clean and I hate it when my car is a mess, so why is it okay that my closet looks like a black hole? I think I figured it out.

I hate my clothes.

It's so freaking obvious. I hate my clothes and how they make me feel. I don't want to be bothered with any of it. I can count on one hand the pieces of clothing that I actually like to wear. I doubt I am alone--I bet if you ask most women if they like their wardrobe, they would--for the most part--say no. Or at the very least, not all of it. True?

I take care of my clothes the same way, truth be told, that I take care of my body. I don't like the way that I look right now and my clothes totally represent that. All of my pants are frumpy and my tops are dumpy. Frumpy and Dumpy. Niiiiice.

Ugh. They say you are supposed to dress for the job you want not the job you have. Ya, right. I want to be a dumpy frumpy grump.

This is a downer of a post, sorry. I am just frustrated and want new clothes but I don't want to spend money on clothes for the body I have now. I'd rather wait and splurge on really nice clothes for the body I have after I reach goal. Or, at least when I am closer to goal.

I won Nina Garcia's new book "The One Hundred" by leaving a comment on a post--(thanks http://www.urbangirlchronicles.com/!). She lists the 100 essential pieces that every woman should have in her wardrobe. OK, lets be real here folks. Some of them are a bit ridiculous, like every woman should have a cashmere coat, a pair of aviator glasses, and stiletto heels. If only. I have to say that the book is absolutely stunning. The illustrations and layout are amazing. Buy the book just to look at it. Truly.

So, back to my closet dilemma. I am thinking of having a "fire sale". I want to go through my closet and toss out every piece that makes me feel bad. Regardless of the cost, etc. I just want to get rid of it all. It's not exactly practical because I don't have the money to replenish it with all new stuff. Who does, really? If I were to go and buy a new wardrobe, I'd buy a new wardrobe--full of all the top quality clothes that I covet in my bibles like Vogue and Elle and In Style. That's not happening anytime soon, so for now, I'll go through and toss out the stuff that makes me feel the worst. Like, this pair of black pants that are missing a button (geesh) and have pleats (yikes!) and I wear them anyway. Those would be the first to go. So, this is my plan:

• Toss the worst of the worst. And, by saying toss, I mean sell on Craig's List or give to Goodwill.
• Go through and try and put together outfits that are decent and flattering. Keep those front and center so I can remember to wear them.
• Throw out any T-shirts that have stains, holes, or are stretched out, etc. No need to keep them.
• Get rid of the shoes that hurt my feet. And, sadly, get rid of my favorite black leather Mary-Janes that I wear all the time. They are past saving and are worn out. Sad. :(

It's a start. I really believe in the link between how I feel and how I look. If I am wearing a cute outfit, I feel better. Seems simple enough. Buying more cute outfits= feeling better. :)

Nice logic.

If I had a million dollars...

I'd be rich.

I was thinking about this today while at the gym (at 530am, half asleep, wishing I was completely asleep). What would I do if I had a million dollars? Ok, so that's really not that much if you think about it. But, if someone gave me a million dollars right now and I was not allowed to save or invest a penny of it, here is what I think I'd do with it:

1. Pay off the house. Not so we can move or anything, but just to get it paid off. It's our only debt (aside from our car leases of course) and it would be nice to be truly debt free.


2. I would pre-pay the girls tuition to Ohio State. Uh ya, they are going there. One of my offspring will graduate from OSU if I have to write their papers and drag them across the podium myself. ;)


3. Okay, so that may be about it. ha! Nice insanely high college tuition costs.


4. I'd buy a convertible VW Bug. Bright Red. Why? Why the hell not. I love the convertible bug and it's completely impractical living here in MN (except for the 90 days of convertible weather). Hey, it's my money.


5. I'd get plastic surgery. Again, why not? I'd get the works, too. Head to toe, baby.


6. I'd take the fam on a great Disney vacation. We'd be the obnoxious family with the matching Goofy shirts and the Mickey Mouse hats and the overflowing bags of souvenirs. We'd stay at the most Disney-fied hotel that they offer and SOAK IT ALL IN.


7. I'd go ALL OUT for Christmas. Decorate the house from top to bottom. Maybe HIRE someone to decorate the outside (they do that you know, you can HIRE someone to hang your Christmas lights outside. Seriously, I've seen it done in my neighborhood!! GENIUS.)


8. I'd have to help J recover from #7. He can only tolerate thismuch of my Christmas insanity and then he loses it. Love ya J! :P


9. I'd donate some books and supplies to my daughters schools. Lots of it.


10. I'd buy my sister and bro-in-law tickets to come see me. Whenever they want. Cuz I miss them.


11. I'd do the same for J's sister and bro-in-law, too. Same reason.


12. Okay, I'd have to go to Tiffany and by myself some new bling. Hey, it's my money.

Wow, I am kind of weird. I don't even think I would quit my job. Cuz, truly, the money would run out and I would be bored and the kids would hate me being at home and not being able to work. So, off to work I will go.

I realize this is a TRULY STUPID POST. But whatever. Don't you ever just fantasize what it would be like if someone dropped a million bucks in your lap? What would YOU DO with it?

I'd like to thank the Academy...ha, and Google

Ha, so I received an award for my blog! Can you imagine? I received this award from Dorsey, so thank you for that! Sweet. Check out her blog--it's great. We have similar blog postings and actually started our blogs about the same time, too.

So, I accept this award and would like to acknowledge those other great blogs who I follow religiously:

• mattlogelin.com: His blog will make you cry and laugh and make you appreciate everything just that much more. His daughter will be the coolest kid in LA. And, he has a cool robot.


• Snickollet: She's a mom to twins who is starting a whole new amazing chapter in her life. I am rooting for her and "Mr. Coffee"!


• Jennie: This Canadian chick is awesome and hilarious and fun. I wish we still worked together. :(


• Xiobhan: She's a whip smart mom in the DC area who I think has the coolest wit and style.


• Suburban Bliss: One of the first blogs that I started reading. I love her wit, her honesty, her massive sense of humor. And, she's got a great sense of style.


• Dooce: Ok, she's a legend. She probably gets these types of "awards" all the time. But she deserves all of them.


• Cupcakes take the cake: Okay, this one is just for fun. A full run-down of all things cupcake. Really really not a good place to go when you are starving.

There you have it. Take a look at these other blogs and pass them along to your friends. All of them are awesome.

UPDATE
I Googled "Brillante Weblog Premio" and, ha, it's one of those "chain awards". Like, you send it to me and I have to send it to 7 other people, and so on, and so on, etc. Oh well. Still, I like the intent behind it, I am sharing with you some blogs that I love and that you might love too. I am usually good at verifying this kind of stuff, but whatever, I still think it's nice to have "just been nominated". :)

on being a better mom...

Don't let the picture fool you... beneath those beautiful smiles lurks really bad morning people.

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So, I think it’s safe to say that this week was not a stellar week for my parental skills. I think we are all still adjusting to the back-to-school routines. It’s been a battle to get the girls to do anything unless I want to endure copious amounts of tears, wailing and general displeasure. Ugh. All I want is for K to go to bed by 8. Really, should that be so hard? Over the summer, we were pretty lenient when it came to her bedtime—even though she still had to get up early like the rest of us and go to preschool. That’s our fault. We should have been imposing a more normal bedtime all along. Lesson learned. She has never been an easy “go-to-bed” kid. I guess it’s the whole first child syndrome. We didn’t know what we were doing and we created this monster ourselves. I wish she could go to bed without issue, much like her little sister (although Chloe’s learning how to stall us on that, too).We were very insistent with Chloe about going to sleep on her own, etc. Trust me, it works. Chloe is much more even-keeled than Kaitlyn and I am sure it’s because we just didn’t worry about the stupid stuff and stuck to our bedtime routine.

So, Kaitlyn’s bedtime routine involves reading at least one book and me lying with her while we play “I Like”. We list things we “like” about certain place, etc. For example, “I like tigers” “I like elephants” etc. It’s kind of cute. And then I have to lay with her for a few minutes and when I get up she invariably tells me to “come in after your show”. She thinks we are watching TV and after our “show” is over, we’ll come in again. She says it even though I know she knows we are sleeping. Weird.

All of this bedtime angst is now spilling over to the mornings. Everyone is grumpy, not cooperative, and just down right miserable. It doesn’t matter if they sleep in later or I get them up earlier and give them more time to get dressed, etc. It’s just plain painful. There is screaming involved, throwing of one’s body onto the floor in a dramatic fashion, you name it. Doesn’t make for a very enjoyable time and I am often left feeling miserable because they leave for school in such a rotten mood. My goal is to make our mornings less dramatic and that means making the evenings that much more routine and well, early. Get to bed.

So, I am throwing this out there, internet. How do you make bedtime easier and more relaxed? How do you make mornings calmer and happier?

Any lurkers with brilliant ideas for me? Or just plain old ideas? I am willing to try anything here. My sanity depends on it. ;)

36 candles...

Today is my 36th birthday. Woo Hoo. In honor of my 36 years, I've compiled a list of the top 36 things I am grateful for/happy that they are in my life. Some are stupid, but hey, it's my birthday and my list. 

1. My health. I am glad I am reasonably healthy and can still (and do) make changes in my life that can further improve my health and longevity.
2. My husband. He rocks. 
3. My kids. Please, there is nothing else on this earth that brings me more joy. They will always be my greatest accomplishments.
4. My parents. Yep, they rock, too. 
5. My sister. She's an inspiration to me. Lots of orange to you, Janet. 
6. My friends. I have friends that I've known since elementary school whom I still consider close and new friends and neighbors who I think are the coolest. I have a great circle of friends, no doubt.
7. My job. Okay, this is more of an "in case anyone I work with reads this... item", but not really. I really like my job and the people I work with. 
8. My house. Okay, silly, but I freaking love my house. It's perfect. 
9. Ohio State Buckeyes. See, I told you it is silly. GO BUCKS!!!!!! I love Ohio State.
10. Our daycare. Seriously, I love the teachers and staff at their school. It's such a huge relief to know that they love going to school. 
11. Our neighborhood. We got lucky on this one. The best neighbors, a beautiful neighborhood, and a SUPER Target. What else could you ask for???
12. Diet Coke. Enough said. ;)
13. Brianna, my hair stylist at Cole's Salon. She rocked my haircut. 
14. My BlackBerry. Hello. My name is Suzi, and I am addicted to my BlackBerry. 
15. Digital Photography. I love the pictures of my girls and love that I can actually take a decent picture now. 
16. Flickr. The greatest photo sharing site. Ever. 
17. Disney. I don't care how cheesy they are, my girls love it and we can't wait to take them to DisneyWorld. Watching the old Disney movies makes me happy. 
18. The Muppet Movie. Seeing Chloe squeal with delight as she sees Kermit riding a bike is truly heartwarming. :)
19. Magazines. I spent 2 uninterrupted hours yesterday reading magazines while waiting for blood tests. It was great. 
20. Okay, some of these are really stupid. ;)
21. 4 miles. My new walking routine has really done wonders for me. I can rock out 4 miles like nothing now. Who knew?
22. 5k. Still working towards that goal on Thanksgiving Day. If I can run 1/2 of it, I'll consider that an accomplishment. Running is hard.
23. Target. What mom doesn't list Target as one of their top items to be grateful for!? Ha.
24. Perez Hilton.com. The best place to get all the juicy Hollywood gossip. Loves it!
25. Sweet Potatoes topped with pumpkin pie spice. Yum. Fall.
26. FALL. The colors, the smells, the warmer clothes. Bring it!
27. Geesh, is this a bad sign that I am running out of stuff already at #27?
28. Ooh! How about the smell of baby powder on my girls after their bath!? That means that they are CLEAN! hahaha
29. Girls Night Out. Don't have nearly enough of these, but when I do, they are always fun. 
30. J. He deserves another mention cuz he's just that awesome. 
31. My brother-in-law Glenn. For making my sister so ridiculously happy and being such a cool guy. Even if he hates the color pink.
32. Books. Reading to the girls and having them pretend to read to me. It's priceless and I need to remember that more often when I am halfway through the same book night after night and I am falling asleep and want to go to bed. 
33. Caribou Coffee. Ha, I am drinking one right now courtesy of their "Free Birthday Coffee" email. Nice.
34. Freedom. Seriously, come November, I get to vote for who I want to be president. No one else gets to make that choice for me. 
35. November 5th. When all of this election BS is over with. 
36. Burt's Bees Super Shine Lip Gloss. Cuz it's on my laptop docking station and I just happened to glance at it. 

The end. 

US Grade A Fancy

When I walked into the pantry tonight, I glanced at a jar of honey and on the back it said U.S. Grade A Fancy. How cool of a grade is "fancy"? What qualifies as fancy honey? ha. Is it extra honey-ey? Seriously, I am intrigued.

I've been toying around with chopping off my hair. I get these urges about this time every year. Probably because I've been dealing with it through the hot humid summer. My hair is really thick and now it's pretty long--well, long for me. It falls just below my shoulders and is one length. I keep thinking I need a change. However, every time I do this, I end up regretting it about 6 weeks later. I like the shaggy, easy going short-ish cut that people seem to keep getting. I just saw a movie preview for a new Diane Lane movie and her hair is exactly what I would want.

My problem is that I would get this cut and it would never ever look as easy going as I would think it would. I'd end up spending an hour on it in the morning trying to make it look effortless. And then what would be the point of getting it cut to make it easier and effortless if it ends up being a major pain in my arse. Argh. I know that since I am now thinking about this, I'll eventually end up doing this unless I can come to my senses.

Tomorrow is Kaitlyn's first day of kindergarten. How is this possible? She's very excited. She took a bath, we painted her nails, and she went to bed WITHOUT A FIGHT. J and I have to accompany her to school tomorrow for orientation and then on Wednesday she'll ride the school bus for the first time. I hope I am not one of those sobbing moms tomorrow...