Fave Things Friday

*pant pant pant*

The last couple of weeks have been a little nutso. Work has picked up speed, I did summer hours so I could have last Friday off, I'm trying like heck to finish painting the office, Brian's being awesome at his job, and the most exciting news of all: Owen can now walk! He's not full-on walking yet in public places (for some odd reason, he gets shy and would rather crawl) but at home he's toddling all over the place.

With those things in mind, some of this week's faves have really helped my control my sanity.

Nordstrom.com
Since Owen's officially walking, it was high time to finally buy him shoes. I went to several stores to try some shoes on him to get an idea of what size he was, timing it carefully so he'd be at his most content. I found a pair of sneakers at Kohl's, but I really wanted a pair of closed-toed sandals for him to romp around him for the remainder of summer. Too bad every other freaking parent in the metro Chicago area had the same idea, because I couldn't find any in Owen's size unless I was willing to hightail it to Wisconsin.

Enter Nordstrom.com. Although I loooooooove them (and their fabulous shoe collection), normally I shy away from them unless I have a boatload of money because it's typically out of my budget. However, the shoes I wanted to get for Owen were not only cheaper than on the manufacturer's site, but they also had free shipping and free returns. Certainly a no brainer!

Valspar Sample Paints
These things are seriously awesomesauce. I've had to touch up some spots on the ceiling where I got a bit overzealous with the paint brush/roller, and only needed a little bit of paint to do the job. Enter Valspar Sample Paints, which are the cutest little darn tootin' containers of paint ever. For realz.

Ted's Montana Grill
Sometimes Brian and I get tired of cooking/scavenging for meals, and we just say "Screw it, let's go out." At the end of a particularly crazy day this past week, we decided to treat ourselves to Ted's. Their sangrias are to die for, and I totally love their half-pickled cucumbers. Plus, they had kid-friendly stuff for Owen to play with that weren't the usual crayons that he typically chews on. And their food is just awesomesauce. Sure, it's a bit pricey, but every once in awhile it's a nice treat.

Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Clear Clarifying Mud Mask
Mud Masks used to be all the rage when I was a teenager. Often with my girlfriends we'd do a "spa night" (aka a sleepover) and one of the things we did before our "makeovers" was a mud mask. Since it's been rather humid and I've been a bit stressed lately, my skin has been acting up, so I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and try out a mud mask again. I love the way this one didn't dry out my skin, but still clarified and cleaned it. If you're looking for a way to relive your teenage spa night gals, try this mud mask out!

Hand & Stone Massage
Did I mention that I've been stressed out? Well, another way I dealt with it was to get a much-needed massage. Since I apparently am incapable of just choosing one randomly, I scoured Yelp and Google+ reviews to find the best one near me that was affordable. Enter Hand & Stone Massage in Wheaton. Wow. $49.95 for your first one-hour massage?! Yes please!! And the massage was actually really good! I had the masseuse concentrate on my shoulders, since that's where I carry a lot of my tension and it worked wonders. Definitely tempted to go for their monthly plan, which is actually pretty reasonably priced. Hmmmmm..... ;)

Have a great weekend!

Fave Things Friday

I love and hate taking vacation time from my full time job. On the one hand, I get a much-needed break from the daily grind. On the other hand, I feel pressured to get a crapton of stuff out the door before I leave, which causes me to be more stressed out than normal. Which means that typically I tend to get sick or have some physical malady happen in the week before my vacation.

And that is precisely what happened this week.

I woke up on Wednesday with a huge migraine - you know, the type that has you wanting to don sunglasses and hide under a blanket and weep uncontrollably. I took some drugs, stumbled to work and somehow scrounged out my long-dormant acting skillz to complete a conference call. Then I went home to try to rest it off, which kind of worked except for the fact that it's been storming like crazy around here, which means the pressure from those systems are preventing me from fully recovering.

Ugh. At least I have next week off, right? :)

Anyhow. Since I'll be off next week pretending to be a stay-at-home-mama, I'll (hopefully!) have some extra time to devote to some projects that I've been putting off. Which means lots of new blog fodder. Horray!

Again. Hopefully. Pray to the napping Gods that Owen decides that sleeping in the afternoon is en vogue.

Since it's Friday, and I want to try to end things on a positive note, here are some items I've been digging lately:


IKEA ANTILOP High Chair

Yes, I know it's $19.99 (an extra $5 for a tray). And there are no real bells and whistles. But that's the beauty of it - it's simple, inexpensive, and super easy to clean. Honestly, how comfortable are we in the chairs we use everyday for eating anyway? Chances are we're not lounging in La-Z-Boys (unless we're watching TV, which we really don't do much of when Owen's awake). I highly recommend this chair if you have the room for it.

Free Classic Book Kindle Downloads from Amazon

I spend a lot of time in transit to and from work, which gives me time to catch up on some reading. I prefer taking an actual book with me because I'm old fashioned that way, but in lieu of one I read whatever I have downloaded to the Kindle app on my iPhone. Well, I just recently discovered that many classic works of literature are free to download! Like an eager beaver chomping away at a maple tree, I scooped up the likes of Pride & Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, and Anna Karenina. Pretty awesomesauce, if I do say so myself.

*Note: I just checked and discovered that some of these titles are no longer free on Amazon. I'm not sure if there was some sort of promotion happening at the time I downloaded them, or if free versions do in fact exist when you check on your phone, but just a heads-up.

Maxi Dresses

I'm not one to usually follow clothing trends, but I actually like this one. I have secret fantasies of being something between a hippie and a Prom Queen, and these types of dresses help me achieve that goal. Plus, I feel sexy in them. Which is huge for this mama still trying to lose some leftover baby weight.

Stray Cat Befriends Lynx

Okay, this is more of a news item than a product, but being a self-professed cat lady I had to include it. Amazing how felines, big and small, act so much like each other. Makes me want to purrrrrrr. Also makes me wonder why we paltry humans can't act as accepting of each other as these two.

Any other Friday Faves? Any insight into the Amazon free books deal and why it's not available on all devices? 

Fave Things Friday

I haven't had much time to actually do much DIY-related projects, so I figured I'd share some of my recent faves on this audacious Friday.

Gone Girl

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After reading this page-turning thriller, I found that the title didn't really suit it. No, what it really should be called is "Messed Up S**t". Seriously. This stuff is messed up. I won't go into too much details so I don't ruin it for others, but essentially it's about a couple in a failing marriage and on their fifth anniversary the wife goes missing. It really makes you think about whether or not you really know the person you're married to.

Instant Mom

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I love "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", so I decided to check out Nia Vardalos' book about her journey to becoming an "Instant Mom". After trying IVF 13(!) times, she finally was able to adopt her daughter through the U.S. foster system. Part autobiography, part how-to adoption guide, this book swung between being hilariously funny to tear-jerking emotional.

Veronica Mars

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I've heard great things about this TV show and since it was free with Amazon Prime membership, I decided to check it out. It's safe to say that now I'm ridiculously addicted. It reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but instead of vampires or demons the bad guys are human beings. That, and a couple of guest stars on the show were also series regulars on Buffy (Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter).

No-Spill Straw Cups
Owen never quite took to a sippy cup, so we tried a straw and ever since he's been hooked. We love the Playtex straw cups because they don't spill (well, unless he shakes it up and down to "baptize" himself) and they're relatively easy to clean. I have to say that I'm super-stoked to (almost!) be out of the bottle phase of life. Viva la Straw Cup!

Cardboard Books
These are a LIFE SAVER for people with toddlers. My little guy loves to "read" (aka: flip through, stare at the pictures, and throw around) books in his crib, and the cardboard ones are safe for smaller hands and mouths. The Dr. Seuss mini-books are especially awesome because they're easier for tots to handle.