Here's the Rest

The Flintstones have been glued to their outhouse.This is the stone age punishment for adultery7 generations of descendants assume the gilt of their progenitors.

Mystery Solved

After you're done shooting extinct animals in the uvula, you can practice smoking to prepare you for growing up.

Mystery Toy

Some Junk To To Tide Things Over

Mike's Thrills

Cheers & Jeers (Holiday Edition)

I really, really love buying Christmas presents for people. I put a lot of thought and effort into the gifts and everyone says I do a great job and get them exactly what they like. My husband doesn’t always agree with that statement because sometimes I buy him clothes that I like, not him. But isn’t that a wifely duty? I really don’t care about receiving gifts. The holidays are about spending time with family, traditions, good food, cheer, snow, and experiencing it all through my children’s eyes. But since holiday shopping is a national pastime, I thought this edition of Cheers & Jeers should be about the gifts I like and do not like. There’s nothing worse than putting time, money and thoughtfulness into a gift for someone and getting something totally lame in return.

Cheers to something thoughtful. Recognizing things I like and then really, really thinking about a variation of that item or idea is awesome. My sister is amazing at this. She’s never once asked me what I want. She always knows what I want before I even know it!

Cheers to something off wish lists. I have Amazon and Etsy wish lists along with a wish list board on Pinterest. If you’re smart, you will just search for someone’s list on various websites. Giving someone exactly what they want without asking them first is so much fun.

Cheers to experiences. I would rather get tickets to a musical, concert, sporting event or comedian over a physical present any day. I have a lot of stuff. I don’t really need anymore. Going out, having fun and spending time with a friend means a lot more to me these days.

Cheers to gifts for my kids. Like I just said, I have a lot of stuff. I’d much rather see my kids get excited over a simple new toy then receive something for myself.

Cheers to something practical. I’m probably in the minority here, but I love getting things I’ll actually use: a flat iron, iPod, Kitchen Aid mixer, etc. This year, Jacob and I aren’t getting each other Christmas presents. Instead we’re buying a new smart TV for the bedroom, a new printer and installing central air in our house. I’m 100% ok with this.

Cheers to gift cards. It’s impersonal, but I’ll take them over a crappy present any day. Even when I got a gift card to Sears from an extended family member, I was happy to go spend it on some Carter’s baby clothes. Macy’s, iTunes, Gap, Target and Barnes & Noble are my favorite! You can’t go wrong giving someone the gift of shopping.

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Jeers to IOUs. I got two of these from the same person for Christmas and my birthday last year. Why? She knows I’m not going to call her up and say, “Well, you did say you’d take me to…” It’s basically giving someone nothing.

Jeers to food. Whether it’s a box of chocolates, bottle of wine or cheese and cracker tray, it’s so impersonal and the lack of effort shows! Unless it’s for a client, colleague, delivery man, or someone else you don’t know well, this is not ok. An exception is a favorite food from another geographical area or something rare, expensive or homemade. Just not fruitcake.

Jeers to jewelry. I don’t wear much jewelry, but when I do I want it to be my style. My mom, sister, husband and BFF are the only ones allowed to buy jewelry for me. No, friend, I don’t want some random beaded item from your aunt’s Etsy store.

Jeers to perfume. Everyone has a preference and unless you know the person really well or are buying a fragrance they are running low on, don’t do it. Just about every perfume I’ve been given gives me a headache.

Jeers to candles, bath beads, lotions and potions. Similar to perfume, everyone likes particular scents. Don’t guess that I like vanilla. I hate it. It smells like cigarette smoke to me. And I have sensitive skin so I stick to certain brands, which means I can’t even use your dollar store body wash.

Jeers to things I already have. If I’m, say, a golfer or a great cook (I’m neither), don’t get me golf balls or cooking utensils. I already have plenty of them and you probably just gave me something cheap and useless. For instance, I'm a movie watcher. Check to see which ones I have before you buy me something that I quote constantly and came out six years ago. Chances are I already have it.

I hope this helps a little with your holiday shopping!

Wish List

Once again Jacob and I are forgoing Christmas presents to buy stuff for the house. Last year we bought a generator. Our power went out for two days right before Thanksgiving and I wasn't having any more of that. This year we’re installing central air. Being a grownup/homeowner is so boring. But I will be thankful next summer when we won’t have wheel out the portable AC units. (For those of you living in other parts of the country, central air in a house is not very common in western Washington). We also bought a Sony Google TV on Black Friday for our bedroom. Which I love. Finally, Netflix Instant in bed! So we aren’t going without this year, that’s for sure. Plus, getting the kids new toys is more fun for me anyway. But since this is the season to make a wish list, I've compiled a few things I'd like. My birthday is mid-January, so it doubles! (I'll direct my husband to this blog post tonight).

Urban Decay Naked Palette. So many bloggers have raved about this palette. I don’t stray from my few shades of brown eye shadow, but maybe it’s time I try. This would be the perfect place to start. And now they have Naked2 Palette? I need both!

Lighted Wall Mirror. I have a cheap Ikea magnified mirror hanging in my bathroom right now, but this one is bigger and lighted. Which is good and bad. You can see EVERYTHING.

Charity: Water Hoodie. Charity: Water is my favorite organization. I donate and buy from their website a few times I year. I really want this comfy hoodie next!

iPhone Projector. This is totally unnecessary, but wouldn’t it be fun?

Tiffany Octet Key Pendant. I have always wanted a Tiffany key. This new one is so pretty!

The Travel Book and The Cities Book. I love reading about travel and places I'd never think about visiting and then planning my next (dream) vacations.

Kitchen Aid Mixer. I don’t really bake enough to use this, but if I had it I would! I’ve always wanted the red one.

Silver Houndstooth TOMS. I love my ash gray and black glitter pairs of TOMS, but these would be so cute in the winter. I cannot wait for this spring when the flats are available though. I'll be snatching up a few pairs of those instantly!

30 Rock Season 5. This is my favorite show on television right now. I need this season to refresh before it comes back in January!

Falling Whistle. I learned about this organization from Carissa Explains It All. (Do you read her blog? If not, go follow her now!) These whistles bring awareness to the world’s longest war, the conflict in the Republic of the Congo. To learn more about it, watch this video.

GHD Hair Dryer. I really want a new hair dryer. I’ve had a $30 Target one for five years. I think it’s time to upgrade. I have the GHD Styler and Mini Styler (flat irons) and LOVE them so I’m so excited that GHD finally came out with a hairdryer. BUT! It’s only available in the UK. I’m keeping it on my list so Jacob I can buy it as soon as it becomes available.

What do you want this year?

Guilty Pleasures

Let me share with you a few of my current guilty pleasures.

Coke. I don’t drink a lot of soda. I gave it up completely after college because I drank waaay too much and got my first two cavities of my life. Since I’m done being pregnant and breastfeeding, I will have one every now and then. There’s nothing better than an ice cold Coke and the absolute best is a fountain Coke. Lately though, I've been drinking one a few times a week. Time to cut back!

HP Mini. Jacob and I each have a desktop computer, but I’ve wanted a laptop for a long time. We decided to get a mini since we have no real need for it. I know it’s nothing special, but I’m kind of in love.

Bugles. I don’t really know what they are. Chips? Crackers? Whatever. They are delicious! I used to eat them as a kid and now I find them in the Target dollar bins and snatch up five bags at a time. Nolan and I munch on them constantly. I know they aren’t healthy, but they can’t be as bad as Cheetos or Doritos, right?

Just Dance. I'm obsessed. It's actually a pretty good workout and it's so hilarious, I'm convinced all the laughing is good for your abs! I just bought Just Dance Broadway and The Michael Jackson Experience, but haven't played them yet. I will be on a mission to learn the routines to Thriller and Beat It.

Red Hots. I’ve loved them since I was a kid. Lately I’ve been buying them from the drug store in little 20 cent boxes so I don’t overdo it. I can eat these until my tongue is raw and I start sweating. No joke. These suckers start to hurt after a while. And it has to be Ferrara Pan Red Hots, not any other brand of cinnamon imperials. Generic just doesn’t cut it.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I love this show! I didn’t watch last season at all, but got caught up when they replayed it before the new season aired this summer. I think it’s my favorite of all the Housewives shows. I also watch New Jersey and New York City, but both of those have become hard to watch. I really love Adrienne. She seems to be the only normal one in a sea of crazy. But Kim and Camille are really fun to watch. And I love the addition of Brandi. She mixes it up and I kinda like her!

Costco. I love shopping here and it’s becoming a problem. I’ve had a membership since college so it’s not new to me. But having two kids who need to be in the same cart IS new to me. I used to only go once a month, but it's once a week now. When the boys and I shop here in the late morning hours they each have a seat, the store is nice and quiet and we get snacks as we shop! Gotta love those free samples. The only problem is I don’t know where to put all the bulk stuff I’m buying.

Ok, so maybe these aren’t exactly guilty pleasures, because I don't feel any guilt or shame when I partake in these activities. But you all know what I'm getting at.

Are You Fab?

Have you heard of Fab.com?

It's sort of like Groupon. Every day you get an email announcing the daily design deals. There's everything from home decor and art to toys, clothes and accessories for you and your electronics. I've been a member since day one and I love it! Jacob doesn't because it gives me inspiration and makes me want to spend money and redecorate. Just check out some of the past deals:

So what do you think? It's pretty fun, unique stuff. Let me know if you want an invitation!