Shots & Shopping

Today Taby and I loaded up quite late and headed to Pensacola for my (gasp! second to last dose, I believe!?) shots and a dose of much-needed retail therapy. Except I'm not sure that shopping with a one year old is truly therapy! With Danielle, it vacillates between being the sweetest, funnest thing ever and living in one of those dreams you are happy to wake up from! Lately, she loves hearing her voice so "echo-y" in the stores and sort of shrieks out bursts of noise! It baffles me how to cure this without appearing to abuse her.... (please give me ideas!) Sometimes I squinch her fat cheeks together and shush at her, or flick her mouth, or whisper at her to use her store voice. Mostly though, I stuff her little pie hole with Cherrios or raisins. That works the best! I have the tjxrewards credit card from T.J.Maxx and it gives the loveliest rewards! Armed with $30 reward certificates, I planned to purchase a gorgeous and well-fitting swimsuit! For some reason, I just don't buy swimwear. And that is not a good thing. After hunting through aisles of unorganized suits packed too tightly for proper observation, I plucked approximately 6 of them for the fitting room finale. Alas, either I am a far cry from model proportions (check) or a disaster of a perfectionist, (another check) so none met my criteria for THEE suit of the year. But I had fun selecting some gift items and a couple summery tank tops for Danielle. Next stop was Wendy's for our usual "4 for $4" meal deal. It's perfect for us! I eat the double stack burger, she eats the chicken nuggets, and we share the fries, Diet Coke, and Jr. Frosty that we get complimentary with every purchase due to the 2017 Frosty key-chain I bought because it was so cute! Not only is this tag super cute, it also helps support foster care adoption!

At Dr. Cleveland's, Danielle eyed the nurses in their sterile scrubs very warily as they jabbed ME instead of HER with their fierce needles! While waiting the mandatory 30 minutes, we sat in the back of the Yukon with the half-glass up (this looked odd to the passersby I am certain, but at least I didn't have to worry about Danielle annoying the other clients inside or have to chase her all over outside!) and enjoyed the sunshine and finished our Wendy's while FaceTiming with Nana and Aunt Alisha. We are all so antsy for little Isla Francine to be born!! Come ON, already! Can't wait to meet my sweet lil niece! Then we be-bopped over to Marshall's to do the whole bathing suit thing all over, but only bombed out again. But I scored a modest black and white striped knit dress for $24.99 that I am super thrilled about! And some flip-flops and a Father's Day present. And a too-tired toddler!!! Waaah... cancelled meeting Katie for a cone at Marble Slab, and went straight to Walmart to pickup our groceries. Once on the road, Danielle zonked out almost immediately. Poor thing. And although I have proclaimed this oft' afore, I ADORE Walmart Pickup!!! I could "Keep Calm & Shop On" while my baby "Kept Calm & Slept On!" Per Daniel's suggestion (love him!) I stopped at Tom Thumb in Molino and got a ready-to-eat rack of ribs, and sides of greens, mac 'n cheese, and apple/peach cobbler for supper! One and Done! Not sure if that slogan applies well to this supper subject matter...but I'm a mom and "One and Done" comes to mind, thanks to our favorite Huggie's wipes! When one starts writing about baby wipes, they should cease writing; therefore this post is Done and Done! 

Over and out. 

typing myself to sleep

I want to write but...

Sleep is sweeter than honey!

Wishing dreams could type...

#latenighthaiku

Five Friday Faves

1. PIZZA HUT

Seriously, our little family's favorite food! I ordered it on my app, while walking at the park in Atmore. They have the $7.99 carryout 2 topping deal again! I veered from our usual of cheese with extra cheese and added ham and pineapple and a garlic butter crust flavor! Ignoring the little pieces I had cut for her, Danielle grabbed a slice when I wasn't looking and "ate" it like a big girl tonight for the first time! Mostly she gnawed off the cheese and made a big mess, but she was so pleased with herself.  Daniel, on the other hand, wasn't so pleased with my order this go around..."What's this grass they have scattered on our pizza?!" "Ummm..Gulp. It's uh...I thought garlic butter crust flavor would be awesome! Sorrrrrry! They sorta got carried away when liberally applying it! Won't happen again!" He was a good sport though, and ate it!  

Mostly though, my favorite thing about this meal is the ABSENCE OF DISHES! And that my sweet hubby tells me often to just pick up a pizza so I can have a break from cooking and cleaning up! #lovehim

2. NANA

She gave me the best gift today! An uninterrupted hour to work on taxes! Danielle, the Duchess of Grump, had really been exercising her royal right to whine pitifully if I wasn't near enough or holding her ever since she starting running fever yesterday, so it was a blissful break even though compiling tax data is not high on my list of favorite things. Thanks again, Nana!!! 

(She didn't run fever today, but still acted like she didn't feel well..erupting molars??! I don't know..)

3. FRESH CUT FLOWERS

I dumped a seed packet of tiny white flowers in my porch pots last fall and they never bloomed until this spring! They are kind of unsightly in the pots, but make a lovely whimsical bouquet when picked! Today I added 3 red roses from our knockout bush, and this combination has just "sparked joy" every time my gaze lands on it!

4. NEW HAIR BRUSH

I love my new mint green and pale pink brush from TjMaxx!

I'm a "finisher" by nature and boy howdy, I "finished" my old brush!

 It was purchased from Fred's in Atmore years ago, and had seen it's very last day! Now it resides in Danielle's bathroom basket and she plays and chews on it while I get dressed. So really, I guess it isn't quite "finished" yet!  

5. SAYING NO

I'm still learning how to do this, albeit painfully. I was telling Daniel this week that "I'm not ever saying yes to doing ________ again!" And he replied that it had taken me 18 years to finally reach this conclusion...sigh. Slowly but surely, I'll be lesser of a "yesser!"

Our little princess is ONE!

It is so hard to believe that only one short year ago, 

our little Danielle Nicole was a fresh newborn baby who purred and hiccuped so sweetly!

Now she is an adorable but fiercely independent little toddler teenager who wears size 5 shoes and almost runs everywhere! 

She is the light of our lives, and I could type pages of her antics and of how much we love her! 

But I won't...at least not tonight, or rather this morning.

Happy Birthday to our baby girl!

(BTW, I did also just finish the final edits on the 10 page document titled 

"The Birth Story of Danielle Nicole" 

Message me if you would like to read it! It's detailed, but not too graphic!)

a bowl full of donuts

Now THIS is cereal done right, y'all!!! 

When I saw this box at Piggly this afternoon, my donut-loving soul just melted. $4.99 or not, I have no resist in me when it comes to donuts AND sprinkles! 

And I thought surely Danielle will love them too! First chance I had, I poured a bowl of milk and dumped in the adorable mini donuts! 

WOW- that perfectly fake cake flavor blended so well with whole milk and they didn't even sog up too fast! 

(Sog is the main reason I refrain from cereal. Shudder.)

 I enjoyed several fistfuls dry too. This may just be a new pantry staple. 

Good ole impulse buying! 

Maybe Walmart Pickup isn't the answer to all of life's problems...

*This is not a sponsored post even though I wish like crazy that it was! 

All is Well

You know how sometimes you have that feeling that all's right with the world and there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? That's how I felt today! I didn't expect to; it was just was of those rare days that actually gets better and better instead of worse for once! And nothing huge or glamorous happened. Just sweet daily life! Daniel ended up taking the day off instead of working like he had planned. He suggested waffles for breakfast, which carb-loving me jumped right on! I threw chopped pecans in mine. Sublime! Then we all pittered around the house, just relishing togetherness. I hadn't properly "sorted" (as the Brits would say) my kitchen all week, so I washed up non-dishwasherable dishes for a good while. Danielle took an amazing 2.5 hour nap! After our lunch of Kraft shell macaroni and cheese and leftover brown sugar spiral sliced ham with horseradish, we cleaned up out in the yard and Daniel cranked up the lawnmower for the first time this year! Danielle was delighted to help mow the dog pen. At one point, she really pushed on the right lever and they leaped out of a straight stripe! Then she and I chillaxed on the front porch watching Daddy mow; she in her Little Tikes swing and I perching on the Pelican cooler I had just cleaned up from last week's oysters. We ate Mayfield Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream and soaked up the sun. The weather just kept getting better all day too. I had been pining for fresh pine straw in all the beds, so once Daniel was finished with the yard, he and Danielle drove the white truck back around behind the house and I raked up a large haystack of the free much-needed mulch. I distributed it around the front porch while Taby stomped happily after her daddy pruning trees. She LOVES being outside. And as I watched her toddling around, I couldn't help thinking, "Is this really my beautiful life? It's just too perfect...I'm beyond blessed." (disclaimer - I have MANY moments when life seems quite real and I have no problem believing that it IS my life lol.) Anyway, snap back to reality. Our yard, beds, and porch now look loved and cared for at last. They really look good if I may say so myself! Especially the porch with its new pale blue $5 metal table from Family Dollar! Danielle had wilted after her afternoon of adventures, so I put her down for a late nap. Then I sat on our front porch like a true Southerner and watched the sun go down as I ate a Cutie, drank water, and read in Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. Love that book. Levon Kimmons had come over, so Danl was out shooting the breeze with him. Supper was Zatarain's Cilantro Lime Rice, Walmart shrimp grilled on skewers, cheese green beans, and Reese Pieces store-bought cookie dough cookies barely baked, then frozen. Outlandishly delicious! And now day is done, gone the sun. All is well. Amen.

Sharnjean's Seasonal Shortlist!

I'm funny about feelings. 

Ever the analyst, I'm constantly scrutinizing as to whether or not I'm "feeling" the right feelings for the occasion. Like Christmas, for instance! When I was a teacher, festive fol de rols filled the air everywhere with the program, and parties, and presents, and caroling, and one couldn't help but have a magical mood! (Most of the time!) But now at the beginning of this holiday time, I realized that I would have to make the magic happen mostly on my own! If I didn't consciously Christmasize, I would be Grinching about quite grimly. Elaborate amounts of time or money to promote the proper perception were not an option, so I came up with this simple 6 item shortlist to add seasonal spirit to each and every day! 

I'm loving the word "shortlist" ever since adding a gift to my Google shopping shortlist. Especially the playful part defined as "winnowed from a longer list of possibilities."  Awww...the whimsical wistfulness of  unending possibilities!

short list

or shortlist

• Examples
• Word Origin

noun

1.

a list of those people or items preferred or most likely to be chosen, as winnowed from a longer list of possibilities.

1. SPRINKLES. 

Add holiday sprinkles to EVERYTHING! Blop Coolwhip on coffee, add some tiny sugar holly sprigs & berries, and you instantly feel like singing "Joy to the World!"

(Be like me and buy up on Christmas sprinkles after the 25th when everything is 75% off!)

2. SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS INSTEAD OF LULLABIES.

Instead of crooning "Mama's Gonna Give You a Mockinbird" while rocking Danielle, I've switched to "Silent Night," and I feel just a tiny bit like Mary must have felt...the awe of my own tiny (aka huge) baby. And then the feelings of thankfulness that I can lay her down to sleep in a soft crib instead of in a scratchy manger of hay.

3. CHANGE YOUR PHONE WALLPAPER & LOCKSCREEN.

I have these on mine and every time I see them they give me a glow.

4. GIVE SOME MONEY TO EVERY SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGER YOU SEE.

There's just something so simple and satisfying about walking up to the red bucket, plunking in some pennies (or bills), and giving the ragged ringer a hearty hail of "Merry Christmas!"

5. SEIZE THE SCENT.

Make your house smell Christmasy! I put cinnamon oil in my Scentsy burner, and have also been burning fir branch candles.

6. REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

Even though I wish to make cute crafts, sew festive frocks, and bake bunches of baked goods, none of these things are truly the backbone of this bustling time 'o year. If I can lower my expectations, and just make sure there's room for Him in my inn,

 it will be the merriest Christmas ever!