Help Wanted, Help Found

Screen addiction is a real thing and I sure have it.  Even as my daughters get older and more independent, I'm working to keep them off of screens most of the time.  We are all in on the library summer reading program and they know the only screen I like saying yes to is for ebooks.  Both of my daughters love books, and they just got rewarded for it on a routine visit to the vet!  A love of reading can help with screen addiction, and bookstores are a great solution. Until last week, I did not know there was a used bookstore in Chesterton, Indiana!  I have yet to visit the bookstore O'Gara and Wilson, Booksellers, but my daughters and I are already raving fans.  One of the owners Jill,  stopped us at the veterinarian's office  to compliment my daughter Portia who was reading a book.  She said "I just love seeing children reading books, and I'd like to give you this card ...

Yesterday the hubby and I headed to Uptown Kitchen for breakfast. It is such an inviting place to eat with fresh food and lots of healthy options. We don't choose the healthy options, but we are glad they are there. The host was a pleasant guy who didn't offer us a highchair even though we had our baby with us in an infant carrier. It was no big deal to us, I made myself at home and went to get one. He saw me do this as he hustled through the kitchen running food and smiled sheepishly. I was so happy to be out to breakfast that I really didn't mind, but someone else might. Our server was Alyssa, though I am probably not spelling it right (I'm sorry!). She was an almost perfect waitress. Alyssa was warm, friendly and thorough. She was elegant and professional and smiled a genuine smile. I really appreciated how polished she was but I did get the feeling that she was this way with everyone every time. That is of course an excellent quality in customer service,...

I like to stink good: I LOVE good perfume and I prefer to only use one flavor as a signature scent. For five years (or fifteen, who's counting?) I wore Estee Lauder "Beautiful" like everyone else on the face of the planet. Then for the past six years it has been Jean Paul Gaultier in that sexy female-in-a-bustier bottle. My life has changed dramatically this year and I am ready for a new signature scent to celebrate it. I'm picky about fragrance and it does funny things when I wear it, so I need to wear it for a few days to tell if it will work on me long term. I have returned many a bottle of perfume I thought I loved after only a week of wearing it. A few weeks ago (or a month, who's counting?) I went to Sephora to shop for a new perfume. Sephora is awesome for customer service because they will not only give you perfume samples, but they give them to you in spray bottles so you can actually apply it in the normal manner instead of rubbing yourself like a ...

As a rule I am not a fan of Walmart. I prefer to shop locally but sometimes you gotta run in there, squint against the harsh lighting, grab cheap stuff and go. That is what I was doing on July 6th (2009) when I tried on a few tops in the fitting room. I had my four month old baby with me and after I was finished trying things on and leaving the room, Neila was taking my cast offs when I realized I wasn't quite done. Baby was cranky. With a breastfeeding baby they are pretty clear when they want to eat, and you darn well better cough it up for them on demand or else. I apologized to Neila and explained that I needed to go back in the fitting room, this time to feed "Sweet Baby Girl" before she turned into "Not So Sweet Beulah The HUNGRY and MAD". Neila was so pleasant about it and I really appreciated her personality. She had been that way when I brought my clothes up to try on, when I handed back my rejects, and now even when I needed to go back in for...

I was visiting the web site for Mothering Magazine and saw a promotion for Udder Covers where they offered free nursing covers, hilariously named "Udder Covers" if you simply go to the site, enter the promo code "onefree" and pay about $8.00 shipping. I ordered one to give as a gift to a girlfriend who is expecting. I already have a 'Hooter Hider" from another vendor and I probably paid $28 on sale for it. For those of you who are beyond confused at this point, allow me to explain that a nursing cover is basically a HUGE APRON you wear over you and your nursing offspring which protects any modesty you may care to have and (hopefully) keeps you from being harassed for feeding your baby in public. It is an indispensable item for a nursing mama and I strongly recommend them to everyone. (Thank you to my friend for recommending it for me in the first place- Ila, you are AWESOME!) I was very impressed with this company just giving away a valuable item i...