Fresh Beat Band - a simple review and a warning

The tension is mounting. 5:30 comes, 5:30 goes. All around are frosting-faced, squirming and barely potty-trained toddlers, anxiously whispering to their parents "Is it time?" "No more wake ups, right??" ... 5:35. ...5:40.Suddenly, a countown appears on a screen. The lights dim, children bounce, shriek, throw their hands in the air (do it! do it! do it!), and out they come. The Fresh Beat Band.   

1. You won't be able to help but sing along... unless you don't know their music. 

Even the 'New Marina' haters agree - the entire group is incredibly high energy and just as quirky on stage as they are on-screen. And you know this stuff has to get old for them IRL. Please. Here are a bunch of 28 year old's singing songs about friends giving friends a hand and having a superhero pose and whatnot, and they are bouncing and grinning the entire time. They actually seem to like what they do! And sure, Nick Jr. is paying them plenty of moolah to groove their way through their tunes, while four year old girls yearn for Kiki's pink tulle skirt and Marina's ruby locks. Boys clamor for a high five from the slapstick Twist or to be able to bust a few moves like Shout. Just the same, they are GOOD. And authentic. I would kill for a sip of the energy drink they must have on an iv-drip backstage. 

2. Don't knock the intermission. My kid stared at the stage until the intermission, and then finally loosened up to get her groove on during and after the break. And kids were racing to the bathrooms and vendor lines. Yeah, it's only 30 minutes of tunes before they take a break, but these kids are used to 23 minutes of FBB while running wild inside their homes. Having to somewhat remain in their seats for the duration of the concert has to be borderline painful for the runts.  

3. Bring your credit card. Your kid will NEED a 'Rock Star' jacket. Need. They run about $45. Oh, and that sweet concert tee with all the city stops? Yeah, it's $25 (Totally bought one. Whatever. I'll make it into a pillow when she outgrows it). Clearly every venue is different, but brownies ran about $6 each, small sodas were a half roll of quarters and I won't even start on licorice ropes. 

4. The Warning: You will have fun. Good Lord, you will have fun. It was hands down the most entertaining 75 minutes of my life. I haven't stopped singing 'Here We Go' since Saturday night. We've been on Fresh Beat overload - I swear, 4 episodes a day, constantly listening to the two albums and humming during all silent moments. I just discovered Amazon.com has an episode from last Halloween that we totally haven't seen. Yeah. I just bought it. So my point is, you will have fun. Your kid will have fun. And your kid totally won't sleep that night because they'll be so full of energy that they will run around in circles for HOURS.

...But that's okay, because you'll be running around with them, busting a gut singing "Na na na na na na let's go bananas! Na na na na na na let's go bananas! We've just got to go bananas!" True story. It's horrid.

___________

Also, our hotel in Appleton had a kiddie water park and E was adorable in it, and we had an impromptu brunch at Cafe Hollander in Tosa. The end.

Why today is awesome and other blessings.

The slow cooker made dinner.

Cinnamon and clove candles from Bath & Body Works were burned. 

I got a pink extension in my hair!!!!!1!!11!

I read more than two pages of a book. Epic big deal.

The tv was off a lot. A lot. A LOT. 

Cinderelly came in the mail!!!! Yay UPS driver for delivering this!

Spaghetti dinner. Every bite was eaten.

I'm crocheting a yellow scarf.

NEW BOOTS.

I am absolutely blessed. And my kid's shrug is hilarious.

Thai scallops. My husband thinks I'm a master chef.

My husband's birthday was a few weeks ago and he made two requests: key lime pie from scratch and this insanely simple Thai scallops recipe that he adores. I think he truly believes I slave away all day in the kitchen to make this for him, and the reality is that its maybe 15 minutes, max. Bonus: it's not that bad for you.

Thai Scallops 

(originally found on www.eatbetteramerica.com)

• 1 package spaghetti noodles
• 1 package Green Giant Steamers broccoli cuts, thawed out. Or just nuke them for half the time on the package, that works too
• Around a pound of sea scallops OR raw shrimp, tail removed. We like to mix it up
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat peanut butter. Chunky or smooth. Whatever your style
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce. Kikoman, yo.
• 1/4 rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce AKA Sriracha
• Optional: 2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts to garnish and make it look pretty

1. While cooking spaghetti, saute the scallops or shrimp until half cooked. Add scallops and broccoli during last four minutes of noodles boiling!!
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and Sriracha until smoothish. If you like stuff spicy, add more Sriracha but just remember that you can always add more on top. You can't take away.
3. Drain spaghetti mixture; return to saucepan. Add peanut goo and toss gently. Sprinkle with peanuts. Win awards for your apparently amazing Thai cooking.

That's it. Seriously. When I say 15 minutes, it's because part of those 15 minutes are spent opening a bottle of Merlot, chugging half of it, pouring another glass and pretending to sip it casually while whisking together the peanut butter goo.

Mommy Makeover day 7 - Cardiganed up

Today was a whirlwind! Our friends Tiffany and Caramia spent the weekend with us, so this morning was PJ-heavy. When they left to head back to Chicagoland, I threw on some workout attire and ran 5 miles on the treadmill, then temporarily forgot about other scheduled plans today - and the challenge. My husband casually mentioned we had a birthday party for his baby cousin Olivia (happy birthday, you 16 year old!) and I remembered all this junk with a gasp. Shower, makeup. People. Ugh!


A hot shower and a few coats of paint later, I was ready to be in public.

What did I learn these last seven days about getting myself ready each day? I hold my chin a little higher. I don't dilly-dally to get things done. And I REALLY like cardigans, tall socks and leggings. Fact.


And now the entire family is wiped out and relaxing. Seriously, it was an awesome weekend.

Mommy Makeover Day 6 - on the go!

Gotta post and run (from the phone). Day 6, and I feel good. Rocking tall socks and leggings with a cozy cardigan AND I CURLED MY HAIR! Tattoo day with Tiffany and Caramia in Lake Geneva! (and Brett and Emma. Whatever.)

Mommy Makeover Day 5 - I wore camo today.

Check out the Naptown Organizer's blog to see other participants and to view the gorgeous Jayne and other participants in all of their done-up glory!

Day of the Challenge? 5

How long did it take you to get ready? 20 minutes total

 What did you do for your health? Jogged 2 3/4 miles. I need to walk a few more tonight. Ugh.

What did you do differently than normal? Although my hair was still mostly damp in this picture, I tossed some Bumble & Bumble in my hair to get a bed-head look. As my hair dried, it got all full and wavy-like. Sorta sexyish. Weird. Also, if anyone recognizes this shirt as something I wore when I was in the family way, you're totally right. It's not maternity though! I bought it in the juniors section at Target, I pinky swear! Also, note the necklace. When I went out in public I threw on a giant, soft blue scarf.

Where did you go/what did you do? I had/have sooooo much to do today. I have a friend and her daughter coming for the weekend tomorrow and that means that a) I needed to pretend my house was cleanish casually and then apologize for the clutter when she walks in the door (and Tiff, I'm totally going to do this. Count on it.) and b) get done the normal stuff I'd do on the weekends if I didn't have a gazillion plans. Anywho - Today was a lot of cooking, spot-cleaning, running errands, etc. so instead of dealing with lunch, we all went to Panera. Since my kid decided it would be a great time to be a tuna fish-throwing psycho, a lot of people got to see me with cosmetics and a giant fluffy blue scarf on. 

Did you feel any differently?  I felt... cute today. I don't know, maybe it was the poof hair. Maybe it was the blush and mascara. 

Mommy Makeover Day 4 - Ironing Required

Check out the Naptown Organizer's blog to see other participants and to view the gorgeous Jayne in all of her done-up glory!

Day of the Challenge? 4

How long did it take you to get ready? 15 minutes - I totally didn't shower today. Awesome, right? What did you do for your health? Walked a little over 3 miles, Zumba class tonight

What did you do differently than normal? I tried a side pony French braid. And I WORE PERFUME!!! This never happens even though I love the stuff. But why waste it, ya know?! Also, I really like this blue floral shirt I'm rocking. It's one of those shirts that fits great and feels amazing AND requires ironing. AKA I rarely wear it.

Where did you go/what did you do? Thursdays equals Babies and Books at the library and I'm going to the store after the kid wakes up from a nap. Zumba tonight, but I won't be wearing this lovely number. I'll be wearing running pants, two sports bras and a ratty t-shirt-turned-tank top.

Did you feel any differently?  I'm actually feeling really awful today, and my wardrobe isn't really helping anything. Boo.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I woke up today with a headache. Feels like a hangover without all the fun. Ya know, the kind where you lean over to tie your shoes and suddenly feel like your head is going to fall off your shoulders. So that's mega fun. I decided to boycott the treadmill today because I'm pretty sure every stride would feel like a jackhammer to my skull, so we went for a little walk before our regularly scheduled library outing. 

We did a lap around the park and I spotted this tree - amazingly beautiful. Perfect example of fall. And the porta-potty was also pretty amazing so I made a point to have that in my shot. I'm klassy like that.

Mommy Makeover Day 3 - God Bless Leggings

 

Check out the Naptown Organizer's blog to see other participants and to view the gorgeous Jayne in all of her done-up glory!

Day of the Challenge?3

How long did it take you to get ready? 20 minutes

What did you do for your health? Ran 3 1/2 miles

What did you do differently than normal? I braided my hair, put on makeup... and (gasp) SHAVED MY LEGS! Also, tunic, boot socks, belt... ya know, the extras.

Where did you go/what did you do? Every other Wednesday, I do make a point to get dressed. Mainly because my play group meets up at Caribou Coffee for gossip and general socializing while the kids break things/eat each others' snacks/show off their new walking skills (!!!Yay Joshy!!!). Anywho, today was that magical Wednesday. I would have put forth a little effort regardless, but I figured I'd snazz it up a la the challenge.

Did you feel any differently? I felt really caffeine deprived since I didn't get my daily joe until almost 10 am. Also, I felt sort of... trendy? Weird. Trendy =/= Buffy. 

I kind of dig it though...

~&~

First, can we discuss the amazingness that are leggings? While they can be hugely unflattering, ultimately it's a combo of yoga pants and tights. Throw a long shirt on and you look like you actually tried. Seriously, I don't know why I don't own more pairs, and why I'm not wearing them every day that the yogas are put away. Foolish Buffy.

I'm getting a tattoo with my amazing, gorgeous, hilarious, smarty-pants friend Tiffany this weekend and I've been working diligently on the design. Is it taboo and/or bad luck to give sneak previews? I really want to show someone what I came up with (especially since I was laying in bed last night sobbing - that's right, sobbing - at my design and placement). I'll just show up and pretend that I might not get this exact tattoo on the side of my forearm where my daughter used to rest her head every night as she fell asleep. Yup. Cuz I might not get this. Ahem.

The scripture referenced is as follows (NIV), "Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him." I love the visual reminder that my kid is a blessing, not just a terror.

Don't tell me you hate it, because I'll probably break up with you.

September In [picture] Review

Mommy Makeover Day 2 - Fancy Pants

Check out the Naptown Organizer's blog to see other participants and to view the gorgeous Jayne in all of her done-up glory!

Day of the Challenge? 2

How long did it take you to get ready? 25 minutes

What did you do for your health? Jogged 2 1/2 miles on treadmill, will walk another 1 1/2 - 2 this afternoon.

What did you do differently than normal? Heavy-ish eyeshadow, curled hair... I PUT ON A FLIPPING DRESS!!!

Where did you go/what did you do? Walking to the library and getting supplies for dinner at the store are planned for later. I also have a HUGE bag of clothes to give to the Goodwill this afternoon thanks to the giant closet clean out, inspired by both this challenge and a few episodes of Hoarders I watched last night.

 I also have grand plans to clean the floors today. In a dress. And tights.

Did you feel any differently?  I feel pretty stinking fancy. Mainly because I'm not wearing any pants.

 ~*~

To know me, you know a few things. 1) I run every morning and 2) If I'm going to do something, I'm going to go over-the-top or completely fail. There is no in-between. And since I decided after yesterday's sad [Getzen] trombone performance on my part, I was going to step up my game. But first, you have to see what I'm starting with. After my morning miles on the treadmill, I'm tired. I'm red-faced. I'm wanting coffee. And a nap. 

I decided today I'd curl my hair post-shower. And wear heavier eye shadow. You'd never believe that I used to fully do my hair every.single.day. It wasn't even that long ago! The mom-gene got the best of me though and here we are today, having to challenge ourselves to not wear PJs all day long.  Having my kid say, "Oooh" when I walked into her room after my shower/mascara application/hair curling... that says a ton. Apparently she even noticed my constant ponytails and stretchy pants. 

Yikes.

Mommy Makeover Day 1 - the Disaster

Remember yesterday when I posted that I was going to start a 7 day Mommy Makeover challenge, initiated by the Naptown Organizer? About that...

Day of the Challenge? 1

How long did it take you to get ready? 15 minutes

What did you do for your health? Ran just over 5 miles, walked an additional 3 later in the day

What did you do differently than normal? Eyeshadow, eyeliner, actually looked into my closet instead of blindly reaching

Did you go anywhere outside of the home? Yeah... but that's where the problems came up.

Where did you go/what did you do? Walked to the grocery store... more on that below.

Did you feel any differently? As of right now, I'm back to my usual hot-mess self. Not so much.

I was amped up to start this challenge. I swear, I was. I even added my own spin on it and thought I'd include what I'm doing for my health each day, to encourage me to work out (as ultimately this helps improve both my appearance and state of mind). I ran a little over 5 miles this morning, skipped off to the shower, spent some time with eyeliner and eyeshadow and mascara and blush and even concealer and then as I walked over to my closet I realized that not only have I not put away my summer clothes, all my attire is pretty much just shoved into said closet. Seriously. It's horrific. I started pulling things out to both put into the basement and also to start a Goodwill pile, but I ran out of time (dishes needed to be washed, a grocery list needed to be started, I wanted to vacuum all the cob webs hanging out around my ceiling). Tomorrow, project "Clean and Organize your Disgusting Closet" starts, coinciding nicely with the Mommy Makeover challenge. How can I make myself look presentable if I can't even find anything in my closet?!

I found enough of an outfit to look decent (fancy compared to normal) and started my day. Early afternoon, the kid and I decided to trek three miles on foot to the grocery store. That's where it all went downhill. 

 

Off went the cute cocoon sweater over the dolmen-sleeved top. Instead a cozy North Face vest was thrown on. Jeans came off. Black yoga pants were put on. Black Reeboks topped off my apparently goth look. I was dissapointed in myself, but seriously people. COMFORT!1!!!11!  I have the jeans back on now, and the North Face vest didn't even last half way through our journey. But still, I feel like I failed.

The end.