Now That's Class or Does This Candy Corn Clash With My Hair???

My FAVORITE holiday is approaching...Halloween! Every year I get all up in a tizzy trying to think of the best costume, best decorations, etc. My husband and I have had some pretty entertaining ones in years past. Our first Halloween we were a doctor and nurse. Then we were Gilligan and Mary Ann. Then the following year was the saddest in my then 22 years...we weren't anything! Due to the holiday falling on a weekday and work schedules, it just did not work out. I felt empty. Yeah, I'm an adult. We then made up for it with a vengeance the following year by being an 80's hair band rocker and groupie. I threw my long red nurses wig on my husband, and dolled him up à la Poison on the Look What the Cat Dragged In album cover.

His 9 year old cousin told him he looked like a girl. His grandmother asked him if he was a woman. He said no, a rock star from the 80's. She then said "Oh....but a woman rock star, right?" Thus proving that both the old and the young truly tell it like it is. I still don't think he's forgiven me.

The following year after that we were getting married a month after Halloween, so once again did not have time for a full blown costume, so I had to make do with slapping on a tail and some cat ears. Hackish. Then last year we decided to be Popeye and Olive Oyl, but since it was too expensive/too easy to just buy the costumes, we decided to make them. The end result was passable, but I don't think we'll ever look at quilt batting and pantyhose the same way again. We found out we were expecting our little Sweet Pea 3 days before Halloween last year, and while the obvious choice would be to just reprise the same costumes the next year with her in tow to complete the little family, I surely couldn't do anything that simple. So I have been brainstorming since pretty much that day what she could be.

Shortly after she was born, it hit me like a ton of tawny colored bricks- candy corn! I thought it would be cute to match my little copper penny's orange-ness to her costume. But since I don't like to do anything the easy way, instead of getting the pointy headed bunting version, I wanted to create a more abstract vision. I found the most adorable candy corn colored tulle tutus, headband, diaper cover, and shoes on Etsy, a candy corn onesie on Cafe Press, and candy corn striped BabyLegs warmers. All for the low price of....well over $100???? For a 4 month old's costume that will likely get peed all over before we even leave the house and anyone gets to see it???

So she's being the $24.99 Lucky Lil Lamb from Party City instead. Score.

 The lamb is lucky because it's Halloween, not Easter. Womp womp.

While at Party City, I started to peruse the adult costumes. The "Cheerio" costume caught my eye, and being a newly converted Gleek, I just had to have it. Still rocking a body comparable to a 5 month preggo, I thought it would be the (in)appropriate choice to channel a little Quinn Febray. Because nothing says family fun holiday like a little teen pregnancy joke! Showed the costume to hubby when I got home and he asked then what could he be? Clearly Mr. Shuester, all he would have to do is wear his normal Gap ensemble and get ready to explain himself to his cousin and grandmother again that yes, he is dressed up. But if we're going by looks alone, then the obvious choice would be Dr. Carl Howell (wait, a character not ending in opoulos?) ...which would be hilarious on about 500 levels.

So I have about a month and a half to whittle myself down enough that I'm not an embarrassment clomping around in a cheerleaders outfit and to convince hubby to play along. I'm going to need all the help I can get!

Mommy and Me Jeggings Are Just an Excuse Not To Have To Zipper Your Pants

I have been uninspired as of late. Being sick for 6 days will do that to you. But in my downtime I've found a TON of cool blogs, that I'm hoping to use as inspiration for holiday crafting and cooking and networking.

Luckily, my husband has been pitching in to help with the baby and the chores while I lay on my deathbed. He went grocery shopping, and came home with a few goodies that weren't on the list; peanut buttery Edy's Ice Cream goodness for himself, and fat free frozen yogurt for me. It was a sweet gesture, while still getting the point across. Have a treat, but you're still fat.

It's going to start getting cooler in the next few weeks, and I'm dreading not being able to wear the maternity skirt and gauchos that I've been living in for the past 3 months. Silly me washed and put away all my maternity work pants think I wouldn't have to wear them again until baby number 2. Surely I would be back to my svelte self in 3 months.

I'm not the brightest bulb in the Christmas tree lot.

I ABHORRED my maternity jeans. They were saggy and the belly band was tan, brilliantly designed, and always showed unless I was wearing a shirt that was 3 feet long. Since I've got about 5 years before I can even think of fitting in to my pre-preg pants again, I decided to take a cue from the baby and go looking for some leggings. Went to Target, and got a pair of jeggings and the standard black. Clearly was very optimistic about my body, and bought a size Medium. Got home to try them on, and pretty much couldn't fit my ankle inside. Cried silent tears as I had to exchange them for a size that I never even saw during my 7th grade "large and in charge" stage. Came home, and was relieved, yet devastated when they fit.

But they sure are comfy.

Now I'm at that awkward phase where my maternity shirts are starting to get too big on me, but my regular clothes still don't quite fit. So my options appear to be either look like a bag lady, or look like trailer trash. I can't bring myself to splurge on an interim wardrobe that I hopefully would only wear for a few months. So until further notice, I will no longer be wearing real pants. Vive La Jeggings! (Ok...Vivent Les Jeggings...you can take the girl out of the linguistics program, but you can't take the linguistics program out of the girl.)

Cardio Works? And Other Suburban Legends...

For one, Mommies do get sick sometimes. It should not be allowed, but it does happen. I emerged from the hurricane 5 pounds heavier and with a wicked sore throat. Not having a sore throat for years, I quickly remembered how awful it is. And for fear of passing it on to the baby, I've been limiting my contact to pretty much just feedings, diaperings, and transferring from bouncy seat to swing. I can't take not being able to smother her with hugs and kisses all day! I'm hoping that this passes in the next day or so for both our sakes.

Perhaps because I can't swallow and haven't been eating so much, or because of my new rigorous exercise routine, I seem to have lost that hurricane weight and then some. Thanks to the "30 Day Shred" phenomenon that was so popular amongst the wedding planning set a few years ago being brought back to my attention, I'm well on my way to becoming a hot mama. Not that I was a particularly hot pre-mama, but at least I was thin. Now all I have is my sparkling personality to get me through. So yeah...definitely need to work on my body as well. Day 1 has me down 5 pounds, and while that is likely scale error, I'm going to take that. But try gasping for air when your throat feels like you swallowed razor blades. No pain, no gain, as they say...

As my leave is rapidly dwindling down, I've been trying to tie up all loose ends before going back to work. I've been getting the baby book in order, putting photos in to albums (including some wedding photos, I'm that behind), organizing drawers, etc. etc. etc. I'm having a tough time thinking of how I'm possibly going to be able to get everything done that I need to in just a few short hours every day. Cook, clean, take care of the baby, still read or write or do something for my own sanity's sake, spend time with my husband. Something is going to have to give. I think it will be cleaning.