Saturday Snow

I went out with some friends last night and while we were at dinner, it started to snow. The drive home wasn't bad and I had no idea it would continue to snow through the night and for most of today. When I woke up, it was still snowing and everything looked so beautiful. I decided that after lunch we should go out and enjoy it since it wasn't too cold out, it was about 28 degrees F which is a nice change from the very cold temps we have been having. Plus, we were hoping that the fresh air and playing in the snow would tire Arabella out so she would take a good nap while I prepared dinner for our friends that were coming over this evening. Once we were all bundled up, we grabbed Arabella's sled and headed outside. It was so nice to be outside enjoying the weather...I know it sounds odd, but I really do like the snow and am hoping that we start to get more snowy weather soon! We took a nice walk around the neighborhood and then played in the yard for a little while. We had a great time!

Too Much Time On My Hands???

About once a month, the Hot Hudson Housewives get together for a D&B (a/k/a Ditch & Bitch). The D&B is an evening where we ditch the husbands and kids and get together for a girls night of wince, snacks and bitching/girl talk. We rotate houses and everyone brings something to drink or snack on. So when we had our D&B last week and I went to the store to pick up something to bring the strawberries caught my attention. Maybe it had to do with wanting summer and warm weather and they looked to good to be passed up. Plus they were on sale 2 packages for $5...even better since they are usually about $5 a package. So when we got home and Arabella was down for her nap, I was bored and decided to make the strawberries into a special treat for D&B. What do you think?

From this:

To this:

To the final outcome:
I think the came out great. And they tasted even better. So yes, last Tuesday, I had too much time on my hands, but no one at the D&B was complaining. Having too much time on my hands is not the norm, so I can't promise these at every D&B but you never know...

Little Mermaid

There is no denying that Arabella is a water baby. And since we went on out cruise in October, she has had an interest in mermaids. She even picked out a stuffed mermaid as her trip present that she now sleeps with. So when she was dressing herself the other night, this happened:

So for a brief moment before almost falling flat on the floor, she was a mermaid. I told her she can try to be a mermaid this summer, once all the snow melts!

Thursday's Thoughts

Hearing: The running of the dishwasher. I know this may sound odd, but the sound is soothing and relaxing to me at this moment.

Tasting: Roasted watermelon seeds from Adonis Market. I love them and they are the perfect after workout and before bed snack.

Seeing: Arabella's Valentine's Day projects that we started this week.


Smelling: Freshly laundered jeans right out of the dryer. I wish there was a way to make them stay so clean smelling longer

Feeling: Happy that tomorrow is Friday and looking forward to all the fun that is planned starting tomorrow morning...playgroup, swim lessons, Mom's Night Out, Bikram yoga, friends coming over for dinner and then the Shiver Fest. I am sure we can cram a few more things in...don't you?

Arabella's Art Class

Since Arabella enjoyed the art class she was taking in the Fall, I re-enrolled her for the Winter session. She really looks forward to going and I like how a story is read at the beginning of class and then the art/craft/project is in relation to the story. Yesterday we heard a story about snowmen and made the cutest craft, using a variety of different art supplies - we painted, used chalk, glue and cotton balls, no bake clay and a few others. She had a lot of fun doing this project and was very proud of it and couldn't wait to show Jay when he got home!

Care Packages

I love when I get mail from my Mom. She likes to send me what I call care packages, but instead of being a box, it is a larger envelope. I am sure she would send a care package or box more often, and every once in while and she does, but between the postage (it costs a fortune), filling out customs paperwork, and me quite possibly having to pay customs and duty on something, it is just easier to send an envelope. And I love it!! I never know what I am going to find when I open it up. There are recipes, articles that she finds interesting and I do too, things to do with Arabella, my Connecticut magazine that I subscribe to (they won't mail it internationally, so I have to have it sent to her house and she forwards it on to me) or quite possibly, it is something that will completely surprise me. And that is what happened today, I love it, a newspaper clipping from 1984!

Yes, that is me, before I was even 8 years old! I love everything about the article...the leg warmers, my determination, the Nike sneakers, my locked knee in the top photo (I just need to remember this in my Bikram yoga practice now), how flexible I was (and still am...must be those good gymnastics genes), and most of all, that Mom kept this. I means a lot to me to see things like this and to be able to share them with Arabella. And that I did, I showed her and she said "Wow, Arabella try" and she seemed in awe that I was once little and could do the same moves that she is doing. Thanks Mom, I love getting things like this, keep them coming!

New Low...

Yes, that says -26.0 c which is give or take -15 f and that doesn't count the wind chill! So for those of you who live farther south than us...no more complaining. You may have more snow on the ground than us, but it can't possibly be colder than us!