Serendipity
Part One
I joined a good friend - and her good friend - for a 'girls night out' at their church a few weeks ago. I didn't ask a lot of questions, I just knew that I needed to get out of the house (and we've talked about maybe switching to this church so I thought it might be cool to meet some people there in advance). We sat down and I realized that the guest speaker for the evening is something I've totally heard speak before. At first, I was disappointed. But it was *so* what I needed to hear.
THANK YOU, UNIVERSE.
She's a fabulous woman who is a wife and mommy and small business owner, and she's developed some extraordinary systems for managing her household and minimizing clutter in her life. Just like the first time I heard her speak, I left feeling inspired. Unlike the last time, I walked away with a copy of one of the books she highly recommends - and after reading the first couple of chapters, I had a mini breakthrough. I've realized that I am a perfectionist when it comes to managing out home. The result is a home full of clutter, because I don't want to start something I can't finish and do perfectly - so I keep putting it off, and getting super stressed out about the clutter.
Don't get me wrong... Our house is far from an episode of Hoarders. But it's also far from the tranquil space that I *so* wish it could be.
Armed with this realization (and accompanying painful self-admission), I took a couple of cautious little baby steps to incorporate some of the ideas into our life. Step One (for me) was spending 15 minutes pulling things out of our front closet that we don't need anymore. Much to my horror, I filled two giant recycling bags full of stuff to donate. AND I DIDN'T FINISH CLEANING OUT THE WHOLE CLOSET. There's more to go through. And I didn't clean it at all - there's still some dirt on the floor and fingerprints on the door and uncoordinated hangers turned around the wrong way. And I didn't sort things into the pretty boxes and baskets I planned to shop for before tackling The Closet Project in the first place. Or find something to hang on the wall behind the bench to really FINISH our entrance space. I just spent 15 minutes doing a little bit.
I feel stupid admitting that I didn't know it was possible to do something halfway (not EVEN halfway) and still feel good about it.
The bags were dropped off immediately the next day, and even though it wasn't FINISHED, I feel so much better. And with a little bit of extra space available there again, I've been hanging up coats and stashing shoes inside instead of tucking them on top of and underneath the built-in bench right beside it - which in turn is keeping our entrance cleaner and making me happier.
If I'd known that taking a baby step - and doing something halfway - would make me THIS happy, I would have done it forever ago.
It's really the little things, hey? :)
Part Two
Did you know that the restaurant Serendipity (from the movie) is a real place in NYC? That really serves that ridiculous-looking frozen hot chocolate? I AM SO DETERMINED TO GO THERE.
Labels: Being Domestic, Fly Girl, Movies, New York New York, Travel
Things No One Warned Me About
So in my infinite wisdom, I chose 'Everybody's Fine' as the movie I'd watch all alone on my couch tonight. SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE WARNED ME. Holy tears, Batman. (Good ones, mostly... And a fabulous movie. But STILL.)
Labels: Movies, Things No One Warned Me About
The Book Was So Much Better Night #1: Eat Pray Love
So the Book Club I tried starting this past year didn't really work out. We were all too busy. LINDSAY was too busy (me, not the other Lindsay - hehe). It made me sad, but I was just too darn tired to do anything about it. And so it just kind of faded off and died.
The whole experience got me thinking... We're obviously all too busy for regular commitments at this point in our lives. But why not plan an occasional one-off Girls Night Out that involves going to see a movie based on a book we've all read, and then grabbing coffee and talking about it after? No commitment other than reading a book and showing up for a fun night out. If you can make it to this one, great. If you can't make it, then we'll catch you next time. But no pressure to ever show up again unless you want to and it fits into your life whenever it happens. Awesomeness.
I'm planning the first one for Tuesday, August 17. We'll go see
Eat Pray Love and then grab some coffee and talk about it. You've got a month to read the book, and I'll bring the nerdy discussion questions :)
Interested? Send me a message and I'll hook you up with all the details.
(Enough people have asked now that I'm adding this note: I do have a copy, but I'm re-reading the book now so I can't loan it out... Sorry! But I just checked and you can buy it online from Chapters for around $10. Happy reading!)
Labels: Book Club, Bookworm, Movies, The Book Was So Much Better
Friday Smile
WARNING: This is totally a book nerd Friday Smile.
One of my most favouritest books ever is being turned into a movie next year. Casting details started to leak over the last month - and while I don't think they're all *perfect* I am very happy. Now to wait an entire year to watch it (all the while holding my breath that nothing gets wrecked).
Labels: Bookworm, Friday Smile, Movies
Friday Smile
The trailer for
Fantastic Mr Fox was released online this week.
This is maybe not the greatest thing EVER, but it's something that is making me smile. It looks fun! And I'm all about FUN movies these days - no scary stuff for me, thanks. The world is dark and depressing enough all on its own :)
Labels: Friday Smile, Movies, Stuff I Found Online
A Little Adventure
Today, B and I went on an adventure. I packed her up and we headed over to Polo Park for our very first attempt at a Stars & Strollers movie.
She did GREAT. Actually, she was sleeping by the end of the trailers, and proceeded to sleep until the lights came back on at the end of the movie. We walked over to the mall and I fed her before we did a little mall walking (ahem, SHOPPING) and then headed for home before she started getting grumpy. I'm so happy about how the afternoon went, because this is a very nice field trip option for us on Wednesdays when it's yucky outside and we're getting bored at home.
As a sidenote, the movie we saw was Marley & Me. It was super cute. Very simple, and I liked it a lot.
Labels: Briony, Movies
Plus Eleven
Wow. What a stubborn little girl!
After a rough night of inconsistent contractions that kept me awake and miserable, Geoff and I managed to get some sleep before we had to leave for my fetal assessment appointment. No contractions today, just lots and lots of general ickiness. We spent the morning at St B where they basically confirmed that Briony's doing really, really well in there - perfect heart rate, perfect movement, perfect fluid measurements, perfect vital signs (and the ultrasound tech was kind enough to confirm once again that we are definitely having a girl). The highlight - by far - was our observation of a couple checking into Labour & Delivery. They were very young and she was very obviously in active labour, and her boyfriend seriously looked like he was going to cry and then puke. Geoff and I barely made it around the corner before we collapsed in fits of laughter, trying to imitate the poor kid's face.
I'm *so* happy that she's doing so great. But it makes me feel a little bit selfish for going ahead with the induction this weekend, because I know it's a little bit more for me than for her. My body is done being pregnant. The arthritis symptoms are getting really difficult for me - and the longer I wait, the higher the risk I run of needing to have a c-section or being too flared-up to take care of her oncce she's born.
So everything's a go to meet our baby girl sometime this weekend. We're just waiting for the call later tonight or sometime tomorrow with a date and time - and Geoff is busy on the phone trying to find a replacement for his scheduled shift at work and sound tech duties at church this weekend (a quick prayer about that would be appreciated, because he's having a heck of a time finding someone to help out from church). I feel totally full of nervous anticipation and excitement... What a scary, wonderful thing :)
And speaking of scary and wonderful, Geoff and I managed to catch the Quantum of Solace matinee this afternoon. What a great movie! A nice birthday treat for him, and a final pre-parenthood movie date for us.
Labels: Baby Talk, Movies, The Boy
Update
I woke up in lots of pain again this morning. It's so discouraging, and I'm still scared. But I'm not giving up yet. My pregnancy has been so awesome for so many months... I still have hope that this is a temporary glitch. I have to think that way, because I can't imagine living in pain - without drugs - for the next three months. And I won't risk taking any type of arthritis meds with my baby girl growing inside of me. It's not worth it.
Geoff did a good job of distracting me from all of this last night. He picked me up after work and we grabbed dinner before making use of his brother Kevin's passes to the advance screening of 'Tropic Thunder.' It was a really funny movie, and it was good to just relax and laugh and not worry about anything important for a while. And here's the very best part: the movie started at 7, so we were home just after 9 - and I was sleeping before 10 :)
My verse for today...
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.Joshua 1.8-9
Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Can You Handle The Truth?, Movies, The Boy
The Dark Knight
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA... Batman!
Geoff and I took in the advance screening of 'The Dark Knight' last night (thanks for getting us the passes, babe!) and it was glorious. All the hype you've been hearing about how great this movie is, how it's more a film than a superhero movie, how Heath Ledger is deserving of an Oscar nomination, how it's a contender for one of the best movies of the year? It's all true.
Christian Bale was good again as Batman, and the rest of the cast was solid. But Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart totally stole the show. When one of them was on the screen, you literally can't look away.
So go and see it. Maybe don't take your kids - it's pretty dark and moderately violent (though they don't show anything on screen and let your imagination fill in the blanks, which is waaay creepier, in my opinion). But you don't want to miss this one, and it's going to be better in theatres.
Labels: Movies
Robots In Space
Geoff and I went to go see Wall-E last night...
You must go. Now. Trust me.
Labels: Movies
Weekend Update: Nancy Drew Edition
The rest of my weekend was significantly less dramatic than my Saturday morning.
On Friday night, I helped Emily find an outfit and some accessories that made her feel like a capital-s uperfox for her cousin's wedding on Saturday. After that, we went to see 'Nancy Drew' - and ate popcorn for dinner. I love friends like that. The movie was okay - very pre-teen, and not very old school Nancy Drew-esque at all - but my undying love for all things Nancy Drew outweighed my 'they ruined it' snobbery by just a little. And so I deem it OKAY, with a little hesitation and just a tiny bit of heartbreak.
After Geoff's car show on Saturday (SO HOT! and that's just talking about the weather, because I really know absolutely nothing about cars), we stopped in at a coed bridal shower for friends of his, and then had a good old-fashioned movie date to go see 'Ocean's Thirteen.' I enjoyed it. A lot. It was just a great, simple, super-fun heist movie that was really easy to watch.
Yesterday, I went to church with Geoff for the first time since our engagement and we were swarmed by lots of old people who were very very happy for us - and a few younger people who were very very happy for us. Then we grabbed a few things and headed out to spend the rest of the day at the lake with my parents. The beach was unbearably hot, but the water was so cold that my leg muscles started spasming when I tried to be brave and go swimming. We went for a boat ride instead, which was really nice. And then had a great barbecue dinner, and headed for home. I'm so glad we went - it was super-relaxing, and a really great end to the weekend.
And now you're all caught up. The Boy is picking me up from work in a few minutes, then we're planning to start our gift registry this evening - which is a freakin' huge project for two people attempting to merge their households (and equally strong opinions on both aesthetics and functionality). And it's funny because we've both been living on our own for long enough that lots of the things we do have aren't really in great shape anymore. My 'stuff' has seen a full seven years of enjoyment, abuse, and - yep, I counted - ELEVEN roommates. Plus me. This shall be an exhausting excursion, to say the least... Especially after a very full day at work.
Still, it's an evening of 'shopping' without spending any money. I should just guzzle a Red Bull and enjoy the experience.
Labels: Movies, My Life, Wedding, Weekend Update
