Crappy Addictions I Am Addicted To

Thankfully I don't have addictions to crack or gambling. Let's all give a little nod of thanks for that.

I do, however, have crappy obsessions that won't kill me or make me lose my house but they are worth sharing with my friends (and anyone else who might be reading this):

Crappy Addictions:

1. IPod games - I have worked my way through a number of IPod games. These games have the power to consume me sometimes to the point where I don't speak to my husband, miss huge plot points in Lost or wake up in the middle of the night to get the baby her pacifier and then happily jump back into bed to play my game since I am up. Specifically, these are some of the super nerdy games I have been playing (although I rarely play more than one game at a time - instead I play and play one game until I bore with it and get a new one) in order: Build A Lot, Ranch Rush, Myst, Hangman, Sally's Spa, Cooking Dash, Where's Waldo and, currently, Bejeweled. I have my eye on Monopoly next.

2. Auction sites like Gilt Groupe.

3. Buying greatly discounted baby clothes on said sites.

4. Finding a table the sale size as a useless nook on my deck.

There are probably more but I have lost steam and, frankly, I want to play Bejeweled.

Crappy Stories I Can't Stop Reading

I don’t know how we pinned the term on it exactly, but around our house we call them “sad sack stories.” These are stories with headlines like “Man Falls Off Stone Mountain” or, more hopefully, “Dog Risks Life to Save Other Dog.”

I read these stories a lot. I actively search them out. On average, depending on workload, I probably check CNN’s Justice tab at least once a day. A cold case? I’m on it. Specific regional stories from local news affiliates? I am reading those, too.

Jon doesn’t get it. Maybe it’s because an integral part of reading sad sack stories is sharing them. When talking to Jon, I now have to preface them with “Um, can I tell you another sad sack story?” He usually says, “Yes,” because he is nice. But several times he has asked, politely of course, “Um, what’s the point of these stories?” Like I am supposed to come up with a moral or something.

The thing is I don’t have an answer for him. I could probably make one up—like, “I am just confirming that my life isn’t so bad,” or, “it’s a crazy mixed up world we live in,” or, “I work from home, so what?” The real reason is that I gravitate to these stories because I learned that’s what you should do.

Growing up in a small town, as I did, you know everyone’s business. And the business that people are sharing the most is the sad sack stuff—“He just dropped dead of a heart attack," or, ”they just had to shut the doors and walk away,” or, “she broke her wrist AND her sister has cancer.” The next step, of course, is to either join a prayer chain or take over some soup to the afflicted party.

While a celebratory high-school graduation banner might elicit a public smile and nod and a privately whispered, “A little showy, don’t you think?,” a sad sack story pulls people together every time.

So, maybe since writing that last paragraph I have come up with a reason I love these stories. Because sitting here in Brooklyn, listening to a woman talking loudly about healthcare outside my window, I am still a small town girl at heart. I want to be viscerally connected to the individuals that stream past me. And while I might not get on the prayer chain or FedEx some soup to that dog that risked its life, I can share the story, and keep us all a little more connected.

You’ll have to excuse me, now, the story outside my window is really getting good.

Random Cute thing

I'm on an email list called VSL. According their website, "Very Short List (VSL) points to excellent new (and sometimes vintage) entertainment and media that haven't been hyped to within an inch of their lives."

Anyway, today they sent out a link to a list of fun venn diagrams. And the first one was so darn cute, I had to share it. The middle part says "awesome". I love it.

My Review of Yookidoo Kaleidodisk Crib Toy

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Two amazing toys in one powered by colorful, musical disks! As each disk spins around, the surrounding mirrors and lights create a magical, musical kaleidoscope!

Yookidoo Kaleidodisk Crib Toy

Cannot imagine bedtime without it!

By laid back mom from Media, PA on 3/30/2010

5out of 5

Pros: Engaging, Fun

Best Uses: Sleeping

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

We love this product! My infant daughter starts smiling as soon as we put her in her crib in anticipation of this toy turning on. At bedtime we turn it on once or twice and she is off to sleep happy and smiling.
I wish it had a lower volume setting because I thought it was too loud when she was a newborn but we just turned it on without the music.

(legalese)

Everyone Loves a Box of Slippers

Leah visited me this weekend and was quite taken with our visitor slipper box. She told me I had to blog about this, so here it goes.

When we bought our house, we didn't want everyone tracking their cruddy city-grime shoes everywhere - but, I'm not too found of walking around in socks in someone's house. I will do it, but my feet get cold and I feel oddly undone. So, from the minute we signed the papers I started dreaming about having a box or basket with slippers so that visitors could have something comfy to wear around that was crud- and embarrassment-free.

I did some googling for awhile and had a hard time finding what I needed. Either it was going to be way too expensive to buy multiple pairs or way too cheap and inappropriate (think disposable pedicure thong slippers).

Then I found these. They are "comfort pedic" (a temper pedic-esque slipper) and apparently "as seen on tv". I bought them from a guy on ebay for less than $5 a pair. At the time he offered a lot of 8 new slippers and you could mix and match the sizes. I got 4 medium and 4 large. They are very cushy and nicely gender neutral.

They are also a huge hit. Initially people are taken aback by the slipper offer, but most people jump right in.

We store them in one of these boxes (the biggest one) from The Container Store.

Every once and awhile I spritz the slippers with an anti-bacterial spray to keep everything germ free. For what's it's worth - I use Clean Green spray because it's environmentally friendly and kid friendly.

Let the slipper revolution begin!

Home Improvement

The color of my kitchen is white on beige on beige. I am not a white on beige kind of person but I haven't quite known how to introduce any punch.

Well, last night on the sofa with a cold, I made a leap and purchased these from Anthropologie.

I needed 41 of them and at $6 a pop it was a BIG purchase. I am excited and nervous!!

I also got these because people can never find our house. I am hoping to put them on the mailbox.

Bunny Day

File this under:

Offensive Jay-isms That I Cannot Help But Laugh At (see also: If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em)

Leah's comment about the first day of spring made me think of this. Jay and his friends call the first nice day of Spring, Bunny Day. It is a reference to the girls who don their cutest, tiniest outfits and spend the day walking and walking around "enjoying" the nice weather.

Of course I thought this was disgusting the first time I heard it years ago, but now I thoroughly enjoy Bunny Day and appreciate everyone's outfits.