Other

Sophie and I took a little time to record a new podcast this afternoon. We discuss everything from Christy Nockels to spraying water on your face. Please do your best to make it through.

You can click here to listen. Or here. You can even listen right here on the blog.

Or, as always, you can subscribe on iTunes.

Just FYI – here’s where you can get more info on the products / places we mention (these aren’t affiliate links – just regular ole links):

– Christy Nockels’ Let It Be Jesus album – it is so very beautiful
– Evian Facial Water Spray
– NARS Sheer Glow foundation
– My friend Anne’s organizational method for writing fiction
– A picture of Annie’s organizational method

Also, the book winners from podcast #50 will be notified this weekend via email. We were waiting until we recorded a new podcast to turn off comments on the last one.

Something happened in the last two weeks and the sun is angry. It’s like someone dared to whisper that the month of June and early July were actually pretty pleasant all things considered and the sun felt like that was a challenge and decided to show what it can do. And here’s what it can do: cause me to lose my will to live by 3 p.m. when I realize I have to drive somewhere and the temperature inside my car is 124 degrees.

So there’s no better time to sit inside your house and shop online instead of going to an actual store, especially when there are still good sales times to be had.

Here are some cute things I’ve seen this week:

1. diminuendo draped top

Anthropologie still has a big sale going on and you can get an extra 20% off all sale items when you use the code SALEAWAY at checkout. This cute top comes in this stripe and gray and black. I think it would be really great with jeans this fall and it’s $39.95 plus the extra 20% off.

2. zala poncho

I enjoy a poncho. This is a great transition piece from summer to fall and it’s on sale for $49.95 plus the extra 20% off.

3. nakula tote

Love this colorful tote and it’s on sale for $69.95 plus (let’s say it all together) an extra 20% off.

4. blanket cardigan

This is another great item that’s part of the anniversary sale at Nordstrom. It’s just $37.90 right now and comes in several different color combos depending on what you like.

5. billabong mixed media jacket

I’ve seen the denim jackets with the gray sleeves, but I really like this one because it’s a little bit different. It’s on sale for $66.90 and is normally $99.95.

6. lena wedge sandal

I do not need another wedge sandal right now, but I would get these if I did. They also come in a beige color and I like that they aren’t too strappy which makes them a great transition to fall weather. They’re on sale for $54.90.

7. first classic dress

I think it’s hard to beat a simple black maxi dress because you can dress it up or dress it down depending on the occasion. This one also comes in plus sizes.

8. j.crew chambray shirt

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of myself from the 4th of July and several people asked about my shirt. It’s this exact shirt and is on sale for $29.50. I love it because I can wear it with shorts in the summer or my gray skinny jeans in the winter.

9. j.crew embroidered bib tunic dress

I think this dress is the cutest. It would look equally great with flip-flops or wedge sandals.

10. gap ikat flippy skirt

This skirt appears to be cute and I like this outfit with the top and the denim jacket, but I haven’t seen it in person and I can make no guarantees.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday.

This week has felt busy even though I’m not totally sure what all we’ve had going on. I think it’s just a lot of catching up on things that were neglected while I was on the road with Gulley and so I’ve had emails to answer, phone calls to make, laundry to do and groceries to buy.

On Tuesday morning Caroline had her yearly well check and was excited to discover she’s gained ten pounds over the last year. She can’t appreciate that it is a fleeting time in a girl’s life when ten pounds in a year is cause for excitement. It was also a good appointment because I’d prepared her that she was going to have to get two immunizations and it turned out she only needed one.

We celebrated afterwards with IHOP because that is one of her favorite places. I tried to talk her into a Mexican place for breakfast tacos but the siren song of the Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity was too strong. IHOP also has a new addition on their menu that involves lemon and blueberry pancakes and I just don’t feel good about that combo.

Yesterday was a little bit different because I had to tape a spot for John Tesh’s show, Intelligence For Your Life. They had contacted my publisher about having me on as an expert and in my publisher’s email to me about the request they assured me they’d find out what my “field of expertise” was considered to be. It turns out it’s motherhood, friendship and marriage which is sad because I’m still figuring all those out on a daily basis with mixed results. However, if they’d been looking for an expert on reality T.V., how to ensure you don’t get a rose on The Bachelor, Friday Night Lights, or music of the 70’s and 80’s, I’m the perfect candidate.

But it was fun because I got to get my hair and makeup done which means I looked significantly better than I have in the last five years. Although I will tell you that my beloved hair stylist told me she thinks perms might be on their way to a comeback. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I could totally go back to the days that fixing my hair merely required spritzing it with a combination of water and Aussie Sprunch Spray in a spray bottle. On the other hand, I had perms – both of the home and salon variety – for the better part of my early years and I’m not sure that’s a place the heads of America need to revisit.

After my hair was dry and curled, I went to the makeup artist who did an amazing job. Especially when you consider that I’ve had some hormonal acne on my chin that might have its own mailbox. In desperation I resorted to Youtube videos on how to fix it on Monday night and saw one that suggest Vicks Vaporub. Oh yes I did. I have been slathering my chin in Vicks Vaporub and I will say that my blemish was significantly smaller by today. I’m not necessarily sure if it was the Vicks Vaporub or my desperate prayers to God for complete chin restoration that actually worked, but I will say my airways have been very clear for the last forty-eight hours.

Sadly, I didn’t actually get to meet John Tesh as much as I just stood in front of a green screen and answered a bunch of questions, none of which involved my thoughts on lipgloss or the musical stylings of Duran Duran. Gulley met me there for moral support and assured me my answers were normal and appropriate and then we headed home.

Here’s the thing about having your hair and makeup done: It’s lovely and wonderful. Except when it’s 108 degrees outside and you feel like your hair has become a wool scarf around your neck and your makeup is literally melting off your face. I’d wanted to bask in my moment of glamour throughout the evening but I felt like I was being strangled by a badger who was licking my face. You’re welcome for that comparison. Would you believe I just came up with that out of nowhere?

So I wasn’t in the house for five minutes before I pulled all my curled hair on top of my head in a bun, threw on cutoffs and a t-shirt, and used my Clairsonic three times in a row to get all the makeup off my face. I’m still not sure I got it all. You know what’s humbling? When you come face to face with how many layers of makeup it requires to make your skin look semi-flawless at age forty-three. People have built complete homes with less spackle.

And then I took Piper and Mabel to the dog park because they’d been home all day and seemed to have some pent up energy based on the way Mabel almost scaled the fence trying to catch a squirrel. Meanwhile, Caroline spent the entire day in her pajamas on the couch. Although she did ask me at 5:30, “So, what are we going to do today?”

Um. Sister. The day is over.

Now we’re all on the couch in our pajamas getting ready for Sharknado 3. Which reminds me that I may also be an expert on tornadoes made of sharks because I’ve seen Sharknado and Sharknado 2. Or maybe that just makes me an expert on bad T.V. movies.

Especially when you also factor in how many Lifetime movies I’ve watched over a lifetime. Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? They don’t make them like that anymore.

I meant to wrap up the road trip last night but I fell into my couch and a pile of dirty laundry and the next thing I knew I was sound asleep in my bed. It’s always fun to be away, but I always love to get back home. Except for the part where we were down to one roll of toilet paper and I had to go to the grocery story.

On Thursday morning, after two fun-filled days at the JW Marriott, we packed up all our stuff, called for a bellman and watched as he tried to solve the dilemma of fitting all our things into the back of Gulley’s car. I’m pleased to report that he made it work beautifully, much better than Gulley and I had done on Tuesday when we basically just crammed everything in and prayed that it wouldn’t fall out upon our arrival.

We began to make our way to Bryan, but made a stop at Chick-Fil-A in New Braunfels since we hadn’t eaten lunch yet. And that’s when I thought to take this picture of the kids in the backseat because it’s road trip tradition to get a pic of them all in the backseat. They used to fit much better than they do these days. Now they are just a mass of arms and legs.

I’m sad to report that less than three minutes after this picture was taken, Will threw up. For those of you who have read my books or this blog for any length of you time, you know that this is practically a road trip tradition and I’m pleased to report that some things never change. He told Gulley it was because he’d eaten too many chicken nuggets, but then she noticed he’d only eaten one. So by too many, he meant one. One nugget. It pushed him over the edge.

I posted that pic on Instagram and several of you mentioned we should tape a penny to his belly button next time which feels kind of like putting Vicks Vaporub on your feet to help with a cough, but who are we to judge? We are totally trying this next time. It feels like carsickness voodoo and I’m on board.

We arrived at Honey and Big’s a few hours later without any further incidents and the kids spent the rest of the afternoon and evening playing soccer and basketball outside. Honey had ordered a ton of barbecue for dinner and invited Uncle Johnny and Diane to join us so they came over. Which was fortunate because Caroline got bitten by something in the yard and Johnny came to the rescue with a little tobacco from his cigar.

I mean it’s no penny on your belly button, but it worked like a charm because a few minutes later you couldn’t even tell anything had happened. I believe the life lesson here is that we should all be smoking cigars. Or maybe just always have some tobacco on hand in case of bug bite emergency.

The next morning we all slept in and later on Jo and Dorothy Kay stopped by to visit. If you’ve read Nobody’s Cuter Than You , you know these are Nena’s best friends. Gulley and I always love catching up with them and got so tickled when Dorothy Kay told us, “You know Jo and I like drinking at lunch. The only problem is Jo needs a nap afterwards!” and then they told us how Honey will take them out to lunch and they’ll all have a glass of sangria and then head to Dillards, but Jo is so tired that she just sleeps in a chair while Dorothy Kay and Honey shop.

Later on, Gulley’s cousin, Ashley, came by with her little girl and we ended up rescheduling our visit to the George Bush Library for the next day since we were having so much fun visiting with everyone. We ate leftover barbecue and a second batch of brownies (Jackson can finish a whole pan by himself these days) and then just hung out the rest of the night.

On Saturday morning, Gulley, Honey and I were sitting around the breakfast table when Jackson walked in and asked when we were leaving for the Bush Library. We told him we’d leave as soon as we finished talking and he said, “I know what you’re talking about. Blah, blah, blah and blah, blah, blah and that’s why one of you has quit watching Scandal again.” And we got so tickled because he has totally figured us out.

Eventually we all got dressed and made our way to the George Bush Library on the Texas A&M Campus.

I’d never been to a presidential library before so I didn’t know what to expect. We’d always thought the kids were too young until this year, but we all agreed it was a great activity. It starts with a short film about President Bush and then there are all kinds of exhibits detailing his service in World War II, his family history, gifts of state that were given and a complete replica of the Oval Office.

If you don’t feel a little scared of this image then you haven’t been paying attention here.

After we left the Bush Library, we visited the new Cafe Eccell for a late lunch/early dinner. For those of you familiar with College Station, Cafe Eccell is now in the old Luby’s on Texas Avenue and I have to say that the food is better than ever. Sadly, we were all too full for a strawberry tart but it’s a must visit if you’re in the area. You won’t be disappointed.

We spent Saturday night in our pjs on the couch binge watching The Astronaut Wives Club on demand and I’m a big fan. I’d hesitated to watch it because I thought it might be too soap opera-ish. Which is a funny thing for me to say because since when am I too good for a soap opera? But it is really interesting and I’m hooked. It’s a winner for me both because it’s set in the 1960’s and there are congealed gelatin salads in almost every scene involving food.

Finally, we woke up Sunday morning and it was time to pack up the car and head home. Sadly, we didn’t have a JW Marriott bellman to help us this time but we did our best to get everything in and then said our goodbyes and hit the open road for San Antonio. And, per usual, we weren’t even home before the kids were asking if we could all have dinner together later that evening. I love how much they love each other.

At some point during this road trip we did the math and realized this was our ninth road trip. Which means next summer is number ten. A decade of fighting in the car and throwing up and eating too much candy and seeing all the sights along the way. I suggested to Gulley that maybe we should celebrate next summer by revisiting our top five favorite road trip stops. And she didn’t really answer but just looked at me silently.

I think it’s because we both know the Snake Farm is making that list.

I believe it was sometime during last summer’s road trip – perhaps while we were scrubbing off the tar from the beach in Galveston – that Gulley and I looked at each other and decided that maybe being in your forties means you’ve paid your dues at the various snake farms, glass bottom boats, Dallas Metro bus rides and, for heaven’s sake, the zoo. And so we declared then and there, somewhere between Hempstead and College Station, that next summer’s road trip would involve a resort.

Our summer road trips with the kids pre-date the existence of this blog, but here’s a pic from one of our earliest trips. Please note the carseats.

Gulley and I’ve spent a lot of summers getting whiplash on roller coasters, learning about Texas history at the museum, riding public transportation, going to children’s museums, and stopping to see the Baylor Bear and swim at Barton Springs. We’ve dealt with carsickness, food poisoning, eyes burning from chlorine, and chipped teeth. We have fought and loved and laughed and -at what might have been our lowest point – Gulley caught throw up in a plastic HEB bag every fifteen minutes from Dallas to College Station.

All that to say, it felt like we’d received our great reward when we arrived at the JW Marriott in San Antonio yesterday and walked out on our balcony to see this view.

Gulley and the boys picked Caroline and I up about 1:00 yesterday afternoon and we weren’t even off our street before the kids pulled out a huge bag and announced that they’d been planning for weeks to bring their own stash of candy for the road trip. Apparently they’d pooled their money and then Jackson rode his bike to CVS where he bought $22.41 of candy. This was a big source of pride. TWENTY-TWO DOLLARS AND FORTY-ONE CENTS. We have M&Ms, Hot Tamales, Dots, Sweet Tarts, Gummy Worms, York Peppermint Patties and Sour Patch Kids to last for weeks. Gulley and I applauded their ingenuity and Will said it was mostly his idea and was so relieved “THE MOMS” didn’t get mad about it. Listen, if they want to spend their money on a stomachache then that’s their business.

We made the quick trip to the JW Marriott and the nice people here gave me a quick tour of the property while Gulley and the kids headed down to the pool. I was tempted to stop at the spa and spend the rest of the afternoon there, but I felt like Gulley might be bitter if she spent her day on the water slides while I was in the steam room breathing in eucalyptus. But I will share that the coolest discovery of the whole tour was that they have a huge garden on the grounds and a full-time gardener who grows produce that they serve at the various hotel restaurants. And based on the strawberry jalapeño jelly we had earlier this evening, I will say that the gardener is doing a fabulous job.

Anyway, we spent all day long by the pool, rode the slides, floated the lazy river and Gulley and I solved a myriad of the world’s problems. We also toasted to the fact that our kids are now old enough to roam freely while we have a cocktail by the pool. Sometimes I miss the toddler days but today was not one of those days. It was glorious.

Of course we have our share of teenage hormones and trying to hit people with our towels and knowing A LOT, just in case I’m making it all sound too perfect. Gulley and I have both already had a motherhood moment where we’ve had to ask, “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” only to be met with a shoulder shrug and a descriptive, “I don’t know.” And the truth is they don’t know because their frontal lobes are not fully developed and they all have questionable impulse control.

Not to mention that they’re a little bit jacked up on $22.41 worth of candy.

(I realize Will is missing from this picture but getting them to all be still and take a picture is like herding cats.)