Other

Here’s just a few quick things today because I am smack dab in the middle of end of school year insanity and am out of coherent thoughts and the ability to write paragraphs.

1. So the state of Texas has had some rain.

Maybe you’ve heard.

Several of you emailed or messaged me to make sure we were okay and, thankfully, we are high and dry at our house, but there are others who have lost family members and their homes and sure could use your prayers right now. And if you want to help, there are several links in this article with information on where you can send donations.

2. During the heaviest rain on Saturday night, we all sat out on our covered back porch and watched the lightning and rain. Caroline felt like it was a fine time to play in some puddles while Mabel and Piper tried to catch the earthworms that floated to the surface.

3. The Dot Mom Conference is one of my favorite things I do each year and you can still get early bird registration pricing if you sign up by June 1. It’s September 25-26 in Nashville, TN and you can find all the information here.

4. Nobody’s Cuter Than You is on sale for $13.98 here on Amazon and here at Barnes & Noble.

5. If all goes according to plan and nobody eats a toad or anything at my house, I’m planning on sending out a new email newsletter later today. If you haven’t subscribed, you can click here or sign up in my sidebar. Make sure if you subscribe that you receive a confirmation email and click on the link or you’re not officially signed up.

Also, is the font on my blog better now? We darkened it and got rid of the italics. Let me know if you still find it hard to read.

6. Just in case you need a little gift idea, how cute are these monogram note pads?

7. I feel like I’m constantly looking for easy things to cook in the summer (I think we all know how I love to wrap something in a tortilla, squeeze some lime on it and call it dinner.) so I was excited to see this recipe for Steak Caprese on my friend Kate’s blog.

I love caprese salad. P loves steak. This feels like a win.

I was going to try to make a complete list of ten things, but I’m just out of steam. But if you feel like there’s something you want to share (a recipe, a new song, an article, etc.) feel free to leave it in the comments.

See you tomorrow.

Last week was kind of insane. You know, the kind where you already have a lot on the calendar going into the week but then life throws all manner of curveballs your way and a couple of them manage to hit you right in the arm. And they leave a big imprint of laces on you. Did you know that can actually happen if you get hit really hard by a baseball? It’s true. I’ve seen it.

But this isn’t about baseball and now I’ve gone too far with my analogy or metaphor or what have you and will need to bring this back around to the real story.

As I mentioned last week, we brought Piper to the vet Tuesday to get spayed. I knew from when we had Mabel spayed last fall that this would mean we’d need to keep Piper relatively still and calm for ten days afterwards and the part of that equation I’d failed to remember was that Blue Lacey dogs have a lot of special gifts, but being calm and still isn’t among their main assets.

Piper spent Tuesday night at the vet being monitored as planned, but what I did not plan on was her kind doctor calling me by 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning to inform me Piper was a little bit of a “non-compliant patient” and suggesting I should come get her as soon as possible. Apparently she refused to eat or go to the bathroom or take her pain pills and it was implied her social skills might be lacking.

So I ran up to the vet to get Piper and brought her home where she promptly used the bathroom for around twenty minutes because she’d been holding it for so long and then she and Mabel rejoiced at being back together before I had to separate them since STILL AND CALM. This is Piper after I finally got her to relax.

(I posted that pic on Instagram and someone named Michelle made the comment “Draw me like one of your French girls, Jack” and she is now one of my favorite people I’ve never met.)

Right about the time I finally got Piper settled in her bed, the school nurse called to tell me that Caroline had been in her office three times over the last two days complaining about her ankle and needing to have it iced. She suggested that I might want to take her to the doctor to have it X-Rayed and part of me wanted to ask if X-Rays could also detect drama but I refrained on the off chance that Caroline did actually have some sort of fracture and I would thereby seal my fate as the winner of this year’s Worst Mother Ever Award.

I put Piper in her kennel to help with the keeping of the STILL AND CALM and then drove to school to pick Caroline up and take her to get X-Rays. The X-Rays did actually show drama in the form of nothing is actually wrong with her ankle. Except for a bad hematoma. For those of you unfamiliar with medical terminology, this would be a bruise. But the doctor did suggest it might be helpful to wrap it or wear some sort of supportive sleeve for a few days so there’s that.

Then we ran home so she could finish her homework before soccer practice and let Piper out of her kennel, but I’d forgotten that we had a repair guy coming over to look at some things we need done in the backyard which meant I had to corral Mabel while keeping Piper STILL AND CALM. Let’s just pretend that all went smoothly.

But all of that is just a long lead in to Thursday. Caroline had soccer practice again on Thursday evening along with finishing the Science project requiring her to design a space suit. (Speaking of the space suit project, I was so tickled that one of my fellow moms put on Facebook that her son told her about the project and said, “Not even Pinterest can help us this time”. Which is how you know a project is a bunch of bull because Pinterest has EVERYTHING.)

She got most of the space suit project finished but we had to leave for soccer. Then afterwards we drove through Chick-Fil-A to pick up dinner because P was at a school board meeting and it was just us. I told her to hurry up and eat as soon as we got home since she still had to finish her project and shower before bed, meanwhile I went outside to feed the dogs. This sounds so simple but the reality is we have to feed them all separately, so I brought Piper in to feed her while Mabel ate outside and Scout just had to wait patiently because this whole explanation is so tedious that I just died of boredom.

But I looked outside and saw Mabel was in hot pursuit of something which, on closer inspection, turned out to be a toad. I tried to distract her as I yelled at Caroline to go outside and catch the toad and remove it from our yard, but Mabel was too fast for me. She ran after that toad and caught it just in time for Caroline to see that she had it in her mouth. But, much to Mabel’s surprise, that toad didn’t go down without a fight and sprayed or spit or oozed or whatever it is toads do in Mabel’s mouth.

And that’s when Mabel dropped that toad and began to foam profusely at the mouth. And gag. And throw up. And just generally LOSE HER MIND. None of which was helping Piper – or any of us – remain STILL AND CALM. I tried to rinse Mabel’s mouth out with the hose while Caroline googled “What to do if your dog eats a toad” and ran out to report that toads can be toxic to dogs and we needed to get her to the vet immediately.

This is the exact type of scenario that requires P. If he’d been home, he would have talked us down and taken the time to read further on the internet to assure us that truly toxic toads are mainly not located in backyards in San Antonio.

But STILL AND CALM aren’t really hallmarks of mine or Caroline’s personality which is how we found ourselves loading up a foaming Mabel and driving hurriedly to the Emergency Vet Clinic at 9:15 p.m. on Thursday night. Here she is while we were waiting to see the vet. Doesn’t she look like a dog in distress?

The good news is Mabel was fine, the bad news is we spent $70 for them to rinse her mouth out with water, tell us to give her a Prilosec when we got home, and an informational lecture about Bufo toads and where they live and don’t live.

And when we finally got home well after 10 p.m., she curled up in her bed. I’d like to entitle this photo “I Immediately Regret My Actions”.

Naturally, Mabel has written a couple of haikus about the whole experience.

Toads are deceptive
Jumping, playing, poisoning
They are pure evil

Oh vile tasting toad
Do not trust amphibians
Venomous liars

Yet she clearly is still struggling to process her new information as evidenced by the fact she caught another one yesterday. #slowlearner

This is going to be the quickest Fashion Friday ever because this week? I can’t even.

But the good news is it’s an extra jam-packed Fashion Friday because Nordstrom is having their half-yearly sale and there are so many good things to be found. So the first ten things are all from Nordstrom and then the last five are other things I found elsewhere that are also on sale.

1. harmony espadrille wedge

I really like these because they are a great transitional shoe. You can wear them all summer and into the fall, especially if you live in Texas or somewhere else warm. They are currently 40% off which makes them $59.90.

2. lush knit maxi dress

These maxi dresses are always a favorite. I love the blue and white print on this one and it’s on sale for $38.90. It would look great with a denim jacket or some type of white crocheted sweater over it if the straps are too bare for you.

3. swiss dot split neck dress

Love the blue color and easy style of this dress. You could dress it up or just wear it with a great pair of sandals. It’s on sale for $39.90.

4. NYDJ stretch skinny ankle pants

NYDJ pants are perfect for just about everyone because they are flattering and not low-rise. This style comes in a ton of great colors and they’re 40% off.

5. free people textured lace camisole

I found this on sale in a hot pink color at Free People and love it. You obviously need a cami under it but it’s super cute. It’s on sale for $40.80.

6. slouchy faux leather tote

Remember last week when I showed you this cute tote? It’s now 50% off. And it also comes in black.

7. michael kors turquoise dial watch

I love the turquoise face on this watch. It would make such a great summer accessory and it’s on sale for $166.90. But another, less expensive but equally cute option is this fossil pink face watch for $86.90.

8. lysse control top capri leggings

Love the pattern on these. They’re on sale for $37.52. Is it just me or are all these sale prices weird numbers?

9. free people woven pattern poncho

I originally saw this poncho in navy and coral and loved it. But I also really like this green. It’s on sale for $45.56.

10. sam edelman plaid shirt

This is a great plaid shirt with really cute styling in the back. It’s on sale for $59.40. You could wear it with shorts now and jeans all fall and winter.

11. crocheted lana cardigan

I saw this cardigan in person at Anthropologie and it is gorgeous. Look how great it looks layered over a simple white tee and jeans. It was originally $198 but is on sale for $99.95 plus an extra 20% off with code GONEFISHING at checkout.

12. paned cocoon dress

I haven’t seen this in person but the reviews on it are amazing. It could be great as a dress or over leggings. It’s on sale plus an extra 20% off with code GONEFISHING.

13. attylie textured blouse

I bought this top early this spring and then took it back because I realized I have an addiction to cream-colored tops and didn’t really need another one. But I still loved it and am tempted to go ahead and get it now that it’s on sale. And it’s an extra 20% with code GONEFISHING.

14. midday melange top

This is the only thing that’s not on sale but it’s still a great price for a really cute top that would look equally great with jeans or shorts.

15. maxi tube swim coverups

Old Navy is having a HUGE sale. Practically everything is 50% off so the best advice I can give you is to go look around and see what you can find. Personally, I really like these coverups and they’re on sale for $20.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

A few weeks ago, I made an appointment for Piper to get spayed. We’d already had Mabel spayed several months ago but had waited for Piper because it seemed like too much trouble to do it at the same time.

Yesterday morning was the day of the surgery. P had to be at his job site earlier than usual because they were pouring concrete and so I had to get Caroline to school and have Piper at the vet by 8:00 a.m. The tricky part was getting Piper out of the yard and into the car without Mabel because they are always a package deal. And so it essentially felt like I was running a goat rodeo in my backyard at 7:35 a.m.

But I managed to get Piper loaded up and she was delighted to be in the car. In fact, she didn’t seem sad at all that Mabel couldn’t join us. It was all happy times until we arrived at the vet and she began to feel something was amiss. Which is appropriate because I’d feel the same if someone took me to get a hysterectomy without mentally preparing me.

She immediately knew she’d been duped into believing she had a better day ahead than what turned out to be her reality. But, listen, she’d be more upset if she found herself knocked up by some mutt who’d leave her to raise a bunch of puppies all by herself.

Meanwhile, I came home to a despondent Mabel. She spent the rest of the day being lost without her sister and spent most of it using sleep as a coping mechanism.

And, later, I discovered she’d written several haikus in her poetry notebook.

I was left at home
they took my sister away
gloom, sadness, despair

Where did Sister go?
Car ride to nowhere today
Am I going next?

Now I’m stuck with Scout
Old man sleeps and poops only
Where is my Piper?

Sister went away
Like Barry Manilow sings
Can’t smile without you

And then our sweet vet texted this picture of Piper saying, “Not what she had planned for the day.”

I believe this look says, “Is this because I ate six chocolate chip cookies off the countertop?”

First of all, the comments on yesterday’s post are a treasure. If you didn’t see them then I highly suggest you go over there and add a couple of sayings to your best friend repertoire. Personally, I’m immediately adopting “Bust and Grab” which is what you call it when everyone is on their own for dinner at your house. This term will help me get through the summer. Guess what’s for dinner? BUST AND GRAB.

Secondly, if you’re a Mad Men fan, do you think I somehow channeled Don Draper and predicted part of the ending in a post last week? That’s all I’m saying because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet.

And finally, on a housekeeping note, I’ve heard from several people who said they submitted speaking requests through my Event page and haven’t received a response. Apparently this is because there’s been a glitch in the system. So if you have put in a request and haven’t heard back, will you please check out that page and send a new email? I hate to think anyone believes I’ve been ignoring them.

Okay, so I thought today I’d share some of my summer essentials. I realize it isn’t summer yet. Mainly because Caroline came home yesterday with yet another science project assignment. I’ve lost track of how many science projects we’ve had this year that require creativity, but it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 5326. This time she has to design a space suit that meets various NASA specifications. And it’s the END OF MAY which means I just want to send Caroline in with a bathing suit glued to some poster board labeled “THIS IS THE ONLY SUIT THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW”. Maybe decorated with some palm trees and a recipe for a great margarita?

That’s probably inappropriate.

Anyway, here’s my list of favorites for summer.

1. skinceuticals physical fusion spf 50 sunscreen

This is the best sunscreen ever. It lasts all day and has a tint to it that keeps it from looking chalky on your face. And a little goes a long way.

2. toni & guy sea salt spray

Last summer I was on the quest for a great sea salt spray and I believe this is the winner. I never blow dry my hair in the summer and a little of this gives some great body and waves. Plus it’s not as heavy as some so it should work well no matter your hair texture.

3. copper tone sensitive skin lotion spf 50 with zinc oxide

P is a sunscreen expert because he’s out in it all the time. And we’ve determined this is the best. The key is the zinc. It’s a great heavy duty sunscreen that doesn’t wear off and is good even for the most sensitive skin.

4. zalan colored zinc sticks

Speaking of zinc, I love these colored zinc sticks because Caroline never minds painting her face with them. Much more fun than just regular old sunscreen and you can totally use the red like lipstick if you’re not into a subtle look.

5. essie angel food polish

I have searched high and low for the perfect pale pink polish and I’ve decided this is the one. It’s not too pink but not too white.

6. dr. gross glow pads for face

I discovered these last summer and am such a fan. They give the perfect amount of color that lasts for several days and are pretty much foolproof.

7. jargons natural glow firming moisturizer

This is a must have if you want subtle color but don’t want to mess with self-tanner. It provides gradual color and doesn’t ever look streaky. Plus it’s pretty inexpensive.

8. straw tote bag

This tote is at Target and I almost bought it today. Then I remembered I already have a straw tote so I made myself put it back. But look at that tassel!

9. macadamia professional cleansing conditioner

I received a sample of this and decided to give it a whirl and now I’m in love. It makes your hair so silky soft and is the best two in one product I’ve ever used. This is going to be great all summer long after chlorine and salt water have been in my hair.

10. vera bradley beach towel

Honey bought Gulley and I each one of these towels for Mother’s Day and it is my new favorite. It is so soft that you won’t even believe it and how gorgeous are the colors?

That’s it for now, but I’ll let you know if anything new pops up. After all, it’s not even Memorial Day yet. Lots of good summer times to be had.

Just as soon as I help Caroline design a space suit.

Gulley and I got home from College Station at about 7:00 p.m. on Friday night and I have spent most of the time since then doing shockingly little. The original plan was that Caroline would be playing in a soccer tournament all weekend long, but the tournament got cancelled due to rain which meant that we had exactly zero plans for the weekend.

So we watched Guardians of the Galaxy on Friday night and then slept in on Saturday morning. Eventually I got out to run a few errands because P needed another pair of jeans and we’d decided to cook out on Saturday night which meant I had to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things. And here’s where I need to express my sadness over this whole Blue Bell ice cream situation. I spend a lot of time these days in the ice cream section trying to figure out what ice cream to buy since Blue Bell is temporarily unavailable and all others are inferior.

Now I’m just waiting to watch the series finale of Mad Men (Fare thee well, Don Draper. I hope you make better choices in the finale than you’ve made throughout the entirety of the show.) and I was just looking around on Pinterest and saw this.

I thought it read, “Simple Homemade Chicken Fried” and was about to click on it to check out the recipe for a simple Chicken Fried Steak when I realized what it says is, “Simple Chicken Feed”. And, clearly, I am dead inside because the picture of a baby chicken didn’t cause me not to think about frying it up in a pan. With cream gravy on the side.

But none of that is really the point of this post. Not that this post has a point per se because I believe points are sometimes overrated. Much like baby chickens.

So after I spoke at Texas A&M on Friday, someone gave me one of the best gifts I’ve ever been given afterwards. One of the things Gulley and I say to each other when one of us doesn’t seem very excited about something is “GET EXCITED, COACH FRAN!”. This is a callback to the days when Coach Fran was the Aggie football coach and never displayed an ounce of emotion no matter what was going on during the game. It drove us crazy. So you can imagine my delight when I pulled this treasure out of a gift bag.

It’s a mini-football helmet signed by Coach Fran. I will treasure it always.

On a similar note, a couple of days ago someone left me a message on my Facebook page and included this picture of a list she’d added in the back of her copy of Nobody’s Cuter Than You.

If you haven’t read the book yet, there’s an appendix at the end that includes various things like “How to Take a Road Trip”, “Ten Characteristics of a Best Friend” and “The World According to Mel & Gulley”, which is what this reader’s list was patterned after.

I loved reading it so much that I wondered if any of you had a similar list or at least one or two sayings that you and your best friends say to each other. And how fun would it be to add your own list like this in the back of the book and give it to a friend?

But, first, I would adore it if you’d share a saying or expression you use in the comments. There are no prizes or anything, just my love of being in other people’s minds.

And in case you still need a copy of the book, you can find it here on Amazon and here at Barnes & Noble. Or, as always, in your local Walmart or neighborhood book store.