5 Favorites Tiiiime

I think this link-up is a secret ploy by Hallie to make me people more positive...although if someone came up with a "five things that pissed me off this week" link-up, I think it'd be VERY popular (albeit non-holiness-producing). 

Oh - this week it's hosted by Grace. Go see her and laugh laugh laugh.

-1-

I hate to admit it, but this puzzle mat is coming in handy these days: 

Babykins can practice going from sitting to crawling position and I don't worry if she goes in head first. Usually our tile floors (yeah, tile - in the ENTIRE HOUSE, welcome to SW Florida) prevent a whole lot of time on the floor, because no carpet can make up for the cold unforgiving 16-inch tile. Enter in this hideous mat which announces to all and sundry "OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER BY A BABY. WE NO LONGER CARE ABOUT TASTEFUL FURNISHINGS." 

But hey - it makes life easy. And it doubles as a yoga mat.

-2-

These two posts by Dwija and Jen, respectively. 

I don't know either of them IRL (although I did meet Jen at an apologetics conference down here...but she met a lot of people, sooo I don't think I'm super special), I'm amazed at how close the blogosphere can make you feel to people you've never met. I am unreasonably excited about Dwija's pregnancy...and more than a little jealous, to be sure. And I'm proud that Jen articulated that a huge part of being Catholic is just saying, well we'll see what the future brings - not making any drastic decisions. 

-3-

This Chai tea: 

I looove chai tea lattes, but cannot stomach spending $4 on a drink without alcohol in it. So then I started buying the pre-made chai tea mix, only to discover it has sugar in it like everything. So then I thought, could I make my own? 

Yes, yes I can. 

For a little over $2 a box, I have infinite amounts of lattes at my disposal, that I can make using agave instead of whatever crazy preservative/fake sugar they use in the other ones. Just brew the tea with a 3:1 ratio of water to milk/cream/dairy substitute and add sweetner. Lovely!  

-4-

No, not Mr. Rogers - my neighbors!! 

We REALLY lucked out in the neighbor department and this was made infinitely more clear to me today. The lot at the end of the street is being cleared because someone bought it and is building on it. 'Cleared' down here means, as one neighbor girl put it, 'deforestation!' But that also means...free mulch! 

So my neighbors, knowing that I was inside with a baby I was trying to get to sleep, brought over some of this lovely free pine mulch and spread it in my side yard, where I had mentioned I wanted it. 

This is after they took care of Mr. O and I during our encounter with the plague, and oh yeah, cleaned OUR WHOLE HOUSE when we left for the birth center to have Zuzu. 

Really really really really reeeeeeheeeheeeheeally good neighbors!! 

-5-

Though I am loathe to admit it, I might need a wee bit of help getting the last of this baby/law school/lazy weight off...enter in myfitnesspal.com. Wow, talk about an eye opener - never knew rice could pack that many calories! 

In order to be more mindful about my eating and activity levels, I downloaded the app on my phone and use it on my computer too. It's been a great way for me to bring more intentionality to my eating - instead of my usual, oh my gosh the baby is asleep and I can eat with two hands so watch as I gorge myself habit. Ew. 

Hope your week is going as well as mine, but with more sleep!