The Little Red Fox with a Big Booty

I'm feeling a bit rantalicious today, but bear with me.

I spent a couple of weeks with my mom in August, and we went through years and years of financial records, photos, and other memorabilia.  And look what I found.

This is a photo I took of a picture, hence the poor quality. But look at me.  I was a fox!  (Funny I use that word because my college friend Julian called me foxy a few times. I never believed he was being serious.)  My friend Sarah was visiting at the time, we were just about to head out for a fun night--it was 15 degrees that evening, which was outrageously cold for south Georgia.  It was an evening of gloriously outrageous lawful misbehaving.

I felt so bad about the way I looked, though.  I'm sure you see that little pooch.  I thought it was huge. I thought I was a super fatty.  I thought my nose was too big, my skin not perfect enough, my booty too jiggly.

Circa 2002.

I look back now and think, what the hell was wrong with me?  I should've felt *good*, not bad.  Cute, smart, funny, and with a booty that many many men appreciate. I was too dumb to realize I was doing just fine.

And yet I know I wasn't the only one being too critical.  Women are notoriously negative about themselves.  Even now, friends of mine bemoan their momma-hips, their tiny double chins, and their flat hair.  It's just not worth it, though.  If you're taking care of yourself, shouldn't you be celebrating your difference than wishing to be like some perfect little thing in a magazine (who's been photoshopped beyond recognition anyway)?

So that's my lesson to you. Next time you're beating yourself up for being a little fat, or having a few zits, or frizzy hair, or whatever, just stop.  Ten years from now, you might regret how you held yourself to unnecessarily high standards and wish you had stopped the negative baloney and enjoyed living a bit more.

Thankfully, I'm through with that.  My hips are much wider than before, my nose seems to have even grown a bit, and my hair isn't that red anymore (I'm a blond except in the most perfect light, like my profile pic).  I may not be a fox, but does that really matter?  Nah.

A redhead turns three

Winslow turned three yesterday. 

She's the redhead in the middle. Her sister wouldn't sit still (hence the blur) and Drew was mesmerized by something on the wall.

We got her one gift, something the whole family has been enjoying.

Even Rufus the cat.

Many demands for private castles to be constructed.

A few months ago, Ryan and I briefly discussed what a three year old would enjoy.  This year, we've made an effort to not have toys that have only one function or that are too gizmo-like.  And these blocks are just right for creative play.

We devoured cake and then Katie reminded us her own birthday would be very soon and that we shouldn't forget it.

Don't worry, kid.  We won't forget. You won't let us.

P.S. Remember how meal planning has helped keep our dinners leaner?  Well, I'm down a couple more pounds this morning.  Maybe one day I'll be able to say something obnoxious like "Ugh, it's so hard just keeping weight *on*.  It's like I can't eat enough!"

A Mini-Bar for the Lush in the Corner

Look what I found at Target for 70% off!  

Something small enough for that corner (wouldn't want to cover the vent), but useful, too!

I can hide stuff in it.  

Or place awesome artwork on top of it.  (Got this piece from Elizabeth Ocean)

Can't wait to fill it with sparkling wine and whiskey.

Meal Planning for the broke and busy

First off, let's revisit our garden challenge for 2012.  We committed to donating to Heifer International any of our grocery savings from the summer.  Because of drought, pests, and mystical curses, we didn't really save anything (maybe $20). However,  we did say The Kiefer Cottage would donate at least a goat's worth of funds ($120), and we followed through yesterday, now that the growing season is wrapping up here in Kansas.  Next year, I have big plans for making the garden more efficient, so hopefully we can do better summer of 2013.

But let me get to the main point of my post: meal planning.  I don't usually tout products, mainly because I think we need a little less consumerism in the world, not more, but I have found a service that has lifted a burden for me.  For the past three weeks, I've been using The Fresh 20 meal plans, available for $5 a month.  The weekday dinner plans are estimated to cost about $75 for five meals for four adults, and the ingredients are seasonal and often organic (for those who care about that).

Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf and Roasted Pears

I didn't subscribe to save money because we are already spending less than food stamps would give us--it'd be hard to cut back much more than we have.  But I haven't had to worry about making extensive lists or about the nutrition-factor (the meal plans come with nutritional information), and I've now got some new recipes in my arsenal (roasted pears were a serious hit in this house).  

Braised Chicken and Peppers with Cilantro Rice

The preparation often includes making extra for a meal for later in the week. For instance, we made the brown rice pilaf one night and then just added wild rice to it for another evening's side dish.

My only complaint is that the preparation time estimates are sometimes way off.  We don't like our onions to be toothy, so I always have to cook longer than the 2-3 minute estimates for that ingredient.  Also, the estimate on the brown rice was 25-30 minutes. Uh, I've never had luck with brown rice taking less than 45 minutes.  But overall, the prep doesn't take too long, and often is less than 30 minutes.

There are other websites that provide this service, so I think there's something for everyone.  I found a website the other day that touts five dinners being prepped in an hour, surprisingly called 5 dinners 1 hour and it costs the same as The Fresh 20.  I think most people (notice I said *most*) can find help if they need it with providing freshly prepared meals for their families.

*As a side note, as a result of eating normal sized portions (something me and Ryan have trouble with--we love food a lot), and enjoying relatively lean foods, we've dropped some weight! I'm down five pounds in 2.5 weeks, so that's a great thing in my book.

**The Fresh 20 is not affiliated with me and doesn't even know I wrote this review.

Let's talk about art

Y'all know I like hanging stuff on the wall. Not 1 measly piece per 1000 square feet like some people. I'm more of an art maximalist.  The more, the better.

I came by it honestly. Remember my mother's walls in New Orleans?

Speaking of my mother and art, she recently was driving by a house near her neighborhood when she noticed a pile of stuff that looked decidedly un-junky.  She plopped a couple of boxes of the mystery items into her truck and sped away, just as another vehicle drove up to inspect the rest.

She found a treasure trove of art.  Pencil drawings, watercolors, and even a painting or two.

One of the pieces is, um, hardly a masterpiece.

I'm at a loss for words on how to describe the portrait except that it had water damage at some point.

But looky what else there was...

And this one too.

They're small, with the little log cabin measuring 3.5 x 4.5 inches. They each are set in a mat, but they need to be framed.

Who produced these gems?

Yeah, I know it's on its side but my computer insists the photo should look like this, so it stays.  

Anybody know this artist?  We found a drawing of his for sale on ebay but otherwise have not found any information.

Anyway, trash can be treasure, y'all!  I'll keep you posted on where I hang the drawings.