Sass and Sippy Cups

Like all kids, our little one loves animals.   Well, really I should say she likes looking at them from far away: once they get too close, she’s kicking and screaming.   We took her to the zoo last year, but she was still too little, so she slept the entire time.    Now she loves watching any show with animated animals.   So I thought it would be beneficial for her to see what they really look like. She was able to recognize a couple of the animals, but most I had to compare to the characters she sees on the Disney Channel (zebra, cheetah, bear) which she was super excited to see.   One she did recognize was an elephant, which we were lucky enough to see getting a bath. Right away she recognized the zebra from The Lion Guard on Disney Channel. They also had a contact yard with goats the kids get to pet and brush.   This is where her attitude started to go downhill. Remember how I said she doesn’t like getting too close?  ...

Self care is being talked about everywhere these days. There is no denying the physical and mental health benefits of putting ourselves first. But there's also no denying we are all busy as hell. Between work, family, housework, and everything else, who has time to take up a hobby or take a class? There are ways to work in self care regardless of how much time we can spare. At the bare minimum, we can multitask. Listen to a podcast or audiobook on your commute or during your workout. Blast the tunes and have a dance party while doing housework. Grab a pretty bouquet of flowers while you're at the grocery store. I know that when the apartment is clean, candles are lit, and I have pretty flowers to look at, I'm immediately in a better mood. I color my hair at home, so while it processes, I soak in a bath. Here are some ideas if you have some more time: go for a walk sit outside with a drink and read/color/write/do a ...

I am not your typical New Englander who drinks iced coffee year round. I enjoy the fact that we have seasons, so I take full advantage of that fact by having hot drinks in fall and winter and cold drinks in spring and summer. I am also really cheap, so I cannot fathom paying for a single cup of coffee at Dunkin' (or even worse, Starbucks) when I could make almost 2 liters of it for the same price. Cold brew in particular is such a rip off, especially when it's SO easy to make. You can make it one of 2 ways: in a smaller batch in a jar, or a large batch in a pitcher. I do the latter because I like knowing I can just fill a cup and go, especially since I usually have more than one cup a day (#mommylife). You'll need: A pitcher filled to about 2 inches from the top with cold water Regular coffee grinds (the amount depends on how much you're making and how strong you like you're coffee) Seive Coffee filters Empty pitcher for finished coffee Sweetener...

Here’s another paranormal post for you guys, but this one is definitely more personal for me.   I’ve been a fan of ghost hunting shows for years, Ghost Hunters in particular. I even got to meet Jason Hawes and Steve Gonsalves at Comic-Con last year.   In 2012, they aired an episode about Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA. Here’s a bit of background about the place.   John Hays Hammond, Jr. was the son of a wealthy mining engineer.   His family traveled a lot, so he became fascinated with history and other cultures. He was also interested in science. When he was 12, his father introduced him to Thomas Edison, and he asked so many questions that Edison invited him to his laboratory. He eventually attended Yale University, and while studying there he was taken under the wing of another great inventor: Alexander Graham Bell.   He remained close with both men until their deaths. Upon graduation, he got a job at the patent office. Edison had once given him adv...

It is no secret that I am a fantasy nerd (I grew up in the Harry Potter generation, after all). I am also not ashamed to admit my affinity for young adult novels.  I feel like they are written with such attention to detail that it is impossible not to envision what everything looks like in your imagination. Apart from good ol' HP, these are my favorite fantasy/paranormal/historical fiction series that are totally worth reading. Shadowhunters Series by Cassandra Clare Basically this series is about this group of half-human, half-angel beings called Shadowhunters that protect us lowly "mundanes" from the literal demons and other "Downworld" that could cause us harm (vampires, werewolves, etc). Clare has produced other spin-off series about the Shadow World which are supposed to precede the original series.  If you have cable, Freeform picked up the rights to this series a few years ago. While not as bad as the ONE movie they made, it definitely...

We live in a society that measures our worth in numbers- our GPA, our salary, the number on the scale. We are constantly told these things are necessary for a successful life.  However, the late former First Lady Barbara Bush said it best: So be there for your partner: they need you more than you need that promotion. Spend time with your little ones: they won't be that way forever. Catch up with your friends: they've always had your back. At the end of the day, it's not the numbers that count. It's the memories we make with our loved ones that make life worth living.