10 Things in Our Shopping Cart

I admit it, I love to grocery shop. I try to time my trips for when the store is mostly empty--good times are Friday or Saturday evenings after 7pm. Of course, Wednesdays around 10am would probably be the best, but I usually can't swing that!

Here are 10 things I'm likely to buy every single week:

1. Whole milk. Munch still drinks far more than his fair share.

2. Precut mangos. These are a bit expensive, but indispensible to me. I cap myself at 3 packs.

3. Turkey and ham--from the deli counter. I've recently discovered just how much better meat from the counter is than the Oscar Meyer packaged stuff.

4. Bananas. I eat a LOT of bananas. Munch goes through phases; sometimes he'll eat two a day. So we usually get two big bunches.

5. Skinny Cow ice cream snacks. Cookies and Cream sandwiches for the Hubs, Salted Caramel Pretzel ice cream bar for me.

6. Bread. We eat a LOT of bread.

7. YoBaby Yogurt and Gogurt. Munch is a finnicky eater, but this is a go-to. Gogurt, he eats in the bathtub (!).

8. Lean Cuisines, if they're on sale. I especially like the Sweet and Sour Chicken, which is saucy enough to combine with ...

9. Frozen steam-in-the-bag veggies. I used to tell myself I should steam fresh veggies myself. I rarely did--these bags are a lifesaver.

10. String cheese. I eat one for breakfast every morning.

Little Things That Make Us Awesome

This week's Monday Listicles asks for 10 Little Things That Make My Family Awesome. I'm so happy with Hubs and Munch, so this list will be a cinch.

1. We laugh--a lot.

2. We split the chores (well, Hubs and I do, and I'm sure Munch will be brought into the mix when he's old enough--heck, he already carries around a water-filled bottle of carpet cleaner, following Daddy as he cleans up the ever-present kitty puke).

3. We love to be active together. The best nights are walk nights, with Munch in the stroller and Hubs by my side.

4. We let each other be still.

5. We support each other's interests. Hubs knows I sometimes need to hunker down and watch trash on TV. (He even has been known to watch LMN's Pick-a-Flick Fridays with me!) And I know that one of Hubs' great loves is and ever shall be video games.

6. We are committed to long-term goals, like reining in spending so we can get a bigger house in a couple years.

7. If there's a decision to be made, big or small, we consult each other before making it.

8. We say "I love you" every day.

9. We go grocery shopping together--it's one of Munch's favorite activities right now.

10. We lift each other up.

Bonus: We read. It's so important to me for Munch to see both of his parents enjoying and discussing books.

What makes your family special?

Munch Speaks: 10 Awesome Phrases

Nothing warms my heart more than listening to Munch talk. He says stuff that even I have a hard time understanding, but deciphering his toddler language is one of my favorite activities! So for today's Monday Listicles, here are 10 of my favorite things he says right now, at age 2 years, 3.5 months.

1. Mommy, come 'ere. This is by far my favorite. He also says Kitty, Daddy, Mama come 'ere. He'll crook his wrist while saying it as well. I say "come here" constantly, so it's no surprise he picked it up!

2. Kirkle. Think this is "circle"? Nope, he says "sircle" prettty well. "Kirkle" is triangle. I have no idea why! And triangles are one of his favorite shapes right now.

3. Tinkle star. He sings "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" almost all the way through on his own.

4. Grocery store. He botches this pronunciation a lot, but he LOVES going to the grocery store and sitting in the cart.

5. Plowe. Pillow, where he reclines while drinking his bottle.

6. Hullo. Said in a low, serious voice while putting the phone on his shoulder.

7. Mouse on. Munch's favorite TV show, in fact really the only one he watches, is "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse." He loves it and can name each character.

8. Sansin. Dancing, another favorite activity. "Last Friday Night" by Katy Perry is the current favorite. In the middle, when the crowd whispers "TGIF" he mimics them and then when the music starts again, he screams and jumps and claps.

9. Lolos and lulus. Noodles and cereal, respectively.

10. His own name. He just started saying it recently, and it's adorbs!

10 Things About Spring

I remembered another BIG item for last week's list about how great Hubs is, so I have to add it here, if you'll indulge me:

11. He went to every one of my prenatal visits. Early on in my pregnancy, when I told people Hubs went to my doctors visits, several of them said, "That'll change." "My husband went to my first two, then only when we got an ultrasound." And the like. But not Hubs--he was there whether it was for 15 minutes as I stepped on the scale, she measured my belly, and sent us on our way, or whether I was getting blood work after drinking the glucose, even once I started having to go once a week because of my high blood pressure. Hubs claimed Munch as equally his responsibility right from the first cell divisions.

NOW. On to my list about spring. This one may be tough for me because I don't LOVE spring. I'm more of a fall girl. That's why this is simply 10 things ABOUT spring, not 10 things I like/love about the season that this year seems to be staying locked in Mother Nature's bosom.

1. Spring contains my and Munch's birthdays. Just a few days ago, Munch turned 2 and I turned 33. I've always loved March because it was my birthday month, and now I love it double because it's the month that my son arrived.

2. My anxiety rises in spring. I don't have a good reason for this, but things have always felt less safe to me in spring. I know this is odd, coming off the season of ice and snow, but it's just how it's been. I don't know if it's because people are out and about more that it feels like there's more opportunity for something, like a car accident, to happen? It's weird, but I've learned to ride it out and not overanalyze it.

Forestscenery.com

3. I love looking for robins. As Michigan's state bird, robins have always been special to me. Growing up, I learned that spring had officially arrived when you saw the first robin. I also vaguely recall that you're supposed to make a wish upon seeing the season's first robin? That may be incorrect, but wishing is always a good idea, in my opinion. I loved the orange-breasted birds, though. I just saw one a few days ago. Unfortunately, we now have several inches of snow, so who knows how he's doing.

4. I don't mind the rain. Warm spring rains feel like the Earth is waking up.

5. Spring is probably my least favorite season. Fall is #1, winter is fun for the holidays (though with snow coming back here at the end of March, I'm pretty done with that), and summer is SUMMER.

6. I dread switching out my clothes. Probably because I have very little storage space and have no real idea where all my off-season clothes end up. But it's an annoying task.

7. It's finally jacket or t-shirt weather. I hate wearing coats, and I've been rebelling for most of this disgustingly cold March. Usually, I'm not itching for warmer weather, but this year has been different, probably because Munch loves to walk and go to the playground, so we need some warm weather for that to happen.

8. I'm not too into pastels. Maybe another part of the reason I don't care for spring is the colors. I'm getting into teal, but really, darker teal. I'm much more attracted to dark purple than lavender, navy over robin's egg blue. And fall colors suit me better as well.

9. Walking weather. As referenced above, I love taking family walks when the weather is warm. Since summers are so humid here, spring is the season for really enjoying an evening walk.

10. Throwing open the windows. After months of being shut up in the house, getting nice breezes wafting through the rooms is a pleasure.

An Ode to the Hubs

I'm a day late with the Listicles this week, but sometimes life happens. This is definitely one I didn't want to miss. I could write 100 reasons Why my Partner Is Awesome, but we'll keep it to the 10.

1. He has red hair. My whole life I'd wanted to be with a redhead. Done!

2. He dances with Munch. This falls under the umbrella of "He's a kind, loving, devoted father." Munch LOVES to dance with Daddy. When Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on, if Daddy's in the room, it is Daddy he's dancing with. Hubs also rough-houses (well, toddler-style) with his son, making me anticipate living room wrestling matches in Munch's tween years.

3. He does a crazy amount of housework. Hubs does 95% of the laundry, every single week. He cleans up the dishes after dinner. He cleans the cat litter 98% of the time. He shreds our address on every piece of mail. He does these things without any nagging--in fact, as far as the laundry, I deserve some nagging to help him out, or at least to put my own clothes away after he folds them!

4. He doesn't smoke or drink. Not that alcohol in moderation isn't okay for us adults. But I never have to worry that Hubs will over-imbibe when out with friends.

5. He makes me laugh, always has, still does.

6. He is self-described loyal to a fault. Coming from parents whose marriage was torn apart by infidelity, I have often said that I couldn't be married to anyone but Hubs. He is 100% trustworthy. He is who he is. He is not wishy-washy. He's confident in who he is, and he talks to me when he's feeling off about something.

7. He trusts me. In this techy age where everyone has multiple digital lives, Hubs doesn't sneak into my phone to read my texts. He believes I am where I say I am. He doesn't police me or dictate what I can or should do.

8. He lets me be quiet. I'm an introvert and I like to be quiet. I'm prone to worry, and I often crave time to just be still. He gives me that.

9. He's passionate about his interests. He'll stew for days about a sports team's loss. He loves video games. He reads. He loves movies. He introduced me to Dave Matthews Band.

10. He's a "live and let live" kind of guy. He rarely judges and doesn't hold grudges.

I could go on and on. Long and short--Hubs loves me, and I love him, and together we love our Munch. That's about all a person can ask for!

What's in a Smell?

This week's listicle is 10 Fantastic Smells. The sense of smell is an important one, as some smells put me right back to places where I want to be (see below) but others can transport me to moments I'd rather leave deep in the memory bank. Like Band Camp. Some smells put me right back in the cabins and shared bathroom and dark woods with a seriously mental band director who lived, it seemed, to prey on the weak.

But that's a story for another post. Today, the good and great:

1. The chocolate treatments at the Spa at the Hotel Hershey. There is nothing like the chocolate-dipped strawberry--a scrub with strawberry seeds followed by a fondue wrap of chocolaty goodness. If you're ever in Hershey, PA, and have time for a pamper, run, don't walk, to the beautiful hotel on the hill. They now have a Whoopie Pie Mani-Pedi.

2. My husband's beard. This may sound weird at first. My husband has a lovely, trimmed, and well-kept beard into which he rubs his cologne every morning (Abercrombie & Fitch's Fierce). The cologne is pleasant enough on its own, but my favorite time to smell Hubs' beard is a couple hours after. Then, the cologne has mingled with an essential Hubs-ness, and it's one of the best smells of my life.

3. My son's hair after bathtime. After the water has dried and the curls have tightened, there's no more comforting smell than Munch's silky locks.

(Apparently, I like the smell of hair in many forms.)

4. Christmas sugar cookies in the oven. This is an iconic childhood smell, one that brings comfort and puts me in mind of stockings and heaps of presents. Not to mention--duh, cookies!

5. Citrus. For some reason, whenever I pop open a clementine, I'm put in the Christmas spirit. Maybe it's because oranges always came in the goodie bags we got after the church Christmas pageant. But citrus is a happy smell for me.

6. Fresh-cut grass. Cliche? Possibly. But no less true.

7. Cinnabon. Look, I know it's riddled with fat, oil, and calories. Very few foods smell better, wafting down the mall corridors.

8. The pages of a book. Someday, when all books are digital, I will pay for a black market paperback so I can stick my nose in the pages and inhale deeply. Ink and paper, mmmm. Magazines are good for this as well.

9. Autumn. The smell of the leaves crunching beneath my feet, the crisp wind--autumn is my favorite season.

10. A campfire. Puts me right up in the northern Michigan woods.

10 Things for Which I’m Proud of Myself

This is my first listicles, which is shocking because I love lists. This is a good one for me to start with because I have a very hard time praising myself or accepting praise from others. I poo-poo my own accomplishments as just representative of what anyone can do. Self-esteem has never been my strong suit. So, here we go.

10. I’m a bad-ass parallel parker.

9. I’m a versatile cook who likes to try new recipes.

8. I drink a lot of water. (This may seem weird to be proud of, but I rarely drank water as a kid, and it really is challenging.)

7. I got a master’s degree.

6. I wrote a novel—unpublished and in need of revision, but written.

5. I’m committed to improving my self and my outlook on life. I grew up a worrier and a pleaser, neither of which lead to personal contentment.

4. I’m a fantastic proofreader.

3. I lost 100 pounds 10+ years ago, and though pregnancy set me back, I continue to journey toward my healthiest weight.

2. I work hard on my marriage. I was lucky in love and I’m so thankful we had such a strong foundation before bringing a kid into the mix because that little bundle of joy is a game-changer on every level.

1. I’m a great mom. Despite my questioning of little things and big things alike, from whether the pants we put Munch in this morning are too short to whether I’m firm enough in setting boundaries, I know with every fiber of my being that no one would be a better mother to my kid than me.