Mar
26

Go Team!

First Baseball Practice

My ex had been trying to convince me to force our son to play baseball since last Spring.

I use the word force because my son wanted nothing to do with it.

The thing is, our son isn’t athletic – but he is crazy smart. By crazy smart I mean that even though he is one of the youngest in his second grade class he is ahead of most of his classmates in both Reading and Math.

On his latest report card his teacher commented on how continually impressed she is with his “higher level thinking.”

Given the choice to go outside and play any type of sport or stay indoors he’d choose the indoor imaginative type play every time.

That fact didn’t bother me much until last Summer when he gained a significant amount of weight.

Don’t get me wrong here… I could care less how much my kid weighs – I’ll love him no matter what –  but I could tell he was uncomfortable with the extra weight around his middle.

I believe part of it was caused by a nasal spray he started taking to combat his seasonal allergies that contained steroids – and the rest of the weight appeared due to a lack of exercise.

I kept an eye on his weight over the last six months and tried to make healthier choices in what I was feeding him – and while he didn’t gain any more weight he didn’t lose any either.

I know the extra weight isn’t good for him.

So about a month ago my ex and I both agreed that signing our son up for baseball would be a good idea to “force” him to get some more exercise.

Just like the year before, he still wanted nothing to do with playing baseball.

For weeks I had anxiety over whether or not my son would enjoy his first day of practice.

I also had anxiety over my ex and I having to stand on the sidelines together, and me having to face whatever reactions he had to how Aidan performed during practice.

But something crazy happened last weekend – we all had a great time.

There were no tears and no arguing – just smiles and laughter.

And after years of butting heads during a seemingly endless battle of who was right and who was wrong from opposing teams, my ex and I stood united last Saturday – proudly cheering on our son during his very first baseball practice.

For the first time in a long time it felt like all three of us were on the same team again.

I never thought I’d see the day… but I’m so glad I did.

Go Team!

 

Mar
15

Why Age Difference Shouldn’t Matter And I’m Kind Of A Moron

Yesterday I wrote about my recent trip to Cougar Town.

I made jokes about mine and my date’s age difference online, offline to my friends and family, and even to my actual date because jokes are often my way of hiding my insecurity – which makes me kind of a moron.

That’s some self-depricating bullshit right there…

The thing is I’m not normally an insecure woman. I’m sure that came across on my online dating profile and was what initially caused my date’s attraction to me.

When I go on a first date with a guy I can usually hold my own.  I’d like to think I’m talkative, fun and confident – but there was something about going on a date with a guy more than ten years younger than me that made me super nervous.

Some of it was probably because it was new territory for me – who doesn’t get butterflies when they’re doing something for the first time?

But more of it was my obsessing over our age difference and what that age difference meant. As much as I wanted to stay in the present during our date I found myself thinking about the future and whether or not he was boyfriend material – which caused me to be more distant and quiet than I would’ve liked.

At one point on the date he even asked me what I was looking for in a relationship and I found myself flustered as I tried to explain for fear of putting too much pressure on him and scaring him off.

Why the hell did I care so much about scaring him off?

I kept thinking of how my ex was only 23 when I got pregnant and how he’d always resented me for it and how could I expect this adorable and carefree guy of the same age to ever be serious about getting into a relationship with me when I have a 7-year-old.

Sitcoms and movies featuring May/December relationships that were purely physical played over and over again in my mind before and during the date – completely messing up my confidence vibe.

It wasn’t until he held my hand towards the end of the date that my insecurity was finally replaced by sparks – and when those sparks flew our age difference didn’t cross my mind.

I wish I’d focused more on having a good time the ENTIRE time instead of stressing about my relationship goals, because age difference shouldn’t matter.

Hopefully I’ll get a second chance to be more playful, open and confident on a second date.

Because the truth is we have a lot in common,  share some of the same interests, and I really liked his fine young(er) ass!

Mar
14

Cougar Town > Funky Town

Somehow we ended up holding hands for longer than I expected while we drank our beers and gazed at one another from across the table.

Half of me wanted to take my hand back, and the other half wanted to close my eyes, enjoy the affection and never let go.

What happened in reality was me dancing back and forth between the two while we finished our drinks.

Hand holding on dates doesn’t happen often in my world – and it’s even rarer for a guy to initiate it – but he did.

As we stroked each other’s fingers I found myself smiling at him. He was completely adorable and nothing like the guys I’d been on dates with in recent months.

Confident and carefree – and why shouldn’t he be when he’s hot and in his 20s?

Up until the point that we held hands I’d been on the fence as to whether or not my going on a date with a 23-year-old was a smart thing to do.

Sure, I was having a great time laughing and joking with him over AMAZEBALLS bar food and booze, but in the back of my mind I kept telling myself this was going to go nowhere.

There’s an almost 11 year age difference between us. He’s still in college, partying, living with his parents and figuring out exactly what it is he wants out of life – which is exactly what a 23-year-old should be doing.

Meanwhile I’m a grown ass woman with a child, bills and responsibilities he probably can’t even comprehend yet.

But as we held hands none of that mattered.

It was just he and I walking hand in hand through Cougar Town – a beautiful escape from the stresses and disappointments of my everyday life.

Of course once the date ended it was back to reality.

My Mom and I spent a good 15 minutes texting jokes back and forth about my trip to Cougar Town last night.

Cougar Town Texts

After we got all of the jokes out of our system I admitted to her that I really did have an awesome time with him.

It’s the first successful online date I’ve ever had – so thanks, OKCupid!

Is it a forever thing? Probably not, though you never know.

What I can say for sure is it’s a fun thing, and maybe that’s just what I need right now…

Mar
11

And That’s Why I Love Will Arnett

About six months ago Will Arnett quit Twitter – without a goodbye. While it may be ridiculous to admit I was really bummed out about it.

Why? Because with a little nipple luck, I got Will Arnett to follow me on Twitter. (You’re going to want to click that link and read the story of how and why.)

Every once in awhile he would indulge my crush on him and reply to my tweets. He even wished me Happy Birthday two years in a row.

So when he quit Twitter it almost felt like a breakup.

I felt lost.

WHO WAS I IF WILL ARNETT WAS NO LONGER FOLLOWING ME?!

I was just another asshole with a Twitter account, that’s who!

But something magical happened this weekend…

WILL ARNETT CAME BACK.

Even better: He decided to follow me again on Twitter.

Will Arnett Follows Me On Twitter

It meant the world to me that he even remembered me. Seriously.

If you’re not already following Will Arnett on Twitter you should be.

He’s the fucking best.

And that’s why I love Will Arnett.

Mar
08

Dating: They Can’t All Be Winners

They Can't All Be Winners Bacon

For most of my life I’ve clung to the romantic belief of each of us having a soulmate – otherwise known as the one.

I say clung because at times that belief was literally my life raft, keeping me from drowning during bouts of depression anytime I had my heartbroken.

“Just keep swimming, ” I’d tell myself. “He’s out there.”

While the idea of the one and a forever kind of love is a beautiful thing, it can also leave you disappointed and bitter. It took me until recently to realize that the same belief that often saved me was also causing me unnecessary pain.

Any time I’ve fallen in love and it didn’t last I’ve felt like that love was a failure – all too often forgetting about all the little triumphs, joys and lessons I got to learn along the way.

Maybe romantic connections shouldn’t have to last forever to be appreciated.

Yesterday I made the choice to stop waiting for the one. Too many amazing men come into my life for me to miss out on opportunities to experience living in the moment with them.

There’s the male friend I have that I used to date, but wrote off romantically because I just couldn’t see myself spending the rest of my life with him and his three kids… but what’s so wrong with having a friend with benefits right now?

There’s the adorable and intriguing 23-year-old guy who’s been messaging me on OKCupid, who I’d normally have never even messaged back since I thought there’s no way in hell I could spend forever with a  guy 11 years younger than me so why bother… turns out he is more mature than the older guy I recently dated and we have some things in common.

Each day this week has brought another interesting guy into my life…

Online dating sites, bars and restaurants have now become my playground since I’m no longer preoccupied with whether or not things will last forever.

I used to think saying “Yes” to dating anyone that didn’t meet my lofty ideals of the perfect partner meant I was settling. But saying “Yes” is less about settling and more about staying open to all romantic possibilities.

If by chance I meet an amazing guy that sticks around long enough for me to giddily change my relationship status on Facebook I’ll surely be happy, but I’m choosing not to be heartbroken anymore when a man doesn’t.

They can’t all be winners…

Accepting that and being at peace with it sure makes dating a lot more fun!

 

Mar
06

Why I Thought Oz The Great And Powerful Was Amazeballs

Oz The Great And Powerful

“When small-time magician Oscar “Oz” Diggs pulls one flimflam too many, he finds himself hurled into the fantastical Land of Oz where he must somehow transform himself into the great wizard—and just maybe into a better man as well.”

Last night I was lucky enough to attend an advanced screening of Disney’s Oz The Great And Powerful.

No lie, I’m still smiling nearly 24 hours later. THAT’S how amazeballs this movie was.

I’m going to admit that I had reservations about seeing it. I mean, The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies of all time. I must’ve watched it at least a hundred times in the last 30-something years and it never gets old to me.

That being said, Oz The Great And Powerful had A LOT to live up to – but it did not disappoint.

With its incredible 3D visual effects and fantastical plot (which even included a love story for us hopeless romantics) – it wowed me from beginning to end.

Screen shot 2013-03-06 at 4.49.07 PM

I literally felt like I became a part of Oz for the entire 127 minutes I watched it – it’s not often a movie can take me away from reality like that, but Oz The Great And Powerful did.

As a single mom, I found myself relating most to Mila Kunis’ character Theodora after she falls in love only to be deceived and left heartbroken – changing who she is forever.

OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

Her storyline involves the plot twist I never saw coming, but appreciated the most. And you probably will too.

I think we’ve all got a little Theodora in us.

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens in theatres Friday March 8th.

If you only do one thing this weekend, SEE THIS MOVIE.

Trust me.

Mar
01

Making The First Move

I’ve joked a lot about my online dating woes here, but I know deep down that online dating can work.

After all, one of my blogger idols Ms. Single Mama met her amazing husband on OKCupid after several failed attempts at dating the old fashioned way.

And one of my closest friends in real life met her husband on JDate, and he is one of the most amazing men I’ve ever met.

Since I’ve been on OkCupid for 10 months now with no luck – mostly receiving messages from socially awkward men that just aren’t my cup of ANYTHING – I decided to take matters into my own hands by making the first move.

Yes, you heard that right – I went ahead and stalked checked out a few OKCupid profiles with the hopes of messaging a man I found interesting, funny & attractive, instead of waiting around for him to come across my profile and *fingers crossed* send me a message.

Why I didn’t decide to do this sooner is beyond me.

I’m a confident woman that knows what she wants. I don’t hold back when trying to accomplish life goals, so why have I been taking a backseat to my love life, hoping a guy will make the first move?

Aren’t the odds better of me finding what I want if I’m the one doing the picking, instead of waiting around for a guy to pick me out of a bunch of other profiles on an online dating site?

I think I’ve bitched enough about not getting emails from men who interest me.

It’s my turn to choose who I want to chat with.

Sure it may be more culturally acceptable for a guy to make the first move, but I say “FUCK THE POLICE!”

It’s the 21st century, damn it. I’m a motherfuckin’ empowered lady.

In addition to that, there’s also the fact that if a woman like me on an online dating site filled with thousands of other women looking for love doesn’t write that hottie of a lawyer, he may never realize I exist.

So after a little procrastination yesterday I decided to message that hottie of a lawyer. I figured I had nothing to lose … that at best, I’d have some new blog fodder, and at worst, he wouldn’t write back.

Except, he responded today.

So polish your lady balls, women. It seems some dating rules were made to be broken.

Feb
28

Homemade Sugar Scrub, For Broke Ass Bitches Like Me

Over the last two months my skin was insanely itchy from being dry.

Winter sucks, yo.

I tried using body butters and lotions I had on hand already, but nothing helped.

Then I saw someone tweeting about how important exfoliating your body is in the winter to remove dead skin and I thought perhaps that was my problem.

I don’t know why I never realized it might be important to exfoliate my entire BODY since I make it a point to exfoliate my face at least once a week to keep it fresh.

Truthfully I’ve been kind of an asshole to my skin lately. I don’t use moisturizer everyday after my shower like I should – mostly because I choose not to spend money on luxuries like scented body lotion and body scrubs at the moment.

Yes I’d love to pamper myself with such things, but when you’re a single mom on a budget you have to prioritize expenses and excessively beautifying myself just isn’t a priority right now while I have a kid to feed and bills to pay.

Even so, my dry, itchy skin had become so unbearable I knew I had to do something.

Being the resourceful woman that I am, I decided to Google “homemade exfoliating body scrub” to see if I might somehow be able to recreate a scrub with things I already had on hand.

Bacon bless Google & About.com for coming to this broke ass bitch’s rescue with their article on “How to Make Your Own Sugar or Salt Scrubs.”

Here’s What They Told Me:

  1. Grab some sugar.
  2. Choose an oil. The article above gives a long list of what you can use but I decided to go with olive oil because it was what I had on hand already.
  3. Use 1 part oil to 2 parts sugar.
  4. They suggested putting essential oil into the mixture to make it smell nice, but ain’t nobody got time for that so I grabbed a little honey and a splash of vanilla extract because it was already in my cabinet.
  5. Put it all into a bowl and mix with spoon.

Ready To Get Your Scrub On?

  1. Step into your shower – Duh
  2. Take a spoonful of the mixture into your palms or exfoliating gloves and then rub the mixture all over your body in a circular motion. For tougher areas such as the knees, soles and elbows, spend extra scrubbing time.
  3. Once entire body is scrubbed well, rinse thoroughly.

*Warning* The oil will make your tub slippery as hell after you use this, so make sure you spray it with some shower cleaner or wipe it down with a paper towel after you get out – lest you fall on your ass the next time you get in it like I did.

I can proudly say I’ve been dry-skin-itchies free for the last two days, so I’m confident this homemade scrub is just as good as any expensive store bought version.

And that’s how you make some cheap-ass homemade sugar scrub, if you’re a broke ass bitch like me.

You’re welcome.

XOXO

 

Feb
27

Flip Dry Skin The Bird With Cellnique

If you’re anything like me, cold temps reek havoc on your skin. Every winter without fail I find myself searching for a new skincare product to combat my dry skin.

A lot of makeups and skincare products make my sensitive skin breakout – so much like choosing a date, I’m pretty picky about what I put on my face.

When I was approached by the makers of Cellnique to test out some of their products I was slightly hesitant to deviate from my everyday products for fear of irritating my skin – but in the end I decided to give them a go.

I’m glad I did because I ended up finding two new products that I love to add to my normal skincare routine this winter.

First up is Cellnique’s Intensive Hydrating Lotion (a toner) which retails for $32.00.

 

I normally use Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion for Dry Combination Skin which I’ve been pretty happy with – but this was completely different. Clinique’s toner usually leaves my skin feeling tight after applying it, while Cellnique’s Intensive Hydrating Lotion left my skin feeling full and plump.

I was worried I might break out from it, but I’m happy to say that after adding it to my skincare routine for almost three weeks now I didn’t.

Woo-freaking-hoo.

I think it’s light enough for people with combination skin to use and if you’re suffering through dry skin like I was, your face will eat this up.

$32.00 might seem a little pricey to those on a budget, but the bottle is HUGE. After using twice a day for almost three weeks I’ve barely put a dent in it. I’d say it will last at least 2 more months before I’d have to purchase a new one.

Next up is Cellnique Advanced Bio Renewal Masque which retails for $51.00.

I absolutely LOVED this stuff. The pineapple in it was amazeballs.

As I closed my eyes, relaxed and breathed in its scent while it sat on my face for 20 minutes, I almost felt like I was on a tropical island somewhere – until my 7-year-old started yelling from upstairs for me to help him with something… but I digress.

The chunks of pineapple effectively exfoliated my skin and left my face glowing for a good 48 hours.

Again, $51.00 might give you some sticker shock, but a little of this stuff goes a long way and the jar will last you at least three months.

It’s been my new weekly indulgence and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking to add an exfoliant to their skincare routine.

The only complaint I had about Cellnique was that the bottles and packaging for both products didn’t have instructions printed on them so I had to go to the Cellnique site to learn how to use them. A little inconvenient, but definitely not a deal breaker since the products worked so well for me.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Cellnique and their full line of skincare products you can visit their site for more info.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cellnique. I received samples for review. I did not receive compensation for this post. No request to share any particular point of view was made. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Feb
25

NomNomlicious Organic Pizza: @RusticCrust Makes Healthy Cooking Easy

As a single mom I’m extremely busy juggling things.

Though I try to make healthy cooking a priority for myself and my son, I don’t have a ton of time to spend on prepping and makings meals so I try to keep things as simple as possible in my kitchen.

When I find myself burnt out after a hectic day at work I have no interest in cooking dinner. That’s when I usually order a pizza for my son and I to share.

Truthfully, I have a bit of guilt when I order pizza since I know it’s not the healthiest thing for us to be eating.

And while there is an organic pizza place nearby which would be a better option than the place I usually buy from, it’s just way too expensive for a single mom like me when I’m on such a tight budget.

If you had talked to me about making healthy pizza at home before this weekend I would’ve rolled my eyes at you – because I figured doing so would require a ton of time or that the end result would taste like cardboard.

But then I got to try some delicious, healthy and convenient home-baked pizza options from Rustic Crust that blew my taste buds away.

Rustic Crust is the country’s leading all-natural ready-made pizza crust. With all-natural premium ingredients – no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives – Rustic Crusts are handcrafted and ready in minutes.

Seriously it took me less than 10 minutes to prep and bake mine this weekend, which is pretty freakin’ amazeballs when your kid is screaming he’s hungry on a Sunday afternoon.

Rustic Crust products include gluten-free, whole-grain and organic varieties, and Rustic Crust 100% all-natural pizza sauce.

I was able to try both their Organic Great Grains and Organic Originale varieties, as well as their pizza sauce, and I can’t say enough great things about all of them – true lifesavers for a single mom like me.

It actually took me LESS time to prepare and bake a freshly made pizza using Rustic Crust, with whatever toppings I wanted, than it usually does for me to order one and pick it up from our local pizza place.

It was as easy as placing the ready-made crust on my pizza stone, brushing it with olive oil and then topping it with whatever my son and I were in the mood for.

Here’s my version of a “White Pizza with Vodka Sauce” using Rustic Crust Organic Great Grains Crust.

 

I also made a “White Pizza” using their all natural-pizza sauce and Organic Originale crust – which turned out to be my favorite of the two crusts I tried.

Each Rustic Crust is made with healthy all natural ingredients and no artificial preservatives, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, GMOs, or added sugar – making good for you pizza a reality!

Want to try making your own this week? Click on the banner below to get $1 OFF your next purchase of Rustic Crust!

And to find a retailer near you to get your Rustic Crust on, click the following link:

Where To Buy Rustic Crust Products

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Rustic Crust. I received samples for review. I did not receive compensation for this post. No request to share any particular point of view was made. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Older posts «

» Newer posts