My Latest Obsessions

Happy Friday! Brrrr...it is chilly here in Chicago (and yes we are still ONLY in January). My flip flops are calling my name but patience is a virtue, right?!

Some of my latest faves...

OMG, I have fallen in LOVE with these adorable and super creative at that - Pantone Chip Cookies. I really want to try and make these. I have a friend going through a major rehab on her house - how fun would it be to bring her these cookies as a little housewarming gift (especially after months of decision making and color choices galore)?!

Lately I have been thinking a lot about work / life / balance and how one truly manages all the various aspects of one's pie of life. I read GOOP on a fairly regular basis and really enjoyed reading G.Paltrow's post on A Day in the Life. Now, granted I had to take the article with a grain of salt and also realize that everyone's day/life is relative. But then again, pretty much everything in life is relative. And then there are those mini moments in life that put a smile on your face.

For all of you that are trying to get HEALTHY in the coming year here is a good article that a good friend of mine forwarded me from Real Simple entitled 7 Secretly Unhealthy Foods.

And for all my prego friends out there Boden just launched a Maternity Line that is ADORABLE.

I think I may have found the perfect hybrid/marriage between the Hunter Boot and UGGs = Bogs. Here is the pair that I have been sporting on these slushy snowy/rainy days as of late. They are waterproof (when your UGGs get wet) and keep you warm up to 40 below.

My Latest Obsessions

Cate's Cake (designed by Margaret)

Happy Friday! Wow, I feel like it has been a long week (even though it was a short one due to being MLK day on Monday). However, when you have 3 January birthdays in one household you are kept quite busy! I share a birthday with Elvis on the 8th and Cate's birthday was yesterday (see pic above). And we still have one to go (Miss Margaret turns 5 on the 31st) and we held her party with her school friends this past Monday. So, needless to say, there have been lots of cakes/cupcakes/candles floating about around here!

Some of my latest faves...
Speaking of birthdays - I immediately think of my love affair with cards/stationery. I stumbled upon this Art + Design: Letterpress Love post on Chronicle Books Blog. I may just have to get this book on letterpress that they mentioned. My friend Taryn (of sage & style) just did a give away with Dutch Door Press (one of the letterpress lines that is mentioned in this post's list of favorites).

I love simple wardrobe pieces that have just a little something that make them stand out (and make them anything but simple). And this adorable embellished tank top fits the bill (and makes me think of summer, the sun, and flip flop weather!).

Oh, and I cannot forget to mention how much I LOVED Michelle Obama's Alexander McQueen dress that she wore to Wednesday's state dinner.

One of the C and M's latest faves...
The girls received the Sound of Music DVD for Christmas this year. And OMG, they are OBSESSED. They are totally digging this old classic. I've found myself humming along to them singing Do-Re-Mi. For Cate's birthday she was able to present/share something with her class. She decided to tell the class all about her new favorite movie. She and PFC worked together to come up with 10 sentences/scenes to describe the movie and then she passed out kazoos and told her classmates to "Now, go ahead and make some music." It was a hit!

My Favorite Quote of the Week:
(Margaret) Mom, Georgie is kind of like a potato.
(Me) Ummm, why is that Margaret?
(Margaret) Well, his head kind of looks like a potato because he doesn't have any hair.
This totally made me laugh and think of the old school potato heads!

My Latest Obsessions (or my LATEST FIND)

Checklist (by PFC)

So, my latest fave happens to be something that I found in the front seat of our car after my birthday weekend. I'm a HUGE fan of checklists - they get me through the day and keep me organized! I always have been someone that carried around a little notebook (or now, I use the "memo" function on my phone) so that I can jot something down immediately (for fear of forgetting!). Love lists!

So, low and behold Monday during my usual morning routine with the kiddos I found the above pictured checklist lying on the passenger side of the van! I had to take a picture of it. Too cute! PFC made the checklist last Saturday birthday for him and the girls. The girls too are really into lists. And the checklist listed some of my faves...

• Wake Up. Now, while they all woke up I slept in. PFC asked what I wanted to do on my bday during the day. First on my list = sleep IN! Such a luxury these days.
• Make Cards. Peter and the girls know how much I love cards/stationery (and the written word).
• Get Present. They got me an IPad which I LOVE. So fun.
• Pick up Cake. Ummm, have you ever had Portillo's chocolate cake? Believe me, the calories are worth it! I mentioned once how much I LOVE (and try to dislike at the same time...) this cake! Ummm, the cake mysteriously disappeared by Monday. 
• Potbelly's. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I have loved Potbelly's ever since my days in Lincoln Park living with my sister. We frequented the original one all the time.
• Right before Peter/I left for the evening they all sang Happy Birthday and we cut into the yummy chocolate cake. We then headed to The Bristol for dinner. We had not been back there since our rehearsal dinner over a year ago. It was just as fabulous as I remember...SO GOOD. Their menu is fab. We had the following: Monkey Bread (OMG, so amazing, dill butter and sea salt...need I say more); raviolo (w/ricotta, egg yolk, brown butter...umm YUM); roasted half chicken (sounds boring but oh so good); grass fed beef (leaner than usual beef and so tasty).

My Latest Obsessions

Happy New Year!! Wow. 2010 was such an amazing year and I'm looking forward to another fun-filled and busy 2011! A few close friends are having babies and some are getting hitched - which always makes for an exciting year!

So, Elvis and I share one thing in common = a birthday! I'm quietly celebrating with PFC on Saturday at The Bristol where we held our rehearsal dinner. We haven't been back since that night and we both fell in love with the food and atmosphere. I'm looking forward to catching up with PFC as it has been such a whirlwind from Thanksgiving to Christmas! Anytime someone talks about the "craziness" of the holiday season Peter loves to belt out the first few lines of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and it had gotten to the point where I can hear it coming the moment someone mentions being frazzled/stressed or just plain exhausted from shopping/holiday parties, etc.

Some of my latest faves...
I might have to try one of these innovative sippy cups for little "GMC" (or "Georgie Porgie" as I seem to call him these days) in a few months. Interesting...the new sippy features a valve-free straw with a weighted end that allows babies to drink with ease from most any angle.

My youngest sister sent me the book Clean by Dr. Alejandro Junger the same day that I was reading Gwenyth's GOOP post on the program. I wonder if that means I need to check it out!!! Most people seem to list getting fit / eating better / sticking to a workout routine on their New Year's Resolution list. Gotta love how the gym is SUPER crowded for several weeks at the beginning of the new year.

Mini Boden is having such a fabulous sale. Unfortunately, I got to it too late and many of the items I wanted on sale were already sold out. But check it out - such great stuff and awesome prices too!