MY PERFECT JEANS
I’ve found them. It took a long, long time. But I’ve found them!
The perfect pair of jeans.
Last year I started back into my love/hate relationship with jeans. I go through phases when I don’t like jeans and don’t wear jeans. But last winter I decided that I really needed some good jeans, so I started looking.
I have never been a ‘big’ jeans gal, no pun intended, because I’m 5-feet-tall. So getting jeans involves hemming them,
and this involves really liking them enough to motivate myself to take them to my tailor and try them on,
get them fitted and then go pick them back up.
And jeans aren’t supposed to be like that. Jeans are All-American casual pants. Cowboys wear jeans. I’ve always longed for the day that I just slip on a pair of jeans in a store, they fit perfectly, and I wear them that day. I’ve dreamed of waking up in the morning, going to my closet, seeing pairs of jeans and just sliding them on. I’ve dreamed of jeans being so inconsequential, so normal to my wardrobe, that I don’t even think about having cool jeans anymore.
These are the dreams of a 5-foot-mom… I’m sure most of you are scratching your heads right now; well stop scratching and thank your lucky stars that you are in the middle of the bell curve! You’re normal size! Jeans fit you, you don’t know your tailor on a first-name basis, he doesn’t ask about your kids… be thankful:
YOU ARE NORMAL.
So last winter I began my quest for not a perfect pair of jeans, but some nice, durable pairs of jeans… simple right?
I went first to a mom’s party at a local jeans store/boutique down the street from my home. There were great jeans there, but none of them fit me well. And these jeans were all over $100 a pair.
$100 for a pair of jeans? I know that people spend that on jeans nowadays, but why? However, my visit to this boutique was good because it made me focus and realize what I really wanted:
a cool pair of jeans that fit me well and that I could (GASP) possibly wear off the rack.
I went to many stores and bought a couple of pairs of jeans… that I then got hemmed.
But I didn’t LOVE them.
So then I thought. And thought some more… Who makes jeans? Who started making jeans a long, long time ago…
Hmmm…
But where do you find Levi’s? I didn’t even know. I googled it…
So I went to Sears. They had a lot of Levi’s. I found my size- cool! But then I saw a huge area devoted to petites- yey! I almost ran across the aisle, looking, looking, I found my size in a petite (meaning shorter). I started getting excited.
Then I saw the mother-load… the jackpot tag of jeans: petite AND short.
Are you kidding me?????!!!!!!!!! I didn’t even know they made petite AND short (even shorter than just petite). My heart was racing as I walked to the fitting rooms. I wanted to run, but that would have looked weird. I was so excited- the possibility of jeans that would fit me and wouldn’t need hemming… and I liked them!
I got to the fitting room and tried them on. I looked at myself in the mirror and they fit PERFECTLY! I just grinned at my reflection. I turned around, looked some more and just grinned, because I had reached the holy grail of jeans:
the jeans you just throw on and they fit.
Levi’s has me, they had me at ‘Hello’. Go back to basics and what do you find? You find what you want.
Now, I can even go online and buy my size and know that they will fit. This is jeans nirvana!
I’m wearing them right now 
MY NEW BEAUTY SALON
I have a new beauty salon… I went to my husband’s barber shop to get my hair trimmed today.
Before you get worried and ponder my lucidity:
I’m growing out the layers in my hair.
I’m actually in a very good hair ‘place’ right now. I’ve finally realized that my hair IS pretty thick and it can look good all the same length. In Fact, I’ve realized the hard way, that
I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR LAYERS!!!
I don’t have time for the styling in the morning, the fuss throughout the day… I’m Done.
Why have layers in my hair like an updated ‘RACHEL’ haircut? Even if it is complementary for some face types, it’s completely retro at this point:
‘Friends’ went off the air years ago and I’m a mom… with a station wagon.
Besides, when my hair has been VERY LAYERED, by the end or middle of the day, it’s up in a clip- done…
So back to why I’m in a ‘Good Hair Place’ right now-
I can see the end is in sight; my layers are almost grown out and my hair is looking better
WHILE BEING EASIER to fix… I don’t even need to really fix it, I just comb it- done.
So, for a trim today, instead of going to my expensive hair salon and ‘hair guy’ who has been cutting my hair forever, I went to my Big Guy’s barber. I had planned to do this even before the Dow went down today, and I’d decided to do it on principle: It’s not that hard to trim hair- straight across the bottom- and snip off growing-out layers. It’s just not that hard. Yet, some ‘hair stylists’ do this and get paid more than the $18.00 I paid today. And I love my trim…
The price is good. But you know what’s a little better… HOW SMART I FEEL! I feel like I’ve outsmarted the system: that big, hair-styling, self-inflating, self-important, rotating-cog-wheel of hyper-consumer-falsely-inflated-capitalism.
I WON TODAY ladies and gentlemen!
This is empowering! AHHHHHHHHH!
Whew. It always comes back to hair, doesn’t it? or food… Stop. I’m getting away from my point:
I guess what the editors at VOGUE say is true,
‘There’s nothing like a good hair day.”
WALKING TO CAMP… A.K.A.- ANOTHER WAY TO ‘TRICK’ MYSELF INTO EXERCISING
This is the last day that my son is going to camp. Along with all the great things that go along with him going to a great camp like,
doing art projects,
playing with other kids,
playing on a great playground,
leading a game of Zingo,
making new friends,
not doing EVERYTHING with Mommy,
and allowing Mommy to have a couple of hours 3x a week to do things like blogging, bills and cleaning,
I started a good habit while he has been at camp.
I walk to pick him up. His camp is about a mile walking from our home. So I set out a few minutes earlier than I ordinarily would, push his jogging stroller and arrive at camp. We then ‘walk’ home together…
He, riding in his jogging stroller,
Me, pushing him and his stroller, and getting a good workout.
This has been a great way to incorporate exercising into my day to ‘trick’ myself into exercising!
I was even visiting one of my girlfriends last week, and she asked me if I had been working out,
I told her ‘yes’
WHAT I LEARNED AT THE BEACH FROM 6 BOYS
We had a beautiful July 4th weekend down at the beach.
Friends of ours invited us down to their Bethany Beach house. They have 5 boys… the last two are ages 2 and 3. Our son is 4. Needless to say, there was always something going on and I was reminded of how important schedules are.
Yes, the mom of these 5 boys is a super woman… and she’s running a half-marathon soon (like she doesn’t every day). I could talk for hours about that,
but I want to share with you what I learned at the beach this past weekend…
from our friends’ 5 sons and our own.
1. When little boys run around the beach all day,
they go to sleep with no problems and sleep very soundly.
2. It’s really nice to share.
3. All boys love chocolate milk… and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
4. No matter the age of the boy, he understands more than you may think.
5. When you pay attention to someone (younger than yourself) for even just a moment and listen to them-
Everyone is happier and
Everyone is the better for it.
And lastly, I learned the amount of orange juice you go through is incredible.
ROOKIE MISTAKE
I’m re-posting this because it is quoted on Blogtations right now. I also will never, ever forget it.
Note to self: make sure your child is really excited about something before you travel 2 hours for it.
Last summer I learned that Thomas the Tank Engine was coming to Cumberland, Maryland. My son loves Thomas and I was excited that a full-size Thomas existed. I read that it makes stops all over the country to historical railroad stations. So, wanting to give my child a wonderful experience, I bought tickets online… and then looked at a map.
Cumberland is FAR from Bethesda where we live, as in about 2 hours and 15 minutes… and that’s without stopping. Still I thought, my little guy will love this, he deserves this.
I told my son about it and seemed to like the idea.
We set out that Saturday and after driving for a full hour out I- 270 my son announced to us,
“I do not want to ride the train”.
My throat closed up. I couldn’t breathe. My husband gripped the steering wheel. We didn’t look back, we just looked at each other. John took a deep breath, and mouthed, ‘Relax’.
I took a moment and looked back at my little guy and cheerily said, “We’re just going to take a look at it, I think it will be fun!”
Another hour and 15 minutes later we were in Cumberland. The railroad was great, but we were holding our breath. We walked without saying much up to Thomas the Tank Engine and waited in line to board. I brought a small Thomas along with us that my son played with while we waited in line. As he played with the mini version of what stood beside us, John and I just kept looking at each other and crossing our fingers.
We boarded the train, he was a little fidgety, but cool. The train started, “We’re on!” I thought. Thomas the Tank Engine then went about 10 minutes down the track, then stopped and then went in reverse back to the station.
Honestly, my son liked running around the little hay-bale maze afterwards much better.
FAST FORWARD TO LAST MONTH-
I got an email that a movie theater was doing a special debut of a few new Thomas episodes at 10am on a Saturday in Gaithersburg.
So, I looked at a map… THEN I bought the tickets.
We went, NO traffic since it was Saturday morning. We bought popcorn, watched Thomas on the big screen and had a great time.
I learned from my rookie mistake and didn’t repeat it… Yey- Victory!
I LOVE BOXES/TOYS!
I am so proud of this microwave oven that my son and I made-
I’m posting it!
Wow, has my life come to this?
I guess it has because I’m thrilled with this. I am so knee-deep into motherhood that I am actually watching my artistic progression when it comes to these box transformations.
I am a painter, albeit a beginner. And when I see my advancement in the art of construction paper, a gluestick and markers, I think to myself, ‘Pick up that paintbrush!’
I’m kidding… but not totally.
MY NOD FROM GRACO
For the first time ever, I am a ‘Graco Monthly Nod’ Winner.
My ‘Rules of the Easter Bunny’ (scroll down) was one of the Graco Blog Team’s favorite blog postings in March (pause for applause).
Read below about my Easter Bunny rules, if you haven’t gotten a chance yet, and go to the Graco Blog’s Monthly Nod Winners Page for some great blog posts!
WILLING WINTER AWAY
Last week I decided I was done with Winter. All I needed was a couple of 60 degree days and I was through with it.
We’ve done the months of bundling up, mittens, hats, winter coats, wind chilly days. We’ve done boots and outer wear drying on towels by the front door.
It’s time for Spring! Easter is quickly approaching and our crocuses are out!
So I visualized warmer days and put my money where my mouth is- I put my most cumbersome winter coat in the dry cleaners.
Then it got cold again.
But I picked it up yesterday and put it in our back closet where it will hang until next winter…
I was chilly this morning taking my little guy to nursery school but like I said, I am willing winter away! I’m done with it! Winter does not serve me anymore!
Yesterday evening, after my son went to bed my husband and I heard geese coming back north for the warm weather… Victory! I was right…
Maybe not- forecast of snow flurries possible for tonight, UGH!
‘RECYCLED’ TODDLER FURNITURE
What do you do when your 4-year-old son vomits incredible amounts of medicine, food, liquid, some brown particles, and a few carrots, onto his favorite chair? You throw it away…
That was my first reaction. But the chair in question has been a mainstay in our home. He sits in it, does art projects in it. We make paper maps on top of the coffee table while sitting in it. It is a fixture.
It’s been through a lot in the past three years- snack incidents, mucus and colds, more vomiting, but I’ve always been able to clean it with whatever cleaning solution I’m into at the time.
But this time was the vomit of all vomits. And after trying to clean it and scrub it, my husband and I realized that it may have reached the end of its time with us. The chair smelled so bad, we had to put it down in the back part of the basement.
I started thinking… It’s gone. This stinks… literally.
Stain cleaners can’t tackle this job. It’s been a great chair.
Hmmmmm, I’d always noticed a zipper on the bottom of the chair. I went downstairs and looked at it again. There were a couple of zippers strategically placed on the chair, so I looked for possible laundry instructions. Then I saw the tag, and I quote:
‘Do Not Remove the Cover’.
“Shoot, I can’t take that off,” I thought.
Bummer!
Wait a Minute… Wait One… Little… Minute.
I can’t believe I’m obeying this little tag! This is worse than obeying those PILLOW tags that read- ‘Do Not Remove’.
I can do this. I WILL do this. I’ve lived through a 17-hour labor! I’m not listening to a little tag. I’m an educated mother, wife… woman.
I will remove this cover, I will wash this cover and take my chances. Consequences be damned! I will not obey this little tag, but instead obey my instincts!
I removed said cover. It felt great.
Into the washer it went… with a lot of detergent.
How will it look? Will it fit back on? The wash cycle seemed to take 45 minutes… Well, it always takes 45 minutes, but back to the story.
I took it out and it looked BRAND NEW! I’m embarrassed to admit how excited I was…
Victory seemed so close. So then I dried it on just the ‘AIR’ setting to prevent any shrinkage. Would it work?
My husband and I took it out of the dryer; he was completely into the ‘Saving of the Chair’ by now too.
It took some prying and wiggling and me pushing on the chair with my full weight at strategic angles to put the cover back on. I was sweating by this point, again… literally. BUT IT WENT BACK ON!!!!!
It’s beautiful! It looks like it can last another 3 years! Victory is mine (start humming ‘Rocky’ theme). I didn’t listen to that little tag or any little voices telling me to obey directions!
What a victory… I have saved a beloved chair from extinction!
Okay, it’s a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.
I am so psyched! Gotta go upstairs to the bedrooms to remove all those tags from the … well, you know.
This victory tale is crossposted at DC Metro Moms Blog. It’s a great site!
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