Banter and blog posts

Has been a poor showing from me on the blog lately. Blame it on the stars, the endocrine system, the time change. Hard to say why the pause from posting much, but my once fool-proof method of thinking, "what did I do today that went well...blog about it" has failed me of late.


Actually, it's mostly because my good advice lately has to do primarily to do with work, getting to work or feeding myself at work. Since my fellow blog-girls don't work in an office, it's feel somewhat useless in this space. But, I'm wondering, is the not blogging about the pointless work-efficiencies holding up the better more useful flow?

Anyway, here's my dumb good advice du jour:

- keep granola and yogurt at work in the work fridge. you'll never regret it and will start everyday well balanced. I will post the granola recipe later from the downstairs computer.

- have a folder on the toolbar of your internet browser called "everyday". put your sites in there you like to visit to start the day. keep an eye on the clock and stay within a reasonable time period (like 15 mins). good way to warm up the brain and something do to while eating granola. I typically check my email accounts, facebook, nytimes, wsj and my horoscope. on a slow day I'll also check in with Perez.

- make a little extra dinner in the evening and then take it to work the next day (this is probably something you're already doing if you like to pack your lunch, I know. Just trying to slay the demons)

- read perez at lunch. do it on the sly. somehow gossip's better when you're sneaking around.

- IM with the hubby, very briefly everyday. better than a phone call and good way to get essential information to one another, i.e. "need milk on way home." "okay". also pretty fun to do on the sly.

- keep a stocked diaper bag in the car at all times. gives you the freedom to change plans on the fly and keeps your child tended to. keep an extra set of clothes for him/her in there, too. where I live, the beach is luckily almost never out of the question.

that's all I have today. hope it helps someone somewhere and if nothing else opens up something better tomorrow.

Diaper Change Suggestion for the Weary

Changing the stinky diapers of your toddler while grappling with pregnancy nausea is a major challenge. I've actually gotten sick 4 times over the last month while in the midst of a diaper change. My method now is to open the window next to the change table, take a big breath of cold air and get it over with as quickly as possible. Tonight was a tough one. The gag reflex started and I looked around for some relief. I grabbed Burt's Bees Apricot Baby Oil and dabbed it under my nose. Lo and behold it blocked the particularly bad smell from getting to me. No doubt this is going to turn into a daily ritual until I feel 100%. Let's just hope it doesn't make me break out. I'd have to imagine that any natural oil would work -- I'll bet that something minty or citrusy would give you the best result.

Swim diapers

In case you don't already know, swim diapers should be put on just before going in the water. If you put your child in the swim diaper at home and then in his/her car seat. By the time you get where you're going, chances are, he/she will be soaked. They don't absorb. (Yes. Learned this the hard way.)

Flip side: If you opt to skip the swim diaper and go swimming anyway, your child will have a diaper swollen the size of the floatation devices he/she may have around his/her waist or arms and the walk to the locker room in front of all the parent who know better than you will be at least slightly embarrassing. (Again, learned this the hard way.)

Conclusion - Swim diapers are good to use but only for the prescribed purpose.