A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

Lily’s Awesome Leprechaun Trap

I know St. Patrick’s Day is over, but I have to show you Lily’s Awesome Leprechaun Trap.

But first, the truth. I really didn’t feel like making a trap this year. There was so much going on last week, I could hardly keep up. And, really, would the world end if we didn’t make a leprechaun trap one year?

But Lily lives for projects like this, so I gave myself a speech about how it’s not her fault she’s the youngest or that I’m tired and 18 years older than my mother was when I was seven. But something had to give, so I decided to cheat on the planned shamrock cookies. And also to ask Tim to help her make the trap.

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Weekend Links

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Has another week already gone by? I hope yours was a good one. We’ve been enjoying spring break, and it’s truly felt like spring around here. We’ve been happy sleeping in all week and having time to just be, plus we got the girls’ room painted. Life is good.

While we’re enjoying temperatures in the mid-70s (so unusual for us this time of year), here are some fun links for you:

I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day and are filled with the luck of the Irish! And I hope you come back next week for some fun Easter ideas.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Muppets-Style

I’ve been counting the minutes until St. Patrick’s Day so I could share this video with you. Have you seen it? It makes me laugh every time I watch it—which is more often than might be considered normal for a 40-something woman. But I love me some Muppets.

I also love “Danny Boy” because it reminds me of my grandpa, Edward Valentine, who was a true Irish gentleman with a heart of gold. We sang “Danny Boy” to send him on his way Home, so many years ago now. But I still think about Grandpa Ed often and smile whenever I hear this song, even—maybe especially—this silly version.

So Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you and yours. And as Grandpa Ed would say, “May you get to Heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you’re dead.”

The Rubbing Waiter / Did He Go Too Far?

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Four female friends and I went to the Mall of America last Friday to see Diana: A Celebration. After visiting the exhibit, we headed to a popular restaurant for dinner. It was crazy-busy, but we were seated quickly, thanks to our organized friend calling ahead for reservations.

Our waiter came over to get our orders started. He looked to be around 40 or so. He politely introduced himself (we’ll call him “Marcus”), handed out menus, and then, as he was about to walk away, he put his hand on my shoulder.

Now, if he had stopped there, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But he rubbed my shoulder. And then walked away.

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Gretchen Rubin Quote + Healthy Foods List = My Diet Plan

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A while back, I posted this mug featuring a quote by Gretchen Rubin from the 2012 ALT Design Summit: “If I cram my life full of the things I love, there is no room for the things I don’t love.”

Ms. Rubin was speaking about the work-life balance, but I think her philosophy can apply to anything. Including what to eat. I always have big plans for healthy eating, but sometimes my plans fall to pieces when I’m confronted with real life.

But what if I change the way I think a little? Instead of saying “I shouldn’t eat this or that” or waiting until I can sit down and really come up with a brilliant plan, what if I focus on eating as many healthy foods a day as I can?

To paraphrase Gretchen’s quote: “If I cram my [mouth] full of [healthy foods], there is no room for the [unhealthy foods] I [shouldn’t] love.” Or something like that.

I scoured through some magazines I have around the house and did a quick search around the web to put together a list of 20 of the most popular healthy foods. None of these foods came as a big surprise, but I’m hoping that listing them in one place and sticking them on the fridge will keep them forefront in my mind. (I can tell you right now that I’ll be eating the entire egg because the yolk is where most of the good stuff is. And I’ll be substituting romaine lettuce for spinach, just because I love romaine lettuce.)

So here are 20 fantastically healthy foods, in no particular order:

  • oatmeal
  • apples
  • lentils
  • green tea
  • yams/sweet potatoes
  • walnuts/almonds
  • edamame
  • red bell peppers
  • strawberries
  • eggs
  • pumpkin
  • Greek yogurt
  • blueberries
  • olive oil
  • kiwi
  • broccoli
  • quinoa
  • salmon
  • tomatoes
  • spinach

So instead of thinking about all the food I shouldn’t be eating, I’m going to concentrate on eating as many of these nutritional powerhouses as I can. And maybe then I’ll be too full to say “yes” to the donut.*

(* I’m all in favor of donuts, by the way. I’ve just let life’s busy-ness get me a little off-balance lately and need to re-group. The donuts will have to wait.)

Let me know if I left your favorite healthy food off the list! [Update: As requested, here’s a printable list for you: Healthy-Foods-List. It’s not fancy, but it’ll work!]