The Great Outdoors? Help!

Forever striving to earn the perfect wife and mother award, I say this tongue-in-cheek, I came up with the idea to plan a family trip once a month this summer. One month my husband will choose an activity, the next month I will choose an activity. These activities I thought would be somewhere along the lines of a day hike, the beach or a zoo trip. It is a lovely thought – in theory I’m finding out.

My husband however – like he always does – takes things to a whole new level. His trip consists of being gone for days. My husband loves the outdoors – and so do I – from a certain distance with the right ensemble. I’m all for enjoying nature, hiking, crossing a stream, doing a little fishing, and watching wildlife I don’t normally see from the city limits I live in. However, at the end of the day I want to take a shower and crawl into a nice comfy bed. Is that so wrong?

The camping trips I have been on have always consisted of bugs, dirt, messy cooking, inconvenient cleaning centers, dirty toilets, and uncomfortable sleeping. What about the midnight call to use the bathroom – and then the 20 minute walk to get there - not to mention watching out for small bears and large cats? Ack! According to my husband this is all part of the “experience.” How can I not love this, even sporting the newest shade of Lancome SPF 12 lipstick?

I am stubbornly acquiescing to this trip – mentally dragging my feet the whole way just to avoid “making this trip all about me.” I will not apologize for being a girl who doesn’t like to rough it that appreciates comfortable amenities.


I will lace up my leopard Timberland hiking boots, sit in the car for a 12 hour drive to Mountain Home, Arkansas located near Flippin (no joke a town named Flippin, Arkansas) – where the average July temperature is 90 degrees with 90% humidity. I will pray this is the trip that changes my negative perspective on camping. Meditations of a beautiful riverside resort/spa will get me through..Om…

Goodbye to you - goodbye to my shoes...


This morning I woke to see the sun streaming in through my closet window shining on my array of shoes. Let me rephrase that - the sun was beaming on my piles of shoes. I live in a 100 year old home and the closets have windows for natural light. Due to refurbishing, my closet door is missing - which I found I actually like. Walking by my closet and seeing pretty things peek out at me makes me happy. Hey - to each their own!

Awakening to this obvious sign - clean your shoes out - I immediately set to work. When was the last time I did this, maybe a year ago? My husband always jokes about how many pairs of shoes I own. I can boil it down to a few reasons - deprivation to only 2 pairs growing up or maybe it's my Filipina roots (I could be related to Imelda Marcos).



I rifled through sandals, boots, flats, pumps and sorted: out of style, worn out, this will come back, classic, etc. I sadly held my favorite Franco Sarto ankle boots for the last time - one of the decorative buckles was broken. These were the hardest to part with.


After all was said and done I discarded 9 pair of shoes. They will go to Love, Inc. Burlington, WI's community outreach center. I counted every pair of shoes in my closet - 55 pair. Not too bad. Compared to Carrie Bradshaw's 100 pairs and Imelda Marcos' 1060 pairs my shoe collection is conservative.

Summer Surmising

Remember the lazy days of summer? To me the memory seems forever ago. I’m sad to say I don’t know if they exist anymore? Dog days is more like it!

I have yet to sit down and enjoy the sun with a drink in my hand and a book on my lap. The pace I’m going is dizzying. I am running from one activity to another. When I'm not taxi driver I am trying to cram in work and everyday home responsibilities.

Spur of the moment, which is all I seem to have these days, I decided to make a summer pact with myself.

I will:

1. spend one day at some form of water, beach or pool, not stressing.

2. try a new summer drink.

3. read something wicked fun.

4. have a grown up, girls only, getaway weekend.

5. of course splurge on a new summer outfit!

With a short list how can I not accomplish 90% of my goals? At least my toenails are painted. Pssstt….OPI Shootout at the OK Coral.

Take time out for yourself – enjoy a few idle summer days.


Goal #2 – Try a New Summer Drink

Pineapple Upside Down Martini


2/3 cup pineapple juice, chilled
1/3 cup vanilla vodka
1 oz. white cranberry juice
1 dash grenadine syrup
Pineapple wedges
Maraschino cherries


Pour juices, vodka and grenadine into a shaker full of ice. Shake, and pour into two fabulous martini glasses accessorized with flip flop wine charms. Garnish with a cherry and pineapple skewer. For an extra shot of sweetness rim your glass with cocktail sugar. Pomegranate or vanilla cocktail sugar goes well with this martini.

Cheers!