Boom Shop-a-lotta

Woopsee! What I thought was going to be a 'couple' or a 'few' hours out with my girlfriends ended up turning into SEVEN! Our first stop after our DELISH breakfast at Panera (I am totally infatuated with their cinammon crunch bagels with honey walnut spread!!) was to go to Ulta. I had never been there before and I've always kind of steered clear because it's one of those ritzy makeup/hair salon products stores and frankly, CoverGirl and Dove are about as elaborate as I get when I buy make up or hair products. Anyhow, I browsed while the other girls got what they needed and I found a bottle of nail polish that I have been looking for for 12 years!!! I know, that's crazy!! But, my senior year in high school (1996) I went and got fake nails put on. I had them paint them this color OPI Dutch Tulips. I LOVED IT! I went back and asked them if I could buy the whole bottle of polish. Even though it was half used, they sold it to me and I used every last drop. When I got ready to buy more, I never could find it anywhere. Through all these years though, I have kept that empty bottle so I could always remember what the name of the color was. When I walked past the OPI aisle today and my eyes immediately went to this particular bottle of polish and then I turned it over and saw the name, I couldn't believe it. It was quite a splurge ($8.50) but my girls talked me into getting it. I DO really love the color. It's like the PERFECT balance between red and pink.

After Ulta, it was onto Kohl's. (or is it Khol's?) Anyway, I found some ADORABLE Adidas for Grant there on sale for $20. They're all leather/vinyl so hopefully they'll stay looking decent for a while. I also got a few things for Brooklyn for great prices. Then it was off to the mall. I visited several stores but my favorite find is something I didn't even buy yet...but I will definitely get the next time I go there. At this store (also one I'd never been in before) called Origins, they have this stuff called Peace Of Mind. It's this little bottle of cream you squirt onto your finger and then rub onto whatever spot is giving you tension/pain. For instance, I have a muscle in my left shoulder that BURNS like the DICKENS (don't ask--it's a phrase I learned from my grandmother). Anyhow, I rubbed a dab of this stuff on there and within 5 minutes, the pain was completely gone! I am in awe. It has some kind of menthylatum stuff in it, sorta like Vicks VapoRub but it must penetrate your skin or something. I don't know...all I know is it worked and my buddy Rachael said she uses it whenever she gets a headache. She just puts a dab at the base of her neck and it takes her headache away. That's amazing! It's like $8 for a bottle but if it really works like that...it's totally worth it!

On a less positive note...I visited Victoria's Secret while I was there today too and guess what? I found out what her big secret is!!! It's that you have to have the body of a friggin supermodel to wear anything from there!! Sorry...friggin is not a very nice word...but that is how friggin irritating it is to try on every peice of lingere in the store only to leave feeling like I am deformed. What the heck? I know I'm not perfect....but gracious...these "outfits" are made for girls with boobs who stay in place without help from anything, with torso's a yard long and with bootys that are the shape of mini-basketballs. Seriously, the only thing from that store that fits me is the PINK line and the undies. Grrr.... I was hoping to find something "special" to wear on my anniversary night...but no luck there. I'm not sure I even really understand the concept of lingere anyway. What's the point? You just put it on to take it right back off anyway, right? Are you supposed to wear it for a length of time first or do you just walk out with the silly get-up on and say Ta-Dah! do a twirl and then take it right back off? I think that might have to be the topic of my next poll...how many of you wear lingere and how often do you wear it? I just couldn't bring myself to spend (a minimum of) $48 for a skimpy lacey strappy thingy that will be off within seconds anyway.

Anyhow, it was a great day and a nice break away from the kids. It seems like here lately with all the cold weather and with me cooking practically every single meal...we just don't get out of the house too much. The kids are bored and extra-irritating and Matt and I are certainly more irritable (towards them) than normal. I think after this day away, I will be able to enjoy them a bit more.

So, that's it for now. It's nearly 11 and I still have 2 loads of laundry sitting on my bed that has to be folded and put away before I can get into it. Oh and I have to do my broom-twists still too....so, farewell my friends!

(ps. Did anybody recognize the adorable kids on the fridge in that fingernail polish photo??)