A Girl Named PJ

Last fall I wrote about wanting to have weekly date nights with JB. I thought that if I shared my intentions with the world, he and I might be motivated by peer pressure to make it happen. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case.

However, we did go on a date Saturday night to see Joan Rivers perform at the gorgeous Holland Center in Omaha. JB and I had been talking for months about buying tickets but never pulled the trigger. Interested — no, desperate — for a fun night out on the town, I surprised him with a pair of tickets a couple of days before the show. The purchase was relatively last minute but I was able to secure decent seats in the center of the second tier.

I’ve been a long-time Joan Rivers fan, and my admiration for her only grew after viewing her 2010 documentary “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.” If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend watching it on Netflix sometime. I happen to enjoy her brand of comedy (interestingly, I’m not really a fan of Kathy Griffin, who is similarly crass and un-pc), but the film really spoke to Joan’s commitment to her craft and the struggles she’s faced as a ground-breaking comedienne.

Also, at 79 years old, that woman’s got energy!

Although he hasn’t seen the documentary, JB and I often watch “Fashion Police” on E! together and are both veritable “Joan Rangers.” He also appreciates Joan’s sense of humor and can sometimes even predict Joan reaction to a celebrity’s outfit — that is, before he falls asleep about 40 minutes into the show. Getting dressed up, spending time without Levi, and laughing out loud together were just what we needed after several busy, stressful weeks.

One of the reasons why we don’t go out more often — and I’m sure you can relate — is that babysitters are expensive. Now, I’ll bet that Omaha babysitters do not charge as much as, say, New York City or San Francisco babysitters, but when you add a babysitter’s fee to the cost of dinner and drinks or possibly a movie, it adds up. And multiplied times four… It’s certainly not cheap to spend quality, grown-up time out of the house with your husband!

However, we’re lucky to have a couple of great girls to call when we do need a babysitter. Date night wouldn’t be the same if I were worrying about Levi the entire time, which is why it’s so important to find babysitters who I trust implicitly — and who love spending time with Levi. Babysitters often become like extended family members, don’t they?

Sittercity recently put out a call for America’s Top Sitter, and the nominees have been narrowed down to 10 finalists. What makes these 10 babysitters the best of the best? Check out their profiles and vote for your favorite on Sittercity’s Facebook page through March 20th. The winner will be chosen by the Sittercity Facebook community and will receive $5,000!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.