A Girl Named PJ

When I turned 33 in March, family members sent checks in birthday cards with instructions to “buy something I really want.” The fact that nobody sends me gift-wrapped presents anymore is a testament to how difficult I am to shop for.

Last month, my mom asked me if I had decided how to spend my birthday money.

“Well, I’m thinking about either getting another Brazilian Blowout or trying Botox.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied. And that was the end of that conversation.

I know it must seem strange for a woman in her early 30s with minimal wrinkles or visible skin damage to be contemplating Botox, but I have my reasons…

To start, I’m vain. (Don’t judge me! If you’ve ever checked out your reflection in a store window, you’re vain, too.) When I stare at my face in the mirror, I see imperfections that you probably don’t see when looking at me – at least, I hope you don’t see them.

The tiny crow’s feet don’t bother me as much as the lines etched across my forehead. I hesitate to even call those wrinkles, as I’ve had them for as long as I can remember. They’re genetic, I’m sure. But they bug the crap out of me, and my side-swept bangs can only partially conceal them.

Second, Botox can actually help to prevent wrinkles rather than simply erasing the ones you already have. According to Dr. Debra Jaliman, a NYC dermatologist and author of the book Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist, starting cosmetic procedures like Botox early can stop the clock.

Yes, I already take preventative action by using sunscreen religiously and shading my face with a hat when I’m out in the sun. However, like I said, the forehead lines are already there, they’re genetic, and they’re only going to get worse.

Some people are adamantly against cosmetic procedures, and I respect their opinions. I mean, Botox is a toxin that temporarily paralyzes your muscles, and that’s really creepy, but to me, it’s less creepy than getting a full-on facelift in 25 years.

P.S. – Some of my favorite forehead-concealing hairstyles.

Bake Your Teacher a Thank You

May 8, 2013

Did you know that May 6-10 is Teacher Appreciation Week? Will you be doing anything special to honor your child’s teachers or daycare providers?

Katie Workman, author of The Mom 100 Cookbook, has started a campaign called Bake Your Teacher a Thank You. She outlines how parents can come together to host a Cookie Day at their children’s schools as a way to show their teachers some love. Isn’t that a sweet idea?

While I can’t see myself planning an official “Bake Your Teacher a Thank You Day” at Levi’s Montessori, I’m considering whipping up a batch of Katie’s chocolate chunk cookies, sugar cookies, or gingersnaps as a treat for his teachers. I’m sure Levi would love to help me mix and stir the ingredients together.

But knowing how ~~lazy~~ busy I am, I’ll probably just go buy them Starbucks gift cards. Besides, if I were in charge of 16 toddlers all day, I’d need some serious caffeine to get me through the day!

Currently…

May 7, 2013

reading

The Family Fang: A Novel is a strange yet engrossing story about the grown-up children of performance artists (sorry, JB, it’s not a vampire tale!) that I discovered via Karey Mackin’s Instagram feed. I could totally see this book translated to the big screen under the direction of Wes Anderson or Sofia Coppola.

listening to

I recently heard the very catchy “Recovery” by Frank Turner and now I’m anxious to learn more about the British singer-songwriter. I love discovering new-to-me artists (my iTunes playlists are terribly stale).

wanting

I’m tired all the time, a state of existence I attribute to being the mom of a toddler and to not sleeping well at night. Although I typically get what any medical professional would consider a full night’s sleep, I’m sure my quality of sleep is the pits. I’m prone to vivid action-packed dreams — plus, I’m sure I have one ear glued to the baby monitor, even while I’m asleep. Curious to learn more about my sleeping habits, I want to get a Jawbone UP, a wristband and app that tracks your movement and sleep (among other things). My friend Ari and his wife both have one; click here to read a review of the Jawbone UP on Ari’s blog.

watching

The always-adorable Emily Henderson explaining how to design a kid’s room. I love her eclectic style and appreciate her “rules” on decorating (i.e. don’t mix more than 3 prints in a bedroom). Oh, and she was super nice to me when I met her at Alt.

wondering

When do I swap Levi’s sleep sacks for a crib blanket (and pillow)? He’s nearly outgrown his large HALO SleepSack and has figured out how to unzip it from the bottom! Do I go ahead and get him the extra-large anyway, or is it time to transition to a lightweight blanket?

Limetree (and a giveaway!)

May 6, 2013

photo by Jason Lee

What do you do with the hundreds (or thousands!) of photos and videos you take of your kids each month? Post them on your blog or share them on your Facebook timeline? Or do you upload them to your computer and, for the most part, forget about them? (Be honest!)

Limetree, a European start-up that debuted in the U.S. earlier this year, is a web and mobile app that allows parents to collect all of the important moments in a child’s life — photos, video, sound clips, and messages — and save them in the “cloud” to share at a later date. Everything you’ve uploaded to Limetree can be made accessible to your child at a defined future date and displayed chronologically. The design is intuitive yet attractive; it’s easy to record something quickly and easily find it later.

Here’s another reason why I really like Limetree: It’s not another social network! (Ain’t nobody got time for that!) It’s simply a digital shoebox, a place where you can compile your kid’s adorable pictures, silly videos, and funny quotes. As a bonus, you can share the account with a spouse so that the two of you can update your Limetree from separate devices.

I’m happy to have Limetree on board as a new sponsor this month! And to get you excited, they’d like to giveaway five free Premium Plans (value $36.99) to five Bunny & Dolly readers.

Each Premium Plan includes:

unlimited photos
2 hours/year of video
4 hours/year of audio
unlimited messages

To enter, please follow the Rafflecopter prompts below. You can enter 4 different ways, so please read the directions. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For those of you who are not bloggers or do not feel comfortable posting your child’s every milestone on Facebook, I highly encourage you to check out Limetree as an alternative to doing nothing with those precious photos and videos!

P.S. – 5 tips for taking photos of your children

Friday Rewind

May 3, 2013

Here’s a look back at the week (and weekend!) that was…

We fed the dog (a job we take very seriously!).

We discovered the fantastic toddler-friendly playground at Metcalf Park.

We stopped to smell the tulips.

We attended part of an Omaha Stormchasers game (our first baseball game!) but were more interested in what was happening off the field than on (cornhole!).