Happy Mondays: Show Me the Love

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Yeah, yeah. I know. It's Tuesday. That's okay, because it is okay to start from where you're at, even if it's a day later than when you intended. I've been working hard to make 2013 a happier year by making some small changes in order to reap a great reward. And you know what? A month has gone by and it's totally working. I have managed to get a little more sleep (a little), thanks to still lacking a driving license I am getting more exercise, and I'm on top of some nastily nagging tasks. Our biggest gain has been thanks to the five-minute-tidy-up: after dinner the whole family has made a habit to tidy up our messes downstairs by setting the phone alarm for 5 minutes and racing around putting things away. Even little Billy is getting into the act, and the clean house is making us all happy.

Month two of the happiness challenge is all about love, and this week's resolution is to give proofs of love. Maybe you think that your actions follow your emotions, but what would happen if we turned that idea around? Perhaps emotions could follow actions? Could you make yourself happier by acting happy? If that is true, maybe showing the people around you how much you loved them would bring more love into your life? That's what Gretchen Rubin suggests as a resolution for this week, and as someone who suffers from a bitchy resting face, I guarantee that the people around me have no idea how much I truly love them. And that means you, postman! You too, lady at the flower shop! And especially you, family. So look out for your little lovely tokens. Because I love you. 

Mutiny on the Bounty!

Just hours after I had given birth to my sweet little Isabelle, a stranger with a camera appeared at my bedside on the maternity ward, with no real introduction to who she was, asking for my tiny baby's details for her database and suggesting she take photos of my newborn baby (for a fee, of course), insisting that "they change so much at this age-- even hourly!" I politely declined (after all, I was in my pajamas and hadn't taken a shower since well before I'd gone into labor the previous day) and she became more insistent, to the point where I had to ask her to leave. I was confused, embarrassed and felt violated to have had a stranger by my bedside at this vulnerable moment. But when I found out this unwelcome visitor was a sales rep from Bounty, all those emotions turned to fiery rage.

The evil geniuses at Mumsnet have been conducting a nationwide survey of mothers who have given birth at UK hospitals in recent years to gauge their feelings about the Bounty sales reps prowling maternity wards to collect information for their marketing database. I was only too glad to participate in the study in hope of ending this appalling practice. Yes, I know NHS hospitals can use whatever cash Bounty wants to give them in exchange for adding a name to a mailing list, but to have a door-to-door salesman knocking at your hospital bed mere hours after you've given birth is disgustingly unacceptable. Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to send them away when they materialized at my bedside the morning after Billy was born, but there are a lot of mothers who don't. Enough's enough. It's time for Bounty to go home. You can learn more about the campaign and get involved here. 

Starlight in a bottle

I spotted this very cool tutorial over on Design Mom the other day, for making a jar filled with constellations, so I decided to whip one up as a nightlight for my troubled sleeper Billy's room. It took about half an hour from start to finish, and is made with materials I already had lying around the house. Since we live in a city with (mostly) cloudy skies, stargazing for us is usually not an option, so it was fun to bottle a little starlight and bring it into his bedroom. Isabelle liked the effect so much, she asked for one in her room, so as soon as we finish our current jar of pickles, she'll have one! I freehanded the constellations (yes, they're ones you can definitely spot from a backyard in Illinois like the Big/Little Dipper and Orion), and added some extra holes for twinkle twinkle little stars but it looks adorable when it's turned on. Have a go and enjoy bedroom stargazing!

Safety note: this is a fun project for an ADULT to tackle: I sliced up my finger pretty badly on the cut edge of the tin foil, so I don't recommend allowing little hands anywhere near this one. 

Happy Mondays: Tackle a Nagging Task

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She's right. I know she's right. I will be happier if I can just get on top of one nagging task and clear it away like yesterday's eyeliner. But my gosh, there are just so many. The office. My closet. I have a phone call I don't want to make. I should really have had business cards printed weeks ago. I've been meaning to redesign this website for, like, ever. There's a pile of fabric waiting to be made into things. My driving test is on Monday. The less said about my filing and bookkeeping, the better. Waaah. Week Four of the 2013 Happiness Challenge, you are killing me. 

Happy Friday: Fun Summer Links

My beautiful Oriental poppy, kicking it 10-inches across this summer! 

Summer in England means embracing every flicker of sunlight (even if it's only 20 minutes or so), never quite being without a cardigan and stocking the bar with fixings for a Pimm's Cup at a moment's notice. So in order to live a little bit of English summer wherever you are, and to help me bring the stars and stripes to my West London backyard, here are some fun links and projects for early summer!

• Mixing the Perfect Pimm's Cup. Absolutely do not forget the cucumber. 
• The classic recipe for Perfect American Lemonade. Bare feet optional. 
• I know some very lucky kids who have summer birthdays. If you do too, check out the delightful party supplies and stationery at Meri Meri. Whether you are in London or Los Angeles, you'll swoon! 
• Paint your nails red, mix yourself a pitcher of martinis, put on your bathing suit and read a perfect summer novel. Expat author Liza Klaussman's Tigers in Red Weather certainly fits the bill.
• It's sundress time. Polka-dots for me, thank you. Or maybe run up a vintage style in toile?
• How much fun would it be to spend a few weeks idling the time away at Camp Wandawega in Wisconsin? I love everything about this. My bag is packed.
• Whether your preferred boys of summer are in cricket whites or Cubby blue, get out there and enjoy a ballgame on a sunny day! Even a sport-hater like me loves a good ballgame and a picnic.

We still have seven weeks of school to get through, but for American kids, summer is just a few days away. How are you planning to spend your summer vacation? We'd love to hear from you!