Blissfully Domestic

Blissful Buzz

Saturday Night Live apparently holds grudges...they have passed on the opportunity to have Ashlee Simpson back to lip sync sing and promote her new album. (photo source)

Celebrity chef and Today show contributor, Giada De Laurentiis and her husband have welcomed a brand new baby girl to their family!  I'm guessing her celebrity chef friends will keep her refrigerator stocked with all sorts of great food (and not even one tuna casserole!)

No need to get any place settings or napkins rings off of their bridal registry, reports that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were married this past weekend have been retracted by Star Magazine.

It's been years since I heard a good Cody and Cassidy story.  Thank goodness, Kathie Lee Gifford will be joining the Today show as a regular contributor. 

Come on over to Blissfully Domestic Forums to dish about your favorite celebrities!

Travel Scavenger Hunts

With our Spring Break finally in sight, I have been exploring some fun games for my children to do while we are on the road. After all, why not keep them occupied with great things to do? It will leave a lot less time for them to say, "Are we there yet?"

Here is one great idea I found:

Travel Scavenger Hunt

Before your trip, you & your child can put together a Scavenger Hunt list. You will want to make sure that they are items that you really will see on your way to your destination, but that is the only main rule of this game.

Depending on the ages of the participants, the Scavenger Hunt list may be simple and relatively short or much longer and more detailed. For the younger members of your family, you can cut magazine pictures out to help the child recognize what they are looking for or even use images from clip art to make the hunting a little bit quicker (and much easier for making duplicates).

To play, each child is given a copy of the list of items to find. On your trip, the first player to spot an object calls it out and gets to cross it off their list.

At the end of the trip, the player who has found the most items on the list is the winner! Be sure to tuck a prize in your bag from your dollar store to celebrate their rocking victory!

Sound Off: What are some fun travel games you play when going on long trips? Do you have any fun tricks up your sleeve that have been a hit with your children?

Be sure to head over to Blissfully Domestic Living to discuss!

Just Say No to Casual Friday Fug

When I entered the workforce back in 1992 I had to shop for a true work wardrobe highlighted by the three Ps: power suits, pantyhose, and pumps. For the past seven years I've worked in a casual office and my panty hose quotient has dwindled down to nearly nothing.

Recently when I was picking up my daughter from kindergarten, her teacher asked if I'd worked from home that day, knowing I telecommute several hours a week. I knew the glorified jogging suit I had worn to my office that morning had put me in that Casual Friday Fug category.

Here are my Top 10 Casual Dresscode Don'ts:

Mom jeans. You know better to avoid like the plague anything that's been the subject of a Saturday Night Live skit . You can pick up fashionable jeans anywhere from Target to JC Penney to Kohls or even thrift stores as trendy college students change out their denim
wardrobe faster than they can text. My big winter find at Goodwill was a pair of nearly new GAP bootcut jeans for less than $4!

Vacation t-shirts. I don't care if you bought it at the Ritz Carlton in Maui for $40, save the vacation t-shirts for the weekend or playground time with the kids.

Running shoes. I'm guilty as charged of wearing running shoes (more like walk really fast shoes for me) to the office on rainy days, but they are best left for home or the gym.

Diaper bags as workplace tote. Don't carry your important work papers in the same bag you keep butt wipes.

Tight, ill fitting clothing. Anything too tight is inappropriate for the office. Besides, you want to have breathing room for those mornings your co-worker brings in a box of steamy hot donuts.

Flip flops. Someone at my company may or may not have worn flip flops at the front desk last year. For the love of Jimmy Buffett, leave the toe thongs in your beach bag.

Anything wrinkled. I detest ironing, but wearing a wrinkled blouse gives the impression that you really don't care what you look like. You can always find something wrinkle free. How about a nice cardigan sweater set in a fun, vibrant color? I love wearing sweater sets in the spring and fall with nice tailored black pants or a black skirt because I never know if it will be too cool or too warm in my office.

Yoga pants and pimped out hoodies. Again, same as the running shoes, no one wants to see you slinking around the office looking like you just rolled out of bed. Save the super comfortable things for days you work from home and won't see anyone but the family dog.

Crocs. I know tons of people love them, but even my 5 ½ year old has enough fashion sense to not wear Crocs, so please save them for the weekends or running around with the kiddos.

Going commando on top. I worked with a woman years ago who bragged about how she was not wearing a bra to work, like it was some sort of cubicle truth or dare. Granted she had on a sleeveless halter top underneath a very conservative blazer, but unless you work at a strip club, your co-workers don't need to hear about your free and easy breasts while checking their e-mail.

Other great business casual tips:

What Not to Wear to Work this Summer via Styledash

Business Casual Tips for Summer via CareerBuilder

When the office is casual, casual, casual (and you are not) via The Working Closet blog at Work It, Mom! I highly recommend subscribing to this blog, written by Susan Wagner.

Head over to Blissfully Domestic's Forum to discuss your tips for looking fashionable (and casual) at work!

(images and outfits shown: Old Navy)

Facing Overwhelming Responsibilities?

Life has a tendency to get stressful and overwhelming. Running kids around, planning meals, helping with schoolwork... As women, we face our own set of stresses. Are you going through a season like this? Do you feel as though life is crushing in and you can't catch up? Do you worry about how you will get it all done? Find comfort in the following: you are not alone. And there is hope.

It is not uncommon for a mother, particularly, to feel overwhelmed by the complexity of her parental assignment. For each child she raises, she is the primary protector of his health, education, intellect, personality, character, and emotional stability. She must serve as physician, nurse, psychologist, teacher, minister, cook, and policeman. Since she is with the children longer each day than her husband, she is the chief disciplinarian and main giver of security and love. She will not know whether or not she is handling these matters properly until it is too late to change her methodology. Furthermore, Mom’s responsibilities extend far beyond her children. She must also meet her obligations to her husband, her church, her relatives, her friends, and in some cases, her employer.

~Dr. James Dobson

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:6-8)

Blissful Buzz: Week in Review

The Good...

Dennis Quaid's twins, who battled for their lives after mistakenly being given adult doses of the drug Heparin, have made a full recovery and are doing "fantastic!" (photo source)

Laila Ali, daughter of boxer Muhammed Ali, is expecting her first child with husband, football player, Curtis Conway.

The Bad...

While on a campaign stop in Indiana, an idiot a man in the audience asked Chelsea Clinton about her father's affair with Monica Lewinsky.  It's more than just a leetle bit tacky to ask that kind of a question of someone's DAUGHTER.

The VERY, VERY Bad....

As if it's not bad enough that Richie Sambora was driving under the influence, his daughter Ava was in the car when he was arrested.