Thanksgiving Feast: Temecula Blogorama

Zen Parenting Lessons

2009-11-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Jane finds an elegant solution to a wardrobe malfunction:

Get Inspired by Safeway/Vons This Thanksgiving

2009-11-14T07:29:00.001-08:00

KEEP READING to learn how one lucky reader will win a $25 Safeway/Vons gift card!

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It is already T-Minus 13 days!!!! Thanksgiving is almost here. We have hosted here at our house for the past three years in a row so it will be kind of strange to gather and celebrate at Uncle Joe and Aunt Tara's house this year instead.

I like to wear cowboy boots when we go to Uncle Joe and Aunt Tara's so I can take the kids hiking on the horse trail near their house.

I will still be doing plenty of cooking this year, though. I like to bring a few dishes to share, plus this is that time of year when I start cooking a lot.

Today I am reading my Vons Inspirations email newsletter (go to Vons.com to sign up -- you can even download store coupons directly onto your club card so they show up at the register.)

They also offer online shopping with delivery, including a FREE turkey with $200 order. Check out that Two Hour Turkey recipe!

I get great recipe ideas year-round from their Inspirations newsletter, but I have to say their fall recipes really are the best.

My inlaws live in New York but recently bought a second home here in California and they will be at Uncle Joe and Aunt Tara's this year for Thanksgiving. My father-in-law loves arugula so I am going to make this Pomegranate-Orange Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts to bring to share.

And look at how simple yet delicious this Ultimate Mashed Potatoes recipe is. We were assigned mashed potatoes to bring to my daughter's school Feast, and this is the recipe I will be using. (I already have the Lucerne butter, since I always stock up with extras in the freezer at this time of year. Did you know butter freezes perfectly? If you see it at a great price, feel free to buy as much as you can store.)

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A $25 GIFT CARD FROM SAFEWAY/VONS? Leave me a comment including a way to contact you if you are the lucky winner. One winner will be chosen at random on November 30, 2009.

Welcome to the Shire

2009-11-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

We are having "lawn issues."

Stellan

2009-11-10T09:13:00.001-08:00

For those of us following Stellan's progress, here is an update:

+ and -

Our Day in Pictures

2009-11-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

7:45 a.m. Before school is the best time for music practice. Eva even has a piano lesson before school one day a week. Starting the day with music really wakes up their brains.

9:30 a.m. Jane goes to a co-op preschool twice a week.

10:40 a.m. Kris Sutton at The Charleston cuts my hair. She specializes in cute short hair but she does it all. If you see a woman in the Temecula Valley with cute short hair, ask her who cuts it. Chances are, it's Kris. Today the salon was hosting a trunk show by local fitness guru Michelle Rotell.

11:08 a.m. Even though their corporate headquarters bans a display of my Daily Temecula promotional postcards in the Temecula store, I still enjoy the occasional "boga" tea from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I bumped into a friend who introduced me to some other women and we chatted before I realized I was very, very late. I tend to lose track of time.

11:45 a.m. I love the fantastic women in my writer's group. We have started meeting at Eclectic Books in Murrieta, which is a delightful independently owned used and new bookstore. My current obsession is their display of local Collective artist Katinka Clementsmith's "Bad Tinka" paintings. It might be weird that I think this slightly disturbing painting ("My Dead Bird") would be perfect in my girls' room.

One of us bought a drink at the new Sonic Drive-Thru near Eclectic and they hung the cherry stem over the edge for her. They say they always do this.

1:23 p.m. My kids call the various banks we visit "The Cookie Bank," "The Lollipop Bank, etc. This is "The Stairs Bank."

1:49 p.m. Plum tuckered out.

3:22 p.m. It's always very festive at the gathering spot where many parents wait to meet their kids after school. Jane refused to wear a sweater or shoes.

3:40 p.m. The world as seen through the eyes of a three year old:

4:25 p.m. Jane hid American Girl Mia and in retaliation Eva crumpled Jane's ghost footprint art project. Or so they say.

5:18 p.m. Happy hour with Halloween candy instead of the usual cheese & crackers:

5:43 p.m. We got a package! Jane is going snow tubing at Lake Arrowhead for the first time this winter so we bought her these cute lavender snow boots and squall jacket. Eva is going to New York this winter and needs a new coat but (sob!) she told me she wants a long coat with buttons. No juvenile puffy jacket for her. She is going to do Lincoln Center in style.

6:04 p.m. I have to drag the girls home in the dark most days. This afternoon they were playing in our neighbors' backyard on the trampoline and other super fun play equipment. Look how dark it is, yet they were irate that I made them come home.

6:20 p.m. "Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share."

6:25 p.m. Most evenings we have the trifecta of cats: Frankie (white "cow cat"), Sidekick (black tuxedo cat), and Peppy (orange tabby) all sleeping happily in our bedroom while the girls get ready for dinner and bed.

6:55 p.m. I bought these slippers like four years ago at Target. I even throw them in the washing machine. Don't they look cozy? Just the thing for a night of reality TV.

Oh for Goodness Sakes

2009-11-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

"C & H Sugar is now following you on Twitter."

I sent a tweet about a sale on flour and sugar at Stater Bros ("lowest prices of the year!") and this came the next day.

Big Brother definitely IS watching me.

Simple Woman's Daybook for Monday, November 2, 2009

2009-11-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

FOR TODAY, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009...

Outside my window...we have mushrooms. They are supposedly a sign of good lawn health.

Welcome to the shire.

Our homeowner's association requires us to grow a standard grass lawn in the front yard. A couple of months ago we took delivery of a ginormous truckload of organic compost, and slowly but surely, we are seeing progress in the health of the soil. Scott laid down seed and here are the first wispy new patches:

I am in love with the Dutch white clover Scott planted to help heal the soil in our backyard. I wish we could plant it in the front too. Midwestern farmers plant it in between crops to help restore the earth. I was skeptical at first but now I'm a convert. Isn't it the cutest?

We finally figured out what this trub (tree + shrub) is: a quince. I am not sure exactly what we'll do with them once they're ripe. From what I've read, they seem to be popular in England, which isn't the first place that jumps to mind when I think of delicious mouth-watering fruit.

I am thinking...about a family who started out as neighbors and have become our friends. Their middle school age son is having a health crisis and we hope their situation improves very soon.

I am thankful for...friends...family...health...abundance...food...warmth...kids 'n' cats...we have so much and as I begin my birthday month I find myself drawn back to basics, especially the wonderful friends we have made since moving to Temecula six years ago. I am experiencing life on a deeper, richer level going into my forties than I could have imagined in my twenties. Other than wrinkles, it just keeps getting better and better.

From the kitchen...I cooked up this Halloween costume for Eva:

I was pretty proud of the final product, even though I accidentally broke the back half trying to poke holes in the shoulders for her to wear it like a sandwich board.

I am creating...a novel! In 30 days! It's NaNoWriMo time. I have wanted to do this for a few years now and finally I am taking a stab at it. Want to join me? You can find me as JulietG in the Riverside network on the NaNoWriMo site.

One of my favorite things...is my new Scentsy plug-in! This thing brings me so much freakin' joy it's not even funny. It's amazing what the little things in life can do to really lift your spirits. My friend Jen's friend Vera started selling Scentsy and Jen invited me to a party the weekend of Sitscation. I couldn't be at the party but on Jen's recommendation I placed an order sight unseen (or smell unsmelled, I guess.)

I got my order last week, and all I can say is, I LOVE SCENTSY! Give this a try! I figured, "Oh, someone else is selling some different type of candle, whatever, I like candles, I'll buy a few."

No. This is something truly different in candle technology (now is the time for Scott to run screaming from the room.) There is no wick, no votive, nothing but a miniature lightbulb to warm the scented melt. You plug it in like a night light. I have been scenting our house with "Home Sweet Home" all weekend and walking into the house from outside makes me happy.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Busy is our way of life this time of year. It's all good stuff, though, from music lessons and playdates to preschool and homework, coffee with friends, get-togethers at synagogue and with neighbors. These are happy, busy times indeed.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing:

Happy Halloween!

Have a wonderful week!
Juliet

This weekly journal feature is an idea from The Simple Woman's Daybook blog. Please visit her to check out other Daybookers.

Just Add Zeros

2009-10-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Several years ago at a board of directors training, a woman who has lots of experience on boards both big and small gave us a great piece of advice.

"People are people," she said. "Boards are all the same. The issues are all the same. The best way to handle a big problem is the same best solution for a small problem. Just add zeros."

I was thinking about this the other day when I heard United States House of Representatives member Zoe Lofgren interviewed on the radio.

She's spearheading this big ethics investigation, and she brokers all kinds of power deals, but I know her as the lady who had a vacation home next to our house in Capitola (we were "townies" who lived there year round.)

My parents knew she was a lawyer. "Our daughter is flunking out of law school. Any advice?"

She advised me to buy all the canned study guides (the ones the professors tell you are horrible.)

Mom asked her whether I should get a bookstand since I'd had a big rant about how "only nerds" sit in their assigned seats (just asking to be called on) and the cool people sat in the back row, outside the seating chart grid. The most hardcore nerds had bookstands they'd ostentatiously unfold at their (second or third row) desks at the beginning of each class.

(I really did almost flunk out of law school many, many times, probably because I never learned to study correctly until it was almost too late. I remember actually feeling really offended that I had to study, like it was an affront to my personal decision of how to use my time. Luckily I learned better before the Bar exam since the California test is hard. I still have NO idea how I passed.)

If I recall, Zoe was neutral (or confused?) on the whole bookstand issue.

And now, as I see her walking the halls of power, I think, "Wow, she's this cool lady but she's just a lady." Don't be too caught up in titles or offices. People are people. Just add zeros.

Cookie Factory

2009-10-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

That's not a pizza; it's a chocolate chip cookie.

Here is our kitchen table costume factory. Bits dressed as a kitty cat for her preschool parade. Her tail (white marabou safety pinned to the inside of her shorts) is a little worse for the wear so I need to come up with a better replacement before the Real Deal tomorrow.

Eva's school banned Halloween and swapped it for Storybook Character Day, which used to be a charming holiday to encourage reading held every year on Dr Seuss's birthday. Luckily her costume is a chocolate chip cookie, which fits well with the classic children's book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie."

I wanted her to wear it sandwich board-style, but I broke the back half of it trying to poke holes through the shoulders. (Oops! Damn styrofoam.) Now she has to wear it around her neck like a giant Flava Flav clock necklace.

Bits wanted to be a hamburger (same concept as the cookie but with smaller light "seeds" instead of chocolate chips, plus condiments hanging out of the sides) but luckily she changed her mind and went with kitty cat. (I think it was the lure of face painting that convinced her. She never passes up an opportunity to have her face painted.)

Halloween is tomorrow, and I think we are ready. Scott was craving something sweet last night but refused to open up our bags of Halloween candy. I bought those bags weeks ago and can't believe we still have them intact. ("In the immortal words of Cake, 'He's going the distance,'" he said.)

Next project: pumpkin carving.

Says It All

2009-10-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Posing on the House Party red carpet at the SITS meet-and-greet and cocktail party on Friday night. Note my black tights. Many girls were in black tights, which we all commented have the power to transform any outfit from seasons ago to 2009 (or from summer to winter, in the case of one woman in a converted pool wrap in Greek goddess-like filmy white.) My tights? Stirrups, just like 1986 all over again.

I'm re-energized about blogging but so very tired today, because I had a FANTASTIC weekend in Las Vegas at SITSCation.

The conference was at the Venetian/Palazzo, which is GINORMOUS and has every restaurant with every Top Chef restaurauteur around. The casino itself does have a funky odor, which we narrowed down to cigarette smoke unsuccessfully masked with floral air freshener. On the whole, though, two big thumbs up to the Venetian/Palazzo, especially for their lovely outdoor pool garden, where I enjoyed my morning croissant and tea. It is very top secret and we felt like VIPs.

You can't come back from a blogging conference and not blog, but since I'm glassy eyed, I'll just tell you one story. If you don't know me, read this story and you will, because it pretty much says it all.

I roomed with Mom and Rachel, and as we were getting ready to leave our Venetian suite, I noticed that my purse, which I'd left unzipped on the desk, had tilted over and a bunch of items had fallen out into the trash can.

My driver's license, my American Express card ("Don't dump your purse contents into the trash without it!"), my auto club card, and so on. My room key, a piece of paper with my roomie Rachel's cell phone number written on it (so I could be locked out of the room AND not have a way to contact my roomie. Even my mishaps have irony.)

Luckily I noticed it had happened and fished everything out. But all weekend long I set things down and walked away from them (cell phones, notes, pens, glasses of wine -- memo to Tiffany & Heather in planning SITSCation 2010: personalized drink clings or charms!)

I realized I do this all the time. Have I always been this way, or am I in the beginning years of senility now that I'm one month from my 40th birthday?

So want to know me? See the disheveled looking lady trying to fish her coupons out of a trash can or begging the mailman to open the locked mailbox so she can get the library book she accidentally mailed while on the phone with the library asking them to please check their drop-box for the utility bill and mortgage payment? Give me a friendly wave or bring me a Diet Coke to calm my spirits. Thank you.

TSA Lady Totally Lied?

2009-10-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

This blogger posted about a heart-wrenching incident of TSA abuse which apparently is a lie.

Wow. I'm amazed that three days after TSA posted CCTV footage catching her in a big lie, that she is keeping her original blog post up.

And I'm amazed that she had to lie to come up with something bad about TSA. Isn't there enough true crap to say about them? They've broken and stolen items from us several times (which we've always dutifully reported and documented with zero follow-up.)

So basically, they do often suck and I'm sure the TSA agents had attitude with this blogger and she got mad. She suffers from anxiety and knowing she was about to fly probably wasn't helping matters.

But boy! Take down that post. And apologize for lying to your readers. And does anyone else think it's weird that TSA has a blog?

Ziploc an S.C. Johnson Brand

2009-10-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, the It's a Pita company was bought by English muffin giant Thomas, and they switched from packaging their pitas in a single plastic bag with twist tie to a plastic tray inside a plastic bag secured with a plastic date-stamp closure.

I wrote to Thomas to complain about their packaging and they sent me a bunch of coupons.

When Eva was a baby, we got a bum package of Huggies. (Yeah, I know some people hate Huggies and there are even folks who call them "Crappies," but the problem wasn't with blowouts or absorption.) Every single diaper in the 72-pack was missing a closure on one side.

I called the company and they sent me a voucher for a replacement pack plus a bunch of coupons.

Now we are in the social media networking age, and savvy companies are working it.

Last week I tweeted about the beautiful black Nanette Lepore cocktail dress I bought at Tangerine and the next day, Nanette Lepore was "following" me on Twitter.

So here's an experiment. I believe I got a defective package of Ziploc sandwich baggies from Costco. The THIRD baggie in one week ripped along the side seam, just as I was (gently) reaching in to grab a delicious handful of post-workout cashews 'n' raisins.

I didn't scoop them up because they fell onto the damp 24 Hour Fitness locker room floor, though I admit when Bitsy got a bad bag last week, I made her eat the pretzels that fell on the sidewalk, because honestly, is that really the grimiest thing that happened to her that day? Probably not.

So let's see if I get some Ziploc swag, like maybe a Ziploc ball cap or flyswatter or windbreaker.

Oh, I even have pictures!

Just a normal, regular baggie, right?

Wrong!

Costco would probably take the box back even though most of the first (of three) packages has been used. They take everything back. No questions asked. But this is more interesting. Let us watch, and wait...

Take It From Me

2009-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

...because you always knew I'm bossy.

for krista....thanks for asking!
The Picky Person's Guide to the Perfect Pot of Tea

I love tea. I drink plenty of tea made with tea bags (my favorites are Stash and Barry's of Ireland, which I find here in Temecula at Baron's.) But when I really want to invest a few moments in a truly wonderful cup, I break out the loose leaf tea.

The Tea
Start with your preferred variety of loose leaf tea. (These instructions are for BLACK TEA only. Green tea, white tea, and herbal teas, also known as "tisanes," have their own set of instructions.)

There are many varieties and brands of tea. Twinings loose leaf tea is a reliable brand sold at most grocery stores and also at Cost Plus World Market. If you aren't sure what type you like, English Breakfast or Darjeeling are reliable moderate-strength choices. Harney & Sons is another reliable brand that is available in specialty stores. Mariage Freres is a pricier French brand (the French are HUGE tea lovers) sold at Neiman Marcus, Dean and Deluca, and online.

If you are lucky enough to have a tea or spice shop that sells open quantity loose leaf tea, by all means pay them a visit. Make sure the teas are stored in well-sealed jars and packaged for sale in small quantities air-tight bags. We have a family tradition of gathering for afternoon tea once or twice a year, and I always buy a souvenir tin of tea. Here in Temecula, the Old Town Spice Merchants sells many varieties of tea, including their Paris blend, which in my opinion rivals Mariage Freres.

The Pot
Many people believe the best pot for brewing tea is a Rockingham (the traditional dark brown one is called the "Brown Betty.") You can buy Rockingham teapots from specialty stores and online. Cost Plus and Marshall's sell good knockoff versions.

If you have a formal china service, it might have come with a pot; make sure you're dealing with a TEA pot and not a coffeepot! (It sounds dumb but it can be hard to tell sometimes.)

Don't try to brew tea in a pot made from anything other than ceramic. Clear glass teapots like the Bodum are beautiful but not the best for producing a truly perfect cup of black tea.

The Water
I think filtered tap water makes the best cup of tea. Use freshly drawn water each time you make tea. Bring your water to a full, vigorously rolling boil. Just before it gets to the boil, use some of the water to warm the brewing pot. This step is really, really important, so don't forget (and don't forget to boil enough water to have some extra for this warming step.)

Brewing
Follow the package recommendation to decide how much tea to use. Many people tack on an extra teaspoon "for the pot" but I never do this. Unless the package specifically states otherwise, use gently rounded teaspoonfuls and "a cup" of tea is a six-ounce cup.

Do not use a tea ball or cheesecloth for the leaves. They need to move around freely in the water. Save your tea ball for mulling cider or making loose-leaf tea in an individual mug.

Pour the vigorously boiling water over the tea leaves and replace the pot's lid. If you have a tea cozy, do not use it while the tea is brewing; wait to use it to keep the pot warm at the table or it might cause the tea to over-steep. Set a timer and leave the tea to brew for the recommended time. Most black teas need four to six minutes to brew. If you are new to tea and aren't sure how you like it, choose the middle time.

Straining
I admit I usually don't bother to strain my tea. The majority of the leaves stay at the bottom of the pot and the few that end up in my cup then stay at the bottom of the cup. When I do strain the leaves, I set a stainless steel strainer over the teacup and pour.

If you don't serve the entire pot of tea all at once, whatever is left to sit on the leaves will become very strong. Depending on the variety, it might become bitter, too. Feel free to experiment by adding more boiling water to this very strong tea essence, or simply toss it and start over.

Additions
I put sugar in my tea. I use the Trader Joe's or Fresh & Easy version of large crystal Sugar in the Raw because I like the flavor. Some people add lemon; if you do, simply float the wedge into your cup and the flavor will infuse the tea. Don't squeeze because you'll get pulp in your tea. Also be forewarned that the acid in the lemon will interact with the tannins in the tea to produce a sheen across the surface of the tea. This doesn't change the quality of the tea but some people don't like what it does to the "mouth feel" or texture.

Decaffeination
An easy DIY decaffeination method is to brew for 30 seconds, pour off, add fresh water, and brew as usual. This produces tea that is about 90% decaffeinated.

The Starburst Question

2009-10-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

Starburst miniatures have two candies per package: orange, green, yellow, or pink. Each package always has two different colors. An equal number of each color is produced and randomly packaged together.

I like yellow. What are my chances of getting yellow in any one individual package?

One of us says the chances are always one in four. The other says the chances are better than one in four because there are TWO opportunities per package for yellow to appear.

Who will be the parent who gets to help the kids with their math homework? Help!

Zippy Sez...

2009-10-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Grandma Pearl's favorite guru of pop culture, Zippy the Pinhead, says: Never eat anything bigger than your head.

I like Michael Pollan's Top 20 List too.

(Though I still think Grandma and Zippy were onto something.)

The Negligentsia Class

2009-10-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

I'm coining a new term for moms like me: the negligentsia.

My younger sister Lily and I grew up in what by today's standards would be considered "benign neglect" and the older my kids get, the more I appreciate the choices my parents made.

We were free to do pretty much whatever we wanted, as long as it didn't involve swearing (my mom actually says "fiddlesticks" and insults people by calling them "ding dongs"), bad grades, or bottled salad dressing (lettuce should be torn, never cut!)

I want to cull from the best aspects of my childhood and pass it on to my kids.

The negligentsia mom:

* lets her kids play outside as much as they want. She knows the boogeyman isn't lurking behind a bush waiting to steal or molest them.

* makes her kids do their own homework and school projects. When I was in fifth grade I decided to be an escapee from an insane asylum for Halloween. I wore a tan bathrobe and polka dot shower cap. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for letting me be me.

* feeds her kids "people food" from babyhood. Dino nuggets with ketchup, goldfish crackers, and squirtable go-gurts are stupid. If kids grow up on Tang and Red Dye #2, they aren't going to magically develop mature palates at age 18. I am convinced that kids who grow up eating regular food are less picky as adults. It's not perfection, but it helps. My kids aren't going to eat everything, but neither do I.

* lets her kids dress themselves. Including hair.

* lets her kids read pretty much whatever they want. She surrounds them with the best books at each age and reading level but gives them the freedom to choose. Eva reads "Sassy: Don't Call Her Little Sister!" and "Unicorn School" but she also devours classics by Roald Dahl and Laura Ingalls Wilder just like I read and re-read every Sweet Valley High ever published but also cried over The Scarlet Letter and The Overcoat in elementary school.

Eva was home sick all last week and we broke out a stack of Judy Blumes, including "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret." She was rapt. I was probably in fourth grade, not third like she is, when I read it, but times have changed and it's actually very tame compared to Gossip Girl and all the vampire and magic books out there.

* teaches her kids to navigate the world. Did you know most elementary school age, and even some middle school and high school age kids, are unable to ask for directions or be properly served in a store or restaurant? They simply do not know how to behave because nobody has trusted them enough to teach them. One mom in our neighborhood who walks her fifth grader to and from school each day told me, "He can walk on his own when he's in college."

I say he's not going to magically know how to do anything the day he hits the college campus if you don't begin to teach him, in baby steps, now. Kids need to know how to go up to adults in the world of commerce, travel, business, and government - basically, public places in the community - and interact appropriately. "Pardon me," "Please," "Thank you," "Where can I find the..." "How do I..." and so forth. The grocery store clerk isn't waiting to kidnap our children for sale into white slavery. Teach our kids to ask to be served.

* lets her kids fail. It's not going to kill them. But, if you never let them fail, they'll think it will. Then they'll never want to try for anything worth doing or having.

I am a negligentsia mom and you can be too. Take that great leap of faith and join me. Kids who actually ride bikes fall more than kids who don't go outside, but everyone needs stitches, a cast, and a great story at least once in life.

Oh Gracious Me

2009-10-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect example of why I love to collect old etiquette books. (This is from a 1952 edition of Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living):

It is obviously impossible for a secretary traveling with her employer to insist on a chaperone or to refuse to take dictation in a hotel room. ("Yoo hoo, Miss Smythe! Could you toodle on in here with your steno pad and take some dictation?") It is not always possible for either a man or woman executive to secure a hotel suite, even if such extra expense is willingly borne by a firm, and it is often necessary for dictation to be given when executives travel.

A man should not hesitate to ask his secretary, traveling with him, to take dictation or do other office work in his room, though not in hers, once the rooms have been made up. (If it is impossible to get the chambermaid to do the room in time, at least the bed should be pulled together, not kept open.) The door should be unlatched, although it is not necessary now that it be open. (So she can escape. Graciously, of course.)

An employer may order lunch (but preferably not breakfast) in his room for his secretary and himself if necessary to conserve working time, but not drinks. He should not ask his secretary to dine with him in his room if it is at all possible for them to go to the hotel restaurant or some other one. ("Oh, uh, yeah, the hotel restaurant is, um, closed? Yeah, it's definitely closed. Indefinitely. We'll just have to eat in the room.")

Even while working, he should keep his coat on while his secretary is present, and she should be careful t obe as completely groomed as she would be in her office at home. Needless to say, no man should ask his secretary - or even a public stenographer - to take his dictation when he is not fully dressed, unless he is ill and the fact is well-known.

Buy This

2009-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, Girl Scouts: enthusiastic, helpful, resourceful.

Fearless, brave, prepared.

And...telemarketers?

"Buy these cookies or I'll cut you with a Swiss army knife."

I signed Eva up for Brownies last April, when we got approval for her to skip a grade. I figured it'd be a great way for her to meet ("bond") with then-second graders so she'd know some girls when they all became third graders together.

(Getting her into a troop was a whole drama unto itself. Let's just say I'm not as popular as I thought I was and my name doesn't automatically open all the doors I'd assumed it would. But eventually she got into a WONDERFUL troop with terrific girls, including one of her best little girlfriends from this year's third grade class.)

We joined after "cookie season" but I figured, how hard could it be? Talk about a product that sells itself.

Did you know, however, that Girl Scouts sell other products too? A few days after receiving a giant fundraiser packet (tchochkes, mixed nuts, jewelry, magazines) from the elementary school, we got an almost identical giant fundraiser packet with almost identically un-sellable crap from Brownies.

Ladies, I love you. (I'm sure at least someone affiliated with Brownies will read this. And it's true. I DO love you!) But the stuff? It's crap. I refuse to rope people I know and love into buying thin wrapping paper or a subscription to Vanidades magazine (first issue arrives in only 12 to 18 weeks!) or fugly his-n-hers coffee mugs.

And GUESS WHAT? If the girls "completely and legibly" fill in eleven postcards with valid addresses of out-of-town friends and family, who will receive a "friendly" letter informing them of this purchasing opportunity, they earn a PATCH!

No, not in "Telemarketing" or "Direct Sales." Silly. The patch is in "Investigate." They also get a rubber bracelet that says "Girl Power."

The cookies, I get. I can see how planning a strategy, setting a goal, doing math, keeping track of money, and standing outside Albertson's earns a badge, or a patch, in an actual skill.

But this is OTT. Isn't it simply too much?

Happy Birthday, Grandma Pearl!

2009-10-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

You are a California original!

Wordless Wednesday: Flour Angels

2009-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Want more Wordless Wednesday?

Hausfrau Hootenanny

2009-09-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

How do hausfraus with small kinder at home keep them entertained without undoing all that housework?

I send mine outside. It's more healthful for them anyway, plus they have fun playing with their friends. (Their latest hobby is pole-climbing - like street signs and light poles - and it really is remarkable. Even my three year old is a great pole climber. She wouldn't have a fraction of the upper body strength and core muscles she has now if I let her inside the house.)

The frugal hausfrau keeps her kids happy with the 28¢ 50/50 pop.

My third grader invented this. Brilliant!

Eva's 28¢ 50/50 Pop

1. Divide one 4 oz mini-carton of Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream among 8 small (3 oz) paper (Dixie) cups. (My grocery store sells mini Haagen-Dazs cartons for $1.) Insert a popsicle stick or candy stick in the center of each cup. (I found 50 Wilton candy sticks for $1.99 at Walmart.) Arrange cups on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least 10 minutes.

2. Pour your choice of juice into each cup, on top of the frozen ice cream. We used purple grape juice. Orange juice would pair wonderfully with either vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Return to freezer until frozen solid.

3. To serve, carefully remove the cup (you might need to snip the rim of each cup with scissors to begin tearing.) Use as bribes to get your kids to stay outside.

Enjoy!

Slam Book Update

2009-09-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Some people have asked what products I am currently using and what I'm considering trying.

Hair Now
* hair cuts: Kris Sutton, The Charleston Salon
* color: at home, Garnier Nutrisse
* Pureology shampoo (purple) to minimize the "box orange" that happens after a few weeks of sun exposure
* Alterna Hemp styling mud or Goldwell Star Polish
* the Big Unflattering Hat is from Coolibar

Hair - Ideas...
* grow it out longer
* professional hair coloring
* a weave, extensions, or what our friend Joni calls a "straight-up wig" (seriously! my hair is baby fine and thin, thin, thin)

Skin Now
* MD Forte III cleanser (morning and night)
* Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel (morning)
* La Roche Posay Active C and Active C Eyes (morning)
* Philosophy Help Me (night)
* Target SPF 15 moisturizing lotion (face) with SPF 15 (day)
* Neutrogena ultra-sheer dry touch sunblock SPF 55 (day)
* L'Occitane Ultra Rich face cream with shea butter (night)

Skin Ideas...
* some type of fancy laser for my dark spots and patches (leftovers of The Joy of Pregnancy)
* Obagi

Body
* Palmer's Cocoa Butter skin therapy oil with vitamin E
* Kiss My Face lavender body lotion

Makeup Now
* Bare Minerals primer & eye primer
* Yves St Laurent touche eclat in Medium (for under-eye circles)
* Bare Minerals foundation in Medium
* Bare Minerals Warmth
* Bare Minerals mineral veil
* Bare Minerals eye makeup
* Shiseido lash curler
* Maybelline Great Lash mascara in Blackest Black
* Smashbox lip gloss (various colors) or MAC lipstick in Odyssey

Makeup Ideas...
* a different type of mineral makeup that doesn't have, as my friend Ann would say, "that funky sheen to it" (maybe Jane Iredale, since that's what all the Obagi lovers seem to use)

Edited: Thank you for HONEST opinions. To post an ANONYMOUS comment, select "post as Anonymous" from the menu as you write your comment. Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything drastic....but I am considering some complicated and expensive skin care which has given a few friends terrific results, and as always I'm trying to decide whether to grow my hair, keep it the same, do something different with color, etc etc.

I never want to be the little old lady with two distinct apple-circles of rouge on her cheeks because in her 90 years of life nobody told her it looks silly.

Help me do a 360 degree review of my personal appearance as I prepare to turn 40. (If you don't know me in real life, don't worry; I look exactly like my "About Me" picture.)

Leave an ANONYMOUS comment weighing in on the following questions. I have a pretty thick skin but be nice and please comment on things that are within my power to change (which may or may not include my weight...I've internet self-diagnosed myself with Graves Disease though Scott thinks I'm just veryverynervous. I'm having more tests done and I'll keep you posted.)

1. You look _________ than your age (almost 40)

(a) much older than (book the face lift now)
(b) slightly older than (Retin A, anyone?)
(c) exactly (40 is the new 30)
(d) slightly younger than (hey, the huge unflattering hat is working)
(e) much younger than (is that your mother or your sister?)

2. Your current makeup is

(a) "too" anything (please specify, e.g. shiny, heavy, orange-y)
(b) perfect, suitable, appropriate

3. Your current hair style is

(a) perfect, ideal, suits you!
(b) time for a change
(c) other - please be specific (e.g. color? length? "product"? Bear in mind that I already looked into dying it white-blonde like Pink and was sad to discover that's just not an option for me.)

4. Other

Please don't have a moment of: "Gee, I love Juliet and she loves me, so we can be absolutely honest with each other about everything," and decide to answer these questions with your real name. Trust me; it'll be weird.

I Didn't Found The Grossman Burn Center

2009-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

LIST LOVIN' MONDAYS....Go visit Anna at ABDPBT.com to check out her list and her list of list lovers.

Don Fisher, legendary founder of The Gap, has died. Nope, not related to him either.

Today is Yom Kippur. To my fellow Jews: may you be inscribed in the book of life this year. Have an easy fast (especially to my local friends fasting in terrible heat. Please be safe.) And to all my readers - friends, family, and those I've never even met: many blessings of a wonderful year to come.

My family is pretty incredible. Here is a list of other incredible people Juliet Drucilla Fisher Grossman is not related to:

1) NFL Quarterback Rex Grossman. JewishSports.com doesn't normally report on non-Jewish athletes, but they have an entry specifically to let people know Indiana-born Grossman is not Jewish. No relation.

2) Heroic and brilliant Sherman Oaks-based Grossman Burn Center. Check out their philanthropic arm here. I would be so proud to be related to them, but no, no relation.

3) Neither Drusilla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (played by Martin Landau's daughter Juliet Landau. Coincidence? You be the judge) nor big-hat-wearing devious down-and-dirty Drucilla Winter from Young and the Restless. How much would I love to be related to the Newmans, or the Abbotts, or Martin Landau, but no, no relation.

Spike & Dru:

Drucilla Winters:

4) Riverside attorney Jay Grossman. It was confusing when there were two attorneys working in the same courts every day named J. Grossman. (And how about co-defendants having J. Grossman and J. Grossman as their respective attorneys?) Not related.

5) New York philanthropist Avery Fisher, of Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. It would be sweet to be that rich, but sadly, no relation.

6) Actor Fisher Stevens. He played Minkowski in some of the more confusing episodes of Lost. Maybe if we were related he could explain it to me, but no relation.

7) Fisher Price. "Fisher" is a hard last name to make fun of, yet kids tried anyway. (My husband tells me growing up as a Grossman is hard because you get teased for being "Gross, man.") My sister Lily and I were often called "Fisher Price." (What's wrong with that? We couldn't figure it out. She also got called "Lily Pad" while I mostly heard Romeo and Juliet jokes. Occasionally I'd get a Dire Straits "dice were loaded from the start" reference, which is actually kind of cool.) Much as I'd love to have free access to all the baby gear and toys, no relation.

8) Fisher Nuts. Much as I'd love to live in Modesto, no relation.

Green Thumb

2009-09-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Our four house plants looked great! They were happy, full, vibrant, healthy. It was amazing because I'd hardly done a thing to them.

"I guess I've gotten lucky so far," I thought. "But from now on I'd better start taking care of these plants."

This one is called a "money plant" so I really don't want to screw it up:

My friend Jen says I probably over-watered. I hope he gets better:

I am going back to benign neglect. I learned my lesson and from now on I'm keeping both thumbs out of it!

K.I.T.

2009-09-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

1. To all the people to whom I made the promise, "Let's get together soon!": I know we didn't. Sorry.

2. Maybe I promised you I'd email you the name of a book, or a store, or the correct spelling of a person's last name. The answer, the phone number, the update. I know I didn't. So very sorry.

3. Did I tell you I'd "let you know what happens first thing tomorrow"? I never called. I didn't even drop you a quick email. I have no excuse. I'm not mad at you. I'm just rude.

4. Did we accidentally bump into each other and decide the only way we'd get together is if we both pulled out our calendars NOW and wrote down a mutually agreeable date? In ink? Yay, US! High five!

5. Did you ask me, "What will you do to fill the time now that Jane is in preschool?" You just don't get it. And you probably never will, even after I explain that her school is only three hours, two days a week, and two or three of those days a month I have to work in the classroom. By the time I factor in the elaborate and time-consuming drop-off and pick-up procedure, it's barely a single errand or coffee/tea date.

6. Did you look at my lawn (either front or back) or my driveway/garage/street in front of house filled with the entire contents of a ten pound sack of flour and ask me: "Do you need help?" Or "Is everything okay?" You do not get it. Destructive little people live here. Sorry we lower your property value.

["Friend" me on Facebook if you want to see the flour-angels in the driveway video. Oh, and the timing? 4:30 p.m. on Erev (Eve) Rosh Hashanah. It could have been worse; imagine if it had been an hour before Passover.]

7. Did you ask me, "What do you think about Obama now?!" after the big healthcare news conference? I'm practically a Libertarian, especially on healthcare and finance issues. And I still do love Obama. And no, the ObamaMobile was not defaced. Bits tried to peel off the sticker just for destructive fun (see #6 above) so it just looks that way. Bits loves Obama (when she sees him on the news or in the paper she shouts: "Iraq Obama!") She wasn't expressing an opinion about him. She was just being randomly destructive. It's the rule of #6.

Miscellaneous

* I still have Daily Temecula and write a daily Morning Memo from Juliet on it. Sure, I haven't written in two weeks. What part of "daily" don't you understand?

* It's a quince tree. No, I don't really know what a quince is either.

* Grandma turns 88 this October 2nd. Double infinity. Pretty cool. She lives with Uncle Joe and Aunt Tara in San Juan Capistrano.

* If you see either of my kids (A) climbing a street sign, lightpole, flagpole, or other pole, OR zipping around on a scooter, bicycle, or tricycle, without a HELMET, you hereby have my permission to charge them a non-helmet fee (price determined at assessor's discretion.) And also while I don't generally like snitching, please be a village and tell me.