Call Me Judgemental...

...but when a guy tells me he doesn't eat carbs I think of him as less masculine.

Natural Solution for Teething

It feels totally weird to offer a child care tip for Works for me Wednesday considering I don't have any kids, but I thought of this idea when my eleven month old niece was visiting a couple of weeks ago.

Her mom forgot to bring her teething ring, but I wanted her to have some relief for her sore little gums. My quick, easy, free solution was to simply freeze some water in popsicle molds and then give them to her. Because it was a whole popsicle, it didn't present a choking hazard (we were supervising her though) and because it was just water it didn't stain anything as it melted (an important factor in my non-childproofed home.)

Chatty Strangers and Other Random Things

1. I ate lunch at Dupont Circle today and a man came up and hit on me. It was glorious. I can't tell you the last time someone hit on me. He also couldn't believe I was 31. He was a big time boost to my ego. (Don't worry. I told him I was married. He took off not long after that.)

2. A couple of LDS missionaries also approached me at lunch today. Here's the thing: I don't know how to make it clear to them that I don't want to hear their pitch while at the same time being polite. I get that they're passionate their religion and they think they're being helpful by sharing it with me but I'm totally not interested. I have some LDS friends, for whom I have tremendous respect, so perhaps that's why I'm not good with setting my boundaries, but I've researched their religion and it's not for me. I respect their beliefs but I think they should respect my beliefs too, by not making me listen to their spiel. Tell me what to say to them next time so they don't waste five minutes and one of their pamphlets on me.

3. After my suitor and the missionaries, I got approached by a lady offering to do a tarot card reading for me for $1. I must have had an "APPROACH ME STRANGERS" sign on my back today.

4. Yesterday, a flea jumped on my forehead while I was on the bus. It was both gross and confusing. Since when do fleas ride the bus?

5. Last night, I had an idea about upcycling an old cookie container into a planter and Chuk (jokingly) called me a hoarder. I love that show, by the way.

6. I still haven't bought plane tickets to California for Thanksgiving yet. It's making me nervous. It's probably going to cost me a fortune now.

Things that Suck

1. Getting up while it's still dark outside. (Soon it's not only going to be dark when I get up, but also dark when I leave work and that's THE WORST.)

2. Headaches.

Confession

Chuk was away this weekend helping his dad move. I spent all day Saturday (and most of the day Sunday) in my pajamas. It was awesome. I watched tv, got a little caught up on blogs, read, and played Facebook games.

Pajama parties for one? Yes please!

31

Today's my birthday. I'm in Chicago.

Cheap Autumn Decor

I used to budget about $10/week on flowers for the table. I've cut that back significantly as we've tightened our belts, but I still want to have something pretty to look at while I eat (besides Chuk).

I bought a bunch of gourds and mini pumpkins at the farmers' market and grocery store. They were 3 for $2. I threw them in a jar I already had and voila...decor that will last me through October and November for less than $10.

P.S. It looks better in person. I had to turn on the hideous overhead light which made the colors look weird, but you get the gist.