If you read my happiness is: guest post on Pretty*Swell, then I’m sure you have been eagerly awaiting this post.

Whenever I hear that someone in my family is eating alone – I feel so sad. So sad, in fact, that I almost start crying. (I know, I’m ridiculous.) The crazy part is that they are not sad at all about it – they love it! It gives them time to read or write alone. No distractions.

I have no problem doing things alone. I’m independent. Really. I swear. There is just something about eating at a restaurant alone ::gulp:: that I just can’t handle. (BTW, that ‘gulp’ was a pun. Intended.) Maybe I’m such an extrovert that it pains me not to be interacting with someone… Anyone! If I’m working on my laptop and eating, it’s cool. I’m cool. My computer is my security blanket. And with IM, Twitter, Facebook, etc… I’m only one ‘h’ and one ‘i’ away from a convo.

So, I was eating alone as I wrote this post. It was done the good ol’ fashioned way – pen to paper. And guess what? I felt great about it. The food was great, the service was great, there weren’t any distractions. And, I kinda liked thinking that people thought I was writing something wicked important.

Do any of you like to eat at a restaurant alone or perhaps need to overcome the fear like I did?

My next feat. Going to the movies by myself. Gasp!

Riding the mechanical bull at the Hebrew National Hot Dog Day!

Here are the reasons why G did not get tubes:

*When kids turn 2, they tend to outgrow them. He turned 2 in February.
*Spring was on its way.
*He started taking Xylarex. A non-antibiotic that is supposed to reduce ear infections.

Here are the reasons G is getting tubes at 6am tomorrow:

*He has woken up between 1-4 times each night since November. He’s tired. We’re tired.
*Spring is here. No change.
*I will not pump any more antibiotics into this poor child.
*He is always messing with his ear and says, “ouch, ouch, ouch.”
*I cannot see him in pain anymore.

So many people have said it’s life changing for the child. I’m not counting on anything. I don’t want to get my hopes up. Pssst… I will let you in on a little secret – I am kinda getting my hopes up. But, please don’t tell anyone – I don’t want to jinx it.

Our appointment is at tomorrow at 6am. Please think of me, my sweet husband, and, most importantly, G.

This poll is easy. Just comment with A, B, or C.

A. I love to read about what’s good and bad – products, stores, restaurants, recipes, etc…

B. I’m a junkie for personal stories especially when it comes to life as a mother.

C. I’m interested in both – the personal stories about motherhood and the reviews.

Thanks for taking the time to take my silly poll. I look forward to writing and sharing phase two of my blog.

So, if you are buying shoes – why not shop at a local Raleigh shoe store. Try out Mobley’s Shoes.

I went there last week for the first time. G has been stompin around in his light-up Puma’s that are black, grey, and have a red puma on the side. The red puma’s skeleton lights up when you walk – my husband and I thought they were pretty rad and asked if they came in adult sizes. They don’t, FYI.

We typically shop for my son’s shoes at Nordstrom, but didn’t have the time to run out to Durham for a pair of Easter shoes. (Yes, I am a liberal Episcopalian, but I even thought black sneakers for the church’s Easter egg hunt was just not right.) I decided to check out Mobley’s since my close friend, Suzanne of Pretty*Swell, said she shopped there and had been pleased.

The salesperson came right over and asked G if he liked a shoe he was holding. He was so sweet and patient with him. G took to him right away and tried on a pair of shoes after having his foot measured.

I was hoping to find a plain pair of white vans. When I say plain, I mean vans with a guitar on them – duh. They unfortunately did not have those, but I did buy a pair mostly because G seemed to be comfortable in them. And, it was a tad bit entertaining to see him look for the shoe to light up – they don’t.

The price: Pretty standard. They did have a great sale rack that had shoes as low as $19.95. They also have a frequent buyer card. Buy 6 pairs of shoes and the 7th is 1/2 off – up to $20. And when you buy a pair of women’s shoes over $100 – your card gets 2 stamps.

The brands: To be honest, I didn’t check out all the brands. I remember that they had Danskos and Rainbows for women. Keens, Keds, Stride Rite, and Bucks (is that the brand? man, those shoes rocked in the early 90′s) for kids.

Here’s where they are located:

Mobley’s Shoes
7422 Creedmoor Rd
Raleigh, NC 27613-1639
(919) 518-1640

One of the best parts of this shoe store – it’s right across the parking lot from Ben and Jerry’s. Nothin’ says a perfect day like a new pair of shoes and an ice cream cone.

NOTE: I am writing this because of the wonderful, personalized service I received at this store. I did not receive any discounts or monies. (I’ve always wanted to use the word ‘monies’ in a sentence. Who knows if I used it right – who cares – it was fun!)

So, that all being said. Here’s my first review. A bedtime book that has become my go-to.

The House in the Night
Susan Marie Swanson (Author)
Beth Krommes (Illustrator)
$9.35 at Amazon.com

This book is absolutely beautiful. The illustrations, the words, and even the paper stock. It just feels nice. It is written in a way that makes you read it as if you are a professional storyteller. No matter your style, it just flows. With the fabulous illustrations and the simple, yet descriptive text, you are immediately transported into this comforting, warm, loving home.

It’s short and sweet. Perfect for an “okay-this-is-the-last” book.

Anyone else have this book? If so, do you give it high ratings?

I bought a dress in December from Saks Fifth Avenue. (Not linking to the store because I don’t want you to shop here or even be tempted by the site.) The dress didn’t fit. Rats. So, just like every other lazy person would do, I left it in a bag in my bedroom for the last month.

Well, Saks has changed their return policy. And, I learned the hard way. If you buy something you only have 30 days to return it. After that, you are out of luck.

The Saks in Raleigh is not super convenient to my house, so I rarely go out there. Today, I was meeting a friend there, so it was a perfect opportunity to bring the dress in to return.

The nice lady, Kelly, at the counter was apologetic and explained that the dress went on sale on Monday and she could only give me the sale price. Please note, I did have my original receipt. She was going to override it with the permission of a manager. Very sweet of her to ask. The manager said, “Well, she should have returned it last week.”

Uh, okay. Whatever. So, one big dress + over 30 days in my possession + shipping (did I mention shipping?) + laziness = ~$70 paid for something I don’t now own. I learned my lesson.

Nordstrom’s would never do such a thing. I always knew I was more of a Nord’s girl anyway.

Best,
the-lame-blogger-who-hasn’t-updated-in-months