I keep a clean, organized house. I’d label myself as slightly OCD (I wouldn’t be surprised, seeing as how I come from a father with OCD and a mother with clutter/hoarder tendencies), except I’m not one to officially diagnose – just unofficially. ;) And after abdominal surgery I’m clearly in no shape to be sweeping, mopping, doing loads of laundry, and running around putting things away, so before abdominal surgery (yes, I’ve had enough of these surgeries – this’ll be my fourth in three years) I go on a miniature cleaning/organizing spree, one room at a time. Dan and Jason are busy kid-wrangling and Jenn-sitting (as we like to call it) after I’ve had surgery that they don’t have the time, energy, or desire to run around cleaning and picking up crap and putting crap away.
So I do it beforehand. Before my last surgery I did it all the day before, and really knocked myself out – and found myself running short on time that night. So this time I started a lot sooner – yesterday. I helped the kids straighten up their bedrooms, and organized the kitchen “pantry” cabinet so that Dan and Jason won’t have a hard time finding stuff. Today? Changing of bed sheets and laundry. Lots of laundry. We have 2-3 blankets on each bed, and since the kids were sick and I’ve been sick, everything is getting washed, even those “middle layer” blankets that don’t come into contact with anything but other blankets. Whew! That’s a lot of laundry, and a lot of lifting/folding/bending. Pass the massages in Orange County, please.
Tomorrow I’ll sweep, mop, vacuum, clean the bathrooms, change the cats’ litter box and wash out their water fountain (yes, water fountain), and run the dishwasher. Then, fingers crossed and wood thoroughly knocked upon, Monday will just be maintenance – and an early bedtime for all of us, since I’ll probably have to be at the hospital by 5:00am, which means being up by 4:00am in order to be ready to leave by 4:15am. (Ick!)
Sometime today or tomorrow I want/need to bake – the kids are craving some sweet treats to take to school in their lunch bags (besides fruit snacks), and I have a product review to do for cake pop molds!
Smart & Sexy is a brand of sexy, functional, and comfortable lingerie, bras and panties, sleepwear, and even swimwear. They’re available online, at smartandsexy.com, and at most Walmarts. Their website is highly organized, making it easy for you to find products by category (lingerie, sleepwear, bras, panties, bra & panty sets, etc.), and even by size, color, and style. Smart & Sexy provided me with three of their more popular items to review – a black bra that is very similiar to the Extreme Pushup Bra; a sexy pair of lace-trimmed zebra print boyleg panties similiar to the Cheeky Boyleg; and a sexy black chemise that is similar to the Lace Lightly Lined Underwire Chemise (though mine doesn’t have the slit up the leg).
Each item came carefully folded (with the exception of the bra) and separately wrapped in tissue paper, and of course I’m like a magpie when it comes to sexy underthings and lingerie – I dug right in, taking off tags, reading care labels, then washing everything on a gentle cycle and hanging to dry (with the exception of the boylegs – I refuse to line dry panties!). Once everything was dry, I promptly tried on the bra and panties. They fit perfectly. It’s always nice when a company’s products do fall in line with their own size charts and measurement-taking suggestions. The black chemise was tried on and, ahem, thoroughly enjoyed, a few days later. &hhearts;
I really like Smart & Sexy. They offer a large selection of stylish, sexy, comfortable and wearable items that won’t break the bank — or just break. Despite their affordable prices, everything I’ve ever worn from Smart & Sexy has been durably made, and has held up nicely through regular wearing and washing.
Follow Smart & Sexy on Facebook and Twitter.
Giveaway
One winner will receive $50 worth of products from Smart & Sexy.
Giveaway details:
- Start date: 01/28/12 at 9:00am EST
- End date: 02/04/12 at 11:59pm EST
- Winner announcement: 02/05/12
- This giveaway is open to US entries
- Each option gives you additional chances to win – none are mandatory, but the more you complete, the more entries you have into the contest!
Disclosure: Smart & Sexy provided me with free products in exchange for my honest opinion.
Flowers from my husband.
Ryan is a fan of making silly faces (and I’m a fan of his long hair).
My inches loss over the past year, in grommets.
Fritzy. This is his normal expression, tongue and all.
Meow.
Can you believe Valentine’s Day is just a little over two weeks away? For once I’m ready, at least in terms of little goody bags for Alyssa and Ryan, and I already have picked out the gift I’m going to give Dan. Tiny Prints is ready, too – in fact, they have plenty of Valentine cards to choose from. Whether you’re looking for a card for him, a card for her, a card for your child, or a card that is just plain romantic, sentimental, or funny, Tiny Prints has what you need. Here are a few of my favorites:
Valentine’s Day isn’t a huge holiday for us, but since it’s a romantic one, Dan and I do celebrate it, though in a low-key fashion. We usually exchange cards and gifts, and go out somewhere for dinner, and finish off our Valentine’s Day with a night to remember. ♥ And now that Alyssa and Ryan are older, they’re included in the love & fun, too! Alyssa and Ryan have already picked out the Valentine’s Day cards they’ll be giving to their classmates, and as I mentioned earlier in this post, I have adorable little goody bags to give to Alyssa and Ryan on Valentine’s Day.
If you haven’t yet purchased your Valentine’s Day cards, or you’re not thrilled with what local stores have to offer, then you’ll definitely want to check out Tiny Prints’ extensive selection of Valentines Day Greeting Cards.
Follow Tiny Prints on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Enter to win 50 free Valentine’s Day cards for kids at In My Bag!
Rating: 
Disclosure: Tiny Prints provided me with free products in exchange for my honest opinion.
Once upon a time I dealt with bras that were more function than form. When I was a 46G, a 44DDD, even a 42D, my options were limited. Thick, padded straps, underwires that felt like they were reinforced three times over, and high-backed bras that looked rather ugly when worn beneath lower cut tops.
Then I lost weight, and suddenly I had a nicely manageable set of 36D breasts. At first I mourned the loss of so much of my bosom, but now I’ve come to terms with my smaller girls – and I’m quite happy with them! And thanks to Yandy.com (an online retailer of sexy lingerie & plus size lingerie), I have a few new bras coming my way:
While they aren’t exactly what I’d label as Valentine’s day lingerie, that doesn’t mean Dan won’t enjoy them just the same. ;) And speaking of Valentine’s day gifts, you’ll definitely want to check out the great collection of sexy and sensual lingerie Yandy.com has.
