I am on both sides of this fence, and my sarcasm knows no bounds.

Six weeks till bathing suit season.  Six weeks till bathing suit season.  Six weeks till bathing suit season. 


{And repeat}.  


You know, I'm not expecting to look like the cover of Sports Illustrated, or anything--but I feel that I could use the reminder to LAY OFF the kids jelly beans.  Really, this could be a life mantra, but I generally don't care until I'm about to parade around in the equivalent of my underwear, and hence, live the summer months under a cloud of self-loathing that can be traced back to Christmas cookies in 1995.  


So maybe you guessed, but I'm back on the *juice*--at least for one meal a day (breakfast).  Today's choice was spinach/collard greens/cucumber/pineapple/apple/lemon.  And for the record, an orange is  necessary to disguise the green taste.  I thought I could substitute with enough pineapple.  I was WRONG.  


Eating healthy is A LOT of work, yo.  Something always needs to be washed, or sliced, or baked for 45 minutes, or put through a 27-step process to make it taste less...healthy.  Cleaning the juicer alone is a 20 minute ordeal.  I've committed to cutting out bread and pasta, but GEEZ, making a side of broccoli takes WAY more energy than opening a bag of chips.  Thankfully, last night we had The Pioneer Woman's spinach and mushroom quesadillas (not what I would consider "good" for you, but I had half a serving size), and I made WAY too many mushrooms, which were then added to my Egg Beater omelet for lunch today.  OH YUM.  But WOW, what a time suck.  Secret to losing weight?  Clearing every other obligation off your schedule, including CHILDREN.   


Also, the weather has been GOR-geous here, and so I've been out on a run everyday this week (unheard of).  I'm telling you this, and illustrating with pictures, because I fear that some of you got the wrong message last night.  That *maybe* laughing at my mess somehow makes the women who take the time to put themselves together and look nice (even on Saturday mornings!  GAH!), are somehow fake, or shallow--and that they inadvertently make others feel terrible about themselves.  For the record, if we feel inferior or put down next to those women, most times I have found that the problem is in our OWN heads.  To say that someone who takes pride in something, and is committed to running a marathon, or going on a juice fast to lose some lbs., or showering daily, or WHATEVER--makes you feel like a schmuck, is what I call the ultimate bitch-slap, and I see women do it ALL. THE. TIME.  We need to let women feel proud of who they are, and not give them the emotional baggage of carrying your (mine, our) self esteem too.  


The point of yesterday's story was ALWAYS meant to be about laughing at how I approach things.  Which is very often as a complete mess dribbled in taco sauce.  But sometimes it's in full make-up at school pick-up on a Wednesday.  Well, I'd love for us all to laugh about it--this whole business of being a woman, living some kind of life that matters, making a difference by wiping asses (literally).  It's FUNNY because it's true, friends.   And it's the SAME.  We struggle to get stuff done, to look nice, to work efficiently, to fit in, to be responsible, to raise good kids, to spend money WISELY, to make money stretch, to clean the house, to clean the bathroom of young boys.  We want more, we're rarely content.  Sometimes, we buy jeans with rhinestones, sometimes we run, sometimes we just decide to screw it and take a nap.  We're tired and we're hungry and mostly we don't understand HOW stomach skin can look like THIS?  We want jelly beans, when we should have carrot sticks.  Sometimes we eat the freaking carrot sticks and we lose some weight--and then in a casual conversation, a friend will mention how they would LOVE to get in shape, but they just don't have that kind of time, because they have a life (implied: a life that is harder, and 100xs more work than YOURS).  And somehow, you walk away from this great thing you just did feeling a little less...great.  And you eat jellybeans to prove your human.  


And repeat.


So that *theoretical* group of people wearing cute workout clothes to the swim team sign-ups?  I'm one of them too.  I'm often too lazy to wear a bra to school drop-off; but I also have the capacity to run 6 days a week, and train for half marathons, too.  I can wear ice cream stains as proudly as a (fake) diamond necklace--and I am completely comfortable, in either capacity.  And for as much as I sympathize and relate with every woman who really STRUGGLES to keep it together on a daily basis--I also hope to be a champion for those who are doing it well.  Because that's our story too, right?  We might suck at patience with young readers, or remembering to give our kids their antibiotics for 10 days straight--but sometimes, we win those battles too.  Or we knock it out of the freaking park with that OHMYGOD perfect monogram on the pink dress for our 3-year-old, who will take your breath away every time you see her in it.   


My point being:  I am NEVER about choosing sides.  We're fighting the SAME fight here girls.  And I think we all agree that the enemy is WHOEVER KEEPS MAKING THOSE SLUTTY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES for young girls. 


Now.  Go fight THAT worthy battle.

And today's photo is...the dining room.  Not too shabby, with our token Lego pieces on the table (which are, coincidentally, on/under every piece of furniture we own).  The theme of the new house, if you haven't guessed already is WINDOWS.  Lots and lots and LOTS of light everywhere.  Which is one of the things I love most about this place.  Also, there's that white cabinet, and my general inability to decide what should be displayed on it.  For the record, open shelving is my downfall.