A Little Comic Relief

Are you jealous?

We Watched Wild

We ended last weekend's WILD party with a little entertainment. Have you heard that the Sacramento Zoo has a new baby Sumatran Tiger? Have a look at this wild one...one of my cats got so excited over this she almost attacked the computer!




And, in honor of Mother's Day, here's one more. It's SO sweet!





For more zoo animal news (and more videos!) visit the Sacramento Zoo blog.

So Much to Say, So Little Time!

I can't wait to tell you about the trip I went on with my hubby and toddler last week. As soon as I get a break, I promise I'll be back! Stay tuned. . .

Lovely and Lovely

I just finished my last final - yippee! As I came out of my "finals haze" I was greeted by two of the loveliest things.

First, my good friend Une femme curieuse showed up in my exam room to congratulate me on finishing. She appropriately reminded me that, despite my head cold and the general sense of deflation that always follows a final exam, it is time for some serious celebration. MK, I'm doing my happy dance now. Can you see? It looks something like this . . .





Then upon arriving home I was greeted by my amaryllis, which finally started to open this morning.







Lovely and Lovely.

Go hot!

When I need to be reinvigorated, what I reach for most often is a cup of hot tea. I don't know why exactly, but there's something about hot drinks that energizes me and brings me to life. And I'm talking decaf, too.

If you're looking to "go hot" yourself, you might try the Black Currant tea from Peet's. Or, if you'd like to help somebody else "go hot" then you might give the tea alongside one of the many great tea brewing options out there. I love this option for brewing an individual cup.


Or this simple, but cute, teapot.


Incidentally, I have never actually owned any Black Currant tea myself, although I've tasted it and given it to others on several occasions. I sure wouldn't mind if it showed up in my stocking this year. (hint, hint) Hubby, are you reading?

Something Sweet

As I mentioned before, I think that December is a stressful month for a lot of people. So I look for creative ways to take time out from the hubbub. It doesn't take much for me to feel re-centered again, ready to tackle anything.

Here's an idea: Savor something sweet. Like these little sandwich cookies. (I buy them at Ikea, but I think you can also get them at Cost Plus World Market.)



These cookies instantly remind me of the sandwich cookies of my childhood. And the hazelnut filling is so much like Nutella that I think of the Nutella-filled crepes that I sampled on the streets of Paris.

So fun. So simple. So sweet.

Need a break?

There seem to be a lot of reasons to take a break these days. There are final exams and end-of-semester deadlines. There's the holiday-rat-race. And then there's the cold-weather-doldrums. My thought is that you just might need a break as much as I do.

So I thought I'd share a few of my favorite ways to take a break. My first favorite? High kicks.

We recorded the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on our DVR, and my toddler has been watching a piece of it almost daily since Thanksgiving. She acts out certain parts of it, mimicking the trumpet players, the cheerleaders, and the Broadway characters. But whenever the Rockettes come on, she gets me involved. We do high kicks along with them, and it's loads of fun. You just might give it a try!