April Book Recommendations

Eek!  We've been off of our reading game lately, as we alluded to last week.  Only two recommendations for the month, but we promise they won't disappoint!

We read Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man in anticipation of Mr. Clegg's next book which was released  earlier this month.  His honesty, sadness and self-destruction is overwhelming to the point where you can't stop reading.  Not a light read, but a very powerful one.

If you need to feel some love after reading Portrait, we suggest All There Is, a collection of real-life love stories.  This book is a byproduct of StoryCorps, a booth set up in Grand Central Terminal in NYC where people brought loved ones to interview them for 40 minutes.  Many participants viewed the crux of their interview as - If I only had 40 minutes left to talk to this person, what would I say?  Their stories will make you laugh, cry and fall in love all over again.  This is the good stuff!

Photos: Books Inc

Friday Five

May your weekend be outdoorsy - by any definition of the word!

These ice cream sandwiches look divine
Finally: an SF Microclimate app!
A realistic to-do list diagram
Our new favorite tumblr
Furniture for breakfast

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Image: ExLibrisJournal's Etsy Shop

No complaints

A while ago, we came across the novel idea of not complaining.  It sounds so simple, right?  Well...we found it to be a bit trickier in practice.  Not complaining helps you to focus on what really matters, rather than the little stuff that often gets in our way and, yet, doesn't really carry that much weight.  Of course we all need to vent, but it's nice to let go of some of the minor annoyances of life.  Try it for a week and see what you think!

Ugh, why did the barista put nonfat milk in my coffee?!  Have a beautiful day : )

Photo: The Nifty Fifties

BONUS April Etsy Finds (including a promo code!)

It's your lucky day, friends of Specky and Sally - we have another round of April etsy finds, thanks to the fabulous Alana of Etta + Billie.  We first introduced you to Alana and her wonderful bath products earlier this month and we're honored to share some of her favorite listings.  In even better news, they're all on the eco-friendly side of things!

A Wall Art Kit would be a fun DIY project and/or a fabulous housewarming gift

This organic cotton tea towel is an adorable addition to any kitchen

This laundry detergent doesn't contain harsh chemicals or artificial fragrances and we can't wait to try it.  Specky and Sally readers will recieve 15% off anything in the shop with this promo code: speckyandsally15

This ring means business

Thanks, Alana and happy shopping to all!

All photos provided via shops as linked above

When do you read?

Specky likes reading on her morning commute, but has a hard time reading at night - those eyelids can get so heavy, can't they?  Sally walks to work, which is fabulous, but she misses her previous commute by bus as that usually gave her 40+ minutes of reading each day (and some additional frightening social encounters, which she does not miss).  Now, she reads each night before hitting the hay and has even been known to get up early to read if it's a particularly gripping tale - yes, nerd alert is right. 

We're curious....without those glorious required reading lists of high school English - when do you find the time to read? 

Photo: Manxome

Confessions of a mom at her wits end

Specky is the mother of a biter.  He bites her and her husband, his friends at daycare and, just recently, his two-month old sister.  When he bites, Specky feels angry, embarrassed, sad for her toddler and his victims and completely inadequate as a mom - not to mention the fiery rage she felt when he chomped down on her newborn!  She feels lost and in a constant state of not knowing.  Although she still has no idea about the best way to handle the biting situation (everyone has an opinion!) she feels less alone in all that she is feeling thanks to this blog and book.

How did/would you handle a child who is keen on biting?  Let's all try to help Specky out!

(Earthy) Friday Five

Sunday is Earth Day.  What will you be doing to celebrate?

A huuuuuuge congratulations to the 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize Recipients!
Takeout for lunch? Bring your own container in support of The Lunchbox Project
Try these three easy food and health ideas for maximum earth-saving impact

Have you calculated your ecological footprint lately?  Yikes!
What should go in your recycling and compost bins

A birthday surprise

A few months ago, we shared a link about gifting a birthday boy or gal with envelopes full of stories, memories and photos collected from their loved ones.  Sally's Dad turns 65 today and, over the weekend, she and her sister presented him with 65 envelopes full of 65 years of memories...

Happy Birthday, Dad!

This project is a fun way to celebrate someone's life thus far and show that you care in a unique way.  It's not time consuming, but does require some organization and, of course, you have to be able to keep a surprise!

If you'd like to DIY, here are some tips which should set you up for success:
- Email your contributors at least 6 weeks prior to day you're planning to present the recipient with their gift.  Give them a deadline of 2 weeks prior to the giving day so that you can organize and number the envelopes. It's human nature to procrastinate on this kind of stuff so give your helpers some time.
- In your note, be explicit about what you'd like to receive - photos? funny stuff?  People are more apt to help if they have a clear sense of what you're looking for.
- One the day of the deadline, let any stragglers know that this is the last call for contributions.
- Keep a list of your contributors with contact information to give to the recipient after they're done opening everything - they may want to follow up with the contributors and thank them for their story or just chat it up.
- You'll likely receive papers and items of different sizes so grabbing multicolored envelopes in various dimensions is a good idea.  We love Paper Source's envelope selection.
- Number the envelopes in chronological order (childhood friends to current friends) or keep it random if you want to keep 'em guessing!

Spring is in the air!

Now that spring is in full swing, we have seen some great new trends!  We love these cool nail polish looks and have tried a few ourselves.  Have you embraced any?

Photos: refinery29.com, Atlantic-Pacific, See Jane.

Advanced Style

We love to highlight sassy gals and had to share this fab blog that features incredibly stylish women of a certain age.  There's also an amazing book to go along with it and we're itching to read it.  After all, who says younger ladies are the only ones who should be featured on fashion blogs?  We love this concept!

A major case of the ughs

Bleck.  Two months after the birth of her daughter, Specky has found herself with a major case of the "yucks."  For many gals, it is a complete shock just how much wear and tear your body takes during pregnancy.  Since this is Specky's second go at motherhood she knew what to expect her body to look like after pregnancy, but she's still not happy about it.  She is too large to fit back into her normal clothes and her maternity jeans sag unflatteringly off her behind.  It's not only frustrating but discouraging.

We know so many women who deal with this - wanting their bodies to look just as they did pre-pregnancy, if not better.  We see pictures of models back in bikinis just weeks after giving birth - WTF?  Completely unrealistic, right?  Some women bounce back fast.  Specky is not part of this group even though she's burning upward of 700 calories/day breastfeeding.  She's got a lofty goal of losing 50 pounds by the new year and will be doing weekly weigh-ins with family members who also have weight loss goals. 

You'll have the joy of reading all about it here - stayed tuned!

Friday Five

Another Friday is upon us - can we all handle it?  Happy Weekend, crazies!

Sally can't stop listening to this song and this song (polar opposites, we think)
We've said it before and we'll say it again - we love Ashley Judd
Hmmm...we may need to brush up on a few table manners
Yes to this jacket...but a big no to the price tag!
A fascinating timeline of the American Novel

Real Talk: Dough boys

Specky has long been infatuated with Dave Matthews.  When Sally first learned about this crush, she remarked that he seemed a little "doughy".  You know...the type of dude who isn't overweight but isn't exactly bouncing quarters off of his own rear.  These are more of the average, everyday man who lack the tone of, say, Channing Tatum or Ryan Gosling.  Specky was happy to hear that one of Sally's celebrity crushes, Jason Sudeikis, is also on the doughy side. We've reached an understanding - ye must not judge others' crushes be they doughy or not, for often times one's crush cannot be explained.  So here's to our dough boys!

Snack attack

We've come across some new (to us) snacks that a few of you have asked us about.  What better way to share than to devote an entire blog post to these tasty treats?!  Fruits and veggies are always great snacks, but here are our favorite of the packaged variety available at your local Trader Joe's...

First, let's visit the salty, crunchy savory delights that are "Roasted and Salted Marcona Almonds with Rosemary."  These little buggers are addictive, satisfying and perfect on an appetizer platter, atop a spring salad or eaten directly from the bag as you're rushing out of the house/office/car/plane.

Creature of habit that she is, Sally has a cup of green tea with a square of dark chocolate almost every weekday afternoon.  If it's a Monday, this square magically multiplies.  Her bar selection rotates but her current flavor of the month is the 72% Dark Chocolate Bar from Trader Joes.

Ahhhh, the sweet heat of the ginger chews.  Don't look too closely at the packaging (yes, that is a creepy ginger person), just dig in and play ginger roulette - some chews are mild, while others are t-zone-sweat-inducing-pick-me-ups.  Just the right amount of sweet.

Are we missing any of your favorite snacks from TJ's?

April Etsy Finds

So many great etsy listings this month!  We had a hard time narrowing it down but here are our five faves:

A glitter garland would be a fun addition to any spring soiree 

 

A bright zipper pouch would keep us (fashionably) organized

We can picture this fox pillow in a child's room

 

These gorgeous stamps would further fuel our correspondence addiction

How could you not laugh out loud everytime you see a giraffe wearing stunna shades and blowing a bubble?

 

Happy shopping!

Friday Five

We hope you enjoy this Easter/Passover/Maybe-not-religious-at-all weekend!

We're going to embrace this slow books manifesto

The myth of wedding DIY (agreed, big time)
 A collection of Passover menu ideas
10 sweet Easter treats

The impossible cool

What are these lines?

Specky has a slight obsession with drinking from straws. Recently she noticed small wrinkles around her mouth and wondered if there was a correlation. Apparently there is. Specky is thinking her current pack of straws will be her last.  Who needs all that plastic waste anyway?

April *children's* book recommendations

We begin this month's children's book recommendations with a sweet story.  Sally was shopping at Ambassador Toys last week and saw a man come into the store, cell phone attached to his ear, asking the salespeople if they had particular books in stock.  He quickly searched, all the while yapping on his phone, until he found an acceptable title, purchased it, and raced out of the store.  Sally then asked the salespeople what was going on with the frenetic dad on a (seemingly) crazy book mission. They explained that the customer was traveling on business and wanted to read his kids a bedtime story over the phone but had to find a book that the kids already owned so that they could follow along with the illustrations while he read from a distance.  Sure enough, when Sally left the store, he was seated on a bench, reading his children a bedtime story over the phone.  A heartwarming testament to the power of books, and the dedication of parents!

 

We've always loved The Lorax and this pop-up version is particularly awesome!

 

Poor Little Hoot just wants to sleep and his parents make him stay up late!  Kids seem to find humor in the fact that this is the opposite dilemma most (human) little ones have.

An oldie but a goodie, the tales of George and Martha show us what friendship is all about.

Photos: Books Inc

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier

Have you heard about The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier?  The city is buzzing with excitement about this exhibit being shown at the deYoung Museum now through August 19th.  Sally was able to check it out last week and really recommends going.  Here are her faves:

Let's begin with a famous torpedo bra!

An absolute delight of taffeta fluff

A stunning, golden mermaid

It is TOO BAD we're both done being brides!

Yep, the mannequins' faces move!

Serious "boots with the fur"

Neon delight

Mind-boggling layers of fabric

The pictures really don't do this exhibit justice - it is just so much to absorb and learning about Gaultier himself is a wonderful little history lesson.  If you go, note that Friday night hours are currently extended.  Yippee!

Spring Cleaning

Now that we're fully in the throes of Spring, it's time to tackle the issue of spring cleaning.  Specky has quite the task on her hands: 2 little ones (and allllll of their stuff) plus a house move on the horizon.  Sally is a nerd who looks forward to spring cleaning every year and plans to deep-clean the kitchen, purge some filing cabinet contents and hire a house cleaner for ongoing maintenance.  Does anyone else feel strange about hiring someone to clean your house?  Is it odd to have people clean your home while you're out?  This is new territory for Sally and she's feeling a bit uneasy about it, but hopes it will pay off in the end.

Here are some links to (hopefully) motivate us all!
We're particularly fond of Ecover and Method when it comes to cleaning products

Martha Stewart's thorough spring cleaning checklist

Real Simple's spring cleaning shortcuts

A deeper meaning for all of that clutter

7 yoga poses for inner spring cleaning ; )