things i love

be your best, most gigantic self

Sep 23, 08:19 PM ♥

Have you seen the Dear Sugar advice column at The Rumpus yet? If not, go! Read! Now.

The column is beautifully written and there are countless quotable lines, but one recent line from this response has been banging around in my head since I read it:

be your best, most gigantic self

That’s it, isn’t it? The thing to aspire to? The way to get through the ups and downs of life with your dignity intact?

I’ve been such a ball of stress lately and stress turns me into a small, fighty person. Not good for me. Double not good for the poor, unfortunate soul who has to put up with me every single day.

So I made this little image and I have it hanging above my desk now. Because I can be so much better than this.

I just need a reminder sometimes.

youtube tuesday

May 18, 02:21 PM ♥

[i spent way too much time going through old (old!) items I had starred in google reader to look at one day… here are some favorite videos from that list so that I don’t feel like the day was a total waste!]

True Love Will Find You In The End by Zee Avi

badger + otter forever!

Alpaca Attack!

sloths!

Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.

Secret by The Pierces

Afternoon Envy

May 14, 12:48 PM ♥

I want:

  1. some homemade steak tacos
  2. Girl’s Gone Child’s fabulous new 1920s spanish style home
  3. a fantastic little herb garden to call my own
  4. this Let’s Make Out pillow
  5. Scarlett Johansson’s body. And that hair.
  6. And then this bikini
  7. And a trip here
  8. some homemade pudding cups
  9. a dog the size of a bear
  10. and a really cute baby

One of of 10… not too bad, I guess.

Best iPhone Photography Apps (with bonus cute baby pics!)

Apr 11, 11:41 AM ♥

I synced up my iphone last night for the first time in, well, a long long time. Turns out I’ve got about, oh, 1232 pictures of Ezra on that thing. He’s quite cute, if you haven’t noticed already. This is about five times the amount of pictures I’ve taken with either of my Very Nice and Expensive dslrs. Since it looks like the majority of Ezra’s life is going to be seen through the lens of an iphone, I thought I’d round up my favorite photography apps. Because I’m a nerd like that. You’re welcome.

  1. Photogene is the best basic photo editor I’ve found. I run most photos through here to crop and adjust the exposure/contrast/color/whatever.
  2. CameraBag is the app that started it all for me. It can make a boring plain photo look like it was taken with a Holga or a Lomo or a polaroid camera, or… a bunch of other styles. They keep adding new ones. I like.
  3. Hipstamatic has a stupid name, and I’ve already seen a lot of backlash against it, but it’s fun, so shut it. It turns the iphone into a toy camera, allowing you to select the ‘film’ and change the ‘lens’ and set a ‘flash’ and then take your picture. I love real toy cameras, but I also love not having to pay for film and processing and prints, so this is fantastic. And maybe a little ridiculous.
  4. QuadCamera shoots four or eight shots sequentially and puts them into either one photo, or an animated gif. I love being able to capture tiny moments of time like this.
  5. myPhotoBooth is exactly what it sounds like it is. A portable photo booth. Not as awesome as a real one, but fun anyway.
  6. Lo-Mob is similar to CameraBag, but has more effects, including TTV, instant emulsion, and even slide formats.
  7. “ShakeItPhoto” makes your photos look like an old-school polaroid. It does one thing, but it does it well.
  8. TiltShift Generator simulates a tilt shift lens, allowing for selective focus and dreamy/miniaturizing effects. Pictures of my baby are probably not the best example, but whatever.
  9. SwankoLab is by the hipstamtic people and it’s great. It’s like a darkroom, minus the chemicals and smells (which was kinda the fun part, but oh well). You chose your image and then add whatever combination of chemicals you want to print your own unique photo.
  10. … and it looks like 9 is all I’ve got… anyone have other recommendations?

the daily 10 (plus some...): Shopping Deals roundup

Mar 30, 07:58 AM ♥

I found babySteals when I was pregnant and went crazy buying clothing, toys, blankets, and all many of wonderful baby things at ridiculously cheap prices. Since then, I think I’ve been a little hooked on daily deal-type websites. My friend asked me for links to all of them, and, well, here we go! I check these all on my my morning break while drink chai. Because I’m classy like that.

exclusive member shopping sales: women, men, kids, home, &c.

  1. Gilt
  2. Rue La La
  3. The Mini Social
  4. HauteLook
  5. zulily
  6. swirl
  7. totsy
  8. One Kings Lane
  9. bTrendie
  10. babySteals
  11. kidSteals
  12. kids.woot

local daily deals

  1. Groupon
  2. Joffer
  3. FreshGuide
  4. Bloomspot
  5. LivingSocial
  6. TownHog

Leave a comment if you know of any that I’ve forgotten here!

the daily 10: baby items I couldn't have lived without

Mar 11, 11:09 PM ♥

These the the top ten baby items I couldn’t have survived the last five months without!

  1. Aden + Anais Muslin Wraps : We have a million blankets, but these wraps are awesomest. For the first four months, Ezra wouldn’t sleep unless he was tightly swaddled up like a baby burrito. The Aden + Anais wraps were the only ones large enough to wrap our fiesty, fidgety baby in comfortably, and they can used for tummy time or to cover a stroller or even as a nursing cover. And they are beautiful and soft and comfy and BLAH BLAH BLAH I am in love with them. They are pricey, but totally worth it. Ooh, and the dream blanket? That thing is fantastic. I want one for myself.
  2. Soothe & Glow Seahorse: This little seahorse is lovely and soothing and plays beautiful, relaxing music that doesn’t sound tinny or obnoxious in any way. When we lay Ezra in his crib at night we start this, and five minutes later, the music fades away and our baby is fast asleep. Most nights.
  3. Sophie the Giraffe: Okay, yeah, I felt a little dumb spending almost $20 a stupid rubber giraffe but I had seen in recommended so many places that I caved. THANK GOD. Ezra loves this guy. Especially chewing on his face. It’s cute. And drooly.
  4. Moby Wrap : I loooove carrying Ezra in this. He’s always hated being alone, and once I got over the initial learning curve, I would hold him in here and it was the only way I could manage to get anything done. We’re using it a little less as he gets bigger, but I don’t know what I would have done the first four months without it.
  5. the swaddleme : Once Ezra started getting too BIG AND STRONG to be contained by a mere blanket, this was a lifesaver at night. We got the miracle blanket too, but it mostly sat in a pile all alone and unloved because the swaddleme was just so much nicer to deal with.
  6. Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes : This thing is like baby crack. Push the button and Ezra will immediately stop whatever he’s doing and stare at this thing, mesmerized by the lights and pleasant-sounding music. He also enjoys trying to eat it.
  7. Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine: My mom bought this for Ezra at Christmas and it’s been great. We use the soft light and lullaby songs as we’re getting him ready for bed, and then the gentle white noise to help him fall and stay asleep. It also plays music from the ipod, for the occasional spontaneous stuffed animal dance party!
  8. BabySmart Cooshee Changer : This is the best changing pad EVAR. It is warm and soft and comfy, but also totally wipeable (very important for a boy who took every diaper change as an opportunity to PEE IN YOUR FACE). Not having to wash a million changing pad covers has been so nice.
  9. Graco SnugRider Car Seat Stroller I am dreading the day when Ezra grows out his infant car seat and we have to deal with a real stroller. This is so, so much easier.
  10. JJ Cole Bundle Me Lite : This was the perfect weight for taking walking in our chilly-but-not-too-cold Alameda weather, and a million times better than trying to keep blankets covering Fidget McFidgetyPants here.