Working Mama Weekend

I'm on the cusp of a working mama weekend.  Today is unfortunately not my Friday off, and Sunday night I'll be in the office at the summit of a project that has been months in the making. 

So I'm thinking today about what I can do in advance to keep from being off my game too much Monday morning and also limit the impact of my working odd hours on my little family.  I took care of grocery shopping last night because we have family coming in to spend tonight and tomorrow with us.  (No fancy cooking involved.  In fact, they are taking us out for supper.  Yay.)  We also have the church Easter egg hunt Saturday morning, so really just Saturday afternoon is available to put my household back together for the next week.

That is life these days--always planning for the next week.  Some day perhaps I'll do that mythical "live in the moment" thing that people speak of, but usually that just stresses me out.  I need a plan.  Without one, we eat Chick Fil A every night (at the dinner table though, because that's how we/I roll), the baby ends up wearing the same socks two days in a row (the shame), and the husband is asking "should I not drink the last of this milk?" And of course, if I let any of those things happen, I'm totally judging myself. I mean, as if Jack and Mr. G would complain about CFA every night (and they put milk with the kid's meal.)

I just don't like settling for less than my best.

What about you?  Do you let the laundry pile up and do it all at once or is it caught up throughout the week?  Are you a meticulous menu planner?  (If so, will you send me a menu and a grocery list? Or better yet, cook it for me?) Or are you in the grocery store every other day picking up the two ingredients you forgot the day before?

My heart, on display in a high chair.

What to Expect When You're Expecting doesn't prepare you for that moment you realize
your heart is sitting in a high chair eating sweet potato fries and chicken nuggets.

What a blessing to be his mother.

Before there was Pinterest...

...there was my aunt Sheri.

My Easter basket from childhood.
Posting about Jack's Easter basket yesterday reminded me of pulling out my Easter decorations. (I've been slacking. I may or may not have just pulled the Valentine's Day sign off of my front door 10 minutes before I had neighbors over for supper last week. But hey, I had people over for supper and my house was clean. Bonus points.) The above picture is my Easter basket that I hunted eggs with throughout my childhood some 20+ years ago. My aunt made it, and it's so special to me. And also, I think it's incredibly adorable.

Thank you and Kendra Scott Winner!

First of all, thank you all for reading! It's nice to be reminded that my posts
don't just go out into the big abyss that is the Internet sometimes.


Tiffany (comment #43) was the big winner!

I've contacted her and will have those sassy new earrings on their way directly.

Thank you for entering the giveaway!

Gearing Up for Easter

Last change to enter my Kendra Scott giveaway!
I'll be drawing after 5 PM today!

Click here to enter!

We are Christ-followers, so the meaning of Easter to us is celebrating Christ's glorious resurrection from the dead. That being said, we are excited about our little guy experiencing some of the little silly/fun traditions of the holiday. In particular, our church is sponsoring an Easter egg hunt (divided by ages), so I've been teaching Jack how to put eggs in his Easter basket.

This is no small feat, as his favorite activity is to empty any container as quickly as possible. Toy basket? Dump it. Block bucket? Dump it. So teaching him to place the eggs in has been full of cheers and claps upon success. One can only imagine the pep rally that will ensue at potty training, based on this scene.

This weekend I was out shopping (ending up purchasing only things for the boy--nothing for me. How does this happen?) and came across this darling shirt at Carter's. And, randomly, it happens to match his Easter basket. And, shockingly, his dad liked it. With a little more practice, he'll be ready to hunt eggs.

Rest assured, his basket reads Jack, not Joey.

Kendra Scott Giveaway on Monday and The Hunger Games

It's not too late to enter my Kendra Scott giveaway!
I'll be drawing after 5 PM on Monday.

Click here to enter!

I am so tired today I can barely think straight, but there I was last night watching the premiere of The Hunger Games until 3 AM. I had a work meeting at 8:30 this morning, but I'm home now and enjoying my off Friday. The little man and I are about to negotiate his afternoon nap, at which point we both will go to sleep because, memo to self, I'm not as young as I used to be.

I've been to several movie premiere nights. Seeing super fans so excited about a movie lends an additional layer of excitement to the event. I know it's not for everyone, but if you've never done it, you should try it at least once. People dress up and are very creative--it's quite a show.

I hope you have a lovely weekend! If you need me, I'll be trying that whole "sleep when the baby sleeps" business.

Reading Rainbow

Don't forget about my my Kendra Scott giveaway!
You could snag a beautiful pair of turquoise earrings!

Click here to enter!

Both of the books below are some easy reads I've grabbed in the past couple of weeks. It's vacation season, and both of these would be a great addition to your hand luggage or beach bag.


The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark is My Fair Lady set in the 2010s. It's about a nobody who is approached by a wealthy gentleman to turn into a socialite. It's all about what "socialite" means in these days (being photographed in the papers, getting corporate contracts to promote the socialite's "brand") versus what it was back when being a socialite simply meant being a (wealthy) patron of different the charities and causes circuit.

This is the kinda of Cinderella stuff Lifetime or ABC Family movies are made of. It was a quick read--total marshmallow fluff--and completely predictable, just like I like it.


Now Divergent. What can I say about Divergent? Well, for one I liked it much better than The Hunger Games. Infinitely better. It's the same kind of dystopian young adult fiction as THG, but I liked the characters more and felt that the plot was better developed.

The easiest way to explain it is straight from the author's blog. That's right, Veronica Roth is a blogger too!

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris, and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together, they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes-fascinating, sometimes-exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret: one she’s kept hidden from everyone, because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.

My first reaction to Twilight was to read it again. That is the same urge I had with this one. Divergent is the first in a trilogy, so you have over a month before the second book, Insurgent, comes out May 1. I can't wait.

Happy reading, friends!

Kendra Scott Giveaway! My 500th Post.

Today I am celebrating 500 posts on this little blog! I thought what would be more fun than giving away something from one of my favorite jewelry designers, Kendra Scott?

Kendra is a fellow Texas gal, from right down the road a few miles from me in Austin. She has stores in Austin, Beverly Hills, and my daily stomping ground, Dallas! A few weeks ago I popped in for a sidewalk sale and found these gorgeous earrings. I bought two pairs for my gift closet, but by the time I got home, I had talked myself into keeping one and giving these away on the blog. Aww, poor gift closet.

For scale.
If you've ever been in her store, you know it's like a ladies' candy land. I think I have a pair of Kendra Scott earrings for every color scheme in my closet, simply because I can't walk out of her store without something. And no lie, at Christmastime, I ordered a necklace for a family member, then ended up ordering a second one for myself. It was turquoise, and it goes with everything!

To enter the giveaway:

• For one entry, leave a comment with your e-mail address to say hello! (Hello to you!)
• For a second entry, follow Being Mrs. Gentry on Google Friend Connect (the follow button is on the right side,) then leave a second comment saying you did.

I will select one winner on Monday, March 26 using the random number generator. Yay!

If you're the winner, I will send you these beautiful earrings, and I dare say they will go with nearly every outfit in your closet.

(Kendra Scott is in no way affiliated with this giveaway. I purchased these on my own as a gift to one lucky reader!)

Food Truck Foodies

In honor of my 500th post, this Wednesday I'm hosting a great
giveaway that you won't want to miss! In particular, it features one of
my favorite things--accessories!

Back in the fall, our fair city opened its very own Food Park for all the gourmet food trucks around the city to gather. From Thursday to Sunday, there are anywhere from 4-8 food trucks parked from lunch to late night. Among others while we were there recently were the Red Jett cupcake truck and Jake's Hamburgers. In the pic below, those to die for sweet potato fries were accompanied by a lick-the-container-it's-that-good marshmallow sauce.

I repeat: MARSHMALLOW SAUCE.

At our table we had 3 separate orders of those fries. No one wanted to share.

It was a gorgeous evening and so much fun with our friends. I can see us spending tons of time out there--there is something for every taste.

I Was With The Band @ SXSW

In honor of my 500th post, this Wednesday I'm hosting a great
giveaway that you won't want to miss! In particular, it features one of
my favorite things--accessories!
Last week was so far out of our normal schedule that I don't even know where to begin to get us back on track this week. My mom was in town from Sunday until Thursday keeping Jack on her spring break. It was especially a huge blessing for her to be here since he ran fever until Wednesday. Wednesday! Fever, how dare you!

Mom was supposed to leave Thursday to go home and load up with my dad to go watch one of my brother's shows at SXSW in Austin. Well, my dad had the flu. Very sad. Here is where I cut to the chase and tell you that I took Friday off, and my mom and I went to Austin for SXSW, leaving the baby with my Aunt on Friday. (Thank you, Aunt Sheri!)

I haven't talked about my brother's band here in a while, but hold on to your electronic device because I am about to brag ALL over this page. I'm so proud I could just burst. Seriously. I never know how much I can share, but I guess if they have announced in on their FB page, then it's free for distribution right here on Being Mrs. Gentry.


My brother plays bass in a band called Sundress. They've signed with a wonderful management company. (Ever heard of Nirvana? The Beastie Boys? They managed them.) Sundress toured the East Coast in the fall, the West Coast in January, and seriously, they are coming your way in the future, as they just signed with a big time booking agency.

Last week they played a couple of official showcases and unofficial shows at SXSW and were chosen to record at Converse Rubber Tracks which is this cool pop up recording studio that visits all the different music festivals. They will get their track, and Converse will feature it on their site. My understanding is that free studio time is like gold. My mom and I got a quick tour and as we walked in, they were mixing (I guess? what do I know about this? nothing!) my brother's bass line. I was like, "Is that you??!?" He laughed. (It was.)

Being with the band on this particular day resulted in some free new chuck taylors for a certain Mrs. Gentry.

If you are looking for me, I will be with the band from now on.

In addition to all this braggety bragness on my brother (oh alliteration, I love thee), we also saw one of their shows, and caught the Kate Spade pop-up shop/bus which was parked out in front of The Hard Rock Cafe in Austin. Kate Spade sponsored a nationwide talent contest to select a girl band to open for the Vivian Girls at the major music festivals throughout the US. We shopped through the bus, and I decided that I needed that "Eat Cake for Breakfast" shirt. Need.

The day was such a blast!

Curls for Flat Haired Girls.

Back before Thanksgiving I started attempting some of those beautiful loose curls in my hair. There are a million different YouTube how-to vids, and even hairstyling challenged little 'ol me was able to figure it out. But my problem was my flat, fine hair just wouldn't hold the curl for long.

I was pleasantly surprised then, when a pre-Christmas party blowout with my hairstylist left me with curls that lasted for 2 (maybe three) days with only minor touch ups needed around my face from sleeping.

The difference? Her curling iron.

The next week I ordered this 1-inch Hot Tools marcel curling iron from Folica.com. Why do I think this works better than my plain old Conair? The weight of the metal barrel is heavier, I control the amount of pressure applied and how tight I am pulling the curl, plus it heats up much, MUCH hotter.

A marcel curling iron takes some getting used to. It doesn't have a spring to hold the hair clip in place, so you don't push it down to open it up. You have to use the long handle and your hand to open it. Also, the handle swivels so you can rotate the curl single-handed.

I don't think I'm explaining the mechanics of this very well, so below is a tutorial on how to use the marcel. I probably would recommend you watch a tutorial as a precaution for burning yourself. (Take my word on this one.)

Incidentally, Folica.com is offering a discount through Sunday for St. Patrick's Day if you click on over there.


I've been reviewing things I recommend to my friends here for a long time. Click here to read through my previous recommendations, friend!

Spring/Summer Staple: The Maxi Skirt

Well, it's sunny and nearly 80 degrees in Texas today. Not at all shocking, but it has me in the mood to shop, shop, shop.

{Now that I think about it, rain, cold, sleet, and 100+ degree weather affects me the same way, but we don't need to discuss that today.}

Last year during this time, I was 3 weeks post-partum and the last thing I wanted to do was buy clothes. New yoga pants worked just fine, thank you very much. But this year, oh it is a different story indeed. It has been two years since I last wore my spring clothes, and of course, I don't like any of them.

*cue husband groans*

I have maxi skirts on the brain. Let us not discuss that I am 5'2" and probably look incredibly short and dumpy in them. They are comfortable and at least one step up from yoga pants, yes?

The powerhouse maxi skirt in my wardrobe is one that I bought back while I still didn't fit into it, that beautiful pink, Anthropologie Lengthening Rays skirt as seen on the gorgeous Erika Powell from Urban Grace Interiors. Believe it or not, I bought it about a week before she posted that--the last one, on sale, in a size too small. Her pic inspired me to fit into it and quickly. It's the happiest shade of pink, and I ♥ it. And of course, it's made for a Kendra Scott turquoise necklace. And also, it now fits.

So this year, I'm determined to find a comfy maxi skirt. I think it will transition well from my casual dress office during the day to pushing tiny trucks and tractors with the wee little man in the evenings. Below are a few I'm considering, with a dress thrown in for good measure. I have stripes on the brain. It goes without saying that any one I pick will have to be shortened if I have any intention of wearing flats.

Do you have any spring essentials on your list?

Under the Weather

The smiling patient
This has been such a sad weekend with my little pumpkin under the weather. I don't think I've laid around this much since I was in high school, and I'm convinced that Friday night was worse than any newborn sleepless night we had. The poor gentleman ran a low grade fever and developed an extra terrible cough. It's so pitiful to see his poor little feverish eyes. I hear this is going around, and I'm convinced that I'm next.

Thankfully, Sugar is here to play with us on her spring break!

How Does She Do It?

So last night I had grand plans to write about a sweet thank you note where the writer remarked that she didn't know how I managed to do it all. You will note that there is no post on this topic last night. And that is exactly how I manage to do it all.

I don't do it all--at all.

Tuesday afternoon, Jack and I made a flying trip to my hometown (me to the dentist, him to see his grandparents.) After all the rushing around we'd done that day (I worked half the day, intercepted the kid, drove "home," then back to Fort Worth) my husband and my home needed my attention.

So sometimes other things get the shaft. I believe that's called prioritizing? I don't feel guilty about saying no. I pick and choose the things that are most important to me. Those are the things that get the very best of me. (In particular, the writer of the aforementioned thank you is incredibly important to me.)

We all have things that we'd love to do or participate in. For crying out loud, I got a gift card for a pedicure for Christmas, and I just finally made time to use it last weekend. But during this stage of life, sacrifice is the name of the game, and joyfully, I'll do it to preserve our precious family time.

Playing at my office Tuesday

Dear Francine Pascal

Dear Francine Pascal:

I recently read your latest chronicle of some of my favorite fictional characters as a young girl. I can't decide if you deserve a shame on you or a well done, you. So for the purposes of this letter, I will give you both.

Shame on you for taking the bloom off of the rose of my opinion of some of my favorite Sweet Valley peeps, for introducing them as potty-mouthed, lying, cheating, backstabbing, soap-operatic style shades of themselves. Not even Elizabeth was spared from your black-eyed pen!

Well done, you, for redeeming some of the most heinous of the SVHS villains and giving me closure to the series that, quite honestly, I hadn't thought about in years until I saw the cover on Amazon. As much as I was disappointed with the main conflict in the book, you wrapped it up in a way that I could live with. That is to be commended since I nearly threw it at the wall when I realized who and what the conflict was about.

Thanks for the memories, and the board game.

Regards,
Mrs. Gentry

Weekending.

Baby's First BBQ
Friday was Texas's 176th Independence Day. A "desperately needing to hit the open road" moment (hence my Friday Fave) combined with a "we have no plans--hallelujah" moment found us in a small town to eat some good Texas BBQ to celebrate. This restaurant has expanded into the DFW area, but of course, the original is always the best.

Saturday, I awoke at 6:45 and couldn't go back to sleep. Such a shame. I spent the morning catching up on laundry, then loaded up the little man for a trip to the mall (baby's first mall chocolate chip cookie, yum) and some grocery shopping. It really was a great weekend of tying up some loose ends. All my special care laundry got washed and put away, plus little piles of things that have been stacking up were dealt with. And uhh, there might have been a giant pile in the bottom of my closet that a toddler could get lost in. No more.

Today was church and a great big nap and getting ready for a short week!

Friday Favorite: On the Beach.

Us, in 2009, on a deliciously lazy trip down the Florida Keys.
Pardon my little trip down memory lane today. Spring break is approaching, and I have a bit of the wanderlust. I'd hardly say I'm beach ready even a year post-baby, but I honestly wouldn't care on a deserted beach like the one we were on the day that picture was taken. In particular, we had absolutely no agenda, no planned stops, not even researched restaurants, and I believe I even deleted my work e-mail from my phone as a big exclamation point to the word "relaxation!"

How I would love to be there today. With my husband. And our baby. I think I just lowered my blood pressure by considering it.

So tell me, if you could re-live one vacation that you've been on, which one would it be and why?

Leap Day

I kept hearing people refer to Leap Day as an extra day. I understand the concept, but if it's not a day off work, it's not an extra day to me. So my Wednesday was just another day.

A day to load up in the wagon after getting home from work.

A day to swing.

A day to cheese for the camera!

A day to tuck a squeaky clean little boy into bed to be ready for his one year doctor appointment today.

So today may not have been an "extra" day, but it was a very good day, indeed.