Kitty Deschanel

Christmas is almost here, which means you have to give your mom a present...and your sister(s) and your sister(s)-in-law and your friends and your employees.  Need some gift ideas? These ideas are all kick-@ss.  In honor of the holiday, there's no actual swearing here, as my mom would surely not approve. Everyone seems to have a recommendation for the *perfect* gift.  Many ideas are 100% terrible . A $45 votive candle holder? Oh, thank you so much. I'll put it in the box with the rest of my candle holders. Now, where is it? Ah yes, the back of the closet in the spare bedroom, underneath these boxes. Lemme just blow the dust off it real quick. And, yes, I did put a lot of thought into the sarcastic votive candle holder example above. To my recollection, no one has gifted one of these to me. If you did give me a votive candle holder, I'm not talking about that one. I  love  that votive candle holder. Anyway, my holiday gift ideas only feature items that I have and enjoy in re

I received my second COVID vaccine on January 25th. It went much better than my first dose . ( Read all about it here. ) In New Mexico, we were randomly assigned a vaccination site with no input on which brand vaccine we were receiving. After being vaccinated the first time, it was revealed that I'd received the Pfizer.  It's not a big deal - I'd happily sign up for either brand just to get closer to a post-COVID world. (Come to think of it, that's exactly what I did.) Still, it seems I lucked out by receiving the Pfizer.  Moderna VS Pfizer This is just anecdotal evidence, so feel free to roll your eyes at me, but everyone I know who received the Pfizer vaccine has been perfectly fine after both doses and everyone I know who received the Moderna vaccine has gotten sick after one of the doses.  It's merely anecdotal...except I'm in the healthcare field, so I'm basing this on lots of people, including dentists and pharmacists. I follow a professional message b

A disclaimer from Sexy Nerd: He would never say anything like this!

COVID Vaccine Tips Drink lots of water before and after your vaccine. Be sure to eat something before your vaccine, especially if you are nervous. Wear a sleeveless or short-sleeve shirt. Don't tense up - shake your arm loose and try to relax prior to the injection. Don't take an Ibuprofen prior to your vaccine. (I did because I'm a wimp, then read that it can make your vaccination less effective. Oops.) Decide ahead of time which arm you would like to have vaccinated. Do you sleep on your left arm? It's going to be a little sore afterward. Try to schedule your vaccine for later in the day so that you can just go home afterward instead of returning to work. I was tired. Exercise your arm after receiving your vaccine. 5 days ago, I received my first COVID vaccination. The experience went well, although it was also a little...traumatic? Just a little! I registered to be vaccinated through the State of New Mexico . (Be sure to register for the COVID vaccine , if you haven&

I have an absurd story from New Year's Eve . Of course I do. SN and I usually spend the evening at home, old fuddy duddys that we are, but we couldn't resist the special New Year's Eve dinner being offered at one of our favorite restaurants, Slate Street Cafe . It featured 5 courses, including Saffron & Sea Scallop Risotto, Duck & Porcini Ravioli, and a Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chop, all with wine pairings. It sounded like a fun time and an excellent excuse to dress up. This vintage red dress makes my inner Rockette happy. It is the most sparkly thing I've ever owned in my life - perfect for New Year's Eve. The dress was a gift from my boss. Isn't she the best? Also, my photographer loooves to take photos at an angle like this, despite my repeated pleas not to. With moments to spare before leaving the house, we took photos in this corner of the living room because it was the only tidy place. Just ignore the clutter visible through the gl

Happy new year! I have a special present to thank you for reading my blog - free printable calendar pages . Aren't they pretty? You can save these to fill in online or download them to print.  Free printable calendar page 1 of 16 - see below for an entire year's worth of free templates, plus 4 bonus months But wait, there's more! (I hope you read that in your best infomercial voice.) There are a lot of people with a negative attitude toward New Year's resolutions. "Stop trying to make 'New Year, New You' happen," they say. "No one ever sticks to their resolutions anyway." I am the rare person who enjoys setting these goals. You clicked a link for blank calendar templates, so I'm guessing you and I are not so different. Even better, I have tips that work wonderfully for actually sticking to your New Year's resolutions (and these free calendar pages are part of the plan): Set tiny goals. Do you buy multivitamins but often forget to take