Enumerated Update

Happy Monday, friends!  How was your weekend?

Here's where we are on this late summer Monday: 

1) Birthdays: Shockingly, the duo's birthdays are right around the corner.  Although some ideas were loosely bandied about when we were planning George's party, we have made no plans whatsoever.  Make note: Commence birthday planning ASAP. 

2) Bling: Something I haven't mentioned previously is my unbridled adoration of Sofia Coppola. I like all of her projects, and Lost in Translation would make my list of top five movies - ever.  I have read all about The Bling Ring and am aware of its lukewarm reviews.  This is the week I will carve out time to watch Bling...

also... The Great Gatsby (finally)...

and possibly Before Midnight.

Watching three movies in the span of a week is ambitious, but I am least crossing one off my list.

3)  Buzz: This is actually an oldie, but since it seems to have staying power, it bears repeating:  "big ask" which is defined as: something you ask someone to do that will be difficult for them to deliver.  In other words, when asking something of someone that stretches the bounds of likelihood.  I especially like when the expression is used preemptively, to brace the party for the question to come. 

Example:  Now this is a big ask.... but is there any way you can watch all three of my children this weekend? 

4) Menu: Lately we have redoubled our efforts to menu plan and have a balanced, mostly nutritional meal for dinner. Before you think I'm tooting my own horn here, you should know that I set this goal last fall, and we are just now implementing our plan, you know, a year later... but whatever.  The point is we are really trying, and I sat down at the end of August and planned our menu for the entire month of September.  Since my strategy is usually to wait until everyone drifts into the kitchen at dinner time before pondering the what's-for-dinner question, this is a HUGE accomplishment.

After writing out the menu, I made a comprehensive grocery list and procured the ingredients for a month of dinners.  What I have learned is that if one plans dinner, has ingredients on hand and takes that final step of preparing the meal, dinner is effectively handled.  Voila!  Who knew?

Taking this to another level, I (surprisingly) had the forethought to incorporate meals prepared in the slow cooker on nights with extracurricular activities or obligations.  It's MAGICAL, I tell you! 

5) Fashion Week: I know absolutely nothing about fashion week except for what I have gleaned from The Rachel Zoe Project and all of the blogs devoted to tracking Anna Dello Russo's every move.  From reading a blog or two over the weekend, I am astounded by the stamina and willpower to produce 2-4 posts each day devoted to various fashion shows.  I would need a few weeks in my pajamas to recover.

6) A&M: The opportunity for vindication is this Saturday.  Our mental status leading up to the Tide's rematch against Johnny Football will likely be detailed in a later post.  Or I may go completely quiet so as not to anger the football gods and jeopardize Saturday's rematch.

And that's it for us.  What is happening with you?