Home from the Holidays

The holidays in Missouri were great, and it was good to see family and friends.  It's always nice to come home, although I'm still not quite used to calling Wisconsin my home.  The snow has melted some, and it's a little warmer here, but still very windy.

We had some crazy weather in Kansas City over the weekend.  Sixty-eight degrees on Friday, followed by crazy thunderstorms in the early a.m. with snow by the Saturday evening.  I think the saying is, "If you don't like the weather in Missouri, wait five minutes."

The countdown to the wedding is on!  I've been busy this afternoon looking up the "flat-belly" diet, and I'm going to mix up a recipe of the "Sassy Water" this afternoon to have tomorrow and the rest of the week.  It's supposed to be some miracle elixir to help eliminate water weight.  This is the recipe I found:  

2L of H2O

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

1 medium lemon, thinly sliced

12 small spearmint leaves

Let sit overnight, strain out all the stuff, and drink the entire 2L in one day.  

I think I'll give it a shot.  

As for the swimsuit, I chickened out on the bikini, even though I'm in the best shape I've been in for a couple of years.  I needed strapless, and all of the bikinis had straps, plus, there's just something about your belly hanging out over 40.  Maybe it's my mother in my ear, but the tankini is going to have to do.  I got it at Everything But Water.  Not cheap, but hard to find a deal on a swimsuit in December in Wisconsin.  

I had the opportunity to shop a little in Kansas City, but unfortunately didn't get out of the cosmetics department at Nordstrom before I had spent my allotment for the day.  If there is such a thing, I'm a product whore!  I love makeup, lotions, potions and anything "new & improved!"  I went in for a few Laura Mercier staples, such as the foundation primer, tinted moisturizer, and a new lipstick, and came out with a couple of new brushes, and a whole new look.  It might be a tad dramatic for the wedding, but is great for a night out.  The new Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer is great to mix with the regular tinted moisturizer.  I think sometimes when you're feeling a little "schlumpadinka", it helps to make yourself up, even if you're not really going anywhere.  Like my mother always says, "Everyone looks better with a little lipstick."

I forgot to mention my other shopping treat in Kansas City!  Pryde's in Westport has to be my favorite store in the world.  They call themselves "the hardware store for cooks," and it's better than any Home Depot, let me tell you that!  I love going in and catching up with Louise Myers, the owner.  She's one of those people that always makes you feel like a million bucks, and no matter how busy she is, always takes time to make sure you have what you need (or want, in my case).  Pryde's has the best selection of Fiesta Ware in the City, and probably the state.  Perhaps the entire Midwest.  My mood completely changes when I enter the store, and my sweetie was amazed with the rush I was experiencing just being in the store!  We left with a few things, but the biggest was the Chocolate place setting of Fiesta.  That was in addition to the two place settings my mom got us for Christmas!  We hauled them all home on the plane, too.  

It seems if I'm not eating, I'm thinking about what I'm going to eat, and now it's time to start prepping dinner.  Off to the market for a few staples, then I will put the rotisserie chicken to good use in a main dish salad.  One weeks 'til swimsuit!