Summer TV has me more excited than a bird with a french fry!

After my recent mourning period for favorite tv shows that have been cancelled, I had considered quiting television altogether for the summer. Until, like an ex-boyfriend you just keep going back to, tv reminded me why we have such a long love affair and enticed be to return to its embrace...

Weeds returned June 9th!

And oh, ohhhh how I love a good vamp story. (Thanks Steve for turning me on to this show! My life is now complete.)

True Blood returns for its sophomore season THIS SUNDAY!! (insert excited school girl squeel here!)

I must agree...

http://www.wkbt.com/global/story.asp?s=10507002

It's not too shabby to live here! I often say that the more I travel and see the world, the happier I am to call La Crosse home. Between the bluffs and the rivers and uh, 3rd street!, this town is a pretty nice place to call home. :)

Patio Sneak Preview!

One weekend, some bonus money to pay for it, and working in a slight rain = a place for T&T to spend the summer! On our new patio!

The rundown on our new outdoor oasis is coming soon...

Confession.

I love "chick" music.

It drives Tim crazy, until he admits he really likes these chicks too! :P

I definitely lean towards the british or accented chick. Also the vintage chick look too I suppose. But just love these songs, and the different feelings or attitudes they evoke. Sure, some of it may be a season or two old, but so what. I'm in Wisconsin. You can't expect me to be totally in keep with what's current!

So if you got a minute or twenty to waste on the internet right now, then check out my current faves of rockin' women with these musical links.

• Feist "1234" LOVE. this video. It's like, how I usually feel on the inside, visually. I know that sounds strange, but just watch it and then just try and tell me it doesn't make you feel all chipper on the inside! "My Moon My Man". I had this song stuck in my head for a week! Was a nice week though...mellow sexy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWrNCCx2p5U Or try the remix if you wanna rock it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xvbsGRe27Y


• Kate Nash LOVE me some Kate Nash. "Foundations" "Merry Happy" "Nicest Thing" "Birds"


• Duffy "Mercy"


• Katy Perry "Thinking of You" really, who doesn't like Katy Perry right now? "U R So Gay" is um, a good song when you're feeling irritated..


• A Fine Frenzy "Almost Lover" (there's an official video. But I way like the old school one better..)
• Lilly Allen "Not Fair" "The Fear" "Smile" "Shame for You"


• Jem " Wish I" "They" "Come On Closer"


• Ingrid Michaelson "Be Ok" "They Way I Am"


• Meiko "Under My Bed" "Reasons to Love You" "Boys with Girlfriends"


• Katie Todd "Claustrophobe" "Leave"


• Regina Spektor "Hotel Song" "Fidelity"
• Lenka "Trouble is a Friend"

By the way, if you're not using Pandora Radio yet. You are missing out. Seriously. http://www.pandora.com/ If you like much of this music, just make Kate Nash a station and you'll get these chicks and more!

And um.. okay, these aren't chicks. But they are guys I'm digging, in this kinda sound/genre.

• The Kooks "She Moves in Her Own Way"
• Plain White T's "1234"
• Nizlopi "JCB Song" We first heard this years ago in Europe, and it still brings a nostalgic catch to my throat..

So, your turn. Who are you listening to right now?

Tazo ZEN Green Tea

Is my most favorite new thing!

With all the recent news and studies about the benefits of drinking green tea daily, due to all its anti-oxidants and polyphenols and much, much more. I've been tring different brands but haven't been very pleased with the flavor of any of them. Then Health Nut Wannabee Mom suggested her favorite brand and I was HOOKED!

On the right you can see my favorite summertime method of getting in the green stuff - cold brewing. I put two tea bags in cold filtered water in my giant work waterbottle and leave it in the fridge overnight. Next day? Perfect, cold, crisp, healthy, delicious ZEN tea!

I'm drinking easily one of these a day and might move to two, though I should probably expand and try some black teas or other blends. But right now, the Zen blend (with green tea, lemon verbena, spearmint and lemongrass) has me hooked! If you have other favorites though, I'll be happy to take your suggestions! :)

And save those used tea bags too! I'm chilling mine in the fridge to use morning and night as a natural skin toner after cleaning my skin. Since I'm going through 2 bags a day, it works out great! It's good for acne, and the tannins in it act as a natural astringent to tighten and cleanse pores. Or if last night was a long one, put them cold on your eyes for 10-15 minutes. Bliss.

I could cite all the benefits about drinking green tea daily, but why do that when I can get linky?

http://www.greenteabenefits.info/
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050126/green-tea-fights-fat
(Matter of fact, just go ahead and search "green tea" on WebMD. That should keep you busy for a while! )

Look who we spotted yesterday morning, on a jaunt through our neighborhood.. A little red fox!

One of the fun things about living near the end of an island is small encounters with wildlife. Earlier this spring we had a mother fox and 5 or 6 kits right across the street from us, living in the woods. We could watch them daily out playing on a sunny berm (raise of dirt), and it gave us a TON of joy. Then they quietly disappeared for some time until we saw this dirty little guy running alongside our car! The mother fox was always very clean and very red and fluffy looking. This little guy was kind of dirty and maybe skinny. Could be he's one of the kits more grown? Who knows. But it sure was fun spotting him!

Memorial Day Birthday Fun

Over the holiday weekend, we headed to Chicago to celebrate our nephews' combined birthdays.

Spence is turning ONE.
And Pablo is turning THREE.
And I may be just a bit biased when I say, my nephews are ADORABLE. But really, don't you agree?

Happy Birthdays Boys!!

Kelida got to come along for the visit as well, and even though she is often a bit skittish around children, it did not take her long at all to figure out where to hang around for snacks!



And here's a little photo that just makes my heart MELT:Is it weird that I find Tim incredibly HOT when he plays so sweetly with his godsons?

For even more family fun photos from this weekend, you can visit sis-in-law Hoolie's blog: http://adventureswithjulie.blogspot.com/2009/05/celebrate-good-times.html

Or if you have nothing better to do, spend a moment watching the fam watch the boys open presents (totally riveting, i swear):

Happy 2 year Wedding Anniversary...

to the man with the best heart, humor (and butt!) I know.

Love you my husband.