How do you do it?

How do you balance work and life and self and all of the bullshit in between?

This week I was a big fat failure in the balance department. I got flooded with freelance (which is awesome) and I ended up on some sort of bizarre hamster wheel ride that felt like I was simultaneously sprinting and getting nowhere all at once. And let me tell you, I don’t sprint. I worked my little (ok, shrinking) ass off and still managed to feel like an utter failure.

It’s tiiiiiime!

We’ve spent the last month reading This Is Where I Leave You and now we can finally discuss it in its entirety without the fear of ruining it for someone else in the group (that said, if you haven’t read it, do so immediately and then come back and tell us what you thought).

WHERE DO I EVEN START?!

I guess I should begin by saying that I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. I expected it to make me feel uncomfortable (oddly, it did not) and maybe a little sad. I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did and to fall in love with the characters. But it hooked me from the very first sentence, when I was already saying These are some delightfully messed up people.

Is it just me or did this month go by really fast? I can’t believe it’s time to pick another book already.

So far, our little Paperback Posse has been pretty fabulous. As of right now, we have a group of 20+ funny, opinionated ladies who aren’t afraid to speak their minds. It has been a lot of fun to hear everyone’s reaction to this month’s book, This Is Where I Leave You. We’re also planning a group outing to the movie in early October for any local posse members. 😉

If you’re interested in joining (or you want to check it out a little and decide later), just let me know! I can add you to the private Facebook group we hang out in and you can always leave the group if you hate it. We’re incredibly laid back and are all in agreement that this should be something that’s fun, not something that’s a chore. I think we’re succeeding so far.

OK. I’ll shut up now and give you the rundown on this month’s choices…

Treat Yo Self is a series that focuses on inexpensive indulgences that make you feel good without feeling guilty. Because when momma’s not happy, nobody is happy.

Guys, I have a problem when it comes to peanut butter cups. I think I always have. In college, my best friend and I were more than a little obsessed. We even started calling them lard cups, for some reason that escapes me at the moment. The point is, we were so close to peanut butter cups that we had a nickname for them.

Fast forward ten years. My metabolism is slower and child bearing has made hips that were already wide even wider. There is a pooch. There is a spare tire. I am working on these things, but I’ve realized there are some things I cannot deny myself. Chocolate is most definitely one of them. Cutting it off of my Can Eat list only makes me want it more and makes me binge harder when I inevitably slip up.

That said, I’ve found a few ways to make myself happy in the chocolate department in a healthier way. One of those ways is by making myself some bomb ass homemade peanut butter cups.

(Unrelated note: I almost edited the phrase bomb ass out since it’s not something I say regularly in conversation. Only these peanut butter cups are so good they deserve ridiculous emphasis. Also, if my husband happens to read this post that phrase will make him cringe. That means it stays.)

Graphic tees with messages on them have slowly been picking up steam for a while now. From Zoe Karssen’s $160 Crème de la Crème sweatshirt (no, that’s totally not a typo. A sweatshirt that costs almost as much as my car payment) to Forever 21’s $14 Forever 21, they’re pretty much everywhere.

Some of them are obnoxious. Some of them I couldn’t possibly wear in front of my children (well, at least the one who can read). Some of them are blatant rip offs of earlier (usually better) versions.

Still, I’m kind of obsessed. The best part is that they’re being styled in so many different ways. Of course these guys would look good with jeans or a pair of cut offs, but they also look pretty awesome tucked into a flowy skirt or peeking out underneath a blazer and some dress pants.

Obviously not all of them work for everyone. You have to find one that speaks to you—ha! Get it?!

OK, I’ll be quiet now.

I decided to spend waaaaay too much time poking around handmade corners of the internet and picking out some of my very favorite talking t-shirts. For some reason most of them are gray. But you know what? I’m totally cool with that.

Enjoy!