“Mom, You Smell Good!”

That sounds nice, right? Sweet, right?

Well, it does sound nice. And it does sound sweet.

But, unfortunately, it was not.

It ended up not being true.

Let me backtrack.

I was making sloppy joes for dinner. I had wanted to make my Sloppy Joe Pie, but time only allotted for the making of sloppy joes.

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I was browning my meat. I was humming. I was drinking my Kung Fu Girl wine. I decided, Hmmmm, maybe someone would like to see how I make my sloppy joes. My husband is smirking at my secret thoughts right now. I added my dashes of worcestershire sauce and garlic powder to my meat. And I took a picture.

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Oh, yes! This is lookin’ good, thought my Kung Fu brain.

I took another picture.

Which turned out fine.

But what you cannot see.

What you are not seeing, is me dumping the whole sloppy joe packet down the front of my pajamas (don’t tell me you don’t cook in your pajamas, my heart could not bear it. Actually, I was wearing these pajamas).

It landed all over the floor.

Of course, I thought.

Of course. I am making Sloppy Joes. How could I make them and not be sloppy?

I couldn’t.

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My husband sweetly vacuumed up my mess while I finished dinner. Here is a tip: I add a quarter cup of ketchup to my sloppy joe mixture, in addition to the tomato paste the packet calls for (and yes, I had to open up a new packet. Because my other one was consumed in equal parts by the floor and the vacuum).

We ate dinner. I forgot about my mishap. Moved along. Took pictures of my fancy food.

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Later, I laid down in our bed to read my husband and my son a bit of “The Magician’s Elephant” (review coming soon. Spoiler: I give it a ten out of ten).

My son cuddled up next to me.

“Mom. You smell good!”

My heart melted.

“I do?” I thought about what it could be. Could it be my deodorant or my IF perfume? I had worn both forever. I was surprised it had taken him this long to comment on liking them.

“What do I smell like?”

He thought. Then he sniffed loudly.

“Garlic bread!” He proclaimed.

“Whhhhhaaaaaatttttt?” I unhappily asked.

He tried to make me feel better. “I love garlic bread!” He assured me.

This was still not what I wanted to hear.

I sniffed my shirt where he had been laying. It did smell like garlic.

I looked inside the pocket. And I gasped. Inside the pocket of my top was half of the sloppy joe packet I had dropped earlier.

I guess my shirt was hungrier than the floor and the vacuum.

I quickly went into the laundry room and changed. But I could not help reflecting on the fact that making sloppy joes had turned out to be messier than I had thought it would be.

I was downright sloppy.

Wait for it.

I was a Sloppy Jenni.

But it was okay.

Little boys are crazy for the stuff.

And I can think of a lot worse things than smelling like garlic bread.

But not much.

P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day! Today I am wearing a bright pink caftan that I bought on sale. It makes me feel ultra feminine and romantic. What are you wearing today? Doing today? We are going out to lunch as a couple and then I am making homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner with the family.

I hope your day is sweet!

And that you don’t smell like garlic. Or sloppy joes! Or worse, Sloppy Jenni!

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P.S. I shared this on Savvy Southern Style.

And My Romantic Home.

16 thoughts on ““Mom, You Smell Good!”

  1. Hi Jenni,
    I have been eyeing that dress on FP too. I was just wondering about it being backless. What are you going to wear under it? I was thinking a tank or even a full slip? I have been cheating on Anthropologie with Free People lately. Have you tried on the French Courtship Lace slip? The slip is gorgeous and I found there are a lot of great full slip options on Amazon to wear under it. Definitely give it a try! Happy Valentines Day! My 5 year old woke me up extra early like it was Christmas morning! Lol! I’m going out to my favorite Persian restaurant tonight.

    Warm Regards,
    Rachel

    • Happy Valentine’s Day!

      I ordered a small in this dress and it fits perfectly, if not a little big. If you are between sizes, I would go with the smaller one. It really accentuates the waist, but in a flattering way. I am wearing a Free People eyelet bralette I purchased last March. I tried slips. And they were beautiful with it, but most of my slips are v-cut in the front. And I don’t like cleavage showing. So my slips do not work with it. I do have the tulle slip in pink, but I got lazy and have not tried that one yet. I think it has too much going on in the front anyway. It needs something simple with a really cool back. There are so many beautiful slips that will work under this out right now , though. For now, I am sticking with my bralette. You cannot tell it is a bra. It just looks like a tank. But it has great support.

      Your daughter is so cute! Five is such a great age. My daughter is still sleeping (no school here)! So, they are waiting for our gifts to them. I got them each a big stuffed frog and a small small toy.

      Enjoy your dinner tonight! Yum! : )

      Jenni

    • Thank you Mark. I hope your Valentine’s Day was great, too. I am glad you liked the story.

      I hope your weekend is lovely!

      Jenni

  2. This reminds me of when I saute onions, I will always end up smelling of onions, which to me, does not smell so nice after I’ve been “living” in it for a few hours. But the BF – even when we’re getting ready for bed, love the scent, hehe. L’eau d’onion!

    • Isn’t that the truth Lisa? Men love the smell of food. There really is something to the saying that the route to their heart is through their stomach. It is definitely true with my husband. I actually like the smell of onions cooking through the house. I think it is better than any candle! : )

      Thanks for commenting! I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day!

      Jenni

    • Thank you so much! : ). I really appreciate it! I try to just keep it real here.

      Thanks again for making me smile.

      Have a wonderful and happy weekend!

      Jenni

  3. so funny! love this story with the sloppy joe mix in the pocket. classic mom.

    thanks for always posting links…mostly because I love to see your picks, but also because then I am like, “hey I want to go shopping now….” hahaha! that caftan is ADORABLE!! bet you looked super cute for valentine’s day!

    • Thank you Melodee! I am glad you said that about the links. I never know if they are helpful or not. But it is easy to do and I want to share. So thank you for letting me know. I had fun in the dress today. It was interesting to watch the different ways people dressed for Valentine’s Day today. I love a theme! Especially a theme of love! : )

      Thanks again!

      I hope your day was delightful and your weekend is restful!

      Jenni

    • Thanks Alicia. It is true. They don’t hold back!

      I had bought an eyelet bralette from Free People last March. It is white and almost like a tank top, but with support. With this dress, it just looks like a pretty tank underneath. I really like it! It was so much fun wearing it yesterday!

      I hope your day is warm and fun!

      Jenni

    • Thank you! It is going up tomorrow morning! It was so good!

      And cooking in pajamas is the best. I don’t have to worry about an apron or spilling something on nice clothes. I am glad I am not alone!

      Have sweet dreams!

      Jenni

  4. mmmm… I love the smell of garlic. I think I’d rather smell like garlic than perfume actually. Why do little boys like Sloppy Joe’s so much? I remember in elementary school all of the boys would get so excited when Sloppy Joe’s were being served in the cafeteria. The girls would just be annoyed.

    • It is so true, Cynthia! My daughter and I could take or leave sloppy joes. But my husband and son… Beg for them! They could eat them every single night!

      Have a restful Sunday!

      Jenni

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