November 8, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

It’s The Little Things: Baguettes

Am I really going to do a whole post dedicated to baguettes? Oh yes… I am. I happily eat it any opportunity that I can. With butter. Amen.

I love a good baguette. I am pretty sure I have tried every single baguette offered in our town. I have tried ones shipped from bakeries, ones from local bakeries, and the ones made at all of the grocery stores. None of them have ever compared to the ones by Le Petit Francais that Costco is carrying right now in the freezer section.

GO GET THEM NOW!

Sorry to shout at you. And on a Saturday, no less. But these baguettes do not last long. They are seasonal. I wish I could show you the box, but I threw away all three of my boxes I have purchased this month. Each box contains ten baguettes. Yes, that means that I purchased thirty baguettes this month.

I am seriously contemplating getting an extra freezer just to store more.

No joke.

It is no secret that I am a food hoarder. My husband plays along but never encourages it. The other day I told him we needed to go buy more baguettes at Costco.

He had the car running in five minutes.

I had a panicky moment when I could not find the boxes of baguettes in the freezer section. I saw my husband coming down the aisle in front of me. He had boxes of baguettes in his cart. It was like those romance scenes in meadows where two people meet, only with a grocery cart. In Costco. With baguette babies.

“I love you!” I exclaimed when I reached my husband’s side.

“I love you, too,” he replied. No need to tell him I was speaking to the boxes in his cart.

The bread is just the perfect amount of crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Everyone in my family agrees they are the best baguettes they have ever had.

We are not the only ones who feel this way. In looking for these baguettes online, earlier in the year when I ran out of my previous batch, I found a forum with people talking about this sensational bread. I was sad to learn that Costco is the only place that carries these baguettes locally (if you have a Publix near you, I have read they also carry them). And only in certain seasons. Now is the season. You will not find these in the spring and summer at Costco.

The baguettes are actually small in size. About half of the size of a regular sized baguette. This means I bake two for my family of four for a meal. But they are also more compact for easier storage in the freezer. To bake them, you set them on your counter for 15 minutes to defrost and then bake them for ten minutes. Easy peasy.

It’s the little things: The most amazing bread available from your freezer whenever your heart desires.

Have you tried these baguettes? Aren’t they heaven in your mouth? Oh man! I need more! Now I am panicking that they are going to sell out! Forget I ever said anything. Bread is bad. Bad, I say… I need to go buy another freezer.

this post is not sponsored by or affiliated with Costco or Le Petit Francais. I just wanted to innocently share the love I have for this bread.

October 6, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Let’s Compare: Rain Boots

It seems ridiculous to post this when the temperature in my neck of the woods seems permanently set in the nineties and my air conditioner is crying with exhaustion. But I am not so silly as to think that the whole world is smoldering in their sandals. Since it is technically fall, let’s talk about rain boots:

Last year I wrote a post about the new Chooka Rain Boots that I had purchased at Costco. I was very pleased with my Chooka Rain Boots and they even garnered their own funny story. However for Christmas, my husband surprised me with a pair of Hunter Rain Boots. And I supplied a post for those, as well.

Both are in a very similar color of green.

I decided to write a new post about what I like about each of them.

First, when I pulled my rain boots from my closet after less than a year of being stored in there, my Chooka Boots appeared brand new and my Hunter Boots had a waxy white film across them. I only wore each pair of boots two to three times last year (darn California drought), so I am by no means an expert on accessories for the rain.

But I can tell you the pros and cons I have found with each of the shoes:

Chooka Rain Boots Review:

As I said above, the Chookas have retained their sheen and still look brand new after many months in storage.

I think the Chooka Boots are more comfortable than the Hunter Boots, because they are a tad bit shorter and do not hit the back of my knees like the Hunter Boots do.

The price. I paid $30 for my Chooka Boots at Costco last year (from what I have seen online, I believe the average retail price is around $60). This is a great deal for a nice pair of boots.

The negative about these boots is that I am not a huge fan of the buckle on my Chooka Boots. I do not mind it on the Hunter Boots, because the buckles are balanced by the label in the center. But I wish the Chooka Boots did not have the buckle on the side. I feel like it draws attention to the lack of a label (which is actually another positive. Most of the time I am a label-free girl).

Chooka also now sells boots with a pretty contrasting brown buckle. I like that look better than the ones that I own.

Hunter Rain Boots Review:

First, the gorgeous logo. I mentioned above in the Chooka Boot Review that I generally am not a label girl, but it has to be said that the Hunter logo is stunning and makes the boot.

The taller length of the Hunter Boot is better for skirts, and looks better with them because of their height than the Chooka Boot. However it is not as comfortable as the lower height of the Chooka Boot.

The Hunter Boot runs slightly larger than the Chooka Boot. This means that sometimes rain can get into my boot through the larger gap at the top (which kind of defeats the purpose of wearing a rain boot). I bought a size eight in both brands and the Chooka Boot fits perfectly while the Hunter Boot runs a little big. There are pros and cons to both. In colder climates, the Hunter Boot would allot for a thicker sock to keep feet warm in the brisk weather. Hunter Boots also appear to accommodate a larger calf. I feel the Chooka Boot is better for warmer climates because it would not accommodate a larger sock unless you sized up, but in California, I do not need that. I simply need a boot to keep my feet dry. Chooka Boots seem better for smaller calves.

The price. Hunter Rain Boots are expensive. My husband purchased mine for $79.99 at Nordstrom Rack. They are usually around $150. I know Costco typically offers them every year on their website at a large discount, as well.

Finally, my pair of Hunter Rain Boots do not look as pretty as they did when I first received them less than a year ago. I am hopeful the waxy finish will go away with more trips out into the rain but I am not positive. The reason I am thinking it is going to take a bit of work to remove the white film is based on this article I found on the subject. I really wanted a low maintenance shoe, so I am disappointed that these require some elbow grease.

So with all of that said, which ones do I recommend? Honestly, I like them both. The Chooka Boots have a slight advantage because of the great price I paid for them. And the fact that they still look the same as when I first purchased them.

Vainly, I like the Hunter Boot for the logo. And I adore the many colors it comes in. If you ever see a baby pink tall pair at a discount please let me know. I love that color!

I will keep wearing both of them.

And be happy and grateful that I have the options.

Do you own a pair of either of these brands? What do you think? Did your Hunter Boots produce a white film? And if so, did the waxy quality on the Hunter Boots go away without having to do anything special to them?

*I was not compensated for writing this post. These opinions and reviews are my own. Your experience with the different boots may vary.

August 16, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

It’s The Little Things: You Can’t Cry In Costco

I had a post I was going to publish today about handsoap, but my heart was just not in it. It was a really draining emotional day yesterday and I had a moment where my husband and I were walking down the office supply aisle in Costco and I just lost it.

My husband looked at me and said, “You can’t cry in Costco!”

I stared at him for a moment as tears streaked down my cheeks and then I burst into bubbling giggles. The statement was so random. I loved the obscurity of it.

I collapsed in a nearby office chair in hysterics. Caught between tears and laughter, I laid my head back in the chair and closed my wet eyes. The chair moved. It was a swivel chair. This was the deciding factor. My tears stopped. I smiled. My kids went back to school this week and it has been rough. But my son’s favorite thing about his new school are the swivel chairs in one of his classrooms. I could see the appeal.

I put my foot on the floor and pushed a little. I did not remove my foot from the security of the ground. If tears are forbidden in Costco, then spinning must surely be frowned upon. However, who puts three perfectly good swivel chairs in the middle of an aisle if one does not want them to be tested out?

Being incapable of self control, I let go of my foot. I set it down, only to lift it up again and again. I spun faster and faster. Soon I was laughing. My husband looked at me caught between embarrassed horror and acceptance.

“Come on,” I said as I stood up. “Get in. You have to spin!”

He reluctantly sat in the chair, his arms only halfway resting on its surface as he hunched his shoulders in a crouch in case he got caught and had to get up quickly. I moved his arms so they were sitting in a position so that he was no longer a Golem-like statue. He slowly began to spin. Not much. He is not as ~~arrestable~~ cool as his wife. I clapped my hands in delight. He opened his mouth to speak. I could not wait to hear the happy review of fun that would pour from his dizzy lips.

“You know,” he started. “I use a swivel chair at work everyday.” This was not said in a bragging voice as one who makes a statement such as that should use. It was said in a blasé, this is not impressive at all to me tone.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head in disappointment.

“But do you spin?” I asked, all ready knowing the answer.

“No, but…”

I sat down in an opposite swivel chair, closed my eyes and ceased to listen. Then I got a dizzy high in Costco.

Because sometimes life is going to punch you in the stomach and make you fall down. But if it also generously provides you with a chair. A chair that spins. A safe place to not only fall, but to also momentarily escape the stifle of life. Then by golly, there is no other choice.

If your heart is heavy. If your stomach has dropped. If your soul has sagged to your toes. The only cure is to lift them up. The fastest way to do so is to spin as fast as you can. Do not stop until you feel all three negative sources dance together in a kaleidoscopic twirl of harmony.

Or you throw up.

Either way, it is a distraction.

It’s The Little Things: If you can’t cry in Costco, then surely you can laugh.

*Obvious disclosure: I cannot condone the spinning in Costco. Nor can I be held responsible for any accidents that may occur while doing so. If you choose to spin, please do so at your own risk. And kids don’t do anything I would do. It might result in you actually crying in Costco. And we can’t be having that.

July 16, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

When Pigs Fly Cry

The last time we went to the fair was when my daughter was eight and the moment we got there was the first and only time a child of ours has slammed their finger in the car door. She swears that this is why her thumb on her right hand is slightly larger than the other. I say it is the best souvenir ever. She doesn’t quite agree. Well, we went to the fair again this summer. I told her maybe she could get a souvenir for her other hand this time and then they would be even. The kid was not amused. I’m not sure why. I am very helpful.

When we got there, they had Monster Trucks that were tearing around the dirt arena one at a time. We made it through watching one truck. They are loud. And, well, how many times can you watch a truck go over a dirt hill?

That is a serious question.

My limit is seven. For life.

Have you ever heard a pig cry? I mean really heard a pig scream? Because we had not before the trip to the fair this summer. It is the most horrifying sound we had ever heard. The pig was ginormous. In fact, in searching for this picture on my camera, I had to do a double take. In my memory, the pig had been coal black with raised tufts of fur and gleaming red eyes. I was shocked to see a plain pink pig instead. Funny how the ~~crazy~~ mind works.

The pig was bellowing in a way that only monsters in my dreams do. Or kids slamming their fingers in car doors, but we won’t go there.

And then after terrifying everyone in its vicinity, the pig let out a torrential flow of urine that I thought was never, ever going to stop.

It was madness.

None of us will ever be the same.

The fair. It changes a person.

So, we decided to go eat some food. As one does after watching an animal relieve itself. Doesn’t that always make you hungry? In fact, I am sure you are thrilled just to be reading this right now.

We ate.

And we ate.

And then we could not eat any more. The best thing we had were the Tasty Chips. They were, well… I think you can guess.

We had fifty ride tokens to use from our Costco package. None of us wanted to do any rides. But we persevered. The kids went into The House of Mirrors. I stayed outside. I still find it terrifying. I am not the most space oriented person, and as a child I got helplessly lost in The House Of Mirrors. Then I watched “Watcher In The Woods” and I never went in the contraption again.

But sending my innocent children into The House of Mirrors?

Priceless.

They made it out in less than three minutes. They obviously take after their father.

And we played some games and lost $30. Or rather, we paid $30 for a small stuffed zebra that I do not think has migrated himself from the jungle of my car. Poor guy.

We rode on the carousel two times and my son went down the giant slide twice. He loved it. Times sure have changed since I was a kid. We used to fly down on burlap sacks. Now the kids have these fabric bags with straps. So fancy. It still looks frightening to me.

The kids had their sculptures made. That post can be found here.

We found a gnome hidden in the bonsai trees. So, he, of course, must be included in this post. He did not cry. Nor did he create any bodily fluids, but I still like him the best.

I had to take an outfit picture with my pink $10 H&M dress against the pink ride.

It was a pink day.

Pink ride.

Pink dress.

Pink pig.

Later that day I saw a pink elephant and I was tickled…

Have you been to a fair this summer? What memories and souvenirs do you bring home? Some folks go home with large stuffed animals. Some folks go home with full bellies. As for us, we go home with longer appendages and nightmares of screaming pigs.

I think we must be doing it wrong.

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

Costco

It’s The Little Things: Baguettes

Let’s Compare: Rain Boots

It’s The Little Things: You Can’t Cry In Costco

When Pigs Fly Cry