Monthly Archives: October 2014

RUDOLPH Sneak Peek – And a Giveaway!

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Snowball Holiday Gala 2014, A fundraiser for Stages Theatre Company

Snowball Holiday Gala 2014, A fundraiser for Stages Theatre Company

I can’t tell you how EXCITED I am to tell you all about an awesome opportunity to support local youth theatre in the Twin Cities. It’s going to be an amazing family event, and I want as many of you as possible to attend. And for those of you wanting to know more about the Giveaway, read on or just head to the bottom of the post!

So, in full disclosure, I am on the Board of Directors at Stages Theatre Company (STC) in Hopkins, MN. I’d don’t benefit personally in any way from this post, but I hope that Stages will…

It’s the 50th Anniversary year of Rudolph, the 1964 claymation cartoon we all remember from childhood, and Stages winter show and Snowball fundraiser is The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical! Everyone is going to be there, Sam, Santa, Hermey, Rudolph, Yukon Cornelius and all the toys!

Stages is the second largest children’s theatre in the state of Minnesota. STC is located in the Hopkins Center for the Arts right on Mainstreet in downtown Hopkins MN. Every year, in the middle of their show season, STC puts on a winter show and fundraiser. Being a non-profit, it’s important that STC actively seek donations to maintain their ability to bring youth theatre to their patrons, to offer free and reduced fee performances and to make scholarships available to underprivileged youth who wish to participate in their workshops and camps. I think this escapes a lot of people who attend local theatre in general. Until I became involved I was pretty unaware of how theatres, like STC, were funded and all the GOOD they do with the funding they have.

I value youth theatre. I think it’s incredibly important for children to be involved in the arts of all kinds including live theatre, visual and musical/instrumental arts. Involvement in the arts is correlated to better educational outcomes, higher test scores and contributes to the general well-roundedness of an individual.

My children and I enjoy attending performance at STC. The theatre always has youth players involved in every performance – I think it’s pretty cool for kids to see other kids on stage participating in their craft. I know when I was a young I enjoyed both watching and acting in performance. Acting in live theatre provides a creative outlet, it offers commandery and helps to boost self-esteem.

Snowball, the STC winter performance fundraiser, has typically been held in January. But times are changing! With the upcoming Rudolph performances perfectly placed around the holidays, Snowball has been revamped and will be held the afternoon of December 6th, 2014 at 2pm.

Emcee, Emily Engberg from TCL will be in site!

Emcee, Emily Engberg from TCL will be in site!

Attendees are promised a great time! The event includes a performance of Rudolph, crafts provided by The Home Depot, delicious treats, the opportunity to have your family’s holiday photo taken on the set (up on stage and everything!), baby reindeer on the Hopkins’ plaza, an awesome raffle for a change to “fly” over the stage like the actors, and more! Emily Engberg of Twin Cities Live will be the event Emcee – she’s so fun! There are a variety of levels of support for STC when registering for the event all the way from an individual ticket to a full sponsorship. Take a look at the Stages Snowball webpage for more info and to purchase tickets.

And to keep you enticed, take a look at the following snippets of the super ridiculous (and I mean that in a good way) puppets created for Stages, for the show, by the local artisans of the Ridiculous Puppet Company out of Minneapolis.

Do you know which buckaroo and his animal are pictured here?

Do you know which buckaroo and his animal are pictured here?

Cutest puppet foot! Which toy does it belong to?

Cutest puppet foot! Which toy does it belong to?

Cheek complete with rosey-ness!

Cheek complete with rosey-ness!

As for a giveaway…. Eveyone who likes my new Everyday Fabulous MN page on facebook (sorry for the lack of photos on the page, but I’ll ge them up as soon as I can) and shares the link to this blog post, will be entered to win a set of two tickets to Snowball, courtesy of ME!! My treat and your good time!

Thanks to the Snowball corporate sponsors, Great Clips, Loffler, Matreks Printing, Best Buy and Faegre, Benson, Daniels law firm. STC couldn’t continue their mission driven work without the generous support of these corporate Snowball sponsors, it’s individual sponsors and you!

I hope to see many of you on December 6th! I mean, how could you say no to baby reindeer?!

XOXO

Courtney

Friday Night, I’m OK With It

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Delicious beverage for most Friday nights of the past!

Delicious beverage for most Friday nights of the past!

I used to go out all the time. I think there was a stretch in college where Jessie Tyson and I visited Sally’s for like 28 evenings in a row. Jill Dauska, I think you were there for a lot of it, too. Bahahaha! But seriously I lived for the weekends, which consisted of Wednesday through Saturday nights. I thought about it this afternoon: It’s Friday night and I have nowhere to go. And really I’m okay with it.

It’s funny how things change. And how they change at different paces for two parts of the same couple. Brian and I used to love a good night out. Dinner, drinks, dancing – well, me dancing and Brian pretty much bopping quietly to the music. It was so much fun to be out in Minneapolis, or even at places like Billy’s on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. I rarely go out anymore.

I stopped “going out” as much when I got pregnant with Aiden. That is pretty much a given as there would be no more alcohol for at least nine months! Oh, sure, I’ve enjoyed a good time or ten since then, but they are planned events, more structured and many surround parent parties for the kid’s school or other “functions” that require us to be grown ups – no more boozie nights on the town.

Brian took longer to catch up to me and my avoidance of Mama G.’s and Champps. Truly I prefer a nice glass of wine at a better establishment, but even that seems like work. My God I would have to get dressed, in actual clothing, which means no Lululemon. And seriously, I would have to brush my hair. I literally have no time to brush my hair, let alone actually wash it! And a babysitter, which would cost money. All in all, by the end of it, I’m more tired by the time I leave the house to go out than I would have been sitting home ALL night.

And remember how LATE we used to go out? Tammy, you remember for sure because we used to share the mirror on the third floor of Gamma Phi to get ready, a lot. I was talking to my niece last Friday and asked what she was up to over the weekend. She told me she and her friend were going to a house party. “Oh, a house party,” I said, “Fun, I remember house parties! What time are you going over to the party?” “Well, it doesn’t start until 10pm…” Whaaaaa, 10pm? I would have been hoping for at least two hours sleep by that time of night. No, no, I’m in by 10pm. I’ve missed midnight the last three New Year’s in a row. How in God’s name did I used to go out at 10pm? Ugh, makes me sleepy thinking about it!

Last week Brian and I took a few hours together and had dinner at Gianni’s in Wayzata (delicious BTW). At the end of our dinner and in the middle of checking out the chick with the shoulder cutouts in her shirt and the super old guy she was on a first date with, Brian and I looked at each other and said, “Let’s go home.” We are so old, so boring!

Delicious drinks of Friday night present - at least it has a good name, boob...

Delicious drinks of Friday night present – at least it has a good name, boob…

And yet I reiterate, I am okay with it. I think when I look at what I’ve traded for boozie parties and dancing until dawn I know growing up has all been worth it. I have a home, a loving husband, three beautiful boys and we all have health (knock on wood). I’m totally fine grabbing a bottled water and scrunching up on the couch to watch Annie or The Aadams family with Aiden and Colin.

Even though things have changed, and I’m completely under-dressed, still in jammies from last night, and I have nowhere to go, I’m okay with it. But should you want to visit for a while over a drink, maybe middle of the day, Sally’s is still there and I wouldn’t necessarily say no.

XOXO

Courtney

MOM, The Baby Smells Like Cheese

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Liam in a Puj

Liam in a Puj

I am totally guilty of not bathing my baby. And sometimes he gets a little ripe. Lucky, I have found help.

Okay, so to understand why I have resisted bathing Liam on a daily basis we have to regress a bit. When I  brought my baby Aiden home over nine years ago I was totally committed to doing EVERYTHING exactly like I thought it should be done. He was bathed daily, and even with all the washing and moisturizing he flaked! His skin literally peeled off. The top of his cute little head was a mess and his baby acne was relentless. I considered resorting to Proactiv (of course I never did use something so harsh on his baby skin, but I was temped)! We were purchasing and using so much of it, I should have bought stock in Aquafor.

Why was he so peely? Why was his delicious skin so icky?! The same thing happened with Colin. About a month into Colin being home I quit bathing him. A little out of necessity and a little out of laziness (I admit). Of course I cleaned out his neck rolls and wiped behind his ears and in his little folds and kept his diaper area clean, but he was only submerged about once a month. His skin became clear and naturally moisturized. It was a miracle! Note to self, don’t bathe the baby so much.

Liam has enjoyed a few baths, but Aiden is constantly telling me that the baby smells like cheese. I told him cheese is made from milk and the milk that sets on Liam’s breath and along the collar of his onesies sure might smell like cheese from time to time. He can get a little ripe and I actually (and a bit shamefully) don’t mind at all. I love the smell of his stinky little toes and I can often find bits of lint clenched in his tiny hands!

Like Colin, I keep Liam clean by sponge bathing him, wiping his baby folds etc… While on a recent visit to Galleria I was chatting with the ladies at Blue Mercury who were cooing over Liam and asking all kinds of questions. “His skin is so nice,” they were all saying. I told them that I rarely bathe him, I just wipe him down. One of them suggested a newer product (not one I recall from Aiden’s baby days) by Mustela. It is the PhysiObebe No-Rinse Cleansing Fluid. Wheeee, what a great product!

PhysiObeb - Get yours by clicking HERE

PhysiObeb – Get yours by clicking HERE

Okay, first of all it smells wonderful. It is light and fresh and leaves baby smelling completely clean. Simply pump some of the liquid onto a washcloth (I have used my Gerber diaper/burp-cloths for this, too – and BTW using Gerber diapers as burp-cloths will be a post for another day) and wipe away the stale milk, linty hands, stinky toes and ishy diaper area. Voila, clean baby! And you keep baby’s skin from getting overly dry by avoiding the constant baby washing.

You can’t go wrong with Mustela products for baby. They are free of chemicals and are tested to be hypoallergenic. The Mustela gift set includes a bottle of PhysiObebe and a few of their other most popular baby products – if you don’t have a newborn baby of your own right now this would make a great gift for other babies in your life!

Mestela's Newborn Gift Set gives you a great variety of Mustela brand baby products in one neat package!

Mustela’s Newborn Gift Set gives you a great variety of Mustela brand baby products in one neat package!

My other must-have find for bath-time, post Aiden and Colin, has been the Puj baby bathtub. Okay, this thing is great! It fits into most sinks and allows you to have both hands free as baby nestles neatly into the seat which is formed when the Puj is folded. It rinses clean and I simply hang it in my shower too dry and return it to Liam’s closet when not in use. It unfolds for easy storage against a wall or under a crib. Wish I would have thought of this! The bath slings and tubs I had for the older boys lasted a very short while before they mildewed or became just plain gross and were tossed.

An unfolded Puj bathtub - get yours HERE

An unfolded Puj bathtub – get yours HERE

So, now you know the secret to my Liam’s pretty skin – he doesn’t bathe regularly (having Brian’s genes doesn’t hurt, either)! So if you want to keep baby’s skin looking like new, stay out of the water and consider trying out Mutela’s PhysiObebe. And when you do need to bathe baby, really, the Puj is awesome!

All in all I hope the advice helps you avoid hearing from a random stranger that your baby smells like cheese!

XOXO

Courtney

Meri, Meri, MERILOU!

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Welcome to Wayzata, MERILOU!

Welcome to Wayzata, MERILOU!

I love shopping. Those of you who know me are aware of this Courtney-ism. Shopping of any kind is just part of who I am. I love clothes, shoes and bags as much as almost anything (save my family, of course!). I would never pass up a good Target run or grocery store trip, either. But my first love in shopping are the clothes, shoes and bags, oh my! And terms of fashion, its undeniable when you meet someone who is in love with a good trip to Nordstrom as much as you – I knew she loved clothes, shoes and bags as much as me the first time I met Keaton Frees.

Keaton and I met when I got into Stella & Dot about five years ago. She was darling, and always put together and reminded me of, well, myself (although I can more often than not be caught in sweats recently – ugh, baby weight..).

Keaton and her husband, Hans, have run a successful small business called Outdoor Excapes in the Lakes area of Wayzata/Minnetonka for quite some time. Her understanding of business, background in interior design and love of fashion clearly helped plant the seed for her most recent success, a new shopping experience in downtown Wayzata, MERILOU boutique.

On a  recent trip to Nashville (we are talking ONLY three months back) Keaton and Hans visited a small clothing boutique, and while walking out Keaton reports thinking, “Someday, I’d like to have a shop like that.” Well, her dream, put into hyper-drive with the addition of business partner Chrissie Boyd, has come true at warp speed.

Today was the Grand Opening of MERILOU boutique and I made my way to Wayzata to check out the newest addition to the main drag. I am happy to report (and not at all surprised, knowing Keaton) that MERILOU is absolutely fabulous! The space, while not too large in scale, offers and intimate shopping experience. The racks are clean and well placed for movement through the space. The product is not overwhelming and completely shoppable – think the POLAR opposite of a bargain basement shopping experience.

Joie suede bootie available in store.

Joie suede bootie available in store.

When placing oneself in this particular commercial shopping area of Wayzata, concern would be competing with the well established Evereve (formerly Hot Mama). While tracking MERLIOU on facebook I wondered about price points, especially with the posting of a darling Joie bootie which I knew to hold a few hundred-dollar price point. I was very pleasantly surprised to find a variety of high-low price points, as well as an abundance of offerings from designers who are hard to find in person in this area including Nicole Miller – Artelier, Badgley Mischka, Donald Pliner, Three Dots and an awesome selection of Joe’s Jeans! Hang on to your Prairie Undergrounds, Evereve, MERILOU is in town!

 

My Freeway wrap sweater- SOOOO cute!

My Freeway wrap sweater – SOOOO cute!

Love this Free People sheer tuxedo shirt - and they had in solid color, too!

Love this Free People sheer tuxedo shirt – and they had in solid color, too!

My friend Katie picked up two sweaters from Staccato and a t-shirt. One of her sweaters, a loose knit silvery grey number, was less than $30.00, and it was SUPER cute! Overall prices seemed to range from the mid-twenties up to a few hundred dollars. I found the most unique sweater from Freeway, and a top I had not seen before from Free People. I also tried on the softest, high-waisted, black Joe’s legging, but have resisted purchasing bottoms since my pregnancy (I have to wait to shed some Liam lbs before I invest in anymore premium denim).

Home scents, accessories and jewels!

Home scents, accessories and jewels!

Clean and shoppable racks, plus AWESOME wallpaper!

Clean and shoppable racks (not at all overstuffed and hard to manage), plus AWESOME wallpaper!

Beautiful and inviting shoppable moments are found througout the space.

Beautiful and inviting shoppable moments are found throughout the space.

MERLIOU also offers a small but beautiful selection of evening wear, local artisan cuffs and jewelry, home scents, Cole Haan shoes and boots/booties from a variety of other designers. The shoes and home scents are all held in two pretty open hutches/armoires. beautiful lighting over a large table with sweaters and denim center the space and help traffic flow easily through the store. The use of appropriately trendy decor did not escape Keaton, whose background in design shines in the space. The entire boutique and its offerings are welcoming and totally worth the trip to Wayzata for a little shopping and lunch by the lake!

My recommendation, grab your Marc Jacobs or Tory Burch wallet, you gorgeous fashionista, and run, don’t walk, to check out MERILOU!

Even the shopping bags are adorable!

Even the shopping bags are adorable!

Congrats, Keaton and Chrissie. I’ll be sure to see you again soon for more Pretties!

XOXO

Courtney

*I was not compensated for or asked to provide a review of or for MERILOU