Reason #236 to Love Exercise

Anthropologie clothes that fit like a dream. When I was thin, I was a clotheshorse. Lucky Brand jeans were my drug of choice (I own 12 pairs). When I was at my heaviest, I hated shopping. Now that I am somewhere in between, shopping is fun again and I have been doing more of it. A new suit, some new jeans, and a fabulous pair of trousers from Anthropologie that enhance both my butt and my mood.

Green Leaves

You already know I'm a yarn snob and a paint snob, too. But, up until now I've closely guarded my secret love of gourmet tea. Yep, I'm one of those people who will gladly fork over $3 for an ounce of Cherry Rose Green Tea leaves. Yes, I live in the city of Celestial Seasonings but that's not tea suitable for my consumption - it's commercially processed and mass marketed; flavor is sacrificed for profit.

Besides, spending time in a tea shop is so much more fun than cruising the local supermarket, maneuvering a ginormous cart through aisles overstuffed with turkey basters and chip clips. My favorite tea shops have big comfortable chairs, board games, the latest indie music playing softly on the stereo and - of course - WiFi. It's a tea lover's dream come true.

Week Rounded Out - 12.8.06

This has been on crazy ass week! I had something going on every day, which is unusual for me; there's always a few days a week where I can be a total bum. Uh-uh, not this past week. Between work, studying for finals middle school touring, and knitting like one of Santa's elves, I am exhausted. I want to take a relaxing bath, have a glass of Merlot and just chill. Here's hoping I get my wish.

Meanwhile, check out these ultra-hip spaces and places I've assembled just for you, my loyal readers:

• Head on over to Jesseca's shop for gift ideas for a new parent or for your own tot. I have one of her diaper bags and it is so hip and anti-mom. Love it! Her bibs are the bomb, too.
  


• Another Friend of LawSchoolMom makes the most yummy soaps around. All natural and all good.
  


• Or, if you're local, make your own natural schwag for your friends and family


• Not crafty? No problem. Sip a latte or enjoy tiramisu and support the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Non-Violence (SPAN). Go on. Have a good time, it's for a good cause. No morning-after guilt. Guaranteed.
  


• And finally, start your weekend off with a little humor. Madhubby's weekly sports list is some funny sh*t. Enjoy it. You can thank me, later.
  

I. Want. This.

It's red. It's by Apple. It's for a charitable cause. All good things in my book.

Children Not Welcome

This weekend was a big one for Boulder. The Buffaloes finally posted their first win of the season - beating Texas Tech 30-6! And, the long awaited Twenty Ninth Street had its grand opening. While the Buffs didn't disappoint (for once), the mall certainly did.

When I moved to Boulder nearly eleven years ago Pearl Street Mall, the city's outdoor mall, was the place to shop. GapKids, Ann Taylor, and Abercrombie & Fitch were represented as well as some great local shops like Weekends and Peppercorn.

Over the years, stores have come and gone. The opening of Flatiron Crossing meant the closing of GapKids. I'm not sure when Ann Taylor moved on but I do know Abercrombie's lease was not renewed and Weekends grabbed the opportunity to move into the (much larger) space.

Still, no matter what tenant occupied which space, Pearl Street Mall has always been very kid-friendly. From the Ben & Jerry's at the corner of Pearl and Broadway to the life-sized metal frogs in the Kids Sculpture Garden to the incredibly talented balloon animal guy (donations, only please) who is a regular fixture outside of Peppercon -- Pearl Street Mall gets us. And, by us I mean all parents who just want to sip a Mocha Frap while watching their kids just be kids.

Twenty Ninth Street? Mmmm...not so much. They have a cool planetary "area," but no touching or climbing on the planets, please. They have a sorta cool planetary water feature, but don't bother with this one unless you've been a recent contestant on World's Strongest (Wo)Man. Oh, and look both ways before you go to the Apple Store because Twenty Ninth Street has a road running through the mall! So, what do they have for kids? Gymboree. So, good luck with that one if you're looking for frugal fun.

Of course, the local paper only had good things to say about the new mall. They were also quick to point out that most of the traffic at the new mall was from locals, as opposed to tourists like on Pearl Street, and that Twenty Ninth Street is Boulder. Really? Because the Boulder I know eschews national chains like Border's and Peet's and promotes a healthy, pedestrian, lifestyle where dogs and children alike can roam without the fear of being run over by some jackass in a shiny new Mercedes.

Then, again. I am living in the New Boulder. The New Boulder that takes dedicated open space and turns it into urban sprawl. The New Boulder that welcomes big box retailers and forces out the little guy with ridiculous rental prices. The New Boulder that is more concerned with attracting Left Coasters than providing affordable housing for the invisible people who keep this city humming. In a nutshell: the New Boulder sucks hairy buffalo balls. But, what do I know? I'm just a bleeding-heart liberal.