16-17 November

            WEEKEND DIARIES

I know that the unseasonably warm weather caused problems for lots of people in the Midwest, the high winds and even tornadoes... If not great, I hope that everyone's weekend was at least safe.

Here in Western New York it was windy, but mostly just pleasant to be able to get outside without heavy layering and kids complaining that they're cold. On Saturday we took a nice long walk at Niawanda Park, along the Niagara River. If you are local, and you don't take advantage of this park you are missing out! It may be a little late in the year for the heads up, but it has miles and miles of paved waterfront paths, perfect for walking, running, riding and rollerblading.

What else? I also got a much needed haircut - layers cleaned up, bangs and ends trimmed (hence the cheesy selfie included above). My hair is really, really fine, and a trim truly makes such a difference, but I'm always putting it off. Also much needed... longer tee shirts! I know midriffs are in this year, but I think I'll keep mine to myself. During my solo excursion to the mall for the haircut, I ran into a few places looking for some maternity tees. About to give up, discouraged by the poor quality of fabric, ridiculous prices ($36 for a plain v-neck???), and the way everything was so picked over, I caught sight of the tees you see above.

These stretch jersey tees from H&M Best Basics (non-maternity) are a mere $5.95 a piece! The fabric is very thick for a tee, and it comes in a wide variety of colors, from neutrals to brights. I just bought a bigger size than I normally wear. This was a great find for me, because neutral tees are my everyday maternity uniform. As such, they see a lot of wear and tear, so I couldn't justify a big $$ investment.

And my belly plans to keep growing, not just because of Junior, but also because my husband keeps bringing me treats like the chip sprinkled oddity you see above. I don't know what to call it. Except delicious. It was like a huge flaky cookie, filled with a ricotta cannoli filling, covered in a hard white icing glaze, and garnished with mini chocolate chips. I should have included something for scale; it was big. If you want to get yourself one of these goodies, you should visit Oliver Street Bakery, a new small business in North Tonawanda.

And finally, as the holidays approach, I want to share with you a piece of wisdom that another cookie shared with me:  Consume less. Share more. Enjoy life. 

Look beyond the irony that this advice came from a cookie that I had just consumed, and appreciate its truth!