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Remember the old Richie Rich cartoons? I spent a big chunk of childhood watching such fabulous nonsense. Although, 
I'm slowly realizing a subconscious message that the Richster was trying to send me... He had a Snoopy-looking pup named Dollar. Cha-ching!
You know why? Richie knew, and what I'm slowly (after 26 years of life and 5 different canines) learning, is that pups are pricey. Vet bills, puppy food, dog toys, groomers, boarding, training, collars, leashes, treats, and the dog himself - all add up to one fairly hefty dollar. Not that it makes me love them or want them any less - life wouldn't be complete without my four-legged buddies - I just wish pup stuff wasn't so costly, so more puppies would have homes and more people could enjoy their fabulous company.
Some tips for keeping pup costs down:
Although a bit humid, it's only 79 degress outside this evening, which is so uncanny for late July in Virginia. But I just saw on the Weather Channel that August is bringing the hot and humid summer days that Reston is known for. I guess it's all pool and air-conditioned activities for the next month or so.
If you've been jones-ing for some P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps but your time or budget hasn't allowed for a visit, 
you'll be excited for the option of making your own tasty wraps at home. Use the tips from my last post to get perfect pieces of lettuce for wrapping in all the goodness or choose a soft, greener lettuce such as Boston or Bib and get munching!
What you need:
How to:
We usually serve with orange wedges too. And don't worry, even if your family doesn't like mushrooms you might still try it out. My husband hates mushrooms but likes this dish. Or if you don't like asian foods, try ditching the bread on your chicken or tuna salad and wrapping it up in crispy lettuce instead! Bon Apetite!
So I feel like I post all the time about food - but I can't help it! I have to feed a family at least three times a day and I just plain love to eat=) But, I have to tell you that I am really diggin' the new "kits" that Trader Joe's is selling in the produce section. My fave is the guacamole kit - a little plastic take-away container filled with two avocados, two roma tomatos, a small onion, a jalapeno pepper, a lime, and two garlic cloves - all that and for $2.69!
That's a great deal since we use all of those items regularly even aside from making delicious guacamole and since it usually costs around $3 just for two avocados at the other grocery stores I frequent. There is also a nice salsa kit, and in either case easy directions for making that scrumptious crispy tortilla dip are located on the bottom of each package. Just one more reason to go see Joe!
My son Hugo has inherited pretty much everything from Daddy: his ears, his eyes, his hair, even his peculiarly shaped toenails. 
People have often told me how the only part of Hugo that resembles me is his mouth. I'm not sure if they mean the shape of our perfectly puckered lips, or that he's ultra loud and boisterous like yours truly. But recently, as he ages and his personality begins to take on more dimensions, I'm noticing more and more little me-isms in my son, one of which is his aptitude for the quick and flawless memorization of musical lyrics.
It didn't shock me too much that he picked up the little nursery ditties quickly, I figured most kids do. What did amaze me, though, is when I tune my radio to 107.3 and start singing along in the car, I often have a sweet little backup singer doo-wapping along with me. What even further got my attention was that amazingly, without a prompt or cue or any kind of background rhythm, Hugo will just dip into his memory bank of lyrics and sing aloud to himself and whoever else is within earshot. It's always completely off-key, and with muddled 2-year-old pronunciation, but so adorable.
Until recently, I thought this was a pretty viable option, but Wyatt has done great with our decision to ditch the diapers without his approval. He's had 2 days now with NO accidents. I can't tell you how proud I am of this little booger. Just a few days ago he was deathly afraid of the toilet (I mean, really scared). Whenever he goes, I ask him if he feels proud, and he says, "I want my car, please."
Hey, a little bribery never hurt.
I'm anti-double strollers. I despise them all. The ones that aren't too wide are too long, the ones that aren't too heavy are too flimsy, the ones that aren't too boat-like are too impractical. 
And so, I refuse to put down a couple hundy towards something I loathe, just because the Mommy mags tout their necessity. I have yet to find a double stroller that suits me; and this is not a call to convince me otherwise - I'm extremely stubborn and have made up my mind that I will not own one. I'm just wondering, is there anyone else out there who hates bulky duo-gliders and unfoldable Phil and Teds as much as me? Has anyone (besides my own Mom, back in the day) gotten by without one?
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