BIG PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY – Friday Loved ~ and Unloved ~ List

To copy a few of my fellow bloggers, today’s post is all about things I love…and don’t love…these days…

• Lady GaGa. Are you thinking she’s on my Loved or Unloved list??  Definitely UNLOVED today.  Although I’m for what she stands for on paper…the whole ‘kids that don’t fit in’ thing…have you seen her latest video??  I found the link this morning.  And of course, like a train wreck, I couldn’t look away once I started watching.  And it’s DISTURBING.  The language.  The images.  The clothes (or lack thereof).  And what’s worse is that Beyonce is part of this latest project.  Beyonce, what are you doing?!?  I understand that Lady GaGa is the hottest thing right now, but you do not need to stoop to her level.  You have TALENT so you don’t need to go for shock value.  I’m not even going to post a link here to the video.  If this is what music videos look like today, what are they going to look like when my kids are old enough to choose what they watch??  *shudder*
• Etsy. Loved.  Oh, the time I could spend just browsing the different shops.  I especially like their ‘pounce’ option — you can choose to see the latest items purchased, or see the latest shops that have opened.  Sometimes, however, I stumble upon something and I truly can’t believe what I’m seeing…do people actually buy this stuff????
• UPS. Unloved.  (They don’t get a link, either!)  Man, they make me angry…which relates to #2.  When I have ordered stuff from the States, shipping unfortunately is usually by UPS.  I ordered a buckle toy for Jak.  The toy was $20.  And then the shipping was $20.  AND THEN I had to pay another $20 to UPS when they delivered it to the house.  Not cool, UPS.  Not cool.  (Sidenote: mom and dad have a US P.O. Box…I really should make better use of that…)
• Nap time. Loved.  Somehow – miraculously – I have the boys on the same morning nap schedule.  Yes, at around 11a in the Blakeney household, you will most likely find me enjoying a cup of coffee, curled up on the couch with my laptop on, well, my lap.  Either that or working…  Regardless, I get about an hour all to myself and that is most certainly loved.
• Runny noses. Unloved.  There just doesn’t seem to be enough tissue around when a little boy’s nose is running, running, running…and is it Murphy’s Law that when I say, ‘mommy’s gonna get a kleenex’, he beats me to the punch by wiping his nose on his sleeve??  Yes, nose-wiping in our house, out of necessity, has turned into a covert operation…seek and destroy!
• Zinc lozenges. Loved.  I use the Shoppers Drug Mart brand.  And although there’s no proof that they have kept me from getting sick this year, I totally think they have helped.  I take one or two every day — more if I wake up feeling a little ‘off’.  I managed to make it thru cold and flu season unscathed, even when both kids were down and out.  Do they work?  I dunno, but for me the answer is YES.
• My BodyBugg. Loved.  I stopped using it when I was pregnant, but I got it out last week and strapped that baby on, and remembered quickly how much I love it!  I am (slowly) starting to work on losing weight again (*sigh*) and getting back in some sort of shape (other than round!).  If nothing else, my Bugg reminds me to get moving more…because it shows me just how few calories I burn when I don’t…
• The SUN. Loved.  Hasn’t the weather this last week been amazing??  I know it’s only March and technically we could still get more snow (I remember a HUGE snowfall on St. Patrick’s Day back when I was in college), but I can’t help think that SPRING is just around the corner.  I am more than ready to hit the parks and get out of the house — for my sanity and for some real, honest-t0-goodness fresh air.  Plus, doesn’t the sun just make you want to be more productive?  (It doesn’t mean that I actually am more productive…but the feeling is there…HA.)
• Daylight Savings Time. Unloved.  Yes, yes, I’m aware that by ‘springing ahead’ we get an extra hour of daylight, but I really don’t like how it messes with schedules for about a week.  As the mama of a 2 year old and a 3 month old, sleeping is a big deal around here…and we’ve JUST got ourselves into a good routine, so I’m not looking forward to re-working it next week.
• Nick’s shift at work. Loved.  I really, really like that he’s finished work and home by 2p every day.  Gives me time to get caught up on work…and go to Starbucks…without kids…   For him it means getting up at 3:30 in the morning, and that is not awesome, especially since he’s such a night owl.  But sorry, Nick — this is my list, and I LOVE that you are going to be on your way home to start the weekend with us in an hour!  Yahoo!!