Here's a peek into my life via recent $pending:

* You know how you start to think that you’re done setting up or decorating an area of your house and then you realize you’re actually not? We moved around a couple of things in our living room, which necessitated the purchase of one more plum colored silk pillow and a picture (have to type in item 072451B in the search box to see it) for one of the walls. The artwork has the perfect colors for the room and is just the sort of style that fits. Too bad I have to wait 4-6 weeks for the order to arrive at the store for pickup. But I can be patient (I think).

* Dinner for four at the E-Bar, one of the handful of family friendly restaurants in our weekend rotation where we can all be reasonably pleased. Then Safeway afterward to pickup cookie dough ice cream for the kids (ok, I had two bites straight from the container) and eggs for the next day’s breakfast.

* This dress at Nordstroms and a skirt that I just surprisingly discovered is the same brand. Am I that predictable?

* Another batch of “wiggle eyes” from Michael’s Arts & Crafts store because the girls need more. They have glued the little plastic eyes (like the ones on these glasses, so you can understand what the hell I’m talking about) on everything they own and are excited to try larger sized eyes now. So I obliged with a combo pack of various eye sizes, because who am I to stifle their craziness?

* The search for new swimwear started early this year for me as I am determined to find something cute and as flattering as possible for a mid-thirty something woman. I have ordered and returned, and tried on and returned numerous possibilities. I now own two suits that I feel pretty good about (an Ann Cole tankini and one from Athleta, seen in part here and here). That’s what a planned beach trip without of town friends forces you to do.

* Gifts for one of my best college friends, who just had her first baby (a girl, Charlotte). So fun to shop for cute baby things.

* Momentum on the garage purging and organizing is building. After viewing the Home Depot’s Sunday ad flier, we went there to get a Stanley cabinet base and drawer base at sale prices. It will really help organize a certain area of the garage that is a junky mess right now. And K. is excited about it now too, enough to spend an afternoon assembling the purchases.

* Next up: monthly subscription for HBO and Showtime so that we can continue to watch The Sopranos and Weeds (a hilarious show about a suburban mom pot dealer).

What was your most recent purchase?

Tired of regular emoticons? How about some "assicons" I found:

(_!_) a regular ass

(__!__) a fat ass

(!) a tight ass

(_*_) a sore ass

{_!_} a swishy ass

(_o_) an ass that's been around

(_x_) kiss my ass

(_X_) leave my ass alone

(_zzz_) a tired ass

(_E=mc2_) a smart ass

(_$_) Money coming out of his ass

(_?_) Dumb Ass

*We sold my old car. The buyer was kind of a pain in the ass and he just sent us an $88 bill for the smog check (which, according to the CA DMV, is our responsibility—but I’ve never spent that much getting smog checks before). Whatever. That car is gone!

*The Sopranos. I think we may have to pay for HBO after our free trial period ends, just for that show. Half the fun is reading the Television Without Pity discussion boards online following each episode. So many brilliant people talking about the characters and the symbolism and subtext.

*I’ve practically eliminated any sinus congestion by giving up all milk and soy milk for the last month. This is good, but it’s making coffee drinking very difficult, which is why I haven’t had any of that either. Green tea is fine. Sometimes you just want the weight and creaminess of a milk based warm drink though. Victory for my health prevails for now.

*I booked a suite vs. a regular room (a splurge) for our June trip to the beach, which means that instead of a room with two queens that we share with the girls, we get our own king bed and they get a little separate room with their own queen sofa bed and TV. This may be the first vacation where I actually get some rest. (Although maybe not since we're going with some friends from out of state who have three boys under age 6).

*A short week of school, as Friday starts our spring break. No big plans but without the morning rush or homework, it’s got to be good.

*I received an honorable mention for am essay I submitted (and kind of forgot about) to a Byline magazine contest. Just when I was backing off most of my writing goals.

*The dark red mini roses that I bought for $4.99 are so lovely, sitting on our kitchen table. Another reminder that inexpensive things can bring a lot of joy to daily life.

I'm really tired (too old to be staying out til 2:00am on weekends plus daylight savings time's new morning wakeup time stinks, you get the drift...) so let's just play a game today, ok?

Here's what you do: For your comment to this post, simply (1) press Ctrl + V and (2) explain what you just pasted.

For example, when I press Ctrl + V, I get "No More Kissing." This is the title of a children's book that I was pasting into my library's online system.

How about you?