Christa and Lovies by Bubbie Blue!

Once upon a time, I started my freshman year in high school in Claremont, CA, and I didn't know anyone because I had just moved there from Winnetka, IL (incidentally, the movie Home Alone was shot in Winnetka while I lived there and the snow is fake, but that's neither here nor there.)

Not too far into the year, I met a girl named Christa. Christa was wearing the same black and white houndstooth Esprit pants that I owned, and she loved to perform, and she was the skinniest person in the world. Fast forward eighteen years, and Christa has an adorable, curly-haired baby boy and her own business, called Bubbie Blue. Because today is Christa's birthday, and because I adore her so, I wanted to make sure everyone knew about Christa's handmade lovies.

The following is from the Bubbie Blue website, where Christa describes how she came up with her idea:

"After our son was born in 2007, I started paying closer attention to the kinds of products and materials that came into our home, and began “greening” our family as much as possible.

As "the Bub" grew older, we decided that something had to be done about our continued lack of sleep.

I read almost every book on the market, and with my husband's help, set to work sleep-training our little guy. For us, the trick was in what the experts called a “transitional object” and experienced moms called a “lovie”.

I searched boutiques, bargain stores, and the Internet for a lovie that we felt comfortable leaving in our guy's crib, but the products I found were bulky, difficult to wash, and inevitably, made of synthetic materials. Frustrated, I decided to take matters into my own hands. A friend offered a
lightweight, organic swaddling blanket, which I cut into two small squares and hemmed, adding a border of ribbons… and they were a hit! They were just the right size and our baby loved playing with the ribbons. Plus, we were relieved that the materials that were so often pressed up against that little face were free of any yucky synthetics!"

Christa and "the Bub"

I think it's a fabulous idea and I only wish I hadn't had a million kids already when she came up with this! Ethan and the twins have all had stuffed animal lovies but they are difficult to replace and get kind of gross, so a little blankie would have been perfect! And Mila was obsessed with the tag on her blanket so the little ribbon tags are ingenious!

The best part? For the month of August, all lovies are 20% off! I'm planning on getting some for the new and upcoming babies in my life (not my own, mind you)--I think it's the perfect gift! And no guilt, because it's GREEN!

And now, because I've got Christa on my mind, I'd like to continue waxing sentimental...

During our four years at Claremont High, we had all sorts of adventures together. Fortunately Unfortunately, I couldn't find many pictures of those awkward, early high school days, so here are a few from our senior year:

This was before a Preference Dance. Christa is in silver, I am in pink (I was going for Veronica Lake hair, but it was pouring rain, so my finger waves lasted 3.5 seconds.) The other people, l-r, are Eddie, Heidi, Richard, Mark, Puja, and Brandon. We were in Puja's mansion.

This was when Christa starred in the Dinner Theater show. She was the cutest flapper EVER. Also pictured, Ben and Joel.

Our Choir Awards Party. Now you know that my efforts to be THE whitest person on the planet began years ago. Also pictured, Mario and Heidi.

Graduation Day. It poured rain again. And I chopped off my hair a couple of days before.

After high school, we continued to live it up, 90's style. And I mean, 90's style:

I think somebody watched Clueless a few too many times. Not you, Christa, you look cute.

In the fall, poor Christa went to live in this awful place called Malibu so that she could attend Pepperdine, while I headed off to Utah. After that, we saw each other at holidays and over summer break.


Then, the summer after our sophomore year at college, we actually decided to live together in my step-dad's house. Don't worry, my step-dad, Bret, didn't live there--he lived with my mom, of course! But he just happened to not want to give up his cute little house (with no A/C) in South Pasadena, so Christa and I moved right in! I have a lot of good memories of that summer. We shared a room and went shopping for groceries, and bought a couch together, and did chores, like putting Bret's dogs out in the morning and sweeping up the dog hair before breakfast, you know, stuff like that!

We made a list of all of the fun things we wanted to do that summer, which I believe we called "Hailey and Christa's List of Fun." It listed activities such as, "Go to the beach," and "Go to Disneyland," and "Be awesome!" Probably not that last one, but you know that's the kind of list it was, us being 20 and all. We got jobs as waitresses at The Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena. "Oh, is that the country club famous for starting the Rose Parade?" you ask. Why, yes, yes it is, now don't be jealous that you didn't get to wear a horrific forest green waitress dress (we lovingly called the "green meanie) and serve marmalade to old rich men by the name of Guglielmo. We had some good times at the VHC, but mostly we enjoyed smuggling home VHC chocolates in our green meanie pockets. They were to die for. (Christa, I could not find the picture of you in the green meanie anywhere!)

In the afternoon, if we didn't have to work, we had "nap time" in our room, and if it was 114 degrees outside, we had nap time all day long. We listened to music and sat on our front porch and played with my cat, "Kitty." We also spent part of the summer trying to think of things to say to the cute boys that lived next door to and behind our house. One night, we heard them outside and we casually walked by and said, "Hey... how's it going?" and nothing else, and kept walking. It was not our proudest flirting moment. By the end of the summer, we had become friends with them and we'd walk to Trader Joe's and watch "Strange Brew," and one of them was in love with Christa, and she went back to Malibu and broke his heart, so I'd say our job was done there.

Here is proof that I am not making all of this up:

This is our little house, while some skinny guy is roofing it. I ended up having that guy's four children. I guess I liked that roof job. Just kidding, I knew him before he roofed my house.

Christa actually worked at Disneyland at one point, so we sneaked in for free.

This is when we dressed up and went to the Renaissance Festival. We ate meat and we liked it!

After the Renaissance festival, Christa's parents took us to dinner. We had no normal clothes with us, so we borrowed some from Christa's brother.

Christa and Kitty, on our couch that we bought.

One of our beach trips, this time to our friend Ben's beach house. Not the roofer Ben.

Like I said, it was an amazing summer. The next summer, I got married and stayed in Utah permanently, and Christa graduated from college and taught school, and stayed awesome. This is when I got to fly down to go to Christa's beautiful wedding to Mike:

Happy Birthday, Christa! You are still one of the sweetest, most adorable people I have ever met and I love you!

"Heaven on a Bun"

Sometimes, when Ben is fishing and the oldest is at day camp, and I take the boy child and the twinsies to Five Guys Burgers and Fries, I ache for my grandma because I think she would have really loved that place, and the company even more.

She would have totally gotten a kick out of the fact that Lane chose to wear her pink, sparkly shoes, a special, beaded orange necklace, and a pink purse, while Lucy opted to accessorize with a more conservative pair of white sandals and a Dora backpack.

She would have really loved the following things that the kids said:

Ethan (scowling): "Dora is totally spoiled. If she needs anything, it's bam! Right there in her backpack! SO SPOILED." Upon further thought, I have to agree.

Lucy (in her quiet, high voice, while pointing at the moon): "Yook, Mommy, it's a planet in da sky!" I have no idea where she learned about planets, but I suspect Dora.

Lane (in her exact-opposite-of-quiet voice, after I asked her if she wanted to go home and swim): "No, I no swim, I go to BEACH! BEACH, YAY!"

Grandma also would have laughed with me when I walked outside and the wind blew my dress WAY up and I was holding a little hand in each of my hands! Boy, those moments are MUCH better shared!

It was her birthday on Sunday, and she would have been 82. Grandma, I still miss you tons, and I REALLY hope you get to enjoy a bacon cheeseburger every now and then!

Just Call Me Superlative Jones

I'm not one to give something or someone more praise than it/he/she deserves. But I know something that lights my fire when I read/hear/wear/taste it, and then I want to spread the good word. It's the least I can do.

*I just got this swimsuit top (in brown) in the mail today.


I have to admit, I bought it because I saw a picture of Jenny wearing it. I felt a little guilty for copying her, until I tried it on. It is THE cutest swimsuit top I have ever worn in my ENTIRE life. It makes me forget that I'm wearing a swimsuit, which is pretty much an impossible feat, and hides everything that I have (and don't have.) Brilliant. So, dear Jenny, please forgive me. You can find it here, although maybe you should not get it if you think you will be swimming with Jenny and I. Awkward.

*Yesterday, while on a Target run, I stopped by the bakery to grab something since I had not eaten breakfast. I saw this intriguing confection called an "iced cinnamon roll," although it just looked like a big, tall, glazed donut. I don't know why I got it, because I don't even love cinnamon rolls. However, I'm so glad I did because it was the BEST cinnamon roll on the PLANET. Sorry, Rachel, but it might even be better than your homemade ones back in the day. I ate it so fast that I had frosting all over my face when I got to Lisa's to get my kids. Kind of embarrassing, but Lisa understood. I really hope your Target has a bakery and that it has those things, because dang!

*While in New York a few weeks ago, I went to Chinatown with my in-laws. Ben had recommended that we grab some "pork bons" while there. Ben, I will LOVE you forever for that suggestion. They were like a sweet, steamy, doughy, savory, meaty party in my mouth, and pretty much changed my LIFE. I asked my mother-in-law, Sherry, to take this picture of me eating a pork bon so I would never forget this life-changing moment, and she didn't even bat an eye because I've been in the family for eleven years and she is totally accustomed to my dramatics by now.


Finally, a few more recommendations that may not be the MOST amazing things in the UNIVERSE, but they sure are awesome:

1) The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I have thought about this book every day since I finished it two weeks ago. I had the most difficult time putting it down, and that almost never happens to me. I found out that it's actually teen sci-fi, but hey, even better, because the heroine in THIS book actually has passions and perspective and is a fascinating, complex character. Can't wait for the sequel in the Fall. Disclaimer: Do NOT read this if you prefer light-hearted, escapist literature. Definitely not for you. DO read it if you loved The Road. I also recommend The Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale. Thanks to my wonderful mom who gave me both books to devour when I was "vacationing" in Boston!

2) If you are not watching SYTYCD, you must start NOW. Tomorrow night is the 100th episode and they will showcase some of the most famous routines ever. I'm not sure I will even be able to sleep tonight in anticipation. And if you missed it, please youtube Mia Michael's routine from this season about addiction set to my personal favorite song, Sara Bareilles' "Gravity." It was powerfully danced by Kayla and Kuponu. Also, thanks to Nap and Tab for that killer group routine set to The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," one of my new favorite songs-to-do-dishes-to-while-Ethan-dances.

Excuse Shopping

I need a new one. My standby for the past two and a half years has been, "I can't. I have twins." It's been awesome. I use it for everything:

"Mom, can I have friends over?"
"I have twins, sorry."

"Can you be a soccer coach/room mom/playgroup coordinator?"
"Well, I sure would, if I didn't have these twins."

"Honey, you're looking hot tonight..."
"Um, twins..."

It's gotten out of hand recently.

"Can you make me a sandwich?"
"No, I have twins."

"I can't find my shoes!"
"Twins!"

"Mom, why can't I go further out into the ocean?"
"BECAUSE I HAVE TWINS!"

The last exchange happened only yesterday. Pathetic, I know, but valid, right? If Ethan started drowning and I went to save him, who would hold the clingy twins on their lap?

So, I'm thinking that when the twins hit three in November, people are not going to let me get away with my favorite excuse any more. Any ideas of what I can say to get out of the next three years? Otherwise, skeptics or no, I'm sticking with this one, at least until they're 18.

"There's always money in the Banana Stand."*

If you happen to be at Provo's Farmers Market on a summer Saturday, and you also happen to have a hankering for a chocolate-dipped frozen banana, well then you are in luck, my friend! "The Banana Stand" is open for business this summer, and it will make all of your chocolate banana dreams come true! If you do stop by, this is what you might see:

The awesome homemade sign.

The products, brought to you in three mouthwatering varieties.**

The help, wearing awesome banana aprons.**

A little girl with glasses, earning the bananas her mom eats.

Some of us just sit around and eat sandwiches because we're grumpy.

Others dance in the rain wearing awesome banana skirts.

Some of us are smokin' hot and model Banana Stand tie-dyed t-shirts.

While others found a "Secret Sauce" booth with steak Shish Kabobs...

...and can't stop eating them.

Seriously, help me, because I'm addicted.

That is one satisfied customer (of the bananas, not the meat, cuz I'm not sharing, are you crazy?!)

So stop on by and if you say, "Hailey sent me here to get my banana on," I'm pretty sure you could get a dollar off! I don't know if that's true, but wouldn't it be funny if you went there and said that? I would totally give you a discount...

*If you know what unparalleled television comedy this line comes from, it would be worth a frozen banana, on me!

**Photography by Travis

Pigtails and Single Ladies

It's harder than you would think to get them to sit still that long.

This video makes me happy because it's filled with people I love:

We Thrillionaires enjoy ALL the performing arts. Maclain's level of commitment is stellar. Unfortunately, I just barely missed their rendition of "Poker Face."

Thursday Morning Confession

I haven't seen my laundry room floor in over six months.

What's one of your dirty little secrets?

"Send" and "Don't Die"

These videos are from our Thrillionaires show last Saturday night. The first one is Scott Champion and Julia Jolley singing "Send," a completely improvised song that is also an instant message conversation. It is amazingly brilliant, and pretty much why I do improv (you might recognize Scott as "Jonathan" from this.) The second clip is me singing "Don't Die" to Brett Merritt. This was a song title the audience gave us and we had to incorporate it somewhere in the musical. You can see more of our songs from the night on youtube. Just search under "Thrillionaires." I have to admit, after watching myself in these videos, I realize that a) It looks like I am ALWAYS laughing (I kind of am, although, in my defense, I really thought Brigham was going to start playing right after I yelled, "You have to get better for us!") and b) My speaking voice is really kind of aggravating. I think I need to use my "man" voice because what I think is my normal voice is actually painfully silly sounding. Oh well.

Keeping the Blues Away...

'Nuff said.


I am constantly thinking about cheeseburgers for some reason. Maybe it's because my dad told me In-N-Out is coming my way soon. Also, Five Guys, Chadder's, and some place called Stumpy's have all already moved in to the neighborhood.

Our extended family is obsessed with a game called "Werewolf." I recently taught it to my friends and created lots of new addicts to come play with me! (Too bad it takes me three days to recover from the loss of sleep.)

This show IS summer to me. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Finally, this video has kept me laughing all week:

I'm a good daughter...

VOTE for my mom's blog! It is not hard to do, and it will make her very happy which, in turn, will make me happier when I go visit her for two weeks in July and she can talk about how many people were nice enough to vote for her, instead of how I was a bad daughter by not telling my friends to vote for my mom. We all win! So vote for Swaneesinger! (That's her blog.)

See? She's used to winning stuff! (Don't make her mad!)

Sti-sti-sti-sticker Face, Sti-sti-sticker Face!

At a Loss

Here's the scenario: it's 11:30 PM, everyone's asleep but me, when all of a sudden both twins begin screaming at the top of their lungs. I rush into the room and am not sure what to do. I go back and forth between each screaming girl and find nothing noticeably wrong. The diapers are dry, it's not too hot or cold, no one's leg is caught in the crib slat. They are both half asleep and just happen to be experiencing the same nightmare at the same time. Normally, in this circumstance, Ben takes one baby and I take the other and the problem is solved. However, each time I go to comfort one girl, the neglected one cries even harder. I even try taking them both out to sit on the couch with me, but that fails miserably. So what in the world do I do? I finally had to leave the room and I just turned off the monitor. I can hear the screams and thumps upstairs and I'm just hoping it subsides. Seriously, does anyone have any suggestions? I've got 8 weeks to go and it's bound to happen again!

This single mom gig is a bit out of control. I don't think mixing it with twins necessarily makes the best formula for a sane person. Please try to avoid it. And please let the girls not learn to climb out of their cribs until Ben comes home again.

Wish me luck...

P.S. Ethan begged to sleep in my bed and so I finally gave in. About an hour ago, I hear a loud thump and he has fallen out of the bed on to the hardwood floor. He doesn't cry but is incredibly disoriented and keeps walking around in circles and making jerky movements. Not only that, but I find that he has peed in my bed. He is so banished back to his own room, and could this night BE any more awesome? Mila just needs to have to throw up, and it will be one for the record books. Sidenote: Mila is hilarious when she throws up, screaming "Oh no! I can't take this! Anything but this! I've got to do this alone, Mom!!" DRAMA EXTRAORDINAIRE. I think the whole neighborhood wakes up.

Good night?

The Awesomeness of May

Yeah, so I'm not good at blogging these days. I'm starting to put it into the same category as sending out cards and making crafts and doing kids' hairdos, that category having the title "Things I am Horrible at Doing." I don't even make comments any more--too much work. And remember when I said I was going to make my blog private? Yeah, WAY too much work. I still might, some day...

You know who is a serial blogger? My mom. She wrote this in honor of me being born and she has tons of comments from strangers who now know really random things about me. She LOVES leaving comments and I admire her passion. I do! I just live in the blog world vicariously through her. It's much easier and just as exciting. None of the work and all of the glory!

But, blogging or no, May is still awesome (except for the part that I am a single mom for 10 weeks-blergh.)

Here are some exciting pictures for your May viewing pleasure:

When the kids had a day off of school, we headed to the zoo, of course! The Demings were there as well.

Extreme Giraffe Close-up

The Elephant Show

A giant elephant sculpture

Mila and Ethan, on the train

Lucy found this turtle shell and took it as her own. She actually manhandled some older children who tried to play in it.

Partying at the Clarks. I believe this was taken while "Poker Face" was playing...

My favorite new shoes. I had my toes painted to match them, natch.

Birthday dinner at Bangkok Grill--I ate Thai food for 24 hours straight--heaven!

Breakfast on the patio. Lane's the nudie.

Tanya and I as Rosalind and Celia. Our costumes are to die for. And yet quite heavy and cumbersome. I've stepped on Tanya's train and ripped it more than once. Clumsy!

April and I--she plays my evil mother in the show. Her wig is a character all on its own.

Pagey and I as smokin' shepherdesses.

With Cody, in our wedding get-up.

Blushing brides.

The whole gang. Love them! Only one more show to go!

"Where's Daddy?"

I think that having Ben gone for this Mother's Day has kind of made it the best Mother's Day yet. Before you accuse me of lying or taking crazy pills, hear me out first.

In the past, Mother's Day has sometimes sort of frustrated me because I don't like holidays that are accompanied with unrealistic expectations. Birthdays ceased being that awesome to me some time ago, when I realized that I was constantly setting myself up for disappointment when I would expect it to be the BEST. DAY. EVER! You always think it's going to actually feel like a different day, in the same magical way it always felt when you were a kid. But really, you just kind of do the same things you do every other day but then secretly think things like, "Why didn't that cashier smile at me more? Doesn't she know what day it is?" I have learned to just plan out a few semi-special things that I want to do, and stop looking for the parade to come down my street.

Mother's Day is much the same. People will constantly say to you, "I hope you're not going to do ANYTHING on Mother's Day!" And I want to say, "Really? Is that what you do? Nothing? Because I do not believe you for one second!" I just don't like to go into Mother's Day with silly ideas of lounging around, surrounded by quiet, obedient, non-argumentative children that magically transform for a day. It ain't gonna happen.

What does happen is that, because of all of these ridiculous expectations that other people create for Mother's Day, we can end up feeling grouchy, unworthy, under-appreciated, and overwhelmed. We become Mother's Day martyrs. "Woe is me, I'm a mom, and no one knows it--where's my mani-pedi and birthstone necklace? Waahhh!" And then we end up placing all of the burden on our poor husbands, who barely see it coming: "What did you get me? Why haven't you dressed the kids for church? Why can't you keep those kids quiet during my four hour nap? What's for dinner?" We become entitled, whining pains in the neck.

And so the frustration comes for me because while I find myself giving in to the Mother's Day blahs, I recognize the irony in the situation at the same time. Shouldn't Mother's Day actually be a day to celebrate being a mother, perhaps by enjoying our children rather than trying to flee them? Isn't that maybe where the problem lies? Instead of creating all of these unrealistic ideas for this day for ourselves and others, why don't we combat them by actually saying, "I chose this job, it's pretty dang awesome, and here's how you do it!"

Ben's in New York today, leaving me with no one to nag. And so because I had no choice about the whining (kids don't care), I only had one choice left. My attitude. I could be super-awesome-single-mom, or super-sad and full of self-pity. I chose the former. I made sure I took plenty of time this morning to get everyone ready, including myself. I wore my cute dress a la 1940's and curled my hair and added a flower headband. I made the cookies for the Primary kids for singing awesome for their moms, loaded up my kids, bags, and Primary props in the car, and arrived at church 10 minutes early. Even though I had asked a teenage girl to sit with us beforehand, neither Lucy nor Lane would go to her because they both wanted me. So both girls sat on my lap. It was a balancing act, and if Ben had been there, you better believe I would have put on my drama queen hat and rolled my eyes and sighed with exasperation. But he wasn't. And so I didn't. And you know what? The girls were super cute and I really enjoyed them. I don't tell you all of this so you'll think, "Wow, Hailey sure thinks she's super awesome!" Believe me, I don't. But I like to choose to feel super awesome.

We did have to go out into the hall eventually, after my lap became too small and the girls' crying too loud, and when we did, Lane came over to me and asked, "Mommy, where's my Daddy?" I told her he was in New York and then, in true Lane fashion, she went and stared out the window, with the biggest, poutiest bottom lip I've ever seen. I could have easily resented Ben at that moment. I could have said, "I don't know, where is he? Certainly not here!" But instead, I found myself appreciating him even more for all that he does to help me when he is home on Sundays. A tiny shift in attitude goes a long way, folks.

And so I might even ship Ben off every Mother's Day, because I think maybe it's exactly what I need to feel grateful, valuable, and incredibly humble. I wonder what he would think if I proposed a get-away for me over Father's Day?

And speaking of Ben, he just called to say he was trying to figure out how to FedEx me some cupcakes from Crumbs Bake Shop. And I didn't even have to roll my eyes or whine once.

***Latest update: I ended up spending part of Mother's Day evening at the Urgent Care with Ethan, who needed stitches after gashing his head open on a metal bridge at a playground. I figured you can't get more mother-in-the-trenches than that! Thanks to Rachel, who immediately abandoned her own Mother's Day festivities to come and stay with the girls.