Category: NaBloPoMo

Life, memoir, memories, NaBloPoMo, writing

I Uncovered 800 Blog Posts

littleshoeprincess

Before I began writing this blog in 2018, I had two other blogs on a now-defunct hosting platform.

I started my first blog in 2007, while at work. My schedule as a writer was so unpredictable, I would sometimes find myself waiting on art directors to design, supervisors to approve, or clients to give feedback. During those lulls, I would write…about anything and everything. The first time I was ma’amed. The girl at the gym who blew dried her hair wearing only a parka. The time our channels were getting crossed and demonic dialog from X-rated shows would blare from our TV. You know, regular life stuff. I wrote that blog until 2013, about 600 posts in total.

For reasons I can’t remember now, I started a new blog in 2014. This was the year that Little Mister was born, so maybe I wanted to shed my childless leash on life writing for more mature subject matter? This blog had about 200 posts, which took me right up until I bought my domain on WordPress and started THIS blog.

The first blog was easy to find – I remembered the URL immediately. Oh, to scroll through my life as a thirty-something DINK (look it up if you need to!). The snark! The unlimited time on my hands every weekend. (You guys, there were weekends when I did nothing. Like, I woke up and thought, ‘What should I do today? nobody is counting on me, I have nowhere to be and nothing to do. today is all about ME’!)

The second blog was harder to find. I could not remember the URL to save my life. This could be because much of that blog was written when Little Mister was a baby and toddler and I was tired all the time with zero energy. Unlike now, where I’m tired most of the time and have 10% energy.

Lying in bed this morning – awake at 4:30am with my arm pins and needles because I was sleeping awkwardly around Bruno, who was sharing my pillow and snoring loudly – I had an epiphany on how to find my old blog. And while I will not reveal my secrets, I FOUDN IT. There it was, all the honesty of becoming a mom, raising a baby, going back to work, and losing a little of myself in the process. 200 more posts.

But what reading those posts did for me, was remind me that I am a pretty good writer. And that being laid off – which had nothing to do with my performance – HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MY PERFORMANCE. My blogs are funny, honest, and vulnerable. They are, well, me.

What does this mean? Well, it means that I’m going to take a day and read through all 800 posts and just enjoy them. There are blogs about my grandparents, who have all passed away. Funny stories about our parents. Anecdotes of Little Mister pooping himself so badly as a baby that I had to cut off his onesie.

Then, I’m going to pick out the posts that fit the narrative of my future novel, and start putting them into a document. And shaping them into a story. And hopefully get one step closer to putting something meaningful together.

Life, NaBloPoMo

2025 Can Go Suck It

littleshoeprincess

It’s November! That means I’m back for another full month of blogging.

Apologies for starting the month off on such a negative vibe, but the last 10 months have felt like a heaping pile of steamy shit.

First, our country is a disaster. I’m embarrassed to live here. We traveled outside of the United States in April, and while I was floating in gorgeous turquoise waters sipping on a frozen cocktail trying to forget real life, travelers nearby from Canada heard our American accents and dog paddled over to simply ask, “What is happening to your country?”

I don’t know, fellas. It’s falling apart?

Closer to home, 2025 has tested our resilience, emotional strength, and mental stability.

So far this year, we have endured:

  • Surgeries
  • Illness
  • Loss of a family member
  • Job loss
  • Hospitalizations

And that’s just the big stuff.

Doom and gloom aside, there have been some bright moments this year. I traveled to Europe for the first time. I prioritized my health, I joined a gym and stuck with it. Little Mister is thriving in his last year of elementary school.

But big picture, 2025, you have been lackluster at best.

You have set the bar very low for 2026.

Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.

Life, Maine, NaBloPoMo, Patio, pizza, Travel, Vacation

It’s Blog Writing Month!

littleshoeprincess

Happy November 2022!

How did we get here? How is it time to stress myself out for 30 straight days again?? Why don’t I write blog posts all year and just post them daily during November?

All great questions!

Each year I like to kick off the month with a little recap of what the last 12 months have looked like over here, just so we’re all starting from the same place.

First, some statistics:

  • Number of vacations and getaways: 4
  • Number of decks built on the house: 1
  • Number of coyotes living in our backyard: 1
  • Number of poolside cocktails enjoyed: not enough
  • Number of trips to Target: too many

And now, here’s the 2022 recap:

We kicked off the new year and resolved to get back to living life!

We were putting 2020 and 2021 behind us! We hosted our families, had delicious surf and turn for dinner, played games, and then watched the ball drop in Times Square 17 times so that I could take a video of Little Mister counting down – on the first year he stayed up until midnight!

I tried a Meal Kit for a hot second.

The meal kit I chose had a “healthy eating” theme, so right there my expectations were set relatively low. The kit itself was…fine. I felt it took a long time to create dinner, longer than it would have if I were just making something on my own. Also, the delivery day for my zip code was Fridays. And since all rules for eating go out the window Thursday Friday night until Sunday night, this was not a good option for us. Those are prime ordering take out and eating out days, I would just feel too guilty having “healthy” food in a kit going to waste in my fridge.

I made a cutting board wall in the kitchen!

We remodeled our kitchen 10 years ago before we moved in. And since Mr. KK starts to hyperventilate when I mention something like refreshing the backsplash or getting new bar stools, wall decor felt like a safer option. And voila! Thank you, Hobby Lobby, for the cheap & chic cutting boards that don’t fall off the wall!

We made pizza in our new pizza oven!

We received this amazing ooni pizza oven from family for Christmas. Once it was warm enough outside, we had our first make-our-own-pizza night on the patio!

We used store-bought dough for our first run out of the gate (knowing we’d likely burn half of the pizzas) but we eventually got the hang of it. It was one of my favorite nights this year because we hung out as a family, had some yummy cocktails, got our hands dirty making pizzas, ate way too much pizza, and watched a movie outside. Perfection!

We lost our first tooth!

This was a BIG DEAL. This tooth was loose for so long…I thought we’d have it forever. I know Little Mister was nervous to lose it outside of the house, and as luck would have it, he lost it at camp, eating pizza (at least it was enjoying one of his favorite pastimes). It flew out onto the floor and he was able to put it in a bag and bring it home.

And we had to make sure the tooth fairy visited (who makes a killing these day, I will say!). So not only did we put our tooth out for her, we wrote her a handy note to make sure she knew exactly where the tooth was!

Pro-tip: if you’re going to start the whole tooth fairy scheme, get the tooth pillow that hangs on the door knob and is easily accessible by parents when the child is sleeping. None of this “under the pillow” business.

We went to Disney World!

This will be its own post because I have so much to say about Disney, but what I can say is that 8 was the perfect age for us. We were so excited to go to the Animal Kingdom that we spent TWO WHOLE DAYS there. You read that correctly. TWO DAYS. Hakuna Matata!

I ate my favorite lobster roll in Portland, Maine!

This is the best lobster roll on the planet, and it comes from a little lobster food truck called Bite Into Maine, at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

I eat a lot of lobster rolls during the summer. I like to try them wherever I am. But this one here, will always be my favorite. They also have a hot option if you prefer a Connecticut style, but the cold Maine-style is ah-may-zing.

We went on our annual family vacation!

That’s right, we packed up the parents and hauled them off to Cape Cod! We experienced a 100 degree 100% humidity heatwave the first 4 days of the trip, so thankfully the house had the most amazing pool which is where we spent all of our time.

Mr. KK and I had our annual vacation Cribbage tournament (he won as usual) and the cocktails and beers were plentiful!

That’s a quick wrap. Welcome to November…a post a day for 30 days.

Challenge accepted!

Christmas, Decorating, Elf on the Shelf, Life, NaBloPoMo

November Blog Wrap Up

littleshoeprincess

Well, I (sort of) made it: 30 posts in 30 days (well, more like 27 posts in 30 days, but who’s counting???)

So on this very last day, I leave you with a summary of the month, that didn’t make the blog.

The Elf Is Back on the Shelf

He arrived the Sunday after Thanksgiving and has already been into lots of mischief. I have a love/hate relationship with this Elf. I love being creative and making him do fun things every day, however, I hate when my “Move Elf” alarm goes off every night (and occasionally after I’ve fallen asleep on the couch!). One BIG benefit of the Elf is that Little Mister pops out of bed each morning to look for him (instead of waxing on each morning for 20 minutes how it’s not fair that he has to get up and go to school), and is dressed, fed, and teeth brushed 20 minutes before we need to leave for school.

I leave with this Elf Inspo from years past (our elf was masked in 2020 because, well, COVID):

We Decorated for Christmas

In lieu of sharing my entire living room Winter Wonderland, I leave you with one of my favorite nooks: My Ode to Boston.

I Have Completely Abandoned Any Thoughts of Eating Healthy

Who wants salad when it gets cold? Not this girl. And who can stay on track with so many reasons to have a cocktail, the multitude of cheeseboards I’ll encounter, and the ease of ordering take out instead of cooking because truly, online shopping is exhausting.

This is my favorite fried chicken sandwich from Mikro Depot, who also happens to have the very best french fries in the universe.

I mean, COME ON.

We Have Officially Become a White Board Family

I never imagined I’d succumb to the white board, let alone hang it on my refrigerator; but, here we are. Even with one kid and barely any type of sports or extra curricular activities, our white board is filled with appointments, reminders to return library books, and notes when we are eating the school lunch (LOVE the days I don’t have to make a lunch). My favorite part of the white board is when it’s gleaming – all empty and clean – and awaiting it’s monthly mark up.

I’m the Note in the Lunchbox Mom

It’s me, the Mom putting notes in his lunchbox or snack bag every day. Sometimes I wish him a good day, sometimes I draw a silly picture, and other times, I make Mom jokes:

Made that one up myself!

I Tried to Enjoy the Small Things

Whether it was reading an extra book in bed with Little Mister (and not writing a blog post for the night), or keeping the dogs outside a little extra on the morning walk to enjoy the sunrise, I tried to be present and in the moment. I think that’s my New Year’s resolution this year: be more present. Make more time for what’s important. And to clean out the hall closet.

This beautiful scene is literally in my backyard.

If you read even one of these posts this month, I hope you laughed a little, found a new favorite thing for yourself, or maybe tried a new recipe. Cheers to the end of blog month – and best wishes for a happy holiday season!

Christmas, favorite things, NaBloPoMo, shopping

2021 kk’s Favorite Things

littleshoeprincess

In years past, my Favorite Things list was sparkly, colorful and fun! After the last two years of working at home, entertaining ourselves at home and not really leaving home, my Favorite Things have become a little more…practical for life at home.

It seems I could also call this edition of Favorite Things: “L.L. Bean, Take all My Money” or “Cozy Clothes That Hide Muffin Tops”.

All photos are from retailers’ websites.

L.L. Bean Sweater Fleece Coat

This Sweater Fleece Coat may look familiar as being on last year’s list because it WAS. And I LOVE IT SO MUCH that I want another one, this time in gray. It is warm, the perfect length to wear with leggings, and doubles as a coat on not-too-freezing days or afternoons by the fire pit. BONUS: it comes in Petite!

L.L. Bean Scotch Plaid Flannel Hoodie

We all need to channel our inner Eddie Vedder. I love the pattern on this plaid, more ladylike than lumberjack. And I am a big fan of the full zip…plus it has pockets!

L.L. Bean PrimaLoft Packaway Hooded Jacket

This is the type of jacket I’m always looking to put on, but I don’t yet own. Lightweight yet warm, and easy jacket to wear walking the dogs or running errands. I love this Foggy Blue color – and so does everyone else, apparently – since it’s backordered until February!

L.L. Bean Stretch RipStop Pull On Fleece Lined Pants

Fleece-lined pants. That is all.

Ok, enough L.L. Bean…

Cuddl Duds® Flannel Sheets

Is there anything worse than climbing into a bed with cold sheets in the winter??? I LOVE flannel sheets. Pair them with my electric blanket and I am in heaven. I have a problem with buying only gray clothing, so of course I love this gray plaid pattern. Bonus: these sheets are crazy on sale with Black Friday deals this weekend.

LOFT Relaxed Sweater

The other day I went to put on a sweater and I realized that I only have like 2 sweaters. It’s hard to find a warm sweater that isn’t so thick it makes you look like the Michelin Man. This sweater is thin enough to not add bulk, and loose enough to wear something underneath if it’s really cold. I love the soft blue color.

LOFT Stitchy Scarf

Yes, I am going to knit my own scarf; however, in the meantime, I need to keep my neck warm! I already have this scarf in the light pink color and it is so soft and warm that I put it on to go out and ended up wearing it inside and all day. You will not be disappointed.

Spanx Velvet Leggings

Spanx has the best leggings. I love my camo pair. These velvet leggings are a little dressier. They used to come in a beautiful cranberry color but it has already sold out! But you can’t go wrong with classic black. These tend to run small, I usually size up!

Rothy’s Loafer in Camo

I have two pairs of Rothy’s (both sneakers) and I am in love with them. You will not find a more comfortable shoe, especially one you can wear without any socks. The loafer is a little dressier, and not only am I a sucker for camo, but check out that orange stripe on the back. Perfect all around.

Mer-Sea Catalina Sweater

I already have this sweater in 2 colors, but honestly, I love it so much I’d take a third! It’s lightweight and you could wear it anywhere. It’s great for traveling because it comfortable and roomy. And today (Saturday) is the last day of the Black Friday sale where it’s 30% off! Only time a year it goes on sale!

No matter how you shop – in person or online – be safe and have fun! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

food, NaBloPoMo, thanksgiving

2021 Thanksgiving in Photos

littleshoeprincess

Happy turkey day!

This was our Thanksgiving craft this year!

Well, in true KK fashion, things could NOT go smoothly. We started the morning with a non-working oven, but at 11am Mr. KK pulled through and replaced the lighter so we were back in business!

My oven. Taken apart. Just a mere 30 minutes before I had to preheat for the bird.

Did anyone else wake up at 5:13am and plan out the timing of the day? And then follow that up with timers set as reminders? No? Just me?

Welcome to Crazy Town, folks. Population: 1.

So once the oven was fixed we could get this day started! Not pictured below are the 1,000,000 cocktails I had.

Homemade pasta from the chef! We always look forward to the first course!

My dad – MY DAD – made stuffed artichokes this year. They were delicious! He’s hired!

This year we once again decided to fry a turkey. Oh, except the pan we fry in had holes in it (which we discovered once Mr. KK put the oil in it). And we didn’t have another pan big enough to hold the oil and the turkey so we had to improvise. Broken-down fried turkey parts it is! And they were delicious!

Our oven turkey breast – came out perfect!

We added a few new dishes to our repertoire this year:

Ina Garten’s Leek and Mushroom bread pudding replaced our usual stuffing. Highly recommend!

For appetizers, I made hummus that I put out with pita chips and veggies. Creamy and delicious!

I am so thankful that we were able to be together, and that we’re all healthy. 2021 was a weird year, and here’s hoping to be back to “normal” in 2022.

Cheers, y’all!

Bruno, dogs, NaBloPoMo, Rocco

Creating the Perfect Dog

littleshoeprincess

It’s been over 4 years since we lost Vito the Wonder Dog, but we talk about him often. He was our first “child”, our fur baby, and he was spoiled and a (mostly) perfect dog.

We love both of our dogs, but they are VERY different. However, if we could take the best qualities from one and the redeeming qualities for the other, we would have the perfect dog.

Rocco

It’s sweatah weathah!

Rocco is our little do-gooder, the perfect size to sit on your lap and keep you warm. He loves the big bed, belly rubs and hogging my chair while I’m trying to work. He also gives out open mouth kisses and enjoys licking your teeth and slurping your nostrils.

Rocco is really good at:

  • Snuggling up on your lap
  • Going into his crate when asked
  • Going into his crate when not asked
  • Giving sad eyes
  • Being left out of his crate when we go out
  • Not chewing anything in the house
  • Giving kisses
  • Peeing immediately when you bring him out

Rocco is NOT good at:

  • Riding in the car (he barks at every leaf, person, truck, cloud)
  • Walking on a leash
  • Not wanting to chase trucks and cars
  • Leaving Bruno alone when he doesn’t want to be bothered

Bruno

!

Oh, Bruno. You were a tough puppy. You grew bigger than we thought you would, so we were used to little dogs who were couch potatoes, not medium sized dogs who needed to run and exert so much energy. But you weaseled your way into our hearts and we love you despite your naughty tendencies!

Bruno is really good at:

  • Riding in the car (he is the perfect passenger)
  • Walking on a leash (except when we see another dog…)
  • Cuddling (he is like a big body pillow!)
  • Sitting for a treat
  • Being my walk buddy
  • Meeting and playing with other dogs
  • Going to doggy daycare
  • Sleeping in his crate at night
  • Playing with Little Mister (and being so patient with him)

Bruno is NOT good at:

  • Leaving Little Mister’s stuffed animals alone
  • Going in the crate when asked
  • Going in the crate when not asked
  • Being left alone and trusted not to do anything naughty
  • Not jumping on people
  • Hiding his beagle howl, especially when people come in our house
  • Getting zerberts

Oh these boys! How they wind their way into our hearts!

This post is in honor of Finley, whom my friend had to say goodbye to this week.

cocktails, NaBloPoMo

Your New Go-To Cocktail

littleshoeprincess

If you don’t like Aperol, you might want to skip this blog post. Because today’s post is an ode to the orangey bitter yumminess of Aperol. Oh Aperol, I love you in a spritz in the summer, and I love you in this deliciously amazing cocktail that goes down like water (like WATER, people! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

Intro to Aperol Cocktail

Serves 1

Served up in my vintage coupe glass I found at a flea market this summer!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 ounces Aperol
  • 1 ounce gin
  • 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup (see NOTE)
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • Twist of orange peel, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the Aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters. Shake well, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass (I prefer a coupe glass). Twist the orange peel over the drink to release its oils, then drop it into the glass. (Full disclosure, I never garnish with an orange peel).

Cheers!

Life, NaBloPoMo

The New(ish) 2021 Me

littleshoeprincess

I started blogging everyday for 30 days during the month of November a bunch of years ago. There was a real thing called “NaBloPoMo” (in case you see me mention it), which is short for “National Blog Posting Month”. They have since done away with this, but I kept up the tradition because 1. I love to write and 2. Having a goal made me accountable.

Every year I stressed myself out to meet the goal of writing a blog post every single day. Weekends we were busy? Check. Days when I was consumed with work and wanted to go to sleep at 8pm? Check. Nights when we’d go out and not get home until after 10pm? Check.

It was exhausting. But I did, because I held myself to the high standards and expectations that I HAD to do it, because I said I would do it. Even when Little Mister was just 3 weeks old, I blogged every night. There a photo of me in his nursery, typing away on my computer while Mr. KK rocked him to sleep.

I don’t know if its the residual pandemic effect, or that I’m just plain tired, but this is the first year I’ve ever missed a day blogging. In fact, I’ve missed TWO days so far this month, which is unheard of.

But last night, I just didn’t have it in me. I had a jam-packed day that started with waking at 5:30am, showering and getting dressed, sneaking in Christmas shopping at Target before picking Little Mister up from his sleepover at my parents’ house, then off to his first COVID vaccine, back home to fold laundry, then lunch and shopping with a friend, then back home for dinner and a movie – our first official viewing of The Grinch (my favorite!) this holiday season – before heading off to bed.

Last year me would NOT be cool, but 2021 me wanted to be present, watch a movie with Little Mister, and not stress herself out. And you know what? I’m okay with it.

I write these blog posts for myself; and while I hope someone reads them and maybe gets a chuckle, I want to capture these moments. Because who knows…maybe I will write that novel one day and these blog posts will prove to be very beneficial in remembering my life (since I may be in my eighties by the time I get my act together).

My early New Year’s resolution is: to be more present, and let things go. Focus on the things I want to do, that make me happy; and not stress about the things I can’t do, or can’t control.

This has proven to be especially hard when it comes to work. I am used to a life of working and working until all hours to get things finished, so much so, that it would take over my life. I have made a conscious effort to “shut down” at dinnertime, to spend time with my family, help Little Mister with homework, read together and get myself ready for the day ahead. My boss suggested that I remove my work email from my phone, but I’m not quite ready to get that crazy. I still need to know what’s going on.

This time of year, especially, requires all sorts of attention. From scouting Black Friday deals, planning out holiday meals, mentally listing out everyone’s gifts (and then shopping for them) and making sure we remember to participate in pajama day at school, bring in canned goods for the food drive and do my “Room Parent” duties and organize a class gift for the teacher – all while making sure we have our favorite sweatshirt clean for school, a little note goes into the lunch box every day and the dog gets a walk at least once a day.

I have 9 days left of blogging every day, and I plan to do my best. I have a few blog topics brewing and hope to be able to share them all. And if I can’t, I’m okay with that (and hopefully you are, too).

Kids will be kids, Life, Little Mister, NaBloPoMo

How Kids Drive Their Parents Crazy

littleshoeprincess

This is a normal conversation in our house:

ME: “Little Mister, what would you like for breakfast? Waffle? Banana? Coffee cake?”

LITTLE MISTER: “I don’t want breakfast.”

(15 minutes later, as we’re getting ready to leave for school…)

LITTLE MISTER: (in tears) “Why didn’t you give me breakfast?”

ME: “You said you didn’t want breakfast!”

LITTLE MISTER: (wailing) “But I’m hungry! I can’t believe you’re not going to give me breakfast. You’re making me so sad right now!”

True story.

This is not an isolated incident. There was the time Little Mister asked for noodles for dinner, and when we gave him noodles, he freaked out because he got what he wanted for dinner.

Or the time I gave him his red sweatshirt and he said he wanted to wear his camo sweatshirt, and he cried the entire way to school because I wouldn’t let him wear his red sweatshirt.

No joke, kids can make you feel like you’re losing your ever-loving mind sometimes!

But the fun doesn’t stop there!

Apparently, you can forget about using reverse psychology, because that doesn’t work. Case in point:

One night, when Little Mister’s ears were apparently not working, we told him that he lost his screen time. “Well, guess what?” he said. “I didn’t want to watch anything anyway. I wanted to read.”

How, exactly, am I supposed to respond to that?