Further Proof...

That Real Simple is my magazine soul mate. Article in the most recent issue: Napping, A Love Story.

I'm a big napper (just wanted to iterate that in case it wasn't clear from the title of my blog). I generally can't get through the weekend without at least one nap. My love of sleeping, in general, and napping, in particular, is totally at odds with my personality. I tend towards the over-achiever end of the spectrum. So, my favorite line in this essay is a good reminder that naps are a wonderful thing, even if you're not getting anything accomplished by sleeping during the day.

"...not everything has to be useful, not everything has to lead to something more—that sometimes, for no reason and with no purpose, you can just curl up on the couch, feel the soft breeze, and drift into a soft, delicious sleep that leads to nowhere in particular, and back again."

And, since we're talking about sleeping, above we have a gorgeous bedding set from Anthropologie that A) I don't need, B) I can't afford and C) Christian probably wouldn't go for even if A and B weren't true. Why do I continue to torture myself with their bedding section?

Real Simple: March Issue

One of my favorite days of every month is the day my Real Simple arrives. I love Real Simple because it has the right mix of fashion, home/organizing/life tips and interesting articles for me. Plus, I love the cover designs. The one at left is from way back in August 2006.

Some of my magazines, like Vogue, take me days or weeks to get through. Not Real Simple. I usually sit right down and devour it as soon as it arrives. Part of the devouring involves tearing out any recipes that look good and adding them to our ever growing recipe binder (previously discussed here). This month, there were quite a few, including a yummy looking fettuccine with lima beans, peas and leeks.

Today, I started a new binder for home decor tips and ideas! Up until now, I haven't bothered saving that stuff because our apartment in Manhattan was pretty well set, we weren't going to make any major changes, and I wasn't going to buy any new stuff until we were in a new place. Now that we're moving to Austin, where we'll have a ton more room, another bedroom and the prospect of a real house in the next couple years, I can finally start planning some new decor (like my dream dining room -- note: I don't think this dream will be coming true anytime soon unless we find a money tree somewhere).

I also ordered a subscription to Elle Decor. I've never subscribed to it before (or read it much), but I had a good trial offer, and figured why not. I'm impatiently waiting for my first issue to arrive. And, yes, I know magazines aren't the most environmentally friendly things but I love them and I just can't get used to reading them online. I've tried. I need to hold it in my hand and be able to rip things out of it.

I almost forgot my favorite little tip from the March Real Simple: www.filleritem.com. Say you're a couple bucks away from free shipping on Amazon (happens to me all the time), just go on that site, type in the amount you're short, and it'll show you items that are that amount or a little more so you can add one to your cart and reach the magical free shipping number. Can't wait to try this next time I'm ordering a DVD or book or kitchen gadget for Christian.