A Cure for Winter Doldrums

Does anyone else find this time of year "blech?" All the shimmer and spirit of the holidays has given way to perpetually gray skies, and now that Valentine's Day is over I have no excuse to have candy in my house. Also, during the winter my skin is about as moist as a Triscuit, which just makes me irritable. Top that off with a two-week-long cold, and I needed to make some sunshine. 


Cue a little retail therapy!


Thank you Nordstrom, Restoration Hardware, The Container Store & Anthropologie for tiding me over until Spring Break, sunshine & warmer temperatures.




What's your favorite way to shake the winter doldrums {particularly when there's not a beach within 500 miles}?

They Sure Make the Dandelions Hardy Out in Idaho

While I am busy gnashing my teeth writing articles and such, thought you'd enjoy this reminder that persistence pays. It might make you go a little cross-eyed in the process, but it pays.

Cameras and Christmastime

Let this photo collage be a lesson: when you actually take the time to learn how to use your camera, in conjuction with a fun photo editor like Picasa, well ... I'm due at my hair salon in 55 minutes and am yet to shower. Just an FYI.



However, wanted to send a quick note to find out: what are your favorite blogs? Web sites? I love to peruse blogs on Saturday mornings in the winter while toasting my toes by the fire (because that is waaaay more delightful than, say, dusting my baseboards).



I'll post my favorite blogs here soon! In the meantime, better go have the lovely Jenna return my hair to its completely natural color. Ahem.



XO- Amy Mac

An Apple A Day

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, we must start eating more of these apples. Two (out of two) children have strep throat, and I have a cold, so today the girls and I had an official sick day. We spent it making chicken noodle soup and smoothies … and I tried to figure out some of the bells and whistles on our snazzy camera that I have no idea how to use.

Sadly, I may have permanently set our camera to take five quick pictures – with flash - right in a row every single time you take a picture. Which is alarming when under the influence of cold medication.

Anywho, Amazon.com is going to really appreciate all of you who commented with your favorite book since I’ll be downloading many of your suggestions right to my Kindle. Karen B. – you might consider asking for a Kindle from Santa this year …. then you can use your $25 gift certificate to download a few new books, too. Either way, congrats!

XO – Amy Mac

The Real Secret to Staying Sane During Back to School Chaos

In the rush to get school supplies (and complete the ten million other necessary tasks to get ready for a new school year), I feel it would be helpful to have a back-to-school list to keep mothers sane. I write about it here, and would love to hear ideas from you – real and imagined – that might help moms through the first few weeks of school without losing our minds.

And, hey – who says the kids should be the only ones with the cute notebooks, folders and writing pads? The folks at Carolina Pad make some of the cutest school and office supplies around, and they’re going to give a little bundle away to Amy Mac readers! Leave a comment by August 31 to be entered.

The photo in this blog entry was taken with my iPhone with a very groovy application called Hipstamatic which allows you to create retro photographs with your iPhone camera – check it out!

XO-Amy Mac

Oprah's Pretty as a Picture

All you budding photographers out there, take note! Oprah is looking for beautiful photographs of nature to post on her web site. I don't have the statistics, but I am going to guess her site gets approximately five kajillion hits every day. If you're a photographer looking to get some exposure (pun totally intended), this is a perfect opportunity. If you are an amateur looking to drive traffic to your own web site, here's your shot.

I'd send in that rainbow shot, but I'm afraid I'd get some sort of retroactive traffic citation.

XO-Amy Mac