24 July 2008

notes to self: the good life

forgive me, but this may be another pathetic attempt to blog while living in my home away from home. i just don't have the juice. i've attempted to blog while on my li'l summer getaway, but it isn't flowing as it usually does. have you ever blogged without your regular space surrounding you? there is just something not right about it. yet in no way do i mean that there is something 'wrong' with the space i'm residing in.


it's paradise. seriously, like heaven. with refined sugar. and cable tv.

you see, my parents' place is a luxury bed & breakfast. i'm not kidding. do we all start to feel this way once we fly the coop and see what life on the other side is like? when we start paying for our own food and suddenly see that generic brand peanut butter ain't so bad, wet n' wild eyeliner is justifiable and economy sized bagged cereal is definitely do-able?! you start using the words; only the necessities. meaning a bunch of bananas, twin blade razors and skim milk.

you come to the (very sad) realization that mint milanos are not necessarily a pantry staple, cartons of goldfish crackers have no real dietary value and that dropping 3 bucks plus change for a package of fig newtons makes you squirm, which means you never buy them and therefore will get super excited when they offer them for free on your Delta cross-country flight. you buy steak only when it's valentine's day and kleenex with lotion only when you have a serious cold coming on. yes, once you fly the coop, you suddenly spoil yourself with yummy smelling dryer sheets and quilted paper towels. maybe even some snagfree ponytail holders and on a good week, a magazine to showcase how to make your ponytail look as good as cameron diaz's at the oscars.

meanwhile your pureology shampoo is like drops of precious gold in your palm and the clinique raspberry gloss buried deep in the bottom of your bag is your glamour lifeline. for some strange reason i can be decked out in thrift store tees, target ballet flats, old navy capris, and carrying a nyc knock off purse... yet i feel cheap wearing strawberry chapstick. and don't get me started about how i can completely justify buying a gorgeous set of letterpressed note cards for twelve bucks or more and still squirm at the thought of buying a package of fig newtons for less than four bucks. i am a strange human being.

yet, coming back to the coop we suddenly and finally appreciate all the niceties our parents provided free of charge once upon a time. i mean, they pour 2% milk on their cereal here. and the cereal here comes in a dignified box (with cartoon games and such printed on them) not a leaning tower bulky bag of coated flakes. (yet please don't misread me, i must admit the cocoa roos and cinnamon toast crunch bagged knock offs are every bit as good as my nyc knock off purses.) it's just nice to feel spoiled again.

the guest bed is cloaked in darling coordinating sheets, a fluffy down comforter with a million feather pillows to surround my li'l pregnant bod. the kitchen somehow never gets messy and the fridge is stocked with delicious organic vegetables, fresh market fruits, tiny cans of sprite and mrs. richardson's hot fudge and all the boxed cheerios i could ever want with fresh blueberries to boot (exactly, it's a dreamland). the bathroom is like a classy mini version of sephora with french soaps that are actually for the using.

my li'l vaca away from real life has been delightful. life is (really) good. it's nice to getaway for awhile and remember what really matters. and at the same time notice the little things and bathe in all the luxuries. literally, my mom buys awesome bath salts.

it's interesting to sit back and think and decide what ingredients make up the good life. flying the coop and living a simple bagged cereal, cheap chapstick life is pretty awesome too and so worthwhile.

therefore while i'm loving all the goods my parents pour upon me during my stay, i have come to the realization that fig newtons aren't everything. but the people in your life are.




18 comments:

Travelin'Oma said...

Thanks for the great write-up on our little inn. We're picky about our guests. We don't allow riff-raff.

Alyssa said...

I LOVE this!!! It's so true too that going home becomes like a luxury vacation. (And trust me, it gets even better with kids.) My parents buy spoil my little girl when we go home. And I get spoiled in that my parents would help watch her so I could go see old friends or take a nap, etc. :) Enjoy your time at home.

Anonymous said...

Oh isn't it so true? Just found my way here from Jackie Writes... Excited to look around some!

JJB said...

i just got back from a trip home to my mom's, and i completely understand what you mean. i always go to her vanity and use all of her makeup instead of the cheap, drugstore brands that i so carefully packed in my suitcase. and breakfast, man, she buys Quaker-brand oatmeal--i don't ever splurge on that luxury at my house :)

anne said...

I hear ya! I feel the same way when I go home. Isn't it funny how we took all of that for granted? I love going home and being spoiled (ie: eating haagen daaz ice cream, not the store brand). But you're right, the most important part is the quality time spent together.

P.S. Stumbled upon your blog a few weeks ago. Love it!

Anonymous said...

So sweet. I LOVE taking care of my kids when they come back home to visit i enjoy it as much as they do.....it's what life is all about.. its a win win I know your folks love it and you appreciate it .......

Anonymous said...

I remember that feeling of walking into mom's home and feeling a weight being lifted off my shoulders, just by her being there. And yet going to my own home, where I was perfectly happy being the one in charge. It is just nice to know there is someone there to take care of you, and going away makes us appreciate it more.

Anonymous said...

Once again, Marta, you've brilliantly described something many of us feel but can't quite put into words. Nicely done!

Abby said...

I always love your descriptions. Thank you for making me feel as though I am there in such a beautiful place.

Kerry said...

I have to say I love love love my silver Target ballet flats.

The White House said...

i LOVED this. I feel this way every time i am at my mom's house. When i lived there for a month before we moved into our house, i felt like i was at the Bellagio. everything seemed so BIG! and so clean, and so luxurious!
You described it perfectly!

melissa deakin said...

brilliant.
your words always brighten my day.

Anonymous said...

wonderful post marta!

Carin said...

you had me at...

mrs. richardson's.

LOVED this!

Bev said...

great post Marta -- I try to "make nice" for my kid when she comes home for a visit, and I'm thinking she likes it as much as you do!

jen byard said...

How fun for you to be enjoying your parents home in this last month before you get to create a home for your little one. What a treat. Hope you enjoy the last big of your trip...

all over the map said...

your mum is so cute. riff-raff! tee hee
my mum turned me on to pureology but i don't get it here.
glad you are enjoying your stay and being home with your parents is such a treat, even when you reach 40!

summer said...

m.
Just got married this year and am experiencing life away from the coop, for the first time, big time. Everything you just said is PRECISELY how I feel.

And this is why I am genuinely addicted to your writing. You find the most applicable and entertaining and relate-able ways to express everything. Thank you!

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