Sunday Wrap Up

Note: Our Ten Day Series, “Mommy Like A Rock Star“, continues tomorrow.

This week I finally tried to get my organizational chops back in order after the Holidays, the plague, and a busy travel month. I felt like I was in one place long enough to take a look at some systems and put some fixes in place. To that end, I downloaded “Things”, a Get it Done based task-management solution. I’ve been using it to keep my infamous lists somewhat under control.

I also migrated to a pro version of Google Apps, which offers more server space and the ability to keep multiple calendars. That’s letting me keep track of multiple editorial and household calendars, so we’ll see how that pans out. But of course, the real fun in any organizational effort is…you know, the pretty stuff. So I broke out the insane amount of Moleskines I bought for Christmas. (Yeah, I buy myself presents. But I make the hubs wrap them!)

Check it out:

The four large notebooks are the Woodstock Collection from Moleskine, 2 are lined, 2 are sketchbooks. I carry one ruled and one sketch with me for idea/mindmapping space, and I leave 2 at home for the same purpose.

12 Months of Moleskine

These are teeny weeny daily Moleskine planners, one for each month. I love them for detailed daily diaries, and keep each month’s with me, tucked into the larger weekly planner.

I know, I am a complete suckah for the Moleskines- but I find when I have space to keep my ideas offline, I get more done online. I’m less of a perfectionist in longhand, and I give myself permission to write out more free-form concepts. (Plus, you know, the colors…)

Union Station Display

Audrey and I decided to read Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Crush it” for our impromptu February book club- the day after we decided this, I encountered this display in Union Station en route to NY. Love that universe. SO I bought it- will let you know how it goes.

I had two very lovely days of meetings in New York- aside from the really smart people and the learning, one of my favorite things about that city is the food. Here’s a few snaps from lunch at Bistro 60 on the Upper east side:

Yummmmmmm.

My Lemon Tart

These are my ordering rules:
If a restaurant has Steak Frittes, I get it. Always. Done and done.
If a restaurant has lemon tart, I get it.
If a restaurant has bread pudding, I get it.
But wait, you say! What if they have both? That’s the beauty: It’s never happened yet. It’s a rare combo. Now, if someone has lemon bread pudding? I would be beside myself with joy.

I should also note that Magnolia has an exceptional Lemon Bar. I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of their cupcakes, spoiled as I am by CakeLove here in DC, but the Lemon bar? Truly the best I’ve had since my Grandmother passed away.

Something crazy and cool:

Ink 48

My room at the Ink 48 Hotel had a big Japanese soaking tub IN MY ROOM. Yup, just cold chillin next to the bed. It was exceptionally cool, and made one of my life’s new ambitions be a soaking tub in my house.

That was this week- next week is laid back with no travel, and I’m looking forward to maybe getting a little further along in the eternal quest to get “things in order”. As long as I accept that it’s a constant evolution and not a state one actually achieves, I think we’ll be just fine.

What’s your “ultimate luxury” item in a dream house?

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