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Finding a New Living Room

This picture really has nothing to do with today’s post…I just wanted to show off Charlie’s mad stacking skills. Do you see the concentration? Maybe I’ve got a budding architect on my hands…who will grow someday into a wildly rich and famous man…who will keep his mommy and daddy in steady supply of fancy coffee and expensive frisbees for the rest of our days…on our own, personal tropical island.

Anyway, on with the post.

After I became a mom, I became somewhat of a hermit.

I don’t know if this happens to other moms, or if it was just my particular situation…either way, I got pretty lazy in the social department.
It’s just so much easier to stay home and talk to the people you talk to every day. You don’t have to put any effort into trying to get to know someone new…you don’t have to wonder what they’re thinking and if they like you…and you already know all the little things that they like or find offensive.

I’m not saying it’s the right way to live…it’s just easier.

With this move to Omaha, it was pretty tempting to stay isolated…and I did, for the first couple of weeks. I’m very nervous about driving in big towns, and Omaha’s big enough to scare me inside. After a Charlie appointment in which I had to just suck it up and drive, however, I started to feel a little better about it.
I’ve got friends here, but only a couple of them are home during the daytime..and I can’t hang out with them every single day.

So I branched out. I kind of can’t believe I did it, but I did. I got on Momaha.com and organized a blogging group…filled with women I’ve never even met. Our first meeting is this Thursday, and I’ll admit, I’m totally nervous about it.
I’ve started having coffee with someone who’s an extended part of my family, and realizing I’ve got a lot in common with her.
I met a new mom through Momaha, and we’ve actually met for a playdate…and are hopefully meeting up for another one next week. She’s actually got a blog, too.

So, from simply taking a few social jumps, I’ve found a potentially huge source of friendship and support, as well as a fellow mom to talk about parenting, blogging, and having degrees in the Arts.

I’ve even actually been going out for drinks on Thursdays with my husband’s cousin…who I don’t really even think of as “my husband’s cousin” anymore. She’s my friend.

This post isn’t terribly eventful, but I’ve noticed I’ve been doing a little more blog-ranting than is normal. Paul being in school again is stressful, and it’s easy to focus on what is frustrating me. It’s a little more difficult (for some ridiculous reason) to stop and count my blessings…and this is a big one:

In all of the chaos, I’m actually discovering a little balance.

My social life is a part of me that I’ve been neglecting…out of laziness. “Having a kid” wasn’t a very good excuse, either. There are plenty of moms out there who would love to sit in a living room, drink coffee, and do nothing more than chat while their kids play. I just needed to get off my butt and find a new living room.

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Movin’ On Up

So, shortly after I post about co-sleeping, the Bonk family goes and buys a toddler mattress.

We’re going to take this slowly and see how it goes. We’ve got the mattress on our bedroom floor, next to our king size, and we’re going to just keep it there till Charlie starts sleeping on it through the night.

It’s not like Paul and I are jumping up and down with excitement to get Charlie out of our bed…but it’s starting to feel like it’s time. If Charlie goes to sleep at 9:30, and we crawl into bed at 11:00, I can tell we’re disrupting his sleep a little bit. He doesn’t usually wake up or anything, but I know we’ve disturbed him.

I’ve got some pretty mixed feelings on this whole situation. Do you know what it’s like to only have two people sleeping in a king size bed? It’s like swimming in a glorious sea of cotton, close enough to the love of your life that you can touch him if you want, but being able to float there, spread-eagled, all night long. Pretty awesome.

But then there’s my poor little heart. If Charlie starts sleeping in his own bed…then that surely must mean he’s growing up…but that’s not supposed to happen, right? He’s supposed to stay little enough to fit on my lap forever…right? He’s always supposed to give me kisses after he gets in trouble, and dance around me in circles when he hears music he likes…

Right?

Ugh, anyway, Charlie actually made it to 5 am before he rolled off his bed and woke up. That’s a pretty big deal. The nights before that he only made it to about 2 or 3. This might happen more quickly than I thought.

Then again, it might not. Either way I’m going to try to go with the flow.

I know I’ve got mom-friends out there… Do you guys have big-kid bed stories for me?

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The Local Awesome: Salon Muse

As most of you might know, we moved to Omaha about a month ago. It’s a little overwhelming, but I think once I get the hang of driving here, I’m going to be pretty pumped about all of the things Omaha has to offer. There are more restaurants, stores, bars, and parks than I know what to do with. There’s one thing, however, that will have me driving back to Lincoln every time.

A haircut.

I’m not one who has a history of being loyal to a salon. I’m never too concerned about getting the same stylist every time, and as long as I’m not crying when I leave, I’m pretty happy. So what salon could possibly have me driving an hour out of my way? That’s easy.  Salon Muse.

Here’s the thing with salons and me. I hate walking in, looking around, and feeling like a total hair-idiot. You know what I’m talking about, right? The, “Oh, here’s my four o’clock, looking like a possum decided to die on her head. Sweeeeeeet.” look. I hate that look. Then there’s the, “What could I possibly talk to this hair-noob about? I’ll just ask about her bratty kids, I guess.” small talk. I hate that, too. It all makes me feel the way I did when I peed my pants in front of the class in 3rd grade. A total idiot.

Here’s the thing with Salon Muse and me. I walk in, get greeted like a favorite cousin, sit down, get a rockin’ haircut, and have an actual, interesting conversation with the girl cutting my hair. That, to me, is worth its weight in gravy. Gravy is much more important to me than gold.

I got to sit down (well, continue sitting down, as I had foils in my hair) with Angela Kazas (she’s on the left in the yellow), the owner, to ask her my usual questions.

What do you love about what you do?
You’re always making someone feel good about themselves, and keeping up with the latest trends. It’s kind of one of the simple pleasures of making someone feel good about themselves without having to do (in your mind) too much.

What makes Lincoln the perfect place for Salon Muse?
Clients are very loyal here. We’re a family-friendly business, and people in Lincoln are friendly, so they appreciate that.

Do you have anything coming up that you’re excited about?
We’re constantly going to shows that keep us up to speed. We’ve got a show in Omaha coming up about keratin treatments…it’s a way to straighten hair without using chemicals.

In case you were wondering, Angela’s spectacular. But don’t just take my word for it…I’ve got pictures.

This is me (and the possum, but nobody said anything).

This is me after Angela cut my hair (she got rid of the possum and humanely released it back into the wild).

This is me (sorry for the super-crappy picture quality) after she put in some fabulous auburn low-lights. I used to dye my hair every other week in college. After about 2 years of NODYE AT ALL, I was a little scared…can you believe that? Lauren (formerly Blessing) Bonk, afraid of hair dye!?

Here’s a close-up of said low-lights.

Something you should know: Angela is awesome. But, she’s got other girls working there who are equally as awesome. I’ve had my hair cut by these fine ladies, as well, and left the place practically whistling (whistling…think about gravy…either way I was happy).

Why is this? Because one of the main priorities at Salon Muse is quality. Angela puts a lot of thought into the people she hires, the products she uses, and the environment in which she works. The place is always clean and the stylists are expected to be friendly and welcoming. This all can be traced back to how she was raised in both business and family. (And speaking of family, have you met her brothers?)

I’m telling you, friends, this is the place to take your mane. Not convinced? You should just give it a try. In fact, if you mention this blog post, Angela’s offering %25 off your first service with Jessie or Ashley…pretty sweet, right?

If you go, please take pictures and share them with me! That would make my day!