Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

A humid, sticky, crud-ridden land of dinginess lurks beneath my kitchen sink, so conditions are ripe for angry creatures to form in the space between the trashcan and the dish soap. For this reason, I’m not going under the sink alone to fix an urgent leak. I’m taking Nate and Alex with me. It seems… Continue reading Conquering a Kitchen Sink Leak and Other Beasts

In the crowded hallways of a new planet, a male subject, age 15 approaches a group of females his age. (The male subject happens to be this researcher’s son, Alex.) The female subjects he approaches appear to be outgoing, intelligent, attractive, and funny. Alex: So, how’s your day going? Female Group Leader: Oh, my gosh!… Continue reading High School “Planet” Dance Notes: Tips for Survival

“Hold my beer; I’m going to Zumba®,” I tell Nate before driving to L.A. Fitness to take a very, very public Zumba® class. (Why do group exercise rooms in gyms have glass walls? Why?) No, this isn’t my first Zumba® rodeo. Back in 2002, I attempted to samba and salsa some post-delivery baby weight away… Continue reading I Just Zumba’d!

The bow-on-the-butt-ship has long since sailed for me, but it’s trying really hard to make a comeback in various stores. At least, that’s the conclusion I’ve reached after shopping all last weekend. It could be that outfits with large bows and crazy dart-like patterns that somehow emphasize the nipples, really aren’t in style. They just… Continue reading Shop, Drop, and Roll: Clothing Sales and Cautionary Tales

If inspiring nuggets of wisdom can truly nestle into acts of “zoodling around” and “Prancercising,” then it’s with great humility that Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks accepts the Mystery Blogger Award nomination. Thank you, North Liza Lane—a truly inspiring blog absolutely full of gorgeous artwork and talent! This award is “for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts.… Continue reading Mystery Blogger Award

“Oodles of ‘zoodles’ come out the other end when I do this!” I shouted at Nate and Alex, when they came home from a swim meet Saturday night. Nate bought me a “spiralizer” for my birthday and I was using it to shove chunks of zucchini into the machine. That zucchini was then transformed into… Continue reading Zoodling Around and a Pad Thai Recipe

A bang up, rocking New Year’s Eve family blow out must include a “hold-onto-the-seat-of-your-pants” line up of high-octane fun. Reckless snoozing runs rampant on the eve before the new year and we wanted to do our part to avoid going down this slippery slope.  Since it was just the three of us—and the cat—we had… Continue reading Stay-Up-‘Til-Midnight New Year’s Party: Recipes, Predictions, and a Neighborhood Watch Stint

Eggshell carcasses and other culinary casualties dressed as menacing presents harassed me in my nightmares all last week as I charged my way to Christmas. I almost made a stop long enough to board the Good Ship Seasick, but I pulled myself together in a stellar display of “crazy holiday mom” who attempts to impress… Continue reading DIY Fits and Feats of Christmas: Wrap-Up (With Recipes and Links)

While dizzy and disoriented from all the holiday lights and spirited drinks that seem to pounce at me from every corner this time of year, I did something I knew I could have regretted: I watched mindless Youtube videos. However, I happily fell victim to this alluring Prancercise segment. In it, Joanna Rohrback, demonstrates steps she… Continue reading Festive, “Prancy” Pants

“Do not go in there, Dad. Mom’s a huge mess,” I hear Alex say from outside my home office door. “Oh! Oh, no! She’s watching that movie—the sad Christmas one.” “Yep.” “I’ll go check on her, “ I hear Nate say. When he knocks on the door and enters, the culminating scene from the movie… Continue reading Pageant-In-A-Box: Create Your Own Theatrical Holiday Memories