Crewcuts

I don't have kids, but J.Crew feels the need to keep me in the loop on their textile offerings for the little ones. Their e-mails are always so cool-looking that I never opted out.

This morning I got a picture of a neat bespectacled kid. Isn't this fun?

A True Food Fight

Have you seen this show yet? It's The Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver, and he's come to America to change the way we eat and think about food.

It sounds gimmicky, I know, but it's really good. He went to Huntington, Virginia, which is (by some reports) the least healthy city in the US. So far (over about four episodes) he's tangled with a hard-nosed local radio jockey, fought with down-home lunch ladies (hint: they don't like that term), and headed up a flash mob of cookin' fools. It's a lot of fun, but it's also frustrating (pizza is healthier than roasted chicken and vegetables, according to public school regulations) and inspirational (an overweight teenager who only had three years to live has decided to change her lifestyle).

Jamie's not crazy. He doesn't propose super-expensive or extensive ingredients or cooking techniques. He simply suggests cooking--not reheating, not buying fast food, not devouring packages of processed food. It makes sense, and he has a way of making it look really easy.

The only downside to this show is that it comes on Friday nights at 9/8 Central. This is not usually a problem for me, but I don't think it's found the audience it deserves. I recommend setting a DVR session or visiting abc.com.

Confusion Never Stops...

...closing walls and ticking clocks.

Do you ever just feel like there's not enough time in the day? It seems like as soon as I cross the threshold and eat a bite for dinner, it's already past my imaginary bedtime. Then I find myself trolling e-tailers for new computers, new TVs, artwork, sheet sets. I don't even need most of that stuff. But we've already discussed needs vs. wants, I think.

I hope you're having a good April so far. Maybe in the next few days I will get some more fun posts together. Thanks for checking in with me. I really do appreciate it.

What Brown Did For Me

A few weeks ago I saw this awesome-looking book being terribly overpriced in Williams Sonoma. The pictures were enticing, but the amount on the sticker gave me that sinking feeling. But lo. The publisher's emblem on the spine? Delicious specs from Chronicle Books.

Are you familiar? You should be. It's a great publisher that sells all sorts of books and cool gift/stationery items to all sorts of stores and websites, but their own site is so much cheaper. Plus, if you sign up for their updates, you get seasonal sale notices. To wit, 30% off everything plus free shipping.

Yes, please. I'm so glad the first quarter is over. My order was delivered tonight.

A Decent Drama? On NBC?

I know. It's been quite the shake-up over at NBC, what with Jay and Conan playing a little (unnecessary) game of musical comfy chairs. ER was leaving, but then Southland gave a glimmer of hope for a decent drama. But nope. It was deemed too gritty. (See local listings for TNT.)

It was looking bleak for the Peacock (except for that Thursday night line-up that is once again relevant) until they began airing Parenthood. I love it and endorse it.

The cast: Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Craig T. Nelson, and several others that you've seen but probably don't remember where.

The plot: The Braverman crew is made up of two sons, two daughters, their children and significant others, and the wise and funny grandparents. They're trying to navigate the modern world while keeping their family ties close. It's dramatic (fidelity, learning disabilities, broken homes) but also funny (old boyfriends, teenagers in love, desperate parents).

Sound familiar? Maybe so. It's based on the 1989 Steve Martin movie by the same name, but several things are different this time around. (That movie is also quite good, all things considered.) The show airs on NBC on Tuesdays at 9 CST.

More Nouveau Prep

Remember my earlier post about this sudden resurgence of prep-aration? Here is Lands' End's take. It's a new line called Canvas, and it's pretty basic but also reasonably priced. Again, it's the classics but with a more modern fit, which I think is a great concept.

What do you think?

JK, JK...

Ok, so it's April Fool's Day. That must be the explanation for how it's, well, April already. Or how my beloved winter seemed to vanish overnight. Or how I can try so hard at work and still feel completely defeated. Ha. Ha.

Monthends are usually a little crazy where I work, but this time around has been especially heinous. Instead of a list this month, how about a friendly reminder? Please be good lil' consumers and users of products. If you're dealing with someone in a customer service-type situation, whether it's in person or over the phone, remember that they're people, too. That's not to say that all of us customer service folks are friendly. If they're rude from the outset, that's another story. But you know what I mean. :)

Have a good April.