Martha May Be On to Something

I’m not gonna lie, people. It’s been a crummy couple of weeks. Not Miles-wise. He’s great. Cracks me up on a daily basis. Except when he’s throwing a tantrum over not being able to watch “Cars” for the 50 bazillionth time. But all the adult stuff—job stress, long commutes, unexpected bills, the flooded basement—has been blecchhh. So to cheer myself up, I decided to make a list of the good things that are going on.

Do I feel like Martha Stewart without the starched sheets and homemade apple tarts? A little. (BTW, have any of you seen this show called “Whatever, Martha”? I was channel-surfing one night and came across it. Here’s the concept: Martha’s real-life daughter and her friend sit around making fun of video clips from the Martha Stewart Show. That’s it. The whole show. Who greenlighted this thing? And why would Martha agree to it? Bizarre. Yet kind of funny and a little bit addictive. Moving on…)

So back to my good things. Drumroll, please. And here they are:

* Both C. and I found money on the ground last week. Just a few bucks, but enough to cover dinner at Chipotle.

* We got 2 unexpected checks in the mail.

* I got a very lucrative assignment from a new client.

* Some other fun stuff came in the mail, including a jacket and book for Miles, some interesting newspaper articles from my mom, and several new magazines, one including my byline.

* I realized you can check out magazines from the library. Considering I loooove me some magazines, but that 4 or 5 cost the same as a hardcover book and don’t last nearly as long, this was a thrilling discovery.

* I remembered to record the season premiere of “Lipstick Jungle” and found time to watch it. I have to say, I really like Brooke Shields. Maybe since I read her book Down Came the Rain but also in interviews, she seems like a real mom and down to earth person. Call me, Brooke!

* I made an entire Sunday meal including a main course, salad and bread, and the whole family sat down at the table and ate it together. Miles not only ate the salad but asked for SECONDS.

* I went to the new Sephora store near us and got my makeup done. Since I have lately been feeling fat and gross and pregnant, this gave me a much-needed boost. Never mind that I walked out $135 poorer. I looked hot; It was worth it. The fact that my new dark purple—yes, purple!—eyeliner is called “Rockstar” doesn’t hurt.

Once I got started, I kept thinking of more and more good things. I read an article in one of my magazines that said by noticing the good stuff in your life more, you actually create more of it than when you just focus on the bad. Makes sense, I guess. Plus it’s a lot more fun to admire my new makeup than to obsess about what’s causing the funky smell in the laundry room, that’s for sure.

PICK O’ THE WEEK: I am loving the new Jem album, “Down to Earth,” I downloaded from iTunes. You can download a free song here.

READ O’ THE WEEK: I really enjoyed this unpredictable story of a happy SAHM who reluctantly goes back to work: Piece of Work by Laura Zigman.