Today's Quest

Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts like patches. In Cub Scouts, the boys complete achievements and electives specific to their age groups. They get plastic beads for those. They can also earn belt loops and pins for "extra" personal achievements over the years. When they participate in group activities like camping, pinewood derbies, fundraisers, banquets, etc, they get... patches. Oooooh.

Well of course they have to have a place to put all these patches and that means moms have to sew them onto something or pay someone 80 cents per patch to sew them onto something. That's when they get the... red felt vest.

It's something special, isn't it? 

Each of my older boys has one. One is sort of out of commission because there's no really good way to clean a felt vest and there was a very unfortunately incident many many months ago with a stomach virus and a red vest and I haven't figured out how to get it back in wearable condition again. You're welcome for the sharing. I'm a Mom. The title at the top and the picture of the three adorable kids should've been sufficient warning that this could come up at some point. So to speak.

Well now that DDoc has drunk the Kool-Aid, we're doing more and more leader stuff. And the scouts don't limit patches to just the boys. If patches are good for the kids, they're great for the adults. Last month, as part of DDoc's Special Projects, a number of leaders (PerkyMommy included,) attended a CPR/First-Aid training that DDoc coordinated for our Pack. DDoc really wanted to find us something special to thank us for our participation and so he thought of patches.

A patch.

Uhm, ok. A patch.

What am I going to do with a patch? I mean, ok, the sentiment is nice, thank you for thinking of us, dear, but a patch? I'm not wearing a red felt vest. Really. Yes, I've worn Merrell Jungle Moc shoes to the scorn of much more fashionable women than myself, and if I ever get stopped at the store and asked how would I describe my personal style I will probably say, "Well, I'm a Mom, but Stacy and Clinton, there are some things I REFUSE to let you throw away and Nick can color and cut my hair but NOT too short, pretty please."

But a girl does have to have SOME standards and as a regular customer of Ann Taylor Loft and Talbots, I draw the line at Felt Vests.

Apparently, I'm not the only one because DDoc said that leaders wear red jackets and immediately I could picture leaders at events wearing red nylon windbreakers covered in patches. 

Should we open up a bank account to start saving for an RV now or what? Yes, I know, I enjoy camping. I'll stop being snarky.

I happen to appreciate the comfort of a knit cardigan, also more commonly known as a zippered hoodie or a sweatshirt. But if Ann Tayler made one, it would be called a knit cardigan and you totally know I'm right, so I'm sticking with that.

Shopping In Style... Keep reading, it all comes together in the end.

Today the big boys and I visited my favorite boutique, Le Tarjay. Mr. Genius has a gift card from his birthday to spend, so he was looking for a stack of cards (he's really into making a card tower right now because he saw it on a television show,) and a new Rummikub set (one of the best games ever,) to replace the one we have with several missing tiles. 

I've recently discovered the CrockPot Lady, who is officially a genius and has inspired me to amazing possibilities and a renewed motivation to attempt to be a better mother and wife with more regular homecooked meals. My 6-quart CrockPot died over a year ago and I have a 4-quart CrockPot so I felt guilty just replacing it without needing one. Well the other day I decided to invent a new chili recipe and today the local fresh specialty market had every apple known to man on sale for 88cents a pound, so I had to use the 4-quart to make applesauce and now I need to have a 6-quart for chili. (I will use it for other things, too. Don't worry.) I poked around the internet for a 1.5-quart CrockPot because CrockPot Lady has done amazing things with hers, and they all seemed to be around $12 - $20.

Wouldn't you know it Le Tarjay had just what I needed? The regular, simple 5.5-quart CrockPot with low-high-warm settings came with a free little dipper and on the top shelf, no kidding, there was a 1.5-quart "slow cooker" for 9 bucks. Get Out! That's right, I came home with three CrockPots. (Ok, two CPs and one "slow cooker" because technically it's not Rival.) That's a good day at Le Tarjay right there and every mom on earth is nodding her head right now saying "That's right, sister." Bet me. (Hey, did you know you can make Rice Krispies/Cocoa Pebbles Treats in a CrockPot? She's a genius.)

But Le Tarjay is not just toys and delightful kitchen accessories, it is also a clothing boutique. SweetButSneaky needed some jeans so we quickly went to the children's boutique department. Every year during the cooler seasons, Le Tarjay has a delightful display of Hanes sweatpants and tops for the kids. I love it because the go on sale at some point and I stock up. My kids love pants with elastic waists. They will tolerate snaps and zippers on jeans but they really love an elastic waist. And let's face it: sweats are comfy. The really swell thing is that Captain Stubborn is still little enough that instead of buying "XS" I can go over to the baby and toddler department and pick up the ever so delightful size "5T" for a couple of bucks less. (Children's Place, my other favorite children's boutique, stops at size 4T and may I just say that's really annoying?)

Now, SBS's favorite color is red and as we left the big boy department, his eyes fell upon a red knit cardigan in his size and his face lit up. The heavens opened up and his eyes tripled in size as he gazed upon me with that puss-in-boots wide brown eyed pout. How could I say no to that? 

But, more importantly, where does Le Tarjay have a red knit cardigan in PerkyMommy sizes?

Did you know that the Ladies' Boutique at Le Tarjay does not carry red knit cardigans by Hanes? It's true. But let's face it - we're talking about a jacket to show off patches. Do I really need to be particular here? No, of course not. If I can wear a red knit cardigan - and I think we we can agree, I'll make it look Good, or at the very least, Cute and Perky - I can wear one from the Men's Boutique and only Stacy London would know without looking at the label. Ok, maybe a few others would, too.

There are some times that I do not enjoy living in my community. My mother has multiple Trader Joe's locations within minutes of her home. She has two gourmet grocery stores within 10 minutes of her home, both from the same chain no less. She has Noah's bagels, numerous Coffee Bean and Tea Leafs, and ethnic restaurants and grocery stores galore. She can even get imported dulce de leche and freshly made empanadas at an Argentine deli mere minutes from her home. Le sigh.

But me?

I have four Le Tarjays within 10 minutes of MY home.

Yes, seriously, I do. So when the lady at my nearest Le Tarjay could not find any red knit cardigans in the appropriate size in the back room of the store, I did not panic.

The big boys and I came home. We washed out my new 5.5-quart CrockPot. I sauteed onions, browned two varieties of ground meat and I set up my new chili invention. I'm hoping the almost two bottles of Newcastle give it a nice flavor like the chili I had at BJ's last weekend. The big boys and I picked up CS at preschool and headed to Le Tarjay #2 where I grabbed the very last red knit cardigan they had in the size I needed. 

And because Le Tarjay is not just a Toy Boutique and a Kitchen Boutique and a Clothing Boutique but a Pharmacological and a Food Shoppe, we picked up some Le Tarjay brand of real pseudaphedrine and a variety of flavors of Goldfish crackers for good measure.

Thank goodness for my good friend Google - YouTube did not have the video I was looking for but AOL Video did. All afternoon long I've had Adam Sandler, Kevin Nealon and assorted celebrities in cameo rolls stuck in my head. Go ahead and click play, even you girls can because it's not You Tube! Travel with me now...

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