You have to wonder who came up with the brilliant idea of windows built into our front entrance doors.  Oh, I know the sun is lovely, the light so welcome, and the sunbeams so…wait a minute, how the hell am I supposed to pretend I’m not home?  

This isn’t meant to be an admission of my closet antisocial qualities or my unwillingness to engage with those who choose to drop by unannounced. (Although admittedly, there are teeny shreds of both deep down somewhere.  Seriously, who are you people and would it hurt you to call…oops, sorry, email or text first?)  No, this is simply accepting a fact of our household…we really, really like to dress down when we are home for the day.  And I mean dress down.

In fact, knock on our door late Sunday morning, you’re likely to find us all still in our pajamas.  Heck, Sunday afternoon you might find the same thing.   My five year old son is already a huge fan of “pj’s and bedhead all day” on Sunday.  He will actually get out of his pajamas and choose something new…perhaps a fleece pair with penguins printed all over?  Perfect.  And that rooster tail he’s sporting?  Just completes the look in our minds.  

Now this doesn’t mean I go wandering the neighbourhood in my jammies.  I actually do a pretty good job of pulling myself together when I go out: I can usually manage jeans and a blazer, maybe boots or sandals depending on the season.  At the very least, I’ll grab a bright hoodie and cute sneakers.  And yes, I wear makeup when I leave the house.  I fake it with the best.  But I’ve lost count of the times someone has knocked on our door at 5pm and found even my husband in his pj’s.  

A friend once had her mom make all of us matching pajama pants…in the most outrageous bright orange flannel with, I’m not even kidding, glow in the dark googly eyes all over them.  We wore them until they were no longer wearable.  To this day if I leave my walk-in closet light on any length of time, it’s certain later I’ll be greeted with little eyes glowing from a random shelf.

It’s just our thing.  We’re happier in our jams.  And it’s funny, our favourite people to be around are those who have stayed over and hung out in their pajamas with us.  We like people to join in and be comfortable.

So go ahead.  I dare you.  Try knocking on our door unannounced.  I’ll try to remember to answer “Ah simply can’t open the door right now!  Ah’m not dressed!” and try to sound like a proper Southern lady caught in her unmentionables…but really, you know I’m wearing pink pajama pants that say “cute”, “bff”, “spaz” and “sweet” all over them like I’m fourteen.  

Maybe you might want to be careful, lest you get more than you bargained for. Besides, I’d rather you not disturb me; I’m busy shopping online for a new door – with a frosted window.

See ya ‘round the flannel aisle.

This piece was originally published by The Yummy Mummy Club, a great website created by Erica Ehm.  It’s a true resource for moms (and dads):  articles, blogs, contests and ways to connect with other yummy mummies (and delicious daddies)! 

http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/pajama_party_jen_taylor

Welcome to round two of the little game I’m calling Mystery Food.  Maybe you saw my last post where I started this little theme – if not, you can read it here.  And if you don’t happen to think reading labels is worthwhile, someday I’ll tell you about the beef shepherd’s pie I once bought that had chicken fat in the ingredient list.  I kid you not.  After I threw up a little in my mouth, I swore I’d never buy it again.  Shudder. 

Today we have a little something that I will blame the boys for buying, but admit that I ate my fair share of it as well.  Then I checked the label and kicked myself. 

(And no, at this point I don’t think I’m going to be revealing the actual names of the items in question…the whole point is to ridicule the junk that goes into some of this stuff, not call out one company in particular.  Also, I want you to start checking labels in your house too.  So if it freaks you out, let it.  Then go read some labels and eat a piece of fruit.  We’ll both feel better.)

“Ingredients:  Icing sugar, sugar, wheat flour, water, hydrogenated vegetable oil shortening (canola and cottonseed), vegetable oil (palm kernel, canola), liquid egg white, liquid whole egg, glucose (contains sulphites), modified milk ingredients, cocoa powder, modified cornstarch, salt, mono- and diglycerides, artificial flavours, soy flour, dried egg-white, soy lecithin, sorbitan tristearate, tartaric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, propylene glycol monoesters, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium aluminum phosphate, citric acid, bakers yeast.” 

Fascinating.  I am happy to see my old friend “propylene glycol monoesters” again – or actually, wait a minute, I never did figure out what that is.  Scratch that, I don’t think that one is friendly after all.  What about artificial flavours?  Mmm.  Sounds tantalizing.  And let’s see…I know what sodium bicarbonate is…but what is sodium acid pyrophosphate?  Oh, the mysteries abound. 

A tip?  Read the label before you buy an item.  And definitely before you eat it.