Postcards from Florida: The pace and the place

In a lovely overlap of vacation time and a work event, Lil E and I have joined my parents in Florida. Last year we landed here in the middle of summer weather. Save for a breeze and some blowing sand, the sun blanketed us for days, making our hours and hours on the beach feel like a million years away from the Chicago winter we'd left behind. Today, it is more like an early spring here, with the sun peeking through the chill sporadically.

Still, we made our way to the beach several times, and I am happy to feel the sand and air and just be away from our everyday lives. 

My intent was to take my training runs from the treadmill to the beach.

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Friday shoegasm: It's cold! It's snowing! It's sandal time!

I'm going to stop bitching about the winter weather for seven seconds, not because I've somehow been frostbitten into Zen-ness or have finally chilled out and surrendered to this 9-month season in my city. It's because in a few short days, I will peel off my boots and sweep away the snow to walk in the sand and surf in Florida.

Go ahead, curse me. I can wait. Or, I can order a Bloody Mary at the little seashell-covered hut should your rant at me last more than a few moments.

Honestly, it's not that hot where I'm going. There's pristine views from my parents' condo, where we will be staying, pale-sanded beaches where slow-lapping waves crawl up and back across the tide line. But it's still spring weather in the area where we will be staying. So, there's that.

I don't care if it is 70-degrees or 50-degrees or 1,043-degrees, this shameless shoe whore will be wearing sandals. As I say goodbye to knee-highs and tall boots for some glorious time far away, I think it is a good opportunity for all of us to prepare for the sunshine -- whenever it comes to us or we seek it out.

Here are four not-so-spendy pairs of casual sandals I'm loving this not-yet-summer.

I rarely wear flats, but these patent t-straps adorned with bold flowers are so sassy, that I'd be willing to take it down a notch (in my case, a 4-1/2-inch notch) to pair these with my favorite floaty, flirty dresses. These are by Diba and $49 in red, white and black (but, sweetnesses, I demand you get the red).

Beaches, boating and lazing around on the deck of a boat or just your apartment requires flips. But I am so not down with those nasty kind that rub the insides of your toesies raw and have spots worn down to the width of notebook paper and are missing chunks from the soles. Shudder. I vote for a cute pair that won't dress down your good-ass jeans and will do that snazzy pedicure justice. These peacock tattooed and gold flips will do perfectly, thank you. And only $15.99 on sale, even better! Havaianas makes these and I must have them.

Last year, I spent what very well could have been entirely too much on a pair of sandals and justified that by wearing them pretty much every day from June through October. I love them and because they are wedges, most of those days they loved me back. I will certainly continue to justify their cost, but I will also be adding another pair of wedges to my feet -- and on off-days, to the floor of my closet. I choose these pewter leather wedges that are very high, a little shimmery, and will jooj up jeans and ta-ta tees and cotton dresses. Never mind that they are from Victoria's Secret (shhh, our secret) but revel in their itty bitty $29 price tag.

I love sandals that really, truly can dress up an everyday outfit and stay on your feet while you slide on a sessy little something for dinner out. These strappy, stacked sandals in sunset colors by Madden Girl do it for me. Overstock has them for just over thirty bucks.

I bet if we all concentrate reeeeaaaallllly hard and order a pair of fabulous sandals at the very same time, we will cause a spontaneous burst of summer to overtake the city. What do you say? Are you in?

If none of those were quite edgy enough for you, why not get intergalactic with this pair (oh dear mother of Anakin) I swear were stripped right off of Chewbacca and placed upon a much more silicone-y and undernourished model. If these do it for you (no! no! no!) and can keep up with your summer activities or (something), spend a bit more ($109) and knock yourself out (I guess).

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How about a little spontaneous family fun?

This week, Lil E and I hit the ice. OK, so we hit the seats a few rows above the ice.

This was our fifth Disney on Ice show, in part because we were generously given complimentary tickets (including to this performance). Each time, my favorite moment is when the lights go down and the kids' jaws drop.

A few evenings ago, we took one of Lil E's princess-loving friends and her mama with us to see "Let's Celebrate!", the Disney on Ice show now on tour. Together, the two of them can sing every single lyric of every Disney song blared through the speakers while the skaters do lifts in shimmery gowns and sequined cumberbunds below. Although Lil E has only seen a few Disney movies -- primarily the ones with back-talking cars and toy superheroes and aliens -- he still sits and watches with the same awe as his friend.

Scene after scene, the characters from popular movies ice danced in celebration of holidays and special events. In each, Lil E's adorable lady-friend leaned over and whispered to him who each princess was with a "That's Ariel!" or "That's Snow White!" He'd nod and raise his eyebrows in appreciation, never looking away from the ice.

I think they both gasped a little when Tiana, the main character in "The Princess and the Frog", a movie that made me glad to see an ambitious young woman of color finally at the center of a Disney story. The music from the movie was just as delightful as it was on the big screen, and kids were so funny, dancing in their seats.

We had to have a follow-up conversation about the parts in the show when Minnie referred to "every princess needing her prince" and Lil E's friend's mama and I laughed about hoping to one day take our kids to Disney On Ice's "PRIDE! PARADE!" performance. I pray I offer up the balance every day in our house. Still, I can't deny that, out there in that rink, something special lights up for my boy.

It was a big production, but the best show was watching these two little ones so entranced with everything they saw gliding and glittering across the ice.

We're sure to have one more frigid February weekend, so if you are looking for a few hours of family fun, I really do recommend you consider watching your kiddos watch Disney on Ice.

Tickets aren't spendy, especially when you use this coupon code just for Sassafrass readers:

Simply type in the code MOM in the MC Promotion box on www.ticketmaster.com. You'll get the special pricing of 4 tickets for $44 good for weekday shows (Monday through Thursday and Friday matinee) and $4 off on the weekend shows (Friday night through Sunday). 

There are only a few days left in Chicago, so jump on the deal or use it in your own town.

And psst...I also recommend packing up snacks, water and juice boxes to save some cash on giant sodas and salty pretzels. If you can convince your kids that all those light up toys from shows past are still awesomely cool, by all means, dig them up.

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