tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2469544886434933362024-03-14T13:21:39.016-04:00Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.comBlogger619125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-87895301867454483022014-12-31T21:25:00.001-05:002014-12-31T21:25:24.495-05:00Reading Log 2014I was just looking over my list of books for this year and comparing it to the previous two years. I shouldn't be surprised that I have read more books this year, but I actually was <i>and</i> goodreads.com tells me that I'm an "overachiever," which kind of nice. This year, I had set a goal on there to read 60 books, and I completed 66! (I thought about just linking that list for a super-lazy blog post, but I'm currently thinking that I need to get back to writing more... so here goes.)<br />
<br />
Here are some random facts that have to do with the books I read this year:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>My only actual resolution for this year was to read <i>more</i> classics. I intentionally phrased the goal that way so that I couldn't fail! I went from reading zero classic literature in recent years to 5 classics this year. Also, I learned an important lesson: There's a reason I wasn't previously reading this stuff. I sort of hate it! Hence, I went back to reading what I want, largely chick lit and murder mysteries, for which I will make no apologies. Read what you like!</li>
<li>My new favorite author is Meg Cabot. I started reading Meg Cabot this year because goodreads suggested her, and it was so right on. I love her sense of humor and her voice.</li>
<li>After having read most every adult novel by Meg Cabot that I could get my hands on, I moved on to her teen books. These are fun, too, and very satisfying if you want a quick read and something a bit lighter than those dreary classics that some people claim that you must read. (Again, I suggest that you read what you like!!)</li>
<li>Fun fact: I just recently read <i>The Princess Diaries</i> by Meg Cabot (see above), and you might be interested to know that this is actually where my daughter's name came from. (Although, it was from the movie, since I hadn't read the book at the time. Also, the book is, of course, better.)</li>
<li>Most of the other books I read were chosen because I liked the titles or the art on the spine (lots of cupcakes and that sort of thing drew my attention). </li>
<li>However, one recurring theme, which I don't know if I selected intentionally or not was relationships of women with other women, specifically sisters. While I do not have sisters, I do have sisters-in-law (one new just this year!). Anyway, the main thing that struck me is that I've been having conflicts with other women in recent months (not the sisters-in-law, thankfully!), so I can't help but wonder if my mind was trying to problem-solve for me.</li>
<li>This year, I read my first e-book, <i>Insatiable</i> by Meg Cabot. It was the first of several e-books I have now read (most of which were also by Meg Cabot).</li>
<li>I also listened to my first audiobook, <i>The Matchmaker</i> by Elin Hilderbrand. I won this from the library, and I thought it would be cool to listen to a book while making a trip Up North with the kids, minus Brett. My thought was they were ready to listen to their DVDs with headphones, so I would be safe to listen to an adult book. And I was wrong. They weren't all that keen to keep headphones on for that long, and this was definitely not a good book for their little ears to hear snippets of. It took me at least another couple of <i>weeks</i> following that trip (possibly longer, I don't exactly remember the details, just that it was tedious for me) to finish listening to this book whenever they were not in the car with me (which I am sure you can guess, wasn't all that frequently). </li>
<li>Lastly, I've also read some really powerful non-fiction works this go-round, so let me know if you'd care to chat about any of those. </li>
</ul>
<br />
On second thought, here's that link -- just in case I've already bored you and you don't want to read the following list of books -- or you just want to view all that cover art that seems to grab my attention when I'm browsing the bookshelves at our local library. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/1346753">https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/1346753</a>)<br />
<ol>
<li><i>The Green Hour: A Daily Dose Nature for Happier, Healthier, Smarter Kids</i> by Todd Christopher</li>
<li><i>The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories</i> by Robert Louis Stevenson</li>
<li><i>Death of a Trophy Wife</i> by Laura Levine</li>
<li><i>The Catcher in the Rye</i> by J.D. Salinger</li>
<li><i>Valentine Murder</i> by Leslie Meier</li>
<li><i>Nineteen Eighty-four</i> by George Orwell</li>
<li><i>Killer Blonde</i> by Laura Levine</li>
<li><i>Killing Bridezilla</i> by Laura Levine</li>
<li><i>Killer Cruise</i> by Laura Levine</li>
<li><i>The PMS Murder</i> by Laura Levine</li>
<li><i>New Year's Eve Murder</i> by Leslie Meier</li>
<li><i>The Hen of the Baskervilles</i> by Donna Andrews</li>
<li><i>Death by Pantyhose</i> by Laura Levine</li>
<li><i>The Time Keeper</i> by Mitch Albom</li>
<li><i>The First Phone Call from Heaven</i> by Mitch Albom</li>
<li><i>The Hobbit</i> by J.R.R. Tolkien</li>
<li><i>Wedding Night</i> by Sophie Kinsella</li>
<li><i>In the Bag</i> by Kate Klise</li>
<li><i>Death of a Neighborhood Witch</i> by Laura Levine</li>
<li><i>Trick or Treat Murder</i> by Leslie Meier</li>
<li><i>Father's Day Murder</i> by Leslie Meier</li>
<li><i>Time of My Life</i> by Allison Winn Scotch</li>
<li><i>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</i> by Mark Twain</li>
<li><i>The Taste of Apple Seeds</i> by Katharina Hagena</li>
<li><i>The One That I Want</i> by Allison Winn Scotch</li>
<li><i>Trains and Lovers</i> by Alexander McCall Smith</li>
<li><i>What Looks Like Crazy</i> by Charlotte Hughes</li>
<li><i>Pie Town</i> by Lynne Hinton</li>
<li><i>Nutcase</i> by Charlotte Hughes</li>
<li><i>High Anxiety</i> by Charlotte Hughes</li>
<li><i>Killing Cupid</i> by Laura Levine</li>
<li><i>The Memory Garden</i> by Laura Rickert</li>
<li><i>Queen of Babble</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Queen of Babble in the Big City</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Queen of Babble Gets Hitched</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>The Glass Kitchen</i> by Linda Francis Lee</li>
<li><i>Twisted Sisters</i> by Jen Lancaster</li>
<li><i>Insatiable</i> by Meg Cabot </li>
<li><i>Overbite</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Size 12 is Not Fat</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Size 14 is Not Fat Either</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Big Boned</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself</i> by Florence Littauer</li>
<li><i>Doing It at the Dixie Dew</i> by Ruth Moose</li>
<li><i>The Right Thing</i> by Amy Conner</li>
<li><i>Here I Go Again</i> by Jen Lancaster</li>
<li><i>Stay</i> by Allie Larkin</li>
<li><i>The Matchmaker</i> by Elin Hilderbrand </li>
<li><i>Thin, Rich, Pretty</i> by Beth Harbison</li>
<li><i>When in Doubt, Add Butter</i> by Beth Harbison</li>
<li><i>Comfort Food</i> by Kate Jacobs</li>
<li><i>Every Boy's Got One</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership</i> by Nancy Ortberg</li>
<li><i>Known & Loved: 52 Devotions from the Psalms</i> by Caryn Rivadeneira</li>
<li><i>The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands</i> by Lysa TerKeurst</li>
<li><i>Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life</i> by Glennon Doyle Melton</li>
<li><i>Avalon High</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Size 12 and Ready to Rock</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>The Princess Diaries</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>All-American Girl</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Boy Meets Girl</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Secret Santa</i> by Fern Michaels (and others)</li>
<li><i>The Bride Wore Size 12</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
<li><i>Christmas Carol Murder</i> by Leslie Meier</li>
<li><i>A Winter Wonderland</i> by Fern Michaels (and others)</li>
<li><i>Princess in the Spotlight</i> by Meg Cabot</li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"There are two stories for every life; the one you live and the one others tell." </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~ Mitch Albom, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The First Phone Call from Heaven</i></div>
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<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-63960168379549535242014-12-31T20:48:00.001-05:002014-12-31T20:48:55.492-05:00December at Our HouseYou can learn so much by listening to children. Here are some great words of wisdom from mine.<br />
<br />
<b>12/2/14</b><br />
M {while eating mashed potatoes}: "You know what my favorite thing about potatoes is? They're healthy! They're a vegetable and they grow in the ground... And so, potato chips are healthy!"<br />
<i>I think her logic, however flawed, would appeal to a lot of folks.</i><br />
<br />
<b>12/5/14</b><br />
M: "Come take his {the elf on the shelf} picture. I can't believe he's always 'cheesing.'"<br />
<i>Yeah, it's almost like his smile is painted on.</i><br />
<br />
<b>12/15/14</b><br />
Brett {said while kids were brushing teeth before bed}: "Hey, that wasn't two minutes, Bud."<br />
L: "Yes, it was because I did it super sonic! That means really fast."<br />
<i>Where does he come up with this stuff?</i><br />
<br />
<b>12/21/14</b><br />
Brett {said to Logan, who is on his back being silly}: "What are you doing to my hair?"<br />
L: "Petting it!"<br />
<i>Obviously.</i><br />
<br />
<b>12/23/14</b><br />
L: "I'm going to tell Mom! She licked my toe that was sticking out of this." {holds up footie pajamas, which on closer inspection, have a hole in the foot}<br />
<i>I don't even know where to begin here.</i><br />
<br />
<b>12/23/14</b><br />
L: "I'm going to play Words with Friends." {goes and gets an old flip phone that he uses as a toy}<br />
Me: "How are you going to do that?"<br />
L: "I just push the thing that gets me there. Then I'll start on the first level and when I'm done with that, I'll go to the next level."<br />
<i>He must have gotten bored with his "game" because he moved on to taking "pictures" with the phone.</i><br />
<i>Next, he figured out that the pull-up antenna made a nice </i>boing <i>sound when he flicked it. This continued for a bit.</i><br />
L: "I'm going to read a book on my phone. Well, actually, I need to make a call."<br />
Me: "Who are you going to call?"<br />
L: "My friend Bitch-it."<br />
<i>You'll be happy to know that </i>Bridget <i>is the name of one of the high school girls who works at his preschool. The question is why I've never heard him mention her before, you know, since she apparently tops the list of people he needs to call.</i><br />
<br />
<b>12/27/14</b><br />
L: "My head is trying to make my eyes be closed-ed."<br />
<i>I hate when that happens.</i><br />
<br />
<b>12/29/14</b><br />
L: "My bottom just sort of whistled like a tea kettle."<br />
<i>Classic. I busted a gut from this one.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Santa's Little Helpers}</span></td></tr>
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<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-5528495789225393522014-12-30T22:54:00.000-05:002014-12-30T22:54:11.458-05:00The Elf on the Shelf: Year 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Admittedly, I wasn't really in the Christmas spirit this year, but I was determined to maintain one of my favorite family traditions! Thankfully, Brett helped me on more than one occasion, either reminding me to move our elf, Coconut E. Butterfly (Coco, for short), or else doing it for me. (Have I mentioned that he's awesome?)</span></div>
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Here's what Coco was up to in 2014. (Remember, he is <i>not</i> a naughty elf, so this is totally family-friendly.) Also, in case you're wondering, he usually makes his return right after Thanksgiving.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4kF_WVYphdTvM5LSDG8y-Q9TlHWPyLfNKGst97KSULbCFOJDAHxn40Puh1uBpaUq669cibvc2f8KtdF8HvhIAr_xCPriHw7GJ44Ftc0HETKYUeKpy6ojUddtdp1bgm5KVskRVgphYMjB/s1600/day+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4kF_WVYphdTvM5LSDG8y-Q9TlHWPyLfNKGst97KSULbCFOJDAHxn40Puh1uBpaUq669cibvc2f8KtdF8HvhIAr_xCPriHw7GJ44Ftc0HETKYUeKpy6ojUddtdp1bgm5KVskRVgphYMjB/s1600/day+1.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 1: Sitting in the arm chair with a note.}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcSoSlrEqYwFTYA8FfNWjsVw4Thtny50JuAAOvRbk7ALQEQCi0pVjUOqL_u_SL0IMH3X-qWJbx4FduW2ztWbHEu2bWYtu4iUMYvoLDMjoilB-XFhAsAHP37Go6B124VZ5MTPwuudcblW-/s1600/day+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcSoSlrEqYwFTYA8FfNWjsVw4Thtny50JuAAOvRbk7ALQEQCi0pVjUOqL_u_SL0IMH3X-qWJbx4FduW2ztWbHEu2bWYtu4iUMYvoLDMjoilB-XFhAsAHP37Go6B124VZ5MTPwuudcblW-/s1600/day+2.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 2: And he's already getting a bit carried away...}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCypbwwV7EJ8Yte2x6AaIU-pKgqIuEusOn1xTEQiFx9pxXaMxkNxsIx9579nuH5Tud1JAEoVzcQqnKYd8NCSZI29k00dPsflUfLaPqnR3M0b9-6jeGbRLRrWpOL80vt8e6qKodvX7qUBTg/s1600/day+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCypbwwV7EJ8Yte2x6AaIU-pKgqIuEusOn1xTEQiFx9pxXaMxkNxsIx9579nuH5Tud1JAEoVzcQqnKYd8NCSZI29k00dPsflUfLaPqnR3M0b9-6jeGbRLRrWpOL80vt8e6qKodvX7qUBTg/s1600/day+3.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 3: Quick! Hide the elf. How about right here on top of the decoration boxes? }</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlG1TkCbi_75yRr7RpQBIzMoag82cIq5pOdiKdguIFv93wCU-SK7EMMCsMcXI7U-KijOweDnCYnXjgnrAAmfVLpX-4zO6Bv-72353XjTCfOlJKiD77S7R7x9H2911TyEY6hpAEqF3go4h/s1600/day+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlG1TkCbi_75yRr7RpQBIzMoag82cIq5pOdiKdguIFv93wCU-SK7EMMCsMcXI7U-KijOweDnCYnXjgnrAAmfVLpX-4zO6Bv-72353XjTCfOlJKiD77S7R7x9H2911TyEY6hpAEqF3go4h/s1600/day+4.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 4: Relaxing after folding all the towels}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTZ5bjZH8_65q2MwITCGW6-ghDeICOXibLfymYyQ28WwSIcm-1Uz2wT7bYrgOq7lyn8vq7Ls3Hid17bHJ0-CyWCVhnuXKxbmm-Qa9Tt_nxV44SHF7AXpgZ5OFzxAzHJ1ZX1EdYcAK6mos/s1600/day+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTZ5bjZH8_65q2MwITCGW6-ghDeICOXibLfymYyQ28WwSIcm-1Uz2wT7bYrgOq7lyn8vq7Ls3Hid17bHJ0-CyWCVhnuXKxbmm-Qa9Tt_nxV44SHF7AXpgZ5OFzxAzHJ1ZX1EdYcAK6mos/s1600/day+5.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 5: I wonder what he was doing on the computer?}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDI0mMC8ADHBouuf3VO40ioWrSkMIrGRHQJG_6JVqw4xMbQ4lEtMLOJDJUUjYcwXonXYY6hQpsEoeLwRED1MYyt4k6_fgD-Trsmg7tNHiY6cCMfBJrjPYAcK76R77m0-BVLzaNR73IXJp/s1600/day+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDI0mMC8ADHBouuf3VO40ioWrSkMIrGRHQJG_6JVqw4xMbQ4lEtMLOJDJUUjYcwXonXYY6hQpsEoeLwRED1MYyt4k6_fgD-Trsmg7tNHiY6cCMfBJrjPYAcK76R77m0-BVLzaNR73IXJp/s1600/day+6.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 6: This silverware drawer is just the right size.}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45RM6geUTieET6AMxz8uRas5r52Ou5fmZSLOpEcV9kGpb6WJplRBKel6mHOfrReu4pIF2kik7DIQ3p3bO77vn1TOooDA8lbsKsJ0dZMZL9jvugffCV3qtnE7gZA_dpN78Bux97SLKcOI1/s1600/day+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45RM6geUTieET6AMxz8uRas5r52Ou5fmZSLOpEcV9kGpb6WJplRBKel6mHOfrReu4pIF2kik7DIQ3p3bO77vn1TOooDA8lbsKsJ0dZMZL9jvugffCV3qtnE7gZA_dpN78Bux97SLKcOI1/s1600/day+7.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 7: Toilet paper is cozier than you might think.}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxoKb1J6OiNsbvlk0PxBBunzPMY15FLcG60FVx-Fd1Qymw-JnepaUaapOENKT1vCoUVNu5AEQD6PsEUzgA2nrJDysjdIYOCJpeCgwMjcyOFZb4Ek3DCjMbVb3ZEfs139xLD_PGgW17FFi/s1600/day+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxoKb1J6OiNsbvlk0PxBBunzPMY15FLcG60FVx-Fd1Qymw-JnepaUaapOENKT1vCoUVNu5AEQD6PsEUzgA2nrJDysjdIYOCJpeCgwMjcyOFZb4Ek3DCjMbVb3ZEfs139xLD_PGgW17FFi/s1600/day+8.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 8: Helping with the dishes}</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKe38JzfUeshNtzBbRMcGJyYJrpWIdl8RQLRK9gm82edWaHFKiH43l2VyQP_C30ymao4Bz_wDCzuycqcel3h9YDtYe8_DwFfuWdZHHhZ7cgHFXd6aQpxifv9cWCxjxRkbNh7OGWtFx8vG8/s1600/day+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKe38JzfUeshNtzBbRMcGJyYJrpWIdl8RQLRK9gm82edWaHFKiH43l2VyQP_C30ymao4Bz_wDCzuycqcel3h9YDtYe8_DwFfuWdZHHhZ7cgHFXd6aQpxifv9cWCxjxRkbNh7OGWtFx8vG8/s1600/day+9.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 9: Rock Star Elf!}</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgZ2yE7yZO1a1zUKx9JGptOSyws3gomn0cVoxkAoW8So_yRSItngR2Zz2hnAge_S2gj9C30t71w2S1UM230wmYuLEG_oJMHtS8nRNXyw4_wobc9oDBOp52X8U-XCgrPk6jlmFqM6APLVH/s1600/day+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgZ2yE7yZO1a1zUKx9JGptOSyws3gomn0cVoxkAoW8So_yRSItngR2Zz2hnAge_S2gj9C30t71w2S1UM230wmYuLEG_oJMHtS8nRNXyw4_wobc9oDBOp52X8U-XCgrPk6jlmFqM6APLVH/s1600/day+10.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 10: Coco is a Dolphins fan. Brett's idea, of course.}</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZXntPW1XRzHNNmHRORUriZ09T5wChAy_Rk1ap7MhjldLI7RQdD0WxA18czkK6H6vPVD8SC5pdASU75ZyKBGNUpJJNEPfu84BWLbYBfAUrI1oGrtgZCzlyRSKxmxENiQ6JWC4lo57Upwm/s1600/day+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZXntPW1XRzHNNmHRORUriZ09T5wChAy_Rk1ap7MhjldLI7RQdD0WxA18czkK6H6vPVD8SC5pdASU75ZyKBGNUpJJNEPfu84BWLbYBfAUrI1oGrtgZCzlyRSKxmxENiQ6JWC4lo57Upwm/s1600/day+11.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 11: Feeling a bit puzzled?}</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5q9s6QSrF-b8JkVH6fr7e3IWa_z9rDdJCFUFyRnh0aFtHKm7TlFFAzFzr2FNTKE6r2BZaEYXgt_ZY5dklJQPdkZLIqV5eg9T3QSuyzwBmSN5aCwFVjvuXDAJmsRSFT7NrFQCnhF7xInz/s1600/day+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5q9s6QSrF-b8JkVH6fr7e3IWa_z9rDdJCFUFyRnh0aFtHKm7TlFFAzFzr2FNTKE6r2BZaEYXgt_ZY5dklJQPdkZLIqV5eg9T3QSuyzwBmSN5aCwFVjvuXDAJmsRSFT7NrFQCnhF7xInz/s1600/day+12.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 12: Coco's on a roll... down the stairs!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDKYmRW6S1gm804hSERK7f10qBktQ4Z88_snX4dq2ZC0vg-uUhhFVHHDhAIE31ZdewtlYwUt3iN11kWXbreBqDVsAjgev13B-TPKuG7_cN_7hGcUzEBGdH8S38p5pLS3NVv4jNyD19Ddc/s1600/day+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDKYmRW6S1gm804hSERK7f10qBktQ4Z88_snX4dq2ZC0vg-uUhhFVHHDhAIE31ZdewtlYwUt3iN11kWXbreBqDVsAjgev13B-TPKuG7_cN_7hGcUzEBGdH8S38p5pLS3NVv4jNyD19Ddc/s1600/day+13.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 13: Splish splash, in the dollhouse bath}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80FwpP6ix4V331cPV7-dmTOu8tgY_XhMr63Fw3ZwbpWDFWte4pV-O1BgCX0iEIRlO5JG8W1Xip5irv5h7feMDekg85f9kOMiUkneiRqkFVtYTnCsH8_ZrOt2akHUSSifP1tgdHRrES78b/s1600/day+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80FwpP6ix4V331cPV7-dmTOu8tgY_XhMr63Fw3ZwbpWDFWte4pV-O1BgCX0iEIRlO5JG8W1Xip5irv5h7feMDekg85f9kOMiUkneiRqkFVtYTnCsH8_ZrOt2akHUSSifP1tgdHRrES78b/s1600/day+14.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 14: Hanging out in the pantry with some elfin pals}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcBG21fbk3tEj66d7aYbg6eVh5GGMBTilakTKL_FzmyD_9F8oSQ5Zlbb1Fs0sQhtUhXMNIJdBJEdEJDS6CK1qZyL6WXRESKmiRRyVxPABl9fpp8czYT5IWkUF4-NTEve0En9snym-WA0w/s1600/day+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcBG21fbk3tEj66d7aYbg6eVh5GGMBTilakTKL_FzmyD_9F8oSQ5Zlbb1Fs0sQhtUhXMNIJdBJEdEJDS6CK1qZyL6WXRESKmiRRyVxPABl9fpp8czYT5IWkUF4-NTEve0En9snym-WA0w/s1600/day+15.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 15: In Logan's room}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAu9OGBmx40qbKXSeSr0mPaVyl0c8Tl3oT3mmkcQttmSw7KG1hDp6vNeymLuQTWC2-N6R0v7ZONspAwlmicFb-IK9vAPKSngokvpgtUS1RRK-1C_B3XazZzwnTVySxZJwPNT5hAj9nQrI/s1600/day+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAu9OGBmx40qbKXSeSr0mPaVyl0c8Tl3oT3mmkcQttmSw7KG1hDp6vNeymLuQTWC2-N6R0v7ZONspAwlmicFb-IK9vAPKSngokvpgtUS1RRK-1C_B3XazZzwnTVySxZJwPNT5hAj9nQrI/s1600/day+16.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 16: In the dog's stocking -- because we needed a quick hiding spot}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyK7Z3ADgn5cZBvvi02uOw_hf4bihoBl2DBsqPhyzKYHJVH2-tVX8a9KYBSHUONPkH4gnzldQZelSpVsLa1ltSgutaEx_mdDriP7B0bgMwNsfQES7-lBnX-qbjxpUApU3KIlCaaBX2HoD/s1600/day+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyK7Z3ADgn5cZBvvi02uOw_hf4bihoBl2DBsqPhyzKYHJVH2-tVX8a9KYBSHUONPkH4gnzldQZelSpVsLa1ltSgutaEx_mdDriP7B0bgMwNsfQES7-lBnX-qbjxpUApU3KIlCaaBX2HoD/s1600/day+17.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 17: Hanging around outside Mia's room}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwtCj2Q2b4XKkdhZ1i01qHXshY2K6xmW5EUJKMylaU1djRdTtrtiCLcCI3N3Ae3nqmL8B9wIXKQxO-lbmvG9C9SUQeR1sp_1FjJWCvj5eTCWw29uaByOdQJ3l2o-8VslW0R2s7eYSmLl4V/s1600/day+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwtCj2Q2b4XKkdhZ1i01qHXshY2K6xmW5EUJKMylaU1djRdTtrtiCLcCI3N3Ae3nqmL8B9wIXKQxO-lbmvG9C9SUQeR1sp_1FjJWCvj5eTCWw29uaByOdQJ3l2o-8VslW0R2s7eYSmLl4V/s1600/day+18.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 18: A friendly game of Uno}</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGmLp00mg4775H_sXWYvp-DtQEcJoLI6i4w1W2GCQ2GEwfPCDpYB6N3IwW6_JLQyrhEAZHx8RBO8y4WK1TzmCdZHFE8dt6-6VKOPnmzeASLjI3p32cFnfzoXDHgeyiCJcANBx2WUYVszv/s1600/day+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGmLp00mg4775H_sXWYvp-DtQEcJoLI6i4w1W2GCQ2GEwfPCDpYB6N3IwW6_JLQyrhEAZHx8RBO8y4WK1TzmCdZHFE8dt6-6VKOPnmzeASLjI3p32cFnfzoXDHgeyiCJcANBx2WUYVszv/s1600/day+19.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 19: Coco is a bit of a lightweight.}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMyqefFq9h_Tmgkf40lg_uf8T60GSKS_ZETFgKxNLgrvizC1GMANow9jHYu_EI7-cZfKiPtwpVsyyplHl1cx-5KkpzdsjwG4zy3H0ul38LvkGnWDdZBXBY-myJwFojUkq1Okfj0VA7EF0/s1600/day+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMyqefFq9h_Tmgkf40lg_uf8T60GSKS_ZETFgKxNLgrvizC1GMANow9jHYu_EI7-cZfKiPtwpVsyyplHl1cx-5KkpzdsjwG4zy3H0ul38LvkGnWDdZBXBY-myJwFojUkq1Okfj0VA7EF0/s1600/day+20.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 20: Wheeee!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-RYFf4r4WF29KpokjkaZNdKu4NCHZBaw6r5y4IKz2H6jVqBqDCoqTQ-S7eYUaxIJDB-uZ74fEaQeHyYQNlyctEXa9C4L2rL1SA77jJJBbBxTP0TWW_RdRkcNA2DSeiGm1JEfALAGWg6z/s1600/day+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-RYFf4r4WF29KpokjkaZNdKu4NCHZBaw6r5y4IKz2H6jVqBqDCoqTQ-S7eYUaxIJDB-uZ74fEaQeHyYQNlyctEXa9C4L2rL1SA77jJJBbBxTP0TWW_RdRkcNA2DSeiGm1JEfALAGWg6z/s1600/day+21.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 21: A gentle reminder to brush those pearly whites!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1pi1rBpyjrbTz81KjqdXCUebG9N5dKVFfb640vzNd4rcq3ZNa8X3FYEzfaC-v1b_co3QBaBS22-qy5lFnsHwCvpPx8R8rozP0hMkfi6R2iDNQQHcKed40Uz2lrgDWLSILcmCNxN7iCuF8/s1600/day+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1pi1rBpyjrbTz81KjqdXCUebG9N5dKVFfb640vzNd4rcq3ZNa8X3FYEzfaC-v1b_co3QBaBS22-qy5lFnsHwCvpPx8R8rozP0hMkfi6R2iDNQQHcKed40Uz2lrgDWLSILcmCNxN7iCuF8/s1600/day+22.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 22: About to win a sack race!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cioSNqoUL1_RvWDG22DWtJrLdyjO9HE7Nycrazy-zv3_rh8L_kKOcYIExteGRHDGbgyUenf3exq2NvuXwrJI6WRKoIzC9lK03XuX_qpGNwwBo88c5dlxPIZAUbByTeVP2q5X0MNN8VN6/s1600/day+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cioSNqoUL1_RvWDG22DWtJrLdyjO9HE7Nycrazy-zv3_rh8L_kKOcYIExteGRHDGbgyUenf3exq2NvuXwrJI6WRKoIzC9lK03XuX_qpGNwwBo88c5dlxPIZAUbByTeVP2q5X0MNN8VN6/s1600/day+23.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 23: Buckled into Logan's car seat}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEASY7lU1UNG16FEXQfgWucYds9AOhfjENly7FGjIcyF8wqwm9wmmUaC9dN4l4s7vLaycMlSCfw4OzXk71I-4K3rbS2rDRt8qhr7rWq2-wtytKEO9-sI4Z03IactMPEDxbqMnnApTFqHl/s1600/day+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEASY7lU1UNG16FEXQfgWucYds9AOhfjENly7FGjIcyF8wqwm9wmmUaC9dN4l4s7vLaycMlSCfw4OzXk71I-4K3rbS2rDRt8qhr7rWq2-wtytKEO9-sI4Z03IactMPEDxbqMnnApTFqHl/s1600/day+24.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 24: Coco loves a new Jamicure!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 25: Playing with Mama's jewelry -- the kids said he was hula hooping!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnpcfFHyXiSkML6bacuxOPlw1vD7oDXPgUxdoPZdkf1YTXj8vQI8GeiMC5hqxFtnzfinigP61uLbbyOHXZj6hrUdj-XuMZKGE2z70VEd6x_v_HqgHj4NAFn77l1x2_k1t_i_xJZeulI0q/s1600/day+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnpcfFHyXiSkML6bacuxOPlw1vD7oDXPgUxdoPZdkf1YTXj8vQI8GeiMC5hqxFtnzfinigP61uLbbyOHXZj6hrUdj-XuMZKGE2z70VEd6x_v_HqgHj4NAFn77l1x2_k1t_i_xJZeulI0q/s1600/day+24.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Day 26: Angry Birds has mass appeal.}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-63546599818590657332014-12-30T20:31:00.002-05:002014-12-30T20:31:56.192-05:00A Homemade Christmas Ornament IdeaTo be perfectly honest, I wasn't really in the Christmas spirit this year. I have a goal to get back to writing more often, so I am sure I will be sharing more about the reasons behind that, but for now all you need to know is that Christmas was pared down from the past. We didn't do a lot of of crafts. In fact, I think this is the only one that we created, and mostly it was because we were given a plain glass ornament at church and asked to decorate it for the tree there. Sadly, this wouldn't have happened otherwise, and it would have been a shame, because this was fun to make.<br />
<br />
The inspiration for this ornament came from the December issue of <i>FamilyFun</i> magazine. I have made a few changes, partially due to what materials we had on hand and partially due to personal preference for what seemed sturdy. (I really couldn't see making this with tacky glue, for example, and then having it come undone. Yes, this would have been more kid-friendly than my adhesive of choice: hot glue, BUT you have to agree that mine is going to hold up, and that was what I was going for.) Anyway, we were all pleased with the results.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdHpJxEurLAaJLXg-M-exnAuS9ALdLMVKCbQLX1L0mRJgZ_5_PXnkVcJDYhrqFOVlBWHWQWgwu_2AWVN7Zc2bpPdcGjrl35eiDMIRGRQUh6JRwn6s69yIwv2K1mJRBj4m21LVyIuHg2Vn/s1600/gumball+machine+ornament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdHpJxEurLAaJLXg-M-exnAuS9ALdLMVKCbQLX1L0mRJgZ_5_PXnkVcJDYhrqFOVlBWHWQWgwu_2AWVN7Zc2bpPdcGjrl35eiDMIRGRQUh6JRwn6s69yIwv2K1mJRBj4m21LVyIuHg2Vn/s1600/gumball+machine+ornament.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">{Our Family's Christmas Ornament - 2014}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Materials:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>clear glass ornament</li>
<li>small pom poms (round beads are what was suggested in <i>FamilyFun</i>)</li>
<li>toilet paper tube </li>
<li>scissors</li>
<li>tacky glue</li>
<li>hot glue gun</li>
<li>card stock (whatever colors you like -- we used blue and silver)</li>
<li>pipe cleaner (optional, for trim)</li>
<li>clothespins (optional, but recommended)</li>
<li>permanent marker (optional, for personalization)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Directions:</b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Remove the top of a clear glass ornament and hold it while the kids add some colorful "gumballs." (Note: Anything that is small enough to fit inside the opening could work. We used pom poms because we didn't have beads on hand. Perhaps real gumballs would fit?)</li>
<li>Cut a section of a toilet paper tube to make the base of the gumball machine. Wrap it in colored card stock (Logan picked blue.) and adhere with tacky glue. Add a small rectangle of another color card stock for the gumball machine opening. (We used silver.) Again, apply with glue. Now, here's a handy tip: Secure two clothespins, one on either end of the tube, and leave on until the glue has dried. This helps the curved paper stay put until the glue is set!</li>
<li>Find a base for your gumball machine. Ours is a lid (Thankfully, in the color Mia wanted: red.) from a peanut jar. <i>FamilyFun</i> suggested using a large button. (I don't know about you, but I don't have huge buttons laying around my house, however, I do have a good assortment of plastic lids at any given time.)</li>
<li>Assemble the gumball machine. I used a hot glue gun (adult use only) instead of the suggested tacky glue. I made a ring around one end of the tube section and then applied it to the bottom of the glass bulb. Then, I made another ring of hot glue around the other end of the tube and pressed the plastic lid onto it, securing the base. For a finishing touch, I used two scrap pieces of red pipe cleaner to cover up the hot glue. (I wish I had thought to do this when it was first hot, but better late than never. The tacky glue would have been less goopy looking and wouldn't have needed the "finishing touch," but I am still asserting here that my way is going to hold up for the long haul. And that is what we want since we're going to be displaying this year after year.</li>
<li>For a little extra personal touch, I took a black Sharpie and wrote our family name plus the year on the back. This was an easy (and totally free for us!) craft that we were able to make together.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-4354199886370812172014-12-30T19:07:00.005-05:002014-12-30T19:07:59.410-05:00November at Our HouseYes, these are actually the quotes from <i>last</i> month. As you can see, I'm a bit behind.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>11/3/14</b><br />
<i>Mommyism</i>: "Don't talk with your mouth full of food."<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Mmmmkay, mmmmm."</span><br />
<i>This is what the requisite, "Okaaaaay, Mooom" sounds like when a child is </i>still<i> talking with food in his mouth.</i><br />
<br />
<b>11/3/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M</span> {during dinner}: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"This is the best healthy food I've ever had!"</span><br />
<i>Um, thanks? Also, I guess I should make my <a href="http://if%20you%27ve%20been%20considering%20having%20a%20jamberry%20party%2C%20january%20is%20the%20month%21%20we%27re%20offering%20extra%20rewards%20in%20january%21%20i%20am%20opening%20up%20my%20schedule%20so%20i%20can%20fit%20as%20many%20hostesses%20in%20as%20possible.%20host%20your%20first%20party%20or%20host%20again%20-%20these%20rewards%20are%20too%20good%20to%20pass%20up%21%20don%27t%20forget%20about%20all%20the%20super%20cute%20valentine%2C%20easter%20and%20st.%20patricks%20designs%20-%20earn%20them%20for%20free%21%20message%20me%20and%20take%20one%20of%20my%20dates%21%20let%27s%20party%21/">chicken & cheese tortellini stew</a> more often.</i><br />
<br />
<b>11/8/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Can I put on my shoes to hold up my socks?"</span><br />
<i>I guess so....</i><br />
<br />
<b>11/15/14</b><br />
Brett: "Why don't you want to take a bath?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "It's too wet."</span><br />
<i>Yep, that's sort of the point.</i><br />
<br />
<b>11/17/14</b><br />
<i>Mommyism</i>: "No pole vaulting over the sofa!"<br />
<i>Hmmm, kind of wish I had noted exactly what that meant! I think it involved empty wrapping paper tubes.</i><br />
<br />
<b>11/19/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "What smells so good?</span><br />
Me: "I'm making bath salts."<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Smells delicious, but I'm not going to have any right now."</span><br />
Me: "Okay, it's not food."<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "No, I mean on my body."</span><br />
<i>Aside from entertaining me, it's nice to actually see that this one found one of my recipes to "smell delicious." This is high praise coming from him, regardless of whether or not it was actually edible.</i><br />
<br />
<b>11/23/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "I'm making myself into mail."</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zc8vLZRiBsWzYcMd5S5OHoYlSaYDh7brrALT_pzsvn2YwEmW_sg-MFUJ6Wo_UU0MfmZBKCROLhpNrtsTJ_0_tufuJ76zydPwkjruTvkK0D1_TntaeuUgHB_WO_GF3J8elZAdg4C7N9LA/s1600/you've%2Bgot%2Bmail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zc8vLZRiBsWzYcMd5S5OHoYlSaYDh7brrALT_pzsvn2YwEmW_sg-MFUJ6Wo_UU0MfmZBKCROLhpNrtsTJ_0_tufuJ76zydPwkjruTvkK0D1_TntaeuUgHB_WO_GF3J8elZAdg4C7N9LA/s1600/you've%2Bgot%2Bmail.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Aww, I love when I've got this kind of mail.</i><br />
<br />
<b>11/24/4</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Mom, can some people make banana puppets?"</span><br />
Me: "I don't know. What's a banana puppet?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "It's a banana that's made into a puppet."</span><br />
<i>Well, I guess I should have known that. But why?</i><br />
<br />
<b>11/30/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Daddy, do old people -- like you guys -- sometimes have babies?"</span><br />
<i>I can't help but wonder if I would have been laughing so hard if he had directed this question toward me instead of his daddy.</i>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-46612969360337631062014-11-04T15:06:00.000-05:002014-11-04T15:06:11.460-05:00October at Our HouseAnother whirlwind month -- wrapped up with just a few cute kidisms.<br />
<br />
<b>10/1/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L</span> {while having dinner at church}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Dad, do you know everybody in this room?"</span><br />
Brett: "No, not everyone."<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "Well, do you know <i>anybody</i>?"</span><br />
<i>Ah, yes, the all or nothing thinking of a child.</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/1/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "Hey, Mom, I'm supposed to tell you that we're supposed to check my head for lice!"</span><br />
<i>Well, that officially tops the list of things I do not want to hear during dinner.</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/11/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "I see both of my soccer coaches."</span><br />
Me: "Yeah? They spend all morning here."<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "I think they sleep here, too."</span><br />
<i>You never know, right?</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/12/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L </span>{at Sam's Club}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I saw a green lemon!"</span><br />
<i>Yes, and they're called limes.</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/12/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "Were there cars when you were kids?"</span><br />
Brett: "Yes, we had what's called a station wagon."<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "Is that like a train?"</span><br />
<i>Why does it feel like we keep having this same conversation, just in different variations?</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/12/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "I think I know why it's called October, November, and December. It's starting to get colder and we say, 'brrrr.'"</span><br />
<i>Makes sense to me.</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/14/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "Crabs can make sculptures."</span><br />
Me: "Oh, yeah? Like what?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "All sorts of stuff. Pirates, dinosaurs, skeletons, ... maybe even a dump truck."</span><br />
<i>See, this is why I prefer conversing with kids over talking with adults most any day.</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/15/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "2 +2 = 4 and 1 + 1 = 2 and 0 + 0 = 0. Well, actually, banana + banana = banana."</span><br />
<i>As I was nearly dying from the startling realization that he had learned addition at preschool (!), he threw in an extra dose of cuteness just to make me love him that much more.</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/19/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "Does dehydrated start with 'D'?"</span><br />
<i>I don't even know how to reply to this. </i><br />
<br />
<b>10/20/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M</span> {said while putting a rubber band around her ankles}: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"This will help me waddle like a penguin better."</span><br />
<i>You betcha.</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/26/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "I'm fluent in dog. Woof, woof, woof."</span><br />
<i>Yes...</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/28/14</b><br />
{After bedtime at our house.}<br />
Me: "Do you want me to tuck you back in?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "Well, sometimes I just need to play."</span><br />
<i>I hear you, Little Dude.</i><br />
<br />
<b>10/29/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "I woke up after my sister but before you. You woke up last. I guess you were the tiredest. I guess you're always the tiredest."</span><br />
<i>This makes me sad because it is so honest.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb2Ipy6oTm-9QHDDGGpMRevpifgztcTgZLGX1fAaUpgfjexKuyuwsvfYzP7ezY8k2FAw7NTR9ESoPJy1nmtvvtuZ0TeNuJvgILNgczDJ8K1jPyfclupx_dhP7mS_ABo3UO1yEitxQBfB2/s1600/Halloween+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb2Ipy6oTm-9QHDDGGpMRevpifgztcTgZLGX1fAaUpgfjexKuyuwsvfYzP7ezY8k2FAw7NTR9ESoPJy1nmtvvtuZ0TeNuJvgILNgczDJ8K1jPyfclupx_dhP7mS_ABo3UO1yEitxQBfB2/s1600/Halloween+2014.jpg" height="238" title="October at Our House by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Our Family Halloween Costume ~ 2014}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-79164845400200660792014-10-15T22:42:00.000-04:002014-10-15T22:42:19.817-04:00Boo to You: Year #5Even though I am slow to get stuff posted here, I am still doing those things that have some of you fooled into believing I am a really, really awesome mom. (Okay, for clarification, I <i>am</i> an awesome mom, just maybe not as awesome as you think. This is really not all that complicated, I promise.) So, here goes: Year 5 of the neighborhood "Boo Bags." (Wait, have I really been blogging for<i> that </i>long? Very nearly! Time flies, as they say.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4abdtDYWuPictKJtLoQLGc1X38qhVa9eyTlfUvs_4IuYcvgMABFEhEbg0NemHBR3ptKXh3DIGVVAwGzBrjqhcscBWUw7Q8RoIMBwwUwvgYysqGLcJsBM2XO0gPnWBVx2I3wsPHF6s49j/s1600/Boo+Bag+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4abdtDYWuPictKJtLoQLGc1X38qhVa9eyTlfUvs_4IuYcvgMABFEhEbg0NemHBR3ptKXh3DIGVVAwGzBrjqhcscBWUw7Q8RoIMBwwUwvgYysqGLcJsBM2XO0gPnWBVx2I3wsPHF6s49j/s1600/Boo+Bag+2.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Assorted Goodies for One "Boo Bag"}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This year, I didn't worry at all if the "Boo Bags" (containers) held the same contents or even if the "Boo Bags" themselves looked identical. (See, I'm learning to let go of some of the small stuff!) One was a cute Frankenstein takeout container that I found on clearance and set aside last year, and the other was the first thing I could find on hand at home -- a Scooby Doo Happy Meal bucket from some point when the grandparents babysat last October, apparently.) And it's okay. I finally realized that nobody in the neighborhood is comparing notes, here. So don't stress over that!<br />
<br />
Also, don't feel like you need to spend a lot of money. These were for sure under $5 each since I put stuff away after last Halloween, <i>but</i> even if you're going out and getting things right now after reading this, it can be super affordable. This year, I had two Halloween dog bandannas to give away, so naturally we selected houses that I knew had little doggies. That was my only criteria, really.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYyhztQEGkU1iLuoUYschpw7AIMi3rdKT31QQ8ahqBMXLu-gB0RCpLZACdl9fK1v3B0h_P9MK_apUXCXoyvye5kzOUXKMAFmbVoxsoWc3rAHSo_LwXjSFu0gzb_U5DqaFt8n69JV_e_rI/s1600/Boo+Bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYyhztQEGkU1iLuoUYschpw7AIMi3rdKT31QQ8ahqBMXLu-gB0RCpLZACdl9fK1v3B0h_P9MK_apUXCXoyvye5kzOUXKMAFmbVoxsoWc3rAHSo_LwXjSFu0gzb_U5DqaFt8n69JV_e_rI/s1600/Boo+Bag.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{One Finished "Boo Bag"}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbWeY69SZjJf0Umdp004BnFlwaMbvy8A6nPcUJToKtnG4qLpswXyDtLYxTZUOPZ33c09vOAOzV_8AmnY6DAHO8N0fKmWYd8pLH4gZkNs6oGnZ30KnkRT0dHXTrIRVpff_Tu5Tgga1Md5H/s1600/Boo+Bag+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbWeY69SZjJf0Umdp004BnFlwaMbvy8A6nPcUJToKtnG4qLpswXyDtLYxTZUOPZ33c09vOAOzV_8AmnY6DAHO8N0fKmWYd8pLH4gZkNs6oGnZ30KnkRT0dHXTrIRVpff_Tu5Tgga1Md5H/s1600/Boo+Bag+3.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Another Finished "Boo Bag"}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Besides the doggie bandannas and assorted goodies (like notepads, orange or black votive candles, non-scary Halloween gel clings -- no food this year), I also enclosed the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>We've Been Boo'd Sign (printed on orange construction paper -- although after the fact, I realized that white would have made more sense for the ghost design) -- 3 of these (one for the recipient of our "Boo Bag" and two more for them to pass along.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.4shared.com/document/XWSI9Nu5/CC_-_Boo-ed.html">Poem/Directions</a> -- again, 3 sets, including 2 to pass along.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Then, Logan and I passed these out while his big sissy was at school. (Thankfully, she didn't take major issue with this.) He was very enthusiastic with his help! This was about two weeks ago, and Mia insists that she has seen one of the neighborhood dogs sporting one of the "Boo Bag" bandannas. I honestly am not sure if this is true since I didn't see it myself, but how fun if that's the case. Have a safe and happy Halloween, everyone!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
P.S. If you're interested, here is what we did for our "Boo Bags" in years past:<br />
<a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2013/09/boo-to-you-year-4.html">2013</a><br />
<a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-boo-tiful-mind.html">2012</a><br />
<a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2011/09/boo-to-you-year-2.html">2011</a><br />
<a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2010/09/boo-to-you.html">2010</a>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-61259026868175000112014-10-05T21:47:00.000-04:002014-10-05T21:47:48.841-04:00Creative Re-brandingThe longer I work my business, the more I realize the importance of what to say -- or more precisely, how to say it. It turns out that the way that something is presented to someone can truly influence how they feel about it. Case it point: dinner with two sorta picky eaters...<br />
<br />
We have recently discovered that they LOVE edamame. If you're saying, "eda-what?" I'm right there with you. I thought that this was just some creative re-branding for "lima beans," which is what these babies seem to resemble quite closely. Then I wondered why they <i>taste </i>different from the way I remembered. (And that was not fondly, in case you're wondering.) Why would my kids LOVE something that I hated as a kid?<br />
<br />
A quick web search had me realizing that edamame is an entirely different bean: soy. The weird thing is that the kids aren't normally big bean eaters, but they really, <i>really</i> LOVE them some edamame -- or "eda-beans!" as they shriek excitedly when they see these on the table. (No, really, you can't make this stuff up. My kids go nuts for baby soy beans.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqKIPSG40XVlelN2hJfrJGbNsQaKYSFH0CJQoDRXR8paGsTWYvLGgopudmOQn6Dq4xrfFzoJ4TGKQhGDJVoQnChBo5pyKLw8_9LB0pDuyotcLShpOCw1E48dJCXC8VfU79ba5tbph6BcQ/s1600/edamame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqKIPSG40XVlelN2hJfrJGbNsQaKYSFH0CJQoDRXR8paGsTWYvLGgopudmOQn6Dq4xrfFzoJ4TGKQhGDJVoQnChBo5pyKLw8_9LB0pDuyotcLShpOCw1E48dJCXC8VfU79ba5tbph6BcQ/s1600/edamame.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Edamame: It's What's for Dinner!}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My point? If I called these what they are -- immature soy beans -- my children would almost certainly turn up their noses and refuse to eat them. Admittedly, even I find that a bit gross-sounding. But when we call them "edamame" it sounds just exciting enough to be something that even the tiniest of food critics can get enthused about, without being over-the-top exotic and foreign (a.ka. "too weird to eat").<br />
<br />
Translation: little people willingly devour second and third helpings of this stuff. Go, Mommy (and Daddy, because he was the one who nuked this particular bag 'o beans.) Creative re-branding = parenting win! Hats off to you, soybean marketing folks of the world.<br />
<br />
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-4911809074925632012014-10-02T11:40:00.000-04:002014-10-02T11:40:15.773-04:00September at Our HouseTo anybody who may have been waiting expectantly for more content on this blog, I do apologize for my life getting kind of crazy (even by <i>normal</i> standards)... Anyway, there is some great stuff here that I think you will enjoy!<br />
<br />
<b>9/1/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span> {listening to the ducks quacking at the Mill Pond}: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They're saying, 'walnuts.'"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I don't know, but it's cute.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>9/1/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span> {on the drive home, it started to sprinkle and quickly turned to hard rain}: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I think the little rain drops told the bigger ones to come!"</span><br />
<i>Seriously cute!</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/3/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Mom, are beavers real?"</span><br />
<i>Okay, this is one of those times when I answer the simple question and then ponder it for a while wondering what he was really asking...</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/8/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Are teeth the same as bones?"</span><br />
Me: "Yeah."<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "So, some of our bones are showing?"</span><br />
<i>Well, sure, but I never really thought about it.</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/10/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "When do we eat?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "I want to eat Mama."</span><br />
Me: "What do you mean?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "As meat."</span><br />
Me: "I'm not meat."<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Well, you are made of meat."</span><br />
Me: "Okay, but we don't eat people."<br />
<i>Yeah, not gonna lie. I never expected to have to tell the children about my anti-cannibalism policy for our household, but there it is.</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/19/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "I wish I could just snap my fingers like in <i>Mary Poppins</i> and my room would be clean... except I don't know how to snap... and it wouldn't work, anyway!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You and me both, sister! </i></span><br />
<br />
<b>9/19/14</b><br />
Mommyism: "You shouldn't be riding a bike while wearing roller skates."<br />
<i>Another one of those things I never thought I would need to say...</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/21/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M</span> {windy outside}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"My dress is like a parachute."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Oh, see, that's just clever.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>9/21/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M </span>{during dinner}:<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> "Where do butterflies go when it rains?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Maybe a bird opens its mouth and 'atens' it and then it stays dry forever."</span><br />
<i>Kept my mouth shut here, waiting to hear what else he thought, but this seemed to be the end of that particular conversation.</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/22/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span> {during dinner}: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mommy is the boringest!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M </span>{quite upset}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"No she's not!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Cracked me up how vehement she was. Just depends on the day, I suppose.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>9/25/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span> {looking at his drink package with a soccer player on it}: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I've never had a black person on this before."</span><br />
Me: "What?!" {<i>Okay, kind of concerned here!</i>)<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Usually they're red or blue..."</span> {<i>Huh?</i>} <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"But his jersey is black."</span><br />
Me: "Oh!" {<i>Relief...</i>}<br />
<br />
<b>9/25/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "I made up a song. It's called, <i>I Made Up a Song." </i></span>{proceeds to sing many, <i>many</i> verses, all the same: "I made up a song" -- all performed in a high-pitched sing-song voice}<i><br /></i><br />
<i>This doesn't get old.... A little sarcasm for you, folks!</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/25/14</b><br />
After discovering him pouring Elmer's glue on his monster truck track and then adhering vehicles.<br />
Me: "What are you doing?!"<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "I wanted them to be sticky and stuff."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqC-7kUQ7aueTZ__6ygTM5fLnhf5J3tECqMxAzGIg-plHAtazYwDToBL9nnWrB2qzmgpZgNCMC9fW9QjPBG7e2INKtjpC6GUS7UT7WvrETv_6TyGIHUhF-nxhoHOIHaIQbrpWyILOl4aKe/s1600/sticky+situation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqC-7kUQ7aueTZ__6ygTM5fLnhf5J3tECqMxAzGIg-plHAtazYwDToBL9nnWrB2qzmgpZgNCMC9fW9QjPBG7e2INKtjpC6GUS7UT7WvrETv_6TyGIHUhF-nxhoHOIHaIQbrpWyILOl4aKe/s1600/sticky+situation.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Little boys and sticky situations... They just sort of go together.</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/28/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Ugh! You always ask me to do stuff!"</span> {said to Brett after he asked him to use the bathroom before bed}<br />
<i>The injustice of it all!</i><br />
<br />
<b>9/30/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span> {while pulling into a parking spot at Walmart}: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hey, there's seagulls in the road. That is not safe for them!"</span><br />
Me: "Don't worry about them. They'll fly away if a car comes."<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "I think they are looking for trash."</span><br />
<i>Yep.</i><br />
<br />
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<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-4585531128161113832014-09-01T21:38:00.000-04:002014-09-01T21:38:13.814-04:00Our House in AugustHere they are -- the kids' quotes from August -- the things that made me scratch my head, laugh out loud (and occasionally into my hand), and wonder <i>where do they come up with this stuff, anyway?</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/2/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span> {while riding in the van}: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Someone honk-ded their tooty horn."</span><br />
<i>Keep reading for more education on the dual definition of the word "toot."</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/4/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "Are there cookies that haven't been invented yet?"</span><br />
<i>Yup.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/5/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M</span> {explaining to her brother why they should pick up toys}: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Mama <i>likes</i> it when we do this, so let's keep doing it!"</span><br />
<i>Why can't this type of conversation (and subsequent cleaning frenzy) take place more often around here?</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/6/12</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Hey!" </span>{after she had pulled his ball cap off his head}<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M</span> {putting it back on his head}: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"If you wear it backwards, you look cool."</span><br />
<i>I wonder where she heard that?</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/8/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M: "If you see me stare, I'm looking at air. Got it?"</span><br />
<i>Um, okay. If you say so.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/8/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M: "I don't like it when people ask me questions out loud."</span><br />
<i>I can't say for sure but maybe I questioned why she was staring into space -- or air. Duly noted. Next time, I shall use my powers of telepathy.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/10/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Look at those flat trees!"</span><br />
<i>He noticed the vines growing up the sides of a brick building at MSU, which did, in fact, look </i>exactly<i> like a flat tree. And I never would have noticed.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/14/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M: "Mom, the dog smells like graham crackers."</span><br />
<i>Is it bad that I looked around for evidence that a certain little girl had been feeding her graham crackers?</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/17/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M</span> {while eating mixed nuts}: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Where do almonds come from?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Cactuses!"</span><br />
<i>Honestly, this is one of those times when it's just simpler -- and funnier -- to keep my mouth shut.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/17/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M</span> {crying}: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I want to stay little forever!"</span><br />
Me: "What do you mean?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M: "I want to stay a kid forever, but I can't!"</span><br />
<i>I so LOVE that she feels this way. Gonna have to remember it when she's about fourteen.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/17/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "The tub is still drooling." </span><br />
<i>On closer inspection, he is correct. The faucet is still running.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/20/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M: "This is how you speak lion, 'ROAR, ROAR!'"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Well, how do you speak jaguar?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M</span> {quieter}: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"'Rawr, rawr.'"</span><br />
<i>Couldn't have explained it better myself.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/25/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "There's two kinds of toot. Toot is from a whistle and toot is from a bottom."</span><br />
<i>Oh, yes, he is </i>such<i> a BOY.</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/27/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">M: "When I'm bored, you can just tell me to do my homework."</span><br />
<i>If you say so...</i><br />
<br />
<b>8/28/14</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L </span>{popping into our bedroom before 7:00 AM, fully dressed -- in an interesting plaid combination}: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hey, guys, did you know today is my birthday?!"</span><br />
<i>You don't say? I guess he figured out that we already knew that when the coveted two-wheel "big kid" scooter was waiting for him downstairs.</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5_dD9HqAc8Nl_h1yvvlQBwrV_3XjSCDu-L3Md8E4ASa8bBWXny043cM8a4s_sDfxKUJ-OSuc3szGV-sGzylVCqKocUt-TMyFklNBTl1d5GinUQBsbRn3EfiMKx8IcVTMHQN-osfuZvUi/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5_dD9HqAc8Nl_h1yvvlQBwrV_3XjSCDu-L3Md8E4ASa8bBWXny043cM8a4s_sDfxKUJ-OSuc3szGV-sGzylVCqKocUt-TMyFklNBTl1d5GinUQBsbRn3EfiMKx8IcVTMHQN-osfuZvUi/s1600/5.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Mad for Plaid and No Stopping Me Now!}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-67808862834229930232014-08-11T09:03:00.000-04:002014-08-11T09:03:59.198-04:00Painting with MagnetsThis was a project that Logan did a few weeks ago at the library with Mrs. D., and I am so in love with the cleverness of it! If you have followed my blog for any amount of time, you probably know that I love kids' painting projects, and we have done many, many, many of them, but this was completely new to me. I love that it mixes art and science, too!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Materials:</span></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>round metal cake pan/pie plate</li>
<li>white paper (card stock works well)</li>
<li>pencil</li>
<li>scissors</li>
<li>magnet</li>
<li>paper clips</li>
<li>paint (tempera works well)</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQLFPrdr_JVaypngudL7aggNY2HUGU5BlAu4HBNgu0h9uMlasLKHo9GEe5cz3twOCRZ_jYANT5Lz8-1xtypBQ5O6Bm2TJDfiMIl8bo2s9D_R8Bfn5t14Da61giIRK-2PPB_HbRWzREAZ2/s1600/Magnet+Painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQLFPrdr_JVaypngudL7aggNY2HUGU5BlAu4HBNgu0h9uMlasLKHo9GEe5cz3twOCRZ_jYANT5Lz8-1xtypBQ5O6Bm2TJDfiMIl8bo2s9D_R8Bfn5t14Da61giIRK-2PPB_HbRWzREAZ2/s1600/Magnet+Painting.jpg" height="238" title="Painting with Magnets by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Directions:</span></b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>If planning to make more than one of these, you will want to first make a round template for tracing. Place some paper inside your cake pan/pie tin and draw around the inside. Cut out this circle and use it for tracing all your other paper circles. Cut them out.</li>
<li>Place a paper circle inside of your cake pan or pie tin.</li>
<li>Add some paper clips (Mrs. D. had everyone use two large, plain, metal clips).</li>
<li>Next, pour in a little bit of paint. Mrs. D. let each child select two colors. Logan chose yellow and blue.</li>
<li>Give your child a magnet (preferably one that is not small enough to be swallowed! Ours were wand-style and were perfect for this.) and show him how to move it around on the bottom of the cake pan or pie tin. (You might need to help hold the pan, too.) This will move the paper clips around. Tell him to move the clips into the paint and then spread them all over the paper, using the magnet. (Help as needed, and make sure that magnets are nowhere near his mouth.) Talk about the process. What do you notice happens? Logan saw that the two colors mixed together to make green.</li>
<li>Once the painting is complete, allow it to dry before displaying.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-33142824505921710002014-08-10T21:53:00.001-04:002014-08-10T21:53:19.700-04:00Tool Box StampingDo you ever find yourself so far behind that you don't even know where to begin? That's how I feel about blogging. I know I want to, but... It's just so long since I have done these things that I wanted to write about. Anyway, hope they make some sort of sense, because I felt it was worth sharing, once upon a time. This project was something that I found for our Sunday school kids to do as a wind-up for our VBS, which took place ages ago, right after school got out in June! (Don't even get me started on how fast this summer has flown by. I swore that school seemed like it was NEVER going to end, and then once it did... Oh, boy!)<br />
<br />
So, I found the inspiration for this craft <a href="http://picklebums.com/2013/09/03/printing-with-nuts-and-bolts/">here</a>. The main difference is that she has used paint and I wanted something less messy for our Sunday school kids (for reasons I am sure you understand). My solution? Stamp pads. We have plenty in our resources at church, so I had my two kiddos test it out at home with assorted nuts, bolts, screws, and nails, and it worked splendidly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRgEcSi9SFroJYjT5Mw61B9suRsumBtwTabGlOftc8iT77Q6zDBEYSncKJdtH3HUVJKDKJHJw6HxHwWaRFcU8G2Er4tfhFrLqKnDGaOPcij2qSPriJ1PpjrG5qpWmVjsPZtjCdKwDjDo5/s1600/Tool+Stamping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRgEcSi9SFroJYjT5Mw61B9suRsumBtwTabGlOftc8iT77Q6zDBEYSncKJdtH3HUVJKDKJHJw6HxHwWaRFcU8G2Er4tfhFrLqKnDGaOPcij2qSPriJ1PpjrG5qpWmVjsPZtjCdKwDjDo5/s1600/Tool+Stamping.jpg" height="238" title="Tool Box Stamping by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Finished Tool Box Prints}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Materials:</span></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>paper (we used white card stock)</li>
<li>stamp pads in assorted colors</li>
<li>various nuts, bolts, screws, nails (careful about ages of children and whether or not you allow sharp points)</li>
<li>paper trimmer/scissors (optional, for cutting paper smaller)</li>
<li>something to clean up with: damp towel/paper towels/baby wipes </li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Directions:</span></b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>I used a paper trimmer to cut our 8 1/2" x 11" card stock into quarters, making the pieces about postcard size. This is not necessary.</li>
<li>Set out paper, assorted tool box items, and stamp pads.</li>
<li>Have kids press nuts, bolts, screws, or nails (flat side recommended, although Mia did discover that the threading on a screw makes an interesting design if you twist it over the paper) onto a stamp pad and then onto paper to make a print. Repeat as desired.</li>
<li>Allow ink to dry completely before displaying your projects. These would make fun greeting cards or wrapping paper, should you choose to stamp them on say, a roll of Kraft paper (which can be found at Dollar Tree).</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-87548384973171609302014-07-31T22:16:00.000-04:002014-07-31T22:16:42.103-04:00July at Our HouseTwo whole weeks since I have last blogged?! Wow, that just tells you how busy it's been 'round here. My brother just got married last Saturday and that definitely kept me going, going, going this month with planning. Hopefully August will be a better month for me to get more writing done. In the meantime, please enjoy the goofy things the kids said this month.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>July 2, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L </span>{discussing hair}: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Are your bumpies hair, too?"</span> {points to Brett's stubble}<br />
<i>Makes me glad I shave my legs often enough to have never had this particular discussion.</i><br />
<br />
<b>July 12, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "When we're all grown up will we still have the same names?"</span><br />
Me: "Yes."<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "So I'll still be Logan?"</span><br />
Me {laughing}: "Yes."<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "But I want a nickname!"</span><br />
<i>Well, good news then, junior high is coming... hopefully, not for a really, </i>really<i> long time, though.</i><br />
<br />
<b>July 14, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L </span>{noting my plaid shorts}: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Are you wearing Daddy's swim trunks?"</span><br />
<i>No. Just no.</i><br />
<br />
<b>July 15, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "M-o-o-o-o-o-m, he drank water <i>off</i> the driveway!"</span><br />
<i>Oh, well. At least he's drinking water, which he really never seems to drink enough of, in my opinion.</i><br />
<br />
<b>July 18, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "It smells <i>so</i> much better in the basement!"</span><br />
<i>I had gotten distracted and walked away from the grilled cheese sandwich I was making, so it got quite blackened and the entire first floor stunk. It happens. Not often, okay, but every once in a loooong while.</i><br />
<br />
<b>July 28, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span> {seeing bird poop on his side of the van as we were getting ready to leave}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I don't want our car to have purple poop on it!"</span><br />
<i>It will all be okay. Really.</i><br />
<br />
<b>July 29, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L: "Don't get white feet." </span>{said while stepping in between the lines of the crosswalk}<br />
<i>Earlier in the day, he had seen the men painting the center line, so he was worried that the paint might be wet outside of Sam's Club.</i><br />
<br />
<b>July 31, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "I wanna do my Bigfoot."</span><br />
Me: "What do you mean?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "I wanna ride my Bigfoot."</span><br />
Me: "Oh, you mean your Big Wheel?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "Yeah!"</span><br />
<i>He just bought this today with his own money at community-wide yard sales. Brings back memories.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cMzIPo2_r3pTV-9zc0WE7NBLCejtn9TJDwhausx60gRW8_6HJ7eCmKfAXR8TdWouEkEiOrS35n5A6H9EtWkpt3tWAEbJNquZD6PXhCpyDANN2yWt2OpNTdSOBrpTOJs4T0Ckzt8LWRs6/s1600/Big+Wheel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cMzIPo2_r3pTV-9zc0WE7NBLCejtn9TJDwhausx60gRW8_6HJ7eCmKfAXR8TdWouEkEiOrS35n5A6H9EtWkpt3tWAEbJNquZD6PXhCpyDANN2yWt2OpNTdSOBrpTOJs4T0Ckzt8LWRs6/s1600/Big+Wheel.jpg" height="320" title="July at Our House by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="238" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<b>July 31, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: </span>{after reading <i>Henry and Mudge</i> books}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Now I feel like eating crackers."</span><br />
<i>Not happening, sister. I am totally on to your bedtime delay tactics. Nice try, though!</i>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-61343021801741468982014-07-17T22:02:00.002-04:002014-07-17T22:02:35.351-04:00A Boy's WorldSome days I think that I will never truly understand this kid. I really just do not know what goes on inside his little head. One thing is for sure. He often brings a smile to my face just by being himself. For example, today's snack time turned into a creative activity. The dinosaurs all got new shoes made from grapes and Goldfish crackers. (I am guessing this was inspired by yesterday's trip to the shoe store for new sneakers.) It's pretty ingenious, albeit impractical. But really, what's the point of always being practical? This life lesson brought to you by my four-year-old.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaidqclfw1hZMKaFizl3tCCdt4liNwXv8APyT_4d1yjMnkKI8MOEK3gi0I_MLIk_8KOZV5-luBVmRMUbbuUqQQ0xpXOuOcJ-SeEWzjMhHTk7lsgHGRGaGvOpRn54JI8rG4xjQoxcd7TYHj/s1600/new+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaidqclfw1hZMKaFizl3tCCdt4liNwXv8APyT_4d1yjMnkKI8MOEK3gi0I_MLIk_8KOZV5-luBVmRMUbbuUqQQ0xpXOuOcJ-SeEWzjMhHTk7lsgHGRGaGvOpRn54JI8rG4xjQoxcd7TYHj/s1600/new+shoes.jpg" height="320" title="A Boy's World by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Perhaps even dinosaurs need new shoes.}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-38819034984410550542014-07-13T23:24:00.001-04:002014-07-13T23:38:26.547-04:003-Ingredient Homemade Shaving Cream: UpdateI posted <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2013/05/3-ingredient-homemade-shaving-cream.html">this recipe</a> over a year ago, and decided to do an updated post now. I am still making my own shaving cream and loving it! I have made a couple of minor changes that I thought were worth noting for the past couple of batches, though. I think my first changes came in March, and I just made another batch this week using these methods.<br />
<br />
<b>#1</b> I decided to experiment with almond oil in place of extra virgin olive oil. I wasn't sure if this would make a difference. The olive oil is probably cheaper, but I figured it was worth trying since I had it on hand anyway for my homemade <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-homemade-face-moisturizing-oil.html">face moisturizing oil</a>. This changes the color slightly, but at first glance, it is pretty much the same. For a trial, I shaved one leg with the new batch of homemade stuff and the other with my old can of Skintimate. For me, there was a clear winner in the smoothness department, but just to be fair, I asked my hubby to do a "blind test" asking him to feel them and tell them if he noticed a difference -- without telling him why. Not surprisingly, he decided that the leg shaved with my homemade version was softer and smoother. Yeah!<br />
<br />
<b>#2</b> Shea butter. So, when I went to order more on Amazon, I actually ended up getting African shea butter for whatever reason. I must not have paid attention very closely. Is there a difference in how they work? Not that I can tell. There is a difference in color (more yellow) and smell. The African one seems a bit more chocolate-y to me, and trust me, that is not a bad thing at all. Hence, my newer batches are more yellow and smell different than my previous batches, but otherwise they have had the same skin conditioning qualities.<br />
<br />
<b>#3</b> My old hand mixer bit the dust last June, which you may have recalled if you happened to read this post about how in love I was with <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2013/06/on-getting-my-way-without-even-trying.html">my new stand mixer</a>. So, the old hand mixer worked pretty well for whipping up shaving cream, but it was messy and my hands did get tired doing it. Since it is no longer in the picture, I put my shaving cream block (more on that in directions below) in the stand mixer bowl, and whipped it up with the wire whisk attachment. Strangely, this takes about twice the amount of time than doing it by hand (6-7 minutes versus 3) BUT it's hands-free and definitely less messy. The only suggestion I have is to stop it a couple of times and stir the mixture by hand to get the solid chunks down from the sides of the bowl and back into optimal position for proper mixing. Easy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9J3fARPBEfo2crbjIdsj5KKlrA69x-tazujabbXU0EYDk0Iq08Cr-1y7DIUiWclg76nXhtIijz65Drb0M4W1n5tNzoqmeSWagsZLDjYeAwsF-cym0g3AvM-qZSlBV2gyRJsrFbQUD5MT/s1600/3+Ingredient+Homemade+Shaving+Cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9J3fARPBEfo2crbjIdsj5KKlrA69x-tazujabbXU0EYDk0Iq08Cr-1y7DIUiWclg76nXhtIijz65Drb0M4W1n5tNzoqmeSWagsZLDjYeAwsF-cym0g3AvM-qZSlBV2gyRJsrFbQUD5MT/s1600/3+Ingredient+Homemade+Shaving+Cream.jpg" height="320" title="3-Ingredient Homemade Shaving Cream: Update by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Here's a new batch after it "settled."}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Why homemade shaving cream? I wanted to eliminate chemicals! I like knowing what I am putting on my body. Also, my last batch lasted just over 4 months -- take that store-bought shaving cream! (There is no way a can of that stuff would have made it that long.) Here is how to make your own natural shaving cream. (Organic ingredients are always a plus, but I wouldn't say they are a must.)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients:</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li>1/3 cup coconut oil</li>
<li>1/3 cup shea butter (mine is African)</li>
<li>1/4 cup almond oil (or extra virgin olive oil, if you don't happen to have almond oil)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Directions:</span></b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>In a sauce pan over low heat, melt the shea butter and coconut oil. (This takes between 5 and ten minutes -- a bit longer with African shea butter than with plain shea butter, which I don't remember as being as dense.)</li>
<li>Pour the melted contents of the pan into a container. (I use a plastic bowl.) Add your almond oil (or olive oil) and stir to combine.</li>
<li>Allow the mixture to solidify in the refrigerator. (I still can't tell you how long this takes. More than an hour, but it will certainly be ready if you let it set over night, which is what I tend to do since I seem to always be making a new batch after the kids are in bed.)</li>
<li>Remove the block from the bowl (or other container) and place it in your mixing bowl. (Mine have always slid out easily once I tipped the bowl over, so this shouldn't be hard for you either.)</li>
<li>Whip the shaving cream. This used to take about 3 minutes with my hand mixer. Now, it takes a bit longer with the stand mixer (as mentioned above).</li>
<li>Store your shaving cream in air-tight containers. Labeling them is suggested. I like to just use masking tape and permanent marker to write the contents and date made.</li>
<li>To shave, I use my fingers to remove a dollop of shaving cream and spread it on my skin. It liquefies once you rub it in, and I love this. It never runs down my legs and gets wasted like commercial shaving creams or gels have a tendency to do. Also, the moisture gets locked into the skin. I know this because I see the water bead up where I have applied my shaving cream -- so it does two jobs in one. It works in all the usual places: underarms, legs, bikini area, and although I have not personally tried it, a man could also shave his face with this stuff. <b>Note: </b>Use caution if you like to shave in the shower since it may make the shower floor a teensy bit slippery at times.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-42103575974694510112014-06-30T22:01:00.003-04:002014-06-30T22:02:15.152-04:00The Creative MonsterJust when I think that I am not being much of a writer this month -- or anything creative, really --inspiration strikes. I empty the vacuum canister into the trash can, and what do I see staring up at me but a grinning "creative monster." He has just one eye, a straggler left over from some odd craft project. (This is fairly typical at our house, to step on a sequin, bead, pipe cleaner, or googly eye. Brett is always threatening to throw them away and then the kids grab them and find temporary hiding places for them.) All except for this eye, which apparently could not escape my vacuum cleaner's appetite. I think my creative monster is encouraging me to go create something!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBG4ARb8a_FSf5IRbQBaEPH2aNVDyjcTONK4d4bqtncbIsIGetQ3rYZkADiWIY9jvb8lxFs109GegUZ5MW233NF8CDqaA9F_qWcFNETaZmWW6IstCIkxjyjcxLb-NQ3UIXEN1RGzDNwf3/s1600/creative+monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBG4ARb8a_FSf5IRbQBaEPH2aNVDyjcTONK4d4bqtncbIsIGetQ3rYZkADiWIY9jvb8lxFs109GegUZ5MW233NF8CDqaA9F_qWcFNETaZmWW6IstCIkxjyjcxLb-NQ3UIXEN1RGzDNwf3/s1600/creative+monster.jpg" height="320" title="The Creative Monster by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{You see it, too, right? Or am I losing it?}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-71982722885176400472014-06-30T21:50:00.001-04:002014-06-30T21:58:27.268-04:00June at Our HouseWow! This month flew by! We had Brett's birthday and our anniversary. I had hoped to post something fun in honor of my 4th blogiversary, but that came and went with no fanfare. And did I mention that I started a business? Yep, I just hit lead consultant with Jamberry, woo hoo!! A busy month, indeed.<br />
<br />
June kept me so busy that I actually forgot to give a shout-out to all my prayer warriors on June 13, which is <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2010/06/thinking-back-to-one-year-ago-today.html">the date</a> that I went into the hospital with my little man's pregnancy five years ago. So, a belated thank you to all of you who kept us going during that time. It means more to me than I can even express. Here are the funny things the kiddos said this month.<br />
<br />
<b>June 5, 2014</b><br />
Brett {playing hide-and-seek with the kids}: "9... 27..."<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M</span> {from her hiding spot}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Dad, that is <i>not</i> the right way to count!"</span><br />
Brett: "I thought they were both upstairs so I didn't think it mattered."<br />
<i>Busted.</i><br />
<br />
<b>June 8, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "Where do Canadians come from?"</span><br />
<i>Well, when a mommy Canadian and a daddy Canadian fall in love...</i><br />
<br />
<b>June 8, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">L: "It's not broken. It's just in three pieces."</span><br />
<i>I have no clue what he was referring to, but at least he's got a silver lining outlook here.</i><br />
<br />
<b>June 10, 2014</b><br />
Brett {the day after his birthday}: "I feel so old."<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "Well, you shouldn't! You're not even close to 90!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Whew! That certainly puts it in perspective.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>June 14, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">L: "It's a vacuum cleaner!"</span> {said while sucking ice cream off the table with a straw}<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Why do I feel like this is just another variant of a familiar story...?</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>June 17, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "Hey, Mom, were there tractors around when you were little?"</span><br />
<i>Why, yes, honey there were. And it was a good thing, too. You see, my dinosaur had just died so this was the only way I had to get to school. Seriously, though, how old does she think I am?!</i><br />
<br />
<b>June 19, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">L: "Whoa, I saw a squirrel. It was dancing!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "It was probably with a <i>girl</i>. Squirrels do funny things when they're showing off."</span><br />
<i>I find it interesting that she has made this observation, and wondered if she noticed the same thing with people?</i><br />
<br />
<b>June 23, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "It's your anniversary? So we've gotta be really, really nice to you?"</span><br />
Brett: "Yes."<br />
{a little bit later}<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M</span> {seeing my gift to Brett, 52 Things I Love about You}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"You've been married for 52 years?!"</span><br />
Me: "No, we've been married for 13 years."<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "That's a <i>long</i> time!"</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">A long time? It's nowhere near 90!</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Px-zaaL5AJbLzainVBvpTIeUf4pG1-pBLFEKtKvgoICfXOlzFkk0-PFpq1Nmb1AHR9o5V2uGtIGrRZ6UjVxpPhGKRizZxI-C0A1nHWdB7XpigWBlJPeN9rd-JBpHXmX8jcc_kfdCbJiE/s1600/52+Things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Px-zaaL5AJbLzainVBvpTIeUf4pG1-pBLFEKtKvgoICfXOlzFkk0-PFpq1Nmb1AHR9o5V2uGtIGrRZ6UjVxpPhGKRizZxI-C0A1nHWdB7XpigWBlJPeN9rd-JBpHXmX8jcc_kfdCbJiE/s1600/52+Things.jpg" height="320" title="June at Our House by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{This was a creative project started at a MOPS meeting ages ago, <br />
and finally completed in time for our anniversary. It's challenging <br />
to come up with so many <i>meaningful and distinct</i> reasons, but<br />
being a "professional" writer, I pulled it out. I assume<br />
the inspiration for the project involved a deck of playing cards.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<b>June 28, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M</span> {while in the van}:<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> "Why do I smell waffles? Oh, never mind, I see the Wendy's sign!"</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yeah, I don't get it either. Even if Wendy's sold waffles, which they don't, she wouldn't smell them near the billboard along the freeway.</span></i><br />
<br />
<b>June 29, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">M: "Maybe we should have named Ritzy 'Licky' because she licks so much."</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, that would make sense... I cannot even share publicly the reason she got her name. I will just tell you that Brett was responsible for naming her.</span></i>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-33067508008441088852014-06-20T22:49:00.000-04:002014-06-20T22:49:32.414-04:00Summer Diary of a Stay at Home Mom<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Summer Vacation Day
1:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Extracted loose tooth from girl child’s mouth. (This was
good because she had been whining for days about it hurting her.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Boy child peed on both sofa cushions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Did 3 loads of laundry (when I normally do 1 per day)
because boy child is having potty training regression. (Haha. See above.)</div>
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- Figured out that <i>101
Dalmatians </i>is the perfect length to get the lawn mowed. (Seriously, I
couldn’t have planned it better. “The End” popped up on the TV screen as I walked
inside, meaning that that children had no time to create mischief.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Located and used plunger to deal with boy child’s overly
enthusiastic usage of toilet paper. (Reminded self that he used the toilet <i>and</i> cleaned himself up – progress!)</div>
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- Finally convinced kids to have some outside time, not that
we lasted as long as we hoped. (What’s up with the temps in the 60’s?!)<br />
- Did I mention it was Friday the 13th and there was a full moon? (Or does that go without saying?)<br />
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<b>Summer Vacation Day 2:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Our first day of VBS. We are exhausted. </div>
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- Kids are cranky and refuse to play outside, and so they are
passing time by annoying one another. Fantastic.</div>
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- Zumba for stress relief. Obviously.</div>
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<b>Summer Vacation Day 3:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Another day when kids get overtired at VBS and then refuse
to play outside.<b><o:p></o:p></b><br />
- Had to carry boy child out of VBS, kicking and screaming. (Cannot recall exact reason, but he was MAD.)</div>
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- Boy child poops his pants. {face palm}<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Girl child asks to do homework! {tiny victory dance}<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Zumba is not an option, so Mommy resorts to having a hard
cider. (Note: It was terrible and I only drank half of it. Save your money and
do not get Johnny Appleseed.)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Fortunately, a hot bath helped. (Why haven’t I had one of
those in so long?)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Summer Vacation Day
4:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Boy child decided to frontload his tantrum for the day. He had an absolute meltdown over losing a single penny that he had brought to donate to the VBS offering.<br />
- Success! They weren’t so crabby after VBS and we were able
to go to summer reading program kickoff and see some fun science experiments.
(Girl child informs me that we simply must buy some Mentos and Diet Coke…
despite the fact that we eat/drink neither of those things and she has seen
this experiment done three times – twice this week! Kids.)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Learned that girl child has a weird gift: She can catch
flies with her bare hands and then release them outside. Second day in a row!
Have a mini Mr. Miyagi comes in handy when your flyswatter is missing in action.
(Where can that thing <i>be</i>…?)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Stress relief option for tonight: shopping without children.
It’s a wee bit sad when going to Target alone is your definition of Heaven on
Earth, but there it is. (The only issue is that you have no one to bounce
things off which means you spend entirely too long in a dressing room debating
whether or not to purchase elastic waist pants. Yes, they fit, which is HUGE,
and they were comfortable <i>and</i> cute,
but seriously? Elastic waist pants? Do you really want to go there?! You note
material: rayon and care instructions: dry flat. Ha! As if! You wisely put them
back and try to pretend you were never really considering them in the first
place.)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Summer Vacation Day
5:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- It’s nice to hear them singing the VBS songs. Really, I need
to keep reminding myself of this.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Mommy is the one who is cranky and tired today. Working VBS
is exhausting! (No wonder all those other moms just drop their kids off and
leave…) It does not help that I am a teensy bit hormonal. (Tomorrow’s the last
day for VBS! Then, I can rest a bit.)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Boy child is being <i>ridiculously</i> loud. And for him, that's saying a lot. He normally only has the one volume setting: loud, but today it's just insane. </div>
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- Why won’t they play outside?! They need it desperately! (And not just for the reason listed above, but oh my goodness, is that a huge factor.)</div>
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- Taking photos at softball game for some stress relief.
(Yeah, the kids are finally playing outside!)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Was planning to work on this blog post for more relaxation
but accidentally deleted entire thing somehow… and now am trying to rewrite it
from memory. {feel like crying} Good news, though, I don't think my brain is quite as decayed as I fear. Most of it is coming back to me.</div>
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- In happier news, I have a fabulous new Jamicure which makes
me smile. <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Also, chocolate should be its own food group. That is all.<br />
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<b>Summer Vacation Day
6:<o:p></o:p></b><br />
- Boy child wet his pants during the last few minutes of the last day of VBS. (Fortunately, I had extra clothes in the van, and I had to at least be glad that he made it through the rest of the week without that happening.)<br />
- Then the MAJOR meltdown happened. Cannot even explain what it was all about. He was upset that I threw his potato chips away, I think, and he wanted an ice pop.<br />
- Girl child tore her fingernail and was extremely tired, so she was nearly in tears while all this was going down. (She wasn't the only one who felt that way.)<br />
- Hallelujah! He fell asleep on the way home and napped for 3 hours. This gave her some good down time before getting ready for dance recital.<br />
- I am not good at putting my seven-year-old's hair in a bun. Or applying red lipstick to her tiny mouth. These things stress me out beyond belief -- not to mention that she had her first ever costume-change during recital, and she performed at the beginning and at the END of the show, which is insanely long. It was after 9:00 when I finally got her from backstage (after waiting in that torturous line... WHY? Why do they make me wait every year when I just want to get her home and in bed?!)<br />
- Also, it rained, so I didn't get any photos with decent lighting because we couldn't take any outside. {pouts}<br />
- On the plus side, (because I really need to find a silver lining, and possibly some chocolate...) we made it through recital, made it through VBS, <i>and</i> made it through the first week of no school! It can only get easier from here on out, right?<br />
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Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-71798354344779856472014-06-17T20:50:00.000-04:002014-06-17T20:50:28.345-04:00Insight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you ever want to know what goes on inside the mind of a child, just check out her artwork. This is the latest installation in an ongoing series of sidewalk chalk drawings by my seven-year-old daughter (who seems to think that she is the only one who has ever been cursed with an "annoying little brother.") I have entitled it, "Lions, and Tigers, and NO Screaming Boys, Oh My!" </div>
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Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-54708465398576331032014-06-06T23:05:00.003-04:002014-06-06T23:05:48.510-04:00DIY Dishwasher DetergentThis post has been a long time coming, but I am happy to be able to finally share this recipe for homemade dishwasher detergent, courtesy of my friend Kim. The good thing about being so busy that I haven't been blogging much is that it's given me a solid two and a half weeks of using this recipe non-stop -- my dishwasher runs an average of once a day. That means you all get my honest-to-goodness opinion on how well this homemade version works (versus the over-the-moon excitement I felt the first time I used it).<br />
<br />
Aside from the citric acid, which I purchased on Amazon, these are all ingredients that you can find in any grocery store. This is always something I appreciate in a homemade cleaning solution. Four ingredients is a manageable amount, in my opinion, which is another plus. Everything is reasonably priced, with the citric acid being the priciest component (breakdown of cost to follow).<br />
<br />
The main reason for why I wanted to make my own dishwasher detergent wasn't to save money -- although I will do that! <i>The real purpose was to eliminate more chemical crap from the household</i>. This was one area that I have had a hard time finding a good natural alternative to. (I had previously tried a different recipe and it didn't work all that well. In fact, this turned my off from even trying again for a good 18 months or so!) However, my <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/04/greener-spring-cleaning-part-7-homemade.html">greener spring cleaning series of posts</a> raised the question "What do you use in your dishwasher?" and this prompted me to seek out a better alternative.<br />
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Good news, folks! While this one doesn't always remove every single food particle (and let's be honest, your store-bought stuff isn't always up to the tough jobs either, right?), it works pretty darn well -- <i>much better</i> than the previous recipe. (To be fair, the primary reason that I occasionally find stuck-on food is what I will refer to as "operator error." I tend to overload the dishwasher, and that doesn't help it to do its thing in the most efficient way possible -- but I'm stubborn, and I refuse to run it unless it's full, so that's my catch-22.) <i>My conclusion is that it has to be the citric acid that is making this work because that's the only difference from what I had tried before</i>. (On a side note, I've seen some other recipes for dishwasher detergent lately, and many of them call for lemonade mix. My guess is that people have found the citric acid in it to be the <b>magic ingredient</b> that really cleans their dishes. My only thought here is, <i>why use something that has artificial colors, flavors, and other added stuff when you can purchase pure citric acid and get the job done in a more natural way?</i>) Just my two cents.<br />
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On the subject of dollars and cents, you may be asking, <i>is homemade dishwasher detergent really a good value?</i> Yup! Breaking this down, I found this to actually be cheaper than the Member's Mark dishwasher pacs we were buying in bulk at Sam's Club. (105 pacs at $9.98 works out to about 10 cents per use.) The Borax and Super Washing Soda are both things I have had at home for years and have been used for many different things including <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2010/11/diy-laundry-detergent.html">homemade laundry soap</a> and <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/04/greener-spring-cleaning-part-3-homemade.html">all-purpose cleaner </a>-- and I'm still working from the original boxes. (55 ounces of Super Washing Soda which cost $2.89 when I bought it and 76 ounces of Borax, which was $3.42 at the time. There is no way that you will convince me that these are not good values because even if you don't use them for the dishwasher detergent, you will use them for <i>something</i>.) Honestly, I don't remember how much I paid for my coarse Kosher salt, but I think it was less than $5, so for my calculations I am just going to overestimate and say it was $5 for the 48 ounce box. Again, citric acid was the most expensive at $11.99 for 36 ounces.<br />
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So, 55 ounces of <b>Super Washing Soda</b> divided by 8 ounces (per the recipe below) = 6 batches (plus a bit extra, but let's work in whole batches here.) This means that this ingredient costs 48 cents per batch. <b>Borax:</b> 76 divided by 8 = 9 batches, at a cost of 38 cents per batch. Coarse <b>salt</b> (again, I think I overestimated the cost): 48 ounces divided by 4 = 12 batches, at a cost of 42 cents (probably less) per batch. <b>Citric acid:</b> 36 ounces divided by 4 = 9 batches, at a cost of 75 cents per batch. <b>Total cost = $2.03 for 3 cups </b>of homemade detergent. If using the max recommended amount of two tablespoons per load (personally, I have found this to work better than one tablespoon), this works out to 24 uses per batch at a cost of <b>8 cents per use -- </b>that's <i>2 cents cheaper than the least expensive store-bought cleaner</i> that we were previously using. Since this only takes a couple of minutes to mix up and it keeps (meaning you don't have to mix up a new batch each time, which can be annoying with some recipes for homemade cleaning products), this is 100% worth your time to make! It's always nice to know exactly what goes into your cleaning products. Here's the recipe.<br />
<br />
<b>Homemade Dishwasher Detergent</b><br />
<ul>
<li>1 cup Borax</li>
<li>1 cup Super Washing Soda</li>
<li>1/2 cup coarse salt (I used Kosher)</li>
<li>1/2 cup citric acid</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Mix well. (I stirred mine in a large glass bowl, but Kim puts hers in a container with a lid and shakes it up.) </li>
<li>Use 1-2 tablespoons per load. </li>
<li>Optional: You can also add vinegar to the rinse cycle, which I have been doing. This is a natural way to get shiny, spot-free dishes. I just filled the rinse cycle compartment and let the dishwasher dispense it during the rinse cycle.</li>
</ol>
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(<b>Note:</b> Kim suggests storing the detergent in the freezer to prevent clumping, but I have not really had an issue with this. Mine is being stored in an old dishwasher detergent container under my kitchen sink.)<br />
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<b>Thanks for reading! This was my 600th blog post. Cue trumpets. Okay, not really. Maybe for my upcoming 4th blogiversary...</b></div>
Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-38574661050714847662014-05-31T22:32:00.000-04:002014-05-31T22:32:23.345-04:00May at Our House<b>May 1, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M</span> {both kids have doll dresses on their heads}: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We're wearing Mexican hats!"</span><br />
<i>Well, sure, if you say so, kids.</i><br />
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<b>May 1, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "I found Boo Boo Bunny -- and I got hurt!"</span><br />
<i>Oh, the irony.</i><br />
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<b>May 2, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "When birds pull worms out of the ground, they're playing tug-of-war!"</span><br />
<i>Yep, it's just like that except that it's a war game in which someone ends up dead.</i><br />
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<b>May 2, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "You're quite the baker! You should open up a bakery. You could build in on that open grassy patch."</span><br />
Me: "What grassy patch?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "You know. In town. Across from the gas station."</span><br />
<i>Now why didn't I think of that?"</i><br />
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<b>May 3, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M</span> {sighing as she sits on Sandy, the penny pony at Meijer}: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I think I'm getting too big for this."</span><br />
<i>NOOOOOOO! I refuse to let that happen.</i><br />
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<b>May 5, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L</span> {overheard while on the play phone, talking to Daddy}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Fish latte."</span><br />
<i>Really hoping he does NOT wind up as a barista. Just sayin'.</i><br />
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<b>May 5, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L</span> {bends his arm}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"These bones can bend. I think they're elastic!"</span><br />
<i>Yep.</i><br />
<br />
<b>May 5, 2014 </b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "Daddy, are you reading with your eyes?"</span><br />
Brett: "Yes, I'm reading with my eyes."<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "Reading with your eyes is eyes is so that little kids don't read stuff they're not supposed to know about. I read my whole entire library book on the bus!"</span><br />
<i>They've broken our secret code. Now what?</i><br />
<br />
<b>May 6, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L</span> {describing "outside day" at preschool -- the trike course}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"They gave out pink tickets."</span><br />
Me: "What were the pink tickets for?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "When people went too fast. I pretended it was a race course!"</span><br />
Me: "Oh, so did you get lots of pink tickets."<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "No. Nobody <i>saw</i> me!"</span><br />
<i>Ah, yes, how early they figure this one out.</i><br />
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<b>May 7, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L </span>{on Brett's new car}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Daddy says I can fit in his trunk!"</span><br />
<i>He said what now?</i><br />
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<b>May 8, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M </span>{while we were driving on the freeway}: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I don't think we're allowed to go 160."</span><br />
Brett: "I don't think the van will even go 160."<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "Then why do the numbers go that high?!"</span><br />
<i>Indeed.</i><br />
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<b>May 9, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L</span> {while watching <i>101 Dalmatians</i>}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"They think they're Labra-dogs."</span><br />
<i>He's cute, right? It's not just me.</i><br />
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<b>May 9, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "I think that plane is going to crash into the moon."</span><br />
<i>I wouldn't worry too much about that, dear.</i><br />
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<b>May 9, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M</span> {in the bathroom at Wendy's}: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I love that Grandma is named after a restaurant!"</span><br />
<i>Well, they do both have red hair...</i><br />
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<b>May 9, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M</span> {8:30 p.m., on the way to Grandma and Grandpa's house}: <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Something tells me it's past bedtime."</span><br />
Me: "Yes, what is that?"<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "The clock! And the angle of the sun."</span><br />
<i>Okay, Miss Smartypants...</i><br />
<br />
<b>May 12, 2014</b><br />
Me: "Why are you going in circles?" {around the dining room table}<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "I just want to. Actually, I'm going in <i>ovals</i>."</span><br />
<i>And Mr. Smartypants!</i><br />
<br />
<b>May 14, 2014</b><br />
Me: "Did you just lick me?! Why are you licking everything?" {as he licks the counter}<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "Because I want a sucker."</span><br />
<i>Right. And licking the inside of my wrist will make that happen how exactly?</i><br />
<br />
<b>May 19, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L </span>{brings me a twig}: <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Mom, is this a pretzel plant?"</span><br />
<i>Nope. But wouldn't that be kind of cool?</i><br />
<br />
<b>May 20, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "I wish we had a pet butterfly instead of a dog."</span><br />
<i>There would be less dog doo on my porch...</i><br />
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<b>May 20, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M: "I don't like that my skin is covered with hair."</span><br />
<i>Sorry. Can't help you there.</i><br />
<br />
<b>May 24, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L </span>{watching lacrosse on TV}:<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> "Are they trying to catch a banana peel?"</span><br />
<i>This is just plain funny.</i><br />
<br />
<b>May 25, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L</span> {after I returned from the store with goodies for Memorial Day}: <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You brought home root <i>beard</i>!"</span><br />
<i>Yes. For root </i>beard<i> floats. They're delicious.</i><br />
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<b>May 26, 2014</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L: "Some of the Unifix cubes have fallen into my milk."</span><br />
<i>Probably the best part is that he said this so matter-of-factly, like a little man.</i><br />
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-15819715600982557952014-05-16T20:50:00.001-04:002014-05-17T10:14:40.987-04:00Ever Have One of Those Weeks?Have you ever had one of those weeks? Maybe a little like this?<br />
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<b>Monday: </b>You need to go pick your child up at school during a tornado warning. Actually, it's the extended warning. You were going to let her wait it out because her little brother was scared, but once the extension was added you decided to go get her (the tornado was nowhere nearby) since they would not even be putting her <i>on</i> the bus until 5 pm and then she would have another 40 minutes or so before getting home. It is a torrential downpour and you are all soaked to the skin and stripping the moment you set foot in the house. (Hooray, more laundry! Not.)<br />
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Oh, yes, did I mention that it's your birthday? There's no dessert because you didn't make any. You ask your husband to clean up since you made dinner. He puts the left over food away but leaves the dirty dishes in the sink (which was really what you meant for him to do but weren't smart enough to specify in your request). You realize you need to be more precise next time.<br />
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<b>Tuesday:</b> Your kid swipes 3 Hot Wheels cars while you are shopping at Kroger -- and you don't realize it until it's time to check out. By then, of course, he has torn open the packages. So you buy them, force him to pay you back, and charge an extra dollar for emotional duress.<br />
<br />
In grocery shopping-related news, you are annoyed that today was the last day that your Kroger will be doubling coupons. Boo!<br />
<br />
You go home, put the groceries away, transfer laundry from washer to dryer, change your clothes (can't wear the grocery shopping ensemble for yardwork!), and ask your four-year-old to help you apply sunscreen to your back (because it's over 80 degrees already and you are now wearing a tank top). Then you pop in a Disney film and manage to get the lawnmower out of the shed, mow the entire lawn (just a hair shy of an acre), and then put the lawnmower back -- entirely on your own! (Take that, husband who said he didn't think you could do it.) You later realize you have probably been duped. He knows you hate being told what you <i>can't</i> do!<br />
<br />
You go to bed kind of miffed because hubby has asked you to stop and buy ice cream after your evening meeting at church. You are kind of tired but oblige because he has a sore throat. (You're cool like that even though he didn't buy you ice cream on your birthday.)<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday: </b>The same child has a tantrum the following morning at Walmart because you won't buy him -- wait for it -- another Hot Wheels car. So he runs off screaming like a banshee and you chase after him through approximately 15 aisles of the store before he slows down and you can finally grab him by the collar of his shirt. And then you wonder if wearing the skinny jeans and cute ballet flats was really the best choice for shopping with a four-year-old boy, which is starting to seem like more of a competitive sport each day.<br />
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Later, you step into the garage as you are headed out side to play "hardball baseball" with your boy. (Clearly, he has energy to burn off.) The moment you set foot out the door, you slip backward, nearly falling. (Thankfully, you do not get hurt. The floor of the garage is concrete, after all!) On closer inspection, you realize that you have stepped in a pile of dog poo. IN the garage. And by the way, you were still wearing the cute ballet flats, which aside from not offering much in the way of traction, are now coated in a layer of smeared dog poo. You are wondering why you have a dog...<br />
<br />
To top off the day, it is your night to work the dinner at church. After 2.5 hours of running like a made woman (there were not enough hands!), scarfing your own dinner, and eventually stealing a potty break, it is over. You go to retrieve your little dude from the nursery (where they eventually had someone to help out, which is good, 'cause he started out in the kitchen with you, which for obvious reasons was <i>not</i> good). At this point, he smiles at you angelically and asks, "Mommy, is there any food left?" Um, yeah, you just spent several minutes packing it all up. Also, you have officially lost "Mom of the Year" status. That is reserved for people who remember to feed their children.<br />
<br />
In other news, this is the second day this week that you have had to wash the cover from one of the couch cushions -- because a certain child has peed on it. (Hooray, more laundry! Not.) You are convinced that if you could just get all of the people and animals in your household to do their business in the correct location, your life would suddenly seem so much easier.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday: </b>As soon as you get out of the shower, you discover that your son has wet the bed. Only he wasn't in his own bed -- he was in <i>your </i>bed. You don't have a plastic sheet on this bed, obviously, so that means that when you strip the bedding you find a puddle of urine on your mattress. You head down to the laundry room to start a wash load, nearly tripping over a pile of in front of the laundry room door. It turns out that your other child has also wet the bed. (Hooray, more laundry! Not.) Next, you sprinkle baking soda all over <i>your</i> mattress and cross your fingers that it will sop up the liquid and get rid of any odor. You remind yourself that it could be worse -- at least one child wet her own bed and not yours!<br />
<br />
After you are in bed (which now has fresh sheets, at least), your husband informs you that he read online that your daughter's school is doing away with Spanish and art. He tries to make you feel better, saying, "She still has you for art." Obviously, this is not the same. She loves those special classes. You have trouble getting to sleep because you are upset -- not just for the kids to miss out on these classes, but also for the teachers who may be losing their jobs.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday: </b>Your son just pooped his pants for the fourth time this week. (Hooray, more laundry! Not.) You wonder how much diarrhea is considered "normal" and debate whether or not to call the pediatrician's office. (It's always tricky to find the right balance between being <i>that mom</i> -- the one who calls too often for every little thing --and <i>that mom</i> -- the one who never takes things seriously enough.)<br />
<br />
Well, you make a decision and call the doc's office. He isn't having diarrhea, the nurse tells you. He's constipated. Well, okay, that makes sense. Not really, but kinda sorta. Anyway, you hang up and are immediately informed by your son that he has pooped his pants. Again. So make that five times this week. (Hooray, more laundry! Not.)<br />
<br />
A letter comes home in your daughter's Friday folder confirming that there will be no Spanish or art classes next year. They are, however, offering some sort of before or after school art club. You still don't see how that makes up for cutting the programs!<br />
<br />
Later, your son tells you that he has forgotten to lift the toilet lid, and so he has peed all over the bathroom floor. Actually, compared to the other potty accidents you have dealt with this week, you really don't care. At least he was in the bathroom attempting to do what he was supposed to do.<br />
<br />
At bedtime, you are faced with two tired and cranky children. It turned out that it was a bad idea to go out to dinner to belatedly celebrate your birthday. Also, that big chocolate chip cookie for dessert was a huge mistake. Don't they know that you're supposed to bake them <i>all the way</i> through? Ugh. Everyone had a tummy ache. Your husband informs you that you didn't need to eat your whole piece. Right. Like you considered <i>not</i> eating the chocolate to be an option.<br />
<br />
Feeling worn out, you turn to your faithful blog for a nice venting session. (Here you feel the need to add a final note that this was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. You lead a very blessed life, and happen to think that you are funny, even if nobody else may agree. And, your husband is pretty great most of the time. You don't want people to think that you have no faith in him, but like every normal person you occasionally feel peeved at him -- this week more than normal!) That said, you pray that the weekend of double birthday parties goes much more smoothly than the rest of the week!Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-60677581192115079252014-05-13T23:05:00.000-04:002014-05-13T23:05:24.528-04:00Homemade Powder FoundationComing up with a homemade powder foundation has been a bit trickier than some of the other homemade makeups that I have tried so far. I found a few suggestions on how to get started (<a href="http://mymerrymessylife.com/2013/05/homemade-face-powder-foundation-all-natural.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.ablossominglife.com/2013/06/diy-natural-powder-foundation.html">here</a>). There was a third idea that I wondered about but it called for a type of clay, which isn't something I had at hand... so I experimented with stuff from my kitchen. (I always suggest using what you have, right?)<br />
<br />
I have to say that while food-grade items are safer than a lot of chemicals in store-bought makeup, applying them to one's face requires caution! Obviously, don't use anything you know you are allergic to or don't tolerate well. (One of the above bloggers suggested nutmeg as a potential face powder ingredient, but after having it cause instant itchiness when making <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/homemade-eye-shadow-experiment.html">eye shadow</a>, I decided against trying that one again.)<br />
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The next thing that is difficult about making your own powder foundation is getting the right color. It's not like making <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/2-ingredient-homemade-blush.html">blush</a> when one easy to create color will suit most any skin tone. My first attempt was something I came up with all on my own: arrowroot and turmeric (which I was surprised to find in an organic line at Walmart, oddly enough). I had seen this as an ingredient when researching how to make eye shadow, and I thought that if mixed with arrowroot, it would make a nice pale peach powder. Since I am extremely fair-skinned, I thought this would be more subtle than, say, cocoa powder. When mixed up and applied to the inside of my wrist it was a near-perfect match to my skin tone. Now for the real test.<br />
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It looked good on my face <i>at first</i> but then the powders seemed to separate and I was embarrassed to catch my reflection one day (after wearing this in public for a few <i>days</i> in a row! Why couldn't I have noticed that sooner?!). Unless the Oompa Loompa look is in this season I had really missed the boat! Needless to say, there is a reason none of the other bloggers out there are recommending the use of turmeric in a homemade foundation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aVp0o2_TmOtxhLKeOLCgA6QBmBGgYEpyUlEZszE6JFadIQ8-DwHtkKioahggLt4yYg41IUWNSrttY-PtrD3eVDNUtOK0Y1g8x-S-pJZPlOuC_p3b7V6ZSYNCOtee5qiiYuo5GnelyAb3/s1600/powders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aVp0o2_TmOtxhLKeOLCgA6QBmBGgYEpyUlEZszE6JFadIQ8-DwHtkKioahggLt4yYg41IUWNSrttY-PtrD3eVDNUtOK0Y1g8x-S-pJZPlOuC_p3b7V6ZSYNCOtee5qiiYuo5GnelyAb3/s1600/powders.jpg" height="238" title="Homemade Powder Foundation by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Homemade Powder Foundation Experiments}</span></td></tr>
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Fortunately, my second attempt was much better. Cinnamon and cocoa powder were suggested by both of the blog posts I had read, so it made since to try them out. I was a bit nervous about using cinnamon on my skin, fearing an itchy reaction, but luckily that did not happen. This powder looks a lot darker and I was worried that it would look like I was trying to fake a tan, but it actually went on quite natural. It wore well, keeping shine at bay. (I am thinking the arrowroot powder is to thank for that.) It's not as great at concealing blemishes as my store-bought stuff, but overall, this worked for a powder foundation. The best part was that it smelled incredibly delicious and I half expected people to ask me where I bought my Christmas cookie perfume. (I used 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder + 1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder + 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Proportions can be adjusted as needed, and I suggest starting with small amounts and adding more as desired.)<br />
<br />
Even thought that second formulation worked well, I wanted to try yet another concoction. This time, I added ginger to see if the yellow tint would tone down the overly dark cocoa powder to create a more suitable shade of powder foundation. Again, I was slightly apprehensive about whether or not there would be an itch factor, and I was relived that this was not an issue. My main complaint about the ginger, though, is that it tends to tickle my nose when inhaled, making me sneeze. (Kind of like my second <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/homemade-blush-trial-2.html">blush experiment</a> -- I ultimately nixed that version, in part because of this.) This third mixture is what I have been wearing most recently, but I am thinking that I will go back to the cocoa powder and cinnamon mixture. I am not sure that the ginger is really working for me, but I will say that this works well as a translucent powder, similar to the second variation. (I used 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Proportions can be adjusted as needed, and I suggest starting with small amounts and adding more as desired.)<br />
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In case you're wondering, I have been wearing food on my face for the past two and half weeks and nobody has noticed -- or if they have, they have been kind enough not to mention it. (I'm especially thinking of when I realized my face was splotchy orange while out to brunch with a bunch of people from church!) I'm not sure that I have found the perfect recipe yet, but I do seem to be on the right track. If you want to save some money and know exactly what is contained in your foundation, it <i>is</i> possible to make your own at home. Finding the perfect match for your skin tone and type, well, that's a whole other issue!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EpQ5EIAqCkocEjJKUYCCk5XQr8-7jEPySgA6r4PWY1hCAM0cG5ul2wWTP-gL-kUlGjvhr_NQJymIEUuGOlRWz4gTQLV_3hfadz0tRk5MKaZiVK9CkPIcOB2Re8FqQr51ljEP69Hj8T1c/s1600/homemade+powder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EpQ5EIAqCkocEjJKUYCCk5XQr8-7jEPySgA6r4PWY1hCAM0cG5ul2wWTP-gL-kUlGjvhr_NQJymIEUuGOlRWz4gTQLV_3hfadz0tRk5MKaZiVK9CkPIcOB2Re8FqQr51ljEP69Hj8T1c/s1600/homemade+powder.jpg" height="320" title="Homemade Powder Foundation by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Modeling my 3rd Foundation Attempt}</span></td></tr>
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What do you think? This was a picture that I took of myself yesterday, which just happened to be my birthday. Brett informed everyone at church that I was turning "29 again." Here I am wearing a <b>full face of homemade makeup</b>: <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/homemade-eye-shadow-experiment.html">cocoa powder eye shadow</a>, <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/05/homemade-eyeliner-so-easy.html">activated charcoal eye liner</a>, <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/2-ingredient-homemade-blush.html">beet root blush</a>, <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/homemade-tinted-lip-balm-experiment-2.html">beet root lip gloss</a>, and my latest attempt at homemade mascara (more on that soon). Maybe I am delusional, but I really do think that I could pass for 29!<br />
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-79163859022487895582014-05-08T23:09:00.003-04:002014-05-08T23:09:50.750-04:00The Graduate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My little dude had his first preschool graduation today! Yep, first. We'll do it again next year, and that will probably lead to some tears on my part...</div>
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I've never seen him force a smile like this before, but it's sort of cute that he wanted to make me happy -- because I do love me some photos. I have watched the video umpteen times already, working diligently to transcribe the teacher's description of my little man. (For some reason, the ability to take decent videos eludes me even while I am getting quite decent at taking still photographs.) </div>
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It's amazing how anybody was able to describe him in such a condensed way, and yet I felt myself nodding along. <i>Yes, that's my boy!</i><br />
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<b>"Being a typical boy, he loves to jump and run. He was always the first to volunteer to go ride bikes in the large muscle room. It was also not unusual to find him with the other boys on the carpet playing with small manipulatives and building a fort. Another favorite area was the dramatic play, where he would pretend to make phone calls to his mom and sister. Logan is especially good at observing and analyzing an activity. When he comes to a table, he rarely needs directions since he can figure things out by himself. We are thrilled to have him back in the fall!"</b></blockquote>
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Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246954488643493336.post-17216839251328124372014-05-05T12:02:00.003-04:002014-05-09T14:00:18.544-04:00Homemade Eyeliner (So Easy!)Okay, this is <i>seriously</i> the easiest homemade makeup you will ever see directions for. One all-natural ingredient and just two simple steps. I don't see a reason why <i>anybody</i> could not make this themselves at home! Save yourself some money <i>and</i> know exactly what is in your eyeliner -- win-win. (I found the idea for making my own eyeliner <a href="http://yumuniverse.com/make-your-own-natural-eyeshadow-or-liner-out-of-charcoal/">here</a>.)<br />
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First, go get yourself a bottle of activated charcoal capsules. You can find them at vitamin stores, health food stores (where I found mine), or online. These are NOT the same as charcoal from your grill. Activated charcoal is meant to be taken internally for gastrointestinal issues (food poisoning, for example) so it's considered completely safe for cosmetic purposes.<br />
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My bottle contained 90 gelatin capsules and it cost $10.59. This won't expire until September of 2017, so I am set for eye makeup for 3+ years. (I'm currently working on a homemade mascara, which also calls for activated charcoal. I am wearing it in the picture below, but for today, I just want you to focus on the eyeliner.) Considering how much I was spending before to get bareMinerals makeup -- which still contained things I could not pronounce (even though it was decidedly safer than the cheap drugstore makeup I had previously purchased) -- this is a steal!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIy6brfNNY112bSB4tuH6UTBlTgANwF-0dPXtkE-TChrF3D84kL8LHQQ5yd-n4TV1-A0atKL1v9QXoOcIgyx-vSakN33zOJM9ta7yCNqGtFvL6sc2ehMtpopqf8qGIBTCt2LjcfjxY89Ru/s1600/homemade+eyeliner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIy6brfNNY112bSB4tuH6UTBlTgANwF-0dPXtkE-TChrF3D84kL8LHQQ5yd-n4TV1-A0atKL1v9QXoOcIgyx-vSakN33zOJM9ta7yCNqGtFvL6sc2ehMtpopqf8qGIBTCt2LjcfjxY89Ru/s1600/homemade+eyeliner.jpg" height="320" title="Homemade Eyeliner (So Easy!) by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{Wet Application, Dry Application}</span></td></tr>
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<b>How to Make Your Own Eyeliner (So Easy!):</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Grab a small container with a lid. (Mine is plastic and came in a 10-pack at Dollar Tree. A small glass jar would be ideal, but I didn't have one on hand.) Open an activated charcoal capsule and dump the contents into the container. (Your hands will get a little messy, but it washes away easily.)</li>
<li>Apply your eyeliner with a small brush. (I suggest getting an eyeliner brush for this. Mine is from Ulta.) For a simple day-time look, I just dip my brush into the charcoal and apply it dry. For a more dramatic night-time look (or if you just like a more intense eyeliner for day-time), first wet your brush slightly, then dip it into the charcoal and line your eyes. Use small motions and add more as needed for best results. This stays put well and washes away easily at the end of the day (I use the <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2013/05/5-homemade-facial-cleansers.html">oil cleanse method</a> for face washing and eye makeup removal.)</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFaEU2Zd4l5E-nBeX-NkvqUelGE7-exSVS3MwykbQh5c8QnDajWUtQQdCH1V7Flvteo7POoFs5xyWiTrHQ68VTLFWEP-gSfDIX4wLzSU7-kJc_IvF-2VjQ-ULl_XKlJbO5UiftVUe4M3_/s1600/eye+liner+tutorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFaEU2Zd4l5E-nBeX-NkvqUelGE7-exSVS3MwykbQh5c8QnDajWUtQQdCH1V7Flvteo7POoFs5xyWiTrHQ68VTLFWEP-gSfDIX4wLzSU7-kJc_IvF-2VjQ-ULl_XKlJbO5UiftVUe4M3_/s1600/eye+liner+tutorial.jpg" height="320" title="Homemade Eyeliner (So Easy!) by Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms)" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">{I capsule = about 1/4 teaspoon}</span></td></tr>
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<b>A Few Notes:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Please note that my eyeliner is is not "perfect." It does leave a small amount of dust beneath my eyes by the end of the day. However, to be fair, the <i>way more expensive</i> eye makeup that I was purchasing did the same thing!</li>
<li>To me, this is still tops because it is safe, easy to apply, and very affordable!</li>
<li>In my self-portrait, I model both application methods. On the left, is the more dramatic wet-application, and on the right is the softer dry application. I have not tried it, but I think you could use the dry application over your entire lid for a very-wearable neutral gray eye shadow.</li>
<li>Also, in the photo, I am modeling my <a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/homemade-eye-shadow-experiment.html">homemade beet root eye shadow</a>, which I love!</li>
<li>I should probably mention that I lined my top lids only, which is my personal preference. That's the way I have done it for years. You can line both the top and bottom if you like that look better.</li>
<li>I "made" this eyeliner 3 weeks ago, and I'm estimating that the one capsule will last me about another 3 weeks with almost daily usage. This is perfect, I think. Not so long that I have to worry about bacteria growth, but still not so short that I am forever having to "make" more eyeliner.</li>
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<b>Some More of My Favorite Homemade Makeup Recipes:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/homemade-eye-shadow-experiment.html">Eye Shadow</a></li>
<li><a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/2-ingredient-homemade-blush.html">Blush</a></li>
<li><a href="http://becauseisaidsoandothermommyisms.blogspot.com/2014/03/homemade-tinted-lip-balm-experiment-2.html">Tinted Lip Gloss</a></li>
</ul>
Mascara and face powder recipes are in the works, so I'll let you know when they are share-worthy!<br />
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Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14373453117182214704noreply@blogger.com0