Halloween treat bags

I made these for a few special people in our family (teachers, mail carrier, bus driver) and I thought I would share them. Everyone seems to appreciate a little chocolate treat.

Another shot of the tags... I copied these tags (sort of) from a scrapbook designer featured in a magazine. The pumpkin is two different circles with pop dots in between. They look much cuter in person. Also, I have to share how "green" I am, the treat bags are recycled from Zoe's preschool party treats last year and the tag string is from a Gap shopping bag. I cut strings and cords off bags all the time, they are usually very easy to remove. Gap Baby has the cutest ribbon ever!!!

Also just a note: from my extensive personal research, the food that gives the yuckiest heartburn and should be avoided in pregnancy is... bacon. (For my preggo friends out there!)

making a list of gift recipients

I have been seeing a lot of organizational tips for the holidays lately, so I am not the only one out there with this stuff on the brain. I always hear that you should make a list of who in your family and friends you have to buy for and what you want to get, what you actually get, etc. I have done this for a couple years now but this morning I thought of all the other people I buy for and made a list. Whew, I am so glad I did. It really helps me to have this all written down and I think it will be easier to keep track of everything and not forget anyone thus finding myself scrambling at the last minute. Some people on my non-family list include: teachers (at school and extra curriculars), the bus driver, mail carrier, nice dry cleaner ladies, neighbors, and my husband's office staff (and a few other staff people). I am making a master list of all things I need for these gifts as most of them are home-made or home-assembled by me. I hope it helps me to not over spend or over buy. Maybe this is something you might want to do too?last year cookies for the custodians at Paul's school

Darn that Halloween anyway

I just realized that I have already eaten all the Butterfingers out of our giant variety candy bag meant for trick or treaters. Urgh!

Zoe "really, really, really," wanted to be Sharpay for trick or treat so we tried on the costume, bought the costume, brought costume home and now she doesn't like it. Urgh!

I am supposed to go to the classroom party at the kindergarten center Friday but have no babysitter for my 3 year old. Urgh!

As of Friday, I have about 6 weeks to get all my holiday stuff ready, just in case baby comes early or even on time. Urgh!

It is supposed to be cold on trick or treat, do you think Zoe will wear a t-shirt under the costume that she hates?! Urgh!

Is it too early to say "Bah humbug?" and does that apply to Halloween?

in case you see a pregnant lady...

Things you should never say to a pregnant woman:
1. Wow, you must be getting ready to pop!
2. You must be due any day now.
3. Look at that belly!
4. Are you sure you want hot sauce ma'am? You'll give that baby heartburn!
5. Were you really little to begin with? Because you are really showing now.
6. Is that baby going to come soon or what?
7. Are you having twins?
8. Is your husband really big? How can you grow such a big baby in there?

These are all comments I have heard in the past three days. I am not exaggerating. Only one of these is from someone I actually know (ahem, my husband!) and I won't tell you which one. Can you believe the nerve some people have? I try to brush it off and just laugh to their faces but it kind of gets to you after a while. I mean come on people, I'm pregnant here! Major hormone surges, tears flowing like water, emotional wreck, ya get it!?

Here are the only things I think people should say to a pregnant woman:
1. You have such a beautiful glow.
2. Your hair looks fantastic.
3. You have such a perfectly round belly, just like Rachel on "Friends"
4. You hardly show at all.
5. You are tiny, are you sure you're ____ weeks along?!
6. You have never looked better.
7. Pregnant women are the most beautiful women on Earth.

fa la la la la

A house not far from ours, last year, all decked out for the holidays...It won't be long now... Can you believe Halloween is almost here? Wow, that sure came fast. I don't really have it too much on the brain, we'll take the kids out, get lots of candy, etc, etc, etc. But I do have Christmas ideas swirling around like a hurricane. I have been ordering things on-line (a few at a time) and picking up small gifts I see (especially stocking stuffers) in the hopes that I won't be frantic in December. It's actually a little refreshing, I know I'll be crazy trying to get it all done when it gets closer to the big day but for now, I am taking it nice and easy. I am making a master list of all gifts bought and "need to be bought" to stay on top of that. I have ordered some wrapping paper (gotta love those school fundraisers) and gift bags, I have begun making my holiday cards, and I am stashing all my loot in my big tub high in my closet, shh don't tell! Feels kinda good to be ahead of the game. I'll keep you posted on my progress...

feeling nostalgic

The kids seem to be growing up so fast lately...Zoe has the attitude of a disgruntled twelve year old but she is loving trying to ride Parker's new skateboard (and she is surprisingly pretty good at it). She is talking on the phone to her friends from school (what???) and is more of a fashionista then ever.

Parker is using the official "youth" size basketball to shoot hoops and he won't come in until he makes a shot (reminds me of the movie "Hoosiers"). He is showing interest in writing letters and he sings all the time, especially songs we do at our Mom and Me class.

I know everyone tells moms (and dads) that they are only little for a short time but I had no idea it would be this short! Where are my chubby babies who took everything out of the cabinets? Where are my little babbling shadows who followed me around all day? Who are these little people with their own minds and their own thoughts? Guess I am feeling a little nostalgic.

some things are worth waiting for

Since Paul and I were married seven years ago, I have wanted one thing for our home probably more than anything else but it has not been a necessity. Building two new homes required new landscaping and lawns, new blinds on every window, new towel bars, light fixtures, paint, ahh! You get the idea. Slowly but surely we have been getting the furniture we want but it definitely has been a long process. One income makes shopping for big purchases difficult, especially since I tend to have "champagne taste with a beer budget" as my mom has always said. This past weekend we finally got a new kitchen table. I absolutely love it! No exaggeration. I could not sleep the night before it was supposed to be delivered, I was so excited. Every night at dinner I would look at our poor, teeny, scratched, left-over from the bachelor pad table and sigh, "someday we'll get one" I'd tell myself. The arrival of a new baby got me to thinking, our table seats four, we are going to be five soon, hmm, can't put it off any longer. I told my husband, we are getting a new table for Christmas. I told him we use it every day and we will until someday when our kids move out and we are too old to have this big house so I want a new table now! No compromises or questions, he just kind of said, ok, you pick it out. This is what I chose...

Can you believe its awesomeness? I love it. I just want to rub it all time. I might get a round rug for underneath, I haven't decided yet, still love my wood floor and don't want to cover it up.
This is the inlaid top, you can't see the basketweave around the edge very well, but it is there and I love it so much.
Another view, we actually got 6 chairs for this beastly thing and when the leaf is in, we'll need them. For now, the four of us will continue to enjoy our nightly dinners here, until little peewee joins us.This bad boy weighs about 300 pounds, it is a solid piece of loveliness, have you ever heard anyone gush over a piece of furniture so much? I know I am a nut job. Eating mac n cheese at such a grand table sure makes it taste a lot better! Bon appetite!

a little mail tip

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner... Our door that goes out to the garage is metal and I had a flash one day when I was trying to find a place to put mail that should be mailed the next day. I found a magnetic clip (leftover from my teaching days) and voila! Now I cannot forget to put the mail in the mailbox because it is right by my face as I leave the door. Some people have one of those rockin' huge mud rooms that you can install cubbies and containers galore but I am not so lucky. Ours is tiny and there is always something piled on the dryer so mail was getting lost, well not lost exactly, just forgotten. I have put things on my clip a few times already and it feels good to get things out on time and sometimes early! So I am super excited to have thought of this all by myself.

a pick me up for me

Having small children in your house always means it is sheer pandomonium at any given time, in my case, most of the time. If you look closely, at the light on the left, you will see a bouncy ball sitting in there. Parker likes to bounce balls in our two story open foyer. This is not the first one to make its way into the chandelier. It is however in a strange location that we might not be able to reach with the broom handle or other long thing we find to dislodge it while hanging precariously over the edge of our stairs. See what I mean, craziness...

This weekend will be my second weekend of entertaining guests. In the midst of planning two parties, cleaning house for two parties, preparing food for two parties, and still running day to day operations has left me just a tensy bit crabby. Oh, and did I mention I'm pregnant? Forgot that one. So you can imagine, I have been an itty bitty bit emotional, mostly from complete exhaustion. I think I have cried about 8 times a day for the last two weeks. While I am crying, it seems so logical to be upset. Of course, now I can't even remember what I was so upset about in the first place. My husband always the problem solver (he is so from Mars while I am totally from Venus!) tries to help. Well it just isn't good enough darn it! Actually it probably is, I'm just an irrational, emotional, exhausted pregnant lady with a sore back and giant boobs that are sure to make me topple over on my face any day now. So he came home from work the other day with these...
Aren't they pretty? I don't get flowers very often but when I do, they sure do the trick. I've been running (well toddling) over to them and sniffing them like my dog sniffs the grocery bags when I feel my Niagara Falls eyes welling up, it seems to be working. Long story short, thanks honey!

fall fun

It's fall around here and let me just tell you the leaves are changing and it's a little cooler but that's not all mother nature has in store for us...
It's also bug season. Every fall we get invaded by giant bugs of all kinds. Now these pictures of the praying mantis on our patio do not do him justice. This guy was as big as my foot! I am not exaggerating! He was a beast. If I had been smart I would have placed a ruler next to him, that is if I could stand to get close enough. We have giant mosquitoes that pop up when you walk through the grass. Stink bugs are all over our window screens. And do not get me started on the gi-normous spiders building webs all over. Now the only time I get a little creeped out by these guys is when I find one in the house. Me inside, bugs outside. As long as everyone abides by these rules, no one gets hurt. I utilize heavy artillery if necessary, spray, brooms, my husband's shoes, paper towels and the vacuum, always accompanied by my loud squeals and "eeewwws!" The fun never ends around here.

things I hold dear

OK so lately I have been a purging maniac. Maybe I am still "nesting" but really I purge a lot. I make lots of trips to Goodwill and the veterans pick up boxes of stuff every month from our front porch (love that service!) but it seems like I have really kicked into high gear as of late.
I don't mind at all getting rid of old clothes (although I do still have a pair of pink jeans I wore at my skinniest- maybe someday, ha ha) or jewelry. I regularly recycle magazines and books by taking them to the resale shop. I secretly get rid of the kids stuff they no longer use/play with, they would be so mad if they knew! When I get new shoes I take an old pair out of circulation and either donate them or trash them (as is the case for my running shoes usually). So I am not a stranger to cleaning out closets and drawers and under beds, the garage, the basement, and other junk hiding places. But there are just some things I cannot seem to part with no matter how many times I think I should, no matter how much sense it makes to dispose of them or pass them on, here they are...

my Longaberger baskets, only a few are not actively used for something, I do have a few for "display" only, this one holds scrapbooking projects my Barbie collection, well this is Zoe's but I gave her my old ones (including clothes and furniture) and I kept some in boxes (Elvis, Frank Sinatra and the Wizard of Oz ones)
my CDs, all 450 or so of them
my collection of "little things" mostly from vacations, true trinkets with no use
There you have it, some of my vices, things I must have, maybe someday I can part with them but for now, they are staying with me.

barber shop

I just had to share this picture...Zoe and Parker disappeared and this is what they did, gave Parker a mohawk. He thought he was so cool. He said, "mom, I look awwwwesome!" How do they pick this stuff up? Just like his daddy, his hair went back to its stick straight self a little bit later but he did look pretty cute for a while all punked out. He has since gotten a haircut so mohawks will be on hold for a bit.

Happy Birthday to you!

I cannot believe this little boy is three today! Didn't I just bring him home from the hospital like yesterday? He is such a boy of my dreams: funny, lovable, energetic, athletic, expressive, and just plain cute! He woke up at 4:20 AM this morning, (bad dream) which is exactly when he was born 3 years ago. I was crying and snuggling as I told him "Happy Birthday"and helped back into bed. He has made the last three years truly unforgettable for me, I am such a lucky mommy.

Love you little man.

a warning for all husbands

Husbands: do not tell your wife you stopped for a beer while she was grocery shopping with your screaming, crying child for two hours. You will get hurt and/or punished.

beware whining ahead

I am moving so slow these days. Maybe because, my belly is HUGE! And not to mention my boy (who is almost 3!!!!) is not sleeping well, he came in to get me 4 times last night and that was after an hour of chasing him back to his bed just to go to sleep initially. So needless to say, I am pooped. Not to start a whole whine-fest, really I just wanted to ask the question, should it really take 20 minutes of hard labor to raise a crib bottom up from toddler level to the top level for a newborn? This was me yesterday, "oh, I will adjust the crib and put all the stuff on it, one less thing for me to worry about, shouldn't take too long." Boy was I wrong, I had to turn the dang thing on its side, use three different screwdrivers, and at least four swear words and like I said, 20 minutes later, it was done. Now that was just the construction part, not the dressing the bed part. Torture, I tell you. If someone said, you have 24 hours to live, I would say, "I want to change crib sheets for 24 hours straight," that way the time would seem like forever! OK, so this turned out to be a whine-fest, sorry. Hope everyone has a great day.

heat n bond

If you like to sew but can't (like me, I just pretend that I can) this stuff is great. I remember using it before I got my sewing machine to hem all my pants in college, that's because I am a shorty. When I was making my family room curtains I used it to stick the backing fabric to the pattered fabric. It is really easy and fast. I thought it was a little pricey but I guess it pays for itself if it works well. I have a couple ideas in my head to use the leftovers for some small projects, we'll see if I really get them done! It can be found by the sewing notions at Wal-mart.

one teeny tiny impulse buy

These little goodies were just staring at me at Wal-mart last week. It was almost as if they were saying, "buy us, aren't we so cute? Wouldn't we be so perfect for your project?" They are so adorable, no idea what I'll do with them yet. I'll keep you posted...

family room curtains

Behold my Mr. Holland's Opus of sewing projects... Sorry it was morning, not good lighting for picture taking...
I finally finished the curtains for my family room. I am not kidding when I tell you this project has been in the works for about 8 months! I bought this fabric on clearance eons ago and it sat in my closet so long, I forgot I even had it! When we painted the family room about a month or so ago, I knew I had to get busy or else they would never get done. My biggest challenge was getting all 5 (yes, 5) windows to have the same measurements. I rarely work with a pattern when I sew anything and I am the worst measureer in the world, I promise. I also wanted the red stripes to be on the sides and one in the middle, just because I'm anal doesn't make me good at measuring. So it took me about 10 total hours of sewing/ironing/pinning/measuring/hanging and rehanging but they are done. I really like how they look, they match our area rug perfectly. Just a note, my husband decided we had to add the fringe. I had originally planned for plain bottoms but he thought this would "dress them up," he watches way too much HGTV. Oh and he also thought I should add a backing fabric (which I did) so light wouldn't show through as easy, this was after I had everything cut and pinned and ready to go, but I was a good wifey and I did what he asked, score a point for me. I honestly feel relieved and a sense of accomplishment. Now on to more projects...

kindergarten tid bits

Zoe says, "mom, listen to this: Girls go to college to get some knowledge, boys go to Jupiter to get....stupider." OK, so she did pause before saying "stupider" and she did whisper it but it still managed to shock me. It reminds me of the time I came home from kindergarten and told my own mother that my teacher (Mrs. Whitman) said "nice young ladies don't say "f--k"." Sorry about the graphicness, I knew how to read upon entering kindergarten (yeah me) and I read this on the bathroom stall walls, and then asked my teacher what it meant, nice huh?!

I'm a crafter

You know you are a "crafter" when your toothbrush is drying right next to your paintbrush.