Life As Topher's Mama

Let's Talk About Love

2012-02-14T05:30:00.001-06:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Esther on Pinterest

Three and a half years ago, I wrote this post about love. I had been contemplating marital love and having been married less than a month, I considered myself an expert. (Ha!)

Three years later, I reread the post.

I believe it now more than ever. The post was inspired by a series of unfortunate events that did not involve us, but the suspicions I had at the time were recently confirmed.

On this day, we celebrate the warm, gushy feelings that we think about when we think "love." We think about the flowers, the chocolates, the hand holding, and the butterflies.

I think about those things too. I think about the days we would get Starbucks on a daily basis and go on long drives. The days spent in bed watching TV, the days of apartment living and ugly car driving.

Oh me oh my oh, I love my husband now more than ever. Today, I'll celebrate the gushy and the mushy, but also the hard work, the sacrifice, the dependence, the faith, the trust and even the conflict that has brought us here today. To me, marriage has turned us into a tree, we are not separate but merely branches, fused together at the trunk. Our roots go deep and we work hard to nurture the tree everyday. We fall short but we do not quit trying.

The mushy, gushy love is easy. This love we have for each other, it's work. It's not always getting our way, it's conceding, it's humbling and it's so...worth it. Easy though? Nope.

Happy Valentine's Day. May it be filled with all kinds of LOVE.

My Favorite Christmas Gift

2012-02-13T05:30:00.000-06:00

One night, about two weeks before Christmas, I was pinning.

*Please conceal your gasp of shock, surprised at the fact that I was on Pinterest.*

I came across a lovely pin, one that took my breath away.

Source: revivalartists.com via Ginny on Pinterest

I showed this pin to my husband and told him I wanted this painting. I had to have it. That it was me and my son and it needed to be hanging in our home.

He said, "Nah, I'll make that for you."

An icy shiver ran down my spine because I knew those words were akin to "you'll never get this." You see, every time I say I want something that my husband doesn't think I need, he says those words.

I resigned myself that I would buy it in secret at some point down the road. I more or less forgot about it and Christmas crept nearer.

One night, I was getting ready for bed. It was the exhausting week before Christmas break and I was tired. As I was getting ready to go upstairs for the night, Matt asked me if I'd like one of my gifts early.

He can never keep a secret.

I said sure and then I asked if it was something sweet to eat because that night I had a sweet tooth. He looked at me in the way that only he does and "No, because if it was you'd have already found it."

He's right. I have a sort of "sweet to eat" radar.

He presented me with a canvas. When I turned the canvas over, this is what I saw.

Y'all.

He painted me a picture. A beautiful, ethereal picture of how I imagine my son and I to be.

I was so elated I cried.

This, of course, made him incredibly uncomfortable, during which he said, "This IS this painting you wanted, right?"

I mumbled that it was and that I was so happy and that it was so special and how much I love him. I got really mushy and kissed him a lot on the mouth while crying.

And that, my friends, was my favorite Christmas gift.

(He was pretty proud of his work, so he painted a matching one of him and Toph. Amazing, right?)

A Little Something For Your Sunday

2012-02-12T10:51:00.000-06:00

For your ears: Whitney Houston, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." I remember being seven and dancing my heart out in the living room to this song. RIP, my dear.

For your eyes: I just love this teeny apartment in NYC. We could learn a lot from their use of space.

For your tastebuds: I made this fresh strawberry pound cake to take to my grandmother's birthday party. It was SO delicious. Light and fluffy. Just the right hint of lemon coupled with fresh strawberries.

Source: aspicyperspective.com via Ginny on Pinterest

For your literary endeavors: I just finished devouring the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series. Yes, I know they're meant for pre-teens, but if you like action, adventure and fantasy rolled into one, this series is for you. I am excited to re-read this in a few years with Toph. It will be a perfect way to learn Greek mythology.

For your creative side: I love this colorful bracelet. It seems easy enough to make...of course, I say this now. I'm sure I'll sit down to make it and find a million different ways to mess it up!

Source: sweetbellaroos.com via Ginny on Pinterest

For your heart: These days I have been battling a niggling fear of loss. Sometimes my mind just goes there, especially when I think about the losses others around me have had to endure. I think to myself, "my time is coming..." These words fill my spirit with hope and remind me not to fear.

Source: yetgodisfaithful.tumblr.com via Ginny on Pinterest

For your information: Today is my Meme's 83rd birthday. She is the mother of four, grandmother to eight, great-grandmother to ten. She is the matriarch of a proud ranching family, the original pioneer woman. She has lived the last 25 years as a widow and still visits my grandfather's grave every week. She has kept a diary since she was 19 years old. She has boxes and boxes of spiral notebooks, housing her thoughts of the past 64 years. She doesn't make pancakes as often as she used to, but when she does, they are as fabulous as they were when I was six. I am so proud to be her granddaughter and her namesake. Happy birthday, Meme! I love you very much.

2012: The Year in Which Everything Broke

2012-01-21T12:20:00.000-06:00

So, I've got this cold I'm trying to fight. Lately the weather has been up and down and although I've been pumping the vitamin C and taking my multi-vitamin faithfully, the cold caught up with me.

Mornings are the worst, and so when I stumble downstairs feeling like death warmed over, all I want is some super hot coffee to soothe my throat and jump-start my soul.

However, this morning when I woke up, wouldn't you know that my coffee (that I pre-made the night before) was not ready? Nope. The lights were on, but no coffee had come out, nor was there any heat radiating from it.

The coffee pot broke, y'all. Let's add it to our long list of things that have broken this year (all 21 days of it).

First off, we have our fence. Our termite infested backyard fence blew to the ground. Matt is currently in the process of rebuilding it but it's taking some time. And money, but Lowe's doesn't seem to mind that.

Next, our dishwasher went kaput. Luckily, it's covered under our home warranty but the first available time for a repairman is the 30th. Until then, we scrub our own dishes and let me be the first to share that it's overrated.

Then, our glass door that serves as a screen door for our front door shut, and has chosen not to reopen. It's stuck and Matt has taken the lock off but that baby will not budge. Therefore, we no longer use the front door, just the back. The front door is merely a decoration as it truly leads nowhere.

After that, our dryer went out. Yep, another major appliance except this time, it's not covered under our warranty because it wasn't in the house when we moved in. I know nothing about dryers and neither does hubs. And, we have yet to find a solution for it because it's not covered and we REALLY don't want to spend a load of money to repair a dryer that is four years old (seriously four years old). We just know that our dryer no longer dries our clothes and we have clothing strewn across every railing we own in an attempt to let it air dry. Have you ever air dried a kitchen towel? Those things are like cardboard.

Insert today's incident with the coffee pot and you'll understand why I had to resort to my blog. Luckily, I've been wanting to take a trip to Target and this gives me the perfect opportunity to go and buy something that we actually need. Who knows? Maybe it's time for a Keurig??? (Probably not, as my frugal self will come out the moment I put the thing in the cart.)

Here's the deal. These broken things are just that: things. We'll fix them or buy new and move on. My mom once told me that issues like this are like ducks nipping at your heels. Annoying, to be sure, but nothing to lose sleep over. A minor inconvenience that really just needs to be laughed at. While the things in our home might be breaking, the real glue that holds it all together is stronger than ever...and that glue is us, the three of us, scrubbing our own dishes, only using the back door and hanging our clothes to dry.

The Second Day of 2012

2012-01-16T13:50:00.000-06:00

The second day of our new year was our last day of winter vacation. We had such a wonderful and relaxing break that I wanted to make our last day count. The bummer was that Matt had to work that day, so it was just going to be me and my Toph.

I planned a full day for us. We were to get his second haircut, go ride the train around Brackenridge Park (a new favorite of m'boy) and go to the zoo. We were also planning to eat at the zoo, something we normally don't do. This was a special day.

We played in our new kitchen for a bit:

Then, we got the new haircut:

and headed to the train station.

Do you see the unadulterated excitement in that kid's eyes? He was so excited to be on his train (my choo choo, he calls it).

After the train, we ate a bite at the overpriced zoo diner.

It was all good because Toph got a super cool tiger sippy cup with a bendy straw.

There are not many pics of us in the zoo because I didn't realize how hard outings like that are without a second parent to point and click. I got one while we were walking:

and a couple in the kids' area:

I swear he's not a blur in real life; I can't seem to get him to be still for pictures.

A new development from this zoo trip: if Toph sees an animal he likes, he reaches his hand out and says, "Pet it!" He wanted to pet the wild African dogs, the okapi, the grizzly bear and the ostrich. In all honestly, he has a better chance of petting the grizzly than the ostrich and that's a fact. I abhor those birds.

We had a blast at the zoo, even though we were sans daddy. Toph was asleep before we were out of the parking lot and stayed asleep an hour after we got home.

I was able to sit on the floor and read magazines, so I was thrilled for the moment of quiet.

Matt came home soon thereafter and I couldn't help but tell him of the fun times we had. We had a lovely family dinner (meatball subs) and soon, it was time for Toph's bathtime. I had just settled in to do some pinning while thinking what a perfect day it had been.

Then, I heard a loud thump. I head Matt say, "Topher!" loudly. I heard my son's shaking wails. I ran to the bathroom and found blood everywhere, pouring copiously from my sons chin and seemingly, from his mouth. I snatched him away from Matt (who was thoroughly freaked out) and ran to sit down with him. I wanted to get a look at what we were dealing with.

I ordered Matt to get a bag of ice while I examined the source of the blood. Toph had slipped in the tub while Matt was reaching to grab his towel to dry him off. His chin slammed against the edge of the tub and had split it wide open. Toph was scared. He was bleeding. Our perfect day seemed very far away.

After a few minutes of bleeding and crying, we were able to get a good look at the wound. It wasn't too deep, but it was wide and we couldn't close it. We could also see the subcutaneous fat below the skin which we knew meant one thing. Stitches.

We went to the emergency room in our community and saw a sign that said "4 hour wait." That would have put us with a doctor at roughly midnight. No thank you. We went to a second ER meant just for children and when we walked through the doors, our hearts sank. The waiting room was stuffed to the gills with sick little babies. We had no choice but to wait.

Wait we did, for three hours. What made up for it were the fabulous nurses who took care of Toph, doctored his wound and numbed it to get it ready for stitches. At around 10:30 we were called back and Toph got four stitches.

He didn't cry, he didn't fuss, he just laid there and let the sweet PA sew him up. He was awesome. He got his first ever popsicle for being so good.

We arrived home just as the third day of our new year was starting. We were exhausted but thankful. We laid our wounded warrior on his bed and he fell fast asleep. I ran through the day's events through my head and honestly, there is not one thing I would change about it.

What happened that day is the stuff that life is made of. Good and bad. Happy and sad, excitement and worry. In the end, it turned out perfectly. Just the way it was supposed to.

2011: A Year in Review

2011-12-29T12:45:00.000-06:00

2011 was sweet to us.

Let's review:

January:

Toph learned to climb the stairs. He has since climbed everything else under God's green earth.

February:

I contemplated my unconditional love for Toph in a bohemoth of a post.

March:

My baby turned a year old and I wrote him a letter.

April:

The hubs and I celebrated 10 whole years together.

May:

This month I discovered that 3 minutes is actually a very long time.

June:

I shared some portraits my third graders drew of me.

July:

I thanked Harry Potter and rued the passing of Amy Winehouse.

August:

I categorized the types of drivers on the highways out there.

September:

Seeing as how I only posted once in September, that answer is easy. I wrote about the problems I see on my beloved Pinterest.

October:

I showcased the advanced oral hygiene habits of my little boy.

November:

I wrote a letter of apology to our plasma screen TV and said goodbye to a dear friend.

December:

Merry the cat landed herself on the naughty list.

Looking forward to a new year, full of loving, laughing and blogging.

Linking up:
Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Guess Who Made the Naughty List

2011-12-20T12:20:00.000-06:00

Matt and I were really hesitant about putting our tree up this year. Considering the golf club incident and various other wild child moments, we didn't know how our vivacious boy would handle something as tantalizing as a Christmas tree.

Two days ago, we decided to give it a go. We put it up and Topher was ecstatic.

Ooh, pitty lights. Ooh, lights ooh lights. Mama, lights. Daddy, lights. Pitty.

Needless to say, with some errant touching of the tree and rearranging of the presents, he has not bothered the tree, only admired it.

There is someone though, who has definitely NOT left the tree alone. Someone who will most certainly receiving coal in her stocking this year.

That feline is called Merry. Would you like to see how she has terrorized our tree?

This is her "Oh crap" face.

Have I mentioned she's a few scoops short of a full litter box? Chewing on wires=DUMB.

Toph tried really hard to get her to come down.

But as you can see, she just told him to shut up.

This kind of behavior does not make Santa happy. Not one bit. However, Merry is so cute that I knew Santa would need photographic evidence. I happily obliged.

I leave with you with my son trying to talk sense into her. He tried guys but it couldn't be helped. Merry took the "merry" right out of her own Christmas and landed herself on the naughty list.

Family Photo Shoot

2011-12-19T19:44:00.000-06:00

About a month ago we had our family pictures taken and I thought I'd share a few of my favorites. Our boy is turning out to be quite a star in front of the camera!

A Christmas Wishlist

2011-12-17T09:46:00.000-06:00

This morning I got to playing around on Polyvore and created a little wishlist this holiday season. I liked it so much I just might create one for Matt and Toph!

What do you want for Christmas?

5 Things

2011-12-01T20:50:00.000-06:00

5 Things You Don't Know About Me

1. During my 13 years in the public school system, I changed schools nine times. Those life-long childhood friends? I don't have those.

2. I'm a talented basketball player. I can't run fast but I can shoot the lights out of the ball. I can also dribble the basketball just as well with my left hand as my right hand.

3. I've had stitches three times, all before the age of 4. Twice it was around my eyes and once on my left forefinger.

4. I can quote any Friends episode you throw at me.

5. I am a highly opinionated person when it comes to politics.

5 Things I'm Knowledgeable About

1. Third grade math curriculum. I have all the standards memorized.

2. My son. I can tell you anything you want to know.

3. Jackie O. You know how some girls wanted to look like Britney Spears in high school? I wanted to look like Jackie O.

4. Basketball. I like to look at offensive plays and defensive plays and decide how to make them better.

5. Spanish grammar. I know Spanish grammatical rules better than I know English grammatical rules.

5 Things I Know Nothing About

1. Soccer. I love to watch it being played but I don't understand it.

2. The math my husband teaches. He'll explain problems to me and I'll just smile and nod, smile and nod.

3. Marketing. I wish I had a knack for selling myself and this blog but I don't. That's okay. This is my art.

4. Photography. I can point and click, no doubt. But artistic shots? Nope.

5. Cooking fish. My husband would prefer I not learn, either.

5 Things I Believe

1. I believe that the now is happy and the ending is perfect.

2. I believe that a good cup of coffee and a book are the perfect stress reliever.

3. I believe that birds are always up to no good.

4. I believe that education starts in the home. Read to your kids and show them the world, it will make all the difference.

5. I believe that your legs can always go another day without being shaved.

Linking up to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.

A Silly Thankful List

2011-11-24T14:25:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for the silly things:

Oddly enough, this is not me.

Baggy jeans o better accommodate the food baby I will be growing today.

My uncanny ability about being right in my predictions about certain relationships. In real life and in reality TV.

Olive oil. Where would I be without it?

Concealer for the bags under my eyes.

Cam and Mitchell; they are our relationship doppelganger.

Cheese, the one snack that placates my son

Vacuum cleaner, for its ability to entertain my son.

The knots in my back; they hold my stress really well.

My kitchenaid mixer; for years it's been tricking people into believing that I'm a good baker.

Pinterest, for making me feel creative without having to do anything at all except waste time.

Baby wipes, they clean more than just bums!

Towels; laying one on the floor and walking away can cover a multitude of sins.

NPR; making me feel smarter for a long time now.

David Sedaris, he helped me feel better about the weird thoughts I think and that if maybe I write them down I too could be a famous author.

All the daily deal emails I get, they help me burn through money by making me think I'm getting a good deal on purchasing something on sale that I normally never would have bought.

Source: Uploaded by user via Jonathan on Pinterest

Our iPad and all the apps on it.

Husband's nose hair trimmer, they keep his mustache and nose hair from becoming one.

Both cats because they teach us humility.

Source: deviantart.com via Ginny on Pinterest

Coffee as it truly is a life blood.

Raffi, the one children's music singer who doesn't make me want to bang my head on the dashboard of our car.

Naps, or as I like to call it, Thanksgiving dinner halftime.

Seriously though, I'm thankful that I am so blessed I can sit down and do a silly Thanksgiving list.

Source: pinterest.com via Ginny on Pinterest

Quinoa: The 8th Wonder of the {Food} World

2011-11-21T12:32:00.000-06:00

Source: naturemoms.com via Ginny on Pinterest

Have y'all ever had quinoa before? We've been on a "get healthier" journey the past month, therefore I have been looking for healthier alternatives when I cook.

(A little aside: quinoa is pronounced "keen-wa." One day I was looking at my mom's quinoa and asked her what is "ky-noah" and she thought that was hilarious. Oh, ignorant Gin. She's hilarious.)

I have found an awesome healthier alternative in quinoa. This awesome whole grain is actually a seed and can be cooked much like rice, but quicker. It reminds me of couscous in texture.

It's lovely to know that I'm getting awesome protein with this little grain, as well as a serving of whole grains. I love it so much, I've tried some amazing recipes with it.

Source: eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com via Ginny on Pinterest

We love us some burgers round these parts and while this burger can't be compared to an actual juicy burger, it makes me think of polenta. Only more delicious and filling.

Source: letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com via Ginny on Pinterest

I haven't made this one yet but will make it for our upcoming Thanksgiving festivities. Hello; it calls for cream cheese. Of course it's going to be delicious.

Source: eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com via Ginny on Pinterest

This one is a new family favorite and one my husband requests all the time. We eat it as a main course and I cut the mayo by a tablespoon or too. It's so creamy, so rich...loaded with broccoli.

If you ever get stumped for ways to cook with quinoa, this blogger gives you ten ways to make it.

Have you ever cooked with quinoa?

(And yes, I found all my delicious quinoa recipes on Pinterest. Follow my Pinterest food board here.)

We Are So Happy To Have You Here

2011-11-20T21:35:00.000-06:00

"We are so happy to have you here."

This is what my friend, Nancy Nakayama, would tell me periodically during my first year at my school. I would trudge down the halls, completely exhausted and befuddled, and there she would be; crossing my path with a smile on her face.

She would ask me how I was doing and our conversation would ultimately end with her saying, "We are so glad to have you here."

As counselors go, Nancy was stretched thin. Counseling sessions with students and classrooms, LPAC coordinator and meeting after meeting, Nancy was busy. But she always had a kind word and a smile on her face.

"We are so happy to have you here."

Nancy attended my bridal shower. When I received skimpy lingerie from most, she gave me a cute and simple paisley nightgown. I remember her laughing and saying, "Trust me, you won't be in "the mood" every night." No truer words have been spoken and that nightgown has gotten more wear during my marriage than any of the other skimpy frocks.

"We are so happy to have you here."

Last year in October we learned that Nancy had a malignant brain tumor that would need to be removed. She started the year with us but didn't come back after learning of her cancer. However, she would visit and there she would be, that same sweet smile.

This time, it was me saying, "We are so happy to have you here."

Over the last couple of months, Nancy's prognosis became worse. She was put in hospice care a couple of weeks ago and today, she left this world and went Home.

I know exactly what Jesus said to her when they embraced.

"We are so happy to have you here."

Casa de Kelsey: We Love Here

2011-11-17T20:02:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving is a week away and I just want to reflect here on just how grateful I am. How blessed I am...how thankful I am.

Today: my home.

When I say my home, I just don't mean the mortar and bricks, but the feeling that is in this home. The love here...it's palpable. It glides through the air.

We love here. We giggle here. We sigh here. We rest here. We wish upon stars here.

The thing is, I am thankful for my house because it keeps rain of our heads and it's nice because it stores all our stuff. I am thankful that we can provide this as a shelter for our son. We're comfortable here.

But my home? My home is with these two boys; no matter where my house is...if I am with them, I am home.

I am thankful, the kind of thankful that makes me hit my knees...for my home. Not everyone has what I have...not everyone has a home.

I am so thankful for my home.

A Letter of Apology to Our Plasma Screen

2011-11-14T20:25:00.000-06:00

Dear 55-inch plasma screen television,

I remember the day you were delivered to our house. Hubs and I burst with pride watching you. You played shows like Weeds and True Blood with a clarity yet to be seen. We were smitten (or hypnotized, hard to tell which).

We marveled at your brightness, the way you would cheerily beep when we turned you on and off, as if saying hello and goodbye. At 55 inches, you were a big girl. I could watch you just as easily while doing the dishes from the kitchen.

When we got you, our son was a mere two months old, a smiling blob that couldn't move. You know all too well now though, that the blob would grow.

And grow he did. He grew to a little boy who terrorized our house, breaking things. But we didn't think it would come to this. We are so sorry.

You see, dear 55 inch plasma screen television, we had no way of knowing he would take his toy golf club and hit you in the face as hard as he could. We had no way of knowing that your screen would shatter in two places. We had no idea the sorrow we would feel when we watched the light leave your screen.

Now, you are a beloved piece of trash that sits behind our love seat. We can't get rid of you and Matt is convinced that if we rub petroleum jelly on you it will fix you. (I wonder at times if he's on crack.) Our new tv just isn't the same, mostly because it's not as big.

Rest assured, Toph watched as I threw his golf clubs outside, proclaiming them to be outside toys forever and ever. I also called the grandparents who gave him those golf clubs and placed the blame on his golf loving Poppy, who I thought would offer to pay for your repairs. He just laughed instead and asked if I had learned a lesson. He has nerve.

We loved you, 55 inch plasma screen television. We are sorry you met such a bitter end and we thank you for not electrocuting our son, as you very well could have.

Love,
the girl who sat and stared at you for extended periods of time, usually with a laptop on her lap

Being Topher's Mama

2011-11-06T12:14:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, I wasn't around many babies. The one I was around a bit was my "baby" cousin Sarah, who is now 20.

I thought Sarah was the sweetest baby and when we would have to say goodbye to her and my aunt and uncle I would think, "Man, Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren are so lucky because they get to be around her ALL the time."

This thought would cross my mind at various points of my life when I encountered other sweet babies, but that was the first time I had such a thought.

I think about my nine year old self and I still relate to her. Now, however, I look at my own sweet Topher and I think, "Man, we are so lucky because we get to be around him ALL the time."

Being Topher's mama has been the sweetest part of my life. I have never smiled as much, never have I laughed as much and never have I felt such pride. It's a wonderful thing, being his mama.

Here's what he's been up to lately:

He refers to our cats as Memmy (Merry) and Peepee (Pippen). They're also mows (/mou/). He calls himself "Toter." Yes, it's as cute as it sounds.

He uses the potty every single time he sits on it. And he cheers as he's going.

He sings songs. He loves his ABCs, Old MacDonald, Skinnamarinky Dinky Doo, The Wheels on the Bus and EVERY Raffi song out there. The child is a musical being. He also cheers when a song is over.

He can definitively say YES to questions. He can say no too and does so very well.

He has the uncanny ability to climb on things that seem impossible to climb.

He would be happy as a clam if I let him eat cheese for every single meal for the rest of his life, but he also loves blueberry jam toast and honey crisp apples.

The slide at the park is his very favorite thing. At most parks, he can climb up by himself and go down by himself.

He makes monumental messes in a very short amount of time.

Sometimes Mama and Daddy help him make said messes.

He is beginning to imaginatively play. Many times I see him with his little elephant and tiger and he is in his own little world with them.

He loves to wear mama's shoes.

He likes to play a game where he shouts, "BEE!" and laughs as Matt acts like there is a bee buzzing his head. They seriously play it over and over and over, the giggling more and more hysterical.

He knows yellow and purple and can distinguish them. He also can "count." I use that term loosely because he will touch pictures on a page and "count," starting with one but then making up numbers after that.

He loves to read his books and I believe his favorites are the Little Pookie series by Sandra Boynton.

He make his animal noises accurately. My favorite is when he oinks.

He loves animals but he did NOT like his lion costume that we wanted him to wear for Halloween. So much so that he had a meltdown and Mama and Daddy thought it would be best if Topher just handed out candy dressed as a little boy about to go to bed. (We didn't take him trick or treating this year; he doesn't eat processed sugar so it's kind of like, what's the point?)

He gives random kisses. Let me tell you, you will never be the same after your son reaches up and kisses you for no reason other than he loves you.

Being Topher's mama is so, so sweet.

Unspoken Halloween Rules

2011-11-01T20:16:00.000-05:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Ginny on Pinterest

(This is not yesterday's Halloween shot. Not even close.)

Alright y'all. Upon my third year of handing out treats to the little ghouls and goblins in my hood, as well as some full grown adults not wearing costumes (seriously?), I thought of some unspoken Halloween rules everyone should abide by.

1. If you are a full grown adult, it's not trick or treating. It's begging for free candy. Feel free to dress up for parties or for fun, but trick or treating is out past the age of 14.

2. If you are a parent pushing an infant in a stroller, it's obvious that your child has not yet entered a stage of life in which he or she can eat the candy being passed out. Therefore, trick or treating on their behalf is really just you, begging for candy. I urge you to see rule number one.

3. Halloween starts anytime between 6:00pm and 6:30pm. It ends between 8:30 and 8:45. If my light is off, I've retired for the evening.

4. Don't look inside someone's home and tell them that you like their stuff. Especially if you are grown and in a scary costume with dreadlocks. It freaks people out.

5. Parents: don't tell me you don't know the rule of checking your children's candy before they eat it. Seriously check it. And when your kids act like they want to reach into their bags while they're still walking around and check for Snickers, I urge you to slap their hand away and tell them to wait until you get home. In a mean voice. I saw so many kids munching on candy while they were walking around.

6. Be courteous: trick or treat, thank you, and happy Halloween are all necessary conversational devices.

What are your unspoken Halloween rules?

This is this year's Halloween picture. More on our Cowardly Lion later.

My Neighbors Think I'm Weird

2011-10-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

Did I ever tell you about the time my neighbors began to think I am really weird?

We have this cat, Merry. You've met her before. Merry is an inside cat that insists on taking daily jaunts outside. I don't like this because she is not fixed yet and there is a very real chance the little hussy could get knocked up.

I can never catch her though, as I am usually toting and/or wrangling a small child through the doorway. She's fast and I am decidedly slow.

I learned a little something though. If you scream like banshee as you come into the house, it scares the bejesus out of Merry and she runs back into the house, fearful.

So proud of myself for this new strategy, I began to holler and and shriek every time we entered the house. This worked great and even Toph got in on it.

One day my neighbors were watering their grass as I was unlocking the front door. I geared myself up and let out a most terrifying shriek when I opened the door. This time, however, Merry got wise and ran out anyway, just faster because she was still scared.

I turned to grab her when I looked up at my neighbors.

They were staring, jaws dropped. I nervously giggled and said, "I'm trying to scare the cat."

I rushed inside the house and haven't been seen since.

Notes from a Dragon Mom

2011-10-18T20:48:00.000-05:00

Parenting, I’ve come to understand, is about loving my child today. Now. In fact, for any parent, anywhere, that’s all there is. (Emily Rapp)

I am a tiger mom.

When I think about my son, it is too often in the future tense. What will he wear, where will he go to school, when should he start potty training.

I read an article this weekend that had been making the rounds on Facebook. A beautiful and difficult article to read, it taught me just how silly and frivolous my future tense thoughts are.

Please read Notes from a Dragon Mom by Emily Rapp. You will cry.

Then, you'll go wrap your babes up tight and love them as fiercely as you can today.

Laugh!

2011-10-16T07:33:00.002-05:00

I've mentioned that this school year has been particularly stressful, right?

Hopefully, you've deduced that given my lack of posting and tweeting and facebooking. I have that I've fallen off the social media bandwagon; I love to blog and this is my attempt at dusting myself off and giving it another go.

Yes, we've both been stressed. You see, my husband and I both teach in inner city schools where budgets have been slashed by people who have never seen the inside of a classroom (Perry, 2012).

Anyway, we both bring home work on a nightly basis and after Toph goes to bed, we sit on our couch and instead of having quality couple time, we halfway work, halfway watch TV and halfway stare into space.

Lately though, we've been doing this thing where we look at funny things and laugh together. It focuses both our attention on the same thing and helps us scoot a little closer together while giggling our heads off.

It's very lovely.

I thought I would share with you some of the things that make us laugh.

Source: None via Ginny on Pinterest

I am not lying that when I say if given the opportunity, I would hand Toph to an Orc, just to see his reaction. (They're not real, guys. This isn't Middle Earth. ~~As much as I wish it was sometimes~~.)

Source: ifunny.mobi via Ginny on Pinterest

My math teaching husband and I got a real kick out of this one.

Source: stumbleupon.com via Ginny on Pinterest

So funny.

This one takes the cake...we doubled over after looking at this one:

Source: google.com via Megan on Pinterest

We also love this site, which is good for a laugh. Autocorrect can come up with some crazy stuff!

In short, my recommendation if you're ever feeling down or anxious or stressed, make yourself laugh. And if you're lucky enough to have a handsome man sitting next to you, start laughing with him.

Source: None via Ginny on Pinterest

Good Oral Hygiene

2011-10-15T07:31:00.000-05:00

We start good oral hygiene habits early round these parts. No sense in waiting.

Someone really enjoys a good tooth brushing session.

He also really enjoys his new big boy toothbrush.

We get our toothbrush wet.

We put ~~soap~~ toothpaste on it.

We scrub. We look serious because, let's face it. This is serious business.

We pause to smile at daddy because he is hilarious.

We rinse.

We repeat.

Calming the Nerves

2011-10-13T12:00:00.004-05:00

I lay in bed tossing and turning, thinking of all the things I am leaving undone at the end of this day.

Tomorrow is Thursday and I am unplanned for the following week.
Papers are sitting in my inbox, ungraded.
Toys are strewn about the office floor, waiting for little hands to pick them up tomorrow and toss them about.
Blogs repeatedly go unwritten.
A to-do list at work a mile long.
Online Spanish class work piling up.
Still haven't seen doctor about weird bump under arm.

It goes on. I just don't seem to have enough time in the day to get the things done that need done. My to do list is never complete, and I collapse into bed every night, craving rest.

However, rest does not come. I toss and turn and fret and think. I go through the day trying to find a way to fit sixty one minutes into an hour.

Then, I receive a text from my husband that causes a wave of relief to wash over me.

The text reads: yep.

Three little letters and I feel better. You see, upon getting into bed and in between anxiety about deeds left undone, I realized I had forgotten to bring my water with me upstairs to bed. Not wanting to go back downstairs and find more that needs to be accomplished, I texted my husband. I asked him to bring me water when he comes to bed.

It took him 20 minutes, enough time to work myself up into an anxious state and enough time for the sheets to become a snarled mess of fabric, but he texted back.

Yep.

And he will. When he trudges up here to bed after muddling through his own long to do list, he'll have our water with him. I can depend on him; I know he will take care of me.

I realize that this is why I feel relieved. Yes, I have a lot of work and am behind on it. Yes, it is stressful. But, I've got my people and boy, do they love me. And boy, do I love them.

If that's not enough to calm the nerves and invite sleep, I don't know what is.

Ten Things You Should Never Ask Your Spouse

2011-10-12T20:47:00.001-05:00

I haven't blogged in awhile. You know what I have been doing? My daily regimen of asking my husband completely off the wall questions. Since I am well versed in the spousal questioning strategy, I thought I'd share a few questions you should NEVER ask your spouse. Upon asking these questions, you will be met with bewilderment, disgust, dismay, confusion and he might possibly walk away mumbling.

1. Honey, will you go shopping with me? I'm thinking cardigans, tights and riding boots. Doesn't that sound fun?

2. Babe, I think I have an ingrown hair in my armpit. Will you check it?

3. How short should I cut my hair? Halle Berry's hair is cute short.

4. If I die young, will you read this book at my funeral? But not if I die old, in that case, read that other book I was telling you about. Don't you remember that book?

5. Am I acting like I'm about to start my period?

6. Babe, will you please not lock the door when you go to the bathroom? I might need to get in there at any time.

7. Do you think Sofia Vergara's boobs are too big?

8. Is it okay if I Mod Podge pictures directly to the wall? I have a craft idea.

9. Hon, my period IS about to start. Will you bring home a gallon of ice cream, a tub of cream cheese and two Snickers bars?

10. So honey. Won't you be sad if it's really not an ingrown hair and it's actually a cancer lump but you wouldn't check it because you're too grossed out? Why won't you check my armpit??

Linking to:
Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

The Problem with Pinterest: The Fat Edition

2011-09-12T21:45:00.000-05:00

Pinterest is my happy place. While my blogging has been scarce, my pinning has been plentiful. It's a way for me to unwind after a long day; a way to look at pretty crafts, pretty clothes, pretty food and pretty words.

I repinned this awhile ago:

Source: healthyhazards.tumblr.com via Ginny on Pinterest

While I am a die hard Harry Potter fan, I am also someone who has struggled with self image and the need to be thin. Over the years, especially when I hit my late twenties, I realized that I am exactly the way I am meant to be and as long as I am good to my body, the important aspect of my life to focus on is my soul.

I read this quote and instantly realized why I love JK (the honorable JK). She understands that there are more to women, more to people, than what they look like on the outside.

While the media touts a certain image of what a woman should look like on the outside, no one touts what one should look like on the inside. To me, JK's quote breaks down what women (people) should NOT look like. It's called a non-example, people. Essential to learning.

I am not skinny. I am not obese. I am somewhere in the middle and I have people near and dear to my heart who are on both sides of the spectrum. I love them all not because of what they look like on the outside but of what they look like on the inside. If they possessed any of the traits that JK listed in her quote, we would not be friends because I don't associate with people who behave as such, even if they are the skinniest, most beautiful person in the world.

But gin, could you please get to the point?

Well, last night I was pinning away when I noticed JK's eloquent post above. I reread it and appreciated her even more.

Then I read the comments below and felt...a fire light inside me.

Oh no.

When that fire is lit, there isn't any extinguishing it until I get my say in. Ask hubs.

Anyhow, here's how it all went down:

The link to the pin with the comments is here, if you'd like to read the live version.

I am sure all the commenters come from different experiences with size and weight. We all have the right to express our opinions and our past will always influence our present opinions. With that said, I am honest when I say I am saddened when another woman would come out and say that being fat is in fact, worse than any of the traits listed. Health-wise or other-wise.

I feel sad for her. What must her experience with size and weight be? That she would choose cruel over fat, vindictive over fat? How did personal appearance become so important that the stuff that our moms teach us NOT to be became acceptable?

I believe our bodies are temples and we should treat them as such. Feeding them correctly, physically, mentally and spiritually.

I believe that there are far worse things in this world than being fat.

I believe that when you are presenting your argument, it's never a good idea to personally insult the words of another. It completely invalidates what you are saying and makes you seem petty and unintelligent.

And to drive the point home, there are far worse things to be than fat.

I said it before and I'll say it again:
If I had to choose between fat and any of the traits the honorable JK listed, I would choose fat every time, health risks be damned.

I Could Do Without the First Days of School

2011-08-24T06:14:00.000-05:00

I know, reread the title. For a teacher to write those words out loud it's pure blasphemy. But, I'll say it again: I could do without the first days of school.

I get it. The first days of school are important. They're necessary. They're formative. They're indicative of how the rest of the year will go and as teachers, we put everything we have into them.

But boy, they are tedious. And for a teacher to call something tedious, when we deal with daily tedium, is a big deal.

You see, you've got these precious babies. They're bright eyed and so excited to be in third grade. However, they know nothing about how your class runs. Therefore, the first days (weeks, really) you spend training them how things work around here.

We do not run in this classroom.

We sit on our bottom in this classroom.

We don't put scissors in our mouth in this classroom.

We walk down the stairs in this classroom.

We enter the room quietly in this classroom.

And on it goes.

I know it doesn't sound bad and really, it's not. But, teachers are human too and we can't help but think fondly of May, a mere two and a half months ago, when we had students in our room that knew exactly how the class worked. We see them walking down the hall, relearning how to do things in fourth grade and we think, "man, those were the days."

After coming home in a stupor the last two days, I've decided that while the first days of school are necessary, they are NOT my favorite.

But, I do love my kids this year and think they're pretty special. They are excited to learn (and excited to talk to each other) and I couldn't ask for anything more.

As Helga Hufflepuff said,
"I'll take them all and teach the lot."

Even if it means having to reteach how we behave in a line.

I'm at Sharde's Today

2011-08-23T18:55:00.000-05:00

So, I might not have time to play on my blog, but I did have time to stop by the wonderful Sharde's blog for a guest post!

If you're here from The Style Projects, welcome! I know today's guest post was about fashion faux pas, but I also blog my outfits from time to time. Once, I even documented my own fashion faux pas. And once, I dressed up like a cute lumberjack.

For those of you that document you outfits, what are some tips/tricks you can give me for remembering to take pictures? I wake up way before hubs and by the time he gets home, I can't stand to be in my binding work clothes a moment longer.

How do you take your outfit photos?

I leave you with an completely unrelated but oh-so-adorable picture of my son's feet at a splash park in Iowa. Still mourning the end of our summer but am so thankful for it.

Hi, I'm Gin and I Don't Have Time to Blog

2011-08-15T20:37:00.000-05:00

Busy.

That just about sums up our August. One thing after another, all culminating into what August is best known for: back to school.

The end of summer is always bittersweet and since having my boy it tends to lean a little more on the bitter side of the spectrum. I'm ready for the new year and new students but right now my heart is still very much at home with my baby.

Hold on while I get a tissue. This is a tough time of year for me.

Okay. Not only is back to school time busy, I've taken an online teaching position as well. That means my nights, at least for a couple of months, will be dedicated to my online course.

This online class is awesome because I love what I'm teaching and because it's a great financial opportunity for us. It stinks because nights are when I nestle into my couch and blog my heart out. I'll eventually find my groove and work my way into more blogging but for now, my goal is to blog about three times a week.

Between setting up my classroom, soaking up every minute with my little boy and preparing my online classwork, I looked up and realized I hadn't blogged in days.

Here's my weak attempt at a catch up blog. I realize there's no "what's in it for me" factor that you readers are always looking for, so I'll leave you with a little tip:

If you must cut into a cake while it's still hot, use a piece of tightly pulled thread.

Your welcome.

Best Days of My Life

2011-08-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

This post is inspired by Melissa's post over at Dear Baby. Please read her post; her writing never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

Yesterday we went to Hancock Fabric. We're making a foldable poker table and hubs needed some felt and vinyl. We thew caution to the wind and decided not to go to the trouble of getting the stroller out; we would carry the baby and/or let him explore.

A toddler's idea of exploring, as you know, is different from an adult's idea.

I started off carrying Toph and he started squirming to get down. I put him down and he immediately began to tear through the aisles, no premeditated thought; just running and squealing with delight.

That's when he found the breakable porcelain knick knacks.

No, Toph! We mustn't touch those. I made to pick him up.

That was the first of the screaming.

He screeched, he turned, he gyrated, he threw his head back. He sobbed.

One thing I learned about myself during these episodes is that I will break out into a cold sweat when he starts this up. That means while I'm wrestling and wrangling an upset toddler, I am also periodically wiping cold perspiration from my brow. I could do without the extra work.

This happened repeatedly while husband was picking out his materials. It was during these episodes that I was able to look at myself objectively and think,

If we can just get through this, he won't be like this forever.

While that thought heartened me and strengthened my resolve, the truth of it slapped me across the face as well.

He won't be like this forever.

No, he won't. He won't always throw fits. He won't always be teething. He won't always chuck his food on the floor.

He won't be like this forever.

He won't always cling tightly to me until he falls asleep. He won't always kiss me at random and unexpected times. He won't always squeal with delight when he sees me. He won't always laugh at my funny faces.

He won't be like this forever.

Like Melissa, I've resolved to always remember that these are the best days of my life. The days he loves me and Matt more than anyone in the world. The days he needs us more than any other human. The days he wants nothing more than to be with us. These days....these days are the best and no amount of toddlerhood-induced fit throwing can convince me otherwise.

He won't be like this forever and these are the best days of my life.

World Breastfeeding Week: A Macabre Nursing Story

2011-08-05T07:45:00.000-05:00

*This story is in no way meant to detract people from breastfeeding. It's a story I've been longing to tell and since it's World Breastfeeding Week, I thought now was as good as ever.*

Over Christmas last year, I fell terribly ill. We now know it was a severe case of tonsillitis brought on by allergies, but no one could figure it out and I became sicker and sicker.

I had to go to urgent care on Christmas day, running 104 degree fever and talking gibberish. I told the doctor I was dying and when he didn't react to that I got loud, saying,

"why don't you care that I'm dying! I always get well and I'm not well and I've been sick for a long time and my fever won't go away and I need to go to the hospital!"

The doctor was made of stone. He didn't even acknowledge my rant and gave me a steroid shot in the bum and sent me on my merry way.

That being said, we had no idea whether or not my illness was contagious but after having gone through the ear tube saga with Toph, we decided not to risk him getting it. It was decided I would pump my milk out (I was already used to this. My pump became one of my closest girlfriends). Matt would give the baby bottles and I would only nurse once I was fever free for 24 hours.

Well, that fever free day came and I was so happy. I got to nurse Toph for the first time in a few days. We sat down to nurse and I knew my supply would be low but I didn't know how low.

Apparently, Toph was not thrilled because after a few minutes of vigorous sucking, he took matters into his own teeth.

Meaning, he bit me. Hard. I mean, clamped down and wouldn't let go. I was still a little out of it and while I normally wouldn't have done it, I pulled my breast out of his mouth, thus dragging the little tooth across my breast. Oh the pain.

I handed the baby to Matt and decided I needed to pump extra to build my supply back up. I didn't look at my breast and figured a baby with one bottom tooth couldn't possibly draw blood.

I got the pump situated and everything in it's proper place and turned the pump on. I leaned my head back to rest my eyes as I was starting to get tired again. I pumped for about four minutes when Matt passed by.

His eyes got really big as he looked at the pump bottle and he gasped. I was roused from a half doze and looked down.

The right pump bottle was filling with blood.

Toph did indeed draw blood and the pump was now suctioning out the blood. What should have been just a little dab of blood turned into a bloody massacre due to the pump extracting it all out.

In the bottle was a mixture of blood streaked breast milk.

I am not a squeamish person, but this sight made me feel a little light headed (more than I already felt).

I simply turned the pump off and decided I would drink fenugreek tea instead to try and increase my supply. It worked.

*This was the only macabre hiccup in breastfeeding that occurred. And it didn't even hurt that bad. Please still consider breastfeeding your child. Totally worth it, bloody bottle and all.*

Visit the World Breastfeeding Week site here.

Types of Highway Drivers

2011-08-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

This summer, we've spent about 3,000 miles in the car on road-trips. After the first 1,000 miles, one starts to realize that road trips are an excellent way to conduct social experiments. I decided to categorize different drivers that are out there on the road today.

{via}

Consider this my gift to you; to be printed out and used as a reference on your next road-trip. {You're welcome.}

The "I-Have-No-Respect-For-Human-Life" Driver: This driver generally drives one of two cars: super fast sports car or super huge truck with big wheels. This driver will ride your tail no matter how fast you're going and will bully you to switch lanes. This driver will also weave precariously in and out of traffic. You generally pray that a police officer will see them and arrest them for attempted murder, as you are sure that crime is more befitting than "speeding".

The "Sunday" Driver: This driver seems to have forgotten that he or she is on the highway. Driving at a speed no faster than 55mph, they are on a leisurely jaunt and will not be bothered by the line of cars queuing behind them. They are in no rush and don't know why you're in a hurry either. This driver won't typically bother you unless he is in the fast lane and then, he causes you to turn into "I-Have-No-Respect-For-Human-Life" driver.

The "Jerk Face" Driver: This driver seems to have a vendetta against you. Maybe he doesn't like your license plate. Maybe it's the color of your car that irks him. Whatever the case may be, he's out to get you. His favorite pastime is boxing you in behind a slow person and another slow person, making it impossible to pass anyone. He also likes to speed around you to only slow down. He'll do that several times, forcing you to become "I-Have-No-Respect-For-Human-Life" driver.

The "Daydreaming" Driver: This driver's number one priority is not road in front of them. Distracted by rainbows and grassy fields, you're not sure this driver knows what they're doing. You watch as they veer into the shoulder only to overcorrect and veer into oncoming traffic. You become scared to pass them because of their unpredictability, thus becoming the "Sunday" driver.

The "In-Tow" Driver: This driver is in a car that is smaller than the vehicle they are towing. They have politely written "INTOW" on the back window to explain to you why the other car is hanging on to theirs. These drivers range from high speeds to low speeds and the car they are towing seems to have a mind of it's own. This is another car you are very scared to pass but know that you must. Better to be ahead of an accident than behind it.

The "Who-Renewed-This-Person's-License?" Driver: This driver is usually over the age of 70 and can easily be confused with The "Sunday" driver. However, this driver has the added factor of not being able to make good decisions quickly. They randomly pull to the side of the road or put their blinker on at strange times. When they exit, they slow down to about 20mph when they're still a couple of miles away from said exit. You have conflicted feelings regarding this driver; proud that they're showing their independence but scared that the DMV thinks it's still okay for them to drive.

The "Truck" Driver: This driver drives a truck for a living. He brings us our plastic goods, our Little Debbie snacks and our car parts. Without him, our society would fall flat on it's face. He's important but he's also kind of...creepy. When you pass him he makes a point to look down at you, checking you out. He then probably gets on his radio and tells his buddies ahead of him that you're coming. While we need him, we also wish he would just look at the road.

The "Psychic" Driver: This driver has the uncanny ability to recognize when there is an emergency and you need to get somewhere fast. Instead of being proactive and getting out of your way, this person slows down and makes dumb decisions which result in your turning into "I-Have-No-Respect-For-Human-Life" driver. This can happen to the best of us when there is blood coming out of their son's ear.

*Note: When there is a bonafide emergency, it's a little more acceptable to weave in and out of traffic. I know this from experience.

An Open Letter to August

2011-08-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

Dear August,

Here you are again. My, how 12 months have flown by. When we last saw you, I had a baby that looked like this:

Now, he looks like this:

Amazing, right? Time just keeps marching on and you August, just keep coming back.

I'll be honest, I wish you would stay away. It's nothing personal, in fact, before I became a mom I used to get excited for you: you're my birthday month!

You taught me the love of presents.

Still August, all the presents in the world can't make up for the fact that you bring with you the end of summer. Summer with my boy. Summer at the zoo and trips and pools and cuddling in the morning.

You bring with you going back to work and going back to daycare. You see, June and July start to lull me into a false sense of security, and you August, you take it all away. It's rude of you, to be quite frank.

Expect me to be a little sour with you August. All 31 days of you. I will probably perk up around the 19th, but after that, it's back to being Debbie Downer.

I encourage you to take a vacation next year, August. Take your friends September through May with you and convince the calendar to skip right to June again. Consider it an early birthday present to me.

Yours truly,
gin

To read my open letter to August from last year, click here.

Shabby Chic Kitchen Decor

2011-07-29T07:00:00.011-05:00

I originally posted this for My World Made by Hand and since I haven't had a decent chance to craft in awhile, I thought I would post this for you guys, in case you missed it.

Here is what I made:

This whole project was inspired from this, which I found on Pinterest. {Who else thinks the inventor of Pinterest is a genius?}

Here's how you do it:

I stripped the ribbon and buttons from a ribbon organizer I already had.
I measured my fabric to be an inch longer than each side of the organizer and I pulled tight to staple it.
I pulled my ribbon very tightly and stapled in the middle to separate each section. This was a two man job because I was using the staple gun and I don't particularly trust myself using that on my own. My husband was only happy to oblige because he prefers me to be able to see with both eyes.

Instead of covering the staples with buttons, I made felt flowers. I found the tutorial for them here.
I love tutorials.

Then, I got to work on my cutlery frames. First, I gathered my materials.

Here you've got your fabric, cutlery, hot glue gun, picture frames, batting, red spray paint. I didn't photograph the stapler but I used it liberally (sorry, stapler!).

First, spray paint your frames.

Then, cover the cardboard insert in the frame with two layers of batting. You want the batting to make the cutlery stick out a little. I stapled unabashedly during this step because I knew the fabric was going to cover them up.

Then, cut four pieces of fabric measuring about a half an inch longer on all sides of the frame.

Pull the fabric as tight as you can and hot glue it down. It needs to be tight, but the frame will be going over this and will also make it tight. Just no sagging! (That's what she said.)

Then, place the frame over your batting and fabric covered cardboard piece. It should feel like a cutlery pillow at this point.

Now, spray paint your cutlery. I got super lazy at this point and only sprayed one coat and one side of the cutlery. It worked out though.

After your cutlery is dry, hot glue it onto their cutlery pillow. I I laid my pieces at 2, 4 and 6 inches.

In the end, I hung my sweet red, white and blues on a forgotten patch of wall on the far side of my kitchen. It's in kind of a narrow doorway which is why it's hard to get a good angle for a picture.

That's it! Don't you love this fabric? I could eat it with a spoon.

Linking up here:

What Have You Been Up To? (Link Party!)

2011-07-27T00:02:00.009-05:00

I took an impromptu week-long blogging break. I wasn't planning on it, but it was much needed and therapeutic.

Don't get me wrong; I love writing and this blog has been such an awesome hobby for me. However, I needed to step back, regroup and breathe. It was perfect for me to do this at this time because we're out of town visiting family and the Internet has taken a natural back seat.

Doh!

Not posting any blogs also means I haven't been reading your blog posts either. Maybe I've skimmed them on my phone while on the road but I can't afford to spend too much time on the internet while driving. Don't trip; I wasn't actually driving, hubs was. I'm referring to the outrageous charges for going over the internet limit on my cell phone.

This means I'm behind. Remember my comment resolution? Yeah, that went down the toilet but I am going to try try try to get back on track. It was probably silly to make that resolution before another vacation. I'm so sorry I haven't been touching base with you!

Here's the deal. I'm creating a linky party in order to help me get caught up. I want to read your favorite posts from the last couple of weeks. Link up and show me what you've been up to.

I don't know if this will be a recurring linky, but it just may. There are no rules here; you don't have to follow me, you don't have to grab a button (in fact, there is no button). If you want to click around and comment on your fellow bloggers' posts, please do. Trust me, it makes you feel great.

If you want to tweet or Facebook this linky, please do! It would be a great opportunity to meet other bloggers and grow our blogs.

Here goes! My first ever link party, open for one week.

Back to Black

2011-07-26T11:37:00.000-05:00

{via}

This time three years ago, Matt and I were in full newlywed mode. We lived in a loft style apartment in the busy medical district of our city and were both working as teachers.

Back then, I had a difficult commute that spanned three different highways. In the morning, if I left at just the right time, I would be ahead of the traffic and the drive would take me 30 minutes. In the afternoon, there didn't seem to be a good time to leave. Bare minimum, I was in the car 45 minutes to drive 17 miles.

These commutes lent themselves to uninterrupted music playing. I would listen to several different artists, but one album made it into the CD player every day without fail.

That album was Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. The raw desperation and honesty in her voice captivated me. The jazz and blues undertones coupled with her throaty voice were unlike anything I had heard before. I've admitted in the past my weakness for British songstresses and Amy was no exception.

{via}

I quickly fell in love with the tiny, beehived British girl.

Sure, her antics didn't escape my notice. As someone who has a past with a loved one who suffers from addiction, I waited for her to hit rock bottom. When I became very upset with her, I wrote her an open letter on my now defunct Myspace blog (yeah, I had one, what of it??).

In my open letter, I explained to her that if she didn't clean her act up soon, her disease would take her life. I remember telling her that I would be so angry with her if she died too early because I wanted her to make more music. I wanted to be able to experience how her musical talent would evolve once she made it to the other side of her addiction.

{via}

Back to Black, while brilliant, was the creative outlet for a lovesick addict and the lyrics reflected a painful time in her life. I was anxious for her to turn a corner; I wanted to see how her music would sound in happier times. There was so much potential.

Y'all, I wear rose colored glasses a lot of the time.

Turns out, I didn't get angry when I heard the news of Amy's death, as I promised I would. Instead, I became despondent.

When I heard the news, we were in hour fifteen of a sixteen hour road trip to Iowa. I decided to use my last few minutes of battery life on my cell phone to check out what was going on in the world.

I gasped as I read she had died. My eyes brimmed with tears and I thought about the open letter. I wiped the tears away and realized that there would be no anger.

No anger; just sadness.

{via}

Sadness that a beautiful life was lost to addiction.

Sadness that such talent was squandered.

Sadness that she never got the help she needed.

I no longer have the long commute to work every day; when we bought our house I traded my 30 minute commute for a brief 10 minute jaunt. I don't listen to Amy quite as much as I used to, but I think on our way home I'll pop Back to Black in, for old times' sake. .

Today is a Great Day

2011-07-19T08:22:00.000-05:00

You know the first part of Cinderella where she wakes up and birds are singing and she's singing and the sun in shining?

That's me today.

Here's why:

First:
Today Matt and I are celebrating our three year anniversary. Three years ago we made it official, in front of 75 people. Beside a lake, under the hot (98 degrees) Texas sun, sheltered by two shade trees, our siblings standing by our sides, we got hitched. My father in law married us and I read e.e. cummings.

One thing I will say about my wedding day is that is was FUN. We danced, we laughed, we loved. It was a beautiful day and it was the start of three beautiful years together.

So far, out of this marriage was born a baby and most importantly, a singular family unit that will last forever.

Today is a happy day.

I love you so dearly Matt. Happy anniversary, babe.

Second reason today is so awesome:
I am guest posting over at My World Made By Hand. Jess is a genius in my book and she let little old me post a craft over on her blog. It's an honor, it's a privilege and I would LOVE it if you would go on over there and comment the heck out of it. Consider it your anniversary gift to me.

I hope your day is just as lovely as mine.

Cake in a Coffee Cup

2011-07-18T07:00:00.007-05:00

Yes friends, you read that right. That title isn't simply for artistic alliterative purposes. Today I will show you how to make Cake in a Coffee Cup.

The best part? It takes a minute. A literal minute. Sixty seconds. One turn around the clock.

I found this idea through Pinterest, specifically from this sweet site. I squealed and vowed to try it that very night, as I had a hankering for something sweet, though I had nothing in my house. I adapted it from the original recipe and re-titled it (befittingly, as you'll see in a moment).

Do you want to know how to make a real, live cake in 60 seconds? Of course you do.

Here's what you need:

One egg

Lovely tablespoon of brown sugar.

Half a teaspoon of baking powder, not to be confused with baking soda.

Heaping tablespoon of flour.

2 heaping tablespoons of raspberry chocolate spread

Here's the deal: I used the Raspberry Chocolate Spread from Pampered Chef that I won in a giveaway. Cassie used peanut butter. I had none on hand (what??) so instead of throwing a real, live tantrum like I was inclined to do, I poked through my fridge and deemed it an appropriate substitute.

Let me tell you, it was SO appropriate.

Another thing that Cassie did differently: she used a ramekin. I have but one ramekin that I may or may not have stolen from Chili's on accident.

(Who am I kidding...I wanted to take the ranch home. I love their ranch dressing.)

Anyway, I used the stolen ramekin and I believe karma was catching up with me because this is what happened the first time I made this using a ramekin:

I learned that night that I will scrape food off the microwave dish. I will swipe my finger across it, I will even lick it.

It wasn't my proudest moment.

However, from that moment on I used a tall coffee cup, and the name Coffee Cup Cake was born.

(That my friends, is called a digression.)

After assembling the ingredients, go ahead and whisk 'em real good.

By the way, I wanted to get a live shot of me whisking my cake but found I could not do it one-handed, the picture nor the whisking. How does the Pioneer Woman do it? Her kids, maybe? Hmm.

After you whisk, coat a tall coffee cup with baking spray. I love Baker's Joy.

You give the coffee cup a little kiss and tell her you'll see her in a minute.

(Note: Cassie cooked hers 30 seconds. This did not work for me. I blame the heat and humidity, my blame fall-backs.)

Look at that. Beautiful. It's hard to tell but she's filled up three quarters of the cup.

Normally, I will just take the coffee cup and a spoon straight to the couch and live it up. But for you guys, I decided to show you Coffee Cup Cake in her full glory.

I made a simple frosting from powdered sugar and milk, no measurement required.

I drizzled it over my Coffee Cup Cake.

Yay! Pioneer Woman would be proud. An action shot at it's finest.

Look at how moist and soft it looks. The texture is perfect.

Perfect to the last bite.

Go forth and microwave.

And many thanks to Cassie of Back to Her Roots for inspiring this post. Please visit her blog; you won't be disappointed.

Linking up here:

A Comment Resolution

2011-07-17T11:23:00.000-05:00

With vacations both behind me and in front of me, I find myself behind.

Behind on housework, behind on school work (late July I start somewhat preparing my mind to go back to school), behind on friend stuff (I haven't seen my girlfriends in a LONG time), and I'm behind on blog stuff.

I don't like being behind and I don't like being an absent blogger. I've found that when I am behind on reading other's blogs, it muddles my mind and I have a hard time writing a post (hence the post about writer's block).

I haven't been keeping up with you as well as I should. Trust me, I've been reading your posts. I understand if you don't believe me because...I haven't been commenting.

I pride myself on commenting. I comment because I have a connection with what you wrote. I comment because what you wrote made me think of something in my own life. I comment because I support you. I comment because you inspire me.

The thing is, the more I comment on blogs, the better my posts are. So, I've made a resolution. It's a hefty one, but one that I know I can manage.

Starting today, I will comment on ten blog posts a day. Two of those blogs will on newly visited blogs or blogs I don't follow personally. I want to connect, to listen and to validate.

Now, is it possible that I'll have to miss the random day or two? Sure. I'm busy, just like all of you. But I'll jump back on track as quickly as I can. Moreover, I'm not going to limit myself to only ten. If I have the time, I'll comment more. But never less. I can also guarantee you that the comments I leave will be thoughtful. I'm not a comment vomit-er.

We make resolutions to make ourselves better, to try and change something. This comment resolution isn't for you, even though I am confident you enjoy comments (thoughtful ones) just as much as I do. This resolution is for me. To make me a better blogger and to make me a better bloggy buddy. It's to help me make authentic connections and find inspiration when I need it most.

Here we go...ten comments a day.

Starting now.

How I'm Going to get Past Writer's Block

2011-07-15T22:21:00.000-05:00

You know you have writer's block when...

1. You think about writing about popping cysts (I said "think" I'm not actually going to do it.)

2. Writing about the merits of maternity pj pants that you are still wearing sounds appealing. Newsworthy even.

3. You consider writing about what you would tell Elmo if you met him. (A mixture of thank you and be quiet come to mind.)

4. Writing an ode to your grout cleaner sounds mindblowing.

5. Having a deep discussion about how the Warblers' version of "Teenage Dream" is better than Katy Perry's version sounds ground breaking. Don't know what I'm talking about? Watch Glee.

6. Copying and pasting the script of Anchorman and highlighting my favorite parts has crossed my mind. You stay classy, San Diego.

7. I entertained the idea of documenting my next trip to Wal-mart.

8. Writing a haiku about our new sprinkler crossed my mind as I watched it sprinkle.

9. Speculating about why my neck hurts seems like something you ought to know. In great detail. I have theories. One involves a pillow. Another, a cat...who shall remain nameless.

10. I thought about conducting an experiment to see exactly how my husband would react if I spray painted our floors gold. This would be a vlog, obviously, as words would not be able to describe it. He would probably look like this though:

...but with yelling.

I swear...these are 10 sure fire ways to cure writer's block. I can feel it.

Thank you, Harry

2011-07-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

Source: tumblr.com via Ginny on Pinterest

It was a rainy summer day in Colorado. I was 19, a summer nanny for three very bored kids. I had been given strict orders for no TV, we were trapped inside and the kids were getting restless.

Restless as in, jumping from the top of the stairs to the bottom. This made me fear for my job much more than the safety of the kids, so I grabbed the nearest book I could find and told them to sit down. We were going to read.

The book I grabbed? Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. I began to read aloud. The kids and I were entranced as we entered a world where wizards and magic really did exist. That day we read for about three hours straight, until my voice was hoarse. It was the best day I had as a nanny.

After that, I was hooked. I went home that very day and bought every volume of HP available. At the time, it was books one through four. They were by my side the rest of the summer. I finished reading all four and reread them. I researched when the fifth would come out.

I became a Harry Potter-phile.

Harry and I finished his journey together, as did millions of others who read Rowling's seven part series. When the seventh book came out, I knew I would have a hard time finding a series I loved as much. I have yet to find one.

I was sad that there would be no more books but I felt better that there were more movies coming out. I am a true believer that the books never held any candle to the movies, but I have always enjoyed Hollywood's take on the movies.

We have plans to see the last installment in the HP series and while I'm excited, I'm sad too. I'll miss Harry and the wizarding world.

However, I've got the books. Better yet, I have a son. One day, my son and I will sit down on his bed and snuggle together. We'll open Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and we'll read. We'll discuss, we'll analyze and we'll imagine what life would be like if it were true...if magic really did exist. He'll ask me to read one more chapter and I won't be able to say no. We'll read until he falls asleep. It all sounds so delicious, I just can't wait.

So really, my journey with Harry is not over. I am lucky enough to relive it through the eyes of my son.

For that Harry, I say thank you.

Source: community.thenest.com via Ginny on Pinterest

How Blogging Has Changed Both Motherhood and Me {Guest Post by the Babby Mama}

2011-07-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today I am super excited to introduce the Babby Mama, mama to the Babby and author of the blog I Know How is Babby Formed. She is also author of a real live book called:. iDo: Planning Your Wedding with Nothing But 'Net . You guys, a real live published author, here on my blog! I'm giddy.
***********************************************************************************

Being a mama is a thankless job… or is it? Mamas lose themselves in motherhood… or do they? Once upon a time, maybe, when there was no one cheering a mama's efforts on.

Clean the loo? No one sees it. Cook a gourmet meal? It's inhaled so fast no one tastes it. (If they even eat it, in the case of picky toddlers.) Go to work every day to support your family? The cheers aren't there, and in their place there may even be criticism from family or even strangers. Get your kids out of the house on time and the best you get is a "Doesn't everyone?"

And yet I still don't think motherhood is a thankless job. Not nowadays. Do note that I'm not suggesting that husbands or partners and kids or strangers are suddenly thanking mamas everywhere for everything we do. That the world is suddenly extra supportive of working moms. That motherhood is on the pedestal it ought to be on. Nope! It's still pretty unlikely that anyone is going to spontaneously notice that you cleaned the kitchen today.

So who's cheering mothers on? WE are. The other mothers. We're online and we're blogging, and with some minor exceptions, WE are the ones who say things like "You managed to get your kids out of the house on time today? Go you!" and "That you even found the time to cook dinner instead of ordering pizza is amazing" and "By working, you're showing your daughter that she can be anything she wants to be and that's great" and "Woman, you do SO much!"

Blogging, I think, has changed motherhood for the better. So what if no one at home necessarily notices that we haven't quit doing all of the little things that keep a household happy and running smoothly? (And just how fast do they notice when we take a break and don't do one little, jeez?) Our online besties are there, whether it's attention we're after or friends or commiseration or advice or even a little cheerleading. Because everyone deserves some applause for successfully crossing off all those little tasks that make up the mega to-do list that is motherhood.

It's mamas who are doing the applauding.

As for how blogging has changed me, that's where aforementioned attention comes in. Before I became a mama, I had a lot more time for things that might earn me some praise. Writing fiction comes to mind, and submitting it to tiny literary journals who'd then publish it in tiny magazines I'd never actually see. Painting. Dancing, which for me means tap. Dorky, I know, but once I was even in a rock band! And how can I be in a rock band when I am exhausted by 10 p.m.? How can I tap when the very sound scares my toddler?

Besides being an amazing way to meet other mamas, blogging has been a way to get back out from under my rock to a place where I can at least open up and share what I'm doing with other people. And you know, said people – by which I mean all the other mamas – have responded in very positive ways. Hearing some of that applause again has lifted me up and inspired me to try new things and reclaim a little bit of the person I was before so I'm not just a mama, but also me again. I think blogging is helping most of us mamas do that.

And how can that NOT be awesome? I know a lot of people put down the "mommy bloggers" but with everything I've said above, I think the mark it's made on motherhood has been nothing but beautiful.

************************************************************************************

I love the Babby Mama and I know you love her now too. Check her blog out and say hi.
Christa, thank you so much for posting! I am truly honored.

I'm That Mom

2011-07-11T07:00:00.004-05:00

Click here to read my "rockin' the bump" post.

I'm that mom...

the mom whose baby was beautifully jaundiced.

the mom so ridden with anxiety over the jaundice she couldn't sleep.

the mom who would suffer from random bouts of crying.

the mom who refused to go out into public with the baby those first two weeks.

I'm that mom...

the mom who wouldn't let herself sleep that first week home with the babe.

the mom who was scared to give her baby a bath.

the mom who thought the doctors were going to take her baby away because his jaundice wasn't going away.

the mom who felt guilty when she laid the baby down to go to the bathroom or have a bite to eat.

I'm that mom...

the mom who made it sound like peaches and cream on her blog.

the mom who wasn't honest with herself.

the mom who just refused to believe she was suffering from PPD.

I'm that mom...

the mom who sobbed uncontrollably the first day taking him to daycare.

the mom who thought she was a terrible mother because she worked outside the home.

the mom who would pump in the dark at work while crying.

I'm that mom...

the mom who made it through to the other side.

the mom who believes that she is an awesome mom.

the mom who can see that working outside the home is necessary.

the mom who knows you don't have to be a SAHM to be a good mom.

the mom who sees the benefit of daycare.

the mom who realizes in retrospect that she was suffering from PPD and that it's completely okay.

I'm the mom who...

loves her baby so, incredibly much. A love so big it fills the sky.

Who's with me?

Rule Breakers

2011-07-10T12:36:00.000-05:00

Traveling with a toddler. Have you ever done it?

I'm a first timer and I'm here to tell you that it's not the easiest thing to do. In fact, I'll tell you right here and now that I think it's difficult.

It's especially difficult for people like me because my son and I thrive on routine. On the same faces and places. A vacation, while it sounds nice in theory, is the antithesis of the life we lead at home. At home there is a schedule, structure and Toph has got it down so well that he can predict what is coming next.

When things become unpredictable for a toddler, certain family-imposed rules fall by the wayside. In fact, we've become downright rule breakers. Here are some of the rules we have broken during our vacation:

1. Walking around with food. We have no high chair here and our laps just aren't as appealing as some of the other things going on in our host's home. Therefore, Toph gets to walk around with his food from time to time, simply because I'd rather him eat than not eat and sit on our lap.

2. Unabashed pacifier usage. We were really trying to cut down on the pacifier, but all these new stimuli can be too much for him, therefore, since the pacifier makes him feel better, the pacifier he gets.

3. Complete disregard of the bed-time routine. At home, we have a system. Dinner, music and dance party, bath time, book time, nurse time, sleep time. It's a science and the kid has it down. On vacation, we haven't been able to do all those things ever and very seldom has Toph gotten to bed on time.

4. Co-sleeping. When we finally have gotten Toph to sleep, he'll normally sleep until 2:30 and then he'll start to cry. I learned within the first couple of nights that he'll go back to bed quickly if he gets to nurse while laying next to me. I also learned that if I put him back in his crib he will wake up again for round 2, then round 3 and then I start to wonder if I have a newborn. However, if he stays in bed with me, he will go to sleep and stay there until 7am. You win, Toph.

5. Reverting to on-demand nursing at night. Yeah, we haven't done this in months and months. However, if it means a little extra sleep for the both of us, sure Toph, nurse away.

I am not sure how difficult it will be to try and get back in our routine at home. Initially, I was very guilty about breaking all of these rules until I realized...I'm the one who imposed them in the first place. We're on vacation! Things will be different on vacation...it's time to chill out and realize a couple of things:

Is Toph happy?
Is Toph safe?
Is Toph fed?
Is Toph having a good time?

Yes to all the above. So yeah, we're breaking some rules. But we're not breaking any laws and Toph is having a blast meeting new people and seeing new things.

Note to self: chill out and enjoy yourself.

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Our Alma Mater (Go Buffs!)

2011-07-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

Matt and I both graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder. I am convinced that we attended one of the most beautiful schools in the United States, and I'm not trying to be biased here. I mean, look at the view we had every.single.day.

{via}

I graduated in 2006 and hubs followed suit in December of 2007. We traded this place in for Texas (the views are not the same, both literally and figuratively) and while we love our life where we are, coming back to this place pulls on our heartstrings. We wanted nothing more to tour the campus and see the changes, and dream of the day when our little boy might possibly be a Buff.

We saw new buildings, not there during our day:

I claim this building as ours though because a tuition hike in my last year promised the construction of new buildings such as this.

We saw renovations:

This is the UMC where students can congregate and eat. In my day this part was walled off.

We took pictures of our college uniform: a school hoodie with jeans and tennies (I was not one to dress up for class and the campus is so huge you want to be comfortable.)

We forced CU paraphernalia on our son:

We ran around the lovely soft grass:

We posed with buffalo:

We visited the languages building, where I spent a lot of time with professors and advisors. (I double majored in Latin American affairs and Spanish, Language and Literature.)

Hubs majored in astronomy and I am really sad we didn't get to see the telescopes with Toph.

We played in fountains.

We went to the library to see my favorite quote.

"Who knows only his own generation remains always a child."

We reminisced, schemed and dreamed of a day that Toph could walk these grounds, backpack slung over his shoulders, eager to study, learn and socialize. Now, Toph already has a hefty college fund that keeps growing and we will send him wherever he wants to go, but he will get to tour our beloved CU every time we visit Colorado. We'll be planting the seed early.

I think of college and I smile. I stressed over exams, I worked hard and I dated an awesome guy through it all. (We're now married.) I look back and know that college was the life. I learned about the world, I learned how to formulate educated opinions, I learned about myself and other people. It was one of the most formative times of my life and I will be forever thankful for it.

Guest Post: Ginger from Literally Inspired

2011-07-07T08:30:00.012-05:00

Today I would like to introduce my friend {Gin}ger over at Literally Inspired. I love Ginger's blog because I always find inspiration when I'm there. Y'all are in for a real treat today, so enjoy!
**********************************************************************************

it feels like home over here!
in real life gin and i would definitely hang out on the regular.
our husbands would drink beer together.
and our boys would have the most awesome play dates.

for those of you who don't know me, my name is ginger and i blog over at literally inspired.
i run a mixed bag kind of blog.
the premise of literally inspired is to share my love of books.
sound nerdy enough for you?
don't worry i also share awesome crafts and diy projects too.

a couple of weeks ago gin asked me what she can do to get toph crafting.
i am still new in the parenting game so i really had to think about it.
my son doesn't like to get his hands dirty, like at all, so we didn't do very many crafts his first year.
i did get him to finger paint once.

he makes me smile.

i like to use books to influence my crafting so why not do the same for my child.
at his daycare he will learn a new word and then do an art project to actualize the word.

here are five books and five craft ideas i came up with:

[ read ] the hungry caterpillar

[ activity ] egg carton caterpillars and coffee filter butterflies

directions and source

[ read ] i love you through and through

[ activity ]
make labels for your eyes, nose, ears, mouth and have your child "label" a photo of themselves.
you could also print out photos of your child exhibiting different emotions.

[ read ] are you my mother?

[ activity ]
create flash cards of "mommy" and "baby" animals and make a match game. have your child color the photos and glue them to the flash cards. make sure to include the name of each animal along with the photo on each card.

[ read ] buzz

[ activity ]

make paper plate bees

note: this book has a fantastic underlying moral story about what bees shouldn't be able to do but they do it anyways.

directions and source

[ read ] the best time of day

[ activity ]

make your own clock out of construction paper or a paper plate.
along with the times of day, add a photo of the activity your child does at that time.

i could go on with more ideas.

there are so many great children books out there.

i hope this post will inspire you to head to the library, read a few books to your kids, and then create an awesome project that will get your kids excited about reading.

thanks again for having me gin!

i hope to see some of you around literally inspired!

**********************************************************************************

I think Ginger would do just fine as a teacher, don't you think? Not only will I use these awesome ideas with my boy, but with my kiddos too.

Thanks Ginger!!

Guest Post: Kari from Newlyweds on a Budget

2011-07-06T08:30:00.001-05:00

I remember when I first discovered Kari's blog and thinking that she is a lot like me...5 years ago. But craftier. And cuter. Take it away, Kari!

******************************************************************************

Good Morning Fellow Gin Stalkers! Oh wait, I'm the only one that does that? Awkward.

Well, I'm Kari stopping by from Newlyweds on a Budget and I write a little blog about-you guessed it-living as Newlyweds on a tiny budget. Gin and I have been friends since the beginning of my blogging days (you know a whole three months ago) and she is AH-mazing! Which I know you all know because you're here. I was SO excited when Gin asked me to guest post today that I may or may not have done a little happy dance-in public.

I blog about trying to make ends meet and my new obsession with crafting and cooking! I try to find ways to up-do things I already have lying around the ~~house~~ ~~apartment~~ cardboard box. The hubbs and I also enjoy finding recipes that use inexpensive ingredients with a fantastic outcome-and that's what I have for you today!

If you love reading Gin's fun posts as much as I do then you know how much she loves pizza, and I love anything that includes any type of pasta, so I combined our two favorites and come up with this. (Tried and approved by the hubbs and two of my best friends)

What you'll need:

1 lb sausage (we only had 1/2 lb so that's what I used)

12 oz bag of Macaroni (or any other fun shape you have around)

1 package of pepporonni

1 lb of any cheese you can find (we used a blend of mozzarella, Parmesan, and Mexican blend)

Spaghetti Sauce (as much as you care to throw in_

Things we didn't use but you could if you wanted:

Onions

Green Peppers

Olives

Red Peppers

Really anything you like on your pizza and just add as much as you like.

You'll also need a casserole dish (I used a 9x9) and aluminum foil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees then cook your sausage and Maccaroni on your ~~easy bake stove~~ regular full sized stove.

Make sure the sausage is brown all through and chop it up into little pieces. I used my Pampered Chef chopper but you could just break the sausage apart in the pan while you're cooking it.

Drain the Maccaroni then add it along with the sausage, pepporini, and pasta sauce in a bowl (this is also where you could add that other stuff you might want)

Add 1 cup of cheese (really any kind works) and mix it in with the pasta then move the mixture to your casserole dish.

Add the rest of your cheese on top and cover with foil.

Cook in the oven with foil on for twenty minutes or until bubbling-remove the foil and let cook for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese on top is browned and adds a nice crunch.

And if you're smarter then I am you'll cleaned up while your cooking-instead of leaving the mess till the end...

And just like the Food Channel I magically have a baked casserole already baked to present to you-doesn't it look delicious??

This was a HUGE success in my house. The hubbs thoroughly enjoyed it as did my two hobo friends who stopped by for a free meal.

I hope Ginny and her family (as well as yours) love this as much as we did!

Thanks so much for having me stop by Gin! I hope to see you all over at my little space of the blog-o-sphere and check out some of the fun projects I've been working on!

*******************************************************************************

Seriously, y'all need to click over and check Kari's blog. She hosts a craft linky every Tuesday and never ceases to amaze me with her craftiness.

Thanks, Kari!

Guest Post: Eve from Beautiful Spit Up

2011-07-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

I am very excited to have the awesome Eve here. She is my bloggy twin in every sense of the word. I envision a day in which she will actually be a guest in my house and not just my blog, but until then, you guys are lucky to get to know her too.

We all have those days when we’re frustrated and desperately need a night out. You call around for a babysitter, but nobody’s available. People are busy. They have their own lives. They have stuff going on. They don’t have kids. They get to leave the house without spit up on their clothes. They look fabulous.
Not you. No sir. You don’t have that luxury.

You get to stay home wearing a spit up stained tank and your sweat pants with the pockets, because they’re the perfect place to store your iPhone (connection to the outside world) and the always-essential handful of Cheerios.
I’m sure you’ve had these days.
I hope you’ve had these days.
You suck if you haven’t had these days.
You know you’ve had these days.
I’ve had these days. *sigh*
And then I think about Cheers, that ‘80s sitcom about a popular bar in Boston. The theme song immediately swirls through my mind and I feel better….

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.

I feel better because the lyrics are about home, or at least a place that feels like home.

Home –noun
1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.
2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.
3. the dwelling place or retreat of an animal.
4. the place or region where something is native or most common.
5. any place of residence or refuge.
6. (in games) the destination or goal.

This song reminds me of home and makes me glad to be there, even when I’m frustrated by being there. It’s nice to leave it, but we sometimes forget how nice it is to just stay home. At least that’s how I feel. I don’t mind not always having a sitter. I don’t mind being at home.
Where my stuff lives.
Where my favorite stove sits and waits for me.
Where a handsome boy greets me at the door with kisses and a tooth-filled grin.
Where things are sometimes messy.
Where toys litter the floor like battery-operated landmines causing you to fall to your knees if you’re not careful.
Where the three of us make our lives together.
Where our troubles are all the same.
And they're always glad I came.
Where everybody knows my name.

*********************************************************************************
If it's possible, Eve just made me miss my own home just a little bit more. Y'all show Eve some comment love and tell her your favorite thing about home.

Thanks Eve! Muchos besos y abrazos.

Why Say No When It Feels So Good To Say Yes?

2011-07-01T08:30:00.001-05:00

First order of business: name the movie from where the title comes.

Second order of business: let's talk about the word no.

Toph has recently started saying no. He will accompany it with a head shake to prove his point. Many times during our day, we will have conversations that go like this:

M: Can mama have a kiss?
T: No.
(This one is painful. Already saying no to a kiss? I thought I had a few more years.)

M: Eat more green beans, Toph.
T: No.

M: Come here so mama can put your shoes on.
T: No.

M: Toph, what sound does a dog make?
T: No.

M: Let's wash hands, Toph.
T: No.

M: Time for a diaper change.
T: No.

M: It's time to nurse, Toph.
T: No.
(And then he'll proceed to nurse.)

We've got the word no down flat. He tells the cats no too and I learned today that he'll tell dogs no. While I like that he's verbalizing and even using nonverbal cues, such as the head shaking, this no business is driving me nuts.

I got to thinking though; is the word no really that bad? I mean, we're the ones who taught him that word. These days he's into everything and most everything he does while he's exploring warrants the word no.

When he first started saying the word no, I felt extremely guilty. Oh, we must not let him do anything; we're repressing his spirit and being mean.

Then I thought, bull. The kid needs limits. He needs to know what is and is not okay to play with. He needs to know that the dishwasher is not an okay thing to climb on. "No" is the word we use when we tell people something is not okay; a word we use when we are setting boundaries.

While him telling us no will drive me up a tree, I'm glad he's asserting himself. It's the first step in raising a child who can develop his own opinions. While he will not always get his way and while I will have the final say, I've decided him telling me no isn't the worst thing in the world. If we have to have a million conversations on why we ARE going to do something, that's okay.

Don't trip because I know some of you are. He will know that mama and daddy are people to whom you don't speak the word no. He will know that when his teacher tells him to do something, he does it. No in the form of obstinance will not be tolerated.

He will be taught to respect, he will know to listen and he will know that adults are people you normally say yes to. However, no can be a powerful word and we will teach him how to use it correctly.

Yes, my son will explore with the word no. He will learn when he can and cannot say it. I will not raise a yes-man but I will also not raise a no-no. It's a fine line and it's one we will be balancing for years to come.

Girls for a Change {Sponsored Post}

2011-06-30T18:38:00.000-05:00

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

I am super excited that Clever Girls Collective picked me to help promote the Girls For A Change Organization. Building strong, empowered young women is so important to our community, our country and our world.

What is Girls for a Change and what does it have to do with Yahoo!? I am so glad you asked! Girls for a Change works to empower young girls to create social change. They "invite young women to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods." {GFC website}

Pretty amazing right? Yahoo! thinks so. For every person who clicks here to make Yahoo! her homepage, the awesome folks at Yahoo! will donate $10, up to $10,000 to GFC. Ten bucks and all you have to do is click three times. I know because I did it already.

It's so simple, use this link, follow the super easy instructions and presto! You've helped an amazing organization.

This cause is very important to me. Why? Well, I am a bilingual teacher in an inner city school and I teach many young girls every year. These little ladies are smart, kind and unique. They love to solve problems, laugh with their friends and take care of those around them.

Here's the rub: as they grow, many of them lose that spark of creativity and uniqueness and fall victim to peer pressure, teen pregnancy and eventually drop out of school. My school district has one of the largest drop out rates in the state and many times, young women will drop out to raise their child.

If my girls had access to an organization such as Girls for a Change, they would see how powerful their voice is, how valuable their creativity is and would choose different paths as they got older.

They would be empowered and they would empower others.

Read that again. It gives you the chills, doesn't it?

If you have the chills and if you want to help this amazing organization, click here and make Yahoo! your homepage.

While you're at it, and I don't mean to ask too much from you, could you Tweet or Facebook about this post? We don't have a lot of time left and I want this to have as much of a reach possible.

Please be sure to click this link when setting your homepage as that's how Yahoo! tracks how big a check they're going to cut GFC.

Source: etsy.com via Rosanna on Pinterest

Sweet Little Set

2011-06-30T08:30:00.021-05:00

Confession: Today I will teach you how to make something. This little something is not original, nor is it difficult to make. However, it is cute, versatile and fun.

Do you still want to know what it is? M'kay, but I'm telling you now: it's easy.

Here's what I made:

What you see is a matching cocktail ring and hair barrette. Made out of buttons. Here's what you need to make one yourself:

Two fancy buttons, ring/bobby pin findings, hot glue

Mind blowing I know. Remember when I made my button monogram? Well, I bought some fancy buttons with the intent to use them as accents on that piece, but these just didn't seem to fit, even though I loved them so.

I caressed these buttons, kissed them and whispered sweet nothings into their ear. I so wanted to use them but just didn't know how.

Then, inspiration hit. I would buy a ready made ring and bobby pin from Hobby Lobby. I would hot glue the buttons to them. I would live happily ever after with my new sweet set of accessories.

You know what comes next.

I applied copious amounts of hot glue to the ring and inserted the button.

Note: Don't put the ring on while the hot glue is still hot. Metal is a conductor for heat and you will burn the fire out of your pretty little finger.

I did the same with the bobby pin.

Note: Don't put the bobby pin in your hair while the glue is still hot. No, your hair doesn't have feelings, but your scalp does and when the wet hot glue adheres to your hair, you will feel it upon removal of the bobby pin.

I told you they were easy. Look how excited Toph was when he heard the news of my sweet little set:

My mama is so smart and creative!

Linking up here:

An Open Letter to Kuntry Kitchen,

2011-06-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Kuntry Kitchen,

I drove by your establishment on our way home from a weekend trip with the family. I saw your sign and was completely disgusted. I was driving and hubs was playing a game on the iPad, so neither of us could take a picture of your offensive restaurant sign. Below is a sign I found here, which concerns me because this means you might be part of a chain.

Here's why it was offensive to me: first of all, the first syllable, kunt, is very close to a word that is extremely offensive to all women. Just because the first letter is different does not make it okay. The thought of this ugly word is not appetizing, so how you think you're going to get business is beyond me.

Second of all, you're probably not a teacher (or educated at all, for that matter), but there is a thing in literacy education called "print awareness." Basically, this means that when a child is first beginning to read, he or she is aware of the print around them and using the familiarity of said print is able to understand what the word says. Therefore, a child can "read" words like McDonald's, Snickers, Stop and other words that they see in their physical environment. This is an extremely important step in their literacy development and you, my friend, are messing it up.

Here's why: you are on the access road of a busy highway. Many children are gazing out the window due to sheer boredom when they pass your establishment. They see the word and ask mama and daddy what that says. They tell the child Country Kitchen. Child now associates the word kuntry with country. Child now has to relearn (in a sense) the word country.

This is not hypothetical; it happens in real life. I blame Winnie the Pooh, that chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff, for my misspelling of the word honey. You see, Pooh labeled his beloved honey pot as "hunny," therefore causing me to think that hunny was the proper spelling.

It's not and neither is kuntry.

I'm going to wrap this up but I need to throw in one more reason this sign offends me. You, good sir, by misspelling the word country, are inferring that people who live in the country can only spell phonetically and thus would not be able to understand the word if it were spelled correctly. As someone who was raised in the country, this offends me. I am offended on behalf of my family in the country, who don't need to spell anything phonetically before they grace your establishment with their presence.

I imagine your food is not great either, with it's beens, stakes and gravie. And let's not forget the biskits.

Good day,
gin

My First Vlog Talk: My Pets

2011-06-28T08:30:00.001-05:00

This is my inaugural post with Vlog Talk. My friend Eve encouraged me to do it, so I did.
Meet Merry and Pippen and excuse the annoying glare behind me.

How do y'all get those cute subtitles? Do I have to have a Mac for that? If you do, I'm screwed.

Buttons, Buttons Everywhere

2011-06-27T10:08:00.005-05:00

If you're like me, you spend ridiculous amounts of time on Pinterest. If you're like me, you find ridiculous amounts of projects and inspiration (pinspiration, if you will) on Pinterest. If you're like me, you get overstimulated by all the ideas and inspiration Pinterest gives you and you must turn off the computer lest your head explode.

Can anybody relate?

I recently found this bad boy on Pinterest:

Source: flickr.com via Ginny on Pinterest

I saw the pin and thought, I can make this! I made it without looking very closely at the actual tutorial and I used a combo of fabric glue and hot glue, whereas the buttons were sewn on in the original tutorial. I can guarantee you my version took a lot less time, although it was probably harder for me to layer my buttons.

Here's what I did:

Materials: Huge letter, hot glue, fabric glue, canvas, buttons

First, I printed out a huge K. I used Times New Roman font with roughly a size 600 font. I cut my letter out very carefully.

Then, I traced my K onto my canvas. Now, you are going to think I'm silly, but I bought a 12 x 12 canvas to stretch over a 10 x 10 canvas I already had. I know, super silly. The sillier thing is that when I bought the piece of canvas in the scrapbook section of Michael's, I thought it was burlap. I was relatively new to the crafting game, okay? Judgment free zone here guys, so keep the snickering down.

After I traced my K, I stretched my canvas over my canvas (quit laughing) and stapled it to the back. Not pretty, but it worked.

I began gluing my buttons. I started with the edges and used little dabs of fabric glue for this part. I decided to go with fabric glue mostly out of curiousity; I had just bought it and wanted to see if it worked.

It does, in case you were wondering.

After my edges were glued, I began filling in the middle. I learned that you'll have to layer the buttons to fill in gaps. I used hot glue on this part because some of the buttons would need to be glued on top of each other, thus rendering the fabric glue useless.

After an hour of gluing buttons, I was finished. Cute right?

So, let me ask you: should I have sewn them on? Or did glue do the same thing?

Linking up here:

The One Perfect Thing

2011-06-25T19:18:00.000-05:00

Have you ever reflected on things in your life and thought, "that could have been better." Or, how about "I could have done that better?"

These thoughts I have on a daily basis, on daily tasks ranging from dinner, cleaning, crafting and phone conversations. I'm always critiquing myself, making mental notes on how to be better.

You want to know the one thing in my entire life that I have looked at and have never, ever, not even for a fraction of a millisecond have critiqued? The one thing that I have thought was perfect and could not get any better from day one?

Toph is honest to goodness the best thing I've ever done. And if you really want to go deep here, he's the only thing I've done that's not a thing. He and Matt are the two ~~things~~ people in my life that I look at and think,

Perfect. I can't believe he's mine.

Life As Topher's Mama

Let's Talk About Love

My Favorite Christmas Gift

A Little Something For Your Sunday

2012: The Year in Which Everything Broke

The Second Day of 2012

2011: A Year in Review

Guess Who Made the Naughty List

Family Photo Shoot

A Christmas Wishlist

5 Things

A Silly Thankful List

Quinoa: The 8th Wonder of the {Food} World

We Are So Happy To Have You Here

Casa de Kelsey: We Love Here

A Letter of Apology to Our Plasma Screen

Being Topher's Mama

Unspoken Halloween Rules

My Neighbors Think I'm Weird

Notes from a Dragon Mom

Laugh!

Good Oral Hygiene

Calming the Nerves

Ten Things You Should Never Ask Your Spouse

The Problem with Pinterest: The Fat Edition

I Could Do Without the First Days of School

I'm at Sharde's Today

Hi, I'm Gin and I Don't Have Time to Blog

Best Days of My Life

World Breastfeeding Week: A Macabre Nursing Story

Types of Highway Drivers

An Open Letter to August

Shabby Chic Kitchen Decor

Top Ten Life Stories

What Have You Been Up To? (Link Party!)

Back to Black

Today is a Great Day

Cake in a Coffee Cup

A Comment Resolution

How I'm Going to get Past Writer's Block

Thank you, Harry

How Blogging Has Changed Both Motherhood and Me {Guest Post by the Babby Mama}

I'm That Mom

Rule Breakers

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Our Alma Mater (Go Buffs!)

Guest Post: Ginger from Literally Inspired

Guest Post: Kari from Newlyweds on a Budget

Guest Post: Eve from Beautiful Spit Up

Why Say No When It Feels So Good To Say Yes?

Girls for a Change {Sponsored Post}

Sweet Little Set

An Open Letter to Kuntry Kitchen,

My First Vlog Talk: My Pets

Buttons, Buttons Everywhere

The One Perfect Thing