Close Your Eyes Kiddos

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Last week I was walking through Toys R Us looking for the cheapest perfect birthday gift for Andrew’s classmate. Cherishing the alone time I was having, I decided to walk around and get some ideas for Caroline’s birthday. She will be two next month and loves Elmo. I’ve been thinking about doing an Elmo party for her so I went in search of all things Elmo.

I came to the party aisle and stopped dead in my tracks. Something was immediately disturbing to me. How can they make this? What cruel people think this is appropriate?

Elmo PinataYes, folks, an Elmo pinata.

Just think about it for a moment.

Elmo, the adorable, cuddly, lovable friend of your child’s getting his body bashed with a bat.

Imagine the terror that will strike in the minds of little kids when they witness this.

Shouldn’t this product come with a label? In the event that you use incredibly poor judgement and decide to have this at your child’s birthday party, you will be required to pay for 3 years of therapy.

I’m pretty sure we will pass on this and just opt for the Elmo napkins and plates.

The Gift of Words

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I’m sure you have all seen the subway art that has been floating around. I have wanted to attempt this for the past year but never did. I decided that my dream present for Christmas would be a Silhouette machine which would help me make the subway art. My wonderful husband took my ever so subtle hint of leaving the website up and mentioning there was a sale going on and surprised me with one for Christmas. I was thrilled but a little nervous at the same time. I have the habit of really wanting something but once I get it I wait and wait to open it. I thought about it, studied it, pondered it some more, and eventually was ready to try the machine last week.

I decided my first project would be a birthday present for my sister Kelly, who’s birthday is today. Not sure if subway art correlates with Kelly’s taste or not but I’m pretty sure I’ll never know since she lives 800 miles away.

I asked Kelly to email me her top places, foods, holidays she thinks about when she thinks of New Orleans. It’s our hometown so I knew she would have some special places she associates with it.

Here’s her list: Commander’s Palace, street car, beignets, Jazz Fest, City Park, Mardi Gras, & 5 Happiness. I took Kelly’s ideas and added to them.

I first started by painting an 11 x 14 canvas gray.

Next I chose some of the words I wanted to use. I typed them into the Silhouette program for sizing and then printed them out on vinyl. After a few more steps I carefully peeled away the paper and attached the vinyl words to the canvas. Here’s the I don’t think I’ll ever finish shot halfway point.

partially completed subway artThe work in the beginning was tedious but I eventually got the hang of it and moved at a quicker pace. Once I finished putting on all the words I modged podged it so it would have a protective covering.

Here’s the final product:

final subway art product

Kelly, this is going into the mail today for you. Hope you enjoy it. Happy Birthday!

I think this would be so much fun to do with other cities, places you’ve visited, holiday themes, etc. I would like to do one which lists every street my husband and I have ever lived on since we were kids.

If you could have a piece of subway art, what would be on yours?

Hip

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Anyone who knows me knows that I am totally hip and fashion forward.

I am on top of all the latest trends and can forecast the next big thing, like parachute pants and acid wash jeans.

No, I am not hip, fashion forward, or on top of any of the trends.

Some days I go to the mall in fear that Stacy and Clinton will jump out at me and stage a fashion intervention in the middle of The Gap.

Well folks…I’m hear to say I have made a step in the right direction.

It all started in Nordstrom’s when I started stalking the shoe department. I am not one of those people who receives a gift card and spends it immediately. I need to visit the item I’m considering on at least 5 separate occasions before I will commit to buying them.

It only took me a month and 3 visits this time.

I bought them last week.

shoeThey are very comfortable and…completely on trend. So says Elle Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Seventeen Magazine. I’m sure InStyle and the adult Vogue will be publishing about them any day now. But until then I’m holding onto Teen Vogue’s praise of my beloved.

I don’t think high heeled loving Stacy would be shouting, “Shut the front door!” when I walk out in my TOMS but I think it’s an improvement from flip flops (at least in the winter).

Of course the other reason I bought them is their policy of giving away one pair of shoes for every pair that’s purchased. Let’s face it. I’m a humanitarian changing the world.

Plus, I won’t lie. I feel a bit hip walking around in these shoes.

Safety is a Bummer

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As we were driving home from school the other day, Andrew suddenly announced,

“I like fire drills better than tornado drills.”

Why’s that?

“Fire drills, you get to go outside.”

What do you do for tornado drills?

“We all have to go into the bathroom and put our bums towards the door. It’s so boring.”

Safety in the eyes of a 5 year old.

Muffin Love

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Many of us at my house are snackers. We love to have a little something between meals. One of the most tasty snacks we enjoy are Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. Now notice I said tasty and not healthy. Just reading a list of the ingredients could give you a heart attack. They have the tiniest bit of pumpkin in them so they qualify as an okay snack in my book.

I first saw this recipe at Money Saving Mom. I made them last fall and the boys loved them. I tried to make them in the spring but couldn’t find pumpkin in a can anywhere. So this fall I got smart. I stockpiled probably 10 cans of pumpkin. Each time a new can came home my husband would look at the can and shake his head in disbelief. But believe you me, he enjoys these just as much as the boys. Plus, he’s the biggest snacker of all of us. I have trouble keeping snack foods around because of him.

Here’s the recipe (I’ll tell you how I have modified it a bit):

Made this recipe yesterday and it made 70 mini muffins

4 eggs

2 cups of sugar (yes, I said tasty, not healthy)

1 (16 ounce) can of pumpkin (I can only always find 15 oz.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4cups vegetable oil (original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups) – it’s a ton of oil, maybe could substitute some of it for applesauce

3 cups flour (I use half white, half whole wheat)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I put in a half bag of the mini chips)

1. In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and oil until smooth.

2. Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.

4. Bake at 400 degrees F for 16-20 minutes (9-11 minutes for the mini muffins)

I would love a new recipe for a different type of muffin. Let me know if you have a recipe and would like to share it.

And The Winner Is….

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The winner of my very first giveaway is….

The winner of the activity pages is…

The winner of the activity pages, coupons box, pencils, and erasers is….

The winner is …Becky@purposefulhomemaking

“I would LOVE to win this! Thanks! :)“

Congratulations Becky!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest.

More importantly, thank you for taking time out of your day to spend a little time with me. I appreciate every ones comments and support of Big D and Me.

James Joyce Knows Motherhood

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“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.”
— Agatha Christie

such a beautiful quote on motherhood

yesterday my day was more like this quote

“Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world, a mother’s love is not.”
— James Joyce

emphasis on the dunghill

I came back from work yesterday, said goodbye to the babysitter, and told my daughter I needed to “go potty.” Yes, I am a grown woman who says “go potty” probably 20 times a day – even in reference to myself.

Caroline took off like a rocket towards my bathroom. She grabbed the kid potty out from under the sink and set it on the floor. We are not potty training her. She just found the potty stored under there one day and takes it out every once in awhile.

She took off her pants and made it clear she wanted to take off her diaper. I helped her, humoring her since I needed to change her diaper anyway. She wanted to take her shirt off but I refused. Just for the record, no one else takes their shirt off here when going to the bathroom.

I realized I didn’t have a clean diaper so I walked around the corner to get one.

When I walked back in I found this…

Poop.At first my eyes to brain connection wasn’t working. I couldn’t figure out what the pile was on the ground. When I suddenly made the connection…

Oh Sh*t!

LITERALLY!

I calmly grabbed her, cleaned her up – this included taking off her shirt which was now dirty (I should have listened to her about taking off her shirt), her dirty socks (she had managed to run all around the room in the 5 seconds I was gone), and her body.

I cleaned up the mess and put her down for her nap.

All rather calmly if I do say so myself.

An hour later I found another pile of it in my the closet……on the carpet.

My Very First Giveaway!

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I thought the best way to celebrate my first guest posting was to have my first giveaway. When I told my husband he said, “Wait a minute…shouldn’t we think about this.” I told him to relax and not to worry. It’s not like I was planning on giving away our car or even his flannel pj’s…although on second thought. No, no I’ll stick with the plan.

What I am giving away is one completed coupon box of activity cards.

Activity Card Holder with pencils, eraser, and pencil sharpner.The winner will receive 48 activity cards, 3 pencils, 1 pencil sharpener, and 1 eraser.

In case you are not familiar with my activity coupon box, go here to read about my idea.

Here are the ways you can enter:

1 entry if you make a comment on this post

1 additional entry if you are a follower (leave a comment to let me know)

*You have until Sunday Jan 16 to enter*

Thanks and good luck to everyone!