Toothless Wonder

Friday was a big day for K-Girl.

Not an hour after being at school on Friday, I got a call from the school nurse that K-Girl came down to her office complaining that her neck hurt. When she took her temperature it was 100.5 and I needed to go pick her up. I went and picked her up and brought her home. She laid on the couch and her temp went up to 102.5. I gave her some Tylenol and the fever never came back. It was the weirdest thing. But because she wasn't feeling so well I told her that she should go take a nap after lunch when E-Man was napping. She decided that she wasn't taking a nap, but would go for quiet time instead. After being upstairs a while, over the monitor comes shrieking "Momma!!! Momma!!!!!!" so I ran upstairs to find out what was wrong. When I got there her hand was over her mouth and she was in hysterics that her tooth was falling out. I looked at it to see a very bloody mouth. I asked how it happened. She explained that her craft bin wouldn't open so she decided to try to open it with her mouth.

Her tooth had been wiggly for over a month, but nothing was happening with it. It probably would have stayed in there for a while yet, but with the assistance it was coming out then. The back had completely come loose but it was still quite secure in the front. I brought her downstairs and asked her to try to pull it out. Between sobs that she couldn't and it hurt I gave it a try. That was worse. My fingers are too big to get a good hold on the tiny tooth and she quickly told me to stop. I suddenly had an idea - Anbesol! So I went and found some and let her apply a little to the gums around that tooth. Once it started numbing a bit she gave it another try and got the tooth out. By the end of the ordeal, K-Girl was about hyperventilating. It was quite the traumatic experience. After the tooth was out and her breathing returned to normal, she decided that maybe a nap was a good idea after all and asked me to come and nap with her. I wasn't going to pass that opportunity up.

Hopefully the rest of the teeth won't be quite this much of a production. The first should always be memorable though, right?!

After a bit, the excitement started to set in though and she got keyed up about the Tooth Fairy getting to visit her. She was very excited to get to use her tooth fairy friend that I had made for her. (You can get your own tooth fairy friend from my Etsy store, Whimsical Stitches.) She hung it on her door before bed so that the "Tooth Fairy wouldn't bother her". We asked her what she thought the Tooth Fairy might leave in exchange for the tooth. She said "a golden dollar".

When she woke in the morning she was excited to find a "buck" tucked in the pocket replacing her tooth that she had placed in it the night before. I'm glad she wasn't too set on the whole golden dollar thing. Paper was quite alright with her.

I still can't believe that my daughter is big enough to be losing teeth. When did she get so big?!

Looking for some artists

I'm looking for anyone artistic up for a project. I have ideas for my next tattoo in mind, but I'm afraid I lack the skills anymore to put it to paper. I've got another 4 months till I can get it, but still. I'll be doing it for my birthday which is in May.

So if you look over these ideas and feel like sketching something up for me, I'd love to see it. I'm going to work on it a bit, but it's been years since I tried to draw and I've found that the talent somewhat fades when it's not in practice.

Ok so I'll describe the idea first and then I'll supply you with some images that caught my eye.

Placement is on my lower leg - probably centered on my calf, but possibly on the side. But I'm pretty set on the leg.

What I want is a weeping willow tree. I want the willow to have the root system showing. I'd like a girl to be hugging around the tree so that her face is showing, a little of her body, but mostly that you can see her arms hugging around the trunk. I think it'd be neat if the trees branches were sort of "hugging" her back, but not sure how that would actually look. I'd like the whole thing to look more illustrated than realistic. I love colors, but I'm thinking with this one I'd like to stay in earth tones and just maybe a little pop of color.

So that being said here are a few images that caught my eyes. I will try to link them to where I found them as to give credit. Some I've had for a long time saved to my computer and might not know anymore.

(Here's the link)

I love the root system on this image. I love that it goes into the shape of the Earth.

(Sorry no idea where this one ever came from.)

I just REALLY like this tree even though it's not the right style.

(Here's the link)

Again just really like this tree even though it's not the correct style.

(Here's a link to this print on Etsy. Love all the prints from this seller. Very cute!)

I love how the leaves are done in this print.

(Here's the link)

Like the tree and how the leaves are similar to the above print. I would want the tree trunk longer, but the roots are showing so it's a little closer to what I'm looking for.

(Here's the link)

I like how she is positioned in this image. You can see her face and her arms hugging.

(Here's the link)

I love the style of this girl. I love the heart is carved in the tree. I like how her eyes are closed and she appears happy. I might prefer this position of the girl, but not sure.

(Here's the link)

Another tree that I really like, but it may be due to the colors.

And this last image I have is just awesome. It doesn't really fit what I'm looking for but it's so great that I have to share it.

(Here's the link)

Thanks in advance to anyone that decides to sketch something up for me.

365 - Week Four

DAY 22

Nearing the end of the night. No picture taken so far and then the rainbow of drying plates caught my eye.

DAY 23

I received an e-mail that I had $5.00 in Borders Bucks that I needed to use before the end of the month. It just so happened that we finished K-Girl's current Junie B book the night before so we decided to head into Borders to grab a new one. Well you probably know how this ends. K-Girl left with two Junie B books, E-Man with a Diego book and The Three Little Pigs, and The Husband and I found a vegetarian cookbook. Ended up costing more than we thought but the $26.00 cookbook turned out to being $13 after my coupon and if you figure the bucks on that item. And it's an ENTIRE cookbook that I can select items from, not just a small section of a cookbook. That's exciting!

DAY 24

BUBBLES! I had a full dishwasher and a few items that had to be hand-washed. I really dislike hand-washing. REALLY.

DAY 25

On Monday morning I was woken up by the power fading in and then coming back on about 3 or 4 times until it finally went out. This was about 6:30am. Shortly after it going out, E-Man starts SCREAMING! He notices it because he sleeps with a white noise machine. It wasn't until 2 something in the afternoon that we had power again.

Breakfast consisted of dry cereal as the milk was bad and I had planned on pancakes or waffles. It was a baseball hat kind of day since I had no hair dryer. It was a no TV kind of day which I enjoyed, but E-Man started suffering withdrawal. ;) We went to Arby's for lunch as I had no idea what to do about lunch - I should mention I went for groceries Monday evening so I had NOTHING prior to that. Naptime lasted a whole 40 minutes with wakings twice as he couldn't sleep without the white noise machine running.

When the power came back on there was much rejoicing.

The cause of the power outage was that there was extreme wind Sunday night. It caused quite a bit of damage and knocked a LOT of people out of power and phone service. The picture is of (I think) a phone line that was hanging down on our way to get lunch. You can see by the pole a line hanging down and then to the right is a tree snapped off and the rest of the tree is resting directly on the remaining lines. It's taken through my windshield at a stop sign in the rain which explains some of the quality issues.

DAY 26

They're my crack.

Alternate Description:
"It's like you're my own personal brand of heroin."

Seriously I have very little self control when it comes to these. I don't dare buy them more than one at a time because if I buy more I will eat them...all...one after another...and want more. Ok I've got to stop.

DAY 27

BATH NIGHT! K-Girl's pruney toes after she was done playing and it was time to get clean.

DAY 28

Today four of us from my playgroup went to Port Discovery Children's Museum in Baltimore. What a cool place! Other than it costing an arm and a leg for our day, it was awesome. There was everything from...

a grocery store area where you could make smart choices and check out your groceries
a VW Beetle that you could get in, fill with gas, and add air to the tires
a water room that you could play in tables, make a giant bubble around yourself, and spray musical instruments to make sounds
an art room that you could make crafts and play with moon sand
a huge chess board with pieces as big as E-Man

and just so much more. The museum is done in three levels and in the middle there is this huge climbing structure that you can go into and follow to any of the levels. E-Man REALLY wanted to climb although I was a little apprehensive to let him do it (lots of rope nets to climb). We did it together to get from level 1 to 2 and it was a lot of fun...other than the exit where E-Man barely had enough room to stand up. But we did make it. Definitely a place that I would like to go back and take K-Girl when she's out of school as she would get totally different things out of it than what E-Man could take from his experience. Very cool place.


Hosted by Chris


Hosted by Cecily

Finished "Chiwala"

Surprisingly, finishing up the Chihuahua last night didn't take all that long. I was able to have him done around 11:00 so that I could give him to K-Girl this morning. I thought that as compared to the pattern picture (check it out in the previous post) that he looked kind of goofy. But the facebook consensus says he's cute, and most importantly K-Girl LOVES her "chiwala". Try as she might she cannot pronounce chihuahua. Instead it comes out chiwala. It cracks me up and I even caught myself call it a chiwala this morning.

Here's it is all finished -

He's even bumped the duck from K-Girl's backpack. She always takes along a tiny stuffy for their rest time and for the past month or so it's been this duck that rides around with just his head sticking out of the backpack pocket. This morning duck sat on the table and Chiwala was placed in the pocket.

A little of this and that

It's been a while since I've just rambled and tonight feels like a good night for rambling.

I did something that has been bugging me for a few months. That always feels good. I am amazed by how many hits my post that I wrote about 9 months ago about making my own podaegi (baby carrier) gets. The thing I haven't felt right is that the picture I posted with that post has me wearing the podaegi in such a way that it squishes the girls a bit (look at the picture if you don't understand). I've been bothered by this because it's not the way I wore (wear?) him in it anymore really. I started like that because it's how I found out to do it, but you can wear it backpack style like a mei tai. So this morning I got out the pod and asked E-Man to humor me while I got some new pictures. Now that the pictures are posted and representing two ways to use it, I feel much better about all the hits that page is getting. You really have no idea. *L*

In fitness news, you may have seen that I started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred again. I've completed 16 days of it, so I have 14 yet to go. I'm feeling good about it. I feel that I have to finish although my legs are in some amount of pain. It is so much easier than it was when I started. Easy isn't exactly the right word choice there, but you get it. It is still a HARD workout and I don't think by day 30 I will be saying otherwise. But I can do it. I'm seeing improvement. And I'm hanging in there. From Day 1 to Day 15 here are my changes -
weight: -3.6 lbs
hips: -3/4"
waist: -1 1/4"
bust: -1"
thigh: -1"
upper arm: -1/2"
Those are huge numbers to me for 15 days without doing much more than watching slightly what I'm putting in my mouth. I'm not doing great with that, but I'm trying to be aware. The Husband and I are talking about doing Weight Watchers Points again together as we have both been hugely successful with that. I don't have a lot of weight to drop and mostly want to just get healthier and drop a few, but doing points is rather easy and it really keeps you accountable to what you're eating and helping you make better healthier choices when you do reach for something. So here's to the second half of my shred!

I'm making my daughter an amigurumi style "chiwala" (chihuahua). She saw the pattern on New Year's Eve when I was looking through Etsy amigurumi. I've finally caught up again on stuff for other people so I'm quick going to squeeze it in for her. I'm a little worried of the outcome, but hopefully it will work out. This is what I'm striving for -

I'll have to share when I'm finished. Although I've already been told that I have to make his little puppy friend when I'm done. She's relentless! ;)

I've got another week until I start getting the feedback from the diapers I've made. I'm so anxious to start getting it! I've gotten the questions back from one person so far and she seemed quite pleased with the diaper so that makes me even more anxious for more feedback. I'm very excited for this possibility to bring something a little different, that I just love to the market. And I swear as soon as I get feedback and know where I'm going next I will share more than this vague stuff.

Ok I guess I'll wrap it up here. I don't want to get too lengthy. Tomorrow morning E-Man goes down to his Nan & Pap's which gives me 4 hours alone time. I have a To Do list that is half a mile long and by the end of the night will probably be approaching the mile marker. I don't need to complete it all, but I can't wait to start crossing things off my list. It feels so great to have a few hours to REALLY get things accomplished. AND I'll be able to get my workout done as soon as I get back home which means it will be out of the way for the day! That's possibly the best part! Ok I'm going, really.

Tofu Tuesday #38

Brought to you by...
Kaci@Ellyphant & Kelli@Gohn Crazy

Tofu Tuesday is the place to share all of your vegetarian secrets. If you have a great recipe to share, a product to rave or rant about, or anything that has made being a vegetarian easier for you please share it. (And vegans of course are welcome too!!) Feel free to grab the little button over there to the right. After you post come back here and link up with your address in the comments. I'm looking forward to reading all your posts!

Easy Falafel
recipe found HERE

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
* 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon coriander
* 3/4 teaspoon cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons flour
* oil for frying (canola or vegetable)

Preparation:

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour and combine well.

Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.

Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.

Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (2-5 minutes).

Serve falafel by itself, or with hot pita bread with veggies, hummus, or tahini sauce.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So this was my first ever experience with falafel. It's mostly because it's not a "normal" American food and I have little experience when we go outside that realm of food. But I've been trying to become more adventurous with my eating and with baby steps I'm getting there.

My thought is this -

Falafel is GOOD!

Oh it was yummy! I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. Now I didn't actually make this as my friend and I got together for dinner with the kids while our husbands were away and she made it, but I ate it so it counts. ;) I do want to make this again.

She made a sauce to go on it. I'm not sure if it is one of the ones listed as being good with it. I just know it had Greek yogurt, cucumber, and garlic and whatnot in it. I liked it a lot actually and I am REALLY not a condiment person. Actually I'm a ketchup and that's basically all kind of person. Yeah. The only thing that turned me off of it were the chunks in it, but I was told to finely shred the cucumber and this should fix that texture thing. Most of the things I don't like are due completely to texture rather than taste. So it's nice to find little ways around them. And I was also told that I could pick up some Tzatziki sauce at the grocery store (which I located tonight) and use that.

365 - Week Three

DAY 15

Some of you may know that K-Girl got a guitar for Christmas from Santa. She wanted one sooooo badly. She knows how much I like Ani (DiFranco) so she tells me that she's going to be like Ani. That'a girl. :) After a while performing, she was resting on the chair, half watching TV half playing the guitar (more like a string base the way she was playing it). I hope her love for music never stops.

DAY 16

What I look like most of the time I'm at the salon. Gorgeous. ;)

DAY 17

The rain came again. This time it melted what we had left of the snow. It thawed out the ground and left our back yard resembling more of a swamp than a yard.

DAY 18

E-Man is such a boy. He is obsessed with video games. He's 2 1/2! Every morning the first thing out of his mouth is "monkey ball? Mario Cart Wii?" I'm in trouble with this one. But the kid is quite good. He's won a few races against his sister and I think that's a huge accomplishment. Sometimes he gets going the wrong way and refuses help to turn him back around because he's "going fast, Momma!" I think a little bit is good for him though. It definitely works on the eye/hand coordination. Has anyone played this game? It's called Monkey Ball. We have it for the Game Cube. You're a little monkey inside this ball and you have to roll around to either race or get into the holes at the end of your course if you are single player. Very cute game.

DAY 19

E-Man and I went to Romp & Roll at the roller skating rink again this week. We hadn't been there for a while as it's only from 12 - 2 which is right smack dab on nap time. As E-Man cried the whole way there "bed! bed! I tired, Momma! I nap now!" I wondered if this was a crazy move. But in the end I think he would tell you the same thing, that this was SO MUCH fun.

DAY 20

A quiet evening after kids are in bed and chores are finished. The little dog and I relax on the couch together. She's a blanket hog though - HAS to be underneath. Typically if you see anything sticking out it's just her little feet. Aww puppy toes!

DAY 21

I tackled the laundry yesterday and today. The sorters were overflowing at the beginning of the week. Today I have just one more section to do which amounts to two more loads. But the mountain that was in the basement has recreated itself in nice organized mini mountains on my kitchen table. I'm running out of surface area. I'm still trying to figure out how to get it to put itself away.


Hosted by Chris


Hosted by Cecily

Show and Ask

Show and tell is fun, right? So I'm going to play a new game called show and ask. ;) I wanted to share some things I've been working on, but I've got a question(s) for you if you wouldn't mind...

A couple months ago I decided to make the blanket that I had been thinking about for quite some time. (I've been in this groove with bringing ideas to life lately.) We all know bulky coats aren't safe for kids in car seats, but I never feel right freezing my kids by taking off their coats in cold weather. My first idea was a blanket that went underneath the straps so that their blanket wasn't constantly falling to the floor and requiring my adjusting. This is the blanket I made to fit that idea...

Which you can purchase custom made for you by visiting my Etsy, Whimsical Stitches, here.

And then a friend and I were talking and she said about making one for older kids that they could fold down in their laps if they wanted or up to cover their chests. So then I made this car seat blanket...

and E-Man's too...

I'm in love with these blankets. The first style I think is great for little ones that wouldn't really be able to put the blanket up and down successfully, but really I love these.

I made them with a nice thick and bulky yarn that is 20% wool and 80% acrylic so it still can be machine washed which, with kids, is a huge perk in and of itself. But this leads me to a question for all of you. I love having a little sounding board here for some feedback. ;)

I'd love to sell these in the same amazing yarn that I made these. Sure I could use lighter weight yarn which would make this "problem" a non-issue, but did I mention I love them? haha The yarn is what totally does it for me. It's just so warm, squishy, and soft!

Typical yarn to make a "baby" blanket is about $3 (give or take a dollar) a skein. This stuff is $7.00 a skein. With it being larger (since there's no tapering and it's longer) it ends up taking 6 skeins of this yarn as opposed to somewhere between 3 and 4. So at just cost these blankets cost $42.00. I'm wondering if I'd be able to sell them at all seeing as though I need to put some cost of labor in there.

So my dear dear blogging buddies, thoughts? Would you sell both types of car seat blankets? Would you make the type of yarn an option - like you could have the blanket that goes under the straps for X amount more if you want to use this other yarn, and likewise you could have the older child style available for X amount less if you would prefer the cheaper/lighter weight yarn? Would you even bother offering the bulky/rather expensive yarn?

Thanks so much for any and all feedback. I truly appreciate it.

Tofu Tuesday #37

Brought to you by...
Kaci@Ellyphant & Kelli@Gohn Crazy

Tofu Tuesday is the place to share all of your vegetarian secrets. If you have a great recipe to share, a product to rave or rant about, or anything that has made being a vegetarian easier for you please share it. (And vegans of course are welcome too!!) Feel free to grab the little button over there to the right. After you post come back here and link up with your address in the comments. I'm looking forward to reading all your posts!

Macaroni-Bean Skillet
Recipe from our Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices cookbook

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup salsa
2/3 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (2 oz)
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 can (15 or 16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 oz) reduced-sodium tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

Heat all ingredients except cheese to boiling in 10-inch nonstick skillet; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until macaroni is just tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

This is a super yummy, very easy dinner. It's very kid-friendly too!

Enjoy!