The Definition of Insanity February 28, 2013

Anyone who knows me knows that I spend 1/2 my life pulling my hair out because my son pushes me to the brink of insanity. The child climbs everything (Last night he climbed my chair in the living room and jumped THROUGH the table next to it and did it all before I knew he wasn’t on the floor anymore!) and is in every room, in everything he is not supposed to be, all at the same time. There are days I feel like I should just lay down and die before he can kill me because I am sure that death is imminent and I WILL have control of the last seconds of my life since I can clearly not control anything else. You know that scene in “Mr. Mom” where Michael Keaton’s washing machine goes crazy, his son sets off the smoke detector while making lunch, the baby is zooming around in the walker & eating canned chili and the vacuum cleaner takes on a life of it’s own? I HAVE LIVED THAT!! I know first hand just how badly MK wants to cry, scream and crap his pants while running down the street, never looking back. I am not saying this is an everyday thing, but…

Having said that, I have to ask just what the hell is wrong with me! I decided that I would take on a second little boy, 40 hours a week. This kiddo is the same age as my son and behaves just like him! Somehow, I have deluded myself into believing that this is a good thing for my kid; that somehow it is going to calm him down and distract him from his usual insanity. In the back of my head, however, there is a tiny voice that I am trying my best to ignore and it’s telling me “WOMAN!!! YOU ARE FLIPPIN INSANE!!! RUN!! RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!” but here I sit.

I cannot lie. I am semi-excited. WHY!? I have no freakin’ clue! I just am. I remember how much my son loved having the little one I used to take care of  to play with. He was able to tell you that it was time for  the little one to arrive…and he was right. He LOVED having a pal to chum around with…someone to boss around….someone to hug and do things with…someone who thought that poop and boogies were as cool as he did. I am excited to give that to him again…even though it will push me past the brink of insanity and I am sure that somewhere, a little southern paper’s headline will read “Crazy lady, found naked, rolling in a mud puddle while reciting the ABC’s in her best Elmo voice”.

~C

This is just plain helpful! February 25, 2013

I am an avid reader of the blog at http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com. I LOVE her suggestions and how to’s.

These are two of my favorites:

How To Clean Your Washing Machine

Top Loader

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/how-to-clean-your-top-loader-washing.html

 

Front Loader:

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/how-to-fix-smelly-washing-machine.html

 

How To Clean Your Dryer:

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/give-your-clothes-dryer-tune-up.html

 

These are the best things I have done in my house….period! I was given a hand-me, hand-me, hand-me down washer and dryer. They work fine but needed some SERIOUS love and affection. I knew that Jill would have the answer so I looked and low and behold, I got the answer I was looking for. They take some time, but they are SO worth it. These few steps restored my machines to an almost new condition. I am a believer! If you try them, let me know what you think!

 

~C

 

 

Why should kids have all the crafting fun??

I hate my kitchen window…my kitchen in general…but definitely the window.

It has white blinds and looks out onto a farm supply company and a light pole. WHOOPIE! It is so blah and OF COURSE that is where my sink is, so I look at blah all day….until this weekend came! No, I didn’t move but I got crafty…literally. (Shocking, I know)

I had some frosted glass ornaments and acrylic paints left from this past Christmas and the gift that my son made for everyone. They were just sitting in my closet taking up space so I decided to do something with them. I took to etsy.com and found some ornaments that I could easily make and this is what I came up with….

They are SO fun to make and look at…and easy as can be.

Here’s the lowdown

1. Gather clear/frosted glass/plastic ornaments with the removable tops and acrylic paints .

2. Remove the top and add small amounts of pain to the inside of the ball

You can either put the paints in the ball in separate areas, like I did here, or you can pile in all in on top of one another. If you choose to do the second option, I would use smaller amounts of paint and do the layers in three or four spots around the inside of the ball. It will make it easier later on.

3. Place your finger over the hole and shake.

Word to the wise…Don’t space out and forget that you are holding something in your hand and drop it….not that I would know by experience or anything. Also, have an old rag to wipe your finger on. It will get paint on it.

You may need to add a little extra paint as you go along, but that’s ok. Less is more in this situation.

4. When you are done shaking, you should end up with something that looks like this:

5. Put the balls back into the box they came in, leaving them uncovered, and place it somewhere safe that it will not be disturbed for the next 24(ish) hours so that the paint can dry.

6. Once they are dry (or at least dry enough that the paint isn’t running everywhere) place the top of the ball back inside. Be careful…

7. You can stop here if you like.

They are pretty and will serve their purpose. Personally, I like to fancy them up a bit, taking them from this:

To this:

The bows are SUPER easy to make… Here’s a photo I got from wantu.taobao.com

Once you are done with the bows, simply hot glue them to the top of the ball, close to the loop that you use to hang the ball.

That’s it! SO easy, right??

Here are a few of the ones I created this weekend:

I have three of them hanging in my kitchen window at various lengths. I LOVE them. They add a pop of color in a plain white room overlooking a rather blah scene. Because of the shape and colors they do not make it look like I forgot to take down my Christmas decorations, which adds to my love of them as well. I will get a picture of the window up, just as soon as night comes and the colors will actually show up.

 

~C

Heidi February 22, 2013

DWF seeks NSM (Normal, sane male; see also: non-smoking male, unless by “smoking” mean “smoking hot”…in which case –Yes, Please!) for hanging out and/or shenanigans of the non-ending-up-in-jail variety. Steady job and full set of teeth a plus.

Okay, okay. So this isn’t a dating website. It’s a blog for the fabulously fun. And then there will be me…

A few things you should know about the World of Heidi before I start contributing:

I like books. A lot. My ever-expanding book collection makes me happier than it should. If the library or B&N had a cot and a private shower, I would move in tomorrow. I also love cupcakes and other baked goods (but mostly cupcakes). When I grow up, I want to own a bakery. (When I was little, I wanted to be Chip or Dale at Disney. This dream has yet to die.) Sparkles and polka dots make me giddy. Naps are God’s way of telling me He loves me. I wish I was British. Somehow I’ve turned into one of those people…you know, the type that likes to go to the gym. I use hash tags inappropriately. I know my way around a crochet hook, glue gun, and sewing machine. Dance parties happen on a daily basis. One day I will get a dog and name him Howie.

Love me or hate me, looks like you’re now stuck with me.

#hatersgonnahate

This just cracks me up…

 

Yes, I have a simple sense of humor…

~C

Looking for Something to Do With Those Empty Toilet Paper Rolls?

For some reason, I felt like I should keep my empty t.p. rolls….and now I have an overabundance of them. (It would have behooved me to have a purpose for them when I started saving them because I have enough of them to arm the entire neighborhood with today’s craft project. *sigh*)

 

Anyway….

 

I recalled that somewhere along the line, either as a big sister, a baby sitter, a classroom aid in a daycare or in my Childhood Development classes, we made binoculars out of T.P. rolls.  This was perfect timing because B is a huge fan of playing “explorer” right now so we took to the task of making him a set. It was so easy…and took no time.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 empty tp rolls

glue gun

markers/crayons/paint/stickers (whatever you want to use to decorate them)

ribbon/string/yarn (something to make a strap with)

 

Start by plugging in your glue gun so it is ready to use when you need it

Set up your little one with the rolls and the chosen decorating tools and let them go to town. (While they are doing this, the adult can cut the ribbon they will need to use as a strap)

 

 

After you have accomplished the task of decorating your one of a kind binoculars, it’s time for an adult to glue them together. Just run a line of hot glue along the side of one of the tubes and press the two tubes together.

Now, add a dot of glue on the inside of the tube, but on the outside curve, on both tubes and attach your ribbon.

When you are done, you should have something that looks a little like this:

 

That’s it!

Now, if you are into something a little more structured and decorative, you can find instructions on how to make camo binoculars here: http://www.freekidscrafts.com/binoculars-e1148.html

I am sure that if you search Pinterest, there are lots of patterns and ideas, but I prefer to let B make his own design.

Ok…go enjoy yourselves and let us see some of those lovely creations!

~C

How To Start A (Fake, but Fun) Book Club

1. Find a Book

Recently a book came out. I do not readily admit I read this book (or it may be books…) but it was pretty popular among the females. I had no interest in the book but a friend convinced me to read it. She said we should read it (or all three of them) and discuss them.

2. Find More Unsuspecting Fools

Two more friends wanted to read the book(s) too and also meet to talk about it. They may have joined on their free will. Or they may have been pretty much forced.

3. Read the Book

Duh. Seems like a given, but sometimes that concept is harder than you think. In this age of distraction it is sometimes hard to carve out time to sit and read. I myself do not like to do any activity that I cannot also do while playing Words With Friends on my phone.

Sidenote: I used to play Words With Friends when I was at the gym on the Elliptical.

4. Book Club Time!!

Unless you are a legit, albeit boring, book club you will spend about roughly 5% of the time discussing the book, 45% of the time telling everyone why their opinions are wrong, and the rest of the time distracted by the other people in the restaurant, checking out waiters, and talking about life.

5. Pick Another Book

And remember to keep it light. Boring books make boring book clubs.

Ebun

There have been many phrases used to describe me. Awesome. Baby whisperer. Amazing. Favorite child. Gift from God. Literally the last one is the Nigerian  meaning of my name. Suffice to say my parents knew how awesome I would be before I was born. I even came on Christmas Eve. A Christmas miracle if you will…

Moving on…

I am 27 years old. I am a writer. Unpaid but hopefully changing that status soon enough. Possibly? I am also a nanny to two awesomely engergetic toddlers. On top of that I babysit A LOT. Being untethered I have an abundance of free time. I read pretty much anything I can get my hands on and I would read a lot more but Facebook/Pinterest/Online Shopping/TV repeatedly call my name.

I can’t promise anything on here on what my posts will be about. I can promise you this, they will be worth your time and will be pretty much the most amazing and inspiring piece of writing you have even seen in your life.

 

(I am totally taking over your post and adding this picture…. xoxo ~C)

A Hug From 1500 Miles Away February 21, 2013

The boy’s Gimah lives 1500 miles away (give or take 500. I haven’t calculated it exactly…but rest assured she lives far away.) and therefore we are always looking for new things that he can make to send to her. I recently stumbled across “Send a Hug” on Pinterest. The ladies at http://www.supermommoments.com came up with this one and we did our own interpretation of it. We think it’s a hit!  (Not to mention SUPER easy to do!)

This would be perfect to do as a yearly gift for a grandparent. It would double nicely as a growth chart that they can hang on to!

Send A Hug

Simply trace your child’s hands. Let them color them in. Measure their “wing span” and then cut a piece of ribbon or string in that length. We adhered the string with a little hot glue, one end of the string on each hand, so that it looks like your little one is coming to give the recipient(s) a hug.

We attached a personalized note on the string with a piece of clear tape.

It was so simple to make and ended up bringing tears to Gimah’s eyes when she opened her care package.

 

~C

Pantry Staples February 20, 2013

There are a few things that I think anyone who is going to give this whole “homemade cleaning” thing a go, should have in their pantry. Some of the ingredients also double as ingredients for kid projects. (Kid projects are tomorrows topic)

Baking Soda (the biggest you can find. In my opinion it’s not worth buying the little boxes. You will go through them entirely too fast)

White Vinegar (I buy by the gallon…sometimes 2 depending on what I need to do with it)

Dr Bronner’s Castile Soap (I prefer Dr Bronner’s. You can get it in a wide variety of scents…Lavender being my favorite)

Tea Tree Oil (also known as Melaleuca oil. I prefer JASON brand the best, but that’s just personal choice)

Washing Soda

Borax

Fels Naptha Bar Soap

Spray Bottles (plastic, not metallic. I like to raid the Walmart garden dept and get the ones they have for about $1.00 and they come in fun colors)

Stock Pot

Wooden Spoon (s)

Grater/Food Processor

Hand Blender

All of these things will come in so very handy…trust me. Check your local thrift store for the stock pot other kitchen related goodies. No sense going out to buy new ones when we are just going to use them for cleaning products.

I think that’s a pretty comprehensive list. If you have other suggestions, or questions, feel free to contribute/ask.

Til the Next Time!
~C