Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
a blog you should know about
this is such a great idea! these people write the name of any deceased child in the sand and snap a beautiful photo of it... and they do this for free. i imagine this is very healing for families. bravo!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
look who's feeling better!!
it's been so long since i've seen these smiles!! finally after more than a week of crazy bad illness we're feeling good. this was the longest and hardest stomach virus i'd ever been thru and i'm so glad it's OVER!!! i think this calls for cupcakes (the ones we were suppose to make on Valentine's day but couldn't because we were sick)...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
this week is kicking my butt
Mayden started Saturday w/ this super bug (flu/stomach virus/cold???) that she must have picked up from school (another great reason to unschool...check) and it's been non-stop ever since. first Mayden, then Cameron, next Chris and finally me. the adults seem to be over it but the kids are still struggling thru. here's to tomorrow being a healthier day!
poor little guy passed out on the floor at 3:30am monday morning... after 4 and 1/2 hours of throwing up every 20 minutes.......blah
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
book #3 of 2009
i hate to brag but i read this next book in less than 24 hours! okay, it is a relatively short book, but still a whole book in one day is a record for me!!
i'd first heard about Randy on Dateline over a year ago and then watched his last lecture on youtube later that week. i was left with a really good impression of him and made a mental note to read his book someday. that thought went in and out of my mind until last week when my mom said she had read The Last Lecture on her recent vacation. so i borrowed it!
this book is AWESOME! i'm telling you it's worth your time, especially if you need a little inspiration. i believe there is nobody better to tell you what's really important in life than a dieing man. he's so candid and to the point, i loved it!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Book #2 of 2009
this was not an easy book for me to read. the content was great but the style was hard to get into. long sentences, big words, paragraphs i needed to read a few times to understand. coming off reading two fiction type books this jump back into the world of non-fiction was challenging. i did end up getting into the flow of it after the first mega chapter (the book is split into three sections with lots of mini sub chapters throughout.) if you can get to the third section things get really exciting with sub chapters like: "Avoid food products that make health claims" and "pay more eat less" it got me really excited for this upcoming farmers market season. this book was very perfectly timed as i'm getting set to plan this years garden!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
flashbacks: moving sucks!
May 27, 2005
Moving (especially from one state to another) really really sucks! Too many things to change over and get turned on and off. Does this mean we'll be stuck in Jersey forever? It's quite possible that it's worth it just to not have to change things over again. DMV here we come...ugh!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
flashbacks: poor chris
May 7, 2005
So today Chris started his new job at Ranch Hope. They told him yesterday around 4pm that he'd be working today from 8AM to 11PM...on his first F-ing day they have him working a 15 hour shift!?!?! It's possible i'm overly emotional at this point in my life, but this seems a little irrational of a thing to ask of someone. And they also told him yesterday that they made a mistake and he'll be having Thursdays and Fridays off not Fridays and Saturdays like they originally said. On top of that I won't be able to talk to him at all today because our damn cell phones don't work out there so now i'm left worrying all day about how his day is going...i don't need this!!! Cingular here we come! We get the keys to the apt Monday...yippe :o/
UPDATE:
Chris just called (Thank God!) from the rec center. He said things aren't complete shit so that makes me feel better. He also said he could write an entire paper on his experience so far and it's only been 1/2 of his day. He played ping pong, pool and went fishing (caught two fish and a snake!) The guy he worked with this morning was cool, but he meets his direct supervisor tonight so hopefully he won't be too bad. I can't wait to hear about it all tonight!!!
So today Chris started his new job at Ranch Hope. They told him yesterday around 4pm that he'd be working today from 8AM to 11PM...on his first F-ing day they have him working a 15 hour shift!?!?! It's possible i'm overly emotional at this point in my life, but this seems a little irrational of a thing to ask of someone. And they also told him yesterday that they made a mistake and he'll be having Thursdays and Fridays off not Fridays and Saturdays like they originally said. On top of that I won't be able to talk to him at all today because our damn cell phones don't work out there so now i'm left worrying all day about how his day is going...i don't need this!!! Cingular here we come! We get the keys to the apt Monday...yippe :o/
UPDATE:
Chris just called (Thank God!) from the rec center. He said things aren't complete shit so that makes me feel better. He also said he could write an entire paper on his experience so far and it's only been 1/2 of his day. He played ping pong, pool and went fishing (caught two fish and a snake!) The guy he worked with this morning was cool, but he meets his direct supervisor tonight so hopefully he won't be too bad. I can't wait to hear about it all tonight!!!
etsy find
i have yet to buy anything from this store but they've been on my 'favorites' list for little while now. she primarily sells patterns to make delicious looking pretend kitchen food for children. this one to the right is the first one i want to buy and see if i have a magic touch to make my kids some goodies for her kitchen.
they are currently giving away a free pattern to anyone who posts about them on a blog soooo here i am trying to get my free pattern! but seriously you should check Little Crickets because their stuff is SO cute and SO cheap! just remember you're buying a pattern not the food :o)
CPSIA-- small victory
i'm not sure if you've been following the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) but i am going to guess that you haven't. i have, mostly because of my new etsy addiction hobby. this could effect my new found love of buying & selling children's goods on Etsy.com
the CPSIA is confusing, wordy & a big giant blanket that requires ALL products marketed toward children be tested for lead. while i do think that the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) has good intentions it could also cause most independent toy makers to close shop. this is probably not what we need during a recession like this. lead testing costs upward of $400 per test and the way the act is worded you would need to test each individual material you use to construct your item. for example. i make little mohawk hats so i would need to test the printed fabric i use and the solid part i use for the fringes... if i use the same pattern fabric from two different rolls i'd need to test those separately. people would need to test each spool of thread they use & each skein of yarn used. its just unrealistic for handmade items.
so the update on all of this is that there is a one year stay of this act minus a few details. basically we still have to make sure our products are lead free we just don't need to prove it until next year. this does probably make sense for things that typically hold lead like paint & metal but who ever heard of lead in fabric?? really, i have no sympathy for companies like Mattel & Playskool but the little guys will suffer the most w/ a bill like this in effect.
i'm so excited that i've made 4 sales so far and am relieved to have another year to play around with this venture! if it does pass next year i will either be out of business OR finding something crafty to sell to adults (but that's no fun!)
NPR recently did a little story on this issue
the CPSIA is confusing, wordy & a big giant blanket that requires ALL products marketed toward children be tested for lead. while i do think that the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) has good intentions it could also cause most independent toy makers to close shop. this is probably not what we need during a recession like this. lead testing costs upward of $400 per test and the way the act is worded you would need to test each individual material you use to construct your item. for example. i make little mohawk hats so i would need to test the printed fabric i use and the solid part i use for the fringes... if i use the same pattern fabric from two different rolls i'd need to test those separately. people would need to test each spool of thread they use & each skein of yarn used. its just unrealistic for handmade items.
so the update on all of this is that there is a one year stay of this act minus a few details. basically we still have to make sure our products are lead free we just don't need to prove it until next year. this does probably make sense for things that typically hold lead like paint & metal but who ever heard of lead in fabric?? really, i have no sympathy for companies like Mattel & Playskool but the little guys will suffer the most w/ a bill like this in effect.
i'm so excited that i've made 4 sales so far and am relieved to have another year to play around with this venture! if it does pass next year i will either be out of business OR finding something crafty to sell to adults (but that's no fun!)
NPR recently did a little story on this issue
Monday, February 2, 2009
Mayden says
i don't know if this will be funny to read but it was super funny to hear!
getting ready to put Mayden in the bath (Camo is already in) i pour bubble bath into the tub...
Mayden: i don't want bubbles in the bath
me: but their fun!
Mayden: no, they go in my butt
me: oh Mayden, just get in... i already poured them in, it's not a big deal
Mayden: it IS a big deal!
getting ready to put Mayden in the bath (Camo is already in) i pour bubble bath into the tub...
Mayden: i don't want bubbles in the bath
me: but their fun!
Mayden: no, they go in my butt
me: oh Mayden, just get in... i already poured them in, it's not a big deal
Mayden: it IS a big deal!
Christmas gifts
while it may seem like i'm really late in posting about something that happened over a month ago i do know someone who was celebrating their family Christmas this past weekend so i'm not THAT far behind.
this year (last year?) i made fleece blankets for all the kids in our life. Adults who don't own a home also got one of these. in all i made 19 blankets either 1.5 or 2 years each. good thing i started in August! these were so fun to make and even more fun to creatively personalize them (trucks for Cole, skulls for Zach etc.) each blanket took about an hour and a half to make which i usually did while vegging in front of the TV. i felt so productive!
pile of blankets
Danica's blanket
and of course they were each tested by our resident snuggler (he LOVED all the blankets)
for each family that we exchange gifts with i made them each a house number in the color that matched their house. these went thru a few different phases but the pictures show is the finished product. i wasn't as happy with these as i'd hoped i would be so i gave the "you really don't have to hang this up if you don't want to ... everyone has different tastes SHPEAL" i also handed out a rice pilaf mix i made up with the gifts. yumm!
this year (last year?) i made fleece blankets for all the kids in our life. Adults who don't own a home also got one of these. in all i made 19 blankets either 1.5 or 2 years each. good thing i started in August! these were so fun to make and even more fun to creatively personalize them (trucks for Cole, skulls for Zach etc.) each blanket took about an hour and a half to make which i usually did while vegging in front of the TV. i felt so productive!
pile of blankets
Danica's blanket
and of course they were each tested by our resident snuggler (he LOVED all the blankets)
for each family that we exchange gifts with i made them each a house number in the color that matched their house. these went thru a few different phases but the pictures show is the finished product. i wasn't as happy with these as i'd hoped i would be so i gave the "you really don't have to hang this up if you don't want to ... everyone has different tastes SHPEAL" i also handed out a rice pilaf mix i made up with the gifts. yumm!
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