pimp your website.

Hey! You there! Could you leave a comment with your website? I'd love to know if you have stuff for me to read too!

I don't want to grow up but my house does.

I became a homeowner 3 years ago in April and it's been an awful yet exciting and rewarding journey. One of the things I have on my plate for 2011 is to create a more family friendly, but still adult friendly space. I'd like to use what I already have as well as add in a few new pieces to have a more defined style while still utilizing my free, thrifted and mush-mashed pieces in the space.

I came across this little list: 10 Tips: A Grown-Up Home (For Less!) from Apartment Therapy. Check it out.

Any advice for a way to use grown up furniture in my playrooms? I'd love to hear it.

a few links.

I wanted to share a few of my favorite links with you. I've read french toast girl for many years. élena is a good writer and very talented artist. I hope you'll check her out. Also, a new find is twwly.com: glorious and free. I'm new to her blog but I find it pretty interesting so far. And one more today is the whole self: she's a crafty mama. my favorite.

that's all for now. I hope you'll say hi if you've found my little blog. PS - I'd like to get involved in some mom weblog rings. Do those still exist? link/banner exchanges?

owl napkin rings!

Last year while setting up for our first Thanksgiving (as a couple and a new family, etc.) with Adam, I decided I would have an owl theme for the table, but I was home from the store already and didn't want to spend anymore money and wanted something COOL to go with the owl balloon I snagged on the way out of Stop & Shop. There I was on Thanksgiving morning with all of the other nuts buying marshmallows and running with cans of Bruce's yams and frantically bagging up their items. I love it. the mayhem!


Anyway, I came up with an idea for owl napkin rings. I made them with Kaya and it took us about 35 minutes from start to finish. I had cut out some of the owl pieces while she was off playing. I find it best to begin crafts with 4 year olds with all pieces laid out and ready to go! A bonus is when you can use household items like we did.



cutting things out.



getting the paint ready.


prepping parts for kaya to do.

all done:






table set with owl balloon and napkin rings:


bonus, food!


I think they're cute. I rushed a little bit as I was cooking and I was 8.5 months pregnant at the time but I'm sure you could modify this a little bit and make them perfect :) We enjoyed them though and I kept them in the holiday drawer in case we decide to use them again this year :)

sounds gross either way if you ask me.

So, The makers of high fructose corn syrup want to sweeten up its image with a new name... corn sugar. What a crock. I realize that renaming products to gain appeal or lessen negative opinions has worked in the past (like acid rapeseed oil was changed to canola oil for example in 1988) but I think that this is going to make a lot of people go out and begin eating and drinking things they've been rightly scared of in the past. And, I'm worried they're going to share them with the kids. I heard on the news that they have to wait up to 2 years to get this new name approved but that they are not holding back at all on the new ad campaign which I've already seen on TV. So, you can see for yourself at cornsugar.com what this is all about.

Here is what I know. I know that high fructose corn syrup fools your body into thinking it’s hungry and I also know that it messes with insulin resistance which BOTH SCARE ME A LOT.

I know that Snapple, Hunt'z (ketchup), Gatorade and several other companies would not have switched over to SUGAR from HFCS if it wasn't scary stuff. Sugar cost more for them to use after all.

I think it's still something we need to stay away from and keep our kids away from. Also, don't get me wrong. We need to be eating/drinking LESS SUGAR IN GENERAL, not just less HFCS. What do you think?

I'm bringing sexy back.

Well, it's that time guys. Back to school. Would you believe that Kaya is now in kindergarten? My tiny little baby who I GREW UP WITH. yes. (it's true. we grew up together!) is now in grade k. full day.

I noticed something strange on the blacktop during dismissal.

Seriously, I am the only mom out there with cleavage. What is it with turning 30 that makes people cover up their boobs? Or 40? I just don't get it. And, maybe I won't until (unless?) one of the kids asks me to cover up. Until then, SORRY! large boobs. cute shirt. I'm going to pick the cute shirt over the one that covers all of my skin :) Deal with it, or don't look. It's just something I noticed. Maybe I noticed b/c I tried jogging in a 'built in bra' tank yesterday. HA! They were smacking me in the face almost and I swore never to try it again, BUTTTT I made it to her school with the jogging stroller in about 4.5 minutes. FOUR POINT FICE BIT**ES!!! Which beats my time with the old stroller by like 3.5 minutes you see. This is awesome why? Because I weigh about 40 lbs less now and I kick ass and can actually JOG for that long now. I could not before. I couldn't do a lot of things that I can do now and just think what I'll be able to do if I reach my goal weight and lose another 50. I may be able to RUN or something. Or like NOT DIE from working out. hee!

OH! working out makes me think of food. So.....Giada at home. MMM. That seems to be on on most days when Andrew asks for a nap and it seems to be around the time when I am planning out my dinner menu sooo....I've just got to try this one it sounded so delicious and with that combination it's got to be mouth watering! It's Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hen and mmmm. zesting 2 oranges and a lemon and adding fresh thyme and mint to just about ANYTHING sounds mouth watering eh? Oh, and question? Is trussing poultry necessary for any reason or is it just for looks? Thanks.

Pretty flipping excited over a bunch of cloth.

I am having another baby. The baby boy is due in December. Adam and I are very excited and are planning to cloth diaper. I've begun collecting things already. Can you suggest your favorite products for a newbie to this? Also, have anything for sale? Let me know.