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.

You won't like me when I'm angry

Kaya like TONS of what some would call "girl" things, but she LOVES a lot of what may be "boy" things too. I love it all even when I trip and fall over giant green hulk fists screaming "YOU WON'T LIKE ME WHEN I'M ANGRY"

She is so active. I mean, I know what 3 year old isn't crazy active in the summer, right? But she is just so amazing. Yesterday she helped me crush MANURE with out bare hands to mix with vermiculite and peat moss and all of our compost since March. We mixed it all and put it into our hand built garden boxes. Then today (both still exhausted) we went to two parks, One, part of the Rahway River where we fed a gazillion geese and all of their fuzzy off-yellow offspring. Next, to a giant pond and huge park with paddle boats and a mega-playground.

There was a group from a preschool there (ages 2-4, I asked) ...about 30 kids who were on a bussed in field trip for a picnic and she played and conversed with them like a pro. I talked with this father that was a chaperone for awhile about it and if I just lived 2 miles more to the East she would be in FREE PRESCHOOL...(In Elizabeth, NJ) oh well. I will continue searching for a program that fits us. Free is certainly not my top decision point. heh.

Anyway, I ramble. She is just so cool and I needed to gush about my awesome 3 year old for a bit. (maybe next post should be about her "bad side")? ha ha.

goodnight dear friends.

-Beth

I'm so terrified of this hike.

Please watch this and squirm with me.

Then and Now.

Waaay back in 2006, September to be exact, Kaya was 15 months old. I took her to the Turtleback zoo with my good friend Jimmy, his wonderful daughter Amethyst and my sister, Amy. We took several shots next to the turtle and koi pond outside of the reptile house. I recently dug these up and wanted to share with you how much she has changed from Sept. 2006 until now, May 2008. She seemed to be posing in a similar way, and still next to water. So, then and now:

and now, 2008....

I'm going to be posting the letters I've written to her over the years on here as well as many more pictures. Say hi if you've found this page.