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Martini Time
May 14, 2013
April 24, 2013
Mommy Needs A Drink!
Today, my little bitty Facebook page hit 300 likes! I've been running that page and this blog for about seven months soooo this was pretty awesome for me!
To celebrate, I want to share a drink I made up for the epic bachelorette party I attended a couple weeks ago. I called it something different then to fit the theme but it's the same drink. Enough technicalities. Are you ready for this?!
Cotton Candy Surprise
You will need:
Cotton Candy (yes, actual cotton candy)
Chilled Sweet Champagne (I used pink)
Chilled Cotton Candy Vodka
Directions:
Fill a small cocktail cup (as pictured) or a martini glass loosely with cotton candy
Slowly pour champagne over the cotton candy
Allow the fizz to settle
Watch as the cotton candy disappears!
SURPRISE!
Sip and enjoy!
For an added surprise, top it off with a shot of Cotton Candy Vodka and shoot the whole thing back.
Cheers!
April 16, 2013
You'll Always Be Our Baby..
In honor of our daughter's third birthday, my husband and I wrote a collaborative letter to our first born, where we say goodbye to the baby years but never to our baby.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The lessons we hope you one day learn are lessons that you once knew. Lessons that you once taught us. Just in case you forget these things somewhere down the road, we’re going to share what we've learned from you so far. But even though you're teaching us things, don’t forget that you'll always be our baby.
We’ve learned how to pray again. The day Mommy saw your eyes lock with hers for the first time, she felt God enter that tiny room in the hospital and wrap himself around you. We brought you to church at nine days old so that Daddy could join our congregation. That's how powerful your birth was in our hearts. We will never stop praying for you. Ever. And we hope, one day, the sweet little prayers you say every night at bedtime ring in your mind and remind you that God has always been by your side. And we hope you can laugh at the silly things you prayed about.
We’ve learned how to live again. You've taught us to live our days without a care in the world. Live every second with all the joy we can muster. Sing and dance any chance we get. Laugh when you fall down. Then get up and spin around some more.
We’ve learned how to love. Not just love because we should. You've taught us to love completely and openly and honestly. Love hard. Love soft. Love even when we want to scream. Love with every fiber of our being. Love like we've never loved before. Just love.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dearest Ryleigh Roo,
Today you're three! It’s hard to even wrap our heads around that. It seems like just yesterday, after years of trying to have a baby, we found out you were on the way. And just yesterday we found out you were going to be a girl. And just yesterday you were screaming your head off as a brand new baby. Well, that part did happen yesterday, but you weren't a new baby. Anyway, time has flown by and you have somehow grown up right before our eyes from an unhappy, colic-ridden little baby, to a stubborn and curious little toddler, and now you’re a beautiful, sassy little princess. You're a big girl now! Grown up or not, you'll always be our baby.
Although you've only physically been on this Earth for three years, you should know that you have been in our hearts for much, much longer than that. And in our hearts, you will always be. No matter how big you get, you'll always be our baby.
Today you're three! It’s hard to even wrap our heads around that. It seems like just yesterday, after years of trying to have a baby, we found out you were on the way. And just yesterday we found out you were going to be a girl. And just yesterday you were screaming your head off as a brand new baby. Well, that part did happen yesterday, but you weren't a new baby. Anyway, time has flown by and you have somehow grown up right before our eyes from an unhappy, colic-ridden little baby, to a stubborn and curious little toddler, and now you’re a beautiful, sassy little princess. You're a big girl now! Grown up or not, you'll always be our baby.
Although you've only physically been on this Earth for three years, you should know that you have been in our hearts for much, much longer than that. And in our hearts, you will always be. No matter how big you get, you'll always be our baby.
In your three short years with us,
you have taught us so much about life. Lessons that we hope one day you will
learn through your own children’s eyes. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
We need to focus on 3 before we start talking about 33! But when that day comes
and you begin to learn again, I hope you remember that you'll always be our
baby.
The lessons we hope you one day learn are lessons that you once knew. Lessons that you once taught us. Just in case you forget these things somewhere down the road, we’re going to share what we've learned from you so far. But even though you're teaching us things, don’t forget that you'll always be our baby.
We’ve learned how to laugh at
everything or nothing. Just laugh. Just because you can. Just because it feels
good.
We’ve learned how to cry at everything or nothing. But everybody needs a good cry now and then, so don’t be afraid to show emotion. And when you're done crying, dry your eyes and laugh.
We’ve learned how to play without rules and with a mess. You’ve taught us that you don't always have to do what Simon says. It’s great to be an individual. It’s even better just to be you. Be free and be fun. Without consequence and with a lot of laughing.
We’ve learned how to cry at everything or nothing. But everybody needs a good cry now and then, so don’t be afraid to show emotion. And when you're done crying, dry your eyes and laugh.
We’ve learned how to play without rules and with a mess. You’ve taught us that you don't always have to do what Simon says. It’s great to be an individual. It’s even better just to be you. Be free and be fun. Without consequence and with a lot of laughing.
We’ve learned that pain is
only temporary. You've taught us a whole new kind of hurt. Through the pangs of
pregnancy, labor and delivery, sleeplessness, seeing you sick, seeing you
scared, seeing you grow up - it hurt our hearts in a way we never thought
possible. But for every hurt we felt, you made us laugh. And all the pain just
disappeared.
We’ve learned that family is very
important to have around. You’ve taught us that it’s imperative to tell your
family how you feel, share things with them, cherish them and appreciate the
gift that family can be. That includes your baby sister. Always, always keep
her close by your
side.
We've learned to look at the world
through butterfly wings. You’ve taught us to not take things so seriously. When
horrible things happen to good people, offer a hug, a hand, a smile and a
prayer. There’s no room for regret. There’s no time for second guesses. The
world is your playground. So, take a look at it all through those butterfly
wings you wear on your back every day and you will see the beauty and color
that awaits you.
We’ve learned how to pray again. The day Mommy saw your eyes lock with hers for the first time, she felt God enter that tiny room in the hospital and wrap himself around you. We brought you to church at nine days old so that Daddy could join our congregation. That's how powerful your birth was in our hearts. We will never stop praying for you. Ever. And we hope, one day, the sweet little prayers you say every night at bedtime ring in your mind and remind you that God has always been by your side. And we hope you can laugh at the silly things you prayed about.
We’ve learned how to live again. You've taught us to live our days without a care in the world. Live every second with all the joy we can muster. Sing and dance any chance we get. Laugh when you fall down. Then get up and spin around some more.
We’ve learned how to love. Not just love because we should. You've taught us to love completely and openly and honestly. Love hard. Love soft. Love even when we want to scream. Love with every fiber of our being. Love like we've never loved before. Just love.
So, Ryleigh Roo, as you say goodbye
to your baby years and say hello to the big kid days ahead, our wish for you is
that you continue to grow. We want you to be happy and be healthy. We want you
to always remember that no matter how bad you think things are, no matter how
hard you think life is, no matter how much you want to quit - don't. You are
good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, strong enough and loved enough to do
whatever it is you want to do. And when all else fails, we will be here. You
will never be alone.
And never, EVER forget...
As long as the sun continues to shine and the moon continues to rise, you will always and forever be our baby.
As long as the sun continues to shine and the moon continues to rise, you will always and forever be our baby.
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
March 17, 2013
My Pinterest Power Trip
Unless this is your first time reading my blog, you already know that Pinterest and I are at odds after a certain toddler was terrified by one of my attempts at craftiness which was eventually picked up CraftFail because I'm JUST that awesome at crafts. I didn't think I'd ever have the cajones to try another thing from that wretched site of perfectness, but alas, I caved. This time it was a total WIN!
We had a sleepover with my tween niece and rowdy nephew last night, to which the toddler responded by becoming a rowdy tween (eye rolling and tongue snapping included). In an effort to appease all levels of interest, I scoured Pinterest for activities using just some things I had in the house. Behold...
Dry Sparkle Snow
Ok, I just made that up. But that's what we called it. I've seen it posted as Moon Sand, Cloud Sand, Play Sand, Homemade Sand, Magic Sand and I've also seen a few different recipes. Take your pick. But since it snowed here during the day but it was too dark to play outside and we added glitter to this, we called it Dry Sparkle Snow! Here's how to make it:
What You'll Need:
Large bin or bowl for mixing
8 cups of flour
1 cup of baby oil
Glitter
Spoons/shovels/tupperware for sculpting
In the large bin/bowl, mix 8 cups of flour and 1 cup of baby oil together with your hands. Continue to knead and mix for 3-5 minutes until all of the oil is distributed well. Once mixed, it will feel like dry, clumpy flour but it is totally moldable!
With a large enough bin, you can begin to play! Since I had three kiddos playing in a small area, I split the mixture into individual bowls.
This step is optional but honestly, who doesn't love glitter! Just choose a glitter color and add as much or as little as you'd like. We added ours after the mixture was seperated so everyone could pick their own color.
Now you're ready to play! My kiddos used small tupperware containers and plastic utensils for sculpting, but mostly they just giggled about the glitter on their hands and how messy it was. They also found it hilarious as I paced and started to sweat as the mess increased.
Speaking of mess induced panic attacks, it's REALLY messy. I kept them contained in my (tiny) kitchen and made them switch to PJs before leaving the room. I'm still reveling in the fact that this didn't turn into a massive Dry Sparkle Snowball fight! Small miracles, I guess.
This could be less of a mess for you if done outside. Somewhere you wouldn't worry about cleaning. Like in the middle of a field or something. My floors are definitely slippery and shiny thanks to the baby oil wash they got!
Without coloring being added to this, I didn't worry about stains on their skin or clothing and they had a ball, partially at my expense, but it did make for 34 minutes of happiness and getting along!
Cheers!!
We had a sleepover with my tween niece and rowdy nephew last night, to which the toddler responded by becoming a rowdy tween (eye rolling and tongue snapping included). In an effort to appease all levels of interest, I scoured Pinterest for activities using just some things I had in the house. Behold...
Dry Sparkle Snow
Ok, I just made that up. But that's what we called it. I've seen it posted as Moon Sand, Cloud Sand, Play Sand, Homemade Sand, Magic Sand and I've also seen a few different recipes. Take your pick. But since it snowed here during the day but it was too dark to play outside and we added glitter to this, we called it Dry Sparkle Snow! Here's how to make it:
What You'll Need:
Large bin or bowl for mixing
8 cups of flour
1 cup of baby oil
Glitter
Spoons/shovels/tupperware for sculpting
In the large bin/bowl, mix 8 cups of flour and 1 cup of baby oil together with your hands. Continue to knead and mix for 3-5 minutes until all of the oil is distributed well. Once mixed, it will feel like dry, clumpy flour but it is totally moldable!
With a large enough bin, you can begin to play! Since I had three kiddos playing in a small area, I split the mixture into individual bowls.
This step is optional but honestly, who doesn't love glitter! Just choose a glitter color and add as much or as little as you'd like. We added ours after the mixture was seperated so everyone could pick their own color.
Now you're ready to play! My kiddos used small tupperware containers and plastic utensils for sculpting, but mostly they just giggled about the glitter on their hands and how messy it was. They also found it hilarious as I paced and started to sweat as the mess increased.
Speaking of mess induced panic attacks, it's REALLY messy. I kept them contained in my (tiny) kitchen and made them switch to PJs before leaving the room. I'm still reveling in the fact that this didn't turn into a massive Dry Sparkle Snowball fight! Small miracles, I guess.
This could be less of a mess for you if done outside. Somewhere you wouldn't worry about cleaning. Like in the middle of a field or something. My floors are definitely slippery and shiny thanks to the baby oil wash they got!
Without coloring being added to this, I didn't worry about stains on their skin or clothing and they had a ball, partially at my expense, but it did make for 34 minutes of happiness and getting along!
Cheers!!
March 13, 2013
How To Be a Better Mom To Other Moms
There has been a terrible amount of Mom bashing going on lately. Worst of all, by other Moms! Whether it is virtually or in person, it all hurts just the same.
Silly, Judgy Judgersons.. you'll get nowhere with 'tude like that! Well, you'll get somewhere. It just won't be somewhere warm and cozy. Keep running your mouths and you could end upin traction ostracized from all the internets in all of the lands.
In case you don't know how toshut your ever loving mouths be a better person to other Moms, I've devised a list to help you. Take notes. There will be a test at the end.
1. Holding open a door goes a long way.
If you see a Mom with little ones and her hands are full and her hair is a mess and she just can't quite get the door without letting go of a child's hand or dropping something while you walk on by with your annoyingly well behaved school age child, take a freaking second out of your perfect existence and teach your kid something about compassion: HOLD. OPEN. THE. DOOR.
2. Don't give dirty looks.
You know that kid that screams through the entire grocery trip because they couldn't have the fruit roll-up? Me, too. You know that mom that gives that kid that fruit roll-up so she can hear herself think? Me, too. You know that cashier that sighs when that Mom hands her that opened box that was enough to quiet that kid? Me, too. Don't scowl at that Mom. Cock your head to the side with a sympathetic smile and move along. Nothing to see here.
3. Offer encouragement, not advice.
When you're walking alone in a parking lot and you see a Mom with her hand on her head trying to contain the tears and wishing booze was served in IV form while her child performs amazing feats of carseat avoidance, don't offer trite advice. Rub her shoulder. Give her a squeeze. Tell her it won't always be like this. Ask if there's anything you can do.
4. Don't be an internet troll.
Just because you don't like what another Mom said in a Facebook status or a Tweet or a Pin or a blog post, doesn't mean you have to go and get all judgery on her. I mean, really.. who died and gave you the last word on proper Mommying? NOBODY. That's who. Sometimes, Moms need an outlet. Social media is that place for many, many Moms. Some Moms vent by being inspirational. Some by being mushy gushy. Some by whining and complaining. Some by being snarky and funny and sarcastic. So, there is variety out there if you need to read other Mom's vent sessions. Just choose the genre that best fits your personality instead of being all holier-than-thou and showing you're ugly on the inside to a Mom with a different style.
5. Put yourself in her shoes.
Picture this: You see a momlugging holding an infant seat, a purse, two diaper bags and she is struggling to control the rowdy toddler that is becoming stronger by the second. Suddenly, the toddler breaks loose of her mother's death grip and takes off towards the road. Her mother drops everything (including the infant seat in the middle of a parking lot) to save her toddler from imminent death. The only thing she can reach is hair blowing in the wind. So she grabs it, essentially balding the toddler and throwing her to the ground. TWO FEET FROM A BUSY ROAD. After securing the toddler in her carseat through whines and cries that Mommy hurt her and before retrieving the infant seat, that mother pukes in the middle of that parking lot and feels like something inside of her just died. Don't gasp in disgust at her choices. Pick up the infant seat for her. Or the pile of bags. Or better yet, offer her a hug and a mint. Don't avert your eyes and scoff as if you didn't just witness a child almost die instead of only seeing her mother yank hair.
So, here's your test. Did you take notes? Are you ready for this? Here it comes.
Do these things. To strangers. At least once.
A Mom is a Mom. Whether in life or in death, by birth or by heart, working or stay-at-home, single or married, rich or poor. We're ALL Moms. So, hang up your judging robes and put on your mom jeans. Have some empathy and don't be so snobby.
Carry on.
Silly, Judgy Judgersons.. you'll get nowhere with 'tude like that! Well, you'll get somewhere. It just won't be somewhere warm and cozy. Keep running your mouths and you could end up
In case you don't know how to
1. Holding open a door goes a long way.
If you see a Mom with little ones and her hands are full and her hair is a mess and she just can't quite get the door without letting go of a child's hand or dropping something while you walk on by with your annoyingly well behaved school age child, take a freaking second out of your perfect existence and teach your kid something about compassion: HOLD. OPEN. THE. DOOR.
2. Don't give dirty looks.
You know that kid that screams through the entire grocery trip because they couldn't have the fruit roll-up? Me, too. You know that mom that gives that kid that fruit roll-up so she can hear herself think? Me, too. You know that cashier that sighs when that Mom hands her that opened box that was enough to quiet that kid? Me, too. Don't scowl at that Mom. Cock your head to the side with a sympathetic smile and move along. Nothing to see here.
3. Offer encouragement, not advice.
When you're walking alone in a parking lot and you see a Mom with her hand on her head trying to contain the tears and wishing booze was served in IV form while her child performs amazing feats of carseat avoidance, don't offer trite advice. Rub her shoulder. Give her a squeeze. Tell her it won't always be like this. Ask if there's anything you can do.
4. Don't be an internet troll.
Just because you don't like what another Mom said in a Facebook status or a Tweet or a Pin or a blog post, doesn't mean you have to go and get all judgery on her. I mean, really.. who died and gave you the last word on proper Mommying? NOBODY. That's who. Sometimes, Moms need an outlet. Social media is that place for many, many Moms. Some Moms vent by being inspirational. Some by being mushy gushy. Some by whining and complaining. Some by being snarky and funny and sarcastic. So, there is variety out there if you need to read other Mom's vent sessions. Just choose the genre that best fits your personality instead of being all holier-than-thou and showing you're ugly on the inside to a Mom with a different style.
5. Put yourself in her shoes.
Picture this: You see a mom
So, here's your test. Did you take notes? Are you ready for this? Here it comes.
Do these things. To strangers. At least once.
A Mom is a Mom. Whether in life or in death, by birth or by heart, working or stay-at-home, single or married, rich or poor. We're ALL Moms. So, hang up your judging robes and put on your mom jeans. Have some empathy and don't be so snobby.
Carry on.
February 21, 2013
Fairies in a Jar...?
Ahhh, crap. Pinterest got me again. First, I swear it off. Then I morphed into a snowbound crafthound. And now this blasted craft attempt gone bad. In fact, a total Craft Fail, is what it is. And one that may or may not require therapy for a certain toddler.
Your daughter will love this, they said
.
It's so easy, they said.
B to the S.
This lovely picture is what I set out to accomplish:
So, I gathered the supplies...
I got my little one all psyched up with fairies in tow...
And I got to work...
Your daughter will love this, they said
.
It's so easy, they said.
B to the S.
This lovely picture is what I set out to accomplish:
 |
Pretty, right? Yea, in Photoshop Land! Psht.
So, I gathered the supplies...
I got my little one all psyched up with fairies in tow...
And I got to work...
 |
| Activate the glow sticks and cut them open |
 |
| Pour into a jar over a strainer |
 |
| Add glitter, seal tight and shake |
And this is what I ended up with.
 |
| Not terrible.. but certainly not floating fairies. |
Oh, but wait! It gets WORSE. You see, I read somewhere that adding a bit of peroxide to the jar will help prolong the glow. So, I did. And we shook. A lot. And what we got is what, I'm sure, will forever traumatize my toddler.
For the next two hours, with tears in her eyes and disdain in her voice, until she hoarded her little fairy clan off to bed, The Toddler made sure I knew that I killed Tinkerbell
Noooooo!!! MOOOOMMMMM!!!! Why you do DAT?!! Where's my Tink?!
Is that BLOOD?!!! Are my fairy friends bleeding? Mama, whyyyyyy?
Mommy. Not a good choice. That was not nice. Go think about it.
Mama.. can Daddy gimme a tubby tonight and not you??
Ok, Mommy.. gimme kisses.. but not my friends. You no touch them no more.
So, like I said.. Therapy grade CRAFT FAIL..
Speaking of Craft Fail, Robyn over at Hollow Tree Ventures wrote about my miserable attempt at this putrid Pinterest pin! You can check it out here:
February 3, 2013
Baby, it's cold outside! So we're staying in..
After the deep freeze in our area and feeling my fingers tingle with near frostbite every morning, I concluded that I am now the Scrooge of all things involving outside during winter. I so declare! So I started looking online for things to keep The Toddler occupado whilst avoiding cabin fever.
I can't believe I'm about to say this, given my public resentment of it, but desperate times call for desperate measures! So, alas, I resorted to Pinterest (follow this link to follow me). And, ya know, it was actually pretty.. informative! As long as you don't allow yourself to become, well, obsessed, then it can be fun!
I took ideas from a couple of different pins to make a combo craft for Valentine's Day. I made Glitter Snow Paint (with my own shortcut) to use on a Heart Handprint.
Here's how it happened:
Glitter Snow Paint on a Heart Handprint
What You'll Need:
Glitter Glue
Foam Shaving Cream
1 Mixing Bowl per glitter color (disposable saves you time)
Painting Implements (we used a 1in brush and a textured sponge cut in pieces)
Matte Finish Posterboard (foam cutouts work best but the poster did ok, too)
How To Do It:
Combine equal parts of shaving cream and glitter glue in the mixing bowls until the glitter is well blended
Fold the posterboard in half and trace your child's hand with their thumb and forefinger on the fold and cut it out.
When you open it, it looks like they're holding a heart!
When it dries, it will be glittery and puffy like snow!
At the request of The Toddler wanting to play with the pretty snow, we made handprints, too. Just slop on some snow paint onto a hand, foot, whatever, and slap it down on the posterboard. If they smush or smear, you may have to fill in the holes for the best results.
I can't believe I'm about to say this, given my public resentment of it, but desperate times call for desperate measures! So, alas, I resorted to Pinterest (follow this link to follow me). And, ya know, it was actually pretty.. informative! As long as you don't allow yourself to become, well, obsessed, then it can be fun!
I took ideas from a couple of different pins to make a combo craft for Valentine's Day. I made Glitter Snow Paint (with my own shortcut) to use on a Heart Handprint.
Here's how it happened:
Glitter Snow Paint on a Heart Handprint
What You'll Need:
Glitter Glue
Foam Shaving Cream
1 Mixing Bowl per glitter color (disposable saves you time)
Painting Implements (we used a 1in brush and a textured sponge cut in pieces)
Matte Finish Posterboard (foam cutouts work best but the poster did ok, too)
How To Do It:
Combine equal parts of shaving cream and glitter glue in the mixing bowls until the glitter is well blended
Fold the posterboard in half and trace your child's hand with their thumb and forefinger on the fold and cut it out.
When you open it, it looks like they're holding a heart!
Now let your little Picasso get to work
When it dries, it will be glittery and puffy like snow!
At the request of The Toddler wanting to play with the pretty snow, we made handprints, too. Just slop on some snow paint onto a hand, foot, whatever, and slap it down on the posterboard. If they smush or smear, you may have to fill in the holes for the best results.
VOILA! Instant grandparent gifts and at least 45 minutes of less whining about the snow outside. CHEERS!
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