Hoot Owls

So, Kyla wanted "Hoot Owls" for her birthday party theme. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of hoot owl party supplies out there, ya know? So, I resorted to making my own version of a hoot owl party favor.

I created this project from scratch... start to finish and I think it turned out pretty cute! If you are interested in the how-to's, send me an email or you can download the instructions and body shapes by clicking these links.

Here's Kyla's invitation. Honestly, I did not come up with this idea on my own. I found a similar invite and used it as my "inspiration". Oh, alright... I pretty much copied it, okay? (I'm not selling it as my own design, so really... cut me some slack for my lack of creativity!)



And finally, my sweet friend Rachel, over at "Baby Cakes by Rachel" is making Kyla's birthday cake. I'm so excited 'bout that!

So, there ya have it. Hoot Owls.

Blog Brain Dump - abbreviated version

Blog Brain Dump - abbreviated version:

I am loving this cooler weather... very nice.

I see my temper in Elisan. Not a pretty sight to have that thrown back'atcha.

Lovin' the girls' soccer this year, but with my competitive nature...it's hard for me to watch. I need to stay home and get the recap from Randy after the games because apparently, I can't handle it.

Am I too young to be in perimenopause? I know... too much information.

I've got the "let's get a dog" thing in my head again. What is wrong with me?

I've got Kyla's birthday on my brain these days. We're going with a hoot-0wl theme. More to come on that later.

Got me a new fancy crock pot over the weekend. It was 1/2 off at Target. Regularly $50.00.

I love Target for their sales. You don't see Walmart having sales, now do ya? No, they are the "Everyday Low Prices" people. Yeah right.

Speaking of Target, I bought the girls' backpacks at Target and they were 75% off in the back to school clearance stuff. I paid$10.00 for a $40 Swiss Army backpack for Kyla and $7.00 for a Jansport backpack for Elisan. Well, you know how Target donates their clearance stuff to Goodwill? I saw several of those same clearanced backpacks at Goodwill priced at $15.00. Um...? Really Goodwill? If Target can't sell them for $10 or less, you think you'll get $15 for it?

Ever had a pinched nerve in your neck? Man, they hurt. You wake up in the morning and it feels like a 'crick' in your neck, but gets progressively worse as the day wears on. And... it lasts for days. Days, people. I'm about ready for this to go away for good.

JC Penney has $10 off $10 purchase promotion going on right now.. Online code is GO4TEN. I got this same coupon in the mail to be used in the stores.

Found acopy cat recipe for PF Chang's lettuce wraps. I'm going to make these tonight and tell the girls they are Chinese tacos.

That's all for now.

Just so you know... Part Deux

I posted this "Just so you know" back in September 2008. Nearly 2 years to the date.

Just so you know... if you drop your iPod Touch in a cup of hot chocolate (with marshmallows) and remove it immediately, wipe it clean and let it "air out" overnight? It will work just fine in the morning.

Ahem... just so you know.

Between Us Girls

About a week ago, Elisan and I began reading "Between Us Girls: Fun Talk about Faith, Friends, and Family" by Vicki Courtney (for ages 8ish-12). We'll pile up in her bed and read a couple of articles or take a fun quiz. We have open and honest discussions about the things in life that she is concerned about, in a fun, engaging way. It's been such a wonderful bonding time for us... AND, she's excited about it.

The book is in a magazine style format, but it's not a magazine. It's more like a book. But, the magazine style is very appealing to Elisan. It makes her feel grown up.

If you are looking for a neat resource to share with your daughter, I would strongly encourage this book.

Making my own laundry detergent? Who am I?

Okay, I'll admit it... I'm not much of an "earthy" type person and to be honest, I've never had any desire to jump on the home-made cleanser bandwagon. I mean, we're thrifty, but not THAT thrifty. But, here's the deal... I've noticed that my family has become "itchy" lately and I decided to make a few changes in detergents and body washes.

So, after consulting with a couple of friends - both online and IRL, I decided to give it a go and make my own laundry detergent. I wanted something that was natural, unscented and/or hypoallergenic and actually worked, without costing an arm and a leg.

I have to say, after two weeks of using the home-made version of laundry detergent, I am very pleased with the results. And, to top it off, we are less itchy! Yay!

Recipes for home-made natural laundry detergents are all over the internet, but because I love to show off... I thought I'd add mine to the wealth of recipes out there. Plus, who doesn't love a good photo collage, right?

Here's how I make it:

• 1 cup of Borax (found in the laundry detergent aisle)
• 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (found in the laundry detergent aisle)
• 2 bars of Castile soap (olive oil soap) or Ivory soap (finely grated)

Pour contents into blender and blend until mixture is fine powder consistency.
Use 2 tablespoons per laundry load.


The neat thing about this recipe is that you can play around with the soap scent. My first batch, I used lavender scented Castile soap and it gave the laundry a light scent. But, Castile soap is fairly expensive - about $4 a bar. I decided to switch to Ivory soap and I've been pleased with the results.

Oh, and talk about thrifty! The box of borax, washing soda and 2 bars of soap cost less than $8.00. I'm not sure how much powder I'll ultimately make from these boxes, but it's GOT to be cheaper than buying commercial laundry detergent.

By the way, my friend Rachel said she couldn't wait to read my blog entry about making my own laundry soap and I told her I doubt I'd write about it, but here I am... doing just that! So, Rachel, this post is dedicated to you!

Hold yer horses... or cow

Around 9p.m. last night, in the midst of Torrential Rain 2010, our neighbor knocked on our door informing us that a cow was in their backyard.

For those of you that don't know, our backyard backs up to a cow pasture. It's very nice and relaxing to sit out on the patio and look upon the quiet cows. It's one of the reasons we bought this house.

But, last night, this one particular cow was not happy to cross over into suburbia. She mooo'd and mooo'd ALL. NIGHT. LONG. And not just your typical moo'ing. It was a painful, scared moo. Of course, this morning the girls have chattered non-stop about the moo'ing and that "poor cow-y".

Ugh, I'm just hoping the neighboring farmer comes over to 'round up Bessie before she disrupts another night of sleep.

Poor cow-y.

Save the drama for your mama

Ever had one of those weeks where one day everything is right in your world and then in one moment (or email) everything you know to be right in the world is tossed up like a salad?

I don't know about you, but I'd just as soon forgo that kind of drama, thank you very much.

However, last week, Randy was 'unofficially' offered a job, that according to him, was the greatest opportunity of his life. This job was not something he was looking for. Rather, it quite simply 'fell into his lap."

The truth of the matter is, as much as I wanted to say yes to this job and subsequent life-altering opportunity, I could not. And in effect, it hurt him. And, it hurt us.

We took a hit this week, but we're stronger for it now. It made me stop and fully appreciate what a marriage is and what it isn't. What we learned is:

1. Marriage is a compromise.
2. If you know in your heart the right decision, then don't sabotage the decision-maker.
3. Being emotional doesn't give you a "free pass" to say things you don't mean.
4. Make your decision with all of the facts at hand.
5. Don't go back on promises.
   
6. God is ultimately in control and it is so important to seek Him in your decision-making process.
   

We both made mistakes this week, but hopefully the next time we are faced with a difficult decision, we'll be able to handle the situation better.

As for now, the decision was to decline the offer and continue on the path we are currently on. I can't say I'm not relieved... however, I know my husband is mourning the loss of the opportunity. I pray that we made the right decision and that God has something bigger and better in store for us down the road.