Spring Break 2012 (I get to do it twice!)

The girls have really kept me busy, but I've still got a day and a half to try to keep THEM busy. Here's just a sampling of what went down yesterday. (Via Instagram)

There was a trip to the beach in the morning

Tree climbing in the afternoon

Playing with thrifted toys in the evening

In addition, we did some shopping, baked cookies, made dinner, cleaned up, played video games, picked blackberries, and even squeezed in some crafting. I'm hoping I have more ideas for today! Eek!!

Oh, have you seen the awesome giveaway Lori is having over at Pretty Things? You really oughta go see how you can enter to win these!

Also, I re-listed this fun bracelet the other day.

Mechanical Breeze Bracelet

I've got the girls currently engaged in a little Lego Harry Potter on the Wii so I've got some time to rest while we wait for the day to warm up. If you've got any activity ideas, I'm all ears!

The Kid Club, I Know it Exists (ThTh)

There IS a club. I KNEW it.

I've seen two mentions of individuals welcoming new mothers to 'The Club.' [Please note that your facebook and twitter comments do not pass unnoticed.] I have something to say about this club. Here goes.

The majority of my friends have kids and (it's weird but) as soon as they have those little rascals, I see them less and less. I knew there had to be a reason: they're at their club meetings most of the time. That's IT isn't it? THAT's the reason I don't get invited to parties, THAT's the reason I never see them on Saturdays, or late nights, or hardly ever. It's not ME at all. Apparently, if you are a card-carrying member of the mommy club, parent club, able to reproduce club (or whatever it's called) your interactions with those NOT in the club is restricted. Damn clubs! Now I understand why LOML never was a 'joiner'

I am, however, doing what I can to join. Yet, I'm afraid that by the time I get accepted into the club, all our friends will be tenuring out with the development of teenagers. (I think they'll actually have to join the I'm-going-so-crazy-I-can't-see straight-Club) I'll still be left out!! I make feeble attempt to join with use of my nieces, but they're just loaners and I only get them on a limited time basis. Blah.

You can all stop pretending now. The secret is out. There is a club, I get it. You parents who've been brainwashed into joining can come out from hiding and call your barren, childless friends to come over. We really aren't afraid of your ankle-biters. We really just want to see you. Our weekends are fairly lonely without you (and your kids.)

**Disclaimer: I am not pointing this at ANY of my friends in particular. I am only letting all of you know that those of us without children miss you and feel a little lost without you. Just because you have kids does not mean that we want to see you any less. In fact, it just makes us feel like less of a person to not be included. The torture of NOT having kids is enough, why tease us with not having friends either?**

Okay? Rant over!!

Moving on to less controversial topics, how about some "Thrifty Thursday"?

• Make your brown bag lunch more interesting.
  
• We all use it, but it's so harsh and chemically that we don't really want it in our houses around our pets (oh yeah- or kids.) Now you can have handmade draino without harsh chemicals.
  
• How to shop at thrift stores. If you're an old hand at it like me, you'll still see a few little tricks and tips. Let me know if you have any suggestions of your own on your method for thrift store shopping. Really! Leave me a comment with your thrift store techniques and tips. Mine- when looking at a long clothes aisle and in a hurry, scan the make of the fabrics only. If you know good quality fabric, you can more likely find good quality pieces of clothing.
  
• I'm not sure if this constitutes thrifty or not, but the main ingredient is ramen noodles, so there has to be SOME sort of thrift to these ramen noodle recipes.

So that's it. I'm gonna sit back and enjoy my quiet, childless house and try not to torture myself by wondering when and if that will ever change. Because, I know the nieces are spending the night Friday, and it won't be quiet for long!!

My Week Thus Far (and WWWW)

I don't really have much to say today. It's been a slow couple of days.

Monday night was spent with my nieces - homework, dinner, some crafting, and baths. I had promised that after homework, we could do a craft. Fortunately, I still had some items in my car from helping them make cards last week. Included in that stuff was a few sheets of Ruff-n-Ready Shrinky Dinks and my big box of colored pencils. Unfortunately, I didn't have a hole puncher. So, the didn't get to make pendants. Instead, I cut one sheet into four pieces and let them draw and color whatever they wanted before we shrunk them. I told them that I would bring some magnets over the next time I came and they could turn their creations into refrigerator magnets. I still have one more sheet of it in my car and will try to go ahead and put a hole puncher and some ribbon in there so they can make pendants next time too.

Last night, the LOML* and I ate dinner and watched a little tv before he had to get back to work. He's trying to finish this project so he can move on to another. He's really ready to be done with this one and is pushing to get it completed. It stresses him out so, and I can't stand to see him like that. He's usually sooooooooo laid back. I'm the one who supposed to worry and stress. He's supposed to be the calm one. While he worked, I went in the craft room for a bit and worked on my shrink plastic pendants. Of course, I had been doodling on some blank pieces while dinner cooked as well. I think my current crafty obsession is shrink plastic again. In fact, I have some with me at work.

Tonight, I'm meeting a good friend and some of her co-workers for dinner and then going to see "The House Bunny." I know it's supposed to be kinda silly, but I think I need that. I'm looking forward to it.

I guess I had more to say than I thought. Y'all said you wanted to hear more about my everyday life in the poll from last month. Are you still sure it's that interesting??

I better get on to the fun stuff since it is "Wild, Wild Web Wednesday"

• Lindsey Lohan's Gay and getting married to her girlfriend? I don't really follow the celebrity gossip, but I tend to have somewhat of a clue. This TOTALLY surprised me.
  
• Try this tv theme song quiz. I thought it would be a breeze for me and it was harder than I thought.
  
• I guess I never really thought about the similarities between Harry Potter and Star Wars. But, it totally makes sense.
  
• How long could you survive chained to a bunk bed with a velocoraptor? Take the quiz to find out. Me? 47 seconds.
• I've posted a link to some bad domain names before, but here's whole new list of them.

Hopefully, I've healed the numbness you experienced in reading about the first half of my week with these links. Happy Hump Day!

Kids Say the Darndest (WWWW)

Just as I expected, the nieces were a riot last night. Here's just a sampling:

• "Smitherman" said by a 5-year-old sounds a lot like the way the people at the Japanese restaurant spell it on our take-out - Medeman. (say it aloud, you'll see what I mean.)
• Neither of the two of them could tell me their teachers' names. However, one was able to tell me EXACTLY the candy she got as a treat from the teacher after class, and the other could only remember that the teacher said "1-2-3 Look at me" to get their attention.
• Lastly, while watching the Olympics they told me that they got to see some of the Olympics at after-school care. One said they saw 'water basketball' while the other reported it was 'water soccer'. I repeatedly said, "You mean water polo?" But, nope I'm apparently "Crazy Aunt Hope," because there is absolutely no such thing as Water Polo!!

For "Wild, Wild Web Wednesday" I've got a few things to share:

• Are you neurotic or have any neurotic tendencies? This site will let you share and compare those. I, personally, have waaaaaytoo many to list. We're not going there.
  
• The idea of literary tattoos is compelling. I've always contemplated a tattoo and these (from books) really appeal to me. I love the written word. Of course, picking just one quote, just one book, just one author would be so VERY hard for me. Yet, definitely something to consider.
• 30 coolest and creepeiest trees on earth.
  
• Font Conference (a meeting of the fonts). I LOVE fonts and this just makes me happy Yet, all of them did not live up to the look of their font - more to the name of them. It 's still a neat little video.
  
• The greatest game shows ( You need to know that I LOVE games shows.) This list is fairly concise. However, I have a problem with shows like survivor and the amazing race on there as there's no studio audience or anything. I especially have a problem with those being rated higher than shows like Family Feud, The Newlywed Game, and Let's Make a Deal. In any case, if you love game shows - it's worth look over.

Go on and do something wild.

Feel Good Friday - Youth

It's totally, absolutely, finally FRIDAY
and a "Feed Good Friday" it is!!I have another theme post. Today is all about recapturing youth.
It includes quite a few videos, so I hope you have the time to enjoy them.

• If you are looking to feel a little younger, check out how the Wii can help you stay young.
  
• Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted a treehouse. Nowadays, there are plenty of adults with treehouses for all occasions. I think that's great! Now, if I could just convince LOML* to build mine - I already have a great tree for one.
  
• These show intros really take me back to my childhood
• I love this site where people are posting themselves in then and now pictures in the same poses. Too funny.
• Check out what happens when an Improv Anywhere group takes over a little league game. Those kids will remember that game for the rest of their lives. What a great childhood memory.
  
• Lastly, we all know kids say the darnedest things, but let me share with you what one kids said yesterday while we were at the beach. We got a real kick out of it.
  

• - Kid (holding large rock): Look at this rock

  Mom: Put that down, you’re going to get your hand dirty

  - Kid drops big rock and smells hand

  Kid: It just smells like the hand that is mine

  Adults giggle
  

  Kid: I always have one hand that smells like that

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC weekend. Stay young!!

*LOML=Love of My Life

Frugal Gifts for Kids

Kids can be the easiest or the hardest to buy for at times. Some parents tend to get their children everything they want making it hard on those of us who are not their parents, while other children receive simpler gifts and are happy to get anything at all. On this "Thrifty Thursday," I want to share with my idea for shopping frugally for the little and not so little ones. Basically, I like to do gift baskets for kids. This is easier than you might think.

WHERE TO SHOP:

• The toy aisle in you local supermarket will have inexpensive toys and school supplies, but they do tend to cost more than I would pay in other places.
  
• Superstores like Target and Wal-Mart are a good place to start. You can usually count on the quality of the items in these stores. Plus, they tend to have a wall of items in their toy departments that are $1 or less.
  
• Surplus stores like Big Lots and Fred's also offer a great variety of items that you may not find elsewhere.
  
• Dollar stores will help fill out the basket without putting you in the poorhouse.
  
• You may even luck out at a thrift store. I know our Goodwill has begun receiving unopened items from Target.

**What's great is that many times, the small, inexpensive items you can find for gift baskets come in packets of several items, which works if you are buying for several kids. It's really great when you are shopping for several children in the same age range because then you can get great deals when you buy in bulk, even if it is only two items in a package for $1.50.

WHAT TO BUY: Think about the age and gender of the children for which you are shopping to select appropriate items to fill the baskets.

• Children who are younger than 4 tend to be difficult to do a basket for because of choking hazards. Soft items like dolls and clothes work best. Yet, I think it is just as easy to find a single toy gift for this age range. These do not usually break the bank and this age range is not too picky about what they receive.
• Ages 3-10 - Look in the toy section or at the party favors section of any of the above mentioned stores.
  
• BOYS: cars or other vehicles, transformers, rubber super balls, army men, and anything that looks gross.
• GIRLS: small dolls, doll clothes, hair accessories, tea set/cooking accessories, play jewelry, and anything pink.
  
• BOTH: bubbles, play-dough, toy cell phones, crayons, small coloring books, puzzles, fidget games (like the ones with marble you roll around into holes or the ones with the numbers you side around to get in order), and arts and crafts.
  

• Tween to teen: 11-17 - Look in the cosmestics/hygiene section of the stores, especially if they have a travel size section of the store where the small items are usually less than $1 (I like Target's travel section the best.)
• BOYS: aftershave, cologne, Axe body sprays, chap stick, nail clippers, combs, small puzzle games (like above), anything electronic, candy, and snacky food.
• GIRLS: matchbook emery boards, bath confetti, bath bombs, lip gloss/chap stick, nail files, bubble bath, body spray, lotions, nail polish, nail polish remover, powder, small travel hairbrushes, mirrors, hair accessories (cute pony tail holders, barrettes, or butterfly clips), and candy (esp. candy necklaces and ringpops)
  

HOW TO PACKAGE

• Containers: You can either get the container first so you know the space you have to fill or get it last once you know how much you are putting in there.
• For the younger age range, I try to find something with a handle so it is easier for them to carry around. Last year, I was able to find miniature buckets (that looked like the large 5 gallon buckets that everyone has in their garage/shed). I found these in white and simply used permanent markers in a variety of colors to write their names on the buckets.
  
• This can work also for the older boys, but you might also find an inexpensive shave kit bag that will work.
  
• Similarly, cosmetic bags are great for older girls. Both the cosmetic bags and shave kits can also be found in the travel section of stores. Small purses are also good for the older girls' baskets.
  
• Christmas stockings are always an easy alternative for any age range.

• To wrap these, I make sure to keep a large roll of clear cellophane in with my gift wrap and simply pull it up around these items with a fun and festive bow (lots of curling ribbon).

Shopping for and making these baskets is usually one of my favorite gift giving practices.

I find that for $5-10 you can make a great little basket for kids. I think thats a really awesome bargain. Frugal and festive, who knew?