Pinterest Halloween S'mores

I saw a cute halloween treat idea of Pinterest, and thought I'd try it out for my son's halloween party at school.  The original had ghosts, but halloween peeps were really hard to find, so I used what I could get.  I made up my own label for it since the pinterest label said ghosts.

I used a sandwich bag, the snack size would work, but would make the label a little trickier to attach.

Place peep and chocolate on crackers (I broke the chocolate in half so it fit better).

In the microwave the peep gets frighteningly large, but it flattens out when you take it out.

Enjoy!

For my Mom

A mowing paths or possibly bike parking, for his "spy club".

The soccer field.

Part of the maze.

Years gone by...

My friend Connie saved a sea bird while on vacation, and it reminded me of something I was going to post last year but didn't ever get around to.

When I was in 6th grade, there was a tradition for the 6th graders to release helium balloons on the last day of school.

My sister had told me about helium balloons getting into the ocean and killing turtles and other animals who tried to eat them, so I made flyers and passed them out around the school.  A lot of kids were unhappy about losing the tradition the year it was their turn, but someone paid attention to my flyers.

We ended up planting trees and all the 6th graders put notes in with the roots instead.

Last year when my boys were in their first year at this same school that I attended, I was sitting outside on the playground with my 3-year-old and my friend's little boy while she volunteered in her older son's classroom.  I looked over toward the playing fields and saw the tree that I helped plant, and was reminded to be grateful for my peculiarity.  Years later, the tree provides shade for my own kids, and no sea turtles were killed.  :)

Miscellaneous Happiness

Today I was sitting wondering why I am generally pretty happy when there are so many things to be overwhelmed and frustrated about.  Here are some of the things I thought of...

My kids are outside riding bikes in the driveway, and laughing.
My peas are planted (the garden bed was frozen a few inches down, but there was enough defrosted to put peas in).
Progress with the city to get permission to apply for a building permit is moving along at a decent speed.
The chicks are entering their awkward teenage weeks.
The chicks are playing angry birds with each other.  Running, flapping their wings and bowling into everyone else.
The chicks are establishing a pecking order.  Some are getting aggressive, guess which ones will go in the canning kettle first...  (Should it bother the feminist in me that chicks adhere to traditional gender roles so much?)
I'm married to someone I really love, and I would rather spend time with him than anyone else.
I've been getting regular exercise and have some big races this year!
The Girl Scout cookies arrived today.

Can you guess what this is?

These are the things I took out of A's backpack.  He was having a rough day and said, "mom, sometimes I feel like running away".  He was even packed and ready to go.  I'm glad to see he had clean socks and underwear, along with a couple of notepads and a pen- he likes to make lists of things he does or sees.  He also packed a bingo card from a Mario Bros birthday party he attended recently, and a tile that he was given by the primary leaders in our last ward.  He's such a sweet kid.  Instead of him running away, we've been having snuggle time.  

Good for you AND me!

I'm on the computer kind of a lot.  Probably too much (It's an ongoing battle, but I'm trying to make sure that I get everything done that I need to do before I play around too much (though sometimes you just need a break from the "MOM, MOM, MOM!!!"  The internets are good for that)).

Also, if I can find a good deal with free shipping, I much prefer shopping online to shopping in stores (I think that's a sign of middle-age- I used to love going shopping).  I've found a couple of websites that help me earn a little money back for online searches or online shopping.  If anyone is interested in signing up, you can start earning money back too, plus I get a referral bonus.  See?  It's a win-win.

I thought posting on my blog would be less obnoxious than sending all of you an email, this way, if you're interested, sign up, and if not, you're only out the time you spent reading this post.

Shop at Home is a website with partnerships at many of the online stores we regularly buy from.  If you register at shop at home, you earn a $5 sign up bonus (and if you sign up and buy something within 60 days through my link above, I get one too).  When you're ready to buy something online, you log into your shop at home account, search for the store, and if it's there, you go to the store through the link and earn whatever percentage cash back that store offers.  When you've earned $20, shop at home sends you a check.  Some stores have extra coupons posted, in addition to the cash back.  If I'm buying stuff online anyway, I might as well get a little something back for it!

The other site, Swag Bucks is a search engine where you earn "swag bucks" for searching online (there are a few other ways to earn swag bucks, but searching is the main one), and then you can trade in your swag bucks for prizes.  I trade mine in for $5 Amazon gift cards.  It takes me a month or two of normal searching, generally to earn enough swag bucks for a $5 gift card, then when I have $25 worth, I buy something I've been wanting on Amazon, and get the free shipping.  Right now I'm saving up for some new bread pans.  I've downloaded the swag bucks toolbar, which puts a search box at the top of any window I have open, so I don't have to go to their website to search.

Mom's Lunch

Does this picture need explaining? A and CP aren't huge fans of tuna sandwiches, but they'll eat them without complaining IF I cut them into shapes with a cookie cutter. They like "star sandwiches" quite a bit. I make whole sandwiches, cut out the shapes, and am left with the scraps, which I can't just throw away....

Modesty

I recently shopped for and purchased a new swim suit, which of course has me thinking about modesty. Nearly any swim suit you buy is going to have some areas that you wish were a little more covering, which has also made me think about why. Why do we view the body the way we do? What makes something modest or not? Why do we care? And finally, why do most "rules" associated with modesty apply only to females?

I was reading And They Were Not Ashamed by Laura Brotherson, and she talked about how we teach young women to be modest, and too often it comes across as "be modest so you don't tempt the boys". This has a couple of problems, first it tells the girls that boys are animals and are not capable of controlling themselves. Second, it teaches boys that they are animals and are not capable of controlling themselves.

Young men need to be taught that they are responsible for controlling their hormones no matter how girls around them are dressed, they also need to be taught what true beauty is, instead of society's idea of beauty. Young women need to be taught that dressing modestly means we show respect for ourselves by dressing in a way that shows we understand that our bodies are beautiful gifts given to us from loving heavenly parents.

Back to my original questions...

Why do we view the body the way we do? I think far too often, we've been conditioned to be ashamed or embarrassed by our bodies. Especially if they don't measure up to whatever made up level of perfection we see on TV or in magazines.

What makes something modest? When I was little, I remember my mom had the rule that shorts or skirts couldn't be more than three fingers above the knee. In high school, shorts had to be longer than our fingers when our arms were at our sides. I always viewed strappy tank tops as immodest, but not sleeveless shirts. I think the definitions of modesty change somewhat, obviously over the last 100 years there have been major changes in what is viewed as modest, even today, different cultures have very different standards of modesty. I think modesty is a personal thing. There may be, in each cultural group, things that are universally considered modest or immodest, which brings me to the next question, why do we care? We care because I think culturally, we've turned the most obvious things like modesty, or word of wisdom things into a litmus test for righteousness. I don't believe that most people are purposely going around judging each other, but on some level we all do it. Whether we're like my 5-year-old who likes to point out when he sees people not wearing motorcycle helmets ("they're not very safe mom!") because that's how we reinforce "rules" in our minds, or comparing how low cut your neighbor's swim suit is to make you feel better about your own, we all judge others. Should we? No. Are we going to stop anytime soon? Probably not.

Finally, why are nearly all modesty rules for females only? I've never heard anyone talk about a man's shirt being too tight, or low cut, or his shorts too short (although I've seen men's shorts that were too short). Are we conditioning boys to be more visually stimulated than girls, or is it prewired?

Coming to terms with aging.

A while back I bumped into a former high school crush. He had gained quite a bit around the middle, and his hair was thinning. (he was still as charismatic as ever though) My first thought was, wow, we're getting old. I don't feel like I look very old yet, but I do have some gray hairs, and wrinkles around my eyes. I've also noticed that it takes cuts and scrapes (and mosquito bites) longer to heal than it used to.

As a child I remember being told I was beautiful by my aunt. I've since wondered if she told me that primarily because she believed it, or because she worried about my self esteem since I had scarring on my face from having a birthmark removed. Whatever her reasons, I've always believed it, and am actually a little vain (well sometimes I'm vain, other times not so much). So I worry a little about getting old.

As old as I might feel at times now, I know I'm still pretty young and healthy, but what about when the few gray hairs turn into a head full, and the wrinkles fill up my face so much that a grandchild says something to the effect of "your face is full of cracks", like I said to my grandmother. Will my appearance become less important to me? Will I feel like I need to start wearing the full array of makeup? Will I be depressed that I'm no longer culturally considered young and attractive (well, attractive is relative, but you know what I mean).

The natural look has worked well for me, and I'd hate for that to change.

How do you deal with the fact that you can't stop aging? It's coming for you. Do you welcome it, or run as fast as you can for anti-aging products?

Pictures by A

A (my 5-year-old) saw the camera on the table (I had it out to photograph my groceries again- don't worry, I'm posting them on their own blog now), and decided to take some pictures. I was going to delete them until I saw the focus he put into them. It's an interesting glimpse into his little head.

Throw-Up Pot

He's been sick. (A few nights ago, he ran downstairs, got a pot, went back upstairs and threw up partly in the pot partly all over the bed- he doesn't get the concept of throwing up in the toilet).

Pinecones

This one seems kind of random to me.

Self Portrait

Little Brother

Bowl and Spoon, Used

Since he's been sick, we haven't been letting him eat as much as usual, so this bowl of applesauce was much wanted. He's feeling hungry, which is good, but he still isn't keeping food down.

What is Crazy?

A friend posted an article about giving up refrigerators to be more eco-friendly, which started an interesting conversation on where we draw the line between behaviors we think are crazy, and ones we find perfectly acceptable. She said we have to be careful to avoid thinking that everybody who does less than I do (of whatever) is a slacker, everybody who does more than I do is a fanatical nut, and everybody who does as much as I do is a sensible moderate.

I found this a really interesting statement. It's true, if it's something we do, it's perfectly reasonable, but if it's something outside of our comfort zone we often feel a need to label it as weird or extreme.

I was thinking about this a little with the new yoga kids DVD my son has been watching. He loves them, and askes to do at least one nearly every day. One of them has the Namaste Song in it, and we both sing along:

Namaste, Namaste, I am the light and the light is me. Namaste, Namaste, I am part of all I see. The light in me, sees the light in you. Bow to me, I bow to you.

Ten years ago I had a yoga dvd that I had to get rid of because I found it "too chanty" which I thought was kind of silly. This namaste song might have been silly to me too at that point in my life, but now I'm able to appreciate the message of it, and am glad that my kids are growing up with things like that in their lives, so that they don't have to overcome the "It's weird/crazy" problem.

I've also been thinking about how we present ourselves to others. Sometimes I feel like when I talk to people about things that are important to me, they start to think that I'm maybe a little odd. I don't mind being a little odd as long as it's a good kind of odd, but it bothers me that people might put me in the weird/crazy/fanatical nut category (because I think I'm pretty normal, really). :) The main problem with getting labeled as a nut is that people tend to stop listening to what we have to say in the future, because after all, what can we gain by listening to a nut?

So here is my dilemma, do I speak honestly how I feel/think whatever, and risk losing my audience, or do I keep quiet on things that I think might make people think I'm weird? I prefer being honest, I don't like feeling like I'm hiding something...

(Sorry for the randomness of this post, I'm sick and these thoughts have been bouncing around my head lately.)

The Hunt

I came home from reading at J's school today and looked out the kitchen window. There was a hawk of some sort on the snow in the backyard. I ran upstairs to tell everyone else, and we watched out an upstairs window as it flew over the fence to the next yard. It had something small in it's claws and left a pile of feathers in our yard.

Later, I looked out the kitchen window again, and saw this:


The hawk sat on the fence all morning, but the one in the air was all over the open space, so I only saw it flying behind our house a couple of times.

Shop Local

This past Saturday my Mister and I did a little shopping. We needed some tools, so we went to Ace Hardware in North Salt Lake. They had just about everything we needed, and what they didn't have, they ordered for us, no extra charge. Plus, they gave us the online price on one tool, which saved us nearly $10 on it.

In talking to one of the owners, we learned that sales are down $50,000 this month compared to the same time last year. Partly the economy, people just aren't spending as much (which is a good thing, IMO) but largly because of Lowes. I've been to lowes, but when I think about what kind of community I want to live in, I picture small, locally owned stores where people know what they're selling.

Next time you need something for a home improvement project, or a kitchen item (they have an impressive selection of kitchen tools), or if you want to take a class on decorating or cooking, check out Ace before you try a big box store. Support our community.

(I also have to add, that I saw a special brownie pan that makes every piece an edge- I've said for years that there ought to be one, and now there is. I almost bought it (two actually), maybe next time.)

3

I got tagged by Becca, so here it goes...

Post these rules on your blog: List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 regrets, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 facts about yourself. Tag 3 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

3 Joys
-playing in the dirt
-the smell of good things baking in the oven
-being with my family

3 Fears
-phone calls (I hate talking on the phone!)
-having a child or my Mister die
-that kids at school will be mean to my kids

3 Goals
-learn about taking better pictures
-finish crocheting the blanket I'm working on
-finish/start CP's baby book

3 Regrets
-kissing one of the boys I kissed in college, and dodging two others
-not treating some people the way that I should have
-trading in our passat for the van when we did (at the time we didn't see another option, but I miss that car)

3 Obsessions/Collections
-food storage
-getting rid of stuff we don't need
-buying (or looking for stuff to buy) on ksl classifieds and ebay (which doesn't match up well with trying to declutter)

3 Facts about Myself
-my first kiss was as a toddler at hogle zoo- a giraffe leaned over and licked me
-i make terrible pie crust, but am trying to improve
-i love watching movies and eating popcorn from the comfort of my own bed

I tag Criscell, Kari and Emily S.

The Spending Bug

Sometimes when I'm disappointed about something, or bored, or for any other unknown reason, I get the urge to spend money. My preferences are ebay, ksl classifieds, and shade clothing.

I'm doing really well sticking to my budget so I can save up for a new washing machine (mine is still dying slowly), then save for a new car (we're looking at a Rav4 in 4 years, unless something better comes along). The long-term things I'd like to save for are somewhat helpful to avoid online shopping binges, but don't get rid of them altogether.

Currently I'd like to buy some bulk legos on ebay for the kids for christmas, and some wood working tools for A for his birthday or christmas, a bike from ksl classifieds for J, plus the Kiva micro loans are a little addicting, so it's not like I'm wanting to spend money on wasteful things. I guess when I can get those things they'll be even more meaningful.

How do you avoid online shopping binges?

A cool website if you have kids...

A loves "building" things- so we're thinking for christmas we'll get him some real tools and wooden building kits- while searching for things I stumbled across This Montessori website.

I love this hand drill.

Why do I get excited about things like this?

...and what does that say about my life? :)

I did laundry today, and started to load the clean wet clothes into the dryer, there were diapers in the batch, and I don't dry them in the dryer, so I started to hang them on my awesome clothes drying rack. They didn't fill up all the space, so I pulled the rest of the whites back out of the dryer and hung them up too.

I used to do that all the time, but I've gotten lazy over the summer.

I was so excited about it, that I had to tell my Mister about it when I got on ichat.

After I typed it, I realized how sad that looked.

Lets just call it "finding joy in the little things".

Remember That Time....

From my friend Becca's blog...Just write a memory you have with me or our family. If you leave one, we'll assume you're playing and we'll come leave one on your blog too... Happy remembering!

10 uninteresting things about me...

Just for balance you know...

1. My house is quite often messier than it should be.
2. I haven't showered yet today, and am still in my pajamas (it's 2:30).
3. My kids ate kraft macaroni and cheese for lunch today.
4. I like corn dogs.
5. I don't exercise as much as I think I ought to.
6. I get embarrassed too easily.
7. My garden is weedy.


That might be all I'm willing to admit to publicly at the moment...

(I heard that some people think that blogs are the new way for mormon women to compete, so I just wanted to make sure no one feels that they are lacking compared to all the great things I do...)

I'm not tagging anyone, because really, who wants to post lame things about themselves?

Ten interesting things about me....

I've been tagged by my friend Emily, so here it goes... (although I think most of my readers know these things already...)

1. I have ambitions to join the circus. Maybe not really, but I'm loving my aerial dance class, and am thinking that I might take another session in the fall (anyone want to join me?).

2. I enjoy making my friends eat weird food. For my 12th? birthday, I took my friends to an indian restaurant. I think they all liked it. I've also introduced several to the szesuan (that spelling looks wrong...) catfish at the Madarin (some of them liked it).

3. My friend Natalie thinks I'm a little bit of a hippy. In some ways, I am. I believe that we were given stewardship over the earth, and that we should take care of it, so I try not to waste things, or use things that I don't need. I garden and preserve the food for winter. I raise chickens for the eggs (talk about a years supply!). I don't wear a ton of makeup. And personality-wise, I think I revel in being a little bit different (although I'm trying to not let that make me feel superior- maybe that's a personality flaw...).

4. I'm a democrat. In Utah. Although, the more I learn about life, if Utah had a decent two party system, I think I'd look more into other parties. When I was little my dad would give us a dollar if we said we were democrats. (Don't worry, I don't take payments for party affiliation anymore). I think I'm fairly moderate on some issues, and others, I'm probably pretty liberal (which is not a bad word-as much as Sean Hannity would like us to think so).

5. I use cloth diapers on my baby, maybe that should have gone in the Hippy one...I don't eat off of plastic dishes regularly, the real thing is much nicer- same with diapers. Although I don't blame anyone for using disposables. New babies are a lot of work, and cloth seems overwhelming when you've never tried them. I got into cloth when A had diaper rash problems that wouldn't go away. I also sell them on my very own website- Green Peas Baby. And my store was named best "diaper dandies" (whatever that means) in SLC Weekly this year.

6. I'm building a "dry riverbed" in my front yard. My Mister helped get the landscape fabric in, and did the sod, but he's been too busy, so every day (or so) I haul several loads of rock from across the street. I was using 5 gallon buckets until my Mister fixed the wheel barrow. It's taking a long time, but it's looking great.

7. Another hippy one maybe- I am growing cranberries in my backyard. So far they're doing pretty well. I'm hoping to get enough in a year or so to start making cranberry juice and canning it.

8. My dream house is going to be passive solar, and have solar panels, and cork flooring, and, well, you'll have to come see my dream house book sometime.

9. I make my own yogurt, it's tart, and I love it. I also use it to make homemade sherbet. I love it with home canned apricots- with just a tiny bit of sugar so that it is still tart. I like tart things. My kids love yogurt but I didn't want them eating so much sugar. Plus it is satisfying to make my own.

10. I love BBC miniseries'. Other than Pride and Prejudice, which I love, I've more recently fallen in love with North and South. I just got the first disc for Cranford in the mail from netflix.

Okay, if everyone made it through that- I may not be as interesting to other people as I am to myself. I tag Becca and Emily (my sister) because she LOVES things like this...