A Special Prize

Meet "Ladybug". My problem child. Now you're probably thinking something like this: "OMG! She's so cute!", or "OMG! Look at that hair!!", or "OMG! She looks just like a doll!", or "OMG! She's so sweet!". And if you're NOT thinking something along those lines, well...I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee. Since the day this girly was born, nobody's had anything to say to me that didn't have something to do with my pirate-smiled little cutie.

Don't get me wrong. I love her to pieces. And, like the devoted mother I am, I think she's the cutest little girl that's ever graced the face of the planet. I just wish she was a little more...well...flexable. I don't mind her temper -- I've got one of those myself. I don't mind her independence -- I know that'll serve her well down the road. I LOVE that she's not a follower -- except when it comes to the way she doesn't follow my instruction. That drives me crazy!

Our biggest problem these days is food. She does alright at breakfast. She'll eat some fruit and whole grain toast. But after that...well, forget it! If it's not fried, processed or dairy it's not going in her pouty little mouth. Plain and simple! As for dinner, she wont eat anything but tater tots. This drives me insane, because I do NOT do fried. But I now have more bags of processed potato products in my freezer than I've consumed in my lifetime. Another thing I don't do is candy. But Lawd! You should see the super-sized bag of M&Ms I bought at Costco today!

I can justify the M&Ms. You see, I've decided to resort to bribery. Ladybug loves her M&Ms. She also loves Hello Kitty. I picked up these cute little hair pretties from Flirtbuttons last week. (Check her out! She can put anything on a button! Cute stuff!) I figured I could use them as some kind of "special prize" for good behavior. Feeling fully armed, I decided to put my brave new plan into action at dinner tonight.

The plan is simple -- starve the child then promise her M&Ms for taking a bite, just one bite, of something new. Tonight, I told her she could have 3 M&Ms if she ate three pieces of spaghetti. It a bit of convincing, but she did it. And, she actually said she liked it! I was shocked, and maybe just a little drunk with success. So, I decided to push it. I told her if she'd eat just ONE bite of meatball, I 'd give her a 'special prize'. Ladybug's no dumby. She wanted to know what kind of special prize. I told her I had a Hello Kitty special prize for her. Well that worked to!! Knock me over with a feather! She ate the whole thing! I gave her her prize and we were both so pleased with ourselves. I'm already scouring Etsy for more little trinkets I can use as bribes. (And yes, I'm open to suggestions.)

I know I'm starting down a slippery slope, but I'd rather have a manipulative, bargaining-negotiating kid than one with horrible eating habits. No doubt I'll eat those words later -- probably with a side of tater tots -- but for now, I'm revelling in this evening's victory. Three pieces of spaghetti & a meatball. Mama got a special prize tonight too.

Fun in the Sun!

That's what summer's all about, isn't it? Well...it is, unless you're "paper white" like 3/4 of my family. Actually, Daddy's skin is pretty blinding too but he doesn't have the redhead's skin that the rest of us do. "Fun in the sun" translates into "pain in the back" pretty quickly around here. And that's exactly what happened yesterday. After t-ball, we had a few buddies over for some serious splashing. And in spite of the "waterproof" spf 50 the whole family was wearing, that boy of mine ended the day looking like a steamed lobster.

It's times like these that I'm so glad I dabble in the area that I do. In my office, there's a cabinet. The second you open it, you know you've gotten into something special. Just opening the door fills the room with the most wonderful smell. That cabinet contains a little blue box. Inside the box are a bunch of little brown bottles, and inside those bottles...Mother Nature's answers to most of what ails us. It only took a few minutes to whip up an afterburn massage for my crispy boy. Here's the recipe:

1/2 ounce jojoba oil

1/2 ounce aloe vera juice

10 drops lavender essential oil

5 drops German chamomile essential oil

Stir everything together until the ingredients are blended. The oils and aloe will separate without the use of an emulsifying agent, so you'll have to stir it occasionally. Spoon a little into your palms and massage into those red shoulders, backs, noses, cheeks, etc.

Jojoba oil is a great "carrier" oil. It's absorbed easily by the skin -- which means it's very effective at transporting therapeutic ingredients, and it doesn't sit on top of your skin making you feel greasy and icky. Pure aloe juice can go bad quickly if it's not handled carefully. It's a good idea to make small recipes like this one. That way you don't have to worry about it.

This recipe is very effective -- it cools the skin, takes a lot of the red out, and prevents peeling. Even if you don't burn as badly as we redheads do, sun really does take a toll on your skin. This easy formula is very restorative. You can find all of these ingredients at your local health food store, Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmer's Market, etc. Of course, if you don't feel like investing in an arsenal of botanical ingredients (it can get a little pricey), I know someone who'd be happy to prepare a little Summer Survival Kit for you. Bet you can't guess who! ;)

One Lovely Blog

Wow!

OK...I'm kinda speechless. This is a rare moment in history, people. I'm pretty much NEVER speechless. As a matter of fact, a "friend" of mine once said "Denise would talk to the back door of a barn if she thought it would listen to her." Now, I know I like to talk, but is it just me or was that a kinda mean thing to say?

Anyway...

I've received the One Lovely Blog Award and I'm oh so flattered. Dalkullan Jewelry honored me and I'm just plain floored! And again, so...flattered. And obviously a little verklempt...which is maybe why I keep repeating myself...and why there are so many "..."s in this post.

Anyway...here's the deal. This is a pass-it-on kind of award. When you're honored, you need to spread the ♥ in return. You're supposed to choose 15 of your favorite blogs and pass the award on to them. The trouble is, I'm new to this. I don't follow all that many blogs yet, so here's my top 12. (Which means I've got three open positions -- so if I've missed your fantastic blog, clue me in!) Here's the list - in no particular order:

1. PKMPhoto - because his picture of the day is just such a great way to start every day. Really amazing photography.
2. KindOverMatter - because who couldn't use a little kindness every day?
3. AestheticOutburst - because it's just so beautiful to look at.
4. JakRandomArt - because her pictures make me just a little homesick -- in a good way.
5. AlyGatr - becaues every post makes me laugh out loud.
6. PeasAndBananas - because for a minute there, I thought my husband had started a blog and was writing about my life.
7. ShrimpSaladCircus - because the 'marketing minute' really teaches me somthing.
8. lilithevy - because her treasuries are so f'ing beautiful ('scuse my french), and because I get to brush up on my french every time she posts:D
9. AngryChicken - becaues she gave me something to do with the whole wheat flour in my pantry (now that it's not bread-making season in TX anymore.)
10. CakeWrecks - because I haven't been featured here...yet;p
11. FortyTwoRoads - because I love her art AND she posted a picture that was integral in the successful design of my daughter's halloween costume.
12. Domesticali - because her sensibilities warm my heart.

I know some of these blogs don't "need" promoting, but I love 'em so I wanted to spread a little ♥ their way too. Even the popular kids need a hug every now and then. Right? And special ♥ to Dalkullan. Be sure to read her profile when you check out her Etsy shop. It's such a nice story and philosophy -- a real tribute to family past and future.

Now, to #s 1 - 12, don't forget to share the ♥. You've gotta give it to receive it, right?

Flowers for Teacher

Schools out for summer! So you know what I was doing all last week...working on teacher gifts. Now I'm a firm believer that gifts given to teachers should come from the kids, not the parents. Sure, I'll throw in a gift card to go along with it -- to express my appreciation. But I think the kids need to be involved with it too. So of course this means hand made gifts. This year we gave our teachers flowers and cookies. Not just any flowers and not just any cookies. Handmade scented paper flowers and some awesome homemade shortbread.

Credit where credit is due: The inspiration for these pretty little packages came from two fellow Etsians. I really owe these ladies a debt of gratitude for the hours of fun the kiddos & I had creating our version of their fantastic flowers.

Delightfuldeceits fantastic Brown Bag Flowers - what a great thing to do to an old paper bag!! Her cards are beautiful too. She really knows how to make treasure out of trash.

ChelseaVantol's (you may know her as PaperCakes on Twitter) Pretty Paper Posies. Her shop's just so much colorful fun. Check out her craft kits -- little paper parties in a box.

And then there's the chef at The Pelican Inn who (years ago) so generously shared her shortbread recipe with me -- and this was no small act of kindness. It had to be translated (from Russian, I believe), converted to US weights & measures, and scaled back to a size reasonable for family consumption. It's just the most scrumptious stuff.

So thank you, ladies, for helping me & the kiddos thank another great group of ladies. And yes, my kiddos really did most of the work on those flowers. Need proof?

What's in a Name?

Teddy Started It. I get a lot of comments about the name of my business. Well, here it is...the answer. Meet the original "Teddy". The little fellow who started it all. Only 9 weeks old and already an inspiration. Doesn't take much when you're pregnant, does it? I think you can see how he got his nickname -- and where I got my avitar. I've had a soft-spot for Teddy Grahams ever since.

So for all you shop keepers out there...what's your story? How'd you find your name?

Dandelions - Flower Power

LillyShayStyle is defending the virtue of Dandelions today. And while I don't particularly want them taking over my yard, I do believe their honor is worth defending. So, in support of Lilly, and all those happy yellow flowers, here's something useful to do with dandelions.

Dandelion infusions have been used for ages to help ease muscle aches and joint pain. If you've had an extra tough workout at the gym, spent to much time hunched over doing yard work, or if picking up that 2yo 100 times a day is getting to you, try this little preparation. It's a fun project to do with the kiddos and it would be a great home made gift for an exercise buff or an arthritic grandma -- or an arthritic 'ma' like me, for that matter! Check it out.

Here's what you need:

• a clean wide-mouthed jar (like a mason jar)
• a good supply of dandelions (really, a roadside field is better than a yard - since the roadsides are rarely treated with bug or weed killers)
• Olive or Canola oil (and yes, that's the olive oil and canola oil you use in your day to day cooking -- straight from the grocery, nothing fancy about it.)
• 1 shot of vodka (optional, but adding it will definitely keep unwanted things from growing in your infusion.)
• a scrap of cheese cloth or some other fabric suitable for straining
• rubber band

Here's what you do:

• Fill your jar half full with dandelion flowers - make sure the flowers are fresh. You don't want any that are turning brown or starting to go to seed. You'll be able to spot the good ones - just look for the bees. Oh yeah, and let the bee finish his job before picking the flower - it's the polite thing to do.
• After you've picked all your flowers, fill the jar almost all the way to the top with the oil of your choice. (Adding a sprig of lavender to the mix will give your finished product a really nice aroma.)
• Add the shot of vodka if you want to ensure no molds start to grow (which they shouldn't if your flowers aren't wet - molds don't grow in oil.)
• Cover your jar with the scrap of cloth and secure it with the rubber band
• Set your jar in a warm sunny spot -- outdoors or indoors
• Now here's the hard part. Wait. Wait, and wait, and wait. About 3 weeks ought to do it. By then, the dandelions will have turned brown.
• While you're waiting, check out LillyShayStyle's blog, and Quick5pnt0's Flikr site (That's his incredible dandelion photo. I sure hope he doesn't mind that I swiped it -- I'm Flikr-ignorant and couldn't find a way to contact him through his page -- if anyone knows how, please educate me. I feel like a thief, but the picture was just too beautiful to pass on. His pictures of the beach make me so homesick I want to cry.)
• Strain the oil into a clean bottle. Store in a dark place or preferably in the refrigerator. Refrigerating it should give it an indefinite shelf life. Something to remember though, olive oil solidifies when it gets cold. That's why my choice would be canola oil. If you're into the whole homemade massage oil thing and you have almond or grapeseed oil hanging around the house, these are excellent options as well.
• You're ready to go! Just massage a little into your achy parts and let those "weeds" do their work.

Enjoy! Let me know if you take on this little project. If you send me pictures, I'll post them next month -- maybe include a giveaway. Tease, tease!

Procrastination

Isn't it funny how when you really need to be doing something there's always something else that seems more interesting or more important? And it's so easy to justify that 'more interesting' thing. Like right now, for example, I really need to be making a lemon pie. We're going over to friends' for dinner in an hour or so and I ALWAYS bring dessert. People count on me for this -- and they love me for it (or so I'm told.) I really REALLY NEED to be making a lemon pie right now. But all I can think about is The Blog.

'...but I really need to get a new post up on The Blog.'

That's what I really needed to do on Tuesday. But on Tuesday, laundry seemed more compelling. LAUNDRY!! Laundry and compelling don't belong in the same paragraph together, let alone the same sentence!

So validate me...please! Tell me, what suddenly becomes important to you when you have something you really need to be doing? And, is it really procrastination if you're being productive on a different task? Because quite seriously, I'm not sure I'd ever get anything done if I didn't have something else more important to do.

OK, I guess I'd better go make that pie.

( Yes, I got the pie made -- but only because really needed to take out the trash. Heh! )