HIPPOSTOES

Wordful Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:56:00 +0000

Here is a picture of my little guy at the park near our house. It was a really nice day last weekend, in the 50's, so we took him to the playground. He loved the slide and kept saying, "go again?" I can't believe I actually was able to catch him standing still. Here's my favorite picture from the day! Happy WW all!

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Dry, Cracked Hands??

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:57:00 +0000

My hands are a wreck this time of year. They are always so dry and cracked and chapped that they sometimes hurt, especially my cuticles which are always ghastly. I even pull on my hang nails and make them bleed they are so chapped. It doesn’t help that they are always in water, either wiping up messes, washing them after changing diapers, or washing them to keep from spreading germs. I’ve been trying to find a lotion that feels good on, isn’t too greasy or heavy, but can save my poor hands from winter’s abuses. Well I have to say I have been very impressed with Vaseline’s new Clinical Therapy lotion. It feels so light on but yet does a great job of moisturizing my alligator hands. I even like the smell, it isn’t too perfumey, but still has a light scent that I really like.
I remember Vaseline when I was a little girl. My mother always had that tell tale yellow bottle of Vaseline on the bathroom vanity. Even my dad used it on his dry, cracked hands in the winter time. He worked outside with his hands and often couldn’t use gloves so he really had some badly abused hands. He swore by Vaseline Intensive Care lotion.

Fast forward to 2009 and where Vaseline is now. I can honestly say that there are so many lotions and moisturizing creams on the market that Vaseline isn’t always what I think of when I think of lotion. But now that I have discovered Vaseline Clinical Therapy lotion, I can honestly say that my hands have felt much softer and my hang nails are definitely getting much better. I keep a bottle by my computer, by the kitchen sink and by my bed so I can slather some on my hands right before I go to bed.

My hands couldn’t be happier! Vaseline – keeping skin amazing!®

WORDFUL WEDNESDAY

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:06:00 +0000

This is Sentinel peak in South Africa. It is the entrance to Hout Bay, where we stayed when we were in South Africa two years ago. This picture was taken from Chapman's Peak drive which leads to the Southwestern most point of Africa. This is one of my favorite pictures that I took on our trip there. One of the reasons I fell in love with South Africa was because of the beautiful scenery.

This just makes me happy looking at it - Enjoy!

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INAUGURATION DAY

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:59:00 +0000

Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday afternoon, banishing forever more than 200 years of history during which the office passed from white hands to white hands and promising a new era of “hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord." - MSNBC.com

Inauguration Week

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:00:00 +0000

What an exciting week it is going to be in the District with the Inauguration of President-elect Obama! I’m so excited to live so near the capitol and I was so hopeful that we were going to be able to attend the Inauguration of the 44th President. He gives me so much hope. I finally have such faith in our country again. I feel so strongly about his abilities to lead us out of this mess and I truly feel he genuinely cares about me (us) and wants to change the course of the country, so we are The United States again, rather than a bunch of red states and blue states. I haven’t had this much pride in my country in quite some time.

Every day we have been hearing news about the Inauguration and wondering how this would affect our abilities to attend. Well I’m sad to say that it doesn’t look it’s going to be possible. There are just too many road closures and bridge closures which will certainly make it impossible to drive into the District. If it were just my husband and myself we would definitely fight the crowds and the deal with the extremely long waits at the Metro (subway station). Unfortunately having a 2 yr old makes it extremely difficult. We also cannot have strollers or framed backpacks in certain areas. Add to that the possibility of snow tonight and a wind chill of 20 degrees and I think the sofa sounds better. My husband and I joke that the only people that will be able to attend are the people from out of town because they are staying in hotels in DC.

However, we were able to attend the “We Are One” concert on the National Mall on Sunday and it was an amazing experience. I stood there looking up at the sky as our new President was addressing the crowd and I couldn’t help feeling overcome with emotion. How amazing is it that this special man will become our next President. Whatever your political leanings, you cannot not be inspired by Obama’s intelligence and idealism. I think idealism is what we have been missing for some time. But it’s not ignorant idealism, it’s the audacity to hope that we CAN make a difference in the history of our country. We must get involved in being stewards of this planet, for the well being of every living creature. I’m so glad my son was able to make history by being in the crowd on this cold and blustery winter day. I felt so connected to the people that braved the cold and the crowd to be one of the hundred of thousands that made it to the welcome festivities for the Inauguration of the President.

I’m was so inspired and truly feel like anything is possible!

Yes We Can!!!

Wordful Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:33:00 +0000

Are there even any words to describe this? I found this picture when I was cleaning out my wallet. Got to love the '80's!

I teased it, permed it, highlighted it, ironed it, cemented it (with hairspray)................contrast that to me today. Now my hair is so short, I think it's even shorter than my husband's. Ah.....nostalgia..... Happy WW all!!

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Handmade Watches

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:25:00 +0000

My watch battery died the other day and I was totally thrown for a loop. I can’t stand not having my watch on my wrist, I feel naked without it. But I really don’t like that I don’t know what time it is. I miss checking my watch wherever I am and knowing what time it is. I know I have the time on my cell phone but nothing will ever replace my watch.

I have always loved watches. Not only are they functional, but they are also a great fashion accessory. Recently I have fallen in love with the cuff type of watches that I have seen at some recent art shows. I came across Mistura and fell in love with the design of their watches. I thought you might be interested in seeing what I have uncovered.

Love my new Lipstain!!

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:14:00 +0000

I don’t like to wear makeup. In fact I rarely wear it anymore. When I was in my 20’s I wore it every day, the whole shebang: foundation, concealer, eye shadow, mascara, blush and lipstick. Just the thought of spending all that time applying makeup makes me cringe now, especially with a soon to be two year old. But one thing that I still wear no matter where I go is lipstick. Like a Visa card, I “don’t leave home without it.” I think it really gives my face color and adds a bit of finish to me without too much fuss. So with all that said, I have had a heck of a time finding a lipstick that works for me. I have tried so many different types that I have lost count. I’ve used Lancome, MAC, Lorac, Nars, and many others and I still haven’t found one that works for my needs. I’m not knocking the manufacturer’s I’ve listed above, I like their makeup a lot, they just haven’t been right for me. Then I found Covergirl Outlast Lipstain. It’s everything that I’ve been looking for.

I like my lipstick to feel as natural as it looks – less is more is my philosophy. I don’t like it when it glops up and feels sticky or tacky on my lips. In fact, I really don’t want to feel my lip color at all, but I want to give some color to my face. Well Covergirl’s Lipstain definitely does all that. The thing I like the best about Covergirl Outlast Lipstain is that it feels so good I hardly know it’s on. Covergirl Lipstain is 5 times lighter than regular lipstick. I also don’t like my lip color to bleed and fade quickly, nothing looks worse to me than kool-aid lips, as I like to call them. I can honestly say that Covergirl Lipstain does not bleed and lasts for a long time. I even ate my lunch with the lipstain on and my lips still looked good afterwards. Now that’s a true test of a lip color’s staying power if you ask me.

Outlast Lipstain uses water-based soluble colorants that instantly infuse into the top layers of your lips, rather than coating the outside, leaving them looking and feeling virtually weightless. Because your lips absorb the color, there’s no chance of smudging. I also love the fact that Outlast Lipstain does not dry out my lips like a lot of lipsticks that I’ve tried. Since Outlast Lipstain is this season's newest, hottest look, it may not be on the CoverGirl wall yet at every store. So check for the standalone Outlast Lipstain display or ask that the store order it!

Stop by covergirl.com to learn more about Outlast Lipstain, chat with a CoverGirl Beauty Consultant and get "colormatched" to find the shades which best flatter your complexion. Check it out and create your own hot CoverGirl looks!

Wordful Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:53:00 +0000

These are a few pictures of our visit to the National Building Museum here in DC. One of the many Inaugural Ball's is going to be held here for President-Elect Obama. It is a beautiful building and we love to come here every chance we get. Since my husband and I both have worked (and still do from time to time), in the building industry, we try to make it to many of the great exhibits that they have here. One thing that the museum does have is a Building Zone. It is a place where you can bring your kiddles to play with building types of toys; blocks, tinker toys and the like. We took our son for the first time and he loved it. He especially liked to be pushed around in the big construction vehicles as you can see in the photos above. The space has a huge open courtyard area and there are always children running everywhere. It's a great contained space to let them play, especially when the weather is bad.

If you ever find yourself in the DC area be sure to pay a visit to the National Building Museum.

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Love my Muk Luks....

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:42:00 +0000

I just got the best pair of poochies that I’ve ever worn. Oops, don’t know what poochies are? That is my family’s slang for slippers. Something my husband used to call them when he was a child and how we’ve started referring to them with our two year old.

Oh, about the poochies……. Have you ever heard of Muk Luks? Basically they are like a sock/slipper combo. They have a hard bottom on them so they are sturdier than some other slipper/sock’s that I’ve seen. I like to have a bottom on my slippers in case I need to run out to the mailbox or take out the trash. What I really like about my Muk Luk’s is that they go up my ankle and part of my calf. In the past when I sit down my pant leg would ride up and my ankles were exposed. With my Muk Luk’s that doesn’t happen anymore.

They are available in some really fun designs and colors so they add a bit of pizzazz to your leggings too!

I'm tired......

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Doing too much and pulling back, that is what I plan to do this year, and I mean it! My husband has been telling me for quite some time to “pull back” and do less but I haven’t really been listening. As a matter of fact I’ve been piling more and more on my plate and frankly I’m getting burned out big time. In addition to my eboutique, blogging and my son, I also teach full time online at an art school. It’s just too much and I’m just tired of having no time for myself and I feel like I’m short changing my son. My little guy will be two in February and I can’t believe how fast this time has gone. I know that he will grow up in the blink of an eye and I just don’t want to miss any of it. I am fortunate that I can work from home, but I still have to work and devote time to things other than him. I want to be able to take him to the park and to the library for story time but because of all the work I’ve been doing I can’t seem to find the time during the day. After having a break from school and from blogging I have come to realize that I really love this down time and that I NEED to do less. My son is the most important thing I have ever done and the best job I have ever had . I’ve done many things in my life, eboutique owner, human resources specialist, interior designer, architectural lighting designer, teacher, but the most rewarding job I have ever had is being little guy’s mom. He is the only job I’ve ever had where I can’t wait to go to work in the morning. I can’t wait to see his face first thing in the morning, I can’t wait to hear the new words he will say today, I can’t wait to teach him and show him new things, the list goes on and on. So with all that said, I really feel the need to reevaluate what is important and do more for myself. In addition to spending more time with my son, I also want to do more things for me. I have always loved making jewelry, I think I will take more jewelry making classes to learn new jewelry techniques. I love to read books but have had very little time to read, other than “Goodnight Moon”. I want to do more reading for me. I also want to write a book - I can’t tell you when the last time was that I wrote in my journal.

Do you have the same feelings? Do you want to do less in the New Year? Maybe I’m being selfish, but if I’ve learned one thing in all my years, it’s that life is WAAAAYYYY too short. The last thing I want in my life is regrets. I always remember that famous line, I’m sure most of you know it, “No one ever looks back on their life and says I wish I would have worked more”.

Wordful Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:48:00 +0000

I was looking through my pictures and came across this pic of my little guy this past summer. Now that Winter is here, leaves are off the trees and the sun is gone by 5pm this really made me realize how much I love the beach and the sun. I can't wait until I get to stick my toes in the sand again. I envy those of you that live near the beach and can plop yourself down with a good book and a hat anytime of the year.

My best wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year to you all!

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Christmas at our house

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Here's me baking the traditional tea ring we have every Christmas morning. Notice little guy is cooking too in the background :)

DS and daddy. I love this pic

Here are a few pics of our Christmas morning. It was a wonderful day. Woke up and fed the guy some oatmeal and fruit and then got down to the business of opening presents. He'll be two in February, so he doesn't quite get the whole concept but he sure got the hang of opening the presents. He was so good he even started helping us open ours. We didn't get him too many toys because we don't want him to be overwhelmed and he really just doesn't need all that stuff. Since his birthday is also in early Feb he'll be getting more at that time so we try to keep everything in perspective. His favorite toys are his tool box, he wanted one so bad after watching daddy with his. He also got a house from Playmobil with little people and he really likes them too. One of his favorite toys is a crazy gizmo that we got from one of the museums we went to this past fall. I'll post a pic of it on Wed.

I hope you all had a wonderful day with your friends and family! Hard to believe we've come to the end of another year - so quickly!!!

Need some SPICE in your life??

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:38:00 +0000

It's not what you think - ha! Whether you love to bake, cook or both, I’m sure you often find yourself in need of spices and herbs to add flavor and give life to your dishes. If you are tired of the same old, same old that you get at the local grocery store, then you should give Penzey’s Spices a try!

I received a gift set of spices as a wedding gift a few years back, and ever since that time I’ve been a big fan of Penzey’s spices. I rarely, unless it’s emergency, buy my spices anywhere else. I think they have such fresh and flavorful spices compared to any other that I’ve tried. Their Chinese Cinnamon is especially delicious.

Lately I’ve been wanting to add some jalapeno powder to some of my recipes. I don’t know why I didn’t go to Penzey’s as my first stop. I checked around the local grocery stores and couldn’t find it there. It was no surprise when I checked Penzey’s website and found it there.

The thing I really like about Penzey’s is the glass jars you can store your spices in. I like to pinch out my spices on my food, rather than shake. I also like to use my measuring spoons when I’m baking and the wide mouth glass jars allow me to do that. The spoons fit perfectly in these jars.

The spices come in bags so you can refill the jars as needed. I keep the unused spices in my freezer until I need to refill the jars. That way they keep just as fresh as the day they arrived.

The next time you need spices think about Penzey’s.

WORDFUL WEDNESDAY

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 01:00:00 +0000

My mom, brother and I (I was 4 1/2 months old here)

My husband, son and I last Christmas morning

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

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Remember Vaseline?

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:52:00 +0000

My mother AND father always used Vaseline as their hand lotion when I was a little girl growing up in Nebraska. Those winters can get pretty cold and dry, and I recall my parent's always having a bottle on the bathroom sink. We'll Vaseline is introducing a great new product for dry skin. Have a look at the video.

My son, the Superhero

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:16:00 +0000

DS's cape

I just got the cutest cape from Plum Pear Apple Designs for my DS for Christmas. He might not be old enough to appreciate it yet, but I thought it was so cute I couldn’t resist. The fact that it was handmade is really what sold me on it. I love supporting mom’s that have their own businesses. I especially love mom’s that make great items like this cape! Erin is a stay at home mom that hand makes each of the capes herself. She puts a lot of love into each Superhero cape, and it definitely shows! She believes that every kid deserves to be a Superhero with his or her OWN initials on the back of the cape.

She has a selection of designs and colors to choose from. I chose the star emblem with his initial inside for my son’s cape. I also chose the contrasting fabric on the inside of the cape. He’s going to look so dashing swooping in and saving the day! Check out Plum Pear Apple Designs for more about these wonderful capes. I’m sure it’s too late for Christmas but it’s never too early to start thinking about birthday’s in the new year.

All of her capes are bright and colorful! Superhero capes are good for both BOYS and GIRLS alike! Every kid likes to imagine they are a Superhero that can leap over tall buildings and save people in peril!

What is a Buche de Noel?

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:00:00 +0000

I never heard of a Buche de Noel until I moved to the DC area. I'm not sure where I've been that I never heard of this delicious Christmas delicacy, but there you are. Actually the exact place I learned of it was le Madeleine's restaurant in Alexandria. If you haven't been to one they have the most fantastic tomato-basil soup that I've ever tasted.

Buche de Noel means "Yule Log", a cake, which is one of the best served traditional French desserts.

According to Buzzle.com, basically the history of the Buche (as it is fondly referred to), is that the great Napoleon Bonaparte of France issued a proclamation stating houses in Paris to keep their chimneys closed during the winter because of the cool air that caused medical problems. This prohibited Parisians to use their fireplaces. But ingenious French bakers then invented this dessert as a symbolic substitution around which the family could gather for story-telling and other holiday happiness.

The origins of this most well-known French pastry can be found in the ancient Celtic tradition of celebrating the winter solstice. On this shortest day of the year, the Celts would search for a large trunk of either oak, beech, elm or cherry and burn it as a symbol of the rebirth of the sun, they also offered their thanks to the sun for recurring to the earth.

During the middle Ages the logs and the ceremony of the burning log became more detailed. The logs themselves would be decorated with ribbons and greenery. Then the youngest and the oldest member of each family would carry the log to the hearth and set it in flames for the whole night. The vestiges would be collected the next day to be used for the whole year. They were thought to help cure various sicknesses and protect the house from the wickedness of the evil spirit. As days past it changed to small logs and then served as a dessert to the guest.

Buche de Noel is well garnished and so well presented like a log just to be ready for the fire. This traditional desert is generally made from other sponge cake, filled with butter cream. Sometimes, even chocolate cakes are also cherished. Bûches are often served with cake cut off from one side, set on top of the cake to resemble a chopped off branch and bark-like texture is often produced in the butter cream for further realism. Tree branches, chorus, mushrooms made of meringue, fresh berries, and powdered sugar to have an effect of snow are most commonly used decorative style with traditional value.

Here is the link to a Buche recipe. Looks like a lot of work. Think I'll get mine at le Madeleine's!

Wordful Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:00:00 +0000

We took little guy to see the National Tree this past weekend. First, we paid a visit to the American History museum, which has been closed for the past three years for renovations. It is where you will find the Star Bangled Banner, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz's glass slippers, light bulbs, Archie Bunker's chair, Seinfeld's "Pirate" shirt (you may remember that episode of you are a Seinfeld fan), and basically memorabilia from America. There are also planes, trains and automobiles, so of course my son would want to see the trains :).

After the museum we took him to the Sculputure Garden's Ice Skating Rink. It's a rather small outside rink but it is very cute and charming. You can see my son up against the railing watching the skaters. He was quite enchanted as he has never seen ice skating before.

Of course we were there for several hours before sunset visiting the museum and the ice rink (having lunch too, of course :)). We wanted to wait until evening so we could see the tree all lit up. We got to the tree about 5pm and wouldn't you know it, little guy was fast asleep and missed the whole tree experience. It was a very nice day, temps were in the 50's so it was a very pleasant experience. Too bad little guy missed the tree......I have also included a photo of The White House. Pardon the blurry picture but it was tough taking at night without a tripod :), and all the glare from the surrounding lighting.

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How CPSIA will effect small businesses

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:09:00 +0000

If you love to purchase unique handmade children’s items, or children’s items from small businesses those days may be numbered. Apparently there is some legislation set to go into effect as of February 10, 2009 that may change your ability to do so. This legislation threatens to close down many small businesses. Basically this new law requires anything that is intended for children 12 and under be tested by a third party for lead. That means anything!! I mean anything!!! It sounds like a good idea, in concept, but it’s impact on the retail world (and the consumers as well, since many of these small businesses will likely close up shop because they cannot afford the testing). Even things that have no chance of having lead in them still need to be tested, read - an organic cotton t-shirt.

This just sounds absurd to me, especially given the current economic crisis we are in. That is just what we need, more businesses closing down and more people without jobs because of some legislation that really wasn’t thought through completely. Whether you sell on ebay, Craigslist, Etsy or have an online store you will have to comply with this new law.

Testing is expensive and it’s not just a matter of testing one thing, all parts of that item must be tested. So you can see that this could really have devastating results for small retailers/manufacturers, even large ones will have to comply with this. I wonder if there will be a bailout for the retailer’s that will have to close their doors? It makes me sad to think that many crafter’s and artisans that have made a nice living off of their talents will have to stop sharing their art and talent with the rest of us. Sounds to me like there will only be two places to shop for children’s clothes. Baby’s R Us and Walmart, because they will be the only ones that can afford the testing (because they pay such ridiculously low labor prices, no doubt). Pardon the cynicism, but this is just ludicrous to me.

Check out this great post from Happy Panda that helps to explain the repercussions of this legislation. You will also find a petition there that you can sign regarding CPSIA.

Please help spread the word!!

Check out these sites:
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3389&sid=fb29dcc5c65dc7e0628dc58fbbe5a99e

http://sites.google.com/site/handmadetoyalliance/

http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.html

Getting the Ears in the Holiday Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:54:00 +0000

With the holidays so rapidly approaching, I’ve realized that my Christmas music selection needs some serious updating. After several moves and many technology changes like 33 RPM records (come on, some of you know what these are ;) ), 8 track tapes and cassettes, my collection includes only a few Christmas CD’s that I actually like, I might add. I don't know why I'm still hanging on to the cassettes. I can't imagine ever listening to them again. I just can't bring myself to get rid of them because of the nostalgia aspect I suspect. Anyhow, I digress......

I appreciate traditional Christmas carols as well as contemporary music. However, my favorite Holiday music is typically instrumental. I especially love the piano.

A couple of my favorites are Liz Story’s – The Gift, a fabulous collection of beautiful piano music. Celtic Christmas – just a very ethereal sort of sound but I love it. I have another CD of Christmas Carols, I have no idea where I got it or who it is but it is one of my all time favorites. It’s called 20 Peaceful Carols.

In my search for music I have come across a fabulous album that I just love. It’s by Enya, “And Winter Came” – there is nothing that she can sing poorly in my book. I just love her voice and I love the music. Her song called “Star and Midnight just made me bawl as I was driving home from an appointment yesterday.

Another CD that I just purchased is “Charlie Brown’s Christmas.” Who doesn’t love Vince Guaraldi? Those songs just take me back in time to my childhood. I can remember getting so excited when I knew it was coming on TV that evening. No matter how old I get I still love that cartoon and that music. I picked up my copy at Starbuck’s. It was even 20% off, so I got it for somewhere around $10.

What are your favorite Christmas CD’s? I’d love to hear what you listen to. I’m always open to new ideas for expanding my selection.

HUGE HOLIDAY TRIVIA EVENT

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:43:00 +0000

Head on over to my friend at The Brunette Blog for another great giveaway just in time for the holidays. There are some fabulous items being given away and it sounds like a lot of fun too! It's going to take place on Twitter on December 19th, and you know how fast and furious those get. Grab a glass, or two ;0, of wine and pull up a chair for a fun evening with friends. And you just might win something too!!

Check out The Brunette Blog for more details.

WORDFUL WEDNESDAY

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:30:00 +0000

Every Thanksgiving we go to my in-laws house in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The whole family gets together for turkey and all the fixings. It’s wonderful to connect and catch up with the family, as we all have such busy lives. One of the days that we were there we decided to go to Steamtown. Steamtown is a National Historic Site that was created to preserve the history of steam railroading in America.

If your child has an interest in trains and you find yourself in that part of Pennsylvania you should pay a visit. There are actual steam trains that you can ride on for a short distance. A bridge connects to the museum which allows you to walk over the trains. This provides a unique perspective of a train that I’ve never experienced. (You can see us on the bridge in the picture above). It was a pretty cold day and you can really see the smoke billowing out of the smokestack. Some of the trains were very old and in serious states of deterioration, but the bones were still there, so you get a good feel for the charm and character of these trains.

It was quite a hike to the museum on a cold day, but it was worth it. There were some very interesting exhibits on display that show the railroad and the men that worked it. What a tough life that must have been. Back breaking work for sure, but I couldn’t help thinking that most of these men didn’t complain much, if at all. They were just happy to have a job so they could provide for their families.

There were buttons to push to hear different train whistle sounds. Little guy loved pushing those buttons. You can see LG above wearing a Conductor’s hat (have you ever seen a Conductor with a pacifier in his mouth? :) ). There were also full sized train cars that you could walk in. You can see my son and I and his grandmother in the caboose above. LG loved the caboose. He wanted to go back several times. He liked to wave out the window at his grandma. Amazing how small that caboose was, and to think that two men slept in these small quarters. There was a small wood burning stove in one corner that I’m sure provided much needed warmth in this drafty caboose. It was all kind of simple and charming.

These were fun memories to make with his grandmother and my sister-in-law. I’m glad we were able to pay a visit while we were there. It made me nostalgic for the bygone era of the train. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures.

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FAIR TRADE HOLIDAY SHOPPING

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Gift Basket

Market Basket

Necklace

I like to support fair trade every chance I get, so when I come across great fair trade products and deals, I’m going to pass them along to you. If you haven’t been to Global Exchange lately you should make the short trip. People really seem to appreciate hand made and fair trade gifts. If you have people on your shopping list that like unique and special finds, you should check out Global Exchange.

Global Exchange is your online source for socially conscious gifts. They have crafts, jewelry, recycled products (love that!!), bath and beauty products, even coffee and chocolate! They’re a ‘one stop shop’ for holiday shopping. Right now until December 31, 2008, they are offering a $10 Gift Card on orders of $50 or more. So make the trip, you’ll be glad you did. (Use the code in the Gift Certificate above when you checkout at Global Exchange.

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS!!

noreply@blogger.com (hippos toes) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

If you celebrate Christmas I’m sure you have already put up your tree or are in the process of doing so. I love putting up the tree, pulling out the ornaments and remembering the places I’ve been to, the vacations where I’ve found many of the ornaments on my tree, special family and friends that have given me some ornaments as gifts, ornaments that have been in my family and my husband’s since we were children, and the new ornaments I have gotten to mark the birth of my son last Christmas.

The Christmas tree is really a family tree when you think about it. Sure I have some ornaments that I bought just to fill in, but most of the ornaments on my tree are special to me and give me a nostalgic feeling as I look at each one. Some have been given to me by my dear mother, who passed away 3 years ago in November. Her ornaments take me back to Christmases as a child, helping mom bake Christmas cookies, singing at church on Christmas morning with my family, wrapping presents with my mom in her bedroom and being so excited about Santa coming I could burst. I miss my mom, and I appreciate these special memories that some of my ornaments evoke.

My husband and I make an effort to buy at least one new ornament each year from someplace that we’ve been so that we can recall those memories as we decorate our tree and celebrate the end of another year.

This year we’re adding the ornament by Muraldevotee in honor of my son. We’re also adding a seagull ornament from our trip to Cape May in September. I guess I look at it not just as a Christmas tree, but also as a New Year’s tree J. It’s a chance to memorialize important events that happened over the year, (and even in previous ones). But it’s definitely a family tree.

With all of that in mind, I would like to feature a few ornaments that you might be interested in for your tree or as a gift. As I mentioned above, we are adding a new ornament to our tree this year in honor of our son who will turn two in February. It’s from Muraldevotee at Etsy. I was able to choose the hair color and style and eye color for my ornament. I love it and was so happy to add it to our tree this year to mark my son’s 2nd Christmas. She also does key fobs, I think these are a great stocking stuffer, so unique and personalized.

Jenblends is also another cute Etsy site that I came across that has some really cute ornaments. The ornaments could even be given as a decoration on the present – two gifts in one. And the recipient has a nice reminder of you when they decorate their tree. The Emerald Crackle Trees (see 3rd image above), would make a nice touch to incorporate into a bow on the package wrap.

I think this is an adorable Baby’s First Christmas ornament (see 2nd image above), from SarEi’s Shop at Etsy. Take a look! There are some really lovely and unique handmade ornaments. There is a First Christmas Together ornament. I’ve never seen anything like that before – and it’s so nicely done! How about this adorable “It’s a Girl,” ornament?

Those are just a few ideas of some great places to find unique ornaments for your tree to add to your collection, or for friends and family for Christmas gifts.