Mama Bub

The weekend, and then some

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:40:00 +0000

First up, we have a winner from the J.R. Watkins Giveaway!

Congratulations to commenter #47, The Adventures of a Blondie Mommie! Christy, I’ll be emailing you shortly!

*****

This weekend, there was a baby shower, and it was SO CUTE, if I do say so myself. I can say that, because I had very little to do with the execution of the shower.

There was yet another wreath, made by yours truly, the banner is from Whimsy and Wise, and the favors were filled with homemade caramel corn, in cute bags with customized labels.

I have wanted to do a balloon ceiling like that ever since I saw it here, but I haven’t had the space until we lived in this house. I really loved the effect and my kids loved all of the leftover balloons. The lighting is crummy in that picture, but it wasn’t that dark in the room. There was tons of natural light, which was fortunate because we couldn’t turn on the lights in the dining room without popping all of the balloons.

On Sunday we tried a new church, and this is the first time we’ve left Bubette in the nursery. We came back to a very teary baby girl being bounce-walked around the room. She seemed like she was on the verge of calming down, but lost her mind when she saw me. Bub was fine, and all he could remember about his morning was that Jaden is not a nice boy. He hit me.

So, new church? Not earning any points from this girl!

Yesterday was back to business as usual until I dropped a kitchen chair on my foot. I was sure that I had broken my toe, and wondered at what point I should call my husband, and then realized that I haven’t shaved my legs in… more than a day or two. I debated the merits of attempting to slap a little polish on my winter neglected toes right up until the pain started to abate. I’m left with a bruise, and not much else, but for about an hour, I thought I would be the girl with nine toes. Vain and overly dramatic will totally be the title of my memoir.

Marshmallow Pops

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:31:00 +0000

We’re having a baby shower here on Saturday, and while my main contribution is the house, I did offer to make these little marshmallow treats.

I can not make a cake pop to save my life. They’re cute and they’re delicious, but I’ve officially given up. I’ve tried several times, and no matter what you tell me, I will not believe that they are easy. But, I can make these super simple marshmallow pops, that are easily as cute as a cake pop and about seventeen steps more simple. A friend told me I would have to teach her how to make these, and so here is the tutorial. I assure you, a monkey could successfully make these pops.

Start with your ingredients.

Chocolate chips or candy melts (I typically use the Wilton brand that you can find at Michael’s if I need a color.)
Marshmallows
Sprinkles (optional, but CUTE)
Straws or lollipop sticks (Or you can use something edible like a candy cane or a pretzel, but that never occurs to me as I’m making these.)

Melt the candy per the directions on the package. The candy melts call for being melted at 50% power for a minute and a half, and then to continue heating in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until all of the candy is melted.

I didn’t take a picture of the step by step process, but essentially you dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and place it on a cookie sheet to dry. If you’re going to use sprinkles, you want to add them immediately. I usually dip two or three marshmallows and then sprinkle them, otherwise the candy will dry and not hold the sprinkles.

Once your candy or chocolate has hardened, add your lollipop stick. Some people add these before dipping, but then you have to find a more creative way to dry your pops, and I have never had a problem with adding the sticks after the marshmallows have been dipped.

You can display your marshmallows any way you want, but I typically wrap them in a treat bag and tie them with a ribbon.

These can be customized to work with any theme. You can tie a thank you tag on with the ribbon and use them as party favors, or they make a cute addition to the ubiquitous dessert table.

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:33:00 +0000

I’ve recently started recording reruns of the Big Bang Theory, even though I’ve seen them all already. I had completely forgotten how Penny and Leonard broke up, and that episode stirred up all sorts of unwanted emotions. Yes, I’m emotional about these two, even though my rational brain knows that they’re not getting back together anytime soon.

Through the process I’ve come across my favorite episode ever, The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis. This clip of the last three minutes of the episode is the best part, although I highly recommend hunting the episode down and watching it now. The chemistry is so great in this episode, particularly between Penny and Leonard, that I have to assume that this was filmed when Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki were real-life dating. (I’ve gone off the deep end here, haven’t I?) I’m trying very hard to not fall down the rabbit hold of TBBT You Tube clips (Too late.)

In other news, I charmed the cable company into giving us Showtime for free again, so I'm catching up on Homeland. I’ve got two or three episodes to go until the end of the season, and then I’m going to fall into a deep depression because there are many, long months in between seasons on Showtime. I think I’ll fill that hole with Shameless, and since the entire first season is available On Demand (This is the first time I’ve ever had On Demand and I want to marry it and have its babies.) I can start from the beginning and have days of entertainment ahead of me. My husband is thrilled.

What my husband is in fact thrilled about is that we have begun my Star Wars education. I have never seen a single Star Wars movie, but I have promised that if he’s ever willing to sit with me through all six movies, AND the inevitable barrage of questions that will accompany each movie, that I will commit to watching them all. We’re one movie in and… I didn’t hate it. We’ll see where I stand five movies from now.

What are you watching?

J.R. Watkins Naturals Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:06:00 +0000

Just before the holidays, I had a chance to visit the brand new J.R. Watkins Naturals store in the Irvine Spectrum. The store itself is adorable, and I was immediately drawn to the pretty labels on everything. See for yourself:

Yes, I would like every single one of those in my pantry right this minute.
J. R. Watkins is more than just a pretty face. Offering items including personal care, cleaning products, spices and seasonings and a brand new baby care line, their products deliver.
There are several scents to choose from including: Vanilla, Lavender, Coconut, Aloe and Green Tea, Lemon, Mango, and Grapefruit. The Aloe and Green Tea is my personal favorite, and the hand and body lotion in this scent is my new every day product. The scents are all pleasant, but not overwhelming.
I fell in love with the Coconut Sugar and Shea Body Scrub, the Shea Butter Body Cream (which I use on my poor, neglected hands every single night now,) and the Grapefruit All Purpose Cleaner.
I also love J.R. Watkins Naturals’ commitment to our bodies and our environment. They’re very clear about what their cleaning and body products are made with (and made without,) and their spices and extracts are all USDA organic.
Of course I have something for you, too. The people at J.R. Watkins Naturals have offered to send one of you the Coconut Sugar and Shea Body Scrub (that I love so much,) the Coconut Body Lotion and the Coconut Body Oil Mist. Seems like the perfect way to bring a little summer to a chilly winter to me.
Simply leave a comment below before next Monday, January 23 at noon PST. (Since Blogger’s commenting system leaves much to be desired, please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in your comment, or link to a profile or blog with contact information.) Winner must live in the United States.
I was invited to the J.R. Watkins store and sent home with several products. All opinions are my own.

Project Be Productive: Status Update

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:03:00 +0000

Last week I wanted to get this year started on the right food by being productive. I got a LOT done, but felt held up by the things that didn’t get done. Namely my, poor, poor neglected closet.

~~Get book club book, one way or another~~. Just as I was about to break down and order the book on my Kindle, The Paris Wife appeared on the hold shelf at the library for me. Now, I have eight days to finish reading it.

~~Return all of the things~~. Everything that needed to be mailed was mailed, and some of the in-store returns were made. I’m not sure how I came to have so many things that needed to be returned anyway. I still have a few things to return the next time I make it to the mall, but I just couldn’t squeeze in another errand during preschool time this week. I’m really looking forward to email confirmations and refunds this week.

~~Complete a menu plan for next week.~~ Done

Clean out my closet. Not done. Not done at all.

~~Decide on an accessory organization system~~. Mostly done. I’m still waiting for a PayPal deposit, and then I can make a final decision. I’m trying to decide between something pretty and something utilitarian, but I’ve narrowed down my options.

~~Get all of the supplies needed for the baby shower I’m hosting next weekend.~~ Done. Last week I called this the list of annoying things, but this wasn’t an annoying thing at all. It was a non-optional thing on my list that needed to be done, but I didn’t mean to imply that party-planning for a friend is annoying.

~~Buy/order gifts for the parties we’re attending this month.~~ Done. Well, except for the birthday party invitation that we got on Friday. Don’t even ask about all of the February birthday parties. For us, January – April is Birthday Season. (Birthday gift shopping is also a non-annoying, fun thing.)

~~Print pictures for Bub’s student of the week project due next week.~~ Done! The project is mostly finished with a full day and a half before it needs to be delivered to school. Hooray!

So, this week that closet is MINE. I also have a few projects on my plate like researching new churches, and looking into possible vacation spots for this summer. If I’m feeling particularly motivated, I need to get my email in order. I receive entirely too many newsletter emails, most of which arrive overnight, so the first thing I see when I check my email in the morning is clutter.

A friend asked me if I’m on a blog break, and I’m not. Writer’s block is in the house, hence the to-do list. It’s funny that the person that I talk to daily, and who knows every word of what’s written here before it’s written, is the one person to ask why I’m not writing. But! I have a fun giveaway coming tomorrow, so stay tuned for that.

Challenge, extended

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:38:00 +0000

It would really make me happy if you could think the title of this post in Ross Gellar’s voice. Thanks.

Wouldn’t it be great if I could retrain my brain toward productivity? I think some people see a to-do list as things to get done. I see a to-do list as a challenge to find as many ways as possible around all of the things that need to get done.

I’m extending a little challenge to myself this week. I’m doing pretty well with my plan to tackle the most annoying thing first, but it’s pretty easy to clap my hands and get back to the business of avoidance once that thing is done. So, here’s a long list of annoying things that need to be done by Friday.

~~Get book club book, one way or another~~. Done. As luck would have it, this book was waiting on the hold shelf at the library this morning with my name on it.

Return all of the things. Some need to be mailed, some need to be taken to actual stores. (Partially done, as I picked up mailing supplies today. Note to my future self – keep a small stash of Amazon boxes for this purpose.)

Complete a menu plan for next week. I’ve actually planned out all of this week’s meals already and I feel so FREE. (Could I be more inept at recognizing the obvious?)

Clean out my closet. As we’ve only lived here for six months, this isn’t a major project, but I can turn my closet floor into a war zone with impressive speed. Donate anything I haven’t worn since we’ve lived here.

Decide on an accessory organization system. I won’t be buying anything until there’s money in my PayPal account from a recent project, but I need to have a plan in place that’s better than the giant pile of scarves and tangled necklaces that I’ve got going on right now.

Get all of the supplies needed for the baby shower I’m hosting next weekend. I’m mostly just the location, and my part in the planning is pretty minimal, but I do need to complete a few crafty projects, and it would be nice to do so without rushing.

Buy/order gifts for the parties we’re attending this month. Bonus points for wrapping them before the day of the party.

Print pictures for Bub’s student of the week project due next week.

I’ll be back on Friday with an update. Wish me luck! Until then, I’m loving your comments on my newest Questions post. Keep ‘em coming!

Re-Entry

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:22:00 +0000

It wasn’t until we were walking out the door this morning that I realized that I had forgotten to pack a lunch for Bub.

“Don’t MOVE,” I commanded both children, because man can they scatter. Off they went in different directions, of course.

After two weeks with a disrupted schedule I’m scattered, and yet I feel the compulsion to write. I need to say something, so I can get to the business of saying something else.

I need to stop pretending like I can get through the day without making a list of the things I need to get done. Maybe that’s a sign of something bigger, that I’m leading a life full of distractions, and I am, but for now I’ll start with a list.

I’m not making resolutions this year, not officially anyway. I am taking this opportunity to remind myself of certain goals, (be more present, read often, make a commitment to being healthy, take a lot of pictures, work towards organization.)

I would like 2012 to be the year that I live by this principle: Everyday, do the most annoying thing on my list first. This is a lesson learned from my father, and it’s a relatively easy path to productivity. What is it that I’m going to spend all day avoiding? Get that one thing out of the way, right away. Make the uncomfortable phone call, go to the dry cleaners – even if taking two children means two trips to the car, schedule the dog’s grooming appointment, and ask for a time that’s convenient for me, instead of the first option they offer.

This isn’t my natural state. My natural state is procrastination and last-minute productivity. My natural state isn’t necessarily my happiest state, though, and that seems like something worth doing the annoying things for.

I do believe a new tradition has been born

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:08:00 +0000

I’m not a big fan of huge New Year’s Eve plans. It’s not because I’m too cool for them, it’s just that I’m not a huge party kind of girl on any night of the year. But having a few friends over? That’s a perfect night for me. New Year’s Eve is a challenge though, as no one wants to be driving because everyone on the road has been drinking, and it’s tough to convince a babysitter to give up their New Year’s Eve in favor of yours.

This year though, we changed things up. We had friends over on January 1st for Fake New Year’s Eve. We played games, drank champagne, and my kids slept through it all.

January 1st 2013? It’s a date.

Editor’s note: I originally wrote 2012, but is IS 2012. The future is now, you guys.

2011 in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:30:00 +0000

In January I made several resolutions, of which it appears that I kept, uh, none. I could pretty much copy and paste all of those here. Perhaps I’m slightly more organized this year than I was last year, but the floor of my closet would probably beg to differ.

In February we started house hunting, and the husband and I took a much needed adults-only trip to Vegas to see Garth Brooks.

In March we continued the process of house-hunting, and I continued to stress and over-think the process. Except, it is a house, where we’re going to live for a long time, and where we have to wake up every single day, so maybe it was just good thinking, and not overthinking.

In April we finally chose a house. Bubette still wasn’t sleeping through the night. (Spoiler alert: This wouldn’t happen until after her first birthday when she was completely weaned.)

In May, we took our first family vacation to Hawaii. It was fun, but exhausting as neither child ever acclimated to the time change. (And, Bubette still was not sleeping through the night, which is even more fun when four people are sharing a hotel room.)

In June Bubette turned one, Bub turned four, parties were had, and, after much anticipation, we finally moved! All of this happened in the same week, although you would never know that from the timing of the posts.

In July we closed on our old house, exactly one month after moving into this house. I never wrote about it, but it was a MAJOR weight off of my shoulders. The rest of the month was spent doing summery things.

In August I went to BlogHer, my husband turned 35, and we pretended to be fancy by renting out a suite an at Angel game. Then my husband went back to work and I whined, despite this being the order of things every single year that we’ve been married. I doubt I’ll ever not dread the end of summer for that very reason.

In September Bub started his second year of preschool, and I started a year of annoying commutes. We kept him in his preschool near our old house, so I spend a lot of time in our old city, 3.5 hours three times weekly to be exact. Bubette finally walked!

In October I got an iPhone, as evidenced by the extreme uptick in cell phone photos in my posts. I also completed a simple upgrade to Bubette’s room, put myself on a spending semi-freeze, and made and ate a lot of food.

In November I participated in NaBloPoMo for the first time, and managed to make it all the way through the month posting daily. I was bitten by the crafting bug, had a mouse in MY HOUSE, tried and failed to take an Christmas card worthy photo, I broke a promise I had made to myself by buying and wearing jeggings, and I declared that we are absolutely finished having children. Naturally I’ve been throwing salt over my shoulder and committing to all sorts of other superstitious acts, should that declaration cause some sort of cosmic that’s what you think retaliation.

In December I continued crafting, celebrated a very overwhelming Christmas, and Bub lost his first tooth! I didn’t write about it, but I assure you it happened. See?

And with that, I have linked myself into exhaustion. This month marks my three year blogiversary, and I’m so glad I’ve stuck with this for so long. Happy New Year to you all. Tonight, we ring in 2012 in our pajamas, with a movie on demand. Just as it should be.

Answers

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:24:00 +0000

I loved reading all of your answers yesterday. Here are mine:

1. I got a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas, in tangerine, which reminds me that I meant to ask what color you have, if you have one. Tell me today! Anyway, I think the only reason to choose a fun color is to display it, but the husband thinks the counters will be too cluttered. He’s not wrong, but it’s a good kind of clutter, I think. KimR, mentioned that she would use the shelves in her island, which reminded me that we have two shelves built into the side of our island, which would be a perfect place for the mixer, someday. Right now, the shelves are mostly bare except for a few cookbooks as they’re right at the height of the smallest, and most destructive member of our household. Someday, however, I will be able to display things there. Right? Someday, my kids will stop destroying all things within their reach?

2. We don’t let Bub win, but like several of you mentioned, we don’t necessarily play our hardest. That doesn’t mean that I avoid every opportunity to send him back to start in Trouble, but I don’t take every opportunity either. He’s not the best loser, but we’ve been working on him to say, “Good job,” to the winner, rather than dissolving into tears. It’s not that I enjoy watching him getting his feelings hurt, but he’s going to have to accept that it happens, and this lesson isn’t going to get any easier to teach as time goes on.

3. I brush my teeth when I’m getting ready in the morning. So, if I shower and get dressed before I have breakfast, then I brush my teeth then. If I come downstairs in my pajamas, have breakfast, then get dressed, then that’s when I I brush my teeth. The reason I asked is because my husband gets ready, has breakfast, then comes back upstairs to brush his teeth. Perhaps I’m just the laziest person on the planet, but this seems like an unnecessary extra step. Plus, I would totally forget to brush my teeth if I didn’t do it as a mindless part of my routine. I am that absentminded.

One more question for the weekend: Do you make New Year’s Eve plans? We don’t. Well, not really. We have friends coming over during the day, and then that’s it. We're having a game night with friends (kids in bed!) on New Year’s Day since no one has to work the next day.(Rose Parade on January 2nd? WEIRD.) An actual, grown up night in my own house – I can hardly stand the anticipation.

Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:03:00 +0000

1. If you own a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, where does it live? Are you an on the counter, all the time kind of person?

2. If you have a child, do you let your child win when playing board games? If you don't have a child, feel free to weigh in on this practice.

3. In the morning, assuming you eat breakfast at home, do you brush your teeth before or after eating?

I'll be back with my answers tomorrow.

Our Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:54:00 +0000

Christmas was really, really wonderful this year. It was also completely exhausting, as always. I have always kind of accepted that this is just part of the deal. Since we live close to both of our families, and have easy access to them on Christmas, the driving and the racing from one place to another seemed to be just the way things are and the way that they will always be. I think we’ve decided that isn’t so, but more on that in a minute.

Christmas Eve was spent with my parents, aka the home of many trees. This isn’t even close to all of them.

There were presents, of course. An XBox with Kinect and Disneyland passes for the family, several treasures from my parents’ trip to New York and FAO Schwartz last year, clothes for everyone, and gift cards that I’ve mentally spent ten times over.

My brother got Bub a Nintendo 3DS, which he met with an “Oh. My. GOSH.” upon opening. It was all we could do to pry the thing out of his hands for the rest of the weekend.

Bub waits impatiently while Mommy disables the 3D, and wifi, and the sattelite launching capabilities of his new toy.

Dinner was butternut squash soup with prosciutto paninis and a dessert trio. Non-traditional, but delicious.

We were home by seven, and both kids were quickly tucked into bed so Santa could get to work. We had assembled Bub’s bike the night before, and hidden it deep in a closet, but we still had Bubette’s play house to put together. Since it was late when we started, and we had to assemble it outside, we couldn’t use power tools, so it took a looooong time to get the seven million screws into place. We filled everyone’s stockings and headed off to bed.

Bub woke bright and early on Christmas morning asking for his “red thing. You know, my phone… my game… my red thing, Mama.” Hey kid, Santa was here. Want to see what he brought? “Okay, but then can I play my red thing?"

Kids, man.

He was excited about his bike, and his Mater remote controlled car, and happily opened the rest of his presents and his sister’s. Finally, you guys. He used to cry when we tried to make him open presents. Bubette loved her playhouse, and cried when we made her come inside.

Then, we let everyone play with their new things for about five minutes, and had to rush everyone into the shower so we could head to my in-laws for stop #1 of the day. By the time we were in the car, running late, I looked at my husband and told him that this would be the last year of racing out of the house. We can go somewhere for dinner, but we’re not making two stops on Christmas Day.

I know it’s just one day, but I want it to be a special day. I want it to be a day spent in pajamas and playing with new things. I want a sugary and leisurely breakfast. I don’t want bananas and cereal shoved onto a plate so we can tide the kids over until the official breakfast at eleven. I’m happy to do something Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, but people can come to us on Christmas Day if they’re so inclined. Mark my words, friends. This is it.

Anyway, there were more presents for the kids. We ended up with six remote control cars altogether, three pillow pets – two of them giant, a pogo stick(!), a scooter for just-barely-walking-in-a-straight-line Bubette, and as-seen-on-TV goodies like a Gyro bowl, and Slushy Magic (which actually works! The jury is still out on the Gyro bowl.)

From there it was off to dinner with my husband’s extended family, and even more presents for the kids, and lots of outside time with the littler cousins. There are no little kids on my side of the family, so this is fun for them (and worth it for us to make a point of showing up.)

It was a great two days, and despite the bags of things we hauled into the house, it felt like the first year that nobody went completely insane with the number of presents for the kids, or us. That’s not to say that there aren’t a few things tucked into a closet for a rainy day, or that my kids are anything but completely spoiled, (six remote control cars, you guys,) but I don’t really mind that once a year. “It’s Christmas!” was my excuse for all manner of excess this year, and I plan to repeat that refrain for many years to come. It should be fun, and a little over the top, but that doesn’t mean it’s without love and family, too.

(Whoa, if you made it all the way to the end, congratulations. Sometimes I write just so I can remember these days in the years to come.)

Laughing at myself

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:30:00 +0000

My husband has been lovingly (I hope. I mean, let’s just pretend he means it in a loving way. It is, after all, almost Christmas.) referring to me as his little old lady wife, what with all the yarn wreathing, and finger knitting, handmade action going on here.

So, when I saw this little beauty from Handmade Ryan Gosling, I just had to laugh. Happy Wednesday, everyone.

It’s over before it even begins

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:36:00 +0000

I just put a long, detailed note in my Google calendar for next September, reminding me to buy all of the really annoying things, that I always leave until the last minute, ahead of time. Things like stocking stuffers, gift cards for teachers, extra wrapping supplies, stuff to package Christmas goodies, tape, and a metric ton of baking supplies. Having those things on hand come December, without adding them to our December budget, makes me giddy for the possibilities of next Christmas.

Still, I’ll probably be scrambling around the week before Christmas, telling myself that I have plenty of time. And sure, I do have plenty of time. It will all get done. I have exactly one more shopping trip to make, and all of the things I need are located in the same area, I just need to load the kids in the car and go. The only things that have been wrapped are the things that have already been delivered, and the amount of wrapping seems insurmountable, when of course it isn’t really. I really enjoy shopping and giving, and I really, really loathe wrapping.

It’s just there’s always stuff to get done this week, and we have an activity every day, so it’s not as if I can just send my husband off with the kids for the day and get things done in the house. Fortunately, we don’t host anyone at our house for Christmas, so I don’t have to plan a menu or clean my house. I just have to wrap, and I don’t want to. I’m stuck in an in between place where it feels like it should be all Christmas, all the time, and yet life goes on. Lunches and dinners need to be made, but alongside my (super delicious) Trader Joe’s chicken salad, I threw in a few gingerbread men kits (99 cents!)

Also, it’s right about this time that I start to feel a little blue because it’s all coming to an end. We spend Christmas Eve with my family now and I love that most of all, because it’s still the eve of Christmas, there’s still the promise of more to come. On Christmas day it just feels like a downhill race of cookie crumbs and wrapping paper bits and every Christmas song on the radio feels like it’s trying a bit too hard. Isn’t that depressing? And yet, that’s the way I feel every year. I love the anticipation, and the planning, and the shopping (but not the wrapping of course) but when it all comes together I’m just so sad that it’s over, and we have to wait another eleven months to begin again.

Then again, my 2012 Start in September plan allows me to think Christmas while Fall is just beginning, so I suppose it’s only nine more months, which is a much more bearable prospect.

Stuff you should eat

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:49:00 +0000

Thanks to Sarah, I just saw this recipe for Crash Hot Potatoes from the Pioneer Woman, and I would like to eat them now. Unfortunately, we’re having leftovers for dinner and that won’t be happening.

I’ve made three things this past week that were so amazingly delicious, that I just had to share.

First is this potato soup that is ALL OVER Pinterest. It can either be cooked in the crock pot or on the stove. I made ours on the stove, and served it with a giant salad and crusty bread. I had planned to make my own bread to go with this soup, but discovered that I was out of yeast. By some miracle, this was the one day of the year that my husband stopped at the grocery store on the way home, and on a whim decided to bring home french bread. I’ve had this soup for leftovers twice, and it’s just as good reheated as it was fresh from the stove.

Then, I made peanut butter fudge using Hillary’s recipe with the intent of taking it to people, but I didn’t have a very well thought out plan for packaging it. So, I have a 75% full pan of fudge hanging out in my refrigerator. The amount that’s left doesn’t speak to the deliciousness of this fudge, it’s just SO RICH, that even I can only eat little bits at a time.

Finally, I made chocolate chip cookie dough dip, which is yet another Pinterest find. I didn’t have much of this, as I made it to take to a party where I focused more on deciding between gingerbread or key lime mini-cupcakes, but I overheard people saying it was good, so you can take the word of the friends of my friend.

In other news, half of my Christmas cards made it to their destinations, while some of them were returned looking like this:

Stuff like that makes me want to quit Christmas. I very dramatically sank down on the stairs declaring that Christmas cards are such a waste of my time and energy, and this extra expense was just putting me over the edge. My husband kindly explained that even if we have to re-mail ALL of the cards, we’re only talking about roughly $15, and that we would probably survive that. Still, my envelopes are ugly now. If you’re the recipient of an ugly envelope, you have my apologies.

A handmade holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:43:00 +0000

I’ve been getting in touch with my crafty side lately, and I’ve actually followed all the way through on a few projects, and will be able to give them as gifts this year. From the girl who has many unfinished and abandoned scrapbook pages, this is saying something.

First there was the wreath that I made for myself.

I went ahead and made three more.

The links to the tutorials can all be found here. As for how to add a hanger to the wreath, I just used a piece of ribbon and some push pins. I’ve seen some elaborate bows on some of the wreaths that I saw online, but I just added these little loops.

The wreaths weigh next to nothing, so you don’t need anything terribly substantial to hold them up.

Then, since I was kind of on a roll making felt flowers for the wreaths, I made a few extra, attached them to pin backings with hot glue, and added them to the scarves I raved about on Style Lush recently.

After making that batch of scarves, I went and bought a chunkier yarn, knitted that bad boy into a scarf, and loved the result.

That scarf took a little longer, but maybe I had just reached my finger knitting saturation point. I think I was past the point where I was realizing that I could actually create something, and I had moved on to just wanting to be done for the sake of checking something off of my list.

As you can see, my current abilities begin and end with yarn and felt crafts, but I’m really excited about giving a few gifts that I made with my own hands this year.

What the kids are getting

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:42:00 +0000

This is a really, really fun year for Christmas buying and giving for my kids. They’re both wanting big ticket Christmas items(in Bubette’s case I want it for her,) and Bub is FINALLY totally into Christmas. It’s been a long haul to this point, as last year was the first year he would voluntarily open presents, even though he didn’t enjoy it for a single second. I’m so glad we’re at this point.

So! Here’s what they’re getting.

From Santa

For Bub, a bike:

Also, a Mater remote controlled car.

Originally he wanted a bike for Christmas, and we wanted to get him one, because he doesn’t have one. Then he changed his mind and started asking Santa for a Mater RC car, because he already has the Lightning McQueen one. Since there are a limited number of years where he’ll buy into this Santa business, he’s getting both.

For Bubette, a playhouse.

There are SO MANY choices of playhouses that I actually haven’t purchased this yet. I plan to buy one tomorrow, and I need to just make a decision. They’re all essentially the same. Really, the only requirement is that it has a door, walls, and maybe a window.

For both - pajamas.

For both - books.

Bub is getting more audio books, specifically Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3 and The Lion King.

Bubette is getting some more books from the Pookie series. (I highly recommend all of the Sandra Boynton books for toddlers.)

For Bub - Walkie Talkies

I’m not in love with licensed characters all over everything, but he loves Cars stuff, so he’s getting the Cars walkie talkies. He’s also getting a Cars bike. Christmas 2011, brought to you by Disney Pixar.

For Bubette - a doll

She’s getting Chloe, and these dolls are far cuter in person than the picture suggests. I bought this doll for a friend and loved it so much that I had to have it for my girl.

For their stockings: Bub is getting a flashlight and a tape measure, because he is always absconding with ours. He’s also getting silly putty, a yo-yo, and probably candy. Bubette is getting a toy phone, toy keys, socks, and something other than candy – perhaps puffs or yogurt melts.

From others: I have no idea what they’re getting from their grandparents, but they have already received gifts from my husband’s extended family at an early Christmas dinner.

Bub got golf clubs,

and Bubette got a shopping cart, which is already wearing a nice rut into our floors, and is the source of many fights. Both kids LOVE this, and they spend all day filling it up and racing it around the house.

I think they need new balls for the backyard too, so Santa might pick up a couple of those this week, and that’s it. I know that’s a LOT, but it’s also SIGNIFICANTLY more restrained than we’ve been in years past. We went in with a plan, and we stuck to the list.

I am very, very excited for our first Christmas in this new house. I solemnly swear not to grumble at whatever hour Bub wakes us with excited exclamations that Santa! has! been! here!

Counting Down

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:06:00 +0000

I finally, finally, realized that my to-be-done-with-all-Christmas-things deadline is in fact this Friday, not December 23rd as I have mentally marked it every year prior to now. As of this Friday, my husband will be on winter break from school, and while I can get things done next week, my time isn’t so much my own as we tend to do family togetherness things. I’m glad I realized this with a full four days to go, as I’m on track to be completely done with all of the shopping by the end of this week.

Today was surprisingly highly productive. The malls open at a much more convenient time during the holidays, given Bub’s preschool schedule, and I finally picked up something for my brother’s girlfriend. She’s probably the easiest person on my list to shop for, as I can buy her things that I would like and know that there’s a reasonably good chance that she’ll like them, too.

I bought a sweater for my dad, and after that gift, his gift grand total from me is… one. He’s IMPOSSIBLE. I mean, my mom is, too, but at least I can get her some girly things that she may or may not use, but they at least make nice gifts. Plus, she really likes getting grandparent things like photo stamps and calendars. Last year my dad asked for socks. I called my mom for ideas this year and told her that I couldn’t buy socks AGAIN and she says, “He loves socks!” For the man who has everything? Socks. Whatever. I plan to buy a ton of pairs and wrap them all individually. I’ll be like Phoebe with her ice and cups.*

Oh! I am this close to ordering this Retro Phone Handset** as he just recently got an iPhone and is notoriously low-tech.

(photo credit: amazon.com)

I’m not sure that he would actually use this, but I think it would make him laugh, and that alone makes this worth buying. I kind of want one for myself.

Perhaps the best part of today was stumbling into Gymboree while the entire store was 30% off, AND being with a friend who had two 20% off coupons.

The thing about Gymboree clothes is that, while cute, they’re also made in sets. So sometimes you can’t just get a shirt, you need the matching leggings and socks. Today I found several cute things that will be just fine on their own.

(photo credit: gymboree.com)

I also came home with coordinating Christmas outfits for both children, and a set of hair clips that will match all of the shirts above. I didn’t really intend for their outfits to coordinate, but the sweater that I loved for Bub, and the sweater dress that I had to have for Bubette, will look great together. Plus, they’re blue and white, not red or green, so I plan to get multiple uses out of each outfit. Today was full of win.

*I rued the day once. Didn’t get much done. (Anyone?)

**Affiliate link. Feel free to reroute yourself to Amazon and find the item on your own if such things offend you.

Seven Quick (and rather random) Takes

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:54:00 +0000

1. I do not understand people who say that cherry is their favorite candy cane flavor. Cherry candy canes are an abomination. I imagine accidentally tasting a cherry candy cane to be an experience on par with taking a sip of lemonade when you're expecting soda.

2. I am very happy to have the Quinn-wants-Beth-back storyline wrapped up on Glee. I felt physically nervous for Beth and Shelby about what might happen to them. Relatedly: I'm also very happy when I see the appearances from The Glee Project kids. I didn't start following this until the very end, and I was still so, so happy when they awarded spots on the show to each of the final four.

3. I don't have a single Christmas outfit for either kid right now, and they need two each, so I'm getting nervous about this. Bub doesn't need an outfit so much as he needs a shirt or sweater that he'll wear with jeans and shoes that he already owns. Still, his current rotation is t-shirts and sweatshirts and that just won't do.

4. Every year my mom gets a photo calendar and photo stamps from me. She likes these things and they're consumable, and I do get her other things, but these things are a staple, AND she's impossible to buy for, so I imagine I'll continue to buy them until such a time when it seems weird to buy her stamps with my teenaged child's face on them. Anyway, every year I wait until the last minute and end up paying for expedited shipping and we're always waiting for the UPS man to show up so we can leave for my parents' house on Christmas Eve. I ordered both of these things yesterday and my calendars have already shipped. They may even be wrapped and ready to go with days to spare! (I used the buy one calendar, get two free deal on Snapfish, good through 12/14. If you're buying for grandparents or other family, these are usually always a big hit.)

5. For an ego boost, I highly recommend posting pictures of yourself on your blog, particularly if you rarely do so, as your internet friends will say all sorts of nice things to you. (Believe me, if I could have figured out a way to write a post about makeup without using closely cropped images of my own face, I would have.)

6. We never, ever make plans on New Year's Eve, although I really wish we would. I imagine all of the kids piled onto a couch watching a movie, while the adults have a game night. It's easy to imagine this when it's in my own house and I can just pack my own children off to bed if they've had enough, right? Maybe in a few years.

7. My husband has a small scrapbook on his nightstand from a trip we took to Disney World early in our marriage. Bub really likes to look through it, and this morning he sat on my bed, pointing out the people in the pictures. Since the pictures are only of my husband and me, it's a pretty repetitive activity. Once he got to the end, he asked "Where was I when you were here?" I told him that we didn't have him yet, that he hadn't been born. "No, but where was I?" I reminded him of when his sister was in my tummy, and then she was born. Remember that? Well you weren't even in my tummy yet. There was no baby Bub yet. "But where was I? Was I with Gramma and Grandpa when you and daddy were here?"

"Yeah, buddy. You were at Gramma and Grandpa's." Some battles just aren't worth fighting, you know?

More quick takes here.

The eyes have it

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:46:00 +0000

Thanks to L'Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks! Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

Let’s start from the beginning, shall we. When I was a sophomore in college, my suitemates pointed out to me, that I should, perhaps, consider doing something about my non-existent eyebrows. You see, both my eyebrows and eyelashes are white blond. Here you have a picture of me without mascara or eyebrow pencil, two makeup products I never, EVER leave home without.

(I’ll accept praise for my internet bravery now.)

Of course at that point I was wearing mascara daily, but here I was, nineteen years old, walking around with Casper eyebrows. Even once they pointed this out to me, it would take a very long time before this became a regular part of my routine. Now I keep eyebrow pencils everywhere. My personal favorite are these, ExpertWear Twin Brow and Eye pencils by Maybelline. At under $4 for a set of two, I keep them stashed in my car, my purse, and of course, my makeup bag. You might be surprised by how easy it for an eyebrow to go rogue and completely disappear on me.

Here’s me on a normal day.

I haven’t changed my makeup routine in years. I have worn eyeliner only a handful of times, and I’ve never been happy with the results. So, I set out to change that.

Here’s the after shot!

So, this picture speaks 1000 words about why actors and models need to wear pounds of makeup so that it shows up on camera. I swear to you, the difference with eyeliner is noticeable, in a good way. I feel like my eyes are more defined and they don’t get lost on my face.

The lesson here is that I take a very long time to notice the obvious when it comes to my own appearance.

I still think that eyeliner will be a bonus item. It will not make the list of things which must be on my face before I am presentable to the public, but it will be a nice bonus when I have more than five minutes in the morning (or evening,) and when I’ve had a reasonable amount of sleep, so as not to poke myself in the eye.

Now that I am an eyeliner master, here are a few tips for anyone else who is a little afraid of adding an extra step to their makeup routine.

I found the liquid and gel versions to be easier to work with. I apparently have wrinkly eyelids, and I had a hard time getting a smooth line with a pencil.
To get the liner as close to my eyelashes as possible, I had to apply the liner well below what appeared to be the edge of my eyelid. Basically, I smushed it right into my lashes, and that seemed to do the trick.
A Q-tip dipped in water will solve all manner of eyeliner mishaps.

Tell me the truth, am I the last grown woman on the planet to add eyeliner to my makeup routine?

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Click here to learn more about Makeup.com or become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

Holiday Party Hits

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:45:00 +0000

Is it weird for me to say that my own party was fun? I mean, of course I enjoyed it since it was food that I like and people like I like in a house that I like, right? I suppose you’ll have to track down some of the party-goers to find out if the party was in-fact a flop.

I took very few pictures of the night, which always makes me feel like it didn’t really happen if I don’t have hundreds of pictures to show for it.

I outed myself as a blogger to a few more friends that night, and one went right home and Googled me, so I’m left to wonder what embarrassing things I’ve said here that might be found.

A few of the things I made were big hits, and all super easy, so if you’re having a party, or attending a party and want to bring something to share, these would (probably) be well received.

Buffalo Chicken Dip – I stole this recipe from a MOMS club friend, and have never made this to anything but rave reviews. I serve it with tortilla chips.

Pumpkin Dip – This is more of a dessert dip and can be served with Nilla Wafers or graham crackers.

Reindeer Food – Listen, this is amazing, and everyone loves it. It’s also the least fancy, classy or pretty thing on the table. But’s it GOOD. I may or may not have hat it for lunch yesterday.

18 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

18 months is one of the ages that I really appreciated after Bub and knew to look forward to with Bubette. It’s one of the things you should put on your list of reasons to power through if you’re muddling through a particularly difficult pregnancy, or life with a sleepless infant.

At this age there’s just this explosion of language, and awareness, and cuteness. Bubette can walk, and walk really fast in an almost-run. She tries to jump, but never gets off the ground. She likes to twirl and dance. She loves singing and music and books, particularly those with flaps to lift, or something to touch. Speaking of books, she demands, “boo!” when she goes to bed, and I make a small pile of board books in her bed. When we were at my parents’ house recently, I was able to watch her on the video monitor at naptime, and she actually looks through the books before laying down and going to sleep. The bonus to this is that she wakes up with books in her bed, buying me some time in the morning before I hear her.

There’s a really sweet brother-sister relationship developing in the moments where she’s not hitting him or pulling his hair.

She’s very much the little sister, and she’ll cry and cry in the car if Bub has something that she wants. He either wails, “Mama, my sister is SO LOUD,” or tries to placate her with something else within his reach, and sometimes he just accepts defeat and gives her whatever it is that she wants. She plays the baby of the family role perfectly.

She’s our little collector and prefers to be carrying something, anything, around. Just like her mother, she leaves piles of things all over the house in places they don’t belong. She’s very easily entertained and is totally the baby who would be thrilled with a cardboard box for Christmas.

Eighteen months is also the age of increased confidence without the benefit of common sense. I’m back at the stage of climbing all over the play structures at the park to keep her from heaving herself down the slide head first. This is also, for Bubette, the age of the velociraptor shriek, which is a really special time to look forward to, and cherish. I imagine it to be the toddler version of slamming a door in your face to let you know her displeasure with whatever it is you’re doing that doesn’t meet her standards.

In a turn of events that surprises no one more than it surprises me, this is the age at which I don’t miss having a baby at all*. It’s really that great.

*I reserve the right to amend this statement the next time a friend or family member gets pregnant, someone on the internet posts a picture of a squishy newborn, or I find a dress that I must have, available only in an impossibly small 0-3 month size.

Paper Culture Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Bub) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:15:00 +0000

The winner of my Paper Culture giveaway is commenter #3,

Marie Green, who left this comment.

Congratulations! I’ll be emailing you your code momentarily.

Happy Weekend everyone! We’re having our Christmas party tomorrow night and I’m super excited, but also nervous that everyone will cancel, or that I’ll run out of food, or that my house will be in its current disastrous state when everyone arrives. What’s on your agenda for the weekend?