Notes From the Cookie Jar

Fabulicious Friday: Gift Guide for Teens

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

People are starting to Christmas shop, and so I thought I'd start doing a series of Fab Friday posts on GIFTS. Struggling to figure out what to buy? You've come to the right place. As the holidays approach, I'll keep adding to the lists and you can add things that YOU have found in the comments!

(***Disclaimer: The products that I will be listing are gathered from my own shopping experiences, talking with friends and family, and seen/sold at the toy store I work in. I haven't been contacted by any company or been compensated in any way for mentioning the products listed here.****)

This week I'm focusing on Teenagers.

Teens are notoriously hard to buy for. Gone are the days where they are happy with something simple (and cheap! Remember how excited they were over a BOX?). I've been asking Jake's friends, along with some of the other teens I know and this is what I've come up with besides the usual gadgetry, gift card, cash cow that is a teenager at Christmas.

1. A Family Game Night

For the teenager that loves games this can be a lot of fun. It can be given as a family gift for people who have a few kids, or it can be tailored for the individual teen who would share it with friends. First of all, you find a great game. Some recommended ones are Bananagrams and Gift Trap. Loralee told me how much she loved Bananagrams and I was sold!

Then you fill the rest of the box with snacky food. Go wild! Throw in a box of microwave popcorn, make a hot chocolate kit (can of hot chocolate, some marshmallows and candy canes), and other favorite things everyone can snack on. You could even include some tiny gift wrapped gag gifts for the winner, 2nd place, 3rd, etc.

2. A Selection of Their Favorite Books, CDs, or DVDs

It's hard to buy for teens who love to read, and even harder to keep up with those who read voraciously. Get your teen to create an account on Chapters.ca (in the USA you can do Amazon or Barnes and Noble). With an account, they can create a wish list. Check out mine! The kid's books on there are Jake's picks.

I LOVE Chapters. I can not only check out Jake's wish list, but I can do a search for specific stores to see if they have the book in stock! Or I can order it online and have it shipped right to my door. Plus we can send the wish list to relatives or friends. Not just that but if I forget what is on the list when I'm actually at the store? There are computers there where I can log in and bring up the wish list right there.

You could pair books up with a travel mug filled with candy, a book light, and funky bookmark.

3. A Digital Camera and subscription to Flickr Pro

There's a wide selection of cameras out there, and I admit I'm not familiar with 99% of them. I'd go for something inexpensive, small, but durable as kids are always losing them. If you wanted to round out the whole photography theme, you could include an Energizer compact charger (we have one-I LOVE it) with some rechargeable batteries, a memory card, and even a mini tri-pod.

4. Cozy Me

Teens love chilling out by the computer or TV, and in the winter it can get a bit chilly. Why not get yours a fuzzy Columbia blanket and some cozy pjs pants? For a girl you could throw in some funky nail polish, for a boy maybe a great throw pillow. Pair this stuff up with a DVD and you have a perfect "hanging out at home" kit.

(I love the Columbia blanket. Jake's is so soft, machine washable, and super cozy by the fire. We have found them in Columbia outlets for around $14.99 USD)

5. Artsy

If your teen is into art, why not splurge on some really great supplies? We hit up Opus Art Supplies in Vancouver, where you can get almost everything you need. You could even shop online, place an order by phone, etc. The artsy teens I know would love to have a brightly colored sketchbook and some really great colored pencils.

What are you getting your teenager? I have no idea what to buy for Jake. Last year we had bought him a Mp3, which we strongly warned him that if he lost, we would not buy another.

Two months later, he lost it. Poof! Now he wants another one. What would you do? Buy one, or refuse?

Recipe Thursday: Breakfast Sandwiches!

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Growing up in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, I was completely deprived of fast food restaurants so whenever we traveled, my parents would stop at one in particular because they thought they were being nice.

I hated that place with the passion of a thousand burning suns.

Okay, maybe that's a big strong. I didn't hate the actual place. I loved their commercials. I thought the little toys/souvenirs you could buy were very cool. It's just that for a kid who didn't like burgers or fries, it was impossible to find something I loved to eat. In fact, for years (and pre-mc chicken or chicken nugget days) we'd go and there I'd sit, refusing to eat anything.

The one thing I really loved was their breakfast sandwiches. Loved. Loved so much that at 8 years old I was kicked out of a popular pancake restaurant because I smuggled one in.

So now that I'm all grown up, I make the same breakfast sandwiches at home now and then, and they are SO good. When you make them at home you can vary some of the ingredients, make them a little more gourmet, and cut out the grease.

Click on over for the recipe....

How to Keep From Catching Swine Flu

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Didn't you all know that pigs are lucky and if you carry one that glows in the dark in your pocket, it wards off the Swine Flu? Just sayin'..... (hee!)

This actually was yesterday's Nablopomo picture but I couldn't help but share.

Lucky Piggy [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:38:54 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

Didn't you know that the BEST way to keep from getting the swine flu is to have a lucky, glow in the dark pig in your pocket?

Remembering

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Photo Credit: petercastleton

I had the opportunity to watch this beautiful tribute to our troops on the Global Edmonton's Facebook page, and just knew I had to share it with you. Click on over and watch; I promise you, it's absolutely worth it.

Have a wonderful, peaceful, Remembrance Day.

Greek Shrimp and Pasta [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:21:56 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

This was tonight's dinner. A herby tomato sauce with hunks of salty feta and jumbo prawns tucked in over pasta, with veggies. Hubs and Jake didn't talk-they were far too busy eating!

The link to the recipe will be in Saturday's new Meal Plan at Everything Mom.com

Nablopomo Day 9: Pumpkin Heads [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:49:32 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

Hubs "What should we do with the pumpkins?"

Me: "Set them free in the forest with their other pumpkin friends. Maybe the bears or something will eat them."

I keep waiting, but they just won't leave.

Get Well Soon! [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:56:30 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

Some people that Hubs works with sent these really pretty azaleas to him since he's been off work for awhile. Thoughtful, huh?

Tomorrow it's back to work!

Weekly Catch up

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Don't worry, this isn't going to turn into some photo blog with only a photo and caption for the month of November. I've already lost two readers, so I thought I should actually write something before the rest of you all decide to make for the hills.

Well-the picture thing will likely happen just on the weekends, which is when I usually don't post anyway, so you won't mind, right? I'll have some pictures on here, but I think I'm going to start moving them over to my Nablopomo set on my Flickr photostream. Seriously though, who has time to even do pictures? I've discovered that I would not make a good candidate for a 365 project. It's only 9 days in and already I'm thinking..."Oh my GOD, I have to keep taking pictures? Of what? There's no light! I'm too busy! Maybe I'll take one of....my shoes! Or the pumpkins molding on the front porch!."

Ya because you ALL are just dying to see my moldy pumpkins.

So what's been up here in the Cookie Jar over the past week?

*We found out one of my photos was chosen to be printed on Jones Orange Cream Soda bottles, and we've been looking for a bottle around town. No luck yet! Jake seems to think this calls for us to drink soda every single day, and has lobbied for that each time I've picked him up after school.

*H1N1 (Swine flu) hasn't hit our family yet, as far as I know. Which is more than I can say for...um..certain places that have had around a 40% absentee rate almost all last week. I'm still feeling like I'm walking around with a huge bulls-eye on my back, and washing my hands every 5 seconds, but so far we are swine free! (as far as I know) It could be that I'm wiping down everything in sight with the awesome Clorox wipes that Clorox so kindly sent me awhile ago to test out.

*On Saturday we trekked into the city, which was lots of fun. I bought some cute funky Kamik rain boots to keep my feet dry, and we've been rocking out to Carrie Underwood's new CD Play On. If you like country music, make sure to pick it up. Hubs especially liked her new video (I think it might have had something to do with the sexy outfits, hmm?)

*There has been a LOT going on here that I can't write about. Things that are just very hard and have my emotions all over the place, and quite honestly, I come here and I have nothing left. Life for ME is wonderful, but for some of the people I love, not so much. Hubs and Jake say that I was "uber-bitchy" last week, until I finally got my emotions under control (no medication was involved, I promise). A few nights I just put myself to bed and called it a day.

I'm still doing that now and then. It's great. You should try it.

*Have you ever been put on an e-mail list where a gazillion people all hit "send to all", and you get something like 20 million-ish e-mails a day that have nothing to do with you? I have considered finding some lovely spam-ish type e-mail (you know, the kind that say "forward this to 3 people in an hour or pygmies will attack and snack on your toes") to counter this. Maybe once they all get some spammy things from me, they will take me off their list.

Please?

*Oh! To top that off, with Hubs diagnosed as diabetes type 2, now I have the joys of trying to convert all my baking recipes so he can eat them. That should be fun. (you know I'm being sarcastic here, right?) It kind of takes all the fun out of baking. Especially once I realized that if Hubs isn't eating my baking anymore then it's just me and Jake, and I certainly don't NEED to be eating that much baking.

Don't worry, I'll still bake. I just need to find new taste testers.

So that was pretty much my week.

Oh, and hey-I still have a zillion clorox wipes hanging out here at my house. They are awesome for disinfecting countertops, bathrooms, and we used them on door knobs and light switches around the house. I love them! Want some?

-open to people with a Canadian mailing address
-leave me a comment below
-I will pick 2 comments at random and send the winners each a box with 3 cans of wipes in them (1 lemon, 1 lavendar, 1 fresh scent)
-you have until Friday November 13 to enter!

Nablopomo Day 7: Reflection [Flickr]

Scatteredmom — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:53:56 PST

Scatteredmom posted a photo:

We trekked over to the city for some shopping. Seems weird to be spending cash so close to the holidays, but Jake thoughtfully grew out of ALL his clothes.

Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:18:00 +0000

On the way back from Vancouver via BC Ferries, after a day of shopping.

Kindred Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:11:00 +0000

Every Friday without fail, I meet a friend here for coffee and we enjoy the view until the sun sets and the stars come out. It is, without a doubt, my favorite part of the week and I am blessed beyond measure to have a friend like her. Time slows, worries of the week fade, and I come away feeling full.

We often share some food, but being with her by the ocean feeds my soul.

How to Make Your 13 Year Old Think You are Super Cool

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:11:00 +0000

Guess what?!?

Over the summer I submitted some photos to Jones, in the hopes that one would be chosen to grace their bottles of soda. One of my photos was picked and will be printed on their sodas that are distributed all across the USA and Canada. If you see this label on an orange and cream flavor, it is MINE! Cool!

Now we just have to find some so we can buy a few bottles.

Nablopomo Day 4: Trip to the Optometrist

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Today Jake had an appointment at the optometrist. He wasn't too thrilled that I whipped out the camera and tried to get him to pose for pictures.

"No! Go away! You're being weird!"

"Seriously, Mom this is strange! What, you're going to post this on your blog? Like, isn't that just a bit embarrassing?"

"Oooo, what's this? It's shiny. There's a computer over there that I think might be broken. And what's this lens? Ooo and there's an EYE! That's my optic nerve, and the blind spot, and that's the retina......"

*sigh* And people wonder why I'm often tired.

Nablopomo Day 3: Road With a View

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:24:00 +0000

When we lived on Vancouver Island I had to drive on a busy highway 100 kms round trip to work. Would you believe it was the highway that Final Destination 2 was filmed on? That highway accident scene where a logging truck loses it's load was created right on the very on ramp I took every morning. Needless to say, I gave logging trucks a LOT of room after that.

These days, I'm driving on a windy, leaf strewn road that takes me by the ocean and past lakes, and at first I wasn't sure I enjoyed the commute. I complained about it to almost everyone who asked.

Some days, though, I notice the color of the trees, the way the morning fog makes the trees look ghostly, how the light plays off the water, and I'm entranced. Not only is it beautiful, but for a full half hour I get to just drive, listen to music, and enjoy. Somehow looking for things to take pictures of every day has made me stop and really look for the beauty that previously I may have passed by. Maybe a commute, which forces me to slow down a bit and think about things, isn't so bad after all.

What is your commute like?

Recipe Tuesdays: Apple Oatmeal Crumble Topped Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Okay, I do realize that this muffin has no crumble topping. Blame it on the person in the house who has to watch their sugar intake. I skipped the topping part (which I'm sure would take this muffin into over the top sugary goodness), but you don't have to!

The muffin itself is chock full of tender pieces of apple, and the addition of whole wheat flour and oatmeal can make you feel like you are reviving your body after all that Halloween candy.

Click here for the recipe...

Manic Mondays

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:07:00 +0000

What? You were expecting something artsy and wonderful? Mondays are busy for me. They usually mean work, a quick grocery shop after wards, a late dinner, and maybe only after that do I get to relax for a bit before I'm throwing in laundry or cleaning something. See, this is why I plan my menus because otherwise I think my head would explode.

Tonight's dinner was a chicken stir fry and brown rice. Hubs and Jake exclaimed through the entire meal about how much they loved it, which struck me funny. I hadn't made the recipe in years because the last time Hubs picked through the veggies, Jake wouldn't eat the cashews, and generally they told me they hated it.

Tonight? I made it because it's quick and easy, and I liked it. So if they didn't, they were going to suffer because for once I was making something that I thought was yummy.

They loved it! They sang my praises about how delicious it was and polished off every last morsel.

Families can be so weird.

What are your Mondays like?

NaBloPoMo..in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:31:00 +0000

I've tried to do National Blog Posting Month-really, I have. Every year something threatens to thwart my plans, and every year I end up bowing out. This time I'm making it easy on myself-instead of trying to come up with a post every day (which, let's be honest, is NOT going to happen), I am going to take a picture of something. Daily.

It will be sort of like my own version of project 365, but just for a month. Every day I'm going to post a picture, and they will all be complied over on my Flickr photo stream as well.

The first picture?

This is our leftover Halloween candy. Usually I get 100+ kids at the door, including a pile of teenagers, but this year it was very sparse. No teenagers! Despite the fact that I piled huge handfuls into the last few children's bags (you should've seen their eyes, it was so cute) I am still left with a lot.

What to do? I'm going to try throwing some of the chocolate bars into cookie dough or using them to top brownies, and the gummy candies I'll use to decorate cupcakes or other treats. The single bag of Cheezies you see sitting on top of the pile was from Jake's haul. After a really bad Cheezie/hot dog/cream soda encounter when Jake was five, nobody in our family has been able to look at them the same way again.

Do you have a lot of left over candy? What are you going to do with it? Is there anything that nobody in your house will eat, either? What gets gobbled up first?

I'm not sure those Wunderbars are going to stick around long enough to be baked into cookies...

Pandemic

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Yesterday morning I took Jake to the dentist office bright and early; and as we were getting out of the car, I noticed a nurse letting herself into the Health Clinic right next door.

"So, um, when can kids get the swine flu vaccination?" I asked. "He's 13 and has asthma..."

"Today." She unlocked the door and motioned for me to come inside. "Follow me, I'll give you the information."

I had been on the fence about having Jake get vaccinated for awhile. Sometimes, I think, in the world of media and the Internets, we're flooded with almost too much information. There's people arguing a case against vaccinations, some arguing for, and we parents are left to sift through it all and try to figure out what to do.

For me it took one story. One. A 13 year old boy who seemed to have caught a cold on a Friday-the VERY Friday that Jake became sick with some congestion as well. By Monday, the 13 year old boy was dead. My son was back to his usual self, complaining that he had to go to school and scarfing down half the contents of my fridge.

I took one look at Evan's Frustaglio's picture, heard his Dad's heartbroken voice about how quickly his son passed away, and that did it.

Luckily, both Hubs and Jake qualified for the first doses of vaccine that was rolled out in our community, so yesterday we trekked off and stood in line with what seemed like a hundred people. Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. Whatever, it was a LOT. It was a bit surreal, really. You could almost feel the worry in the room. If someone coughed, a path practically cleared for them, like the Red Sea parting for Moses.

"What about you?" Jake suddenly turned and looked at me with worry in his eyes. I work in a school, which is pretty much ground zero for the spread of viruses. The nurse looked at me and furrowed her brow.

"I don't qualify as high risk, Jake."

"But..." he looked at the nurse, back at me, then back at the nurse. "What if you..."

The question hung in the air, but I knew what he was asking.

What if YOU get it? What if YOU die? What if?

"I'll be fine," I answered breezily. "I wash my hands, I don't go near the kids who are sneezing. Really Jake, I'll be okay. I'm healthy and strong. I can get the vaccine in a couple of weeks."

I'm not sure if he believes me.

The panic is rising, bit by bit. I can hear it in people's voices. Every time I turn on the news, headlines scream about more deaths. Debates over whether or not to get the vaccine rage on Twitter, and perfect strangers have stopped me in the store to congratulate me on sneezing 'properly' (into my elbow, as health officials have suggested). I see people using sanitizing wipes on shopping carts before they touch them, and it seems like hand sanitizers are everywhere.

Panic is rising around me, and I'm fighting to keep it at bay. Somehow it's easier at home, where I have control over the cleaning and can sanitize everything in sight. Cleaning gives me a purpose. A job. I've shut off the news and stopped reading Twitter for awhile, because I just can't stand hearing about it anymore.

Things are okay, I keep telling myself over and over as I'm scrubbing the counters for the zillionth time. The two most important people in my life are vaccinated and will be safe.

Right?

Now if I could just quit feeling like I'm walking around with a giant bulls-eye on my back....

Support the Humane Society Pet Project

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Did you know that out of the 8 million pets that are in shelters each year, 3 million of them are euthanized? Three MILLION? Three million perfectly adoptable, healthy, adorable bundles of fur just waiting for someone to give them a home?

The Shelter Pet Project is a PSA campaign trying to let people know that those cute bundles of fur in the shelter are just as lovable as the ones from your local breeder or pet store, and they need homes just as badly! On their website, furry friends encourage you to send an adopt-a-gram, look through pet personals, and ask the adopter network a question.

If you are going to adopt a pet sometime this year, please consider getting a shelter pet. I admit that I don't have a pet or any experience with shelters, so I hit up my Twitter peeps for some input. I talked to @ajsouthern of The Southern Family.

(picture used with permission)

This is Jack. Adopted at 12 weeks, @ajsouthern commented that "all I did was really pay his vet bill. He was mostly potty trained, and fee I payed also included neuter- it was a great deal."

Seriously, isn't he the cutest? He's a schnoodle. Looks just like Jake's favorite childhood stuffie.

When I asked if he had any "issues" that one might think that a dog from a shelter would have, she replied," He was fine-I don't feel that way at all. Just a pet that needed a home! We would totally do it again. I rescued 3 cats as a youngster. Loved all them too. They come potty trained. And needy for love. :) those worth it!"

I think that pretty much says it all, don't you?

If you can't adopt a pet, perhaps you could help out your local animal shelter by donating some pet food, time, or even a bit of money. Jake and I occasionally visit ours to play with and pet the cats, who just love to have a human's undivided attention.

Recipe Tuesday: Boo! Ghoulish Halloween Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

The other day I was wandering through the grocery store, wracking my brain about what I was going to feature here for a quick, cute, easy Halloween goodie. As I walked through the bulk food section, these yogurt covered pretzels caught my eye and suddenly, I didn't see pretzels. I saw FACES!

Best on a pan of One Bowl Brownies and chocolate glaze, these salty but sweet additions make for a fun (and OH so easy) Halloween treat. I loved how they all appear to have different expressions, don't you? Get all the details for how to do it over at Recipes From the Cookie Jar.

A Taste of October 23-30, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:03:00 +0000

With cooler weather and Halloween coming, what better time then to resort to a few homey favorites and some easy ghoulish treats? Here's a taste of this week's meal plan over at Everything Mom.com...

-Ghoulish brownies (@ Recipes From the Cookie Jar-goes live Oct 27)
-Lamb/hamburger soup
-Veggie Tortellini Bake (featured recipe @ Everything Mom.com)
-Chocolate chip Halloween Cookie Pops (@ Recipes From the Cookie Jar)
-Baked Egg Rolls
-Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
-Apple Buttermilk Pancakes

Happy Cooking!

Nestle, You RUINED Smarties

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Few candies evoke childhood memories for me like Smarties. When I was little, I'd dump out a box and immediately begin separating them by color:

Yellow
Orange
Green
Blue (not a traditional color but I grew to love it)
Purple
Pink
and of course RED! Because you have to eat them LAST!

(Edited to add: For you American readers, Smarties in Canada are candy coated chocolates similar to plain M&Ms. The candies that are called Smarties in the USA are called Rockets here in Canada.)

Today I opened a box of Smarties to make Halloween cookie pops to feature here on Notes From the Cookie Jar. I dumped them into the bowl and...what?!?!

What the hell is with these technicolor candies? They look like Skittles!

These weren't Smarties. They were impostors. Gone was the green and blue, and why was the normally pastel purple and pink now so bright they blended with the red? And why are the brown ones black? They looked like cheap, bulk bin wanna-be Smarties. Surely there must be a mistake, so I ate one.

The verdict?

I almost spit it out.

Nestle, I'm trying to be fair here, but the new Smarties are just absolutely gross. Maybe you thought you were giving people what they wanted by introducing "No artificial coloring" Smarties, but come on-we're talking CANDY here. Candy! It's not supposed to be healthy.

The irony is that by making a product without artificial coloring, the end product is something that has a gross, artificial, chemically after taste to it. Especially the most iconic color of all..RED!

Your site says that they taste the same, in fact...better!

I strongly disagree. The non-artificial color stuff tastes AWFUL.

I HATE THEM.

YES. HATE. THEM.

Did you hear me? Should I say it again? Or how even plain M&Ms, which I've never really liked, taste BETTER?

For years, I used to say how Smarties were SO much better than M&Ms, and pitied my American friends for having to go without. I used Smarties to decorate cupcakes, in cookies, trail mix, as snacks, in ice cream, on brownies, and to eat just because. Once my screen name was even Red_Smartie. I was going to feature them here in the Cookie Jar and rave about how wonderful they are because Smarties were one of THE favorite candies in our house.

Now? Now I'm just disappointed and sad. Sad because you took a perfectly good product beloved by MILLIONS of Canadians, and you ruined it.

RUINED IT.

The true test came when my 13 year old wandered into the kitchen, saw the Smarties sitting on the counter, and reached to sneak a few.

"What the HELL is wrong with these Smarties?" he sputtered, making a face. "They taste NASTY!" He pushed the bowl back on the counter and refused to touch them. There they sat, for two whole days, and not one person in the house would eat them.

I ended up throwing them away.

If you only knew how much this house adores chocolate, and especially Smarties, you'd realize just how BAD they must be for us to throw them away. Normally they would not have lasted longer then 5 minutes. Did you know that we have bought a box of Nestle favorites every single year for Halloween almost as long as Jake has been alive? Or that we'd give away all the Aero and Coffee Crisp bars to trick or treaters, specifically so we could eat the leftover Smarties?

Today, as I stood in the candy aisle and contemplated my choices for candy to give for Halloween, I did something I have never done before.

I bought Cadbury treats instead.

You RUINED them, Nestle.

Halloween Cookie Pops

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:42:00 +0000

Looking for a sweet way to say trick or treat to friends and family? Try baking up a batch of Halloween cookie pops for those who aren't going door to door!

You'll find the whole how to and recipe over at Recipes From the Cookie Jar.

Panic

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:59:00 +0000

When news about the Swine flu began trickling out, and the hype about a PANDEMIC! began sweeping through the USA and Canada, I was a bit blase about it. Sure, maybe there's a flu, but you know it doesn't look that bad. You know media, they hype it up a bit. Maybe I'll get the shot, maybe I won't. Besides I don't know anyone who has had it, so I think I'm okay so far.

Now it's getting increasingly hard to ignore when the headlines look like this:

Young Mission Mom Who Died Sunday Had H1N1

BC Being Hit Hardest With H1N1!

60 Kids With Flu At Emergency Per Day as Swine Flu Takes it's Toll on BC Healthcare and Schools!

I still managed to ignore much of it until yesterday, when Hubs and I went over to Lion's Gate hospital for an appointment.

The minute we walked through the doors, something was different. Were those...metal detectors? Nope. Big red signs loomed, telling us to stop and sanitize our hands with some kind of alcohol foam. Ah, must be because of H1N1, I thought as I dutifully used them.

Hubs and I were early, so we sat in the cafeteria and enjoyed a coffee, toying with the idea of just having lunch there after his appointment. The food smelled pretty good, and looked much better then the limp, tasteless salad that I picked through over at St. Paul's the week before. Eventually we wandered down to the ultrasound department and settled in the waiting room, which filled up quickly. As Hubs was taken in for his appointment, I went back upstairs and nonchalantly bought myself a bag of chips from the vending machine.

It was then that I noticed a sign; a different sign, posted near the machine.

A sign that stated that some of their patients had been sick with vomiting and diarrhea, and how visitors needed to wash their hands, not visit sick patients, etc.

Wait a sec. I looked around, suddenly taking in the scene with different eyes. Those signs were plastered everywhere. Why didn't I noticed them when we first came in?

Vomiting? Diarrhea? Are those symptoms of Swine Flu? Or is that something else, like Norwalk, which is also highly contagious? Is that why they have signs about washing your hands and hand sanitizer every few feet?

Can someone suddenly become a germaphobe in the span of a few seconds? I ask that because I swear, that is exactly what happened. Suddenly the very idea of eating in the cafeteria repulsed me. Every surface; every chair, magazine, table, wall, were suddenly looming with icky germs just waiting to pounce. Go to the bathroom? You have to be kidding. It's a germ party in there!

I sanitized my hands again (twice!) and perched on my chair as if germs could seep through my clothing and infect me, refusing to touch anything but my chip bag. The chip bag must be okay, I rationalized. I just won't touch anything else. If someone sneezed, I moved my chair; and pretty soon, I was sitting by myself off in the far corner away from all the people.

Forty-five minutes later, Hubs emerged from the swinging doors of the ultrasound department, cheerfully unaware of the dangers present in the rest of the hospital.

"Hey let's get lunch here," he suggested, "The cafeteria didn't look too bad." I shook my head forcefully and began pushing him towards the exit.

"Hell no! Are you nuts?! I'm not eating here. I'm not even going to the bathroom here. Let's go."

"What the hell is your problem?"he started batting my arms away in irritation as if I were a pesky small child.

I dragged him to the nearest sign and as I dramatically read aloud, emphasizing vomiting and diarrhea, his face contorted in horror. I didn't even need to finish before he began pushing me.

"Go. Go, go, go, go, GO." We quickly made for the nearest exit, stopping only to sanitize our hands twice more for good measure before we left.

As we finally made it to the car, we both breathed a sigh of relief. Safe at last. Back to our little home, far away from hospitals and infected people, where so far everyone is pretty healthy and there is nothing to worry about.

This morning I sat in my pjs with my coffee, content that all was right with my corner of the world when Jake appeared at my side.

"I have a sore throat," he announced, before he began coughing all over me.

"Go away! Cough into your elbow! Don't touch me!" I recoiled in horror-had it followed us home somehow? Were we now infected? Maybe I should've worn a mask....

Halloween How To: Make a Mummy Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Costume making doesn't need to be expensive. One year where we just couldn't afford any 'extras' in our budget, I made Jake the best and cheapest costume ever. I wish I had pictures to show you, but my scanner is broken!

Jake did get a whole slew of compliments that year, and he loved that he could move and play in his costume without wrecking it.

What did we need to do it?

-a white sheet (picked up at a local thrift store)
-hot glue gun
-an old pair of jeans
-an old sweatshirt
-roll of gauze
-face paint

Seriously! That was IT.

1. Cut the sheet up into a bunch of strips. I made them about 2 inches wide, and the length doesn't really matter because you will trim as you go. Leave them fairly long.

2. Wash the strips in the washing machine. This frays them somewhat and that's what you want. Mummies rarely look neat.

3. Lay out the sweatshirt and starting at the top, begin hot gluing the strips of fabric to the shirt. I worked my way across the front going from left to right, layering them and gluing only the top of the strip, then putting the next one underneath but slightly lower. (kinda like shingles) Make sure to keep it fairly loose as the glued on strips will keep the shirt from stretching when the child puts it on.

Work your way around the arms and down the back. When you are finished, get your child to try it on. You will see places that you have failed to cover and can add strips there as well. When I did this with Jake, there were some places that couldn't stretch and I had glued too tight. I just ripped that part of the strip off, or cut it, and then added some other pieces to cover up where the sweatshirt was showing through. Don't worry about it looking perfectly neat-it's not supposed to!

Continue with the pants.

5. On Halloween when you are helping your child get dressed, just get them to put on their completed pants and sweatshirt. If it's cold, a white turtleneck under the sweatshirt adds warmth and goes well with the costume. Wrap your child's head up with the gauze, under their chin and around their head, leaving their face showing but covering up all their hair.

If the child is a girl, you could try putting her hair into a high ponytail and spraying it with greyish hair paint, teasing it all wild, and adding spiders or other creepy crawlies. Wrap the gauze around their head but allow the ponytail to stick out.

6. Paint their face completely white, with black under their eyes and red lips, plus use some of the red on the gauze on their head to make it look like they are bleeding a little.

Trick or treat!

Recipe Tuesdays:

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I had something all planned, baked, and almost ready to go for today. Really! But then I had to go and bake a pumpkin pie, and before I knew it I was taking pictures while the light was good.

By the time I realized I didn't take pics of my ghoulish treat for Tuesday, the light was gone. Oops.

But the pie? It was delicious.

Ghoulish treats later in the week, I promise! Honest! Unless you'd rather have pumpkin pie, that is.

Halloween at The Cookie Jar

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Over the weekend we went to Vancouver. I admit I wasn't that thrilled with the prospect, but I had promised Hubs months ago that we would visit tool heaven and he could go buy himself a new toy to build furniture with. The only thing I insisted on (besides trying to weasel a $1500 Canon SLR camera. Drool!) was stopping at Michaels so I could pick up some crafty-ish stuff to entertain myself with. My sketchbook is full of ideas for Halloween treats, and I needed the supplies to pull it off.

Bakerella, it's entirely your fault. Really. I saw something on your blog once about edible ink pens, and just had to have some. I had wanted a whole set, but had to settle for just the orange and black that were available.

See? They are very cool-I can't wait to try them! The second we were in the car Jake asked if he could try them out on his tongue. Did I mention that teenagers are weird?

Another thing that made it into the bag was this package of green candy melts. You can't get candy melts where I live, so this is my very first time using them. That's right, I am a candy melts virgin. Be still, my spatula.

Those are being used to create a fun cupcake that I have all designed and ready to go.

Last, but not least, I found these great sticks to make cookie pops. I've made them before with popsicle sticks, but these are much nicer looking.

Oh, you're wondering what cookie pops are? I'll be whipping some up this week so make sure to check back! The Cookie Jar is going all Halloween-ish over the next few weeks.

See, here's the difference between me and Hubs. He has a hobby, it costs him $2000 to get toys. Me? I drop $15 at a craft store and use my free blog to write about it.

I think I need to make him a deal on that $1500 camera.

Taste of Mosaic October 16-23

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:36:00 +0000

Taste of Mosaic October 16-23, originally uploaded by Scatteredmom.

This week's Meal Plan over at Everything Mom included a yummy, spicy Black Bean soup that is fantastic topped with tortilla chips and cheese. Need the recipe? Click on over....

Brain Drain

noreply@blogger.com (Scattered Mom) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I'm writing this on a Saturday morning in my pjs while I sip coffee. It's my only day of the week to sleep in, and I was relishing the idea yesterday as I ran from work to visiting with a friend, to picking up groceries and dinner, then baking cookies and meeting a writing deadline.

By 11 pm I wound up practically snoozing on my keyboard.

Why is it that when you really think you want to sleep in, your brain decides otherwise? There I was this morning, awake at 6 am, trying desperately to doze back off.

Brain: Okay so the plan today is you're going to spend the day in the kitchen, cooking up some rocky road cookies, pumpkin pie, soup, and biscuits...

Me: Shut up. I'm trying to sleep here.

Brain: There's laundry too. You did good yesterday, but there's lots of hand washables left. You might want to get to those today. It would be nice to have those things available for work.

Me: Yada, yada, yada...who cares? Just be quiet!

Brain: The bathroom is kind of a mess. Seriously, look at those ridiculously overflowing garbage cans. Try some of those Clorox wipes they sent you, too. I wonder if the lemon ones smell good. Egads, they sure sent you enough of them. Give to family and friends, they said. You don't HAVE that many friends. Oh, and you need to vacuum.

Me: *sigh* roll over

Brain: Don't forget about the bird poop on the hood of the car. Hubs always says that if bird poop sits on the car too long that it wreaks the paint. Better clean that. Mail the bills. Water the houseplants. Clean up the dishes from last night. Write some blog posts. E-mail back those readers who sent you questions and letters that made you cry. You don't want them to think you are too snotty to answer them. Take lots of photos while you're cooking, too. Didn't Hubs want to go for a walk this afternoon? Better plan the day around that.

Do you hear me? Hello??

What are you trying to sleep for? You have too much to do. Besides, your bladder is telling me you need to pee, so just get up. I'd like some coffee, while you're at it.

Geez, my brain is pushy.

No wonder I can't sleep.

Win A Smart Car! [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:45:35 PDT

Take ICBC's "dirty driver" quiz and enter a contest to win a smart car! Open to residents of BC, Canada

Canada Moms Blog: Streetproofing Your Kids in 2009 [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:38:16 PDT

Such a sad story-but the information is very valuable.

Deep South Moms: Passing Judgment on a Teenaged Driver [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:23:37 PDT

What would YOU do?

Kait's Plate: Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Focaccia [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:26:44 PDT

Try not to lick the screen

'Rrroll up the rim' prank leads to accusation of fraud [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:39:57 PDT

This sounds kinda fishy to me..I mean, you'd be able to tell a 12 year old's 'fake' cup from a real one, and how did they 'accidentally' get switched if the guy was drinking a coffee?

Indian dad avoids washing for 35 years [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:48:30 PDT

He was told if he doesn't wash, he'll have a son. If he doesn't wash, what woman would want him?

goat Canucks goat! [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:19:40 PDT

I love this! Cheer on the Canucks and buy a goat for a family in Africa!

Free Coffee At McDonalds for Two weeks! [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:14:39 PDT

Starting yesterday, McDonalds has been offering free coffee at breakfast time, no purchase required. It will continue for 2 whole weeks!

"Where The Wild Things Are" Cake! [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:54:14 PDT

You just have to see this cake. SO COOL!

Did You Know Your Veggies Could Make You Sick? [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 09:41:13 PDT

Great tips on how to avoid food borne illness from your produce.

50 Great Photoshop Tutorials for Clever Beginners - Psdtuts+ [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:28:16 PDT

Hey! Some great tips here

S'Mores Dessert Squares [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:26:47 PDT

These look really, really yummy

Bakerella [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:13:40 PDT

Omg! So cute! Would feel cruel to eat them.

Electrolux vacuum explodes, causing third-degree burns - Yahoo! Canada News [del.icio.us]

Scattered_Mom — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:32:57 PDT

Yikes! Are you kidding me?