Planet of the Apels

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

2013-05-18T09:13:00.000-05:00

I started doing what I call Sing, Sing a Song Saturday. I'm going to post one song on Saturdays that the boys or I like.

The song may be part of a movie, a kid's video or just a song we like. I'll try and include why we like it and/or the history of the song/singer.

This week I'm covering a group named Radical Face. They have another group called Electric President that has a slightly different style. Ben Cooper is the common links between the bands. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida; not too far from where I went to grad school in Savannah, Georgia. The name Radical Face was chosen after seeing it on a flyer. Later he found out the flyer was for Radical Face-Lift. He took the word "Lift" off and had the band name.

The first song is about two brothers. One always cleans up and covers up for the other one. The video was made for just under $50.

Always Gold

Welcome Home

Then this song was created by their other band called Electric President. Why do people have two bands or artist names? Because they have different styles. This song was made to help raise money for the 2011 earthquakes in Japan.

The City and the Machines

Check out the Radical Face Store.
Follow Radical Face on Facebook.
Follow Radical Face on Twitter.
Follow Electric President on Facebook.

Preschool Graduation 2

2013-05-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

If you missed Isaak's first preschool graduation, you can read about it here. He had two because he went to two preschools. The best picture I'm saving for my next WW. You'll need to come back to see that one.

When we got to the church Isaak said, "Why are we here?" I told him that we were there for his graduation.

He wasn't too happy about it. I'm not sure if he was sad he wasn't going to see his teachers any more, upset that he wouldn't go to school with his cousin Elijah any longer, or confused because we were at a different church than his preschool is held at {they have sister churches}.

It lasted most of the evening. There are multiple preschools put into one ceremony. I think Isaak was happy once he knew he didn't have to stand in front of a crowd.

Preschool Graduation One

2013-05-16T15:49:00.001-05:00

Since Isaak's in two preschools, we have had to go to double the field trips. Today we have 2 graduations. Luckily not at the same time! One was this morning. The other one is this evening.

I'm glad he went to two preschools for the fact that they were both so different.

One focused on:

Academics
Was small, so they got worked with more and developed friendships
Structure
Really into their programs, we're talking costumes and graduation robes

The other focused on:

Having fun with playing
Exercise
They were larger, so it's more grade school sized, but Isaak didn't form close friendships
Has relaxed events

I think Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa are ready for all the field trips to be done. Daddy and I are glad that all the paperwork is going to lessen. Isaak just loves to keep everything.

Here's how Isaak's graduation went for the less formal preschool.

Isaak trying to hide his face from me taking a picture.

They all got to throw water balloons against the outside wall. Isaak's popped midair twice.

Here Isaak is trying out the hula hoop.

Here Isaak is with his teachers.

Tonight we'll have the hats and gowns; yep the whole 9 yards.

If you'd like to throw out your comments about what you think of preschool graduations I'd love to hear it!

I'm not really a fan. Sure they look cute in their hats and robes, but I think it's overboard. Graduation is supposed to be a time in which you've worked hard to get to that level. An end of the year party is just fine in my book. I don't side with elementary graduations, or middle school graduations either. To me it should be reserved for high school, college, masters and doctorate degrees.

I side with the preschool I attended earlier today on this matter. The one I'm about to attend I'm thinking is going to take ALL EVENING LONG. The kids will get restless. Sure They will look cute.

Just something to think about, not all the kids graduate. Some go two years, Mica went three years. The ones that don't graduate, don't get why they don't get to wear a hat and robe. They are 3, 4 and 5. It's not fair in their minds. They don't want to be left out. In my mind I think: What happened to cookies and drinks as a special treat for leaving preschool? Why do we make such a big deal of things now a days?

A Little Too Close

2013-05-15T15:47:00.000-05:00

Daddy thought it was funny to take pictures of all of us super close. Mica was cracking up over every shot. Really the most funny one taken is Daddy's own picture.

Daddy

Mommy AKA Me

Mica

Isaak

WW: A Box Apartment {Linky}

2013-05-14T15:02:00.000-05:00

I made it clear that I wanted a big box construction for Isaak's first friend party. Kids love boxes! At Mica's first friend party Daddy made a Box Rocket.

What I didn't realize is how hard big boxes are to get now a days. For a week Daddy and I called Nebraska Furniture Mart AKA the biggest furniture store in town. The guy in charge of the boxes wouldn't answer, or call back. It's odd to me that one guy is in charge of boxes! They shred them right away everywhere.

Finally I asked Target. The lady at the counter said, "Just call at 6 AM and tell them to save one for you." I did. They saved more then one. My boss gave me another. We were set!

Daddy made a box apartment for Isaak's birthday party. It was a huge hit at the party. On Mothers Day I had to have all 3 of us get in it.

You Can Follow Me Here:

Happy Mother's Day Today and Every Day!

2013-05-12T23:23:00.000-05:00

Isaak must have had a long day at his birthday party. He was grouchy this morning. Mica showered me with an art piece he made and a poem. Isaak cried because he had nothing to give me. I reminded him that he gave me a lot two days ago. He insisted on giving my gifts right away; after he made them. I told him that he is all I need. He cried all the more.

I asked the boys to go get ready to go out to breakfast. I won a GC to I Hop from A Nut in a Nutshell. Isaak said, "Mom I don't want to go out to eat! I want you to make breakfast. I thought Mothers Day was all about you doing what I ask for you to do." Like I said he was grumpy.

Mica came out looking like this:

Fancy pinned striped hat, plaid shirt, too short of a tie for my long torso boy, gym shorts and socks with sandals.

I always think of Mica as a good dresser. That's probably because I get their clothes out the night; to help with our busy morning.

Mica changed. Isaak finally got ready, so we were off to I Hop.

We've been to I Hop before and it was just ok. This time we had a waitress that was in training. That could have been bad. NOPE she was great! She had that new employee, I want to do my best glow! Get this...Isaak ordered an omelet. He's never had one. He gobbled it up, plus had some of my food!

The best part of my day though was in the evening. I said, "Mica why don't you go to bed early. Don't go to sleep; just read for awhile." Mica said, "You are the BEST Mom ever!" He loves to read.

Isaak's First Friend Birthday Party

2013-05-12T22:52:00.003-05:00

Isaak had his first friend birthday party this last Saturday. There were 5 boys and 2 girls all together. Two parents stayed. One acted like he was going to, but didn't.

I had games planned, but I read on the internet that between the ages of 5-7 they just want to play. I decided to play it by ear. The games I thought about were easy, common and I had the stuff. Like drop the clothes pin in a jar, walk across the room with a spoon and a bean to see who drops it first.

No games were played. They played, played and played some more.

I was huge about getting a big box construction built for his party. Daddy made a rocket out of boxes for Mica's first party, and it was such a hit! It was hard getting them, but we did. Daddy made a box apartment for Isaak's party. It to was a hit!

Daddy making the box apartment. Isaak and Cousin Elijah in the box apartment.

Mica was a downer that day. He was sad because all the kids have birthdays before him. He went to a birthday party for his cousin Evan, while Isaak's was going on. I kept trying to tell him that his birthday is first, not last. He didn't buy into that. Three people in our family have had birthdays in the last few months. Mica's birthday is when school starts.

I was so glad that Mica went away for Evan's party. It's not that I don't like my son, it's just that he's into wanting a lot of attention. Plus he wasn't too great about helping with the prep work before Isaak's party. I couldn't really blame him. But I was upset that he kept saying his room was clean, but it wasn't.

Mica had fun at Evan's party. He only knew Evan, so I was worried about that. Evan had people donate canned goods instead of bring presents. One of the kids said, "I'm hungry! When are we going to eat all the canned goods we brought?" LOL

Back to Isaak's party. I didn't take a lot of pictures due to parents not wanting their kids pictures splashed on the internet. Plus I was busy!

Here's what they did:

They played in the box apartment a lot.
They played outside a lot. It was a nice day!
Isaak had to have a piñata, so we did have that.
We had brownies and ice cream. Isaak's not big into liking cake right now.
I printed off free coloring sheets with the kid's names on them at Frecklebox.
We opened presents.

Here's one photo I got:

We attempted to spin the boys and have them bat at the piñata, but it wouldn't break. They beat the thing silly on the ground.

I did have giveaway bags. I never know if I should do this. I think in my mind, Here's a present for the present you gave me. I entertained you for a few hours. Then I have to write you a thank you note for your gift. Even though I gave you a thank you bag. That's all so odd for me. It is what it is.

I found the cutest things though. Each were $1. Wooly Willy was at Michaels Craft Store and the Greenhouses were in Target's cheep section. Then the kids got a handful of piñata candy:

Mica got home and wanted to claim ownership of Isaak's presents. Usually I don't let that happen, but Isaak wanted him to play with him. It worked out.

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

2013-05-11T04:56:00.000-05:00

Joss Stone has been big into music since she was young. She began a singing career at thirteen, securing a record deal at 15, and recording her star-making debut album, The Soul Sessions, which was released in 2003.

Joss has decided to revisit where it all began - with The Soul Sessions Volume 2 is a stunning exercise in vocal poise, passion and power. Things took off for Joss in an enormous way.

In the UK she had a top 10 single, “You Had Me”, which earned her 2 Brit Awards that same year. Her third album, 2007’s Introducing Joss Stone, was a more independent, which Joss further showcased her songwriting abilities, and revealed the singer had truly been loved by the American audience when it crashed into the US charts at No. 2, marking the biggest debut ever for a female British solo artist on the Billboard charts.

In her short young life and already long career, Joss has performed onstage with the likes of James Brown, Gladys Knight, Solomon Burke, Blondie, Smokey Robinson and Melissa Etheridge among many others. She’s contributed to albums by Jeff Beck and Ringo Starr, played the Super Bowl pre-game show, performed on the Grammy’s, and won a Grammy herself!

With that kind of background I'm surprised I haven't heard of her. Maybe you have!

Right to Be Wrong

Free Me

Go to Joss Stone's website.
Follow Joss Stone on Facebook.
Follow Joss Stone on Twitter.
Follow Joss Stone on YouTube.

Have You Ever Worried About Your Kids Getting Abducted?

2013-05-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

I have. Especially with Mica. He used to run ahead a lot. He's not as bad anymore. It still can happen.

There's new way of designing things all the time. This is a bus stop where kids see something different from adults. Making it easier for a kid to know what to do in a situation of being abducted.

Check it out!

This is Water

2013-05-09T09:45:00.001-05:00

In the mad rush of today's world we often take things, and people for granted. I'm just as guilty as the next person.

No matter how high and mighty I'd love to appear, I'm not perfect. I'm far from it.

I step in line at a store, see that the cashier is taking what I feel as FOREVER, when really it's just longer than usual. I have no clue what they've been through that day, no clue what the person before me went through. They may have had a less quality of day than I have, or not. There's no way to know.

I think we (anyone out there including me) have to learn not to take things for granted. This video is a great explanation of all this. It's a wonderful speech that was given to a graduation class. The speech was so good that they turned it into a short film. When you watch it, the title of this post will make sense.

One of a Kind Shop - CafePress

2013-05-09T05:14:00.000-05:00

I love shops where you can make your own things! CafePress is that kind of shop. They have things that you can design on your own, as well as things that are already designed by them,

CafePress has a new partnership with Marvel. This is perfect for the newly released movie, Iron Man 3. My son are very into superheros. I swear they think they are one of them.

Iron Man 3 merchandise is so sweet! They have shirts for everyone, mouse pads, coffee mugs, iphone cases and more.

CafePress has so many cool shirts to look at, it's mind blowing. There are shirts for women, men kids, toddlers and babies.

Camping season is coming up. In parts of the US June may still be very cold. I was looking at CafePress sweatshirts.

I always have ideas for custom shirts. My ideas this time are to make Isaak a shirt that says, "High 5" and Mica a shirt that says, "Crazy 8". Soon they will be those ages! It's sweet to know that I can make custom shirts on CafePress. I mocked some up; as you can see they have a preview, which I find helpful! They have many fonts to choose from, you can add your own graphics and they have many color options.

Coffee mugs are certainly something that a lot of people get for fun. I'm actually giving two of my nephews each a coffee mug for Christmas (yes I plan this far ahead) that they can use for hot chocolate.

Disclaimer: The opinions on the post are my personal take on the product. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. I did receive a GC to help with this review.

WW: A Hug and Lashes {Linky}

2013-05-07T15:47:00.000-05:00

My Brother-in-law sent this photo over. They never care if I put photos of their kids up, so I will. ;) Here is my nephew Elijah hugging my son Isaak. They are the best of cousins. They call each other, "Best Friends". I know they will deeply miss each other when they go on to different kindergartens next year. :( For two years they've gone twice a week to the same preschool.

We won some Skinny Pop Popcorn from Life in the Lost World. When I say some, a whole case was sent to our house! Isaak shared some popcorn with his buddy Elijah.

We went out and about and saw this very random car. Here I was jealous of my son's lashes. ;) We all had a good laugh at the car with lashes. We agreed that the lashes would fit a Volkswagen Bug better. If you love them, you can buy car lashes here. Have you ever seen a car with lashes before?

You Can Follow Me Here:

Thank you so much for linking up! Please enter my low entry giveaway: Best of Warner Bros 100 Film Mother's Day Giveaway - close to a $600 value!

Truth Be Told

2013-05-06T10:06:00.000-05:00

There are a ~~few~~ more than a few things I just do not get. I'm sure they are easier than my mind thinks they are.

1. Twitter Parties- I get invited to them all the time. I look at them and think, What do I do? Many of them are RSVP, and to be honest I'll know I will forget. Then I have a hard time knowing what time they start. One that starts in the south is at what time here in Central Standard Time?

My brain has never been good with figuring that out! It took me forever to figure out how to read a clock with hands when I was a kid! In my mind we had digital clocks at home, at school teachers just told us where to go, why bother learning how to tell time on the hard clock? Don't worry, I did learn the hard clock after I failed the standardize test on telling time. When I took Spanish I was like, Forget it! when they tried to teach me time! When I was in college a teacher tried to meet with us in Military time. I'm like what the heck? I'm not in the military! I'm in art school! I missed one meeting because I showed up an hour late; thinking I was on time. I did not apologize. I simply asked her if she could kindly tell me the normal time? This teacher proceeded to try and teach me the military time. I stopped her and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't want to learn that. If I was in the military I would want to learn that. I'm not. So could you please just tell me a normal time to meet?" She laughed and gave me the next time in normal time.

I just don't even get what I'm supposed to do with Twitter Parties. I need one of those books, Twitter Parties For Dummies. In fact usually I have to look at other people's tweets to type up my own. That's how lame I really am. Hashtag WHAT? *This is not a bash on those that have Twitter parties or those that participate.

2. Many of the newly abbreviated words. I get LOL is laugh out loud. Most of the rest I have to look up. I don't text people. I still have an old school phone that cost like a penny when I went to the store. I have my phone for emergencies. I'm on Facebook that's about the only reason I know any abbreviated terms. Many I have to look up.

3. What is really organic and natural? I try and eat healthy, I really do. But it's really discouraging that organic doesn't always mean organic. Companies put these labels on things. Hidden in the ingredients is unhealthy things. What the heck? I just want to buy healthy things. I don't want to have some sort of special dictionary to look up these special ingredient terms that I don't know about. I have kids, I don't have time to stop and look things up. I know you're probably thinking there's an app for that. If I had an iPhone I'd get that. News flash for FDA and companies, just mean what you say. Then we're all good!

I was thinking that going to the Farmer's Market to buy stuff was good. It's good to support the local farmers, right? Then my Dad tells me, "Alissa you don't know if the farmer's veggies, fruit...are organic or not. They could have pesticides all over their food." He's right!

4. Packaging! Why do they need to put a few pills in a medium sized bottle? I'm thinking about the two pack of Zyrtec I just bought at Costco. I did what I probably shouldn't of done. I opened them both up and dumped them into one. Get this, I still had room to spare. Chips and crackers are packaged with a bunch of air in the bag. The only things that are full in their containers are juice, toilet paper, tissues, q-tips, tampons, veggies (like spinach leaves in their bin), fruit (like grapes in their bin) and that's all I can think of. I would pay just as much for a smaller container if I knew it was full.

Rant over.

Yesterday I Was Totally Off!

2013-05-06T09:02:00.002-05:00

I had some stomach issues yesterday. I have no clue where they came from: Something I ate, just a flu thing, or allergies. Allergies are horrible right now! Everyone is getting sick from the weather changing back and forth from hot to cold, and cold to hot. On Sunday morning I woke up at 3:30 AM and just could not go back to sleep. Then it was sharp stomach pains from that time on out. Just as quickly as the issues came, I woke up this morning and they were gone.

At least this happened on a day I didn't have to teach. BUT I didn't get a whole lot accomplished on Sunday. Usually on Saturday I run errands. Then on Sunday I work on cleaning. I did get the laundry and dishes done. It wasn't a total loss.

The boys were overall very good yesterday. They played together well and picked up.

This morning I dreamed that I was at an auction for old books. Each time my alarm went off, someone won something. Since my alarm was part of my dream, I woke up later than usual. Has your alarm ever been part of your dream?

Daddy usually helps me with breakfast. He said his throat hurt, so he took the backseat on that job. Mica offered to help with breakfast. This is a rarity.

Mica usually ~~whines~~ complains about wanting to eat breakfast, but doesn't want to help. I usually find myself saying, "Mica if you want breakfast so bad HELP out with it!" He usually replies back, "I don't want it THAT bad." Something was different this morning. He kept saying, "What can I do next Mom?" and "How can I help you now?" To be honest I got so caught up in the fact that I was running late, that I didn't remember if I thanked him, or not. ~~BAD Mom!~~ Busy, distracted Mom that I am, I left the house in a hurry.

I called him and told him how proud I am of him. Then I thanked him. I think he took in what I was saying. I could see the smile in his voice.

It's never too late to thank someone.

Citrusclear Review

2013-05-04T11:31:00.001-05:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to review two products by Citrusclear. They have a holistic approach using citrus ingredients.

Citrusclear Tangerine Tingle

$16.99 marked down to $12.75

First off I want to say that I love their packaging! Being an artist, I sadly do judge a book by it's cover. This product holds true to its packaging.

This product can be used as a face wash or mask. It removes dead skin cells and stimulates the production of new skin cells. It has exfoliating ingredients, which eliminates dirt, oil and other impurities. Glycolic acid is one of the ingredients, which removes dead skin cells and keeps pores from clogging. Lemon oil improves and brightens one's complexion.

It makes me nervous to try out new face products. I'm allergic to some make-up, face cleaners and lotions. One time I tried a face mask and my face broke out like crazy. I had red blotches all over my skin. This product did not make my face break out at all. YAY! I really loved how it felt on my face! It tingled, and made my skin feel so fresh.

Here's the before I used it and during the use photos. I have to say that my husband had a good laugh. He's never seen me wear a mask before. Right now I don't have too many imperfections on my face. A month ago I had one boil after another right on my chin. It both hurt and stood out! YUCK! I have no make-up on in the photos, so no judging. ;) Really I hardly wear any make-up anyway. When I had boils I did though. The mask looks funny, but it feels so good! :)

Citrusclear Control Moisturizer Lemon Uplift

$16.99

The Control Moisturizer is perfect for those with skin imperfections. It is a moisturizer that avoids making your skin oily. Instead it keeps it moisturized after washing your face. This is so important to me because I hate walking around with a glossy forehead! The moisturizer contains ingredients, that also clears acne and prevent future breakouts. The natural acne fighting ingredients minimize pores and oil production. The lemon uplift scent will also perk your spirits into clear skin. The scent is not too strong.

This product did just what it said it would. My face didn't feel oily after using it. I've been having problems with breaking out. Being a teacher I break out during stress times; with midterms and finals. Writing tests, grading like mad and getting weak students to pass sometimes makes me stressed out. Sometimes I don't even know I'm stressed. I've also been getting one big, deep zit before my period. My skin is super fair and imperfections show up big time on me. I'm glad I have a product that helps with acne.

Follow Citrusclear on Facebook.
Like Cirusclear on Twitter.
Add Cirusclear to your circles on Google +.

Disclaimer: The opinions on the post are my personal take on the product. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. I did receive a free product to help with this giveaway.

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

2013-05-04T07:20:00.000-05:00

I started doing what I call Sing, Sing a Song Saturday. I'm going to post one song on Saturdays that the boys or I like.

The song may be part of a movie, a kid's video or just a song we like. I'll try and include why we like it and/or the history of the song/singer.

The musician I'm going to talk about this week is Robert Tiso. Have you ever heard of him? I haven't.

The boys were making noise in the backseat when I was driving yesterday. I turned on the classical station to try and get them to be more subdue. It sort of worked.

Robert Tiso was born in London. He plays music on filled, part filled and empty glasses. He calls his music Cristallofonia. He doesn't write all his own music, but his process is so creative! Robert Tiso has played for many music and art festivals, theatre shows, schools, educational programmes, cultural events, museums, private parties, TV and radio broadcasts and several events related to glass and water, the fundamental elements of his music.

I knew I could make sounds on the top of glasses filled at different level, but I didn't know one could do anything like Robert Tiso!

Even though the boys were annoying me on our drive home, I learned about a new musician for the week.

Ave Maria

Glass harp-Toccata and fugue in D minor-Bach-BWV 565

Für Elise

Follow Robert Tiso on his website
Follow Robert Tiso on his YouTube Channel

The Things They Say

2013-05-02T23:42:00.000-05:00

For some reason this is floating around my Omaha friends on Facebook. It's creepy things kids have said. It must have been on the radio, or news.

My kids have said some creepy things. Mica used to stand over me saying nothing, just staring at me when he woke up before me. He wasn't saying anything, but it was pretty darn creepy!

This last weekend we went grocery store shopping. We passed through the meat section and Mica stopped in his tracks and said, "Mom is that a human body?" It was big hunk of meat.

I'm so not right and said, "Maybe." His eyes turned wide. Then I said, "No it's just a part of a cow."

We got up to the check out and the guy in front of us had tons of meat. He was either stocking up, or having a BBQ party. Mica got a little too close to the gentleman in question. I said, "Mica back up a little bit." Mica said, "Well I just want to know what kind of meat that is?" I said, "He thinks that is a human body!" Out loud. The man laughed and said, "If that was a human body, this place wouldn't be open."

Tonight in the car Isaak says out of the blue, "Mom I'm going to climb the house like Spider-Man. It's ok if I fall and die."

I'm like, "?????" Kind of crazy coming from a kid who doesn't like the idea of people passing away. Just an FYI we rarely talk about death and we don't watch the news until they are in bed.

A School That Got Changed By Adding Art in Their Curriculum

2013-05-02T12:03:00.000-05:00

Art often times gets a bad rap! Artists are thought of being weird, disturbed, not fitting, and starving.
I wish this wasn't the case!

What I see: Artists are unique, creative, fulfilling, and devoted. As far as starving goes...they are only starving if they let themselves starve. Sure they may not get their DREAM job right away, but in what field do you? They have to work at it just like everyone else. They have to be good, and push the envelope.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A Snowy May Day

2013-05-02T08:53:00.002-05:00

This is what May Day brought to us:

Can you see the pink Magnolia petal?

Flowers and newly mowed grass are peaking out of the snow.

I find it almost comical that the flowers are mixed in with the snow. It happens. Nebraska often gets snow in the early parts of April, but with May we're usually in the clear.

This snow is pretty historic in the stretch of where the snow has fallen. We live in Omaha, so we didn't get that much. Other parts got 6-12 inches! There was car accident after car accident on the news. It was rain, sleet and then a wet snow. I imagine the streets were pretty slick. It's supposed to snow again today. If you live in one of the areas that got more snow than we did, I hope you are safe.

Did you ever celebrate May Day?

When I ask some people around here they look at me like, "What in the hell is she talking about?" When I was a kid we would get paper cups and fill them with popcorn and candy. Then we'd leave them on someone's porch, ring the doorbell and run. If you do this for the opposite sex, they are supposed to chase you and try and kiss you. I never left one for the opposite sex. Daddy says it's a communist holiday. I've never read anything about that.

Sunglasses

2013-05-01T21:22:00.000-05:00

This is what Isaak looked like tonight on our drive home:

It was raining and sleeting out; he was wearing sunglasses. I can always tell when he's going to drift off because he doesn't want to talk about his day, nor does he want me to talk to him.

It was a crappy drive home. I had to stop for gas; there was a wait. I don't blame everyone for wanting to get gas in their cars before the snow starts to fall in MAY. It's supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow.

The street I was on was very backed up. Then an ambulance was going down the street that crossed mine. The street that I was on had cars in the other lane that were trying to out race the ambulance. I was thinking, What the heck? Their emergency is much more important than you, or I needing to get home! Then a car in my lane was honking at me to go. I wasn't about to try and out race the ambulance.

Isaak missed the ambulance bit. He was fast asleep; with his sunglasses on.

We came inside, ate and played Memory all evening long. Isaak says, "Ya Baby" every time he gets a match.

WW: Art {Linky}

2013-04-30T14:39:00.000-05:00

Mica announced to us in the fall that he wants to be an inventor. He wants to invent a submarine that has newer technology. He said, "It will include an iPad." At his school an art event they had, the art teacher had pieces up that showed what they want to do when they grow up. Most of the other boys did something where they could add camouflage. Mica's stood out as being different. I'm not saying this in a bad or good way; it was just different. The kids had just studied Picasso's collage movement, so they did their pieces in a collage style.

Mica age 7

We went out to dinner a few weeks ago. They gave the kids crayons and plain paper. Isaak drew a girl that looked like a character in Wallace and Gromit The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. He didn't intend that it looked that way; he insisted on writing the movie title out when Daddy pointed out that his drawing looked like her. I think it's the hair!

Source Isaak age 4, almost 5

This last weekend the boys were starting the day of picking at each other. I was thinking, Oh great, it's going to be one of those days! Then I looked over and saw that they were both working on what they were calling, "A Dot to Dot". It ended up being a great day.

You Can Follow Me Here:

Thank you so much for linking up! Please enter my low entry giveaways: A Star is Born or Cabaret on Blu-ray and OraMD All Natural Toothpaste - 3 winners.

Trinkets

2013-04-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

Isaak love to collect ~~junk~~ trinkets.

This last weekend I had mountains of laundry to do. I had a mission I was going to try and wash all the bedding. It got done!

In the washer I found metal parts!

I knew the washer wasn't broken. It was the contents in Isaak's pockets.

What's the craziest thing you've found in the wash?

Best of Warner Bros 100 Film Mother's Day Giveaway!

2013-04-29T14:31:00.001-05:00

Most of us can agree that Moms are awesome! They help us through the worst of times, and give us fond memories to! Now it's time to return the favor and celebrate this Mother's Day by giving mom the movie night she deserves! Watching a classic flick together is the perfect opportunity to catch up and share stories with your family... tell them something that they never knew about Mom.

I love movies! The app below features one of my favorite movies, Wizard of Oz! I just love that classic.

On the app above you can:

Guess-the-Scene Game - How well do you know the silver screen's most famous love stories and sing-a-longs? I have to say the first time I took this quiz I didn't do well! Take your time to get them right. You want to pick quick, but not so quick that you do badly. The faster you do get them right, the better your score is.

Movie Night Conversation Starter - Watching a classic flick together is the perfect opportunity to catch up and share stories...this Mother's Day makes it a point to connect with your family and give them a chance to learn something about mom they never knew. Here are some conversation starter to get your started:

Waking up after sleeping in, I’m greeted with a breakfast of ________________ (food).

I’m spending the morning relaxing while watching my all-time favorite musical ___________ (movie title). I remember watching it for the first time when I was ________ years old.

Of course, I can’t watch this movie without my favorite movie snack ___________ !

For lunch, my friends and I are taken to dine at ________________ (restaurant). Bouquets of _________ (flower) greet us on arrival.

On our way home, our car unexpectedly hits a time warp and we’re teleported back to the set of my favorite romance film!

I find myself playing the role of my favorite character ___________________ (character).

Suddenly, I’m Hollywood’s next big star! I’m strutting down every red carpet and being invited to all the exclusive premieres... I’m even dating the cutest movie star __________ .

WIN IT!

One very lucky Theresa's Mixed Nuts reader is going to win the Best of WB 100 Film Collection that has a MSRP of $597.97!

Giveaway is open to residents of the US, 18+. No PO Boxes will be accepted. The giveaway will run through 5/10. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or a new winner will be selected. Please enter on the Rafflecopter form below.

Now it's time for the Mother's Day Giveaway! One of my blog readers can win the Best of WB 100 Film Collection worth $597.97:

US Only - Ends May 11, 2013
No P.O. Boxes - Sorry

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The opinions on the post are my personal take on the product. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. I did receive a free product to help with this giveaway.

Stencils Online, LLC Review

2013-04-29T13:33:00.001-05:00

I had a wonderful chance to review a custom stencil from Stencils Online, LLC.

They have a selection of clip art to put on a custom stencil and 48 fonts to choose from!

It was very easy to make an account and set up a stencil of my own. The problem was deciding on what to put on there. I thought about a dog and doing something for Isaak's room. He loves dogs! Most of his stuff is Dr. Seuss related, so I ended up going with a quote I liked.

Like I said, it was really easy making a stencil. I could size the fonts and delete things if I changed my mind.

It didn't take long at all for Stencils Online, LLC to custom make, and ship out my custom stencil.

I had some old canvases laying around and a few other techniques I wanted to try out. Isaak helped me with this review. I let him paint as well.

Isaak is a collector, so I wanted to make sure we had some ~~junk~~ treasures in this image. In fact the image isn't done yet. It's done enough to review the stencil though. :)

I had a few bottle caps that I wanted to include in the image. I scanned one in the computer and duplicated it several times, colorized it with a gradient in Photoshop and printed it off on an 11X17 sheet of paper.

Then we took the actual bottle caps, colored the inside of them with markers and poured Elmer's Glue in them.

Once we had most of the things we needed, we did some transfer techniques. If you've never done a transfer technique, they are so easy! You just paint Modge Podge, or any clear paint down, then place your printed image face down. Scrape your image with a scraper, or the back of a wooden spoon. Then it's waiting time...I waited a few hours. Start rubbing the paper off with a rough sponge. The paper comes up, the ink stays down.

Once we had a few transfers done, we added our Dr. Seuss quote with the help of Stencils Online, LLC, masking tape and a painted sponge.

The stencil whipped off so easily! All I had to do is run it under the sink. I did clean it right after I used it.

Here's the mostly finished result:

And a close up:

I highly recommend making a stencil on Stencils Online, LLC! It was super fun! It made adding text so easy! They stencil is not flopping, like some I've used. It's actually very durable and reusable. You can make stencils all different sizes on their site!

Like Stencils Online, LLC on FacebookEmail Stencils Online, LLC at: mail@stencilsonline.com

What graphic or text would you put on a stencil?

Disclaimer: The opinions on the post are my personal take on the product. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. I did receive a free product to help with this giveaway.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sitting Bull Hero T-Shirt Review

2013-04-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

I was in love with the Sitting Bull Hero T-Shirt as soon as I saw it!

All the t-shirts at Ban T-Shirts really push the envelope. They seem to really have valid points to them. Most I see eye to eye with, others I don't. The point is, is that everyone should have the right for freedom of speech.

A few that stood out to me is:

Illegal Immigration - Started in 1492.
Petrolcide - Endangering the planet with the over use of natural resources. How political power is used as a personal profit in connection to petroleum corporations at the expense of the environment and national security.

I could go on with other t-shirts they have that I feel passionate about the message behind them. Ban T-Shirts has t-shirts that have a point, create important dialog and wonderful design.

Why did I pick the Sitting Bull Hero T-Shirt?

I grew up with my Dad otherwise known as Grandpa creating Native American inspired artwork. He believed strongly that we had Native American blood in us. Maybe we all do some where in us. He loved their culture, used to tell me story after story about Native American's. He studied his family history and went as far as getting a genetic testing to see if he had Native American in him. My tall red headed Father found out that he had Asian in him. He was sad. I tease him about how he needs to start working on Asian inspired artwork. That didn't get him down. He still loves the Native American culture.

I wanted to get this t-shirt for my Dad. Like I said he's super tall, and skinny. He needs special tall sizes for his shirts.

I got it for Travis otherwise known as Daddy. He was so excited to have a package finally come for him! He's worn the shirt twice. I've washed it, and it didn't shrink, or fade at all.

Our little family had a chance to see Brule a Contemporary Native American Dance, music and stories. It was so inspiring.

I also really love the artwork of Native American Nora Naranjo-Morse. She is featured in the movie Inspirations that I show in my Art Media Techniques class. She strongly believes that we need to protect the earth.

This summer we are going to South Dakota for vacation. The kids will be so excited! This t-shirt will be packed to go with us.

What does the Sitting Bull Hero T-Shirt mean to Ban T-Shirts?

From Their Site: Sitting Bull Hero T-shirt. Tatanka Iyotaka was the spiritual leader and chief of the Dakota Sioux. He is well-known for defeating Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 after being driven from the Black Hills by gold miners. -Ban T-Shirts

Check out other t-shirts that Ban T-Shirts has to offer. If you feel really strong about a certain topic, they may have a t-shirt that matches it.

Like Ban T-Shirts on Facebook
Follow Ban T-Shirts on Twitter
Follow Ban T-Shirts on Pinterest
Follow Ban T-Shirts Blog

If you had to pick a hot topic to make into a t-shirt, what would it be?

Disclaimer: The opinions on the post are my personal take on the product. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. I did receive a free product to help with this giveaway.