A Few of My Favorite Things...{A Gift Swap!}

I have read on a couple of blogs that I enjoy about a fun little thing called the "Mellow Yellow Swap". Basically, you signed up, were assigned a partner and you exchanged packages filled with fun, indulgent little things in your favorite color. What a fun idea! Bloggers and non-bloggers alike participated, but those who do blog posted a recap of their package once they received it.

I thought this was so cool! It's so exciting to get a fun little treat for yourself in the mail. So I was thinking I'd propose something similar. Not color oriented (although, what a cool idea!) but based around the theme "A Few of My Favorite Things". You package up a few of your favorite little indulgences (Let's say $20 worth? We can do more or less - let me know your thoughts...) and mail it off to your swap partner.

Post to the comments if you'd like to participate! The more the merrier - if you're a total stranger reading this (are you?), please, DO join in the fun. If you're not someone I know and harass via e-mail on a regular basis, leave me your e-mail address so I can contact you. If you ARE someone I know and you're not already posting to the comments (why aren't you?)...now's the time! :)

Come on, y'all! It will be fun!

Learning to Think Small

My tendency in all aspects of life is to "think big". I tend to over-plan, over-pack, over-do, over-compensate, over-buy, over-analyze...etc. etc. So I usually think that amusing my kids requires big plans. Last year, for example, I bought one of those "easy-set" pools for the yard, thinking Maya would love that. Well, she went in once, fell down and went under the water, and never wanted to go in again. What a waste of money and time! This year, I bought one of the cruddy plastic pools with the tiny little slide and the kids love it! Keep it simple! I've got to learn this - keep it simple!

Of course, everything at house house has to end in drama. The kids went inside as I was gathering up all of our stuff...and proceeded to lock me out of the house. Somehow "they" (how does poor Mason always get roped into the royal "they"?) managed to lock the door, but were unable to unlock it. So Mason stood and bawled while Maya tried and tried to unlock the door. Finally, I went around to the front, since Maya is usually able to unlock that one. After I rang the doorbell about a hundred times, Maya caught the hint and opened the door in all of her bare naked glory. Kids are fun!

Time To Quit Giving Away the Farm

CustomCardCreations

Chris and I had a discussion recently about how we're the world's worst entrepreneurs. We both have skills that are marketable - "on the side". He's the accountant and photographer extraordinaire, and I do all right whipping things up on the computer. But we have such a hard time charging our friends for our work. Most of the time, Chris doles out free accounting advice (usually to family and friends with their own businesses); he has, however, finally developed a pricing structure for taking pictures, but even still, he just hates to charge people! And I'm the same way. I enjoy designing things on the computer; I've done baby shower invitations for tons of my friends in the past few years. And I don't mind at all. Every now and then someone asks me what I charge, and I just wave them away. It doesn't take me long, and I quite enjoy it.

Anyway, I did some shower invites for a friend in another state recently, and she e-mailed me today saying that several people had asked for my name & info to do some cards for them. Hello! Perfect opportunity to start charging folks! Now, whether they're actually willing to pay, is another story altogether! :) So anyway, I uploaded some of the things I've done in the past to a Google album (check out the slideshow playing down a little ways on the sidebar) and even copied a payment structure from another card designer. In case you're curious, here it is...

$25 base price to design the cards

{You may print them yourself}

OR

I will have them printed for you for the $15/base

+

50 cents each for 4x6 photo cards

$1.00 for each 5x7 photo cards

+

$3.50 for shipping

Oh, but wait...you're my friend...I couldn't possibly charge you!

I don't have great expectations that this will keep me terribly busy or make me any money, but hey...being terribly busy just isn't for me anyway! But now if anyone asks what I charge, at least now I know what to say! :)

Click the picture above to check out my meager offerings...

Art Project O' The Day - Painting Presents

There are so many cute ways to wrap up gifts for kids...I don't know how cute this idea is, but it's always a fun project for us, anyway! I wrap the gifts in butcher block-ish paper and let Maya decorate them however she wants to. Sometimes they get covered in foam stickers; other times, she colors them with markers or crayons. We have cut out shapes and/or pictures and glued them on. Today, she painted! Like I said, maybe not the cutest or most clever, but always, always fun!

Goin' Bananas (Calling All Banana Recipes!)

Hey, both literally and figuratively today! Figuratively...my kids are making me bananas. Wait, actually just one of them. It's not really nice to blame it on both of them. But it's also not really nice to reveal which one is driving me nuts, is it? Although, if you know me at all, I'm sure you can guess! :)

Anyway, in the literal sense, I have some bananas that are goin' goin' (almost) gone sitting on my counter. I hate to waste them, since there are about 5 of them (I have to remember NOT to buy the Sam's Club huge bunch in the summer - the just DON'T last at all in this Texas heat), but we're so not going to eat them now. Anyway, I'm not so much for banana bread. It's just a little too heavy for me, especially in the summer time. Any other ideas of something I can do with these brown 'naners? Help, help!

Wry Baby

Raising kids should be fun. Just ask the folks over at Wry Baby. Their tagline is "Raise funny people." I like that! Here are some fun things to help you with that quest.

Mysterio Predicts - Infant Tee - $12.95

Proud Parent Pins - For Dad - $6.99

The Wheel of Responsibility - $11.95

Dad To-Do List - $10.95

Diaper Cover - Checking Baby's Diaper - $16.00

I Eat Paste Toddler T-Shirt - $22.00

"Someday I'll Demand a Pony" Tee & Leggings - $35.00

"Photo With Baby - 25 Cents" Onesie - $24.00

Be sure to click on the pics to take a look at these hilarious items up close. Thanks to Cool Mom Picks for the great tip!

Above Average (In Cuteness)

And in height! That's the official word from Mason's 15 month check-up. (Okay, the cute thing is more my opinion than official word - but I'm right, no?) The stats:

Height: 34 1/2 Inches (+95%)

Weight: 28 Pounds (75-90%)

Head: 48.4 cm. (75-90%)

That's my big boy!

The Mushroom Garden

We had lunch at the Olive Garden yesterday, and Maya has been referring to it as the "Mushroom Garden" ever since. She quite loved it there; in fact, you'd think she'd never eaten at a restaurant before - which, sadly is not the case. She eats at restaurants more than she eats at home. (That might be an exaggeration...and it might not. I'm not really sure.)

This is probably not so amusing that it deserved its own post, but since I have such "fond" (errr...no) memories of my time as a waitress there, here we are. And I will say, I don't love it as much as I did before I worked there, but still...a basket of breadsticks and a bowl of alfredo sure ain't a bad thing! Not at all.

Natalie's Guide To Filling Up Your Inbox!

I love e-mail! And I'm a little bit obsessed with e-newsletters. I sign up for bunches of them. Usually, I end up unsubscribing to most of them. There are a few, though, that are real keepers! Here are my tried and true favorites.

Hungry Girl rocks for sensible dieting/healthy lifestyle tips. Plus, I really enjoy her writing style (and indeed try to imitate it at times!).

Daily Candy is the hip and happening guide to living a MUCH cooler life than you might otherwise! :) They have editions for lots of big cities (I subscribe to New York and Dallas), as well as childrens, deals and travel editions, all of which are lots of fun. (Again, I really dig the writing style.)

I love love love the Sesame Family Newsletter. Their writers discuss topics that all Mamas can relate to...manners, bedtime rituals, one on one time...all focused around their own children and experiences as parents. They always include lots of links to additional articles, activity ideas, etc. etc. This is a great resource! They also have a Sesame Beginnings newsletter, which is focused on babies, but I haven't enjoyed it quite as much. The Sesame Family version, though, is a goldmine!

Photojojo has really fun tips and tricks for people that love photography! The newsletter comes twice a week and features cool products, how-to's, and other photo-rific stuff.

The Kraft Food & Family newsletter always has fun and easy recipes. You can even sign up for special birthday editions to be sent a few weeks before your (and your kids') birthdays. Fun, fun! You can also subscribe to their free print magazine, which is always full of great stuff.

I'm just a recent subscriber to a few of the newsletters from the Martha Stewart empire, so it's too soon to tell if they will be keepers or not. I have signed up for the Blueprint newsletter, as well as Everyday Food, Body + Soul and Martha Stewart Living.

I'm always looking for something new and exciting for my inbox...what are your favorites?

How Many Cottams Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?

This is the question I was pondering as I stood hanging up dresses in Maya's pitch-dark closet today. It's been that way for months. I've mentioned it to Chris several times. I suppose I could change it myself...but that's just not how we function around here. We have a hard time accomplishing the mundane tasks. Our closet is double-sided (it's hard to explain) with a light fixture on each side. Chris' side was burned out when we moved it; we never replaced the bulb. Eventually my side burned out, so Chris replaced his side. Mine is still dark a year later. I noticed today that 2 of the bulbs in the dining room fixture are burned out. And I recall that the bulbs in the guest bathroom light fixture burned out one at a time and were finally all replaced once they all burned out and we'd been using the toilet in the pitch dark for at least a week. The front porch light has been burned out for at least 5 days now. I am not making this up! What is wrong with us? For some reason, we just have the hardest time getting things done. I take comfort in the fact that everyone is like this in one way or another. Right? Tell me I'm right! Please?

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

I've never been one for homemade ice cream...to make it, that is (to eat it, yes please!). It's so yummy and fantastic, but when there are so many lovely store-bought options, and you're as lazy as I am... Anyway, homemade ice cream is such a fun summer thing, and this recipe sounds so incredibly yummy (courtesy of The Rach, naturally), that I just might break with tradition...and start a new one!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

3 cups coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt

1. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the chopped mint leaves, heavy cream and milk and, stirring constantly, bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

2. Using a fine sieve, strain the cream mixture into a medium bowl, pressing with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Add the liquid to the saucepan, stir in the chocolate, sugar and salt, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted. Let cool, then transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Scrape the chilled mint-chocolate mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Garnish with the mint sprigs before serving.

Can I get a YUM-O?

Gift Suggestions, Anyone?

These 2 cuties pies (Daniel & Ben, my nephews) are turning 4 and 2 this weekend...so I've got some shopping to do. Anyone have great suggestions? They have lots of toys, although toys are always great, if there's something that's a big hit at your house. I usually try to venture out of toys...I got them Crocs shoes for Christmas, for example...Thoughts, anyone? (Especially for the 2 year old boy...)

CHOP! Maya Got a Hair Cut!

I think that if I'd never cut Maya's hair, it would probably be touching her bum by now. And boy, wouldn't she love that! Despite the fact (or maybe BECAUSE of the fact) that I think she's adorable with shorter hair, she has been in a phase where she wants to grow her hair "down to the street." However, as it got longer and rattier, the hair-brushing tantrums got more wild. I was so relieved when she agreed yesterday to get her hair cut!

Thank goodness for Cool Cuts 4 Kids. The promise that she would get to sit in a race car (it ended up being a fire truck, actually) and watch a movie (Hello Kitty, naturally), was all it took! When she saw there were suckers to be had afterwards, the deal was sealed! So, chop chop, she's back to cute Maya with the bob. And since Cool Cuts is inside Toys R Us, she managed to track down a Hello Kitty swimsuit that she HAD to have - and I was more than happy for her to have it, since, for once, this trip had been entirely drama free! (Oh, and all of their swimwear was 50% off, so check into that if you're in the market.) Woo hoo! We love those rare, drama free occasions.

Random Offering: Fred Flare Fun!

If you're not familiar with Fred Flare, scurry on over there right away and check out their really fun offerings. A few of my favorites:

#1 Dad - $16

Tweet Dinner Plate Set - $36

Swan Ice Sculpture Kit - $20

Cool Jewels Ice Cube Tray - $8

Decorative File Folders - $16 for 12 folders

Camera Photo Album - $14

Russian Dolls Coin Purse - $10

Bestie Necklace Set - $14

Hot Shot! Camera Ring - $10

Holly Golightly Sleep Mask - $14

Some fun gift ideas there, no? I think Chris would treasure the #1 Dad trophy forever! Oh, and Fred even has a blog to keep you updated on the latest and greatest. Check it out!