Nesting My World.

{let’s all take a minute to thank Jah for Pinterest}

I had to do this with the kids.  In the past year, SC is understanding that we are no longer Just Visiting Texas.  She knows STX is an island in the Caribbean.  Her little six-year-old brain is trying to make order out of a sometimes un-orderly world.  SJ, on the other hand, just wants to make sure he can have milk with his cereal.

I knew this would help them, and it looked like fun AND I could FINALLY use those empty cans I’ve been saving for a project. I know I am not the only one who justifies a purchased based on whether or not I can re-purpose the packaging? Right?

TA DA! I don’t think you need a step by step tutorial.  It’s pretty self-explanatory.

We live in Austin, in Texas, in The United States Of America, in North America, on planet Earth.

You can see the full blog post here with a little bit of lesson involved here from First Grade To The Core.

And, that concludes today’s geography lesson.  Go play.
xo
bfm

Put A Sock Over It.

This is totally weird.  And even weirder that SC thought of it on her own.  See, she has this penguin named Peggy.  Peggy does not go everywhere with us, SC just sleeps with her.  She is not so attached to her that she can’t function without her.  Her attachment is normal to this sweet penguin.  We adopted her from the Dallas Aquarium back in 2010 and she has been a great addition to our family.  SJ has Teddy.  Original, I know.  But, we lost Froggy in the DFW airport in 2011.

I had a million and eight stuffed animals growing up.  Now, I think they are hideous germ and dust collectors.  The kids have a handful, but I had to nix Memaw’s obsession of presenting a stuffed animal for each child at every holiday, including Tuesday’s.

I’m ok with Peggy & Teddy.  I catch both kids reading to their animals and using them as an audience when practicing their white-bread dance skills.  We find them in the mud, in the chicken coop, under the couch.  They have the life.  They are quite and don’t eat much, but they do get dirty and stinky and need baths.  In the washing machine. {GET TO IT ALREADY BFM THIS IS BORING}

OK!!! SC noticed that Peggy’s eyes were getting cloudy.  After a quick trip to the SA Pediatrician, we ruled out any ophthalmic disorders and learned here eyes were getting scratched most likely during the wash & dry cycle Boo.  SC presented Peggy to me one morning to be washed, and then handed me a SOCK.  What the heck is this? I thought.  She told me to put it over Peggy’s head so that it would protect her eyes.  MY DAUGHTER IS BRILLIANT and STRANGE at the same time! I LOVE HER!

And this is weird.  I feel criminal, psychopath-ish. SJ helped me with the laundry this morning and asked if Teddy {and Puppy, who I could care less about} could get a bath.

IT IS ALL THAT AND A BAG OF

 We can’t do anything to un-do Peggy’s current condition, but we can prevent it from getting worse.  And, Teddy’s eyes have NEVER been scratched!!  Clear as a bell!!

So, if you are in charge of your kids’ stuffed animals’ bath time, put a sock over it.  It feels weird, but in the end, you’ll be glad you did it.  Just trying to help strung out moms everywhere.

xo
bfm

Procrastination {A Valentine’s Post}

AAAAAACCCCCCKKKKK! Usually from September through February, I feel like a snowball rolling through hell. (oh dear Lord, go click that link for a mouth full of smiles!)

So much holiday and birthday stuff to plan for, and when we lived on STX, I had to back everything up at least five weeks if I ordered anything off island.  This year, has been better.  Until today.  What was supposed to be a full day at home resulted in driving all over God’s Green Oak Hill finding plastic BUGS.  You know those tube of animals you usually see everywhere?  I COULD NOT FIND THEM ANYWHERE TODAY and ended up finding them at Target (bleeuch) in a random party supply bin.

And so, at the 12th hour, I think I am done and have to start planning for SJ’s bday party, which is next weekend.  I can pull it together in one week, right? BUT, first, I must share with you the kids Valentines.  Valentine’s day has always meant home-made cards and gifts for me.  I once made the Fisherman a woven box out of magazines courtesy of downtime working at the Buccaneer Beach Shack when we first moved to STX. Wow.  I WISH I had that kind of time now….

Instead of a DIY, here it is.  Simple Pinterest searches result in an overwhelming amount of ideas.  These ideas are not mine, I just adapted them.  Sure, they could have been cleaner, more professional, but I am super proud of my offspring for helping make their OWN Valentine’s this year. {I think they look perfect!}

Valentine, You’re Just Write For Me.
(99 percent completed by SC, excluding copying her message and printing from the computer)

Love Bugs
(SJ signed his name!!! My kid can barely wipe his butt but he can sign his name!!!)

{I will always be the mom who does NOT give candy for Valentine’s day and will give your kids books for their birthdays.  Just sayin’…}

And in between it all, I am dipping strawberries, bananas and pretzels in chocolate for the kids’ teachers.

I always had a hard time finding chocolate bark on STX for candy making.  Once, my mom mailed it to me.  I live for this stuff.  I wonder if I will be doing this when the kids are in high school?? SC came home to inform me her teacher requested no chocolate because she is trying to lose weight.  Well, it is FRUIT.  This will be the last of the sweets for her.

And because my body aches from some freakish willPower & Grace barefoot (YES!) workout yesterday, this happy mom is enjoying a glass of wine.  I hope all of you remember you are loved.  I love you for stopping by to visit for a good laugh.

x to the mf-o
bfm

DIY Chalkboard Canvas

Some sweet young friends of ours took a year off of “regular life” and moved to STX where they lived and thrived for over a year.  That is all they wanted and they fell in love with it.  They knew they would eventually return to Texas, but just knowing the had the balls to take that chance and make that move is awesome.

And now, they have returned to the daily grind of young, 20 something triathletes.  Oh, did I leave that part out?  Super hot bods.  They recently plunged into home-ownership and are just adorable with building their nest.  I knew exactly what their new house-warming gift would be: Chalk Board Canvas.  They are always leaving cute little notes for each other and this is just another way of saying “I HEART YOUR BODY, WE SHOULD MAKE ONE OF OUR OWN”.

I’m obsessed with chalk board paint.  I bought a quart of it last summer and have barely put a dent in it, even though I paint EVERYTHING chalkboard.

Now, pay attention real good, because this is the simplest DIY in the herstory of DIY.

You’ll Need:
Canvas
2″ sponge brush (I find that these leave less stroke marks for this type of project)
Chalkboard paint, available just about anywhere now days, or make your own.
Chalk or pastels to write your message

Find yourself a canvas.  Sure, you can go buy one at the craft store, but there are plenty of perfectly unwanted canvases at thrift stores looking for a sweet new home.  They are perfect for this project because you are covering it in black paint.  Does not matter what is on the canvas, because you won’t see it.  Isn’t that the craziest thing you have ever heard of?  I picked this fleur-de-leu beauty at GW for about $5.  It’s a nice, large size at 2′x2′.  Enough to make an impact.  The bigger, the better, I always say.

Cover your canvas with a thin coat of paint using your sponge brush.  Don’t worry if you can see the design on the canvas print, you’ll add a second coat.

After all the canvas’ I have painted, I have learned that keeping your brush strokes in one direction keeps the canvas nice and clean.  Allow to dry for about an hour or so before applying a second coat.  Use your brain and make your own rules.  If you feel like adding a third coat to make it super black, go for it.  You make the rules.

After the final coat of paint has dried (I usually allow 1-2 hours between coats of paint) you will want to PRIME your canvas. If you plan on using your chalkboard, priming seems to help.  If you are writing a message to stay, then I wouldn’t bother priming.

To prime your CB, just rub chalk over the entire piece and then wipe away with a damp cloth.

Now, your board is ready for your message!  I like to wipe down the canvas with a damp cloth before I start writing.    It allows you chalk pastel to write smoother and makes the color richer. I use chalk pastels vs. regular chalk. I LOVE the array of colors here:

The Fisherman and I presented our loving housewarming gift which was received with OOHHHHHS and AAAAHHHHHS.  Then they placed it above their bed and it said: BABY MAKING STARTS HERE.  Wait, that didn’t happen, but it should have.

This project can convey to almost any surface: old metal trays, cabinet doors, drawer fronts, walls, appliances, etc.  The medium is versatile and can be used on just about any surface and is mistake proof!

Happy weekend of fun DIY projects!
bfm

Home Made Christmas Gifts, et al.

Finally! I can share with you some of the super fabulous, fun and FUNKY home-made gifts our family bestowed upon each other this other this holiday season.

Sometime ’round September, we thought it would be a GREAT (read easy) idea to make gifts this year instead of buying.  Well, it was GREAT, but of course we all waited untill the last-minute to “finish” the projects we had been thinking of and barely started once December rolled around.  And, here we go:

Fabric Scrap Ornaments & Flower Headbands
{from your’s truly}
I came across a package of glass ornaments for $1.99 at Goodwill one day, not having any clue that they actually sell these brand new at Michael’s for this purpose.  Not knowing WHAT was going to go in them, I bought them knowing the craft gods would send something my way.  Then came a HUGE barrel of vintage fabric scraps from my grandmother’s house. And that is what ended up in the delicate glass globes.  I know they are delicate because I broke 3 of them. The family loved them, and of course, the sentimental factor helped as well.  I needed something else to do with all this fabric (and still doing with all this fabric) so I gussied up some headbands with some no-sew fabric flowers adorned with vintage buttons.  I was pretty damn happy with the end product, thank you very much.

Crocheted Afghans
My oldest sister thought she was so clever when she twisted the rules of home-made gifts.  “We never said WE had to make the gifts.” she cackled.  She allowed us each to choose a festive large, festive plastic bag filled with love.  Hand-crocheted afghan from our Aunt Jackie and possibly even our grandmother. Are you seeing a trend here?  And remember, I come from a long lineage of hoarders.  Each member of our family, including the newest, received a hug from our Aunt Jackie in the form of a warm blanket.  To her credit, she also jarred my father’s “secrete” dry rub. Home made. And, another very thoughtful thing: This hoarder sister still had my nieces flower girl bouquets from our wedding in her barn. She filled glass ornaments (from Michael’s) with the dried flowers.  So sweet.

Funky Fawns
The “other sister” and I were junking in Llano one day when we came across this totally be-dazzled deer skull.  Scary? Funky? Cool? Weird? Tacky? Yes. And we had to have one.  Seeing as how she lived in the center of the deer hunting capital of THE WORLD, old, gnarly deer skulls (with horns) were not in short supply.  It didn’t take much, and this little pretty has a special place in our downstairs guest bathroom.  Yep.

Keeping It Neat
Two of my Adorbs and talented nieces came up with some ideas after my own heart: Clean and organized.  After dumping a butt-load of oatmeal on me (Bananna-Oatmeal-Smoothies), Lauren crafted a headband pedestal out of the cardboard cylinder.  The inside holds other hair accessories like hair ties, brushes and barrettes. HOLLA!, Now, If I could just teach SC to put her headbands BACK where they belong…..

Another niece, who thinks she is NOT crafty, but can not escape the craft gene that is embedded in her DNA, AND who is most likely rolling her “I’m a junior in high school eyes” at this right now, produced some FANTASTICLY festive coasters.  She worked her magic with tiles, cork backing, cupcake napkins and Modge Podge!  Whoop Whoop! no more drink rings!!

All Buttoned Up
We concluded, and with no contest, that our mother deserves the award for best home-made gift {um, although SHE did not make them…breakin’ the rules just a little…..}
Family of depression era hoarders = massive vintage button collection.  People, for some reason, love to collect buttons.  Tons of them.  I’ll have to admit, some of them are pretty fabulous.  Glass cut, sparkly, patriotic, but we don’t really need thousands of them, do we? Do we? So, she asked me to collaborate on this project to pick out buttons we thought fit the personalities of the recipient.  She took the buttons to a local jewelry maker (who coveted our buttons) and had them made into rings.  CUTE!! Another sentimental, thoughtful gift that we will cherish FO’ EVER!!

And now, it’s all said and done, we are thinking of ideas for next year.  The pressure towards the end almost killed a few family members.  Our first Christmas back was definitely one to remember with such memorable, thoughtful gifts and a too-big-but I loved it Christmas celebration at our house with 25 peeps.  These are the kind of gifts I LOVE to give and receive.  Because when you come to my house and use my downstairs bathroom, you’ll say “What the HECK is that?” and I’ll have a great story to tell.

keep on craftin’
bfm

Garland of the Year.

Do you know how much I L-UH-FFFFF this time of year?  I do, I really do.  Its magical and it makes me smile when I am grumpy (alot) when I see my kids get excited about finding their Elf, going through the box of ornaments talking about what they made, breaking ornaments, staying up late watching cheesy holiday movies and fighting over who has a bigger piece of candy cane in their breakfast cereal. And so on and so on.

And decorating.  We splurged this year purchased the most beautiful, fattest, fluffiest tree $50 or so could get us.  I say we “splurged” because a $50 tree on STX looked like this:

I kid, I kid, but you get the idea.  Our $50 went a lot further this year here in ‘Merica..  And really, people, how do you think Christmas trees even GET to STX, and think about a refrigerated trailer to kind of keep them fresh.  Lots of work goes into Baby Jesus’s birthday.

Where we talking about garland?  I get sidetracked easily.  Remember last year’s book page garland?  One of those things that I thought of last-minute, the kids practiced their stapling skills…and away we went.  Well, this year……….

FABRIC SCRAP GARLAND! Yes!  Where did I get all these fabric scraps, You ask.? Well, for the past 50 years or so, they have been sitting in a drum barrel at the top of the stairs in my Granny’s/Aunt’s/Dad’s childhood home.  Not kidding.  The most incredible treasure of our family’s history in fabric scraps.  Why is this cool to me?  The women in our family made beautiful quilts, saved ALL their fabric from old clothes and sewing and used the scraps to make quilts.  It’s what people did when they didn’t have television, or computers or Target. They sat together as a family and did things together.  Well, at least the women did.  The men were out getting drunk, I assume.  The older members taught the younger members and so on.  They bonded.  The planned.  They nurtured.  All around quilting.

And so, in attempt to keep it cheap, use what we have and teach a little family history to my kids, we have beautiful strips of vintage fabric adorning our tree.  I couldn’t be happier.  I think I may have just started a tradition.

But, that’s not all.  Stay tuned to for the home-made gifts using the massive amounts of scraps.  Can’t discuss now or it will spoil the gifts, but I know the family will love them.

Happy Decorating,

bfm

{and, I will also share with you that our tree skirt is a ripped up petticoat purchased at the nastiest Goodwill ever, I will never go in again.  The Empire State Building ornament was a souviner purchased right after The Fisherman propsed to me at the top, scaring the hell out of a bunch of junior high kids on a field trip.  Ahh, love}

This Realtionship Is Over.

Have you seen the claim circulating the internet (for years) that you could slather Vick’s on someone’s feet who was sick with a cold, cover feet in socks over night and they would wake up COLD-FREE in the morning?  I saw this allegation when we lived in STX and was AWESTRUCK!  I am a Vick’s Lover.  I have memories of my parents COVERING me from head to toe in Vick’s at any sign of a cold…on cold winter nights.  I knew, that one day, I. Must. Try. This.

Upon our return back home to Texas, one major thing has struck the Fisherman and me.  Everyone Has Cancer.  It is really sad. And of course, I could never say why or what the cause is other than toxins in our environment (duh).  But from where?  How do you pinpoint? Because of course if you could, then BAM! Just eliminate and no more cancer.  It is my theory that because we did with so much less, including toxins, on St. Croix, that we have not been exposed to them as much*.  My theory, people, just a theory.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I am keenly aware here in the states what I put on my body and in my body.  I’m not to the freak-a-zoid 100 percent-I-make-my-own-air person, but I am slowly changing my ways {thus, my family must suffer the consequences AND reap the benefits}

And so, back to my love affair with Vick’s Vapor Rub.  The time of year is upon us in my house where my kids are stuffy, snotty and drippy and I want to COVER them in Vick’s.  My desire was shot down when I read a mom’s story relating  the above mentioned Vick’s-on-the-feet treatment and her child’s Exema.  There is obviously no proof that the Vick’s Vapor rub is the cause of the child’s exema.  This claim made me curios and dig deeper about Vick’s.

Uggh.  The lust I have towards Vick’s was slowly being crushed with every new article my eyes met.  Here is the short list of toxic ingredients:

Camphor**: Contributes to the vapor quality.  Toxic levels are anything over 11 percent.  Vick’s has 5  percent.
Turpentine Oil: Also aids in the vapor qualities.  Also, it is a paint solvent.
Laureth 7:  which comes from ethylene oxide and lauryl alcohol, serves an emulsifier. A common, probably too common, component found in detergents, cleaners and paint.
Petrolatum: THIS is what make’s Vick’s, Vick’s. The silky, thick salve substance you scoop out of the container and rub on chest, neck and nose. Derived from petroleum (aka crude oil) it is approved by the USFDA as a glide in ointments and cosmetics.  Petrolatum has been found in cancerous tumors (breast, coincidently the same area where we like to RUB Vick’s), causes suffocation of the skin, premature aging and aggravated acne.

This is what I know so far.  I have a tub of Vick’s still in my medicine cabinet.  When SC laid in bed the other night, she sniffed and said “Will you rub some Vick’s on my chest?” I hesitated. And then did so.  But I didn’t like it too much.  “Here, my sweet, beautiful, innocent, pure child, let me take a glob of the crude oil and purposefully rub it on your chest for your skin to absorb, KNOWING that the ingredients have cancer causing agents in them.”  I also know that in reality, it would take a hell of a lot of Vick’s on my child’s skin on a regular basis for her to receive the toxic levels. Or do I?

So, what is an alternative to Vick’s?  What product deserves my love and affection? What else provides the same soothing qualities but is safe enough to put on even the youngest of young’s skin without harm?

Well, look what I found.  Natural commercial products that compare to Vick’s:

Which have great results, but guess what?  You can make your own soothing salve.  My MIL introduced me to Almond Glow years ago and I have been hooked ever since.  I do not like lotion and the way my skin feels.  Applying all natural but oil to your damp skin after a shower leaves your skin hydrated and silky smooth; especially in this dry weather.  There are SEVERAL all natural nut oils that are perfectly safe to apply to your skin for absorption; coconut is also wonderful.

Use this as a base and add a couple of drops  of an essential oil like Eucalyptus or Lavender and you have a Vick’s-like-product with out toxins. (This brand makes a lavender-scented oil)

Now, maybe I can break the Vick’s habit and my daughter will pass down a tradition taught to her by her mother of using only the purest products on your skin with both breasts still attached to her body.

Sorry Vick’s, but I think I must end this relationship.  It’s going to be hard with out you, but it’s just not healthy anymore. No, really, it’s for the best.

xo
bfm.

* The other  side to that story is we lived on a small island with a decrypted oil refinery…spewing toxins in every direction, so there ya’ go.
**My MIL’s mother would pour straight Camphor INTO her  wound.

The Writing Is On The Wall.

I have always been a visual person.  I like to have visual written reminders scattered around the house about things.  Whether it is a work out goal, the way I want to act, or uh, tying to quit doing something, I like to see it in the written word.  Kind of like people all around me reminding me of something.  Or, maybe its like nagging.  Ok, and maybe that’s TMI and a bit weird.

But, now, I have impressed this need upon my kids.  With the start of school, SC expressed an interest in completing her nightly routine of showering, brushing teeth, brushing hair, etc, all on her own.  The kids have a funk-i-fied Jack and Jill bathroom that reminds me of a cave. 

We never used the shower; only if you were a lucky guest.  It had those nasty glass sliding doors left over from the 70′s.  No telling what was growing in there. I wanted to get “her” bathroom all set up, and as I was attempting to clean the nasty doors, they kinda, sort of,um, accidentally popped off.  HALLELUJAH!!  I installed a tension curtain rod, the only semi-cute shower curtain I could find in Oak Hill on a Sunday afternoon and VIOLA! SC has a cute little bathroom.

It didn’t take long for me to notice we had some learning to do about showering on her own.  With out dragging this out {any more}, here is the solution I came up with:

GENIUS!!! I KNOW!!!  I just used wipe-off markers to help her remember hot/cold/on/off and the order to do things.  I lowered the shower caddy to her reach and she knows that shampoo starts with S and conditioner starts with C. {I splurged and got her princess-esy soap.} I know your thinking: It will just wash off when the water turns on.  But, it actually doesn’t.  This part of the shower doesn’t get that wet, so it barely got smudgy after one week of use!

I know with the onset of school our kids are growing and learning faster than we can keep up with.  This has helped our nightly routine out, and more importantly, freed up about 10 minutes in the evening for me!! ‘Cause when momma’s happy…everyone is happy.

And so, I share with you.

Happy day, all!
xox
bfm

What Went Wrong? {an experiment}

Thanks to All Mighty Pinterest, SC and I have been on the hunt for fun experiments using mostly items we already have in the house.  Today, it was “lava lamps” and a lesson on why oil and water don’t mix.  Just like anything, there are a million ways to do this experiment.  I read so many, I don’t even remember referring to one blog to send you to. So, here we go…

Gather materials of clear bottles, glass or plastic (thanks to a neighbor’s recycle box!), water, vegetable oil, food coloring and Alka Seltzer.

Fill bottles partly with water, partly with oil.  Be a nerd and discuss why the oil and water don’t mix.  I compared it to mixing milk and orange juice so they could understand. 

 THEN, add a few drops of food coloring.  Break your Alka Seltzer into small pieces and drop into the bottle.

  Watch the magic happen:

Not here. 

 A lesson in an experiment gone wrong.  What could we do different?  I think what I did wrong was added food coloring to the water first.  I guess I did not read the instructions very well.  On our second attempt, we added food coloring after the oil, then dropped the seltzer bits.  Eh, not so eventful either.  The kids had fun watching the bubbles and all, but there was no “lava lamp” effect to be seen.  The lesson today was helping each other out, why oil and water don;t mix and why experiments are called experiments, because they don’t always turn out like you expect them to.

Next time, I’ll try harder.

xox
bfm

Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder {make one}

As soon as I saw this plastic bottle bird feeder, I KNEW it was the perfect project for all the cousins at The Ranch.  I, of course, was Activities Director.  The couple of weeks leading up to our little family reunion, I started collecting plastic bottles.  This also meant picking up litter on our morning walks.  You find interesting things at the end of a long country road.

So, here is what ya’ll need:

Empty Water / Soda Bottles
Wooden Spoons (pick up used ones for about ten cents at a thrift store)
Birdseed
Funnel
Twine (no house is complete without spools of twine)
Drill

With any craft involving beings with short attention spans, I like to make sure I have everything gathered and ready.  This was no different. But it seemed like I was about 5 minutes behind.  I enlisted the help of Uncle Construction to drill the holes in the bottles. 

Essentially, drill two holes all the way through.  I had a variety of bottles. We found that a heavier soda bottle was easier to drill through vs. a flimsy plastic, cheapo water bottle. Drill two more, smaller holes, right above the holes where you want to insert spoons.  These holes will allow the birds to peck out seed while perched on the spoons.  Insert wooden spoons through bottle. 

Fill bottles with birdseed using a funnel or a makeshift funnel out of paper. 

Screw top back on and fasten twine in whatever way you fancy to allow feeder to hang.

Put all the cousins together for a photo-op.  Because that is what it’s all about: Cousin Time.

Then, go play.