1st Day of Second Grade...

I noticed he was getting taller the other day and he was definitely heavier. He knows more about baseball and football than I do now. Sometimes he is bothered that he has to give me a kiss before he gets out of the car. He is all boy and he has started 2nd grade.



God bless the mamas who have given their whole heart to a child. May we not notice the gradual pulling away as they grow up under our noses.

Owen's 2nd Grade Meet-the-Teacher Night

Thanks to sweet friend Jennifer who took this pic of us!

Hunter Original Fuschia! Wellingtons - DC Cupcakes' Style

On DC Cupcakes, along with the cute fuschia aprons and black shirts/pants, Katherine and Sophie sport fuschia wellie boots. Last week I spent a great deal of time trying to find the boots on the internet - googling in 1000 different ways "pink boots worn on DC Cupcakes" - you get the idea. Nothing! I got nothing! (And what does that "Feeling Lucky" button do anyway?!) I should have trusted my instincts... of course they are HUNTER WELLINGTON BOOTS! I should have known! I have been pining over some since I saw Brian Murphy's wife, Michelle, sporting some in their Christmas 2009 family photocard. Hers were the original hunter green. So, here they are - Hunter Wellington Boots - DC Cupcakes' Style!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book is next on my list. Mrs. Lynn says this book is the can't put it down kind - which makes it a must-read. Will report back soon! By the way, you can find it at Sam's Club, which I coincidentally have to go to today!

FOUND! ... "Write Start" Colored Pencils by Crayola

On our list of must-haves for 2nd grade - Crayola "Write Start" Colored Pencils - Pack of 8. Places where you will not find them - Target at The Savannah Mall, Target in Bluffton, Walmart on Hwy. 17, Walmart in Rincon, Walmart in Pooler. In fact, the only place we have found them is at Teach Right in Rincon (thanks to Jennifer B - you saved the day!) They are $4.49, but at this point, who cares?!!!

Salt Dough - Memories of Jenny Bryant

My parents worked full time. In the afternoons during the school year and in the summers, I would stay with my mom's highschool friend, Jenny Bryant, and her family - Owen, Stacey, and husband John (their youngest son, Spencer came later.) Many, many wonderful memories came from the time I spent at her house. To me, theirs was a wholesome, happy and traditional family - the way family is supposed to be. The wife stayed home and raised her children, doing crafts and making grilled cheese sandwiches and lemonade. The husband came home after work and built things and helped play with the children. I was so lucky to have been a part of that.

When Jim and I started our own family and I was pregnant, I decided that if I had a boy, I would name him Owen. The name Owen reminded me of the happiness I felt when I was with the Bryant family and I wanted that so much for my own little family. I can remember many afternoons walking to their house from school on Touissant Drive with the "original Owen." We spent many summers playing and laughing and a little bickering here and there. We walked to the park to make crafts at the "Art in the Park" program. We jumped on the trampoline, played in the sandbox, and watched The Wizard of Oz (after Mr. Rogers was over) so many times we probably knew the words by heart. We all would squeeze onto the swing and she would sing a song to us that I sing now to my children "Swing, swing to and fro. Up and down and high and low. Babies east and babies west. Mama's baby is the best." We had lots of snacks like peanut butter/Ritz cracker sandwiches, Kool-aid popsicles, peanut butter balls and Pudding Pops that hold happy memories. One of my favorite crafts was a homemade play dough that Jenny made that we formed into creations (I remember making a peach once!) It was made from flour, salt and water - and then we painted them. This Salt Dough recipe is similar to the one we used to make:

Here is what you need:

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups hot water
Cookie Cutters
Decorations:Paint/Glitter/Beads, etc.

Knead dough (this is how Miles kneads dough) - use your own favorite method!



Roll it out to cut out shapes with cookie cutters.




You can also mold it into figurines or shapes instead of cutting with cookie cutters.



Place on microwaveable plate and microwave for 2 minutes on high.



Sometimes you have to microwave for longer until the middle isn't wet and gooey.



Paint and decorate.

DC Cupcakes on TLC - I am in love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been living in the dark for no telling how long. On Thursday, Dana tells me about DC Cupcakes - a cutesie bakery owned by two Greek sisters. I happened to catch a glimpse of my favorite shade of pink on two aprons and I zipped back through the channels and there they were! Sophie and Katherine - the very show Dana was telling me about. I am in love LOVE LOVE! Amazingly enough, I have been able to watch 4 shows already (yes, so I stayed up until the wee hours to do it) and they are just adorable - and FIESTY - two traits I like best! There are only two teeny tiny flaws I found with the show - Dana should OBVIOUSLY be on this show, being very Greek - and I should be on the show too - due to my overwhelming love of cupcakes, bakeries, the color pink and aprons in general. Catch the show on Fridays at 10pm, but hurry - it is only a 6 part series.

If you want to see the real bakery that Sophie and Katherine own that is featured on the show - Georgetown Cupcake - visit their website...

http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/

Things to know!

Dana, my sweet friend who could easily be mistaken for a Kardashian, sent this email to me and it was too good not to share IMMEDIATELY!

THINGS TO KNOW:

1. Budweiser beer conditions the hair

2. Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish

3. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes

4. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair

5. Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads if any

6. Shiny Hair - use brewed Lipton Tea

7. Sunburn - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water

8. Minor burn - Colgate or Crest toothpaste

9. Burn your tongue? Put sugar on it!

10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too

11. Bee stings - meat tenderizer

12. Chigger bite - Preparation H

13. Puffy eyes - Preparation H

14. Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)

15. Stinky feet - Jello!

16. Athletes feet - cornstarch

17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vick's vapor rub

18. Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (Wow, and we drink this stuff)

19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint also Kool Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it!

20. Peanut butter - will get scratches out of Cd's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper

21. Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray

22. Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby

23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls

24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on

25. Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar!

26. Body paint - Crisco mixed with food coloring. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour in to an empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice!

27. Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak

28. Preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and cup of milk of magnesia, soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years!

29. A Slinky will hold toast and Cd's!

30. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste

31. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt.

32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.

33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter!

34. Baked on food - fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the Bounce towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets, soak overnight!

35. Crayon on the wall - Colgate toothpaste and brush it!

36. Dirty grout - Listerine

37 Stains on clothes - Colgate

38. Grass stains - Karo Syrup

39. Grease Stains - Coca Cola, it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries!

40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax- sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Maybe this will work if you get them back again.

41. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox, or 2 Bayer aspirin, or just use 7-up instead of water

42. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you 'squeeze' for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie. They are:

Monday = Blue
Tuesday = Green
Thursday = Red
Friday = White
Saturday = Yellow

So if today was Thursday, you would want a red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue- Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember. I thought this was interesting. I looked in the grocery store and the bread wrappers DO have different twist ties, and even the ones with the plastic clips have different colors. You learn something new everyday! Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you are shopping.

"Here's to you, Ms. Robinson ..."

Aren't these "smart," as Ms. Robinson would say. I love these shoes! Alas, they are only one of many pairs in her closet. Oh, how I wish to live there one day!

Just a "normal" Wednesday in the life...

(Send help for the mamas!)

Decadent Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

I love it when my parents call and say the magic words "White or Red...?" because this usually means good things! This time it came in the form of twin red ice cream makers! The only bad part was that the inside freezer bowl of the machine had to be washed and frozen solid in order to make the decadent concoctions. I didn't find this out until the next morning when two little boys were prancing around in the kitchen in their pjs wanting to make ice cream.

If you buy one - take it out of the box, rinse it and pop it into the freezer immediately!

Here it is, all ready to make ice cream!



Here is what you need:

2-1/4 cups whole milk
2-1/4 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1-1/8 cups granulated sugar
1-1/8 cups Dutch process cocoa
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Here is what you do:

In a large saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream over medium-low heat. With a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise; use the blunt edge of the knife to scrape out the "seeds" of the vanilla bean.
Stir the seeds and bean pod into the milk/cream mixture. Simmer the milk/cream mixture over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard it or rinse and reserve for another use.

Combine the sugar, cocoa, eggs, and egg yolks in a medium bowl; using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat until thickened like mayonnaise.
Measure out 1 cup of the hot milk/cream mixture. With the mixer on low speed, add the cup of hot milk/cream to the cocoa mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix until completely incorporated. Stir the chopped chocolate into the saucepan with the hot milk/cream. Stir the egg mixture into the hot milk/cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to resemble a chocolate pudding. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl and stir in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the chocolate mixture, and refrigerate until completely cooled.



Pour the chilled custard into the freezer bowl, turn the machine on and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Animal Crackers ... remember these?

I haven't seen these sold in the original boxes in awhile. Maybe it is because I shop at a Super Wal-mart - where the selection is slim pickin'. So we went to Kroger, land of a million things Wal-mart doesn't carry, low and behold the animal crackers from my past! I quickly bought 2 boxes, one for each of the animals that live in my house!

P.S. Wouldn't it be just so simple and cute to have these as birthday party favors?

Girlie Wal-mart Plates - .75 cents STEAL

Aren't these cute? You like them, don't you?!!! I found them on the 4th of July clearance section at Wal-mart. Well, I guess I should add that I didn't buy them all from the same Wal-mart. I bought the first 2 at the Rincon Wal-mart. Then I went to the Pooler Wal-mart desperate to buy more (ALL ALL!!!) of them. I found most of this stack at the Hwy. 17 Wal-mart, where I discovered that "they" have a much better selection of EVERYTHING at that store and began to calculate how I planned to start shopping there instead of the one in my own county. Every now and then Wal-mart is a good thing.

Very Blogworthy: Jim's Boxed Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

So, Jim buys this box of muffins at the grocery store. A week ago on Saturday morning, he gets up and bakes them himself. He even has the audacity to ask if I think they are "blogworthy", to which I turned up my nose and cackled. As if all of this isn't enough - that boy had the nerve to bake those boxed muffins in my new Wilton pan! Well, when I am wrong, I say I am wrong - and lawd was I wrong! They are GOOD! And just to make sure you can get a box of your own - this is what to look for...
(You will have to get your own man to cook them for you.)

Kenner Tree Tots Treehouse circa 1975

If ever there was something blogworthy, this is it. Most people who have known me for long enough, have heard me reminisce over my sold-at-a-garage-sale Kenner Treetots Tree House. Once, about 8 years ago, I found one on eBay and I proceeded to fight like a mad toddler over it until the bidding reached $70 and I decided to back away from the clicker.



So, tonight, as we were all sitting on the living room floor playing Slap Jack, Miles reeling from Owen's teasing, I thought of the long lost Kenner Tree House. Unbelievably, a few are still out there, but apparently in the land of plastic and weeble-wobbles, the real estate market is still booming. This one goes for $225.00.


Perhaps one day I will be able to score a foreclosure Tree Tots Treehouse or one going for a short-sale, something I can finance for a 30 year fixed rate. Until then, I will have my blog to look back on, fondly remembering the little elevator in the tree trunk that goes up and down... There's always the dream...