Lollipop Cupcakes

I saw this on Goody Blog and I wanted to share it here because it's so adorable. It originates from Bakerella. Kyra's birthday is in April and I want to do something different. These are the perfect size for 4-year-old mouths.

It's a snake eats dog world.

After reading this article and being utterly horrified, I have one simple question. Why is a python loose in a home with young children and a small dog?

Try a printer - get a free photo!

Who doesn't love freebies? I came across this one...Try My Photo program at Canon let's you try three Canon printers for free. You select a printer, upload a photo to it and they'll send it to you...all for free! I tried the SELPHY ES2 compact photo printer and the PIXMA Pro 9500. The photo on the SELPHY came printed on glossy 4x6" paper. It was more of a glossy matte, if that makes sense. The detail was very fine and crisp. Really nice, high quality. The PIXMA print was even better. It came on an 8 1/2 x 11" sheet of fine art photo rag paper, which has a linen feel to it. I loved this! The detail of the image was excellent...really impressive quality.

I was expecting the photos to take a couple of weeks to show up. But, I uploaded my images on Thursday the 21st and they arrived on Monday, the 25th. Now that is customer service! However, I searched this site for pricing and purchasing info and there was none, which is bizarre since that seems like the purpose of sampling their printers. So, I did a search and found out that the SELPHY retails for $199; and the ink and paper ranges from $12 to $28. Consumer friendly. However, the PIXMA Pro 9500 retails for $849 (ouch!); it also requires 10 different inks each at $15 and paper runs the gamut. This is clearly for the more serious photographer.

DIY Books

This morning I actually took time to read the newspaper. Usually, I don't have the patience. I just go through the circulars, or the "Junk" as I like to call it, and torture myself -- see a bunch of things I want but can't justify spending the money on.

So, like I said, I read this one article ... it's about making photo books, which, if you upload your photos to sites like Snapfish, Kodak or Shutterfly, you probably know about. PhotoWorks is a new one I hadn't heard of. The website is clean and easy to navigate, and it offers similar products as the others -- prints, cards, calendars, and other things I'll never quite understand - like, what photo ever needs to go on a pillow case? On that note, at MyKleenexTissue.com, you can personalize tissue boxes. Cute. Anyway, I'm committed to Snapfish. I have about three years worth of photos stored there.

What really got me excited when I read this article is another site that takes the photo book to the next level. At Blurb, you can print your own book...whether it's photos, poetry, a story, a memoir...whatever. It's a step down from other self-publishing sites like Xlibris and Lulu, which also help you get into bookstores. Regardless, you can write your own book, have it printed inexpensively and say you're a published author!

Fun in the snow.

Ella and Kyra decided to forego the snowman and do all the shoveling for me. Aren't they the best? Ella worked so hard she even broke her shovel. After all that work, they were still angels.

The Tooth Fairy

Ella's first loose tooth has become her first visit from the Tooth Fairy. Boy, did that happen fast! I thought for sure it would take a week, at least. It always felt like forever when I was a kid! The Tooth Fairy was very generous; she even left a teeny, tiny note with itty, bitty handwriting.

Of course, this is all bittersweet because Ella's daddy has been away all week on business and missed the whole event. Ella was actually willing to write the Tooth Fairy a note asking her to come back on Saturday so she could show her daddy her tooth. Then, she quickly changed her mind with the idea of taking a photo of her free standing tooth to send to him. I took the photo (eww.), but we'll keep that one in the camera. She loves her daddy.

I got my snow day!

We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland and school's closed. Wahoo! The forecast is for ice and rain later, but I'm going to enjoy every flake until then. Handmade snowpeople (snow dudes, according to Ella) and angels to come later.

And, what could be better than a snow day and a fire roaring in the fireplace? Ummm...not much really.

In celebration of snow, my sister sent this cute link for the girls. Make your own snow flake online.

Just a little fun.

This is for our friend, Marc. He is our resident magician and loves "slight of hand" tricks. This fun origami by Clay Randall is right up his alley.

Lunar Eclipse

There are very few people who know this about me...I'm a sucker for a full moon (Get your mind out of the gutter.). I don't know why, but I never get tired of them. In fact, anything sky-related: sunrises; sunsets; big, puffy clouds; meteor showers...excites me. I'm always in awe. So, tonight there was a lunar eclipse. Excellent! If you missed it, there'll be another in 2010. I shot a few pics, but without a serious telephoto lens on my camera, this was the closest I could get. There's about 23 minutes between these two photos.

What nightmares might be made of.

I don't even know what to think. See for yourself.
That's it. No more Stumbling for me. I have got to get off the computer.

A loose tooth!

Ella's has her first loose tooth. She is super excited about this. It was an accidental discovery. As I was helping her brush her teeth before bed, I noticed that one tooth looked different. So, I poked it (gently, of course). And it moved. Ugh! I wasn't expecting that. But I shouldn't be surprised. She's nearly six. Half the kids in her kindergarten class have holes in their mouths.

Now she keeps playing with it. I'm trying really hard to remember when I was a kid and what that feels like. Deep down, I know it doesn't hurt. But, I have to tell you...it's nearly grossing me out.

So, my big question...what the heck do you do with the tooth once it falls out? Yeah, yeah, put it under the pillow. I know all that. But, really. What do you do with it? Throw it out? I don't know why, but that seems wrong. Am I supposed to save it? Can I donate it? Recycle it?

Not spaghetti again.

It's chow time. You have limited ingredients, and zero inspiration. As hard as you try to summon your inner chef, nothing is coming to you. Well, I have the answer! Check out Cooking by Numbers. You click on the ingredients at hand and, Voila!, a list of recipes show up. Mind you, I have yet to try any of these recipes. When I do, I'll be sure to report back. But, if anything, it's a starting point.

Taking better photos

So, you have a digital camera...but do you take advantage of all the features it comes with? Probably not. This is a really informative and free tutorial offered by Canon for taking digital photographs. It says that it's for DSLRs but most digital point-and-shoots have the same features, which means anyone can benefit from it. It illustrates the difference between shooting at ISO 100 versus 800, how changing the White Balance can effect the overall color of your image, and much more. It's thorough and easy to understand. I know I'll be reading it!

What do you do while driving?

During my twice-a-day commute to Wilmington, I've seen a lot of odd things. Just yesterday, in fact, my eyes were somehow attracted to the oncoming traffic and a lighted cross (think religious) inside the cab of a tractor trailer. My first thought was, "Jesus must be his passenger." My second thought, "How the hell did I see that on the other side of the highway?"

Anyway, I've seen people doing the usual no-no's while driving: drinking, eating, putting on make-up, dialing, texting, reading a book (yep.). Even I am guilty of jotting down a thought or two at 55 mph (Okay, maybe I was going faster, but my mom might be reading this.). Usually, you can spot these people before you pull up next to them. They're inevitably driving too slow and always in the passing lane. Today, there was a new one. Shaving! I'll give him credit for maintaining speed and not getting in my way. But then I think, "Ewww, all those whiskers are stuck on your shirt." Nasty!

I want a snow storm!

Remember when it would snow the night before school? You prayed that you'd wake up to a winter wonderland and school would be cancelled. Wahoo! You'd look out your window and everything was covered with one pristine layer of whiteness. I'd actually get annoyed if someone trekked through my perfect yard.

Well, thanks to global warming, that didn't happen today. And worse, the snow turned to sleet then rain. A mushy, sloppy, don't-leave-your-house, stay-in-your-pjs mess. I should be grateful that Ella's school opened two hours late. But, no one slept in, and the hanging around totally de-motivated me for work. What's a girl got to do to get a snow day? I need a snow storm! The kind that shuts down cities for two days. And neighbors come together to dig out cars, driveways and streets. And people are trudging through snow drifts to the grocery store (or local drinking establishment). Just one - that's all I ask. One !#$*& snow storm!

Handmade Valentines

I loathe character-based Valentine's cards for kids. There's no thought or creativity behind them. Plus, have you read some of them? I'm no prude, but they're a tad inappropriate for little ones. So, in an effort to shun boxed Valentines cards and to never, ever spend money on anything Spongebob, I spent a small portion of my Sunday cutting out these for the girls. I didn't use the template offered on the site. I just folded small squares of construction paper and cut a wing and the slots in the middle. It was easy and quick. Instead of candy sticks, though, I used Valentines-themed pencils. And for a personal touch, Ella and Kyra decorated each one for everyone in their classes. Not only did it keep them occupied on a cold day, they created something special they're proud of for their friends and teachers.

Important advice for your children

It's hard to fathom your child missing. That's one of the reasons it's best to be proactive rather than reactive. The Power of Parents program offers some valuable advice to help teach your children about strangers and dangerous situations. Check it out, and be sure to visit the downloads.

Funny Snippet alert: I have bones.

Miss Mary (one of Kyra's teachers): "Kyra, I just want to eat you up!"
Kyra: "You can't! I have bones in me."

Get anything - cheap!

I love this site! Oriental Trading Company has just about anything you can think of for crafts, tchotchkes, party favors and supplies. My friend had a birthday party for her son at a bowling alley, so she naturally wanted bowling-themed party favors. She ordered this, which may not look like a lot, but that stuff was packed tight into the little box and my kids loved it! Granted, it isn't top notch quality, but for kids who have next to no attention span, it's perfect (read: You don't mind throwing it away. Sorry Maureen!) - and better yet, it's super inexpensive.

Pet Peeve alert: Interrupters!

I've decided that people who chronically interrupt, think they are better and smarter than the person whom they are interrupting. Why else wouldn't they let the person finish their thought? My personal favorite Interrupter is the one who presumes what you're going to say and they're dead wrong.

I know someone who simply refuses to be interrupted. And, they do it with such skill that I wonder, "Do they even hear the Interrupter?" I must, however, point out that this person is a talker and frequently needs to be interrupted, but this person continues talking with no regard for the Interrupter. There's no pause. No change in voice. No falter in gaze. It's great!

Early morning activity

Kyra has a strange waking mechanism. During the week, she sleeps in and has to be woken up for school. But, come the weekend, when we can all sleep in, she's up at the crack of dawn, ready to go!

This particular morning was my turn to get up, and let sleepy hubby have a lazy morning. I didn't want to start the day by staring at the TV, but I also wasn't awake enough to play one of the thousands of games collecting dust in the playroom. So, out came "My Sticker Art". Perfect! It didn't require a lot of thinking on my part (since the coffee hadn't kicked in yet) and it kept Kyra busy for nearly an hour. It comes with four different scenes and different stickers for each one, plus frames to hang the lovely masterpieces on the wall. You're supposed to be able to move the stickers around, but we have yet to do that. Easy, functional and let's them be creative while you doze off.

Funny Snippet alert: Tummy can't go to school.

Upon waking up one morning, Kyra says in a groggy, yet whiney voice, "Mommy, my tummy still hurts."
Mommy, thinking it's the usual hunger pains, feigns sympathy: "What does it feel like?"
Kyra: "It feels like it doesn't want to go to school."
Yeah, my whole body feels like that every day.