And The Calories Go To...

Dirty Chocolate Giveaway results are in. Cookie just finished reading all the entries and here is what she says:

The entries ranged from endearing to outright educational. And the winner is....

Wonder Years: Rosy Heaven (Cookie says: Very unique, very true, GREAT JOB!) -I had to laugh though, because as she was reading this she scrunched up her nose and said, "SPINACH?!?!?!" I had to assure her that I had had strawberries in spinach salad before and it was very good.

Here are the other entries (with Cookie's comments in parenthesis):

An Ordinary Mom: The Cookie's Out Of The Jar (I liked it. It was funny. And I also say that, Yes, they do teach a lot more in Kindergarten than expected.)

Scribbit: Pad Thai Is a Beautiful Thing (Trying new recipes can be a big flop and I think you were brave for trying this.)

The Bitter Ball: A Favorite Day In Kazakhstan (I can't believe you actually ate that stuff!)

Chocolate After Supper: The Day The Ice Cream Didn't Melt (I wish my mom did that!)

What About Mom?: Pizza, Pizza, Calzone (Very interesting recipes.)

Thanks to all who entered. As Cookie was reading I heard outbursts of "No way!" and "Hmmm," and "Yum!" and a few giggles too.

Stop And Smell The Sunshine

Can you smell sunshine? I can and it always makes me smile. At this time of year, though, it is very rare that the sun comes out long enough for me to get a nose full of joy. Because of this I have had to look for sunshine in a bottle to help me through all the rain. No, I'm not talking about pills, I'm talking about smells, or aromatherapy if you will.

If you are someone who puts aromatherapy in the roll your eyes 'cause it's all hooha category just think about this: Have you ever caught a smell that suddenly made you think of a memory? Does the smell of something baking in the oven make you feel warm? Does perfume make you feel prettier when you wear it? If so then you are witnessing the power of aromatherapy. Our brains have the wonderful ability to pair our senses with our emotions. I still get a giddy joy out of smelling burnt food on a stove burner because it reminds me of the smell in my grandma's old kitchen.

A tricky part of aromatherapy is getting the right scent for you and your needs. I found that if I'm looking for actual therapy I have to ignore the scents I usually prefer and seek out the ones I need. I've also learned that while one scent can make me feel good it can cause an unwanted reaction in others. Here are a few of my past experiences with trying to get it just right:

Last year, or was it two years ago, Bath and Body Works came out with an aromatherapy line of fragrances. There was one for sleep, energy, sensuality, and something else that I don't remember. I LOVE, and still love, the sensuality fragrance, Jasmine Vanilla, but it doesn't really make me want to put on jogging shoes or do the dishes. The energy fragrance was great. It was Orange Ginger, I believe, and it really made me perk up and want to be active. The big downside was that anytime I wore it people would ask me if I'd been cleaning because it smelled like all those orange cleaners that are on the market. I'm sorry, but as much as I wanted to feel energized I HATED knowing I smelled like mop water, or wood polish.

I also learned not to just use smells I like. I really like scented candles, especially ones that smell like food (hazelnut, apple pie, gingerbread, vanilla) but they did a lot of damage. When I smell food I instantly want to snuggle under a blanket with a good book and not move at all. Yeah, not a good thing when you are trying to avoid depression tendencies.

So, a couple months ago I was finally able to get a lot of kid free time, I was lucky enough to be out with my very helpful and honest sister, and I went to The Body Shop with a mission: To get me some sunshine in a bottle. I knew I needed something citrusy but that didn't smell like orange. And I think I finally found something that will work for me and everyone else that has to smell me. I bought myself some ginger shower gel and then some papaya lotion to top it off with. I think, if I could do it over, I might have reversed that. The papaya is stronger smelling and the fragrance might last longer after the shower than the ginger does, but I think I will remedy this by going back and buying some ginger body spray to add more when needed. This has made my mornings so much better as I feel like I'm getting a dose of sunshine before I even have a chance to look out the window and be saddened by more rain.

Other areas that I'm going to be smell changing are:

1. My cleaners and detergents. Orange scented cleaners are GREAT for making you feel energized as you clean. I have to avoid flowery smells at this time(they make me feel like day dreaming) and that can be hard to do with detergents. Any suggestions?

2. My cooking. Working with fresh herbs, citrus fruits, and using less butter have greatly enhanced the energy level of the smell in my kitchen. For some reason the smell of warm butter makes me want to stop, slow down, snuggle, and eat... lots. If I can avoid it and use salt or herbs for flavor I find that I can smell my vegetables better and I get more of an out-in-the-garden feeling.

3. Candles and air fresheners. Again I have to avoid flowers and food smells and find things with more snap or citrus. Often these scents don't appeal to me when I sniff them at the store, but I need to remember that it isn't about what I'm comfortable with, but what it makes me want to do.

Now, I am a total newbie to aromatherapy. I've taken no classes and I don't have the time to smell my way through all the essential oils out there, so I'm asking all of you: Do you have any other energizing smells you can recommend?

Crazy Noodle Fun

Tomorrow is the deadline for entering the Dirty Chocolate Giveaway. Write or dig up an old post about one of your favorite food experiences and enter it. If you think you've entered but I haven't left a comment on your entry post that means I haven't recieved it yet.


Looking for something to do? Here is my silly idea and you can find many more fun ideas over at Scribbit's Winter Bazaar.

Last night we had spaghetti for dinner. This morning, as I cleaned up leftover little bits of dinner mess, I noticed some noodles hanging over the cross beam under our dining table (I'm guessing this was the work of Sweet Terror). I picked the noodles up and noticed how they kept their shape now that they were dry, and I had an idea. (Pardon the bad pictures. Tin foil doesn't make the best backdrop for pictures that need a flash. If only the sun would come out I wouldn't need the flash.)

I quickly boiled up some more noodles, drained them, separated into bowls, stirred in some food coloring, called up some kids, and we went to work. If your fingers start sticking too much to the noodles just get them wet or spray them with cooking oil.

It took me a few tries before I figured out how to twist some clovers (my first attempts were much to complicated). I am going to save these and use them as festive garnish on our St. Patrick's day dinner plates.

That big ball of noodles to the left there is going to be a Leprechaun home. We draped noodles over an inverted glass so it will be hollow inside. Cookie wants to fill it will gold wrapped chocolates and use it for a St. Patty's Day centerpiece.

Oh, and if you have any leftover noodles you can reheat them in the microwave with butter and salt and serve as rainbow noodles for lunch or a snack =)

From Apologies To Ice Cream

I am so sorry, and am here on my humble knees hoping you will forgive me. In the past two months I have been awarded quite a lot of lovely awards from people that I am honored to be noticed by. And how do I return the compliment? By doing nothing. I kept telling myself, "Oooo, I'll post about that tomorrow." Then I started thinking I would accept them all at once. Then I couldn't remember who had awarded me what and when. If you've been bothered by the fact that I haven't accepted or acknowledged an award please let me know and send me a link to the post where you gave it to me and I will make sure to post about it. I'M SORRY!

Also, I've been tagged twice now for the 7 random things about me meme. I do remember that Tama from The Twisted Hare tagged me, but I can't remember who else did. Please let me know so I can edit this with a link to your blog.

Hopefully you will forgive this addle brained pregnant woman her bloggy faux pas.

7 Random things that happened yesterday:

1. While blogging I heard shouts of, "High-yah!" and "Take that!" only to find that my kids were having a wipey war. They used a whole package of baby wipes and were throwing them at each other. Didn't I say I wasn't going to be on the computer when the kids are awake anymore? I consider myself well reminded.
2. My daughter ran by me in nothing but a diaper... a diaper that had a smiley face drawn on the back of it. Really, even if I have a bad head cold, I need to stay off the computer.
3. There is a matching smiley face drawn on the back of my living room chair and Monster Man seems to be hiding from me. Don't worry, I fully intend to renew my promise to stay off the computer while they are awake.
4. I started sketching out the plans for Cookie and Sweet Terror's painting. I am going to paint both the girls as mermaids. I'm excited for it and hope I can make myself start and finish it in less than 2 months.
5. I have a killer head cold. Seriously killer.
6. When DSSH hubby came home and saw me miserably cooking dinner while sneezing, moaning, coughing, and constantly mumbling, "Now what was I doing? Oh, yeah..." he asked if there were anything he could do to help. I told him, "Yeah, you could rotate the laundry for me, get the kids to do their chores, unload the dishwasher, set the table and finish dinner for me." He paused and then quietly said, "I meant, is there anything I can do for you that I want to do?"
7. Luckily, DSSH was able to buy his way out of marital discord with two pints of Ben and Jerry's and several boxes of flavored Wheat Thins.

A Mind Like Her Mother's

Saturday evening I took Cookie to our Keepers Club Meeting. It is a sort of Christian Girl Scouts program that is run completely by the parents. A group of fellow homeschoolers put it together as a way for us moms to be able to bond more closely with our daughters. It has been a fantastic program and Cookie has already earned badges on Ice Skating, Insects, Letter Writing, Water Color Painting, and Horses. This last meeting was to help the girls with their Cake Decorating badge. Luckily I wasn't the one teaching because my idea of an ideal Birthday cake is some Little Debbie Snack Cakes with some frosting-from-a-tube decoration. Hey, don't knock it. Last summer we made a killer robot cake with Little Debbie's help. As I was saying, R was teaching the class and she did a great job! She baked up a bunch of 6" devil's food cakes, whipped up some raspberry mousse, Italian butter cream, and several pounds of fondant. Then she taught the girls how to assemble the cakes. I have never worked with fondant before and it was pretty fun, a lot like using modeling clay. Well, I helped Cookie lay the white fondant over her cake and then I stepped back and told her to just ask me if she needed help. She asked me if I could make some brown hair. I was thinking, "Oh she is going to make a girl's face, maybe even a mermaid." All around us the other girls were making fondant flowers, or fondant lakes and green grass topped with little ponies and red roses. Cookie looked at my hair and said, "No, mom, I need man hair. I will make the moustache." Uh, what? Her daddy does not have a moustache so my curiosity was peaked. I helped her build a man's face and then she proceeded to make a very looong twisty tongue come out of his mouth. "So, uh, sweety, what is this supposed to be, exactly?" She looked at me like it should be so obvious.

"Can't you tell??? It's a tongue twister cake." I was so proud I could bust. Turns out she thinks a lot like her ol' ma. This is just like something I would have done =)

I love how the tongue just keeps on going and goes all the way around the base.

We ate it tonight and everyone had to say a tongue twister, 3 times, fast before they could eat their slice. Thanks, Cookie!

Eye-Hand Coordination

How I learned to load a dishwasher:

The Power Of Words

Often times the difference between being (feeling like) a good mom vs. a bad mom, or being a happy person vs. a not-so-fun-to-be-with person is all in our vocabulary. Below are some common sayings that, if twisted just a bit, can really determine how we feel about ourselves and how other people perceive us.

"I'm so tired" This phrase tells people that you are weary, inconvenienced, unhappy, and want to be left alone (and so most people will leave you alone). A better thing to say could be: "You know, right now I really need to enjoy some snuggly sit down time." This tells people that you know when your body needs to rest but that you are going to enjoy it. It also hints that you are open to having a guest come and sit/snuggle with you. Or you could say, "I'm taking a break for a bit to reenergize." This way you aren't focusing on your fatigue and sounding like a martyr but rather like a woman who is usually full of energy, knows her limits, and is taking care of herself so that she can carry on with work that she values.

"You're going to have to wait just a minute." or "Just a second." Most people, especially children, know that this means you might get back to them in 1/2 hour or more. That is, IF you even remember them later. It also makes people feel like you value whatever you are doing more than you value them. Often the thing the other person needs won't take more than a minute anyway. A better thing to say when you are being interrupted for a favor is, "Let me set this aside for just a minute and see what I can do." This lets the person know that you are more than willing to help, but also that you have work that you need to get back to in a short amount of time. Everyone wins here and the relationship between you and the person you are helping will greatly benefit. Besides, you will want them to return the favor when you need to interupt them for some quick help.

"What were you thinking?" No one likes to hear this question. It is rude and the answer is obvious... they weren't. I know I don't want someone asking me this when I eat a doughnut while dieting, or when I forget to return a rental video on time, and I've seen my kids cringe every time I've asked it of them. A better approach is to say, "I'm not sure what you were thinking when you did this but lets see if we can fix it." This shows that even though you may not understand their motives you are willing to help them fix it, making you a source of support, instead of an accuser to run away from.

"I am not in the mood." or "I'm not in the mood for this!" This proclaims that you are a moody person because you depend on moods to govern your actions. And how are the people around you supposed to understand you or help you if they have to guess what mood you're in or what mood you need to be in to handle the situation? Help everyone out by being more specific and give detailed responses like: "I need you to know that my head is hurting and so when you guys fight it makes me hurt. Would you please stop fighting until my head feels better?" Or, "In order for me to fully enjoy (insert activity here) I need to feel like the house is in order. Would you like to help me finish the dishes so that I can play with you?" Or, "I love you and want to be with you but I think I need to cool of and relax for just a minute before I do. If you could care for the kids while a slip away for a hot bath I would come out a new woman and better able to return your affection." When you are detailed you switch from being "moody" to being a normal person who has needs just like everyone else. People can understand that and are more likely to help (I only promise "likely") if they know exactly what you need.

"Not right now." If this is all you say you might as well say, "Not ever." This is another time when some specifics could really help. Let them know why "right now" is a "right now" and then tell them how they will be able to tell when "right now" is over. So, you could say something along the lines of, "If you wait until I'm done changing this diaper you will get a better answer." Kids really appreciate this one, "When I'm upset at one of your siblings it is always a good idea to wait until I'm not frowning anymore before you talk to me." Husbands appreciate, "I'm afraid that if we try to deal with this at this moment I will say things to you that you don't deserve. Can you wait until I approach you with it, or at least until tomorrow so that I have time to deal with it rationally?"

"How many times have I told you...?" Obviously it really doesn't matter how many times you've told them so this is a pointless question. Take a deep breath and try something new. You can present it this way, "I know I've told you... several times but I don't think my telling you is helping. What is something we can do to help you remember so that you don't get in trouble?" Kids, and anyone else, need to know that you don't want to get mad at them. Helping find a workable solution is so much better than making them feel stupid for not remembering. Try something nonverbal to help them. Make signs, roll play the situation, use a fun code word or phrase that will help them remember, walk them through it every time until it becomes a habit, or remove the means of offense.

Some other great vocab changes you can make are:

Say, "I love you" instead of just "goodbye" or "goodnight."

Try saying "Yes!" more often than you say "No" or "We'll see."

Say, "Let's improve it by..." rather than "It's not right."

Try using words that make people smile when you speak. For instance, when my over questioning 5 year old asks me the eternal question, "Why?" I have stopped saying, "Because" and now say, "Because I love you." It may be a silly answer but he smiles whenever I say it. When my children ask what we are having for dinner I used to say, "Food." because I knew if I told them what we were having they would start whining before they had even tasted it. Now when they ask I say, "We are having something special that big kids love to eat. But it has a magic spell on it that makes it only taste good if you try it two times." This makes them laugh at me but also makes them interested rather than fearful. I'm presently working very hard on changing my vocabulary and I must say that the results have all been good. I am also, slowly, learning the very high value of giving myself time to think before I respond to people. I'm hoping that with enough practice and verbal/mental exercise I can train my mouth to keep time with my heart so that I can reduce the amount of damage my quick tongue can produce.

Sunshine and Joy

Only one more week till the Dirty Chocolate Giveaway deadline. Of course, if no one enters that means I get to eat all the chocolate myself. Hmmm, on second thought, don't enter =)

I'm sure at least a few of you have noticed that I've been in a kind of continually up and down funk this winter. This seems to be a wintertime standard for me. I had all these great plans for preventing it this year with a theme on sunshine. But then fall was so sunny and lovely that I let my guard down and before I new it I was in such a funk that I didn't even care about my lofty plans to create sunshine. However, the past few days the sun has come out and I can feel the difference. It is like liquid energy is being absorbed by my skin. I suddenly want to get dressed and take the kids to the park. I want to call old friends and reconnect with humanity. It is a lovely feeling. Now I'm really wishing I had kept up my intended sunshine theme through the winter. I think it would have done me a lot of good. But, there are still a number of weeks before spring is fully upon us so I think I will take up the sunshine theme until then, just in case.

Here is a lovely talk about happiness that I really needed to hear:

Finding Joy
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

One of the most popular courses taught at Harvard University is a class called “Positive Psychology.” In essence, the professor teaches how to find joy in living. One semester more than 800 students enrolled. What does it say about our society that we must teach “finding joy” at the highest levels of academia?

Many myths and misconceptions swirl about how and where to find joy. For so many, it is elusive. Some think that joy comes from money or material possessions, so they conclude that adding more of them will surely bring increased joy. Or we may think we can only have joy if our relationships are always stable and our careers are always successful.

But real joy does not depend on our social status or our bank account, and it can even be found in times of turmoil and disappointment. Joy springs from our attitude and outlook. It comes from simple gestures, like making time for family members or friends, clearing up a misunderstanding, expressing gratitude for the efforts of others, celebrating their successes, or taking time to listen to their worries. (Notice how all these have to do with doing things for others? Looking beyond ourselves? A friend, who is clinically depressed, once told me that depression is a very selfish disease and I think she is right. Sorry, just had to interject there.)

This kind of joy is available not only during times of peace, when all is going well, but also when we face challenges, heartache, or pain. In fact, that’s when joy does its greatest service—it brings balance and peace to the harshness and stresses of everyday living. It lifts our sights and settles our souls.

Ask yourself where you find joy, and then diligently look for it there. If, at the end of the day, we remember and prize each moment of real joy, we will learn for ourselves the truth of what the Psalmist promised: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

-Tomorrow I will tell you about where I went to find joy and where I will be going to find it in the next few days and in the next few years.

Bought a Magazine

I have a love hate relationship with all things Martha Stewarty.

I hate that I will never be that perfect.
I hate that I can't even find it in me to WANT to be that perfect.
I hate that even her recycling junk ideas seem to cost way too much money to create.
I hate that she has scores of paid people to help her maintain her perfection.


I love that she has made crafting and domesticity a cool, fashionable thing to do.
I love that she makes me want to be creative.
I love that, every now and then, she has a project that is affordable, doable in a day, realistic, actually practical, and doesn't make me gag.


That said, I will almost always choose to watch Marthsa Stewart on T.V. rather than pay good money for one of her magazines. Maybe this is because I have yet to make that fancy hot glue gun and sea shell magazine holder that uses recycled 19th century french staircase bannisters. BUT today is different. Today I am holding a Marth Stewart magazine in my hand, for which I paid FULL price at the grocery checkout last night. I read it while waiting in line and once I found more than 10 projects that were new, doable, practical, and cool I decided to buy it. And I haven't regretted it. The kids are already finding the projects they want to do and gathering 90% of the needed supplies from our recycle bin (and no, I don't recycle french woodwork). I'm excited to try this fun idea.


If you can't get to the grocery checkout line, or you don't like funding the Stewart Empire, no need to fret. Just go HERE and find all these fun ideas for free (Why didn't I think of that sooner?)


For other great FREE ideas, go check out the wonderfully creative minds at Scribbit's Winter Bazaar.


Happy creating!

A Bit Of Beauty

A Bit Of Beauty
by Liz Vance

Her knuckles were raw from washing so many clothes. Sweat threatened to drop on the garment she was scrubbing as it tricked across her bent and tired head. The aches in her body made her feel 40 years beyond her actual age, an age she had trouble remembering. It didn't seem possible for one so young to be so burdened. While most young women her age were thinking about fancy dresses and handsome men our exhausted servant was busy mentally willing herself to continue, to stay standing, to finish just one more day on her feet.

"Two more petticoats. I've almost done with this one. Just two more. Breathe. I can do two more. I will pretend they are one and it won't seem to take so long that way. Oh, my back... NO! I won't think of that. A cool breeze, yes, I will pretend there is a cool breeze fanning my neck... Just two more, I can do two more." The thoughts ran desperately through her head. Intent on finishing her work she didn't hear the skittering of small rocks behind her or the huffing of one whose breath was no longer good. The hunched old woman had to cough and mutter, "Ehem… loverly deary, would you, eh… would you mind..." several times before the weary servant even knew she was there.

Trying not to be cruel, but miserable in the interruption, the young woman turned her head away from the burden in her hands to acknowledge the old hag. "I'm so sorry, mum. What can I do for you?"

The old hag tried to giggle but it came out as more of a wheezy cackle as she rummaged through the ratty layers of her shabby shawl, muttering fragmented excuses and apologies, "Oh, I'm afraid... You see, silly old woman that I am... I'd do it myself, only... Well my back is so bent... It's so very little and your hands are already wet, you see... Would you mind?" Then she held forward a rust and soil stained handkerchief that she had finally pulled forth from some hidden pocket.

For several seconds the young woman just simply stared at the offered cloth. Her tortured body seemed unable to process the thought of one more piece of work. The hag gave another wheezy giggle and a small cough that brought the young woman from her fatigued trance. "Oh no. Doesn't she see how tired I am? How can she ask me to do one more thing on top of all that I have obviously just done? And why should one so dirty, as herself, care about the cleanliness of a hanky?" She almost started to cry as the thought slowly and painfully swam in her head. It made her tired eyes hurt even more, but she forced herself not to cry, knowing that she couldn't afford to loose the energy that crying would require. Unable to say anything, in fear of collapsing, she stuck out a trembling hand and accepted the handkerchief. Its wrinkles were stiff with dried sweat, the corners frayed, and the young woman doubted that any amount of scrubbing would make much of a difference. As it touched the water the cloth went limp and then she began to rub it across her bar of soap.

"Carefully, deary, please be gentile with it. It is a very special piece of cloth you hold in your hands. It has done a lot of work itself and deserves to be treated kindly."

Denying herself the luxury of a sigh she tried to humor the woman so that she could quickly send her away. She relaxed her grip on the kerchief and pretended it was some of her Mistresses most delicate silk as she gently dribbled soapy water onto it and then swirled it in the water of the cold, rushing river. Thinking her mind was simply fatigued beyond repair, it didn't surprise her at first when the cloth began to change color. Believing herself to be going a bit addled in the mind she held up the now brilliantly white handkerchief and smiled. How funny it seemed that her imagination could be so strong as to have made the hag's rag look like the cloth of a fairy? The cloth was so delicate it seemed translucent and it was edged with lace the likes of which she had never even heard of. There were trees and birds and lovely symbols weaved into the lace, and the thread used to make the lace seemed to change color, ever so subtly, as she moved the cloth between her hands.

Laughing at her own fancy, she held the handkerchief out to the old woman and told her to lay it on a clean bush to dry in the sun. When she realized the cloth was not being retrieved she looked up to implore the old hag to leave her to her work, only, she found the rocky shore deserted. She would have assumed it to have all been an hallucination, brought on by her exhausted state, if not for the ethereal, white cloth still laying on her outstretched hand.

"I'm sure that this will disappear in a moment as well," she sighed; but there was a dreamy smile on her face as she pushed herself up from her crouching position, and walked to the line of bushes by the trees, to lay the cloth to dry.

Almost an hour later, she had finally finished the mountainous pile of laundry. She gathered up robes of fine organdy, soft linens, colorful silks, enough items of clothing to keep her well dressed for years. Only, none of the items would ever adorn her lean frame. She owned only two dresses, neither of which was fine, colorful, or soft. The pile of lovely vestments in her basket was meant for the family of those she served, had to serve. Her father owed a wealthy man so much money from bad gambling that he had had to give her up as an indentured servant to pay the bill. A bill so high that she was bound to serve for 7 years before she might be able to call her life her own. Trying not to think about this, she shouldered her load and started to turn towards the footpath when something caught her eye. It was the white handkerchief. She started to smile at it's loveliness but caught herself and, instead, forced a frown on her face. It shouldn't be there. It should have disappeared like the old woman did. She decided, since it must be an image of her own imagining, that she would leave it there. After all, why bother to pick up something you know doesn't exist? Yet, before she could get her basket to her shoulder again, she found she was smiling again.

"Ah well. If I'm going to go crazy I might as well do it with a lovely kerchief in my pocket." She giggled, for what must have been the first time in a year, and carefully took the handkerchief from the bush. She folded it lovingly, admiring the fine lace images as her fingers indulged themselves with stroking the soft, delicate fabric. Pulling out her own clean kerchief, she wrapped the beautiful cloth and placed it in her pocket, taking pains to position it so that it wouldn't get crushed. Still smiling, she reached down to pick up her basket and couldn't help but smile just a tiny bit more as she realized that the basket didn't seem quite so heavy as before. She thought of the old woman and was surprised to find that her memory didn’t seem to recall the filth, and the haggard wrinkles seemed to have smoothed into soft lines on her face. In fact, everything suddenly seemed to be brighter, warmer, and more pleasant. As she walked up the path her feet stopped dragging, her back seemed to straighten, and she wondered if she could still whistle.

This story is dedicated to my sister who constantly shows me the magic of beautiful things even though I rarely listen. Thank you, sis!

Dirty Chocolate

I don't like chocolate. I know, I know, how un-womanly of me. I can't explain it but straight chocolate tastes like dirt to me. I can occasionally enjoy a really good, smooth, Swiss chocolate or a small nibble of a flavorful extra dark chocolate but really I'd just rather have a bowl of ice cream. That said, one of my all time favorite gifts of the year is my custom box of Sees Candy Chocolates. The term chocolate is used lightly, though, as there is very little chocolate in my box. I'm telling you ladies, this is the best way to go. Because I custom pick each "chocolate" I am guaranteed a perfect piece every time. No more gagging over those nasty cherry and raisin chocolates. No boring old buttercreams that taste like goopy sugar cubes. And I have to say that Sees Candy is not only very reasonably priced, it is GOOD. I've been given many a fancy chocolate in my time (I think from people trying to convince me to like chocolate). I've had chocolates with gold leaf, chocolates with little edible flowers on them, chocolates that cost as much as a new pair of boots, and I've never enjoyed any of them as much as I enjoy this precious box of edible bliss. Here is some eyecandy for you to drool over:





Cashew Brittle












Almond Square

Key Lime Truffle








Lemon Truffle








California Brittle

P-Nut Crunch (Think Peanut Butter Cup for adults only)







Raspberry Cream








Raspberry Truffle






Vanilla Nut Caramel




Drooling yet? Want a custom box all your own? I'm going to be daring and try my first ever give-away. Here are the rules:
1. Write a post about your favorite food experience.
2. Put a link in that post to this post.
3. Leave me a comment or send me an email at (littlemissadvice at gmail dot com) with a link to your post.
4. Deadline is February 28.
5. On February 29 I will have Cookie pick her favorite post (So please keep it G-rated) and I will announce the winner on March 1st.
6. The winner will get a gift certificate to Sees Candy in the amount of $15.

P.S. I'm going to be out of town without internet for quite awhile so please don't think I'm ignoring you if I don't comment or respond to emails for a bit.

Dear Mr. Hot Stuff

DSSH is what I call him on my blog and that stands for Dear Sweet Sexy Hubby. At home I call him Mr. Hot Stuff.

Dear Mr. Hot Stuff,
I will eternally be grateful that you woke up late that one Sunday, and so glad that instead of just staying in bed you decided to go to a later church meeting, because if you hadn't we might never have met. You sat there alone, so unassuming, just minding your own business when my cousin spotted you and pointed you out as her brother's childhood buddy. You told me you liked the way I sing. Flattery will get you anything. It is hard for me to pinpoint the exact moment when I first realized that you would always be a part of my life. Maybe it was with that first bag of Snyder's Pretzels you gave me. Or it could have been the time that we were wrestling and a car stopped to see if you were having a heart attack. There was also the time you tickled my unshaved legs and didn't even flinch. Personally I think it was the first time that I hugged you. I'm not much of a hugger and I especially don't like hugging "boys". You made me feel safe. You never tried to push me, you never tried to rush me, you just waited and were good to me. I felt like I could love you without having to worry about what you expected from me, and that is so rare to find. You were my best friend. I don't think my heart has ever hurt as much as it did the day I thought I had lost you. You were getting tired of waiting and had started to distance yourself from me, but then you opened the door and you smiled and it was at that moment that I realized that you were so much more than just a friend to me. You are everything to me. We've been through so much together and still we are best friends. I feel sexy and beautiful every time you hold me. I feel absolutely safe anytime you are with me. It is because of you that I am able to do everything I do. You've worked so hard, given up so much, and endured everything life has tossed at you and you've done it for me. The beautiful children that you have given me love you with every fiber of their little beings. Cookie loves to run errands with you. Pablo loves drawing with you. Monster Man loves to wrestle with you (he gets that from me). And Sweet Terror loves to tell you what to do. The highlight of their entire day is your coming home. I hope you are aware of how much you mean to us and how much you are loved in our home. You are our special Valentine!

Love Forever
Me

She Had So Many Kids She Didn't Know What To Do

"Oh, how cute!"- One baby

"Aren't you lucky to be a big sister?"- Two babies

"My, you have your hands full!"- Three babies

"Are they all yours?"- Four babies

"Congratulations... I hope." (With a concerned look that says the only reason I would have #5 is if it were a big mistake that I'm now regretting)- Pregnant with fifth baby.

I have often laughed at the way things change in my life with each and every baby.

With #1 I was confident and all knowing. Giving advice to any that would listen, I tried to share my wisdom with everyone.

With #2 I was so confused when suddenly none of my great wisdom was working. I had a mini nervous breakdown and learned that I had been much too judgemental about a lot of things. But still, I tried to do everything right.

#3 came along and suddenly it was all about survival. I couldn't care less if he knew his alphabet, and I didn't try to teach him every song a preschooler should know. Everyday was devoted to keeping him alive and trying to prevent him from becoming a serial killer when he was older (if he lived long enough to be older).

#4 was an unexpected surprise. I figured that since I didn't ask for her I didn't need to be so uptight with her (I'm not saying I was in anyway reasonable at this point). She was a breath of sweet, fresh air after #3 and I have just been enjoying the ride. Forget about potty training, who cares about learning to use a pencil. I am just enjoying as much of her cuteness as I can. Call it therapy if you will.

Now, my thoughts have turned to #5. What kind of mother will I be this time? Will I find myself so worn out that I barely function as a mother and instead leave my children to raise this child? Can I muster up enough evergy, by reminding myself that this is the last one, to do the best job ever? Will I finally know everything about parenting that I don't make any mistakes, or have the last 4 kids confused me enough that I will make nothing but mistakes? Will I spoil this child because I'm scared of not having anymore "babies" in the house or will I barely even know he is there because I'm too busy with his older siblings? I don't know. I hope that I will finally be able to be the consistent, happy, fun, educational, inspirational mommy that I want to be without having to turn into psycho-tired pregnant mom every couple of years. I look forward to the day when I can play hard with my kids and take them to places that I love because I'm no longer pregnant or holding a baby. I am excited to focus solely on the raising instead of on the producing =).

*NOTE: Don't worry, I'm fine. I had one of those days yesterday where I wondered why I ever thought I could handle being a mother of so many. Luckily those days are few and far between, but they always leave me rather introspective, and hopeful. Everytime I ask myself if I'm doing the right thing I feel peaceful and know that I am. I just pray everyday that I won't damage these wonderful kids too much with my craziness =p

P.S. One of these days I am finally going to make my dream Halloween costume and go out as the old woman who lived in a shoe. I already have the kids, just gotta come up with the shoe =)

Maternity Clothes

There was a time, long ago, when I detested maternity clothes. Granted I was poor back then and that meant I lived on other peoples hand-me-downs and, for some reason, hand-me-down maternity clothes were very rarely anything but hideous. I made do and just told myself that pregnancy was not the time to care about how I looked. Poor me!

Now, though, pregnancy has become the rather hip thing to do and celebrities have forced the maternity companies to actually produce beautiful, sexy, comfortable, and stylish maternity clothing. THANK YOU, PREGGO CELEBRITIES!

Though still in no financial situation to walk in to a store and start buying a whole new wardrobe I am able to buy a few things at a time from my local thrift store. I want to say, "Thank you!" to all of you who do go into the chic maternity shops and buy all the cute stuff and then donate it when you are through. In all my five pregnancies this has been the only time when I've considered my maternity clothes to be cooler than my regular non-pregnant getups. So in love am I that I'm seriously considering patenting a whole line of non-pregnant maternity clothes just so I can continue wearing these wonderful items even after birth. Seriously!

Oh sweet maternity clothes, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

1. Because the pants go up to my chest and the shirts down to my hips I can bend and squat without fear of Monster Man singing "I see London, I see France, I see Mommy's..."

2. I am finally able to find pants that fit my legs and my waist at the same time (my body is built like an orange on toothpicks).

3. I have gone from wearing shirts in sixe XL to Medium, because apparently only pregnant women have big chests.

4. When rushing to the bathroom there are no buttons or zippers to make me panic.

5. At the end of a good meal I don't have that intense urge to change into roomier pajama bottoms. It should be mandatory that everyone wear maternity pants at Thanksgiving dinner!

P.S. Obviously that is not me modeling in the pictures. The pics are from the lovely clothing store Motherhood.

Business and Entertainment

Holy schmoly, you would not believe all the things that have been going on over here since I stopped sitting in from of the computer. I am constantly laughing as I catch myself thinking, "Well, since I have nothing better to do I might as well clean the bathroom." And, "Sigh, I guess I could read a few chapters from my book since there is nothing better to do." Or, "Hmmm, there's nothing better to do so I might as well play a game with the kids, make homemade hamburger buns, draw a picture of a mermaid, finally finish all those visual aids for Singing Time in Primary, read with Monster Man, homeschool Pablo, snuggle with Sweet Terror, take the kids to the library, make cookies, etc." How on earth is it that my brain has allowed all these wonderful things to be labeled as "nothing better to do" when compared with stupid computer sitting???? I am thoroughly enjoying myself and I thank you all for your words of encouragement and for being willing to listen to all my bad mom confessions =)

Now, for your entertainment, I would like to present:

Batman Takes Cinderella To The Ball

(Yes, the place looks trashed but I had just finished several art projects and was in the middle of cookie batch #2 and the kids had been "helping" all day)

The Birth Of A Painting

Now that I'm not spending all my time staring at the computer screen I finally found time to finish the boys' painting. It all started with these little guys and blank canvas. While roaming around Michael's craft store I happened upon a SUPER SALE of stretched canvas (only $3 each, and now I'm kicking myself for not buying more) and these cut little painted wooden embellishments for only 33 cents each. Well at that price I'm willing to risk total failure so I bought them.
I had the hardest time getting the right color of blue for the sky. It always seemed too dark and, because it is winter in the Pacific Northwest and I'm sick of dark skies, so I ended up putting on several coats of lighter blues before I was willing to accept it.

This next part was the hardest for me. I don't know if I have ADD or anything but I really get bored with monotony. Painting the brown logs for the railroad had me going batty fairly early, but I hung in there long enough to get them all on.

And here it is, folks, finally finished. The only big mishap (besides the color of the sky) happened just 5 minutes before completion. I had just finished painting the yellow stripes down the middle of the road, had laid the wooden pieces next to it and ran to get my camera. In the 1 minute that I was gone Monster Man decided to take the motor cycle for a test drive along the road, smearing yellow all over the place. I'll admit, I freaked out for a spilt second... but I quickly gathered my wits, hugged the very repentant little guy, fixed it up lickety-split, glued the wooden pieces on, and hung it before anything else could happen. Now it is up in their room and I gotta say it looks pretty cool in there.

VOILA!

Face Forward

(30 minute self portrait. No, those are not worms in my hair, they are supposed to be curls. Curls are as hard to draw as they are to style.)

My sister once told me a story about a mother who spent so much time on the computer that one day her little son brought her a picture he drew of her and it only showed her back, because that was all he saw. I have been noticing a lot lately (ok, for awhile now), that whenever my kids talk to me I have to turn around. I have to turn around because I'm usually facing the computer. This is not something I like about myself. It was because of my time on the computer that my kids got stuck watching too much TV. It was because of my time on the computer that I ended up addicted to online TV watching. I have managed to cut both of those things out of my life but yet I still find myself showing only my back to my children all too often. Lent starts tomorrow and is, in my opinion, a perfect time to make yet another change around here. Starting tomorrow I will no longer let my children see me on the computer for the next 40 days. This means that all computer activities must be done before they wake up, while they nap (IF they nap), or after they have gone to bed. Wowy, this is a big one for me. Luckily I got rid of TV before this so it won't be completely cold turkey. Wish me luck, and forgive me if I don't comment as often as I'd like on your blogs.

Taking It Slow

First, I want to thank everyone who left comments for Cookie about her poems, it has made her very happy (I think she is getting addicted to blog comments, just like her ol' ma).

The world is rife with quick recipes these days. Rachel Ray has been teaching millions how to cook thousands of meals in just 30 minutes. Microwave cookbooks abound. Grocery store shelves are stocked with boxes of "just add water" meals waiting to grace your table. And as grateful as I am for 7 minute Mac-N-Cheese, 3 mintue Ramen noodles, and 45 second microwaveable hotdogs, I gotta say that there is something fine and noble in preparing the occasional all-from-scratch-ready-to-eat-in-just-a-few-days kind of meals. For this reason, I come before you today in order to share my recipe for...

How To Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup In Just 3 Months

MONTH 1:

Buy a rotisserie chicken and serve it for dinner with cornbread and steamed vegetables. When dinner is over, pick any leftover meat off the bones of the chicken. Chop chicken meat and save for tomorrow's chicken salad. Shove any leftover chunks of "questionable" meat, grissel, and the rest of the chicken carcass into a big Ziplock Freezer bag and toss it into your freezer.

2 weeks later, pick up another rotisserie chicken or roast your own. Serve it for dinner with roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions, a lovely green salad and some garlic bread. When dinner is over, pick any leftover meat off the bones of the chicken. Shred chicken meat and use in next day's chicken enchiladas. Shove rest of the chicken carcass into a big Ziplock Freezer bag and toss it into your freezer.

MONTH 2:

Some day when you are cleaning out the fridge and need to get rid of the last straggling veggies, pull out a big stock pot. Fill it with your two frozen chicken carcasses and any leftover veggies (preferably celery, carrots, onion, garlic). Do not add parsley as it tends to color the broth green. Throw in some salt, pepper, and maybe a bit of sage, rosemary, and thyme. You really don't want to season it too much because you can season it to taste when you use it later. Add enough water to cover everything in the pan. Get it to a boil and then turn heat down and let it simmer for several hours (or until the liquid becomes golden in color and tastes like a yummy, hearty chicken broth. Strain liquid through a mesh strainer and toss the solid junk. I prefer to strain my liquid into a big, clean, pitcher because it takes up less space int he fridge. Cover pitcher, or bowl, with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for several hours or overnight. After broth has chilled, remove fat layer. Now take out a bunch of Ziplock sandwich bags and a 1C. measure. Scoop out 1C measurements of gelatinous broth into sandwich bags and seal shut. Put all of your little bags into one big Ziplock Freezer bag and throw back into freezer.

MONTH 3:

Buy another rotisserie chicken or roast your own. Serve it for dinner with Parmesean mashed potatoes and carmelized onions, fresh steamed broccoli and carrots, and applesauce. When dinner is over, pick any leftover meat off the bones of the chicken. Chop chicken meat and use in next day's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Shove rest of the chicken carcass into a big Ziplock Freezer bag and toss it into your freezer.

Next Day: In a big bowl, dump 2 1/2 C. flour, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder. Make a well in the middle of the flour (just push your fist in the middle and take it out), and crack in four eggs. Using a wooden spoon, mix eggs into the flour until it gets too hard to stir. Using clean hands, start kneading the mixture until it all comes together and feels smooth (it will seems like it is much too dry at first but will eventually come together nicely). Wrap in plastic and set aside while you chop veggies.

Later... dust counter top with flour and roll out noodle dough as thin as you can (because the dough has baking powder the noodles will puff up a bit so don't worry about getting it too thin), my husband likes 'em a bit thick. Cut in strips, or spoon size squares, or do what we like to do: using very tiny cookie cutters, let the kids cut out a bunch of shapes. This also makes it fun for them to eat as they hunt for their favorite shapes in the soup.

Set a big pot of salted water to boil. When it gets a good boil going add a bunch of the noodles and let them cook for 4-6 minutes. Pull out with slotted spoon and toss them into the soup you are making on the next burner (see soup recipe below). Continue boiling noodles in batches until they are all done and added to the soup.

While kids are cutting out noodles... In a big pot melt some butter and throw in a bunch of chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring, until onions become translucent. Throw in 2, 3, or 4 (depending on the size of your family) bags of broth (remove the plastic bags), and leftover cut up chicken. Bring to a boil and season if needed. When all the noodles are in let it cook for a few minutes more while the children set the table.

Call out, "DINNER TIME!" Sit and enjoy your soup, but don't forget to act like an exhausted martyr as you proclaim, "I'm so glad you like it, it only took me 3 months to make."

Poems By Cookie

That Kid is still wreaking havoc with my mental abilities so today I have a guest writer. I would like to intoduce you to my lovely daughter, Cookie. Cookie loves to read and is a very talented writer. She has even been promised her own blog just as soon as she finishes one of her very many stories. Suffering from a life long bought of story-ending-writer's-block she is taking a momentary reprieve and has been focusing on poetry as a way to relieve the stress =).

Here are my favorite poems written by the wonderfully talented, 9 year old, Cookie. *Clap, clap, clap*

A Poem

A poem is something that comes from the heart.

Sometimes a poem will be mostly art.

Sometimes poems are long, while others are not.

But we can write poems with whatever we've got.

In a scribble, a scrawly, a column, or chart,

A poem is something that comes from the heart.

The Hyena

The hyena is smiley,

Not to mention wiley.

He ate my sister, Kylie,

And my best friend, Riley,

And he spit the bones out skyly.

So, don't talk to the hyena, even though he's smiley.

What's Under My Bed

Shoelace

Yo-yo

Piece of string

chess piece

fuzzball

broken ring

cobweb

sticker

gummy bear

spider

and my sister,

Claire.

Great Games For Lazy Moms

I love games... A LOT. Saddly, I married a man who definitely does not. Because of this I am left having to play with my children. My very young, active, silly, carefree children. Cookie is old enough to play chess, Scrabble, Monopoly, etc with me but whenever we try to play the other kids circle us like wolves and bug us or mess up our board while we play. We own great preschool games like Operation, Candy Land, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Memory, Guess Who, Battleship, and many other really cool educational ones that aren't commercial enough for me to remember without getting off my tooshy to look at them. While they are all great games I have a hard time pulling them out for various reasons, such as: The game takes too long (I hate when Plumpy shows up right before someone is about to win), the rules are too detailed and I spend more than half the game explaining the rules, there is usually nothing for Sweet Terror to do while we play but bug us, there are usually lots of little pieces to the game and if you loose one it makes the game useless, if the game comes with cards I can usually expect to be picking them up off the floor too many times for my sanity, and, lastly but not leastly, most of the games require an adult to be there at all time to referee, keep the game going, keep the game from being destroyed, and to explain rules (this means that I can't even leave to answer the phone or change a diaper without ensuing disaster).

For this reason I have been slowly collecting what I call Lazy Mom Games For Kids. My requirements are: Kids can play without an adult, one kid can play alone, loosing pieces won't affect game's useability, Sweet Terror can do something in/with the game that won't bug us or ruin the game, players should be able to leave and new players enter the game at anytime, and it must be entertaining for me as well because I do like playing with my kids.

Here are the winners, thus far (Click on picture to read descriptions and reviews on Amazon):
Jenga meets all my requirements, plus the kids can just use them like regular blocks if they get tired of the game. And, because the point of the game is to have the tower tip over, it isn't TOO bad if Sweet Terror knocks it down because that means she is the looser, and no one else wants to be the one to tip it over. I do miss the old square box that it used to come in because then you could slide the box off the blocks and it was already set up to play.

Stacrobats is a lot like Jenga. you start with one plastic acrobat standing in the base. Then you try stacking them onto eachother until it comes crashing down. There are holes and slots in the acrobats where you can stick legs and arms through to kind of weave the acrobats together. It has actually proved to be harder for the adults than for the kids which makes for competitive fun. On the plus side, Sweet Terror likes to take a few of the acrobats and use them like paper dolls while we play. Another plus is the different colors of the acrobats. We use them to teach sorting skills and math. We will build up a tower of acrobats and then I will have Monster Man count how many there are of each color and which color was used the most, and then Pablo has to add the numbers up to find out how many they used. WE LOVE THIS ONE.

Upwords is so much fun for kids who can spell or who are just learning to spell. When I play with Cookie we keep score but with the younger boys we just try to make as many words as we can and we all help each other. Because the pieces all interlock a little it is hard for Sweet Terror to destroy it while we are playing (unlike Scrabble, where one sweep of her hand leaves everyone in tears). For little Monster Man I like to hand-select his tiles so that he can spell lots of three letter words like cat, mom, dog, etc. I really reccomend that you try to find the older version of this game (the one with simple cream colored tiles) because it is much sturdier and user friendly than the new brightly colored version.

Hungry Hungry Hippos may remind you of the 80's but it is still a great game. If you loose the balls that come with the game you can easily replace them with marbles (one time my kids even made balls out of playdough and they worked just fine). My son will play this all by himself, circling his arms around it to run all the hippos at once. It also teaches counting to the little kids as they have to count up their balls at the end of each game to find out who wins. And if you don't want to have winners and loosers you just focus on clearing the board together. (Sadly, this is another game that is better if you find an older version, as the newer version is flimsy and doesn't fit back in it's box. You can find knock-offs that work better. Our current one has frogs instead of hippos)

Hot Hoops was a game I picked up last minute in an attempt to even out the Christmas presents between our kids and has been a family favorite every since. Even DSSH and I have been caught in a viscious round of hoops after the kids have gone to bed. When we loose the basketballs we can just replace them with ping pong balls. As it is, we have lost one of the balls and it hasn't affected game play at all. We just play until one person has all the balls and misses 3 shots in a row. Sweet Terror is so fascinated by the game play that she is happy to just watch and she loves to retrieve any of the fly away balls for us. Sadly, Amazon no longer carries this (I bought mine at WalMart) but you can get it online here.

So, do you have any Lazy Mom Games that I can add to my list?

And for other great game ideas you should go check out Scribbit's list.