At first I was going to give you my Friday in snapshots, but then my talkative side took over and I just had to explain each of them. So here’s my Friday, in snapshots with slightly lengthy captions!
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An impromptu mouse/bear pancake. I was heating up some frozen pancakes, happened to have two small and one large, discovered a handful of blueberries, and …
My two-year-old looked at it and asked, “Mommy, why did you put blueberries on it?” After listening to my enthusiastic explanation that it was fun and yummy and super-cool to have such a creative pancake, she blinked and said, “Can you cut it up for me?” Two-year-olds. No culture at all, I tell you.
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This is an all-natural, homemade deodorant that I discovered at this site (via One Pretty Thing). I have tried store-bought natural/organic deodorants in the past with absolutely no success, so I was understandably doubtful about this. But since I had the ingredients in my kitchen, I gave it a go.
I can honestly report that three days in, despite some of the crumbly pieces and the odd shape, it’s working like a gem. Our house even got really warm during naptime yesterday, and I had snuggly kids pressed up against me, and well, I was sweaty, but … no smell! Apparently coconut oil has antibacterial properties which means the smelly bacteria can’t build up. Hurrah for cheap and chemical-free deodorant!
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Twice a year my town has two big consignment sales for gently used children’s clothing and toys, and that’s where I do the majority of my shopping for the kids. I even managed to get us very well set for Christmas and my son’s (close-to-Christmas) birthday. Just as I was heading toward the checkout line, I glanced down under a table at a box full of books and saw this book, The Apartment Book, staring up at me.
I’m not really sure why it was considered a children’s book, because it seems a little more adult, but I’m glad someone deemed it so, because I wouldn’t have discovered it otherwise. For you lovers of detail and house cross-sections, you’ve got to check it out. The book takes you through a day in the life of the inhabitants of this old house-turned-apartment building, complete with stories and very detailed drawings. I haven’t had the chance to read it all the way through, but I’m already fascinated.
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My daughter loves to color and “draw.” She can do a fairly decent circle for a two-year-old, and she’s pretty good at keeping her colors on specific objects instead of just going all over the page. (She learned this by observation, too, because I’ve never given her any “rules” about drawing.) She usually has some sort of story behind her drawings, but they’re not really recognizable. This is her first picture of something I could recognize.
She drew two monsters (and the purple thing is apparently a candle). See the spiky hair? The big monster and the little one? The eyes? The four legs on the little one? Oh, and the squiggle along the bottom is her signature, ha! Maybe it’s not clear to anyone else, but I could totally see it before she explained it to me. Color me impressed! (Pun intended.) I’m saving this one for the memory box.
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One last thing, before I depart. Today is the day that the Quilt Project was unveiled. Or, rather, yesterday. Er. Well, I’m in a different time zone. The unveiling has already happened. And I am certain it was amazing. I wish I could have been there, to see it in person, to meet some of the amazing artists who participated. I’m jealous that I won’t get to see it as soon as everyone who could attend, but I’m really excited for the project’s website to go live so I can take it all in. I just know it’s going to be awesome. (Edit: The website is live! Go check it out!)
And that, my friends, is finally the end. Have a good weekend!
Loved your pancake tale – sometimes fun is wasted on children! :-) But it looks like your young one will make her own ‘signature’ brand of fun… Awesome!
written on October 23rd, 2009, at 6:26 pmSo glad the deodorant is working so well for you! It’s nice great to be able to make your own and have it work too :) Have a super duper weekend!
written on October 23rd, 2009, at 7:01 pm-Maggie
I used to enjoy making ‘picture’ foods for my kids too :)! Lovely, fun Friday post! Would love to see the finished quilt project website, will you post a link?
written on October 24th, 2009, at 6:18 amAlison, I was waiting for the site to go live before I posted the link. It’s up and running now, and I’ve added the link to the original post. Go check it out! :)
written on October 24th, 2009, at 9:02 amHave found it Gretchen – awesome! :) Thanks!
written on October 24th, 2009, at 9:55 amlove your daughter’s “signature” and that apartment book looks super duper cool — hope the book is still in print
written on October 24th, 2009, at 3:17 pmI used to make Mickey Mouse pancakes for my kids all the time, by spooning one big circle of batter on the griddle, then two smaller ones for the ears. They would have fun eating the ears off!
written on October 25th, 2009, at 2:02 amLove your daughter’s artwork :).
For about a year and a half now, I’ve been using plain ole Arm & Hammer Baking Soda as my deodorant. (I made the mistake of using a generic brand once and it was like rubbing sandpaper under my armpits!) I use baking soda about 98% of the time. No, it doesn’t eliminate sweating, but the sweat doesn’t bother me — if the rest of my body is sweating, I don’t care that my pits are too! — but it combats odor better than any deodorant I’ve used before (including the natural brands). Once in a while I will be in a situation where I don’t want sweaty pits to be seen, so I keep my Lady Speed Stick stashed away for those times (but, interestingly, my pits do end up smelling funky by the end of the day when I use store-bought deodorant).
written on October 26th, 2009, at 12:38 am