Hello, Jobi!

It has been a very, very long time...

2010-02-14T23:55:00.001-08:00

I'd like to give this blogging thang another go. I remember it being fun, and now revisiting a long time later, I realize how much I appreciate some of these memories being chronicled in an orderly and kinda cute fashion. Hooray for blogs.

A single post in 2009... 2009 was probably the hardest year of my life.

So many things have changed. So many, many things. I read through this posts with so many emotions going through me... so many thoughts and memories going through my mind. I guess the changes, however big or small, will become apparent in later posts. For now, I'll just leave this with every intention to return, and hopefully return often. Updates of kids... growth, progress, changes, and new hopes.

:) smiley face

it's been a long while.

2009-03-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

here is something new .

last month, our oldest learned to ride a bike .

there was trial .

there was error .

and there was victory.

oh. and cake.

We have a winner!

2008-12-22T10:43:00.000-08:00

And the winner of the first Hello Jobi giveaway
for an Usborne touchy-feely That's Not My Reindeer book,
chosen by Random.org's List Randomizer (there's gotta be an easier way!),
is So Cal Gal!
Congratulations!
However, I have no contact information for you. Please e-mail me by Friday with your address or I will have to consult the List Randomizer again!
Enjoy!

Everyone! Check back later for something cool just for mom!

Free! Touchy Feely Reindeer Book!

2008-12-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry, this giveaway is closed!

Let the giveaways begin! Woohoo! I'm excited. Probably more excited than you are. This December, you could win this awesome touchy-feely board book from Usborne Books. The touchy-feely series is one of Usborne's most popular- over 30 to choose from! These books keep little ones occupied for awhile, long enough for church service or car rides in L.A. traffic, in our experience! 10 pages long, 6.5" square. Recommended for ages 9 months and up! A $9.99 value, plus shipped to you absolutely free!

As Usborne puts it: This delightful series of board books is aimed at very young children. The bright pictures, with their patches of different textures, are designed to develop sensory and language awareness. Babies and toddlers will love turning the pages and touching the feely patches.

This giveaway will be short and sweet, giving you real good odds of winning! Winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, book will be shipped to you this Monday December 22nd.

How to win it! Earn entries by:

1 entry for leaving a comment, tellin' us who this little book will be for.

2 entries for posting about our giveaway on your blog, website, or forum, then relinking back to us in the comments section here.

3 entries for being and becoming a blog follower.

Check back next week for something cool just for mom!

a boho baby clip

2008-12-17T17:32:00.000-08:00

I love handmade mom stuffs.
I wanted to share this pic of mini-me in a crocheted poppy flower clip from Boho Baby Designs. Unfortunately for you, the store is empty since Lin, the brains and fingers behind this crafted beauty is takin' an Etsy break. You can, however, still see a gallery of some her stuff at the Boho Mama blog on wordpress or you can see her written creations on her pesronal blog Late Night Lullaby. We've got a few things in common.
Oh, and this flower has a twin. I wear that one.
That's all I wanted to say.
Thanks for the clips, Lin.

So. I got this award.

2008-12-17T16:41:00.001-08:00

So. I got this award. No... not that one up there. I just felt like posting it since I thought it was cool and I only dream that one day one of my offspring would even think of being presenting me with one of those. Uh.. that's a different post. (Actually, clicking on it will take you to a knitted burger beanie on a store who's got these #1 mom trophies but they're outta stock to date).
I may not have children who appreciate me (just yet), but I certainly have friends who do! Look what I got! The meaning of this little award is this:
The award is for PROXIMITY and it's explained this way:
"This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."
Kinda spiffy. Thanks!

In the Woods

2008-12-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

I felt an urge to spotlight some local hotspots, of the world famous, and almost monumental variety.
Actually, it wasn't my initial intention.
What I really wanted to do was complain... seeking your compassion, or pity, cyber-hugs or handshakes, because I live near the LAX airport. And not just near the airport, but directly in a flightpath zone... my street serves as an arial road map to the brave pilots who whisk in aircrafts full of international visitors and returning locals. And, living near this airport and in this flightpath puts us interneting hopefuls in an interesting predicament. The noise we get used to, but the annoying fact that our computers start operating in the most sluggish pace each time a large plane comes in for landing??? Unbearable!
See? I went and did it anyway. I had decided I wasn't going to complain, but being the weak mortal I am, I fell prey to, well, myself once again.
Now, back to the giant donut which was to the left but now is above you. I was lookin' for a picture of a plane goin' over in my neighborhood, when I stumbled across this awesome photo of Randy's Donuts. It was taken by eyetwist at flickr, and you really should check out the other fabulous photos. The plane was NOT photoshopped in. The angle, the hue... it's fun and quite pleasing, isn't it?
And now onto Randy's. For those of you who eat donuts (yes, I had to say that. My home, my life; they're teaming with vegans and puritists of all kinds), you have to come here at least once in your life. Donuts. Who doesn't like donuts? Randy's is a step above regular donuts. It's worth the drive to get there, and it's pretty central. They sell shirts with donuts on them, too.
Address, info: Randy's Donuts
I love L.A.

Micah's New Shoes

2008-12-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

This may be a new feature section on my blog... shoes, particularly for Micah. Anyway, I like to share the awesome steals I get, so here are Micah's new shoes, typically $30-45 a pair, that I scored for just $14, including shipping costs! The style is called "Charlie" and they're made by Pedipeds.

I have a thing for handsome little items for tiny boyish tots, and these are gonna look just awesome. Micah's other shoes, from Livie and Luca, still don't fit! (I get confused with the European sizing).

another watercolor creation, with directions!

2008-12-16T12:42:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share this cool princess watercolor Aiyana made the other day and some easy tips to get cool effects with your own kiddos. Aiyana's specialty is drawing princesses, fairies, ballerinas... you get the picture. Then, she loves mixing mediums- crayons, pencils, scrap paper, material, paint, etc. I really like the awesome mix of effects.

Here are the steps she took to create this painting:

She drew the princess lightly in pencil (i like how the legs are doing a little ballerina dancing action)
Then she took a white oil pastel crayon (will also work with a regular white wax crayon) and added designs and details to the dress and hair (see the circles, lines, and ruffles?). This is the cool part.
Then she painted over it with watercolors- lots of colors is always best (we think so!) as you get awesome blended effects you don't get with crayons. that's the point of watercolorin' if you ask me.
Lay to dry (flat! remember, they're WATERcolors: flowy, drippy, messy.) somewhere out of reach of your pillaging toddler whom you have renamed, "Destructor".

The frame was made in a similar fashion, 'cept it involves a bit of cutting, glueing, and constructing. You can use a light cardboard (we used a manila file folder. I got a box of these babies for just $2 and they have been SO useful for so many projects. See the linedancin' cow-people for another example).

Put your dry (or, almost dry if you're as impatient as I am) painting on top of the cardboard and trace around it. Make sure the front side of the "frame" is facedown.
Once you find your ever-missing pair of scissors, stab (or gently snip) a small hole in the middle and cut around the traced lines, leaving 'bout a 1/8 of an inch or more between the line and your cut edge.
Now, for a fancy top. Take your homemade frame piece and place it on top of another piece of cardboard, marking the width where the top of your frame will be (horizontal or vertical?). From here, you can draw any sized fancy top to the frame, but make sure the width of the frame stays the same. Again, the front side should be face-down.
Cut the brilliantly ornamental frame-top out and glue it on top of the frame you made just mere minutes before.
If you want to get more crayon/watercolor effects, do so now. Then paint it all one color so it appears as seamless as possible.
You can add a backing to the frame by using more cardboard, then writing your inscription (if it's a gift) on the back.

Hope you have fun! This project took just 10-20 minutes, depending on how picky your child is about their art. Mine are picky. All of their pencil tops are wore down to a nub and we own a lot of erasers.

hip organic duds for tots on super sale!

2008-12-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

sale! sale! sale!

get nearly 40% off these awesome wide leg baby or tot pants made from vintage woven fabric and lined in 100% organic cotton jersey. shuh-weet! just $20! The weight of the vintage fabric makes these pants drape nicely and makes them a lot more special than your average kid sweatpant, but lighter than a jean. will have people askin, "who's kid is THAT?" but in a GOOD way this time!

PLEASE EXCUSE MY SHODDY PHOTOSHOPPIN' SKILLS. These pictures don't do them justice. Also available in just the cozy organic cotton jersey for a fraction of the cost.

Seven Years...

2008-12-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

but who's counting?
That's how long I have worn a matchin' ring on my left ring finger with this guy on the left.

Firebeam!

This past week was our anniversary. I don't remember what we did, but I think it was fun.

Natural resources...

2008-12-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

I think the first step to teachings kids about conservation and waste is leading them to an understanding of what natural resource are and why they are so important to us. The supplies for this project were easy to find: construction paper and used magazines to cut up (glue the magazine cut-outs to a piece of paper, then cut that into the shape of the "leaves" before glueing that onto the colored paper.) Some of the interesting items she found were pics of tea, a map, drums and other instruments. We also thought it was neat that the very pencils and papers we used, and the air we breathe, also came from trees. Trees are quite extraordinary! (What? Haven't you read the Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings?)

Since the drought here in California has been pretty bad, we also did a poster on how to conserve water at home.

Independence Day

2008-12-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

Aiyana made some artwork depicting how her family celebrates Independence Day. I helped with the black silouhette family (that's us) and she built the little fireworks from strips of scrap construction paper. I liked the way it turned out.... makes me smile. :)

Line-dancin' Cowpeople

2008-12-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

Well, howdy there folks. Top o' the morning to y'all.

Today we bring you good people a samplin' of the kiddie book Cowboy Things to Make and Do to play to the gallery. Tell me this here Cowgirl didn't do a bang-up job on her art project. A careful inspection will reveal some grand watercolorin' skills. It ain't no shoddy crayon sketchin' and I ain't passin' no biased soft-solder 'cause she's my kid.

Uh... this cowboy slang is tough. What I mean is:

Today we're showing off a sample project from the children's book Cowboy Things to Make and Do. Didn't Aiyana do a super job on her art project? She's getting pretty good with the watercolor painting (I love watercolors... the sloppier the awesomer in my book). It isn't a typical crayon drawing... and I'm not giving biased flattery because she's my kid.

And now for the shameless plug. Besides this fabulous string of line-dancing' rodeo cowboys n' girls, the Cowboy Things to Make and Do book from Usborne books shows you how to make 17 other rootin' and tootin' stuffs (a showdown collage, a cowboy hat, a saloon door card and dancing cowboys, and more), plus comes with two pages of colorful cowboy stickers to decorate your activities. Every activity is clearly and vividly illustrated in an appealing and colorful style, with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.
And the best best part? It's only $6.99. Awesome!

Um. Yeah.

2008-12-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

It's been way longer than I thought it has since my last post. I know I said I'd finish the flat-tire charade story, but I'm just not feeling up to it... maybe "next time." I can tell you it involved coasting off the freeway, parking in a random unauthrorized spot, walking in heels 'bout 1/2 a mile to the nearest payphone... oh... and three kids. I know I mentioned that. I had wanted to get some creative writing workouts done, and what better topic than mi vida loca con ninos, pero I ain't up to it. Yes, I speak a bit of Spanglish. Te gusta?
Anyway, since that post, we have purchased a new (to us) vehicle: much safer and newer and bigger and just grand. Here's a pic of the kids sitting in the backseat (there are two more pilot seats in front of them and it's got an automatic door... I could cry!):

(I'd like to add that nearly every parent knows how hard it is to get a good photo of ALL your kids at once. Micah's a little dazed here. It's the best we could do at the time).

The outside looks a little something like this:

haha!

So, stay tuned for some fun posts featuring some of A's artwork. Pretty spiffy stuffs.

flat tire charade

2008-10-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

Another hair-raising event in the hysteria I call motherhood!
The other night the kids and I had gone to church and after visiting Auntie Jessie, we set out for our routine commute from the San Fernando Valley to the L.A. basin. This of course requires driving over the hill on the 405, just south of the 101.

So here I am, with my 3 precious wee children, cruising at 65-70mph downhill, heading into the westside of Los Angeles, when I notice that my car has chosen, without consulting its driver, to glide to the right, swaying into the parallel lanes without the slightest consideration for... well, anyone or anything. Quickly, I decide I don't want to dance this waltz, when I suddenly hear a strange sound- a combination of "crumbly" and "whooshy"- a sound definitely not associated with purring, healthy, safe vehicles.
I push 2 different buttons on my dashboard- but neither the A.C. nor the rearwindow defrost buttons, however wonderful they may be, are helping me in the current situation. Ah. There it is. The emergency blinkers. With my kung-fu-like reflexes, I start inching my way to the right lane, while simultaneously slowing the car down but not too quickly. Of course, I'm praying out loud, informing the kids that we're in a bit of a pinch, and scanning my brain for any sort of information I may have picked up from well-meaning advisors. Seeing that I am incapable of registering any such valuable advice, particularly that which is dire to my livelihood, I come up with nothing.
All I can think of is... who is going to help me get the heck out of this situation? Aiyana is pretty intuitive, tough in the face of adversity, and a total whiz when it comes to her studies, but... she's only six. I'm sure Micah didn't bring his AAA card and chances are Elijah was probably picking his nose in the backseat, unaware of the challenges we were currently faced with. Yep. I was going to have to figure this out for myself.
The car and I battle a bit as it sways and wobbles back and forth, but it's not anything drastic or perilous, more of a thumb wrestle, of which I remain in control and victorious at all times. Finally we make our way to the side of the freeway and stop for a minute to think a little clearer of what needs to happen next. I reach for my purse only to be reminded of my scattered irresponsible self, that same self who had left my cell phone sitting on top of my T.V. at home. In otherwords, I had no cell phone. No worries. I remember moms teaching me that there were these call boxes every few miles or so along the freeway... we would just have to find one.
Driving along the side of the road, with that same ridiculous sound playing over and over, I see the comforting yellow box in the distance... that call box... for people who are in trouble on the freeway... people like me and my kids. But, as we finally come upon it, I see a sign- a terrible, good for nothing sign- printed on someone's P.C. on cheap white, computer paper, and mounted upon that yellow call box with clear packing tape, which reads, "For roadside assistance, dial 335, on your cellphone." I'm sorry, is the government dishing out free cellphones now? I suddenly feel the urge to defend the poor and underpriveledged non-cell-phone-owning populaton of Los Angeles, but really it's a selfish ambition, I'm really wanting to defend slightly irresponsible moms such as myself.
Did I mention, I don't have my cellphone with me?

To be continued...

letting go of some cool ish...

2008-10-06T12:00:00.001-07:00

It's crunch time here at the Lauzon household. Our monstrous California mortgage is due in mere weeks! So, closing our eyes and taking several deep breaths, we bid farewell to some of our beloved musical instruments, electronics, recording equipment, and rare vinyl records.. including my Technics 1200s (turntables) and RANE high-end DJ mixer. Check out some of Dad in Plaid's eBay highlights. Be on the lookout for more stuff- we have 3 pesky mini-people bent on obstructing our operations, thereby slowing the process down.

First, there's this Roland MC-500 Micro-Composer. Ahh.. she's a beauty. A CLASSIC for all those who are down with homemade beats, OR for those punk/rock bands that want to add a synthesized element to their sound without breaking the bank. Easy to use, includes all manuals (new), and disks. Excellent working order- just a cosmetic flaw (tape on the top got all funky. Clean it with some warm water and yer good).And... a personal favorite of mine, purchased from my own sister- old school Vintage Panasonic SG-J500 boombox WITH pull-out record player, mic inputs, and cassette recording. Yeah, I still listen to cassettes. What? They don't skip! Hold your inpromptu freestylin' sessions, if you will, or just have it in your house as a reminder to all your homeslices that you, are indeed, "down"... and always have been.

Hahaha! Click the pics and check out Dad in Plaid's other auctions listed (and coming soon!).

The sad letting go of all our neat stuffs began with a very painful, selling of Dad in Plaid's 1984 Ibanez GB-10 George Benson Archtop, for a mere fraction of its actual value to a nice dude in Switzerland. Only 'bout a hundred of these were made. Here's a pic for your viewing pleasure...

i was IT again... and i didn't know it... again

2008-10-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Stitchblade!
Favorite person (outside family)?
No one. I like my family the bestest.
Favorite food?
I ain't picky. But I do tend to crave unique spiciness like Indian and Ethiopian.
Quirks about you?
I don't know... I'm a twin and I've been needing glasses for YEARS. Stupid... that's all I can think of right now!
Any regrets in life?
I try not to regret. It's a dark, heavy thing.
Favorite Charity/Cause?
Right now, I give props to Miracle Diapers, operated by my good friend, Lisa.
Favorite Blog recently?
The Pioneer Woman... always comin' through.
Something you can’t get enough of?
Right now, it's Usborne books.
Worst job you’ve ever had?
Family-owned fast-foody joint makin' fries and takin' orders from unorganized, ill-prepared crazy people.
What job would you pay NOT to have?
Like, an Alaskan harpoonist or something. I'm afraid of vast bodies of water, cold, big mammalian sea creatures, and like... dude, killing whales? Ugh.
If you could be a fly on the wall, where?
I don't want to be a fly on no wall.
Guilty Pleasure?
Chocolate before dinner. Coffee before bed.
Got any confessions?
I like the occasional, top 40s boy band jam.
If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it?
Fill up my gas tank and go somewhere to see the stars, while dining on some bomb food. Oh and shoes. I'd buy shoes.
Favorite thing about your house?
It's craftsman style so it's got built in little quirkiness and a big ol' yard for those little people who live with me.
Least favorite thing about your house?
Uhhh... it's like... half of a house right now (rennovations in this economy? We're nuts.)
One thing you are bad at?
Applying make-up.
One thing you’re good at?
Fudge. I make some magic fudge from an old family recipe. And like, in my whole family, only I can do it.
If you could change something about your circumstances, what?
Live closer to Zion and my family.
Who would you like to meet someday? Living or dead?
God.
What makes you feel sexy?
Nights off without the kids.
Who is your real life hero?
The heavenly Jerusalem.
What is the hardest part of your job?
The sun sets too early.
When are you most relaxed?
Strangely, when I'm driving in traffic.
What stresses you out?
Kids.
What can you not live without?
Chocolate.
Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists?
There might be some validity to this, but I am no expert.
Why do you blog?
I don't know.

Okay - rules:
1. Answer the questions DONE!
2. Link back to whoever tagged you DONE!
3. Tag eight bloggers to do the same, 2 from each category. Doin' this later!

Dollars for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

2008-10-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

A close friend of mine lost her dear friend earlier this year to suicide. She has set up a DonorDrive to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and will be joining in their 2008 Out of the Darkness Community Walk. Her goal is just $100, which will go far towards researching and preventing some of the 32,000+ lives lost each year. Here is more information on how to support this organization (the letter we received from her).

Dear Friend,

I will be joining with thousands of people nationwide this fall to walk in AFSP's 2008 Out of the Darkness Community Walk to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I would appreciate any support that you give me for this worthwhile cause.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is at the forefront of research, education and prevention initiatives designed to reduce loss of life from suicide. With more than 32,000 lives lost each year in the U.S. and over one million worldwide, the importance of AFSP's mission has never been greater, nor our work more urgent.

I hope you will consider supporting my participation in this event. Any contribution will help the work of AFSP, and all donations are 100% tax deductible.

Donating online is safe and easy! To make an online donation please click the "Support This Participant" button on this page.

10 Random Facts About Me

2008-09-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm slow and I don't know what "tagged" means, people.
Hahaha.
Here goes...

1. I'm 7 minutes older than my only sister.
2. My Starbucks drink: Venti iced americano with no water, add classic syrup and soy milk.
3. I just started selling Usborne Books because I'm addicted to them.
4. I've been to 6 countries beside the U.S.: Mexico, Canada, Nepal, Thailand, India, South Korea (my favorite).
5. All 3 of my babies have been strictly breastfed, self-weaned at 2 (we'll see what happens with the 3rd).
6. My husband and I eloped in Vegas, responsibly, the day after his birthday, after jumping through many obstacles. This hilarious episode will be told to my grandchildren, and written in a later blog post.
7. I own thousands of albums on vinyl... and they're all going up for sale next month.
8. I like to read Stitchblade's blog. (:D) Click to read 10 random facts about HER.
9. I've been dying to see the Milky Way for months.
10. Every good thing in me comes from my heavenly Mother- Galatians 4:26.

Um. I have no friends, so this chain stops here. haha.

fun

2008-09-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

messin' 'round on magmypic.com

Luann Homeschool Comic

2008-09-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Click to see the full image!

we wuz makin' cookies...

2008-08-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

um yeah... we were making cookies ... one day.

apparantly, this one was just for you. sorry, we ate it.

Nyala Ethiopian Restaurant

2008-08-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Nyala is one of those restaurants I crave, like, all the time. We've been coming here for years even before the kids were born. We only go for lunch since their vegan buffet is good and cheap. Plus, it's one of those places you can just walk in... and start eating. Yes!

We enter through the back, 'cause we're down like that.

The food is made with lots of fresh veggies, lentils, peas, and herbs and spices. You use the special injera bread (top left) to pick it all up.

Vegan buffet for under $7. Yummy. Yes! Even kids like it!

Elijah underneath the bar legs. The decor is very modern, African-inspired. Cool.

Nyala Ethiopian Cuisine

1076 S Fairfax Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90019

Phone: (323) 936-5918

a's bday

2008-08-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

Aiyana's 6th Birthday was last month... small get-together and grandma's house. It was nice.

Food!

everything she asked to eat!
breakfast: hashbrowns, bagels and tofutti "better than cream cheese," gimme lean veggie sausage.
lunch: her favorite restaurant, house of vege
dessert: vegan cupcakes and the ugliest pineapple upside down cake ever made (hey, it was good though!) w/ rice dream and soy delicious ice cream

Peeps
I was being goofy with this party fluff. None of them knew it was there!! Heh heh. Couldn't get everyone though and I just gave up.

Win a Beco Baby Carrier! Oooooh!

2008-08-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

I've been a babywearer for 6 years now! I have always wanted to try the esteemed Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier. The construction looks flawless and the prints are always super cute.

Check out this contest!! And if you win, can we borrow it sometime?

Win a Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier and Beco Toy Carrier from Along for the Ride.

my life in a comic strip...

2008-08-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

click to enjoy...talk about read it and weep...

Micah's New Shoes

2008-08-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

Aren't they, like, the coolest and the funkiest?!
Props to the Pajama Squid for your ultra good deal! For a limited time, enjoy 50% off lots of shoe styles, including Pedoodles.
These are by Livie and Luca. They are also having a great 2 for one deal right now (use two4one discount code at checkout). The Fall version of these sweet shoes is tan with red stitching, almost as cool, but just not quite.

the girl...

2008-08-11T23:18:00.001-07:00

looking quite sophisticated... don'tcha think?

More Granola Chicks goodies... i think it's an addiction.

2008-08-11T22:54:00.001-07:00

This is Daisy, an awesome O.G. amigurumi elefante, designed and made by Melanie at Melanie's Closet. She roolz... she being both Daisy and Melanie. She's much pinker and rounder and cooler than the pic depicts. She's also appropriately pictured in front of our sci-fi bookettes.

These are fleece longies made by Tina of Sunshine Wishes that are SO soft and fuzzy brown bearish. They're a pinch too big for Micah so he's wearing them as pants, but they can and will be used as a cloth diaper cover in the near future! (I couldn't get a decent, sit-still pic without utilizing the bag of Oreos).

Finally, I'm set for months with my new stash of tarts from The Melting Pot Candle Co. This month's theme was orange stuff, I guess, so it's all orange and the hearts in the front I won free from her Hyena Cart store. They all smell too good!

Check out more Granola Chicks stuff on these older posts:
Little Bean Diapers, Boho Baby Designs, Fiarella Creations
Stitchblade

remind you of someone you know?

2008-07-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

Noooo... NOT me and Jess!

Micah!

Hahaha!
Had to post this for those of you who were wondering :)

crazy smelly good mail

2008-07-21T15:19:00.001-07:00

Blue House Soaps is my favorite work-at-home-mom handmade soap shop and they had a great deal last month. I couldn't resist! I think we're set for a year!
Here's what I got:

7 Bars of soap: 3 in Amazing Grace, 2 in Southern Breeze, 2 in Margarita (this actually has SALT on it!
2 Lemon & Tea Tree shampoo and shaving bars
9 Sample bars: Far from Home, Country Berry Pancakes, Rasperry Geranium, Nerola, Orchard, Lemon Crunch, Honey Bear, Cinnamon Latte, & Plumeria
Soothing Green Tea Spritz
Hydra Mist
Soothing Bath Soap
Natural Detangler and Leave-in Conditioner

out with the old, in with the new

2008-07-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Aiyana says, "I lost my first tooth and nobody knows that I lost a tooth and only my mom's friends and my grandma knows.
I was eating corn and my tooth fell out.
"Shakeenah knows and almost all of my mom's friends know.
"I put my tooth under my pillow and I was sleeping and the tooth fairy put a dollar under my pillow and took my tooth. It was morning and everybody woke up but I was the first one and I showed my dollar to my mom. I showed my dollar to my dad. I love you everybody.
The end. That's the story."

*Notes from Aiyana's mom

This was Aiyana's first tooth EVER! And it was the first one she lost.
I thought $5 was good for the first tooth and $1 for each thereafter, but Aiyana's dad decided it would be better to double that and give her $10! No word yet on what he plans to do with the next tooth or two or three!!
If you look in the pictures, you can see a big ol' grown up tooth which already started growing before this one came out.
Aiyana was eating elotes y raspados, mexican corn & slushies, the same kinda corn from Nacho Libre. "Get that corn outta my face!"

new 'dos for dos ninos

2008-07-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

Aiyana likes short hair. She has been asking me to cut it for months! So, finally, the opportunity arose with our friend Chris and her freestyle stylist skills. I think she looks like Juno with the hair up and a hipper, punk-er 90s Jennifer Aniston with it down. What do you think?

I had been clipping Micah bangs back with a gender-neutral barette (haha) or puttting it up little samurai style just to avoid the cutting of the first baby hair. I mean, those are tresses he grew in the womb! Anyway, I finally accepted the time had come (or was long overdo, according to some) for baby bubba's first haircut. He liked it.

I have one shaggy dog left, but it was 10:30pm and we just didn't have enough time for him!

more Granola Chick customs... Stitchblade!

2008-07-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

more cool beans by Granola Chicks with these Stitchblade swing tops made by brandy! the strawberry shortcake and charlie brown ones were customs made from the very sheets she and her brother used when they were kids. the americana & headband were gifts, but still just as cute! these can actually be worn as dresses for babies starting around 18 months old. my daughter in the photos is 6! so yeah, you get your money's worth with this classic vintage style!
stitchblade stocks on etsy and the granola chicks ring.
there was this strange little boy that kept getting in the pics. :D

Three Hours at the San Diego Zoo

2008-07-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

Tip: Don't go to the San Diego Zoo if you've only got 3 hours, which is what we did! (We got crazy good discount tickets through a local homeschool "group"). We saw some neat things while eating on the run, taking just two "rests" (one for the bathroom, one for a cuppa tea), but this place is HUGE and awesome and we didn't have enough time to make it entirely pleasurable and somewhat educational. It was more like "Lion: check," "Endangered panda: check." Still cool. No complaints here.

How we got there:

Amtrak (kids' first train ride)
Trolley (kids' first trolly ride)
Bus (Aiyana rockin' here hip hop styles haha)

It took awhile, but we finally got there! The heavy duty double stroller is a lifesaver! Worth the $14 rental fee. I laughed out loud when I saw this picture (2nd)... seemed so normal at the time.

Animal Favorites

"Pumba" (one of the first we saw. We were really impressed until we saw like 80 more throughout the park. Then, it became utterly hilarious).

Crazy "No Waaay" Animals (CLICK on these pics!):
Malayan Tapir- the Panda-Cow-Anteater
Okapi, the Giraffe-Zebra-Horse

Wow Factor
Giant Hippo (two pics 'cause the kids are cute)

Polar Bear

Standard stuff you better see at a zoo or else:

Lions. Elephants, Zebras, Giraffes

Pandas!

the last one was one of my favorites- the western lesser panda. SO cute! I late found out that this is the animal that Shifu from Kung Fu Panda was.

Birds

Peacock (roamin' the grounds), Condor spreading its wings, Parakeets? (one of Aiyana's favorites)

<3

2008-07-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

<3<3<3

i like this pic

2008-07-18T19:27:00.001-07:00

i never DID learn to use rollerblades. oh well.

these are aiyana's feet.
Vintage Garfield Skates!

custom stuffs from my friends at the granola chicks ring n forum

2008-07-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

i love wahms!
just wanted to share some custom thangs i've gotten from the ladies at GC. i've gotten some cool stuff from other moms there, too... will share those later.
first, here are the custom items...

"Dude!" All-in-Two Cloth Diaper by Christi of Little Bean Diapers.
Crocheted Amigurumi Rice Milk Carton by Lin of Boho Baby Designs.
Pink Quartz (and other gemstones) Girls Jewelry set (also came with earrings) by Michelle of Fiarella Creations.
Pics coming soon...
Crocheted Funky Pink Elephant by Mel of Melanie's Closet.
Now working on a custom with Tina of Sunshine Wishes for some fleece longies (check these out... works as a diaper cover).

Check out the Granola Chicks Ring and the Granola Chicks website!

what does a 6 year old spend $100 bucks on?

2008-07-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Homegirl got $100 to spend on her birthday and wooden toys rule!
Last night we saw a magic show at the library. Aiyana was hoping to be picked to go on stage but we were sitting too far back. Anyway, she was inspired and is now getting this super cool set that teaches REAL illusions performed by actual magicians. Yes!

Next up, Aiyana loves her some veggie sushi, so why not get a wooden sushi set with velcro'ed pieces to slice n dice? I think this is cool, and she picked this out of a bunch of other sets.

The last wooden fake-food set is an ice cream parlor that both she and Elijah insisted on getting. It's got magnetic scoops and scoopers to keep it all together. She'll pay just a little bit since she's sharing with her bro bro. I would've dug this as a kid. :D

Finally, she likes the artsy fartsy stuff and the shiny glitter girly fufu, so she had to get a few glitter paint colors. No green, just the primaries.

As a gift, mom is covering the cost of shipping these heavy stuffs and the co-op fee. Don't worry, we're getting Elijah and Micah a little something something, too...

Magnetic Kitchen set for Micah (the tops come on & off easily).Pizza Parlor with toppings n slicer for Elijah... handpicked!

Come over and play sometime!
** Aiyana still has $66.50 left. What will she spend it on next?? Stay tuned. **

current addiction- Guayaki Yerba Mate

2008-07-18T14:41:00.002-07:00

I made a giant jug o' homemade chilled organic yerba mate. yum. I've been craving this stuff every day during this summer. It gives me energy and clarity... seriously. Since I started, I've rarely "needed" coffee.
Delish. A bottle runs 'bout $3... not bad.

hi

2008-07-18T14:41:00.001-07:00

well aiyana has a blog! why not me?