Stuffed

After plopping on the couch, watching parades and holiday movies, we tried our  best to start our own Thanksgiving traditions this year. 

Both kids are now old enough to sit at the table with us, and they were troopers.  We had a simplified version of a civilized meal.  Both kids are pretty picky eaters, especially when it comes to proteins, so we did our best to get them to try everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite Thanksgiving tradition involves the use of fingers and giant black olives.  It was the one day a year we were allowed to play with our food, and I completely planned on letting this happen here.  And it was a success!  What fun!

 

 

 

See this scrumptiously golden brown and delicious bird?  ONE HOUR, people!  ONE HOUR is all it took to cook!  When we bought this house, it had no appliances.  As a foreclosure, it had been stripped – so when it was time to get appliances, both Xiris and I agreed that it was time to DO IT RIGHT or DON’T DO IT AT ALL.  So we researched and tested, finally settling on a Jenn-Air gas cooktop with combination gas/convection oven.  SO WORTH IT.  We put the turkey in at 500F for 30 minutes (btw:  on rapid preheat –both gas and electric heat at the same time – it took less than 10 minutes to reach the cooking temp).  After that, we stick the oven probe in the breast, tell the oven there is a turkey attached to the other end, hit ROAST CONVECT and the desired finish temp (allowing for coasting) of 161F.  Oven does the rest, even shutting off and putting itself in HOLD WARM mode until you retrieve the bird.  Juiciest, best turkey yet!

 

Melissa and Doug Shape Sorting Clock

As the kids are getting older, I am finding that picking age appropriate toys is not easy.  Either the toy is flimsy, isn’t really age appropriate, or it just doesn’t captivate them like I had imagined it would.  I’ve recently discovered a website called ebeanstalk, dedicated to selecting good, safe toddler toys and kids toys.  I like this site because we can sort toys by age, guaranteeing we will find a safe, educational toy for each stage of their lives.

One thing I particularly love is that each toy is used and reviewed by Mom’s in just my same situation.  I placed a few orders myself, and was contacted by ebeanstalk, asking if I’d like to help pick some toys for our age groups.  Because I had such good experiences with the company, I agreed.  The toy they sent is the Shape Sorting Clock by Melissa and Doug, one of their many toys for a 2 year old

We like this toy, because it’s really two toys in one! The colorful clock combines shape sorting and learning to tell time.  So far, the kids like to place the numbered and differently shaped pieces in their proper place on the face of the clock.  I am working on number recognition with MissZ at the moment, and once she has that down, we’ll use the hands on the clock to practice telling time.  Right now, the hands are just fun things to spin around!

The clock is solid wood, as are all the parts.  The paint seems to be strong, as they’ve been chucked and tossed everywhere.  I can see this toy being around for a very long time!

Plain Links: toddler toys kids toys toys for a 2 year old

FuzzySheepCrafts Review Policy: Today’s featured product for review was provided to me, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing agency for the sole purpose of product testing. I do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. I only review products that I have personally tested and used in my home, and all opinions expressed are my own.

{Gobble, Gobble!}

{Muppet Queen}

I have absolutely NO idea why this is real, but it is REAL entertaining…  ENJOY!

{A Sneaky Person Mailed Me Stuff!}

Family Circle’s Knitted Toys, Knitting 2 socks at a time, chocolate, recycled cotton yarn and some loverly blue, a Ralph’s World CD for the kids, a handblown glass pen (!!!) and A HAT.  Knitted just for me!  OH WOW!

 

 

 

I know she lives in Colorado – but I don’t know who she is YET.  I will.  I’ve been good, since I was co-organizing, I asked one of the other ladies to dole out the names so I didn’t know! 

 

So, Secret Pal…  THANK YOU!

 

One of these days I’ll remember to put makeup on before I take pictures of myself…  eh, who am I kidding…

{OH EM GEEEEEEEEEE!}

My kiddos were playing with the remote while I was doing dishes, and the channel landed on one of those shopping channels we have tons of.  They were showcasing a new Singer SES2000 that isn’t out yet – a sewing, embroidery, serger machine. 

One of those things that’s on my “If I Had $1,000,000”  list.

{I might surprise you}

It Might Surprise You to Know!

1. Guilty pleasure snack: pretzel rods dipped in nutella

2. Guilty pleasure when I'm alone: I do not comprehend the meaning of that word.  Please rephrase.

3. CD you listen to in private: Christmas music... all year.

4. TV Show you never miss that might surprise people: Psych

5. Guilty pleasure drink: Caprihania

6. Something you have never done: Too much.

7. Your biggest weakness: the complete inability to handle stress & anxiety, and also going nuts when I can't find something.

8. Your weirdest job: chopped veggies for one day at a Schlotzkey's Deli.

9. Your biggest regret: Not buying a car I saw for sale once.  Would have loved it.

10. Your guilty restaurant pleasure: Napa Rose at Disney

11. The furthest you've driven for food: Made my husband drive 45minutes to the nearest Starbucks once.

12. Biggest Pet Peeve:  always having to be the one to reach out

13. Favorite board game: SCRABBLE

14. Your biggest life irony: big plans to move far away & ended up 3 miles from my parents

15. My proudest moment: graduating with BS in Atmo Sci, Minors in Math/Physics, marrying Xiris, the births of my children

16. Your dream: to "grow old & sit on the porch covered in grandchildren saying no & stop that"

17. Your priorities: The health and happiness of my family.

18. Favorite thing you won: My car once won a set of mugs (don't ask!)

19. Favorite singer: I'm to eclectic to have one favorite.

20. Favorite actor/actress: Depends?  too look at and because of acting chops are two completely different things - but if I answer the because of looks option - Xiris might kill me!  ;)

21. The person I miss the most: Gibbs (yes, I know he's not a person, but I miss him the most of all)

22. Your addiction: CHOCOLATE

23. Most famous person you've met: Alton Brown, George Bush (the elder)

24. Your biggest hope for the future: happy & healthy family

25. Your best asset: My family and my home.  (Oh, and Edna).

{Check out this sleigh!}

This “sleigh” is a Madsen Bike filled with gifts and goodies from Provo Craft to help you create those handmade projects including a Yudu screen-printing machine, a Cuttlebug, a Cricut Expression Machine, a Your Story thermal book binder, and a Knifty Knitter loom set. That’s not all - we’ve got treasures galore - a Dyson Blueprint, an Easy Walker Sky stroller from MamaBargains.com, two Sidekick baby carrier bags from Kemby and an Amber Alert GPS unit and a full year of service.

 

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?

• Demeter’s GingerAle perfume
• 5” squares, tumbler, sheep, circles dies for my AccuQuilt GO!
• potty-trained kids!  I just can’t figure out how to help them do it!
• my creative corner to be setup and workable, maybe for hubs to make me a sturdy, counter height cutting table.
• Time to myself, Peace and Quiet!

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?

• Hmm.  I’m sure lots are to come as the kids grow.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

• knitting/quilts  for friends/family

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

• I always received more useful gifts, not so much what I wanted.  I got a new waterbed mattress one year. 

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?

• oldest wants a bicycle, a purple one.  But I’m using it as a bribe for potty training (hey, I’m getting desperate here!) – Santa won’t bring it if she doesn’t go.
• youngest loves Buzz Lightyear, so we’re doing Buzz Lightyear themed things.

6. What is your favorite holiday food?

• Roast Beast and Yorkshire Puddings

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?

• Blankets for both kiddos
• A TinkerBell tutu for LittleMiss
• A cape for SpacePirate

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?

• Scrooged
• Nightmare Before Christmas
• Elf

9. Favorite holiday song?

• I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music – so much so that my little 4GB iPod can’t hold it all – I have to pick and choose!  Can you imagine!?!

10. Favorite holiday pastime?

• driving around looking at Christmas lights

 

{Hippo Birdie Two Meese!}

I'm off gallivanting, celebrating and being sunned.  See you soon!

(picture shamelessly stolen from cookinglight.com)

{MY LEG! YOU BIT MY LEG OFF!}

I whipped these up yesterday while holding a sick kiddo in one arm.  I had planned on stitching these on the felt - but I had all the stuff to do these as is.  Rickrack, freezer paper, felt and Fabric-Tac (which I am still peeling out from under my fingernails).  I intended to put googly-eyes, but I can't find them.* 

I have no idea where the original images came from, I think they were intended for machine embroidery and I snagged them as a freebie because I knew I'd be able to do something with them sometime! 

PrincessZ saw them when she woke from her nap (she's also sick, sigh) and kept asking me "Mommy, what happened to the goolallaman?"  and I told her I was hungry and bit his leg off.  Her response "Mommy!  That's a NONO, he not happy now!"

*My craft stuff is still (!!!!) all packed, and I didn't want to look through more boxes.  I have put my craft area in the basement, but we are having issues with our sump (or something) and it seems we get wet once and while, and it's cold and dark - so I am trying to come up with some way to make it bright and happy and dry and creative.  The walls are the concrete foundation, no carpets, only one small window.  I have started putting rope light around my area, and I think it'll staple white sheets in soft drapes to the exposed rafters. Maybe add twinkle led lights (since they don't get hot) as well.  Other than that, I have no idea.   I'd gladly take ideas and suggestions!  

{Oh, Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding…}

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

{FO: Tree for the Tree}

  

I loved working on this little design.   I can’t remember whose it is, but I’ll find out and edit.  What I loved the most was the unique design, and the fact that I picked out some hand-dyed floss.  Who knew there was hand-dyed!  I love it – even if it did come out a little wonky once I sewed it up. 

Do you see it?

{Halloween JellyFish}

It was soooooooooooooooo windy outside, we had to do the inside dark picture.