Friday Finds on Etsy: Grown Up Halloween Fun

Well, after the week I've had, the thought of relaxing this weekend and indulging in a 'grown up drink' or two, I decided to take my Friday Finds in a different direction this week. No cutesy, adorable stuff this week....no ma'am.

I despise spiders. But I LOVE this decantur and glass set. It's from Mary Elizabeth Arts . They are beautifully done...and would make such a great addition to your Halloween party decor!

Well, okay, this one from Impulsive Creativity is cute. What can I say? I'm a sucker for some candy corn.Now this is such a fun piece to decorate with! I could picture myself putting it on a shelf or tabletop with skull candleholder and maybe some mini papier-mache bones next to it...a perfect Halloween vignette! GreenCycle Designs has a ton of great painted bottles...you need to see for yourself!

Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween. My hubby will be able to stay home a little longer this weekend so he'll be able to join us for Trick-or-Treating afterall. The kids & I are so thrilled. I just wish I could've found these beauties in time to use them this weekend!

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. Part 2.

We were FINALLY going to be home free with Jonah having broken fingers. Yesterday was his last set of x-rays and we were scheduled to see the doc today for the results.

But apparently, 2 broken fingers since June wasn't enough. And the memory of his sister splitting her head open and having 4 staples b/c she fell jumping on the bed wasn't enough to make him refrain from the very same act. The boy fell off the bed and broke his arm yesterday evening.

I was downstairs when I heard a thump. Honestly, when you have the children I do, you hear thumps all the time. The boys are BOYS and play knee hockey in their room almost daily. So the thump wasn't anything out of the ordinary and I continued on with whatever I was doing. Until I heard the wailing, and then the shouts from my sister that Jonah broke his arm.

My whole body sagged. Didn't we just get back from x-rays where the technician cautiously informed me that this was his fourth trip to the Base Radiology department since July? Didn't we just get something out of a splint??

I headed to the stairs and they were already down...and I saw it. Jonah's arm had a dip in it between the wrist and elbow. We raced nextdoor to our EMT neighbor's house (thank Heaven she wasn't on shift last night!) and she informed me that it was indeed a Silver Fork Break and that I needed to take him to Urgent Care. (She referred to is as a silver fork b/c his arm looked like what a fork looks like when lying upside down. Aren't you glad I gave you that mental picture??)

She helped me get him into the car while I called the after-hours nurse on the base to let them know I was headed to the urgent care facility and that they needed to call in a referral. I also called the hubby (who is, of course, still in Georgia) and filled him in. We got seen, had x-rays, and were informed that he broke both the ulna and the radius and the he was being splinted and given a sling. We then had to follow up on the base and have them refer us to an Orthopedic doc for the cast.

We kept our appointment for this morning and the nurse took one look and said "Hey wait...he's more broken than the last time he was in! He's supposed to be better by now!". The doc put in our referral, so now we just wait for the notification of where we're being sent. I'm praying it's quick....I can't keep this boy immobile for long and having just a splint on is really making me wary. The boy needs an iron cast...not an ace bandaged splint.

The little man was brave yesterday and didn't hardly cry at all, but he was definitely scared. And today the pain is quite a bit worse (as expected) and Tylenol every 4 hours isn't helping. I hate when I can't make one of my babies feel better. That's my job as a mom...to take care of their hurts. And I can't do it.

Sometimes you just have to shake your head and walk away.

Note to moms: Never mix two kinds of cookies in one jar. Because if you have a son like my Jonah, you will find this after he's been trying to get the oreos from the bottom:

Those USED to be my delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. Now they're a big wad of crumbs.

*SIGH*

Mommy Musings

Here's a few things for all of you mommas out there to ponder.

Isn't it funny how you long for just 5 minutes of quiet in your house, but when it actually is quiet you go in search of the kids because you know they're doing something they shouldn't be?

Why is it that I can't for the life of me get my kids to wake up for school, but on the weekends they're up before the sun??

Sometimes I wonder who the heck these kids are...and I'm convinced that they must've been switched at birth. Then I look at them and see traits of myself and my hubby and it hits me that all those stories our parents told about us really are true, no matter how much we tell them "You must have me confused with my sister/brother! Surely I couldn't have done that!"

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have to say I think these may be my new favorite kind of chocolate chip cookie. I'm going to have to buy a ton of canned pumpkin this fall and stock it in my pantry so that I can make these babies all year long. Even my pumpkin-pie-hating sister liked them. (Yes, I make her try everything I make.)

Anyway, this recipe was just way too good not to share, so here you go!

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil & egg. In a seperate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Dissolve baking soda in milk and stir in. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
• Add vanilla; mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and back at 350* for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown & firm.

I'm telling you...you won't be disappointed. I used a small scoop to make my cookies all evenly sized, and it yielded 3 dozen. The boys have been home from school for 30 minutes and between them and my sis & I, I think we're down a full dozen already. They're THAT good.

Friday Finds on Etsy: Halloween Part 2- Pumpkins

We all know that I love Halloween. The decorating, the costumes, the CANDY! And when I decorate I love to use pumpkins. They're so bright and cheery....I can't help but smile when I see them. I'm a grinnin' fool when we drive past a pumpkin patch.

Here's some of my favorites from Etsy this week:

First up are these ADORABLE bows from Madi & Bill. Now, normally I make all of Miss Sophia's bows, but I have not yet mastered this style, and oh! how I love them! And with the monogrammed pumpkin center?! Forget it!! I'm taken!

Next up is this super cute customized trick or treat bag from First Crush Designs. It's another must-have! I love all things personalized and I could envision all three of my boogers carrying these adorable bags to gather goodies- even my 9 yr old BOY.
Lastly is from my shop, Jen's Craft Corner. I so wish I would've started making these bloomers when Miss Thing was still in diapers. She would've have at least one pair for every holiday. Seriously. But since she's three now, I think the hubby would frown on her walking around in these. But wouldn't they be so adorable on a little munchkin for their first Halloween?? So there you have it. Three of my favorite pumpkin items from Etsy. Go on over and check out for yourself...there's so much greatness there!

A Halloween Birthday Party

Last week Friday my firstborn turned nine. NINE. How is that even possible?! Anyway, he decided on a Halloween themed party and everyone came in costume. Here are my personal favorites: a shark, pirate, and bumblebee.

We had an eyeball race (think an 'egg & spoon race', only using eyeball painted ping pong balls)

...bobbed for apples And each family got to carve a pumpkin!

The hubby got home from training just in time for presents, cupcakes and the pinata.

It was definitely one of the most fun parties we've had!

Day-late Mmmm Mmmm Monday: S'mores Galore

This is another gem of a recipe from Pampered Chef. I love them. I credit Pampered Chef for me learning how to cook. Their recipes are so easy to follow...perfect! This particular one comes from my favorite cookbook ever- Delightful Desserts. Yep...a cookbook just of desserts. HEAVEN!

Here's what you need:
20 whole honey graham crackers, divided
6 bars (1.55 oz each) milk chocolate candy (Hersheys bars are perfect!) coarsely chopped.
1 pkg (16 oz) mini marshmallows, divided
3 Tbsp milk

• Preheat oven to 350*. Arrange a single layer of graham crackers to completely cover your stoneware bar pan (if you don't have one, a cookie sheet will work too). Toast in oven for 2 minutes. Remove and let cool while you do the rest of the steps.
• Coarsely break remaning crachers into a large bowl & set aside. Coarsely chop chocolate bars using a food chopper.
• Combine 3 cups marshmallow, 3 Tbsp of butter and milk into a microwave safe bowl (or the PC Micro Cooker if you have one). Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir unbtil smooth. Add half of the chopped chocolate; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Using a spreader or spatula, spread mixture evenly over the toasted graham crackers in pan.
• Melt remaining 3 Tbsp butter & toss with broken crackers. Add remaining marshmallows & chopped chocolate; toss lightly. Spoon this mixture evenly over the chocolate graham crackers in pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned. Cool 15 mintues. Cut into bars and serve.

You really will LOVE this tasty dessert...we sure do!

Yes, I'm lame.

Okay last week was a sparse posting week, this I know. I do have a recipe to share, and I do have a Friday Finds to share. But I was busy. Friday my oldest baby turned NINE! So all day long I was shopping and baking and cooking and decorating. But all my hard work paid off and the Halloween Costume Birthday Party was a HUGE hit. I am currently loading pics from the shin-dig and will be showing you all very soon. Like, later today soon. Promise.

And I will do a double Friday Finds post this week too so don't forget to check back!

Jonah-isms Part 7

It's been a long time since I've posted a Jonah-ism. These last couple of weeks have produced two great ones, so I thought I'd share.

According to the little man, the 16th President of our fine nation was none other than Mr. Abra Lincoln-ham.

Today when I had him try on his shark costume, he decided to run after his little sister yelling "Rawwwwwrrr!" I informed him that sharks don't roar and without skipping a beat he said "But I'm a tiger shark." Touche.

Friday Finds on Etsy: Halloween Pt 1- Candy Corn!

"Ooohh! Candy Corn! I hate performing on an empty stomach!"

- Heimlich, from "A Bugs Life"

Next to those super delicious candy pumpkins I buy every year, candy corn is my favorite Halloween treat. I could eat those things ALL. DAY. LONG.

Serious. I have a big bowl of them on my kitchen table and I grab a handful when I pass by. If you're a dentist reading this blog, I can imagine you shuddering where you sit. Sorry.

Anywho...like I do every week, I nosed around on Etsy and found some of the cutest candy corn items I could. There were so many I wanted to include, but then I'd be sitting my tush in this chair for too long. And since there are already too few hours in my day, I had to whittle it down to three.

Sorry to toot my own horn again, but I love Halloween so much and have alot of cute items up in my shop for this time of year, so I just had to showcase another one. I sorry. (Okay, not really. It's a shameless plug.) But you have to admit...this is a super cute headband, is it not?!Next up are these a-freakin'-dorable flip flops from Miss Priss Bowtique. These are made for toddlers but oh good heavens I want a pair for myself! I would totally sport these babies while taking the kids trick-or-treating!Last up are these great earrings from Miss Megan's. I don't have pierced ears, but I could definitely see my mom or sister wearing these. They're a great way to accessorize for Halloween but still be sophisticated!

So now go check all those shops out and make a purchase (or two or ten) and help support crafters!

Check back next week for another Halloween edition...this time featuring creepy crawly spiders!

And the Mom of the Year Award goes to...

Someone other than me.

Jonah woke up this morning and called for me to "come here a sec". I walked into the room and he held up his bright blue splinted finger and said, "Hey momma, didn't I fracture my other finger?" I looked, and sure enough, last night after his bath I had re-wrapped the WRONG DANG FINGER.

*bangs head against computer desk*





(In my defense, however, he DID in fact break the finger that was wrapped...that was just a few months ago, and had long since healed.)

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Stovetop Broccoli Mac & Cheese

I made this dish a week or so ago and everyone loved it. The kids devoured it, and my sis & I ate the leftovers for lunch daily and were pretty bummed when it was all gone. This recipe comes from Woman's Day's October issue and let me tell you...it's a keeper!

Here's What you need:
12 oz pasta (I used 1 lb)
4 cups broccoli florets
1 container creme fraiche (I couldn't find this in the store so I used sour cream as an alternative)
1/2 tsp hot sauce
2 and 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp gound ginger
Ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 7 minutes. Add broccoli and cook another 2 minutes or until pasta is tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a 2 qt saucepan over med heat, whisk the creme fraiche & hot sauce until simmering, about 2 minutes.
Add the Cheddar, garlic powder & ginger, then stir over low heat until just melted. Season with pepper.
Combine sauce with macaroni & broccoli, and serve. Add extra cheese if desired.

Changes.

So I know you were all anxiously awaiting my Friday Finds on Etsy post, but once again, life got in the way. I had one of those crazy weeks. Let me sum it all up for you.

Tuesday: Took Jonah to the doc because he hurt his finger over the weekend (on the other hand this time). And, you guessed it, he broke it. That makes 2 broken fingers in three months. Poor active kid. There was a few tense hours while we waited for the doc to call us back that afternoon because the xrays showed that the fracture was right along his growth plate. He wanted to have the head radiologist take a look to see if the plate was affected. If it was we would've had to go to the Orthopedic clinic on base and see what the course of action would be. Thankfully, the questionable area in the growth plate was from normal shifting for his age, and the fracture did not extend.

Thursday: I got a phone call from the hubby (he's still at school down in Georgia) and he informed me that the new assignments were doled out. We are being sent to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City. It is NOT the assignment we were expecting or hoping for. Quite the opposite, actually. We were figuring we'd head back overseas and we were really pulling for that...the hubby wanted Germany or Alaska (somewhere cold & snowy) and I was praying for Hawaii, Japan, Guam or another equally wonderful beach locale. We were both disappointed. So my Thursday evening was pretty much a wash at that point. I didn't even cook dinner...just piled the kids in the car and headed to Chik-fil-a.

Friday: Just before I was about to head out to do my routine payday errands running, I recieved a text from the hubby saying that we had to be in Oklahoma no later than mid-January. Knowing the date was so final for me. I mentally calculated how LITTLE time I have left here in South Carolina...a place that I DO. NOT. WANT. TO. LEAVE. I fielded calls/texts all day from friends saying they didn't want us to leave. Trust me, I don't want to go either. But what can you do? Then I tried to be positive and proactive and deal. But that night when the hubby got home for the weekend, I had a meltdown and cried like a baby.

Saturday & Sunday: The hubby & I spent quite a bit of time figuring out the logistics. The BAH rates are not close to what we're making here, and from the rental rates we saw of the size homes we would need it's going to be impossible for us NOT to live on base. Luckily we have friends stationed at Tinker (although they will be PCSing themselves just a month after we arrive) and she has been so helpful already with sending me phone numbers and giving me info. We also decided that we will be moving our family in December, while the boys are on break from school. It will make their transition so much easier. And while it's the last thing I want to do...spend Christmas on the road or in a hotel...I have to think of what's best and easiest for my sweet babies.

So my friends, my life is in a state of upheaval. Add all this stress to the normal October-through-December chaos (birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas), my continuing Etsy orders (thank the Lord!), the hubby still at FLETC until December 1st, and trying to figure out how my live-in sister will get back to Florida and you have a borderline basket case. So I apologize now for any big delays in posting like I had this week. It's just crazy right now.