Valentine's Day Recap and Ideas

My husband and I have a different take on Valentine's Day. We trade off who is in charge each year. Not entirely sure how it started. Probably in my more feminist college days with a "I don't need a man to get me chocolate and flowers." I rather enjoy it though because I get a surprise one year and the next yearvthe anticipation of a giving without any worry of disappointment. It eliminates the feeling when you go all out for someone's gift and they don't do anything to reciprocate. Or when someone goes all out for you and you feel bad because you didn't do much for them. I'm sure you've been there. It must be fairly universal because there is a really funny Big Bang Theory about it involving the appropriate size of gift basket.


Anyways, this was my year to be in charge. I'm going to post what I did so 1) we can remember whose turn it is next year and 2) so you can steal the ideas because most of it came from various internet inspiration. They are fun for non valentine's day occasions too. Share the love.

Idea #1
I used blue painters tape to mark a path to the first gift, the new trash can. Trashcans are so romantic I know (there is a bit of an inside joke about it so it really is more fun than it seems). Then it had clues leading to other areas of the house that either had another small present or some service done. After I made a nice steak dinner so we could play with the baked potato grill rack I gave him. I have concluded that following a bright blue line from the door makes everything more fun.

Idea #2
Two years ago I made John a giant valentine. You bring in a sheet of paper or a file to Kinkos (now fedex) and they will enlarge it to this size for $5. Only if it is black and white though. Otherwise it is $5/sqft. I made one this year for my sister that said "I love you more than 8 1/2 by 11." The smaller you can fold it, the more fun it is to open. I've found folding it like a map works better than trying to fold it in half several times. John still has his hanging up in the command center.

Idea #3

Michael's had 12 mini cards and envelopes on sale for $1 so I wrote down something I loved about my sister in each one and decorated her stairwell.

Idea #4

I made a bunch of origami hearts with my activity day girls that you can write a message in. It works perfect with 12x12 scrapbook paper cut in half. And with a dollar bill. Instructions here.


Idea #5

Ok I have an obsession with paper. Especially practical origami. I think it comes from a subconscious wish to be Asian. My current obsession is with origami boxes. These are significantly more difficult than the hearts. I only have a picture of one that didn't turn out pretty enough to give away. Scrapbook paper is the perfect size and weight for these boxes. Striped paper looks really good if you are anal about the folding. I made a bunch of these and filled them with Reese's hearts. A card and mylar balloon made them perfect for my single gals who pretty much hate February. Since I can't seem to stop making them, I filled them with my homemade girl scout cookies for my visiting teaching ladies this month (you know I will be blogging about the wonder that is a homemade girl scout cookie, but that is for later). Here is the youtube video on how to make them. I watched it waaaay too many times. Plan on throwing away the first one you make.

Idea #6

On off years, I still like to do a little something for John. Last year I made the plum oven puffed pancake for breakfast that officially changed our lives. It was in my fav magazine of all time and you can find the recipe here. The page before it on the link shows the recipe flow chart that they have in every issue. I'm working my way through all of them since being a SAHM has increased my interest in cooking.


Idea #7

I told John that I wanted a little love note this year, even though it was my year. I said it didn't need to be big, just a post it somewhere fun. What he did would have been big enough for his turn. I found love notes hidden all over the house.

My favorite was how he set up the mirror in my bathroom.

Idea #8

My buddy Brian needed a little pick me up so we letter bombed him. When my aunt first told me she wanted to letter bomb her missionary, I thought she was talking about a felony. It is actually when you have a bunch of people write a letter (or in Brian's case, a list of what you love about him) and mail them all on the same day. The result is a mailbox full of happiness. My sister did a variation of it for me last Vday and it made me cry. We had fun out of printer paper so I printed all the letters for Brian on the misfits from an alphabet project I had. Unfortunately, I have come to find out my recycling gave the appearance of secret message. Oops. A fun twist though. Maybe a fun way to ask to a dance? There are lots of possibilities. Even just mailing a note to your spouse could be $0.44 of fun.



That's all for now. If you need a little pick me up, try one of them out this week!

New Student

This awesome onesie was a baby shower gift from my Poston friends.

 

But since all my bows and flowers are pink, J looks like a very sweet little boy.

2 month flag on Babies vs Zombies: Survival Mode on Endless

So I forgot to post that Erin and Lauren correctly guessed baby J's bday!  The only problem is that I can't decide what the prize should be. So readers, give me some inspiration.What would be something fun I can make for their prizes? Who knows, your idea might make it into a future giveaway that you could win! Of course Erin and Lauren, you are welcome to add a suggestion as well :)

And for all those who have kids and the numbers actually have context, here are her 2 month stats:

Weight: 10lbs 4 oz
Head: 15.25in
Height (or length rather): 23in

Pretty much average all the way around, but a little lighter than norm. Although the doc assured me she is brilliant despite average head circumference :)


But I'm pretty sure she can get by just on these looks.

Then again, maybe she should still work hard in school...

Bathroom redo

What's that you say? This was on the to do list for summer 2010? Why yes, you are correct! And much progress was achieved despite gallivanting across the country and growing a fetus. I like to say it was a project that was "evolving." Because I would never start a project and not work on it for 6 months. No list of projects like that exist in this house.

Let's just focus on the finished for a moment, shall we?

Now if you are way too cheap, afraid of commitment, lazy, or afraid of the curse that accompanies wallpaper, then I have an excellent idea for you. One that gives you free rein to buy the 300 piece Sharpie set at Costco you've been lusting over since you were about 13 and walk past every time you accompany a friend to the massive retailer, since you don't actually have a membership because you would spend waaaaay too much money an waaaay too big of quantities of things you have waaaaaay too little freezer space for. Or you can just make do with the black sharpie that faithfully labels your canned goods, because you honestly don't need 300 sharpies in every color of the rainbow. Just continue to promise yourself that you will one day indulge in the prismatic brain cell killing aroma once you write the next best selling young adult novel.

Then take your ruler and mark 1in sections on the top of the wall and the bottom.

Delight in the joy that comes with writing on the wall with a permanent marker as you connect the marks. Stop psychoanalyzing why you have no problem with the staying power of permanent marker and paint yet wallpaper and tile terrify you.

Hang the shower curtain you bought last April, in Denver of all places, that inspired the vision.

Paint one wall with the $1 can of oops paint you told yourself you'd find a use for, as you considered buying stock in Home Depot to help support your oops paint buying habit.

Ponder why apothecary jars make absolutely everything look better.

Take a 6 month break.

Buy a clock for the bathroom to keep baby-induced tardiness to an hour or less. Realize that reading a clock in a reflection hurts a sleep-deprived head. Try to order a counterclockwise clock and then google how to make one yourself. Watch a Youtube video as you take apart the clock and use GIMP to make a new clock face during baby's growth spurt inspired narcolepsy.

 

Then hang some positive affirmations that read in the mirror, because everyone needs some love when looking in a mirror. And something to mess with their head when doing their business.

In the mirror

looking at it dead on

Then blog about it.

Def: Giggle

gig·gle  (ggl)

v. gig·gled, gig·gling, gig·gles

v.intr.

1.To laugh with repeated short, spasmodic sounds.

2. A sound that daddies do not think exist unless reproduced upon command

3. A noise which invokes hours of funny faces, idiotic voice inflections, and games of peek-a-boo to try and reproduce, which may end in utter failure

4. the type of laugh that banishes to oblivion the day before when you felt your life was currently meaningless because it was just an endless cycle of feeding, rocking, occasionally sleeping, without any progression or benefit to mankind since you weren't working towards any type of goal because you haven't bothered to make any since the lack of progress would just depress you more because you don't have the energy to progress and if you did find some energy, you'd just get interrupted by the endless cycle of feeding, rocking, and occasionally sleeping.

But giggles make it all better.

Happy Valentine's Day

Although it is a little late

Def: Rainbow

rain·bow  (rnb)

n.

1.a. An arc of spectral colors, usually identified as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, that appears in the sky opposite the sun as a result of the refractive dispersion of sunlight in drops of rain or mist.

b. A similar arc or band, as one produced by a prism or by iridescence.

c. A graded display of colors.

2. An illusory hope: chasing the rainbow of overnight success.

3. A diverse assortment or collection.

4. a term encompassing all the colors a child's poo can come in.

Johnmas Day

I have this awesome friend named Sara that just happened to marry my brother. I suppose I should clarify that I didn't actually know her before she started dating my brother. Because my sister Elena did just happen to marry my friend. A fact that I am proud of and will mention to everyone I know, probably until I die. Because match making is sorta awesome. But Sara,while we weren't original friends, I knew we would be friends as soon as she walked into my parents' house wearing a lime green peacoat.

I'm still trying to find a lime green peacoat. Orange and green are the only colors I'm missing.

But this post isn't about my obsession with coats that living in Mesa has made defunct. This is an overly long introduction to Johnmas Day. See Sara is exceptional at sending out birthday cards. Before birthdays have come and gone. I know, who does that? Well the Husband's bday happens to be the day after Christmas. One year Sara wrote him the funniest card asking how he was going to celebrate Johnmas Day and if we were going to don traditional Johnmas Day clothes and decorate the Johnmas Day tree and whatnot.

And thus Johnmas Day was born.

Now each year we decorate the Johnmas Day tree after Christmas.. It looks much like a Christmas tree, except for instead of the angel, the tree puts on the Johnmas Day Cap.

This cap is very similar to the turret from a previous Christmas's castle made of white elephant presents. However, it is most certainly a Johnmas Day decoration, even if it is residing on a globe in the living room.

My fantastic mother-in-law has joined in the Johnmas Day spirit and just delivered the most wonderful tree skirt of her own creation.

Christmas on top

Johnmas Day on the bottom

Happy Johnmas Day to all and to all a goodnight!

Def: seven

sev·en

 /ˈsɛvən/ Show Spelled[sev-uhn]

–noun

1. a cardinal number, 6 plus 1.

2. a symbol for this number, as 7 or VII.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a playing card with seven pips.

5. sevens, ( used with a singular verb ) fan-tan ( def. 1 ) . 

 

6. the amount of consecutive hrs of sleep I need to feel like a human being 

7. how long J has slept most nights this week due to a growth spurt. The growth spurt has ended as well as the lovely sleep so I now feel it safe to post this without jixing it.

Definitions

Parenting changes your definitions of words. Case in point.

boob¹ Slang

n

1. an ignorant or foolish person; booby

2. Brit an embarrassing mistake; blunder

3. a female breast

4.  a unit of measure

"She can't still be hungry, she just had two boobs!"

Nightstand Makeover

One ugly nightstand/tv holder thing I didn't need at the time but still purchased at half price goodwill day for $7 because I really like ugly things.

One quart of white paint

One knob from Anthropologie for $3

 One trusty sidekick who likes to get paint on her whiskers

And you get the perfect little table for the nursery.


















Soon I'll have the finishing touches done on the nursery and I'll post pictures.  My goal is to have it finished before she is 6 months :)