Be Still, My Soul

When you're taking little children to church, it's safe to assume you won't always get much out of the meetings...if you're even IN the meetings at all. {I spend half my time in the halls and/or in the nursery with Mason.} So I always go to church with the prayer in my heart that I'll get one thing out of it. That one thing will speak out to me, as if to say "This is what you came here to hear today." And more often than not, I do take that one bit of inspiration home with me. {Perhaps because it's easier to find something if you're specifically looking for it...} Today it was a hymn, Be Still, My Soul. I am a confessed worrier. Not about everything. Not about most things, in fact. Just about the future. My path in life. Where I'm headed. If I'm where I'm supposed to be, heading in the right direction. So this song, especially the second verse, was really what I needed to hear:

Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as he has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

I am such a believer in the fact that God will "speak" to you in lots of different ways. And if you're listening, you'll hear Him.

{Read all the lyrics here.}
{Buy the photo here.}

If I Only Had a Craft Attic

Martha transformed her attic into a craft attic. {Of course she did.} Think of all the projects I could dream up {and never do} if I had this space! All the space and materials for projects I could start {and would never finish}. I have to admit, I'm jealous. Read all about it here.

The Worst of It: Reserved For Mama

Maya reserves her worst behavior for me. Exhibit A - as you see in the photograph, she likes to throw tantrums in my lap. {You can see how seasoned I am at ignoring tantrums, can't you?} At home, when I attempt to put her in her room to throw her tantrums, {even more violent} hysterics ensue. If a tantrum is going to be thrown, apparently I have to be in the vicinity to witness and enjoy all of the work that gets put into these things.


Exhibit B. This morning I was brushing my teeth while Chris was getting Maya ready for church. He started to brush her hair. The. Worst. Task. EVER. Most days she starts screaming OW OW OW before I even get the brush near her head. So I started to warn Chris about the specific way this task had to be done to minimize hysterics when I realized...I have a toothbrush in my mouth...he can't understand me. So he brushed her hair. In a normal way. Not gingerly. Not gently. Not with the extra-special care that I take. Maya winced a time or two but never made a peep. Never complained. Didn't cry. Just stood their calmly as he brushed her hair.

Hmm. After I finished up with the teeth-brushing I told her that I had found out a secret about her - that she could actually get her hair brushed without drama going down. To which she replied "I have to fuss when you brush my hair, but I'll never fuss when Daddy brushes my hair." Are you kidding me, child? Why, why is it that Mama gets the worst of it? Is that just the way it goes?

As for a small victory, Chris might be able to get the hair brushing done without fussing, but he did take Maya to church with her dress on inside out. So perhaps they DO still need me around here. For some things.

Have Patience, Have Patience - Don't Be In Such A Hurry

"Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable."

~ Neal A. Maxwell

{Buy this photo here.}
{From the title - listen to the Patience song and/or buy the excellent CD here.}

I Want My Mummy

Something else for that Halloween buffet...

Yummy Mummy Dogs

Ingredients:

Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
bun length hot dogs
mustard

Instructions:

For each Mummy Dog, cut one dinner roll in half. Roll each half into a 22-24-inch rope. Wrap one rope around hot dog from bottom up 4 1/2 inches. Cut a 1 1/2 inch piece off of the second rope and set aside. Wrap the second rope around the hot dog from the bottom up 4 1/2 inches going the opposite way. Wrap the 1 1/2 inch piece around the top of the hot dog. Place Mummy Dogs on a sprayed baking sheet and bake at 350°F 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, cool slightly and add mustard eyes. Serve warm with ketchup and mustard.

Loving The Fool

"I must learn to love the fool in me---the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my fool."

~Theodore I. Rubin, MD

"I'm Not Superstitious. I Am A Little Stitious."

- Michael Scott

How awesome was the season premiere of The Office? I absolutely loved it.

A Little Something For The Playroom Walls

How cute would these vintage-style letterpress posters be hanging in the playroom? They're too cute for words.

Hopscotch Poster - $19/unframed, $69/framed

Double Dutch Poster - $19/unframed, $69/framed

Rock Paper Scissors Poster - $19/unframed, $69/framed

Simon Says Poster - $19/unframed, $69/framed

Well, Blow Me Down!

Maya had the best time with Uncle Adam and the birthday blower contraption he made to amuse her! That is one fun Uncle!

What You See In The Mirror

This is a clever and cute idea. Mirror-image tees and accessories that speak to you when you look in the mirror. Since so many of us {all of us?} are working on ourselves in one way or another, I liked the "No Excuses" items.

Other available phrases include: "Breathe", "Respect Yourself", "Never Settle", "Trust Yourself", "Love Yourself" and "Focus". FUN and cute items! Check them out at Mirror Me Teez.

Shampoo Snob

Chris likes to pretend he's a dude's dude, what with his football watching, car tinkering, power tools hoarding ways. But he showed his true colors last night when he came home from his business trip complaining that he couldn't wash his hair the entire time he was gone because he forgot his shampoo. Ummm. Last time I checked, most hotels provide shampoo for their guests, right? "I'd rather NOT wash my hair than wash it with piece-of-crap-shampoo." Oh really? You do realize that you're a dude right? A man? A GUY?! Since when do guys care that passionately about shampoo? My Chris. He's one of a kind. It's Rosemary Mint or nothing at all!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Rats

How fantastically disgusting are these? Chocolate dipped strawberries transformed into RATS! They're the perfect creepy treat for a Halloween buffet.

8 large strawberries, stems removed
Sliced almonds
1 container (7 ounces) dipping chocolate
1/2 cup black decorating sugar
Yellow and brown candy-coated chocolate-covered sunflower seeds
Slivered almonds
Black licorice laces

• Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Trim a small piece from one side of each strawberry so they can rest horizontally on wax paper. Insert 2 sliced almonds -- about 1 inch from pointed end of strawberry and about 1 inch apart -- to make the ears of the rat.


• Follow heating directions for dipping chocolate. Insert a fork into the large end of a strawberry. Holding strawberry on fork over container of dipping chocolate, spoon chocolate over strawberry to coat. Allow excess chocolate to drip off, tapping fork lightly.


• Sprinkle with black sugar to coat and transfer strawberry to prepared cookie sheet.


• Add yellow candies for the eyes, slivered almonds for the teeth, and brown candies for the nose.


• Repeat with the remaining 7 strawberries. Refrigerate rats until ready to serve.


• Make a hole with a toothpick in back side of a chocolate-covered strawberry and insert one end of a 4-inch piece of black licorice for the tail. Repeat with the remaining 7 strawberries.

The Jane Austen Book Club MOVIE!

This book has been in my "stack" for ages. {I get unstoppable impulses to buy buy BUY books that sit sit sit in my stack forevermore and only eventually get read.} But it just got bumped up in the queue, because the movie is "Coming Soon" to my city. {You lucky NY and LA ducks can see it now.} Looks like a great cast! I'm SO there!

This Kid: Aging Me 10 Years {One Day at a Time}

Mason takes his rough and tumble image seriously. He sports his shiners with pride. He wears pirate gear and/or football jerseys almost exclusively. Bruises are ever-present badges of honor. He's always climbing, falling, climbing some more. He's not done until everything has been scaled, dumped out, turned over and/or fallen off of. He's a wild and crazy kid.

Today he was sitting playing nicely in a laundry basket {so much for the tough guy image!} when he tipped himself over backwards and banged his head against the TV stand. Against the pokey-outey hinge of the TV stand, more specifically. As soon as he started to tip, I was on my way over to him. He's a tough kid - I don't baby him over every bump - but I knew...just KNEW this was going to be a bad one. And it was. Blood was pouring out of his head. I remembered my Mama telling me that head wounds bleed profusely, so I didn't freak out immediately. I stuck him in the bath and tried to rinse away the blood so that I could see how bad it really was, but the blood just kept coming and coming. I placed a call to my lovely friend/neighbor Steph who is a nurse, who reminded me to apply pressure (duh!). Once I did that, the bleeding stopped pretty quickly and I could see the tiny, tiny little wound. Not even a centimeter long. TINY! And all that blood. Mercy!

Mason was pretty much over the drama before it got started. That's just how he is. A yelp or two and then back to the business of playing (splashing, in this case, in bright red bath water). Mamas don't recover that easily! I stood there shaking, watching him for several minutes. I can't stand blood. If I cut myself, I can't even look at it. I can't watch hospital shows or bloody movies. It makes me woozy. The fact that I stayed on my feet while that much blood was coming out of MY CHILD is a miracle. The things Mamas can do when Mamas have no choice but to do them! We're stronger than we think we are. But still...I feel like I aged 10 years in those few minutes. I will certainly be old before my time, raising that wild and crazy boy!

Craft Project Even I Could Do

How cute are these ribbons o' flowers? Looks simple enough for even me...a little ribbon, a few flowers and a hot glue gun. They'd make cute party decorations, too.

How To Make Someone's Day

I loved this article on how to make someones day. Isn't it funny how the smallest things {a smile, a compliment} can totally make your day? {In the same way that an inconsiderate driver or a snide remark can totally ruin your day!} And making someone elses day brighter has the fabulous side effect of brightening your own! Here are some of my favorite suggestions from the article:

• Compliment random strangers. Be specific and the compliments will really hit home. “That’s a great dress on you, the green brings out your eyes,” makes a woman stand taller and exude an inner joy. Or, “I love your glasses/scarf/earrings.” Do this once a day for a month and you’ll find it becomes an addictive and happily unbreakable habit.
  
• Surprise service people with a treat. On a whim, I hit the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru on my way to pick up my car after some minor engine work. When I gave the mechanic the box of doughnuts, he turned bright pink in pleased shock that a customer would think of his crew. It cost only $6, but it made their entire morning. Bring a dozen bagels with a tub of flavored cream cheese ($9–$14) for the staff at the pediatrician’s office or the hair salon. An unintended side benefit is that you’re treated like a priority customer in the future.
  
• Let that car in. We’ve all been stuck at a busy light when no one would let us pull out of the corner gas station, so do the opposite. You’ll recognize the surprised look of relief on the driver’s face—and who doesn’t love that polite thank-you wave? It’s the antidote to road rage.

Check out the entire article for lots of fun ideas...or add your own to the comments!

{Taking Maya to the park for some upside down time on the slide is all it takes to make her day!}

True Love

{Have I mentioned my son loves his blankie?}

Changing With The Times

Two posts about Wal Mart in one week? Wowzers. Well, this isn't so much about Wal Mart as it is about changing with the times. I got an insightful comment on my post about Wal Mart's new marketing slogan. Cammie, a favorite college friend {and fellow PR/Marketing girl!} said:

"Being from a small town I have a totally different view about 'ol Sam Walton and his evil empire. Wal Mart does provide low prices to people, and I'm all for saving money, but at what cost? When Wal Mart came to Price Utah (population maybe 8000) it devastated the small business market. A market that sustains small towns. There are virtually no family run businesses left, because of the low prices. You can't blame people for finding the best deal. It's just sad to see the old time businesses have to close down, and the empty buildings don't make the town very attractive. So that's my opinion. "

Great point. Valid point, for sure. I've thought a lot about this aspect of it. The conclusion that I came to was that Wal Mart is the scapegoat for what is a changing economy. Local-owned bookstores weren't driven out of business by Wal Mart. They were driven out of business by Barnes & Noble at first, then by Amazon. Locally owned antique shops didn't have to shut their doors because of Wal Mart. Ebay is what took a bite out of their business. Because we have the internet, we don't do business like we used to. We don't have to {get to?} scour the shelves of used bookstores looking for that coveted first edition. We just click right on over to Google, find it in an instant at the best price out there and have it delivered right to our door. Rare antiques that people might have searched for for years in the past can be found at the click of a button. It's amazing. {And kind of sad. Isn't the hunt at least part - if not most - of the fun?!}

My point is, the world operates differently than it did in the not-so-distant past. That's not to say that small-towns should then just die off. Far from it. I love love love small towns! {And we've got lots of 'em in Texas. Some dead and dying...some flourishing!} But instead of Main Street USA housing a small market and hardware store, let it house the little extras that we don't go to Wal Mart for. Like a homemade candy shop. And ice cream shop. Art galleries. Fashion boutiques. Children's specialty shops. Hair salons. A florist. Paint-your-own pottery studios. Bakeries. You get the idea.

One of my favorite small Texas towns is Grapevine, TX {pictured above}. My brother is lucky enough to live in this adorable town between Dallas and Ft. Worth. They have a Wal Mart. A Costco. A chain grocery store. {The best outlet mall EVER, but that deserves its own post!} And the cutest Main Street you've ever seen. I'm sure these old building were boarded up at some point. But downtown Grapevine has been revitalized and it's awesome! And they've obviously worked hard to make it that way. They host great events in downtown Grapevine. It's full of amazing shops and galleries. It's a wonderful place and so full of life! It's how all small towns should be.

My point {boy, it's taking a long time to get here...} is that there's room in this world for supercenters and small towns. Sure, I love bargains, but I also love browsing cute little shops and galleries for the perfect gift. I could pick up a candy bar while I'm at Wal Mart, but I'd sure as heck rather stop by the local bakery and have a gorgeous cupcake. The bottom line is, the world has changed, is changing, and will continue to change. In order to keep up, we have to be willing to change with it. But it doesn't have to be out with the old and in with the new. Let's keep some of the old around. The old ain't bad at all.

How Spook-tacular Is This Front Porch?

{Click the image to take a closer look.}

Those faux ravens are giving me the creeps! Click here for a slideshow of fantastic Halloween ideas from Good Housekeeping.

Something Cool For Under $10 Bucks!

For just $9 you can upload a sample of your handwriting to Fontifier...and they'll use it to create a custom font! That's right...a font of YOUR handwriting! How cool is that?

My Entire Life Is Being Blogged

I adore CafePress. You can create your own tees {and tons of other fun products} or shop their awesome {and hilarious} selection. Today I opted to create my own. These are for the kiddies.

What a Zoo!

The Portland Zoo was awesome! We were very impressed. Unfortunately {for Chris}, I ditched him to go shopping and left him there with the kids. So, he had his hands full keeping up with the two to them. Thus...we don't have many photos to prove that we went there. But, here are a few of the highlights.

Bear hug!
Nice, Maya!
Check out Mr. Penguin!

Mase caught a snoozer in the stroller.

All Aboard!

Who doesn't love a ride on the Daddy Train?{At the awesome Portland Zoo.}

Related?

Cottams love to pull faces. These pictures of Maya & Aunt Megan were captured on separate cameras at different times and in different places. Yet they're remarkably similar...

Halloween Fun

The Halloween Section of Kraft Foods is awesome, as always. Do check it out for lots of fun stuff. Some of my favorites:

Eyeball Cupcakes

Ghosts in the Graveyard

Scary Pudding Cups

{PS -Kraft Foods website/magazine is one of my all-time favorite marketing strategies, since I'm on the subject. It's totally genius!}

It's The Marketing Girl In Me

I'm not the most political girl in the world. I believe I've admitted that before. And it's not like a top secret confession. We're all into different stuff - it's okay. For instance, marketing and advertising really interests me. I was a PR/Marketing/Advertising major in college. I worked in marketing for a few years before I became a Mama. So I always find commercials, print ads and marketing concepts a little more interesting than maybe most people would.

For instance, I noticed the other day that Wal Mart has a new slogan: Save Money. Live Better. I love it. That's exactly what I would have gone with if I had been pitching a slogan to Wal Mart. As I said, I'm not a political girl. Perhaps I should be more informed. Chris' brother loves to bend my ear about how evil Wal Mart is. I'm not a loyal Wal Mart shopper. {You might not know this about me: I'm a loyal TARGET shopper!} But I do shop there sometimes. They have the cheapest contact solution and other cosmetic-type stuff. They have a McDonald's inside most of them. {And that's a whole other subject. "Haven't you seen Supersize Me?". No! And I'm not going to. I don't eat there every day. It's okay from time to time. Moderation in all things, people!} Anyway, what I'll say on Wal Mart's behalf is that they have great prices. They save people money. That's the bottom line for me. {Feel free to go nuts in the comments if you must!} So, to Wal Mart: I love your new slogan. I think it's perfect!

Then the other day, I got a mailer from Peter Pan Peanut Butter announcing to me that...they're back on store shelves. See, I had some of the tainted peanut butter. {It actually wasn't Peter Pan brand - in fact, it was Wal Mart's store brand!} I sent the lid back and got my little refund check. {Which I never did cash. I should really go to the bank more often.} I wasn't up in arms about the whole thing. I know they never intended to poison anyone. In fact, we had eaten almost the whole jar when the recall was made and never had as much as a sick tummy. {That's what happens when you're raised on my cooking - cast iron stomach!} But I'm sure there were many indignant parents out there...who will boycott Peter Pan for life. I'm not one of them. They sent me a coupon for a free jar of peanut butter, and I'll sure as heck use it! After that, it'll be back to buying whatever is on sale! At any rate, it was interesting to see what Peter Pan is doing to try to create some goodwill for their brand name. Sending out free coupons. Instituting the Peter Pan Pledge {they'll give you your money back if you're not satisfied}. Reminding you of the good times YOU had eating Peter Pan growing up.

It's not an easy world out there for the marketing/advertising/PR people. Most consumers aren't as laid back as I am. The American public is incredibly informed {and misinformed}. So...for me at least...it's interesting to see what messages they're bringing to us, the consumers.

{And this was probably interesting only to ME and maybe Holly. Sorry to the rest of you who just sat through that!} :)

Flashing Yellow Lights

Here's Mia's blog banner! I decided on something custom to match her blog background. Her blog, Flashing Yellow Lights is good fun...do check it out!

Shout out to Shabby Princess. Click on the downloads for tons of fun {and FREE} digital scrapbook collections. That's where I got my background...and where Mia got hers! {In fact, ours are from the same collection. Great minds think alike!} :) I'm thinking this week's banner will be created from a choose-your-own Shabby Princess scrappy collection...check back at the end of the week.

What A Wonderful Kind of Day!

Arthur is one of Maya's great loves! So when we found out that the Portland Children's Museum was hosting the traveling Arthur exhibit, we were SO there! And it was the cutest exhibit - the kids just loved it. {In fact, the entire museum rocked. If you ever get the chance to check it out, go for it! It's one of the best I've been to!}

Maya waited at the bus stop with Arthur.

Hung out with Muffy...

And Francine!

Maya & Mason went to town in Arthur's kitchen.

Mase looks like one of the gang!
Maya and her favorite character - D.W.!
Boy, do these 2 have a lot in common! :)
There were so many cool parts of the exhibit, but our favorite was the green-screen. You could stand up there and boogie and you were projected up into the TV show. Very cool!
Hey, Maya! Whatcha doing up there?

You could visit Arthur's school, the Elwood City Library and even drop in on Arthur's camp out. It's a traveling exhibit, so watch for it in your area. Your little Arthur fan will LOVE it!