Year End Teacher Gift...

Once again, I was looking on Pinterest for a year end gift for Noah's teacher..I got swallowed up by all the awesome cute ideas, but this wreath stood out to me! Its super cute, and super easy! I didn't photograph all the steps, but I am sure you will get the idea, and make it your own, in your own special way!

I bought the following "ingredients"....

-1  12" floral ring (pressed board, in the foam aisle at 

      Michaels, I paid $3.49)

-3  24 packs of Crayola Crayons ($1.25 a box at Dollarama, 

     right across from Michaels in North Vancouver) 

     I used 48 crayons to be exact...

-1   Measuring tape (Dollarama had a pack of 3 for $1.25, one white, one purple, one pink, the 

      white was the perfect width, the ones at Michaels were too wide)

-1   Little bottle of acrylic craft paint in whatever colour 

      you want your ring (usually $1 or so from Michaels or the Dollar Store)

-White Chalkboard pen (if you are making teacher name sign)

-Glue Gun

-Assorted mini wood shapes, I got them all from Michaels, ranging from $.89 - $1.69 for a set of the school shapes, and a mini plaque that I sprayed with chalkboard paint and wrote his teachers name with a chalkboard pen! 

My first step was painting the ring, with two coats of paint, as well as spraying my chalkboard sign, this way, everything was ready to go!

Glueing of the crayons was quite tricky. I highly recommend that you buy this floral ring, as it has holes punched in sequence around the ring. These holes were my starting points (sorry I don't have a picture).  I glued a crayon over each hole lining up the black ring on the crayon paper to the edge of the ring (you can see this in the picture). You can see in the first picture there is about a 1.5" gap between crayons, in this gap, I fit 2 crayons...does that make sense? This filled up the ring with equal (almost) distances between each crayon. This takes the most time, and if you are anal like me, you want them all the look perfect...once you start going it will make more sense, I hope!

Once the crayons were all on, I put on the bow and the loop for hanging. I cut the measuring tape in half, with one half, I made my bow, fixing it to my liking as I went along. Once it looked how I wanted it too, I hot glued it to what I wanted to be the "top" of my wreath. With the rest of the measuring tape, I made a loop and hot glued it to the "ring". 

The last step is hot glueing on all the adornments. I played around with where I wanted them before I hot glued them on.

Voila, that should be it! I would be more than happy to assist, if any of you, who live close to me need my help! Good luck!!

K

xo

ps....sorry the text doesn't line up...it was either that or I was going to throw my computer out the window!

Sexy Bitch

So, I am on a roll....three posts in three days..don't get used to it :-) I have been wanting to post about this for a while, so since I have a few minutes before I get ready to go to work, I wanted to share.....

A while back I visited a place I never thought I would go. A strange place, an intriguing place, an incredibly busy place! It was the hustle and bustle in the store, that even though it still felt odd being in, made it a bit easier because other girls were doing it too! Abantu, a place for everything HAIR! Wigs, bang clip ins, extensions, etc....a 20% off coupon made the decision a bit easier, as did the EXACT colour match to my actual hair! I chuckled when the girl scanned the Social Drop barcode on my iPhone, as it linked directly to my Facebook account, telling all my friends I had made a purchase at Abantu, and received 20% off! A great marketing scheme! What made me laugh even more, was the fact I paid by cash, and by cash I mean the money I had made at the Kids Only Swapmeet I had worked the weekend before, resulting in baggies of toonies and loonies, sprawled out all over the counter...hey, money is money, and I am a mom, right? I felt like a teenage girl who had done summer chores to buy my first two wheeler bicycle. Who wouldn't sell kids clothes and toys to buy extensions? I am sure glad I did!

I felt a little bit sexy again...after chopping my hair off months before, and really feeling like a "mom" I felt a bit more attractive...to myself anyway (insert your own comments here)...its funny how my inner sex appeal went from 5-500 in a matter of clips (clip in extensions). I imagined myself in a string bikini..IMAGINED being the key word, with my long golden locks, sunbathing in the tropics, fancy drink in hand, nannies watching my kids...ok, well, I know its just fake hair (not actually fake, its really amazing real human hair), but it seriously changes my mood! Too bad I am seriously chicken to wear them....not because I am embarrassed that I bought clip in hair, but because I am afraid the wind will catch it and expose the clips, or one of my kids will pull them out while in public...I was brave and wore them this Easter, in a pony tail, no one said anything to me? Either it looked really bad, and no one wanted to say anything, or???? All I know, is I liked how I looked, and felt about 5 years younger.

I recently visited my hairdresser for my regular hair appointment, while there, I asked her if she would layer and trim my extensions...pulling another "mom" I showed up with Toy Story zip lock bags, with labels on them so I know where to place them while clipping them in...I didn't have any others!

Truth is, we all have our own things that make us feel more beautiful, and mine just happens to be long hair...yes it was my choice to cut it, and it is growing back, quickly, but in the meantime, and I do plan to wear them this weekend to a fancy High Tea party..I will clip in my extensions for a bit more sex appeal (if I don't chicken out).

K

xo

Print-cess

My good friend Jessica Boffo of Kardz Kouture Stationery opened up an Etsy shop about a month ago http://www.etsy.com/shop/kardzkouture My walls have quickly filled up with her sweet and amazing prints! Here is what I have done with her "moon and back" print. I fell in love with this one, as this was something I would write to my husband back in high school! It was only fitting to put one on the wall nestled in and amongst photos of my beautiful children! 

Another one of my favourites is this one...

This one gives me a chuckle every time, as it rings so true, and she knows how I LOVE my prosecco! Check her out http://www.etsy.com/shop/kardzkouture Prints start at only $15.00!

K

xo

Spicy Peanut Tofu with Red Peppers and Spinach

I surprised myself by making a tofu dish at home...I am not really of fan of it. Spicy Agedashi tofu is one thing, covered in yummy goodness and fried, with that delectable sauce, but I have never really been a fan of actual tofu. However, after being to the doctor for potential Gallbladder issues...I thought I should think about eating a few more healthy things (mind you I don't think this is steamed veggie kinda healthy), but it does have red peppers and spinach....I got the recipe from my sister. Its very easy, and very delicious! I would recommend using chicken instead of tofu if you would prefer.

-Spicy Peanut Tofu with Red Peppers and Spinach-

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 tbsp hot chili garlic sauce (Siracha, or however you spell it)

1 package extra firm tofu (or 2 chicken breasts)

1 red pepper

6oz bag of spinach

In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, peanut butter, broth and hot chili garlic sauce, set aside.

Slice tofu into strips (or slice chicken in thin strips), slice pepper into thick strips. Lightly coat frying pan with oil over medium heat. When hot, add tofu (chicken) and peppers. Gently stirfry until tender. Stir in sauce and add spinach. Stirfry until spinach has wilted and the sauce is hot. Serve over rice, enjoy!

A Valentine, for me?

I saw this easy Valentines craft on Pinterest....yes, of course, Pinterest....I thought they would be really cute to hang on the kids bedroom door knobs, to collect Valentines from us, or other friends, family members, this is my rendition.

You will need.....

Paper Plates (I used red and pink from the dollar store)
Ribbon
Hole punch
Stapler
Paper doilies
Stickers (I used sticky foam hearts)
Glitter letters (if you want)
Paper hearts (I used a heart paper punch, and punched some really pretty paper)

Take two paper plates, cut one in half and flip it over. Staple the half piece to the round plate, so that it creates a pocket.

Punch holes all the way around, about half an inch apart.

Thread the ribbon through the holes, leaving enough at the top to make a loop for hanging.

I glued the doily in the centre, I thought it looked extra pretty, no biggie if you don't have or don't want doilies :-)

Now decorate, and hang in an obvious location!

K

am I really saying this....

Today, on the way home from Metro-hell, as my girlfriend would call it...(Metrotown) I listened to my kids yell and scream at each other....one wasn't listening to the others story, the other was singing too loud..I imagined what my shopping trips to the mall used to be like, before kids.....I know that some will say, because I have sometimes said it myself..."why the hell do you bring kids to the mall"...well, sometimes we have to get shit done...and the babysitters don't appear out your handbag when you need to run errands....I was hoping for a short trip, total joke, two hours later, I am home, and writing this blog entry.....

I really tried my best to imagine what it really was like shopping before kids...getting ready without kids, going anywhere without kids....the level of stress that I feel before I even step foot out the door is craziness, its like pulling hair out to get them out the door, and when you think you have one ready, the other has taken her jacket and shoes off, and wants to watch Mickey Mouse...FML...

I am not going to write about how much I love my kids, we ALL love our kids, to death, but today, in that instant, I really wanted to rewind, to a day when it wasn't such a dilemma to go out for dinner, to make impromptu plans with friends, go pee, or other things for that matter in the bathroom, without someone asking you what that was in your underwear...to wash your hands without having to wash someone else's at the same time...just, to pop out, for a minute....without taking 45 minutes to get out the door....

Yes, it was my choice to have kids, and I know you all have thoughts like this too, I just needed to write it out...like Fat Amy says....she is just saying what the skinny bitches will say behind her back! Thank F'ing god, for a cold beer when I got home....

Have a great night folks!

K

xo

LEGO

L- ovely
E- xciting
G- lorious
O- bsessive 

Noah received a slew of LEGO for his Birthday and Christmas...at one point I thought about how the heck he was going to complete and build all of it, and I dreaded him asking me to help him everyday.....until...something happened......I became obsessed.

I will admit that the other night, before he went to bed, I snuck a gift bag outside his door that housed a few LEGO sets....I was guilty...I was going to build his LEGO, without him....

I must say that putting together the vehicles, and men, with all the matching accessories is AMAZING! and totally relaxing...we just finished a police car and a construction truck...there were quite a few times he said "mom, let me help!"....I am already eyeing the ambulance!

Could this be my new relaxation and meditation technique?

K
xo