Be Mine

This is a little change of pace. I am going to talk about what I do best, I think.

I am crafty, and if I can glue it, cut it, embellish it, or cover it in glitter I will.

I made valentines for everyone this year, they look like the pic above - that is the one that my dad gets.

Anyways, I found the idea in one of those Parents magazines or whatever it is called. As per usual, it had directions, that I failed to follow through with. Next time I will add a photo of the magazine page so you can see what I was up against. I seriously don't know what my problem is with directions! But for now here is an instructional video should you ever decide to produce such cute valentines for yourself.

I will say, I started out with a fluffier, plushier type of pipe cleaners. Don't do that. They wind up looking like fat little blobs (which basically means they are given last- the recipients of the dud rings are the people you don't like as much "keepers of the ugly valentines" you know you have done that before. Don't judge.)

Just use regular skinny ol pipe cleaners for a more refined look, and that way all of your friends both good and crappy can get a cute valentine. So go get your bling on! You could be the cupid handing out the biggest rocks on the block. You are welcome!

Why I Can't Have Nice Things.

We are slowly yet surely getting settled into the house. I decided to conclude our nice weekend with a relaxing bath, you know, without baby monitor/dog bark/insert other usual noises here.

Our new bath tub is huge and it has jets, so that's pretty much awesome. I knew when we moved in every tub was scrubbed and cleaned by the cleaning ladies like a champ. But, just for good measure I would run a cleaning solution through one last time. Besides, I hadn't even figured out how to turn the jets on so this could be a good test run before I get my butt stuck in there and not figure out how to use the thing.

Sidenote- the people who owned this house before us were unbelievably huge, and their tub was no exception, I think I could fit 3-4 me size people in it comfortably.

So now the tub is full of hot water and cleaning solution and I cautiously (because I am still in pjs and a jacket) lean over to push the jet button. I am almost falling into the tub trying to reach the button on the side, I hear the jets start a low stream, and then I get a nervous little twitch because it looks like the water is shooting kind of high. Then BAM. A jet to the right of the tub shoots me, RIGHT IN THE FACE. I scramble trying not to fall into the tub yet swinging for the jet button before I get pelted with boiling hot water again. My pajamas, and jacket, along with my entire right side of my head are now soaked.

Of course I look around to see who saw this idiotic feat. Duh Stef, you are alone. So I laugh at myself for good measure. I re adjust the assaulting jets and finish the clean cycle. Drain.

Now it's time for the relaxing bath part right? RIGHT?

For Christmas I got some amazing bath fizzies from Lush in Canada. I pick this fizzy for tonight's relaxation. Let me also point out - My usual mantra is that life is too short for reading directions. Naturally bath products are no exception for me. I get the idea - bath salts and bath fizzies are pretty self explanatory, drop them in and let them work their magic. WRONG. Had I been smart (I mean maybe the blast of boiling hot cleaning solution to the face disoriented me momentarily) but had I been smart I would have read on the pretty little booklet Lush put into my box of fizzies that I need to add it AFTER THE WATER IS IN THE TUB. Not during the filling of the tub, but after. Oops. Too late to turn back now I am already in the tub. This tiny mishap coupled with turning the newly adjusted jets on resulted in more bubbles than I have ever had in any bath over the course of my entire life. So much so fast that bubbles literally crept up and jammed up half of my iPhone speakers(I had tunes on of course, well half way tunes now). As you can see in Image A - the slowly rising bubbles of doom:

I can't yell for help because Adeline is sleeping, so that would provide two scenarios for Brett's help. So I decide to try to dig a way through the bubbles to my phone so that I can send out an SOS text. I send "HELP. lol". And wait. And wait. I check the phone thinking well I guess I can try to call him but the speakers are jammed up. I then realize that the cry for help text was accidentally sent as a group text, to half of my family. Dammit. Seriously, what did I put in that cleaning solution?! I actually take a few pictures just to document the event should the bubbles actually eat me alive. I mean, the phone is already jacked up so what will a few more bubbles do? Image B: depicts a frightened bath taker, aka me:

Maybe 20 or so minutes later Brett decides to put his beloved book down and come check on me. Which really just consisted of walking in, saying "Holy shit where are you?!" and laughing.

My bathtub is a force to be reckoned with.

Moral of the story kids - when in doubt, read the directions!

PART 3- Holy Crap Adeline is a Model

PART 3- Holy Crap Adeline's summer modeling gig landed her in an ad.

Sometime last spring-ish I saw that 11Alive was hosting a cutest baby photo contest. Naturally, I sent in Ms. Baby's picture. This started a whole new adventure for us. She wound up getting picked to go to a modeling open call, which led to other auditions and open calls. Which led to two paid photoshoots. So, this was in July and I asked the lady when would we know if she was picked for the packaging and she said "we have so many new products coming out we can't say, but this should be out sometime in January, so if she is on the shelf at Babies R Us then you will know." Um, ok cool.

So of course I kept browsing online at Babies R Us to see that happy little face. I started looking a little early just in case, to no avail. Then January was here and I gave another look see, AND I SAW MY KID. HEY EVERYBODY! THAT IS MY KID! And by everybody I mean my dad because he was the only one in the room at the time. But still THAT IS MY KID! AHHHHH. When you follow this link to Babies R Us to see her cuteness do not be fooled, she is only in one picture, lying on her tummy. She is NOT in the breastfeeding picture. Thank baby jesus they didn't ask us to do that photoshoot. "Ok, so we are going to give your baby to this half naked stranger so she can pretend to be breastfeeding." I think I just threw up in my mouth a little just typing that. Sorry! But really, how in the heck did they pull that photoshoot off?

The next day my friend Amanda and I took Adeline to Babies R Us to pick up this pillow (which I already had like 3 of in a different brand, and she is totally too big for anyways) but I couldn't resist. We also got her some new clothes for being such an awesome little model. The lady at checkout couldn't believe she was the kid on the box. Naturally Adeline stuck around to sign autographs. What a ham. **

Weeks since I have checked the other new products from her 2nd photoshoot, and so far I am fairly certain they did not use Adeline on the packaging. Their loss! Hey, at least she got paid regardless. I am glad that her savings account is growing and she has stuff to show for it. If she had done one more paid photoshoot though she would have had to pay taxes on the income. I wish I were kidding! Way to be IRS! (I wish 99% of my posts didn't mention what shit our government can be.)

**Obviously the autograph thing was a joke, she is 1, she can't write. Duh