Pumpkin Playdough (late post)

I found a recipe on pumpkin playdough and since it turned out well, I thought I'd share it. I don't know why I didn't think to do this earlier in the month, but now I have it for next year!

This was a great seasonal toy for my toddler to play with as well as a way to get accustomed to the gooey texture. He's not a big fan of gooey-ness.

Still no gooey-ness for him!

Ingredients: 
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
Food coloring (I used close to what the website suggested)

First, combine the dry ingredients in a nonstick saucepan. Add the oil, water, and food coloring and whisk until smooth. Stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, cook the mixture over medium heat until it forms a ball, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a counter, let it cool slightly, then knead the dough until it has a smooth texture, about 1 minute. The dough will keep up to a week in a ziplock bag.

These directions are from the site I used verbatim, see here.

Tasty Tuesday - Choco Crescent Rolls

I had a taste for some chocolate and was wondering what I could else do with dinner rolls. We're sure to be eating some crescent rolls on the side with all the other Thanksgiving deliciousness! I can't wait! Unfortunately, I didn't measure anything and did this all to 'taste'. Next time, I think I'd like to add some glazed strawberries!

Ingredients used:
1 small can of crescent rolls
Baker's Bar semi-sweet chocolate - 2 rectangles
Cream cheese - 2 oz.
Milk - maybe 1/3 cup
Powdered sugar - to garnish

Yes, they were delicious! If you try these, just add and taste and make sure the chocolate is the consistency of like a thick syrup.

Enjoy!

Thankfulness Is A Developed Discipline."

We have so many things to be thankful for, but hearing a certain church sermon last weekend really put things into perspective. He said that "Thankfulness is a discipline to be developed." I thought "Wowwwww!" (in Flava Flav's voice)
He said we all come in (born) selfish, therefore its natural to be selfish and it takes practice and discipline to be 'thankful.' Selfish, obviously means wanting things that make us happy or that make us feel good/better. I thought, "Well, yeah....duh." As babies, we need to be taken care of. My 10-month old has a really hard time sharing and you'd think my 22-month old would have a harder time! Well....okay sometimes he does, but my youngest REALLY thinks everything is all his, our attention and all the toys! I mean literally, he doesn't want any toy except for the one in my oldest's hand. There are times when we need to be selfish but we can't forget to be thankful.




Our Thanks Changes Burdens Into Blessings

Anyway, he basically said that when we face adversity, we have to remember to be thankful for what we are learning from it. When we are thankful and profess it, our gift will come...but the gift comes after being thankful. How many times have you complained and said, "Ugh. Why me?" I know I have and the problem always resurfaces. Its hard to be thankful when we're feeling like crap and throwing pity parties. And I can be a GREAT party thrower. Its also funny when someone who doesn't know you or your problems says a message that seems to be talking directly to you. I love when that happens and I for one don't run from it!

Since our thanks changes our burdens into blessings, I plan to make a conscious effort in remembering this when my hard times and/or ill feelings creep into my mind. After all, life is about HOW we deal with what happens. Now, I have to remind myself of this around Christmas time, when dealing with family dramas.

I guess you could say this is gonna be apart of my New Year's resolution.

Becoming A Curly Girl

Lorraine Massey's behind the DevaCurl products!

Maybe its because I get bored quickly or maybe its because I've had one too many hair fails lately.......or just that until my hair gets bra strap length, BSL, I need to be able to do something that takes less time effort; either way I've decided to use the CG method - curly girl method more often.

From my understanding, the 'curly girl' method is where you use mainly conditioner to style your hair as well as a gel/pomade to hold the curl, but the gel/pomade is optional. I've seen this book floating around www.naturallycurly.com, but didn't really think that I was interested in wearing my hair like this, plus I'm obsessed with wanting big twistout hair. Well, that big hair ain't happenin'....at least not yet anyway. I've had some major setbacks. I was thinking I would be roundin' the corner to BSL hair by now, but with post-partum shedding and my own stress, I haven't been really paying attention to my hair like I actually thought I was. {cue my violins}

Oh well, its a marathon not a sprint.

In the meantime, I'm gonna have some more fun doing something different. I've been really attracted to wash 'n go hair lately and now I. WANT. THAT. HAIR. After seeing how MahoganyCurls hair has grown in the past 3 years, by only using conditioner everyday, including during winter.....I've been converted. Check out more of her vids to see what I'm saying. Her hair looks so healthy, shiny and that's what I'm aiming for. To get my hair health back. I've already cut off 2" or more from just damaged ends, so I'm still at APL, arm pit length. Bleh.

Another source of serious inspiration has been Nisus, from www.itsjusthair.com. She has always had the best darn CG hair ever. She gets haircuts regularly to shape and change up the look of her curly locks. Her hair makes my jaw drop. Please visit her page and see what I'm saying! I wish my texture on top wasn't so loose but I think I will be going to a salon where they specialize in cutting curly hair next week. I'm excited! Here are some pics of me trying out the CG method:

I cut some bangs.

I didn't really know how to work with my bangs here. My curl pattern in the front of my head is so loose that it spoils the party. I plan to buy the Curly Girl Handbook and learn more about which products to use and why. In MahoganyCurls' vid about the CG method....she said that the book talks about using silicone-free conditioners. Once I read it, I'll do a review and share some more pics of my hair cut whenever I get the chance to get into the salon!

Happy Friday!

Red, White & Blue

via Pinterest

Do something nice for a veteran today. Whether you know one personally or see one out and about, buy his/her coffee, drink or meal. The last time the hubs and I traveled, we bought the guy's meal (he was in uniform). He was surprised and appreciative. Today and all weekend will be no different. It's the least we can do.

via Pinterest

This would touch anyone's heart to see. May God bless and give peace to the families of veteran and troops, especially those that lost their lives.

via

Found via Pinterest, but belongs to Sweet Something Design.

Veteran-ish

Pink was better than red in this case, but you get my drift!


God bless our veterans and our troops!

His Speech Is Delayed But He Says My Name Perfectly

Apparently I'm an intrusive parent. The kind that says,
 "Play with it like this."
 "Come on say it."
 "Color over here....not there."

I learned that intrusive parenting is basically the insistence of learning and is to the benefit of the parent rather the child. Well, what am I supposed to do? I'm a left-brain person and technically driven. Boy, its been such a learning experience, having to communicate with someone who can't really communicate back. I'm having a really hard time not getting frustrated with his speech. He's in speech therapy. Most kids his age have 50 words and when a kid has about 50 words, they naturally are making 2-word sentences or phrases. He has about 35+ words and rarely/almost never makes sentences. A lot of times I blame myself and feel like he could learn more elsewhere, but my husband always tries to comfort me by telling me I'm doing a great job and he'll say more when he's ready.

Parents who don't stay at home don't really have to worry about their kid's speech solely being their responsibility because kids learn loads at daycare. My very close friend's daughter has a former teacher at her daycare center, so you can imagine the things she learns and says! I'm not a teacher and don't have the mind or verbiage of one. I have the mind and verbiage of a tutor (which I have been post-college) and this is probably where my problem comes in. I know my pressure and frustration only delays his progress. Among the 35+ things he says, my name "Deia" is one that he says SO clearly, smh. Wth.

I've learned to let him lead how we play as long as he's not writing on the floor or just throwing everything. And I'll have to just stop comparing his speech progress with other kids (of friends kids and my 24-yo competing neighbor). Instead of complaining about having to talk so much, I'll just have to keep talking and describing everything until he finally feels comfortable enough to say the things he feels he can't. Besides, when we compare, we always come out on the losing end.

Do you have any recommendations for me? How did you or would you handle your [almost] 2-yr old's speech progress?

Bib = Cape?

Just took off his bib in the middle of dinner.

He's hated bibs since he first started on solids at 5 months. He's now going on 10 months. Now I know why....his bib is a cape! His superpowers include yelling at the top of his lungs and then magically getting his way. :-)

Have a great weekend! What's your Friday Funny from the week?

8 Lines...

I'm linking up with Mama Kat's writer's workshop today thanks to Mrs. H.  

My favorite things right now are lack luster tv programs, like reality tv, wine and coffee.  It used to be reading, but I prefer to read a book in a week and not a month, but I'm gonna try it anyway.

I need to add exercising in my favorite things somewhere. We all know its important to look great for the holidays and I'm still not where I want to be yet.

My current dislikes are know-it-alls. One person cannot possibly have all the answers, not to mention everything or every theory does not apply to everyone. Oh, throw copy cats in there too.

I really hope that this year's Texas winter will be nice to us. Prove to us that the 'south' really is better! :-) Really, I know anything this we have will be better than what we'd get in the midwest.

This was at our exit to our house. Texas gets some STRONG winds.

I take my almost 2-yr old to preschool now. I love dropping him off and watching him say 'bye'  to me, especially when the whole month of September involved crying at drop-off time.

He is like a completely different person, since going to his part-time preschool.  My heart flutters every time I watch his exuberance with people and playmates. I have this feeling whenever I look at old newborn/baby photos and I know this feeling just gets better as he and his brother get older.

I used to be really excited about growing my hair really long, but I'm taking a break. Maybe the break from my excitement will be what the hair doctor ordered.

I really need to make a Christmas list and start my Christmas shopping! Its November already! Can you believe it?!?

Trick or Treat!

We had another busy weekend....having fun and spending time with family. We also took family pictures at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and the photos are going to be soooo fabulous. (we took a few on some rocks in the middle of a stream --- my kinda shots!)

I was excited about Halloween, then changed my mind after having such an exhausting weekend, but we still managed some trick or treating.

This was just one house! Our neighborhood's decor really goes hard!

Headed out....

Wasn't too sure about it, but he was a good sport.

They enjoyed the noise the candy wrappers make, lol.

We didn't dress up this year because...well we were just too tired. We had a long weekend and unexpectedly ended up hanging out with friends all night on Saturday and with a different set of friends on Sunday. There's always next year I guess.
Right now, house parties are our thing having just moved to a new area with babies and all. :-) Hope you all had a great and busy Halloween weekend as well!