Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Redneck Ingenuity – CHill Inventions

So, I think I’ve mentioned before that I was born and raised in West Virginia.  If not, well – there ya go!

Anyway, I grew up in the country for the first decade of my life.  And in West Virginia life in the country is – different.  You make do with what you’ve got for as long as you can.  And if you can figure out a way to make something last even longer or accomplish something without using the typical method – all the better!  Duct tape and bailing twine can fix nearly anything!

west-by-God
The Homeland
My inventing began early.  I can remember running string along the canopy of my bed and then down to where I taped it to a light switch so that I could turn on my bedroom lights without actually getting up out of bed.  Figuring out how to turn them off without getting up was infinitely harder!

When my pants were loose and I didn’t have a belt, bailing twine did the job just fine.  No house for your action figures?  Just turn a barbie car on it’s side and you had a house!  OR, you could arrange all the fallen leaves in the yard to make an entire community for your action figures!

My childhood was filled with improvisation.  Making do with what you had.  It’s not a bad thing.

It’s carried over to my house and my parenting.  The grown kids rarely had a store-bought halloween costume.  And now that Buddy is running amuck in my house, I’ve begun improving where I can to keep him contained and safe.

For example:  We have lever-type handles on all our doors, interior and exterior.  They’re really pretty, but they’re not great for baby-proofing.  And I guess you could just lock the doors to keep the kid in, but then you’ve got to get up and let people into your house instead of just yelling “Come on in!”

So, when Buddy grew tall enough to pull the lever handles down and open the door to escape outside I had to come up with a plan.  Plan #1:  Install something that makes it harder for him to get out undetected.  That was a simple solution:  I added a bell to the door so that it rings when the door is opened.  Plan #2:  make it so Buddy can’t open the door on his own.  That took a little more thinking and compromise on appearance, but I figured it out.

Buddy can’t push the handles UP to open the doors, though they can be used to release the latch that way.  So, I only had to come up with a way to keep him from pulling the levers down.  And it didn’t need to be permanent.  Though it doesn’t really seem like it now, I KNOW this phase will pass soon enough.  My solution:  twine extending from the handle on one side of the door, over the top, and down to the other handle!  And it works!  I’ve had twine attached to all our door handles for a couple months now and we’ve prevented escapes as well as limited access to Buddy’s favorite water-filled play hole – the toilet.

Doors
Toddler Containment System


Then we got Buddy a wading pool to play in and filled it up.  Except, our water comes from a deep, cold well and the pool water was so cold that Buddy screamed, literally, the first time I tried to put him in it.  We’ve got plenty of sunshine, so how can I put that to use to heat up the water faster?  Float black trash bags on the surface of the water to attract the sun’s rays!  It really works!

pool heater
Pool Heater


Covered in sand from playing in the sandbox or a day at the beach?  Did you know that a light dusting of baby powder will make the sand fall right off your skin?  It will!  And Buddy LOVES his sandbox!  So what was I to do?  Put baby powder in a mismatched sock and tie it up by the front door – right where we’d be needing it!  Give Buddy a quick tippity-tappity from the sock and the sand falls off and there’s no powder cloud to breathe in, either!

sand getter-offer
Sand Getter-Offer

And, finally, do you have itty-bitty short little tyrannosaurus rex arms?  Well, Buddy does!  He can’t reach far enough back over the bathroom counter to reach the running water in the sink to wash his hands.  And the boy’s got some dirty hands!  So, how to make it so he can reach the running water and rinse away the filth?  A repurposed empty body wash bottle cut just the right way adapts the sink nicely!

faucet adapter
Water Diversioner


Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not delusional – I know none of these “solutions” are inventions that anyone is going to run out and demand from a store.  I won’t be getting rich, or even slighty more wealthy, from any of these ideas.  BUT, they didn’t cost me a dime and they solved problems I had.  So, call me a redneck and laugh all you want – they work for me!

Have you ever invented something?  I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Week #11 of the TATTLER THURSDAY Blog Hop!!

Hiya Snappers! Welcome back for week #11 of the Tattler Thursday Blog Hop! It's time to tattle and hop!
It's a share your crazy, gross, hilarious, in-the-trenches parenthood stories, kind of blog hop! I love funny kid stories and I want to hear yours!

 Just leave a comment with your story, post not required! So think of your funniest, wackiest or favorite kid stories, leave a comment  with your story/tattle, follow your Host and Co-Hostesses, visit and discover other blogs, and have fun!

Remember the easiest way to get a follow back is to like/follow other pages and leave a comment! So hop around, tell your friends and share, share, share! This is a hop designed for you to have fun and share! Happy Tattling!




 Please, Please, Please follow your host and co-hostesses! We do this for free, and fun, so don't be a bloghole and not follow! Also looking for future Co-Hosts(no cost associated and it's super easy just ask! Also a great way to gain new followers and make new bloggie friends)! Send me an email @ gingerssnaps32@gmail.com if your interested! Thanks guys and dolls! Muah! Wink!


The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps
 

                                                     about the Blog Hop HERE!

The Rules are:
1- Follow Your Host and Co-Hostesses
2- Grab the button and display it on your blog or hop page/section
3- Leave a comment with a funny, wacky, or gross kid story/tattle
Be Sure to Hop over to other blogs and visit/network and share the Hop
Have fun Hopping! (and come back next week!)
                                                                     
Hostess
                                The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps                                
  

            Thanks to this weeks co-hostesses,  Miss Cristyl, Miss Joy, Miss Danie , and Miss Trina! Be sure to  hop by their pages and give them some lovin'! Love these little gals!

***********************
 

Co-Hostess

***********************
Comfytown Chronicles
Co-Hostess
*****************************
 
I'm No Hum Drum Mum
Co-Hostess
                                                    ******************************

Will Cook For Shoes
Co-Hostess
                                                     *****************************
                        *Interested in Co-Hosting the Hop? Email gingerssnaps32@gmail.com*

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

I simply must...

Dudes...Please forgive me.  I've had quite a bit of vodka...I'm not stopping now...and I feel the need...





No, no, no....that's not it!

I feel the need...

to just laugh!

Did you ever know someone who made you laugh every time you looked their way?

I'm fortunate that I know many people who fit this description!



And dudes, I know this is totally random, but I need to renew my license plates, too.  SERIOUSLY!  Every damn time I go into town I get pulled over!  And this old lady just ain't got it in her to talk her way out of tickets no moe'...

And, seriously, thank you Baby Jeebus...that I don't live in Georgie!!
(yes, I meant to spell it that way, can't you just hear my southern DRAWL??)

'Cause, you know what grows in Georgie?  Nuts.

Yep, nuts.  Pecans, and peanuts. Almonds, black walnuts, and Juneberries, too.

But pecans fall to the ground and you have to pick them up or they're worthless...compost.

SERIOUSLY.

Anyway, I REALLY need to feel your love on this one...I mean, I might have to throw a kitten off a bridge or something drastic like make my blog for "friends only" if you don't let me know that you know the "BLOGGING 101" etiquette...
you know...
"Follow, Read, Comment"

So, show me some love...spread this like herpes in a steamy high school locker room.  Share it with all your friends!  Tweet it, Pin it, G+ it...
and SHOW ME THE LOVE!!!

I EXPECT your comments below! Or I might have to share those pictures, from that summer...you know the ones...


Oh, and did you know...





Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Tattler Thursday Blog Hop #10 - Co-Hosting

This week's tattle:

Buddy caught a stomach virus or something...anyway, he started puking this past Saturday and puked all day Saturday and Sunday.  It was one of those instances where he was apparently still hungry even though he was sick, and we didn't have the heart to refuse to let him eat, so he just kept eating and puking.

He puked on himself.  He puked on DH (many times).  He puked in our bed.  He puked in his bed.  He puked on his train table.  He puked on the kitchen floor while trying to grab the puke bucket to puke in.  He puked in the basement on the couch (thankfully it's leather).  He puked in the bathroom on the floor.  He puked all over BOTH his and Miss A's little school desks!  He puked on me.

You get the picture, right.  It was a horrifyingly awful puke-o-rama!

Thankfully, it's over.  No more puking.

So, on to the hop!!  Be sure to tell your friends to come hook up with us, too!  We want to hear your funny kid stories.  Even if you're not a blogger, please share your stories in the comments section at the end of the post!

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Little Man No More–The Story Behind the Name Change

When I started this blog I felt it important to assign my family members nicknames.  Why?  I don’t know, really.  I sincerely doubt this blog will ever grow to be incredibly popular or anything, but I guess this was as much for my own entertainment as it was for their privacy.  Especially since two of my three children are adults and we live in the age of Google; I mean, would it be fair to Monkey Man if I shared the story of how I have video of him singing opera while dancing wearing only his sister’s tap shoes using his real name?  Then when you Googled his name, up pops this story for all future employers, girlfriends, future in-laws to see.  Probably not a fair thing to do to a kid…so, they all got nicknames.

I started out calling my youngest son “Little Man”.  But recently, I’ve had to shy away from that nickname because of a movie (not this movie).  I’ll never be able to hear the name Little Man without the mental association, so I’ve begun referring to him when I blog as the actual nickname we use for him – Buddy.

So, what movie was it?  A movie currently available on Netflix:  Shut Up Little Man!  An Audio Misadventure.  It’s a documentary about these two friends, "Eddie Lee Sausage" and "Mitchell D.", who in the late 1980s recorded their next door neighbors arguing at night, distributed the audio tapes to their friends (who in turn distributed to their friends, who then shared with their friends, and on and on and on…).  The movie tells the story of what happened when the popularity of the tapes grew beyond anything "Eddie Lee Sausage" and "Mitchell D." had imagined.
ShutUpLittleManMoviePoster
Source

When we started watching the movie, I wasn’t sure we would watch the entire thing.  And then we were sucked into the story and had to know how it all ended.

The result:  no more Little Man.  My son shall henceforth be Buddy!

Karaoke Swimmer

Has a movie ever made you change something you do?

Thursday, July 11, 2013

The Best Job on Earth

This post was originally written as a guest post to celebrate The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps’s 10,000th page view! Because being home with my little Buddy is so special to me, I wanted to share it here, too!
 


The Best Job on Earth


Nineteen months ago, I began the best job on Earth, again.  I became a mother for the third time!  This motherhood adventure I’m now on with my son, Buddy (aka Little Man), is one of the hardest and most rewarding adventures I’ve ever taken!

Ready for adventure when he was only minutes old!

There are a lot of moms out here in the blogoshpere writing about our lives as mothers and each of our stories are important and each of our stories are unique.  Each of our voices and how we choose to share our story is valid; whether it’s through humor and sarcasm or by sharing silly little stories about our kids on a regular basis.  Personally, I try to keep my blog posts HONEST; so if I’m in a crappy mood, it’s going to bleed through.  Same goes for if I’m in a silly mood.  I’ve read a lot of moms’ stories on their blogs who make motherhood sound like it’s the worst job in the world.  Like raising children and keeping a household functioning is not only the most thankless, but the most hectic, food-covered, body-function-covered, never-ending, unpredictable scream and tear filled job around!  And some days it is!  But some days it’s the best job on Earth, too!

When the first hand you this little person, the one you spent the last nine+ months toting around in the body that previously belonged to only you and maybe your husband, all the pain and sacrifice instantly seems worth it.  I was fortunate enough to be able to nurse all three of my babies, though some mommies can’t and I honor and recognize that all moms do their best to give their baby the best they can, I loved being able to nurse my Buddy.  When he’d snuggle in crying and latch on and was instantly soothed and happy, I felt like Wonder Woman!  It’s just one of many magic moments that sometime get overshadowed by the poopy diapers, constantly messy house, teething and sleepless nights.

When Little Buddy would crane his neck to see me, or to turn toward his Daddy’s voice – that’s a magic moment!

The first smiles, when you’re not certain if he’s really smiling at you or just has gas – magic moment!


Coming in from a long, thankless day at work exhausted and ready to be done with the world and his little face lights up – magic moment!

Holding back the tears when he gets shots at the doctor’s office and then scooping him up to snuggle as soon as they’re done – magic moment!

Watching his face as he discovers his first taste of food – magic moment!


Watching him try and try and try and try and try to reach a toy on his own and finally succeed – magic moment!

The joy on his face the first time he manages to sit up without you holding him – magic moment!


Discovering little bumps on his gums that will soon become teeth, singing lullabies, dancing like you’ve escaped from the loony bin just to make him laugh, baths in the kitchen sink, pulling him in a wagon, watching him discover the world, watching him grow, watching him learn, watching him become more and more and more independent – ALL magic moments!


All the hard, pull your hair out stuff is totally real and valid, too.  But they are all cushioned in magic moments.  And many of us, myself included, forget to see the magic moments when we’re so caught up in the thick of potty training and “terrible two’s” attitudes in the body of a one-and-a-half-year-old!  So sometimes I need a reminder to slow down and cherish the magic – to stop and see it on a Monday afternoon when my house is an absolute wreck and my child is eating more crayon than he’s getting on the paper!

The magic is all around us!  Do you see it too?

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Co-Hosting Tattler Thursday #9 -- WHAT is Bologna anyway?

So, my tattle for the week:  On Monday I babysat for three extra kids, a three-year-old that I watch a couple days a week now and TWIN five-year-olds!  The words I just giggle when I think of every time...

5-year-old twin #1:  WHAT the heck is bologna anyway?

5-year-old twin #2:  I don't know, some kind of MEAT!

3-year-old: Yeah!

That's all I got for ya, folks!  Maybe you had to be there...

Anyway, link up below and please share your funny kid stories in the comment section!

Hiya Snappers! Welcome back for week #9 of the Tattler Thursday Blog Hop! It's time to tattle and hop!
It's a share your crazy, gross, hilarious, in-the-trenches parenthood stories, kind of blog hop! I love funny kid stories and I want to hear yours!

 Just leave a comment with your story, post not required! So think of your funniest, wackiest or favorite kid stories, leave a comment  with your story/tattle, follow your Host and Co-Hostesses, visit and discover other blogs, and have fun!

Remember the easiest way to get a follow back is to like/follow other pages and leave a comment! So hop around, tell your friends and share, share, share! This is a hop designed for you to have fun and share! Happy Tattling!




 Please, Please, Please follow your host and co-hostesses! We do this for free, and fun, so don't be a bloghole and not follow! Also looking for future Co-Hosts(no cost associated and it's super easy just ask! Also a great way to gain new followers and make new bloggie friends)! Send me an email @ gingerssnaps32@gmail.com if your interested! Thanks guys and dolls! Muah! Wink!


The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps
 

                                                     about the Blog Hop HERE!


                                                                 The Rules are:

1- Follow Your Host and Co-Hostesses
2- Grab the button and display it on your blog or hop page/section
3- Leave a comment with a funny, wacky, or gross kid story/tattle
Hop over to other blogs and visit/network and share the Hop
 Have fun Hopping! (and come back next week!)

Hostess
                                The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps                                
  

            Thanks to this weeks co-hostesses,  Miss Cristyl, Miss Joy, and Miss Jessica ! Be sure to  hop by their pages and give them some lovin'! Love these little gals!


***********************
 

Co-Hostess
***********************
Comfytown Chronicles
Co-Hostess
 
***********************
Domestic Pirate
Co-Hostess
 
*******************************************************************************
 
 
********************************************************************************
 
Looking for bloggers to Co-Host the Hop! Sign up to Co-Host!  Email gingerssnaps32@gmail.com for more information!
 
 
 

Friday, July 5, 2013

Make It! – CHill’s Tasty Garlic Croutons

This post was originally written for and published at Fireflies and Jellybeans!  I LOVE this recipe and I'm getting ready to make another ginormous batch, so I thought it worth sharing here today! So, without further ado - my Garlic Crouton Recipe!

I love a good salad!  Especially dressed up with lots of veggies, bacon bits and croutons.  Lately I’ve been making my own croutons and I’m loving how cost-effective and super-tasty they are.  And they’re so easy to make!  Here’s what I do…

I use bread I have on hand to make my croutons.  I’ve used cheap store brand wheat bread as well as sourdough bread.  DH says he prefers the sourdough, so that’s what I used for my latest batch.  I use 4 slices of bread for a batch of croutons (in these photos I was making a double batch because we love these so much).
  I use four slices of bread per batch; cut the slices into 1” cubes (you don’t have to be precise – make the cubes whatever size you prefer).


Place the cubed bread into a bowl with a tight-fitting lid.


This recipe only requires three ingredients other than the bread; I told you it is super-easy!  Melt a 1/4 cup of butter (half a stick) in a microwave-safe bowl.  Mix 1 teaspoon of parsley flakes and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt into the melted butter. (I prefer super-garlicky croutons, so I usually use about twice as much garlic salt.  Feel free to adjust to your preference.)  Now pour the butter and spice mixture over the cubed bread, place the lid on your bowl and shake vigorously to coat all the cubes in the mixture.


Spread the coated cubes on a baking sheet of your preference; I just love my Pampered Chef stoneware for making croutons (and just about anything else).  Pop that into a pre-heated 300 F oven and set a timer for 20 minutes.  After twenty minutes, turn the croutons and return them to the oven; set a timer for another twenty minutes.  Bake the croutons until they begin to brown nicely (I prefer mine more crisp so I let them get very brown; feel free to adjust the cooking time to achieve the perfect crouton).
 Remove from the oven and allow to cool.


That’s it!  Super tasty, easy to make and much cheaper than most retail croutons!




Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Happy Independence Day!–Tattler Thursday #8 is Here!!

Technically, Tattler Thursday went live yesterday because of Thursday being the 4th of July.  But I’m updating and republishing – sue me!

I overslept this morning and woke up feeling like my ears are full of cotton. Hooray summer colds! DH is off to work, leaving me and Buddy (aka Little Man – I’ll explain the name change soon, I promise) here alone.

Here are my tattles:

So far today, Buddy has stripped off his diaper and …

peed in the shower,

peed on the seat of his desk creating a waterfall that spread pee everywhere,


peed on a couple of his toys that were laying on the floor while he pooped next to them,

got pissed at me for being at the computer and knocked my full coffee cup over on my desk then laughed maniacally while I ran across the room for a rag to mop it up (I'd probably laugh if I saw me run, too),

went in the corner behind my desk while I was writing this to poop and pee on the floor,

This is really a PERFECT illustration of how I feel about AT&T, so I should probably thank him!


AND then went over under my dining room table to pee and poop once again!  Seriously?  After the corner I didn't think he could possibly have any more poop in him!


When I went to clean up the poo under the table I realized his butt was covered in it and he had smeared it around with his fingers which he was attempting to put in his mouth!  He was a little shocked at the level at which I screamed "NO!!"  Sorry, Buddy, that's nasty!


Did I mention that we had corn on the cob for dinner last night?  We did.

Yeah, I’m sucking at mothering today.  Oh well, everyone’s still alive.  So far.

One more... every time he catches me on the potty he immediately flushes the toilet then tries to pry me off the seat so he can place his toilet seat adapter back on there?  No amount of explaining that Mommy's butt is too big for his seat will do!  And that he refuses to use the potty; opting instead, to pee in the shower stall (and anywhere he feels like it, really)?  Yeah, I really don’t know what that’s all about.

I'm not ready for potty training!

Thanks for joining me again this week for Tattler Thursday!  Here it goes…

Hiya Snappers! Welcome back for week #8 of the Tattler Thursday Blog Hop! We're hopping early this week because this Thursday is July 4th! Happy Independence Day everybody!

It's time to tattle and hop! It's a share your crazy, gross, hilarious, in-the-trenches parenthood stories, kind of blog hop! I love funny kid stories and I want to hear yours! Just leave a comment with your story, post not required! So think of your funniest, wackiest or favorite kid stories, leave a comment  with your story/tattle, follow your Host and Co-Hostesses, visit and discover other blogs, and have fun!

Remember the easiest way to get a follow back is to like/follow other pages and leave a comment! So hop around, tell your friends and share, share, share! This is a hop designed for you to have fun and share! Happy Tattling!



Please, Please, Please follow your host and co-hostesses! We do this for free, and fun, so don't be a bloghole and not follow! Also looking for future Co-Hosts(no cost associated and it's super easy just ask! Also a great way to gain new followers and make new bloggie friends)! Send me an email @ gingerssnaps32@gmail.com if your interested! Thanks guys and dolls! Muah! Wink!
The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps
 
about the Blog Hop HERE!
The Rules are:

1- Follow Your Host and Co-Hostesses
2- Grab the button and display it on your blog or hop page/section
3- Leave a comment with a funny, wacky, or gross kid story/tattle

Be Sure to Hop over to other blogs and visit/network and share the Hop
Have fun Hopping! (and come back next week!)

Hostess
The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps
  
            Thanks to this weeks co-hostesses,  Miss Cristyl, Miss Joy, Miss Michelle, and Miss Cathy ! Be sure to  hop by their pages and give them some lovin'! Love these little gals!

 

Co-Hostess

Comfytown Chronicles
Co-Hostess


La Vida de BlondieChell
Co-Hostess

A Peek Into My Paradise
Co-Hostess


****************************************************************************** *************************************************************************

Looking for bloggers to Co-Host the Hop! Sign up to Co-Host!  Email gingerssnaps32@gmail.com !
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