july 08 218

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july 08 218, originally uploaded by funnytrees74.

 

Happy 4th

Yesterday was the epitome of down home fun, mom’s homemade apple pie, sticky fingers on a warm summer day fun mixed with a bit of Northern California eclectic goodness.  It was the annual 4th of July celebration in our town.  We have a town “square” (which is really pretty big-we have two playgrounds, a duck pond, lots of great grassy areas, big shade trees, a rose garden, city hall, a band shell, etc.) that had the typical art vendors, food booths, kids corner (with jumpy houses and slides) and of course beer and wine booths and our annual parade (which we were in this year!). 

So let me start from the beginning, Ryder’s school had a sign up sheet for the parade - so of course I was the first name on the list (or the second) and they were also taking ideas for the float.  Again, I wanted to help come up with a great theme.  So I racked my brain and finally the light bulb went off, I was looking at their sign (which has a dragonfly - kinda like their mascot) and I thought how can we incorporate that into the theme.  So I came up with”soaring high on the wings of knowledge”. 

Basically I came up with an idea of making a giant dragonfly to hang from the float and then I had to figure out a way to incorporate that with a catchy saying.  So the teachers said they loved it and onward we pressed.  I volunteered to create the dragonfly- you know how you have an image in your head and then when you start to figure out the engineering of it- things start to seem harder.  Well we had a couple rough spots, but for the most part it went as I had planned.  Of course, working at a home improvement store I thought of materials we have here.  So I grabbed a 4 ft. piece of pvc and some copper wire. Bought a $.99 beach ball and started paper macheing.  That was the most challenging part but after a couple days of tweaking here and there- the dragonfly came alive! 

 

We had a float decorating party the night before the parade and decorated the kids wagons, etc.  while the kids ran around and raged- it was a blast! The float was decorated like the classroom, we had one of the tables, their calendar, their little exercise equipment and some other misc. items.

Then came the day of the parade, an early morning, some last minute touch ups and off we go….. I think the parents were more into it than the kids, but they did have fun. 

 I have vowed to be in the parade every year.  Much better than dealing with the crowds on the street (b/c our town gets packed) and you gotta love waving to everyone - there’s something fun about that.  So while the kids are in preschool I will continue to volunteer every year and then if at any point their school decides to not do it- I think I’ll make my own float (great platform to get your opinion out there!).

Much to my surprise, the teachers told me they are going to hang the dragonfly up in the classroom.  I was thrilled to hear that.  I guess it’ll be their mascot.

So on to the square, waited in long lines to jump on some inflatable thing (but that is what childhood is about), paid too much for some mediocre veggie burgers, sat in the shade and chatted amongst friends, enjoyed some adult beverages (Doug) and listened to the typical “fair” bands playing in the background.  Headed over to our friends for yummy dinner (and for Ryder to play some more- as if he hadn’t been playing all day) and parked the car on the way home to catch the fireworks.  Both kids were asleep in our arms before the first firework went off.  It was your Norman Rockwell kinda day.

Sweet dreams sleepy heads - until next year!

 

What’s for lunch?

So I recently purchased a new lunch bag for Ryder and was so stoked.  I have been looking for a bag that had reuseable containers.  I have been contemplating buying the laptop lunches but I wasn’t totally sold on it (it’s kinda like a bento box and some of the containers don’t have lids and I’m just not sure how that would work for him).  So anyways I was at this adorable consignment store and saw these lunch bags and totally liked the set up, the size the color (it was lime green and green is one of his favorite colors) and the packaging said it was a “green” product.  Well of course I was in a hurry b/c the fam was sitting out in the car waiting for me.  So I asked the co-owner if the containers were BPA free (b/c I didn’t see it clearly stated on the packaging) and her statement was oh ya, it’s environmentally friendly.  So I bought it ($35 later- which is not that much when you look at the reuse aspect). 

Well I started to think about it more when I got home and went on line to check it out and sure enough it isn’t BPA free.  The comment on the website said that it meets all standards and something else that was skating the issue (they never came out and said yes or no - but by the statement it was clear it contained BPA).  Of course, this has to go back to the store, which was difficult telling RYder b/c he was all ready to use his new lunch bag the next day at school. 

What I’m trying to get to is, I’m tired of all this misleading packaging.  Of course, the product is kinda “green” b/c you are reusing containers so you are eliminating waste, but the containers all contain BPA which is known to be “a not so good thing”!  Why are they still making products with this in it?

So besides the laptop lunches what else is there?  Any suggestions?  So for now we are just using random containers that we have to avoid using ziploc bags.  I’ll probably end up with the laptop lunches.

Oh by the way the product I did purchase was lunchopolis.  It’s a shame b/c they are the perfect size and have just the right amount of containers and it is keeping trash out of the landfill.  I wish they would just redo their containers.  Maybe I’ll email them my thoughts?!

 

A long time coming

I have been working on this sign for Saige’s room for quite some time and I am finally done.  It’s not that it was hard or should have taken this long but I procrastinated and then would do a couple stitches here and there - well finally I am ready to hang it!  I am so thrilled with how it turned out. 

 

I used some old linen and cotton tea napkins ( I think that’s what they are) I just think they were so sweet and I’ve been saving them with the intent to either add them to a quilt or something and when I decided to do a sign with her name to hang over her bed ( in earthquake country you can’t have anything that could harm you hanging over your bed- even if we didn’t like in California I would be too afraid to hang anything heavy over the bed? I thought these were the perfect things to use. 

I originally thought I would just embroider the initials, but you know how that goes, it never ends up being that simple.  After I got the letters embroidered I thought, I can’t stop there, I need to add a little bit of this a little bit of that.  So I just added the flowers, birds, butterflies and dragonflies.  I’m glad I did. 

I had some leftover fabric from her curtain so I attached it to that and sewed some pretty ribbon for hanging, made a slot for a dowel rod and … there you have it, finally!  I hope this is something that can grow with her. *I do need a longer dowel rod - so that’s the last thing to finalize- but it’s pretty much done!

 

Just wanted to share.

 

6 Random Things about Me

I’ve been tagged by asonomagarden. I’ve never been tagged before so this is all new to me.  Anyhow, the subject is 6 Random Things about Me. First, here are the rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you.
• Post the rules on the blog.
• Write six random things about yourself.
• Tag six people at the end of your post.
• Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1.   I worked at Dunkin’ Donuts when I was in high school.  Remember those commercials….”time to make the donuts”  well that was me…. usually a bit hung over (nice right, I was in high school) but nothing a couple fresh, out of the oven, chocolate glazed donut holes and lots of coffee couldn’t cure.  I hope my kids don’t read this when their older!

2.  I was addicted to the Laura Ingles Wilder books when I was little- I think I read all of them.

3.  I won a blue ribbon at state for a Spanish commercial my friend and I put together for a project in Spanish class in high school.  Too bad I can barely order a burrito now- what happend to that part of my brain that held that info?

4.  My first concert was Michael Jackson.  My Dad won tickets on the radio and he and I went (I think I was in 4th or 5th grade).  What a far cry from the Dead shows I graduated to!  But that was when he was cool and before he… (maybe I won’t go down that road)

5.  I started college to be a dietitian and ended up with a degree in fashion merchandising and design.  Let’s just say Organic Chem was not my thing (or at least not at that time b/c if I took it now I probably would do just fine).

6.  my favorite summertime thing to eat is tomato sandwiches.  Just sliced tomatoes on bread with lots of mayonnaise.  I eat those everyday when the tomatoes start coming.

I don’t know why I thought the random things had to be slightly embarassing things- sometimes those are more fun to read and I got a good laugh too.

So I don’t have many blogging friends (since I’m fairly new to this world) so i’m going to tag my dear sister in law.

spiceyride16