Me VS. Alaska

Well at least my blog got a makeover for the upcoming new year!

I saw this cartoon on Facebook:

from Hedger Humor

And it got me to thinking about how this is just like me and my husband. He is the outdoorsman, the tough guy with the calloused hands.

I am the Zsa Zsa Gabor to his Brawny man. I have never picked up an ax in my life. I don’t think I would unless I was being chased by a maniac and trust me, my life is not THAT exciting.

 I like the indoors. No, I freakin’ LOVE the indoors. Air conditioning? Yes! Ice in my drinks-oh yeah! And guess what? There are no bugs buzzing in your face. I REALLY hate bugs. I try to be gentle like Buddha would want me to be and rescue a bug found indoors and put it outside to let it be FREEEEE. But I find the toilet is a convenient place for spiders and I always flush twice in case somehow the spider wants to pay me another visit. 

About a year ago, I came to the conclusion that I did not want to be one of those survive-the-apocalypse-people. Previous to this epiphany, I believed I would be like one of the characters from The Walking Dead. I was going to be all Scarlett O'Hara eating some rotten roots in order to survive. Do what it takes.

BUT I love convenience. I don’t want to spend three hours to find my food. I love that my food comes to me already prepared and bagged. I don't want to hunt my food. If I did, I would name it and make it a pet!!This is probably bad to confess, but it is true.

My husband on the other hand, has been saving dryer lint to use as a fire starter in an emergency situation. He keeps empty clean jars in the garage in case we need to fill them with water for some reason. I love that he is prepared like that. Go him.

We lose electricity frequently in this area of Oklahoma. After two hours of no electricity I start to go a little stir crazy. I miss technology. I start worrying about my food melting and turning bad. I run to my mom’s house because they usually have it when we don’t. So I know that if I have trouble living without electricity for 4-6 days there is not anyway in the world I want to go to the rugged wild and not have it for months or forever.

I like to daydream about tropical islands, but no. My real vacation hot spot would be living inside Target for a few days. So here I am going to admit it--I am a spoiled baby. 

Eeek.

A new year is almost here!!!

I took a bloggy break to celebrate Christmas and our little boy's birthday which is smack dab between Christmas and New Year's Eve. He is 11! And ornery as ever. :)

Today I saw this video about different holiday looks from the past. Know which one I plan to rock on New Year's Eve? The sweatpants and ponytail look. Feel free to be inspired and totally borrow my fashion style.

Watch this video on The Scene.

Happy Holidays!!!

I laughed too hard at this!!

3 more days until you know what!!?!?!

Oh, you better behave! Santa is gearing up. 

I am probably ALWAYS on his naughty list. One time I realized I was on my way to an appointment, forgot to put deodorant on under my right arm (the left arm was alllll good), and so I used hand sanitizer as a substitute. It was either that or I could have stuck a Sonic mint under my arm. Where were we? Oh, right I was rambling.

I was on Pinterest the other night. I probably Google-mazed my way there. And I ended up seeing some neat-o ideas on how to make things from items bought at Dollar Tree. I like Dollar Tree because I feel like a millionaire in the store. I don't care if my son puts toys in the cart....to a point. I don't need to argue with him about the price tag. And I LOVE finding the unusual there. 

I kid you not, I went in for candy and found really pretty mercury glass candle holders. They look like something from Pier 1! I know my cat Glitz will probably break them anyway, but they sure are pretty to look at right now.

Back to Pinterest ideas!

I saw a giant monogram wreath made from foam board, ornaments and a glue gun-all from Dollar Tree (or your local dollar store). Maybe you can save more and go to the .99 cents store. We don't have any here :(

I bought the foam board but forgot to get ornaments on my last trip. I see a huge W in my future. I bet you can use other embellishments besides ornaments--like I know they sell glass stones and river rocks there. I've seen feather boas in the toy area.

My son loves dinosaurs! I like this idea of taking plastic cups and toy dinosaurs to make dinosaur cups! You can stretch your imagination and use other toy figures to embellish cups with. This would be fun to do with skulls at Halloween.

Use pool noodles to make a wreath ring form!! Creative!

And while you are making those rings, you can put them together to make some fun outdoor toys. I know they sell water guns in the summer time, too. This would be fun to try to squirt through the targets. Or throw a ball or a noodle!

This is so pretty and personalized!!! You can print photos in black and white on vellum (a thin, transparent-like paper you can find in the office/scrapbook area), and Mod Podge it onto clear vases you find at the dollar store. Sometimes when I am in a pinch, I use Elmer's glue with a teeny bit of water and a paintbrush for a Mod Podge substitute. Then you have amazing candle holders for under $4-5!

This is one to file away for next Halloween. Make a spooky wreath from skeleton hands you find at the dollar store, a foam wreath from the floral area and some silver paint! Cool.

HERE is the link to see all of these ideas and more!

Happy crafting!!!

Fa-La-La-What day is it?!?

It's been 6 days since my last post. I have been enveloped in all that is the holiday season... so much that I really cannot tell you what day today is. I think Monday? I have been valiantly trying to protect my Christmas tree from the cats. They pretty much think it is edible and/or a maze. So naughty! I saw the new Star Wars movie. On opening day, too, so that earns me some cool points, right? lol I thought it was really great storytelling. (No spoilers here because I am not going to end up on Santa's naught list!).  I have watched so much Netflix-so much. I saw the (OLD) Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special from 1988. I was like 11 when it came out originally. My favorite part is Charo singing Feliz Navidad toward the end. I have also re-watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I really wish I knew a real Cousin Eddie in real life.

Hee hee-we both like egg nog! Okay, maybe I don't. I have also seen Garfield's Christmas Special (also from my youth), My Little Pony-A Very Minty Christmas (my husband and son complained the whole time), and Christmas with the Kranks (had run out of options that night), and Ernest Saves Christmas (well, the opening credits). I think I love the sparkle and glitter of the holiday season the most--and surprises! Like this would be a neat gift if it was real and not a prank giftwrap box. 

My whole house would be really clean!!! Why is this not a REAL thing? Oh and another surprise! I won a prize!!! Metro Family Magazine had a giveaway on their Facebook page to win one of Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman's cookbooks!! It is cool because she is a blogger who made it big BUT she also lives here in Oklahoma, like me. I am not much for cooking honestly (my hubs does the cooking and I do the baking). I mean the last time I was in the kitchen a few days ago I made two things (both from boxes)-a no-bake Jell-o cheescake and a Betty Crocker cake in the shape of a gingerbread man.  And....I have no regrets! Metro Family is my monthly go-to magazine here in Oklahoma for parenting advice and they have a calendar inside with local activities every month. I went to their offices wearing no make up and dressed bum-y. I had that somewhat pulled together look but my tank top secretly had gum stuck all over it. See I had pulled it from the dryer, noticed the gum, sighed, and put it on anyway. It's cool. I put a cardigan over the tank top to hide the gum. Typical Tina. The funny thing is they took my picture with the prize.  This should teach me to pull myself together more often in public, but then again I am blogging at 1:45 am my time while my son is rolling on the floor asking me what a dingo is. But hey, I know it's Monday (thank you iPhone).

A gazillion elf on the shelf ideas!

You may recall a previous post about our reindeer, Randall. This year we are writing to him instead of our elf. So after doing the whole elf/reindeer/etc. thing for about five years now, I have run out of ideas. My well of ideas is totally dry and probably a little muddy!

Google is like my best friend and Pinterest is my frenemy, so I went to both to find some new-to-me ideas. And since Christmas is all about sharing...here's some sharing! 

Tic-tac-toe on the mirror! That crazy Elf!!!

I don't have an instant camera but I could print out tiny pics he took!

Shaving! I could see him thinking it is snow! lol

He can teach the other toys!

Super cool idea from Come Together Kids to use these items left by the Elf to make....candy canes grow!

Elf + Scanner=Fun

From Carey Pace's photography site- Maybe the Elf can use some machinery to help refill the pet bowls?  And maybe he can round up dinosaur toys when they get un-ruly?

Look at them eating little Cheerio donuts! Oh my! A "snowball" fight between Buzz and the Elf!

(Second pic credit: Nelly Cole photos)

These teeny tiny pancakes are cute as a button!!! And  I love the popsicle stick skis!

I like how he is tempting Cookie Monster. And maybe he decided to be like Lucy after watching

the Charlie Brown Christmas special! (Second pic credit: Pickle Head Soup Blog)

Hmmm. This game of the spin the bottle is just to see if you are paying attention!

Harry Potter Elf!

This Elf is probably more tan than me (jealous!). And I love the karaoke set up!

(First pic from Small Snippet).

Sack race!

"Draw me like one of your Barbies!"

Whee!!! Credit: Carey Pace

Yuck! My son would love this one lol.

I like simple and fast!

This cheeky Elf put underwear next to the family stockings!

I always forget that I can have our reindeer do things outside! You can get window markers

at Dollar Tree! :)

I think this would be an easy and festive way for the Elf to get your kiddos to drink their milk!

Maybe he saw Frozen too many times? Cute!

This Elf is playing dress up.

This Elf left ice cream cones for kiddos to decorate edible Christmas trees! And how nice to have some cookies for their lunch boxes. All Elves love syrup! And Apple Jacks cereal come in Christmas colors. This makes for a good fine motor activity, as does the q-tip snowflake design. (From Come Together Kids).

I love the trapeze Elf and the idea of using My Little Pony toys as his "reindeer".

A Christmas tree decorated with underwear!

This Elf tried to help with the wrapping!