Monday, March 28, 2011

Babysitter's best games

From the time I was 13, I've loved babysitting. Being the oldest kid meant that I was pretty good at knowing how to take care of kids. Plus, it's a fun way to earn extra cash. I still like to take babysitting jobs in the evenings and on weekends when I can.

I was thinking about how I used to bring a bag of crafts, candy and other surprises for the kids. I also had some games that I rotated through to keep the kids occupied (and not just watching tv or getting into trouble). I've forgotten how much little boys love paper airplanes and little girls like beads. Here are some of the games I used to use:


Huckle Buckle Beanstalk
This one is my favorite.  It's an active version of the 'quiet game' if you can believe it. This game is usually new to kids so they get really involved. It goes like this: one person is 'it' and they are in charge of hiding a quarter in the room while the rest of us go in another room. The quarter can be hidden anywhere that it is visible without moving things to see it. Once it is hidden, the rest of us go find the quarter and the person who finds the quarter has to say huckle buckle beanstalk when they find it. The kicker is that if you alert everyone else to where it is before you say huckle buckle beanstalk, someone else may beat you to it. So the kids are usually really quiet and concentrate on finding the quarter first.


Hide and Seek
This one is a given. But I usually have kids pick partners and and change up how long the 'seeker' counts. I also make sure to set some ground rules, such as off limit areas (i.e. Mom and Dad's bedroom).







 Paper Airplane Races
I don't know a whole lot about real planes, but I can make a high flying paper one. I know fun tricks like taping pennies inside, folding the wings up at the tips, and using heavier paper.






Cootie Catchers
I'm not sure where the name for these fun paper things came from, but I do know that most kids under 10 love writing messages inside (often silly things) and giggling when you pick the one they want. It's fun to decorate and write in them and take turns picking from each others'. Here's a link for folding instructions.








Balloon game
Just one balloon can make a fun game. You know, the one where you try and keep it from touching the floor? easy peasy, and it keeps the kids playing together and happy.







When I was little we used to play games like Mother May I? and Red light Green light too. Sometimes I pull out these games when kids don't know what they are. New things always seem to catch kids' interest.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

light and bright

This apartment is so cute, but there is one especially great thing about it: the balcony! let me take you on a tour...

here is the living area:


the kitchen:

the bedroom:





and the beautiful balcony:



that doggie is so cute!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

A Bike Ride and a Party

I'm not one of those girls who has always daydreamed about her wedding day, planning everything from the dress to the entertainment. I'm sure I'll have ideas about what I want when the time comes, The only thing I'm sure about right now is that I don't want a huge, long ceremony. Maybe when I get married someday I'll not be nervous to stand for a long time, and I'll have more stamina when I am anxious, or maybe I won't be anxious at all!

My issues aside, this cute wedding caught my eye. In fact what a cool idea for any kind of party!! They rented bikes for all of their guests to ride to the reception picnic at a park, then to an ice cream shop for desert, and later on to a botanical garden for the final toast.

I love her dress! tiers of ruffles with a yellow sash

Her bouquet is made out of enamel broaches and pins
The bride and groom rode a tandem bike

The guests decorated their bikes before the reception

Vintage sheets were the picnic seating

What a causal and fun reception!!
Yum!
So cute.

 All pictures from Martha Stewart Weddings

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Addison's Life

via RealSimple.com
 I've been so grateful over the last year and a half to be a part of several Addison's Disease forums and boards. Having a rare chronic illness means that I don't know anyone in real life that has Addison's. So connecting with people over the internet who do has been so valuble. Yes, I have a great doctor. Yes, I have amazing family and friends. But nothing beats getting first hand advice from someone who has already been down the path I'm on.

I've really been loving what Lana's been writing on her blog FindingLana. (Hi Lana!) She is a blessing and a resource for me. I want to also be a blogger who shares my experience with Addison's in a way that is helpful to others. Last winter was a rough time for me, and what I blogged about was my perspective during the yuck of figuring out how to live with Addison's. It was still so new to me. This winter has been so incredibly different and my experience with this disease have become more positive than before. I want to share that side of Addison's too.

I would never choose this disease. I still hate that I have it, but it doesn't make me mad like it did before. I like where I am today, and a lot of what I've learned in the past two years is because of Addison's. I'm grateful for the opportunities it has brought into my life. It's weird that I can hate something but be grateful for what it has brought to my life- but it's true.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Happy Friday!

Another Friday... it seems like I was just writing a post like this last week.

On my list for this weekend:
Finish unpacking my car
Get rid of half of my belongings
Take brod for a long walk
Get a part time job
And finally... sleep in.


Thursday, March 10, 2011

Stopped me in my tracks...

I am in love with this bed frame! 

These pics stopped me in my tracks- and I wondered if I could spray paint my metal bed frame to look like this? I'm seriously thinking about it...  


Tuesday, March 8, 2011

light and bright

light and bright... yes this apartment is light and bright! I've seen the living area posted on a lot of different blogs, but this is the first time I've seen the whole apartment featured. It's probably one of my favorite spaces, because of the high ceilings, white walls, and turquoise and pink color scheme. Come, see for yourself!




to see more of this aqua, pink and beautiful apartment go to freshome.com


Saturday, March 5, 2011

Friday, March 4, 2011

Thank goodness for cute puppies and Fridays!

I am so glad it's Friday- but now that it's here the afternoon is dragging by slowly...

My sweet friend Brooke sent me this picture she took last week. Not sure what I was laughing about, but I'm pretty sure Brody was watching Belle, my roommate's dog. Brody is getting along great with Belle, but they're both still so aware of the other one right now. Last night they chased and played a little bit, and I think they'll be best friends before too long.

Now if it could only be 5 o'clock so I can get on with the weekend! Come on clock, I have people to see and places to go!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

A new book on my Amazon Wishlist

I ran accross this book recently and I am really excited to read it.


Here is a short promo video: