My dearest friends..I hate to break the news to you, but Christmas is in 2 months!!! Aaahh! It's that time of year when October, November and December is really just one huge holiday filled with a lot of eating.
It seems every year our children gets older, the more expensive the 'toys' get. The toys for my little dude won't matter, because it's just another day to him. But, for the 2 older ones, it's anything that has a mini computer in it with buttons. My son wants the PSP and the girl is getting a cell phone. (Oh, Lord)
This time of year though, I always start trying to find presents that fill:
- The thought put into the gift
- The price
This year, since I've got my embroidery machine I still don't know how to use..I must find things to embroider. I will also be doing yummy gifts like homemade apple butter and special gifts like handmade marbleized ornaments. These ornaments are actually really easy to do. If you have a Cricut, or just go to Hobby Lobby or even Walmart, you can put initials on them to make them even more special and personalized. So, I thought I would share with you on how to do them so you can give a great gift that looks expensive and that looks like you put a lot of thought into it!
Here are the directions on how to do Marbleized Ornaments:
What you will need:
- Acrylic Paint
- Glass Craft Ornaments
- Vinegar
- Plastic/Styrofoam Cups
- Nail Polish Remover
Directions:
- Choose your acrylic paint colors. The inexpensive ones are fine.
- Choose 2-3 contrasting colors. Get metallic colors to make it luminous.
- Get the large or medium sized glass craft clear ornaments. Avoid the tiny ones, they don't turn out so good.
- Cut ventilation holes into the sides of the plastic cup. They should be large enough to let air through but not where the paint will drip out. I use it to steady the ornament as I add paint.
- Carefully remove the metal top and handle the bulb with care.
- Rinse out the bulb with one part vinegar and three parts water. Rinse again with just water, and let completely dry by placing the bulb open side down in the cup.
- Shake each paint tube well before opening.
- Add your paint slowly so that it streams down the side of the bulb, but just enough so that the paint easily reaches the bottom. You will add 4-6 streams of paint around the ornament.
- Start rotating the bulb around. After the bulb is coated, place the ornament open side down so that the excess paint can drip down into the cup.
Drying Process
- After you have removed the extra paint from the bulb, the drying process begins. Most of the blending and swirling of the colors happens at this time. If you want vertical streaks, let the bulb dry open side down for 48-72 hours.
- For the blended and swirling effect, turn the bulb on its side and allow it to sit for several hours at a time, then rotate again. Continue until you have the desired effect you are looking for.
- Once you have finished, turn the bulb open side down into the cup and let dry the rest of the way for 48-72 hours. If you don't allow it to dry completely, it will settle in the bottom and not look very nice.
- If you had any paint get on the outside of the ornament, just take it off with a little finger nail polish remover.
- Add a ribbon or initials to finish and Voila!!
Well, my little man is now 18 months old and counting! I can't believe how time has flown and the time I do have doesn't ever seem to be enough. Ever have so much housework to do that it's overwhelming so you just sit down? Yeah...that's been my week so far. However, the toilets are now clean..yah me!
I have also found the joys and addiction of Instagram...OH MY GOODNESS! It's a picture book for adults! Sometimes I wonder if I need to close all my social 'apps' and logoff....
Anyhoo....back to the world of toddlerdom. My crackhead little boy constantly digs in his crack and has now found out he can take his diaper off with or without clothes on. The other day, he wakes up and I notice he feels ... well..lighter and not so wet (let's face it..diapers do NOT work at night!) I lay him down on his changing table, pull his pants off and ... NO DIAPER!! What the crap?! I put on a new diaper, quickly pull his pants up and put him down. Then, I go looking for the diaper. I mean, it couldn't have gone THAT far, could it?! Amazingly enough, he didn't pee anywhere and I found the diaper between the wall and toys.
Then the other day, while I am at my desk, he comes running up to me laughing, then runs off...laughing more. As a mother of a 3rd child can tell you, things don't bother you quite so much anymore and you think, whatever. I continue to play, I mean work.
Then it hits me....did I see a flash of butt? He comes back, laughing harder and I see the peepee. AAHHH! How long has he been running around ... and where is the diaper?
Off a hunting I go. I look...and look...and crap a cow look. I finally found the sucker 30 minutes later underneath the kitchen table! I pick it up and little turds fall everywhere. All while, of course...he's laughing and running around trying to take his peepee off.
You know..sometimes I don't think there's enough Prozac for a day like that one. So, now all of my facebook friends are telling me...It's potty training time. WHAT? How can that be..he's only 18 months old! Doesn't he need to be at least 2 years old? They tell me no..it is time young mommawalker. How the heck do you potty train an 18 month old, stubborn, strong-willed little toddler who speaks in kid-latin?
One of my friends and future teacher of my little pooper, tells me her daughter was like that, so while at that time, she was a stay-at-home mom, she just took her pants and diaper off and let her roam the house. She would follow her with the potty chair and within a week, she was potty trained. Hmm...sounds easy I guess. However, we just got in new carpet!
Please! I need any and all help!