Halloween Candy Out The Nose

What do you do with all your Halloween candy?

So many families manage Halloween candy in different ways. Do you let your kids binge and hopefully not purge on all the candy they can fit into their little tummies? Do you limit them to one or two pieces a day for the next decade? Do you let them eat all they want on trick or treating night and then toss the rest? WHAT DO YOU DO?

It is always a dilemma for me. One year I handed out a couple of pieces of candy every single day until Easter. Last year the girls picked out fifteen of their favorite pieces and I paid them for the rest. Yes, you read right. I gave my little pumpkins cold hard cash for free candy. It seems to be a controversial approach, considering the "strong" comments I have received about how I choose to parent my children during candy lalapalooza. Note a bit of sarcasm? The candy didn't go to waste... candy is like gold in my house. We mailed the entire huge box of candy to Gene in Iraq.

This year I have talked to the girls about the returning predicament. My idea is to have them pick out their favorite pieces again in trade for any book they want from the bookstore. We have many friends deployed so the candy will find good home.

Now, stop rolling your eyes. I am a democrat, normally, and I like the people to choose even if they aren't old enough to vote. But when it comes to running my household and parenting I have been compared to Hitler. I can be a bit firm. You know, kids want boundaries and need a firm leader but lots of love. In the case of Halloween, I feel like the girls have worked hard for their candy - I know I did. Hard work deserves a payment. That's how it works in the grown-up world, right? So, if you look at it that way, I am preparing them to be hard working members of society.

However, to my surprise, I am getting moans and groans about the trade being candy to deployed soldiers for a book. I thought it was perfect solution. The girls love to read and I don't like cavities or sugar induced melt downs. Should I go back to cash or make the trade for tangible goods? I like goods. I may put down my foot, which by the way will have on a sock with bits of candy stuck to the bottom, and say it is a book or nothing.

What do you do with all your Halloween candy?

On His Way

Fishing with Daddy Oct 2007

YAHOO! We rushed home from school today and had to move at light speed to get ready for a Daisy Girl Scouts Halloween party. As we were racing around in half costume status the phone started ringing. ARGHHH! Greta was jumping around with tights half way on and well, you don't want the mental image of me trying to zip my ballgown. Not the best timing for a phone call. I would normally just ignore it (I don't heart the phone).

It was Gene and guess what? He made it to Kuwait!!!!! His flight home from this deployment had already been cancelled twice. That put his return home off for another week or more. Can you say BUMMER?

Somehow he made it on a flight out of Afghanistan.

It has been a year. We are ready for him to come home to us.

He is on his way. Thank you God!

Waiting For A Flood

It's that time of the year. We are sorting through summer clothes and bringing out the fall wardrobe. Unfortunately for Greta, she has outgrown most of her jeans, including her favorite pair. This girl loves her bling.

On the flip side, Gigi is a Messy Marvin. One of the dresses in her closet looked like an ink pen has exploded on the side. It couldn't be passed down to Greta... or could it?!?

I cut the ruffled hem off of the dress and added it to the bottom of her jeans. That looked okay but it screamed out... my Mom is trying to recycle my jeans and cut the hem off my sister's dress and sewed it onto my jeans. Can you imagine the Thanksgiving dinners in the future? "Remember when Mom would make Greta wear high-water jeans that had Gigi's clothes sewn to the bottom? HA HA HA"

So, in order to not scar Greta's sense of style for the rest of her life I added some ribbon. That made all the difference!

We are really trying to use the three R's. I think this one falls under Reuse and Recycle. SUCCESS!

Jeans & Skirt

Here is the skirt made out of a pair of jeans that Greta has out grown. She's a tall girl and all of her jeans are too short now so... I cut off the legs and added a skirt.

Now that I finished it I think it could be a few inches shorter but gathering material is not my gift. I find it very frustrating. I am sure there is some really neat trick that makes it easier but until then... Greta can wear a skirt that could be a few inches shorter.

To The Market

Here are the most recent totes who are looking for a good home. I am thinking about putting some on ETSY. I have never tried to sell there before but it might be time to have a new adventure.

Right now my fav is the brown and black paisley with the tiger stripe lining. It looks so cool.

I have others that I have used for years - one is over five years old and looks great. If you can lift it, they can hold it. Plus, I just throw them in the wash when they get dirty.

My next sewing project is re-purposing a pair of jeans for Greta that have gotten too short. I am going to make a skirt with them... I hope. (fingers crossed) I'll post the skirt when I get it finished, hopefully this weekend.