A Touch of Christmas Decor

I came across the most simple Christmas decoration on Pinterest made with a plastic frame, pretty paper and a few embellishments, but I made a mistake and forgot to pin it. Remembering the general idea, I browsed through some old Christmas cards until I found one I liked, glued the card onto some scrap paper and slipped it into a cheap frame that I picked up at Big Lots for a dollar. I then embellished the outside of the frame with a few 3D stickers I had tucked away in my holiday crafting supplies.

Here is the finished product. Not bad for a buck, right?



The picture kinda sucks and you can't really see the 3D effect. Sorry.


Speaking of Christmas decor, Katelyn and I went to Tai Pan Trading this past week and I spotted these...

I thought of a variety of cute ways I could arrange the blocks, so I went ahead and purchased them. However, when I got home and took off the protective plastic, this is what happened...

The darn blocks DO NOT come apart. So much for the cute little horizontal arrangements I had in my head!

Anyway, I ended up placing the fixed, vertical blocks in my window sill next to this little bird.

I suppose it's kinda cute? 



If any of you Pinterest fans are familiar with the resource of my frame inspiration, please let me know so I can give the person proper credit.

There's a Teeny Weeny Something that's so Small You Almost Can't See It

Wanna know what's fun? Running errands in the car, on black Friday, while listening to Cody sing this song, word for word. The only exception...Cody added "there's a teeny weeny something that's so small you almost can't see it" after flee on the wing.



Do any of you other moms want to run away with me? Barbados is sounding really good about now. :)

It's Thanksgiving. Let the Good Times Roll!

Cartoon courtesy of swag bucks.

Autism and Chit-Chat

The following conversation took place between Cody and me this evening...

Cody- Do you remember that squeaky ride at the Lane County Fair?

Me- No. There were a lot of rides at the fair. I don't remember a squeaky one though.

Cody- I wish your memory was as good as mine.

Me- Me too, but sometimes I'm glad it isn't.

Cody- How come?

Me- Because there are things that I'd rather forget, like times you were in the hospital and stuff.

...long pause

Cody- I just as soon forget taking temperatures in my butt.

I suppose that shows his age. When did they stop using rectal thermometers? The late '80's?

Etnies and Autism Speaks

I was looking at shoes online and learned that Etnies, a brand my boys have worn for years, has teamed up with Autism Speaks. Please take a moment and look at the "Autism Speaks" shoes on etnies.com. A portion of the proceeds of Etnies Autism Speaks Collection will be donated to Autism Speaks to help raise awareness, fund autism research and develop resources and treatments for those on the spectrum.

I also encourage you to watch a short video on Etnies Blog about the co-branded footwear.



These shoes would make terrific gifts for Christmas. I know Cody will be getting at least one pair from Santa.

Go Etnies!!!

Tip for Putting on Mascara

Do NOT separate mascara clumps with a sewing needle.

I have been doing this for as long as I can remember and never had a problem... until this morning. Two or three of my eyelashes were clumping together, so I pulled out my needle to separate them and accidently poked myself in the eye.

This is what I looked like after the doctor dropped orange dye into my eye...

You can see in the picture that the skin under my eye is stained and my make-up is trashed.

Here's the good news:

1) I found out that eyes heal quickly, so the pain should go away after a couple of days.

2) The eye doctor gave me some sample anti-biotic and lubricating eye drops, therefore I'm saving money by not having to buy prescriptions.

3) Dr. Croft made me feel a little bit better by informing me that he sees women in his office about once a week for the very same thing.

Autism: Cody's Fixation on Chuck and Larry

Cody, my thirty year old who enjoys watching Sesame Street Old School and Saturday morning cartoons on Qubo, loves the movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. For those of you who may not be familiar with this film, it is about best friends, Chuck and Larry (Adam Sandler and Kevin James), who are fire fighters in Brooklyn. The jist of it is, Chuck owes Larry (a widower) for saving his life and Larry ends up cashing in on Chuck's favor by asking Chuck to pose as his gay partner so Larry's kids will get his pension.

I don't recall the first time Cody watched "Chuck and Larry", as he calls it. We must have rented it initially, but Casey ended up giving the movie to Cody a couple of Christmases ago. Cody will sit through the entire movie just so he can hear the music they play at the end during the credits. When I ask Cody what he likes about Chuck and Larry, he says "Pretty in Pink and Vanilla Ice's virgin of it." I'm guessing he means version, not virgin.


The other day Katelyn, trying to keep Cody entertained, asked him if he'd like to watch a movie. Of course he wanted to watch Chuck and Larry. Katelyn tried her hardest to persuade Cody to watch anything else. She read off every single DVD in the house, even putting a special emphasis on Jungle Book because she wanted to watch that one, but there was no talking Cody out of it.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is one of Adam Sandler's less raunchy movies. Regardless, it is full of sexual innuendo and Cody's siblings think it's freakin' hilarious that their blind, autistic brother, who has no idea what the movie is all about, finds it so entertaining.

Thanksgiving Treat Mix

Here's a super cute idea for Thanksgiving...

Source: caramelpotatoes.com via Rachelle on Pinterest

This is What Happens When Cody and His Dad Pair Up

Cody has a Speak and Spell. For those of you who may not know what a Speak and Spell is, here's a picture...

The Speak and Spell is very educational but awfully LOUD. Cody thinks it's hilarious to ask if he can sleep with it. I always tell him "No. If you accidentally turn it on during the night, it will wake everybody up." His dad, on the other hand, jokingly goes behind my back and tells Cody "Go ahead Code. I don't care if you sleep with it." knowing full well that Cody won't go against my wishes.

Night before last, we went through the aforementioned ritual, but this time, when I wasn't around, Don told Cody to go hide the Speak and Spell in his bedroom, under his pillow. Later on, I walked by Cody's room and this is what I saw...

The Speak and Spell was indeed under the pillow, but I think maybe Don needs to work with Cody on hiding things a little more discreetly. :)


Click on Hide and Seek the Autistic Way if you'd like to read more about Cody and hiding.

Look What We Found in our Ice Cream...

Anybody care to guess what that big chunk is and the flavor of the ice cream?



Pomegranate Jelly

Ingredients-

5 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 package powdered pectin
7 cups white cane sugar


1- Make the Juice. Cut open a pomegranate and submerge it in a large bowl filled with water. Remove the seeds underwater; they will sink to the bottom while the white membrane holding them together will float. Discard the peel and membranes. Strain the seeds and put them in a blender. Pulse the blender so that the seeds are broken up. Place a mesh strainer (I actually placed cheesecloth inside a plastic strainer) over a bowl and pour the seed mixture through the strainer. Use a rubber spatula to help press the pulp against the strainer as to extract as much juice as possible.

*This is a good stopping point if you are tired or short on time. The juice will keep in the refrigerator or freezer for a few days, until you are ready to make the jelly.


*If this is your first time water-bath canning, you may want to watch the YouTube clip below before you start. It is very helpful.


2- Prepare canning jars. Seep the clean, empty canning jars in boiling water (the video says not to bring the water to a boil, but I do) for several minutes. Boil a few cups of water in a separate kettle and pour over the lids in a small bowl to sterilize.


3- Measure pomegranate juice and lemon juice in a 6-quart pan. Add pectin, stir and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Reach a full rolling boil, that cannot be stirred down, and add sugar. Boil hard for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand for a minute and skim off foam.


4- Fill jars to 1/2" of the top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids.


5- Finish canning. Place jelly jars, not touching, on a rack in a tall pot of boiling water. The water should cover the top of the jars by one to two inches. Boil for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on your altitude, then remove from the water and let jars cool. Check seals, the lids should be sucked down (you'll hear a popping noise as the jelly cools). Let the jars sit overnight. Jars will keep on the shelf, but need to be refrigerated once they are opened.


Yield - 8-9 half pints.

A Little Humor to Get You Through the Weekend

The Right Things to Say to Parents of Special Needs Kids

Mark and Bonnie's blog, The Fragile X Files, is one of my favorites. When I read their post, The RIGHT Things to Say to Parents of Special Needs Kids, I knew I had to share. I hope you will click on the link and take a minute to read it.

Possible Passion for Pinterest

Thanks to the girls at Carolina HeartStrings I am now a member of Pinterest.

Pinterest, an online pinbaord that allows you to organize and share all of the things you love, has taken a distinctive approach to get people interested in the site – you have to be invited to participate. You can request an invitation right on the site, but it takes a long time before you will get one. You are better off doing what I did and ask a friend who is already on Pinterest to send you an invitation.

If Pinterest sounds like something you would be interested in, the following link will take you to Pleasant Home, one of my favorite blogs, where you can pick up some great tips and pointers:

A Little HOW TO on Pinterest

25 Ways to Tie a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes

Here ya go ladies! 'Tis the season to wear scarves and I found the most genius video on YouTube. You can thank me by leaving comments and following me on Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs. :)