Home made pore strips

I love Biore pore strips. I love slapping them on my nose and then peeling them off and examining my face in the mirror. There was even a time when Husband and I would sit with strips on our noses and then compare what was stripped out of our pores.

See, single friends? This is what married life is. So glam.

But those strips are PRICEY. And I'm....thrifty. So when I found this little recipe for homemade pore strips, I knew I was going to try it.

What you need:

microwavable bowl

a clean Popsicle stick or something with which to apply the goop (I used the handle end of a plastic knife)

1 tbsp clear gelatin. (I guess you could use green or something, but unless you want to look like a distant, weaker relative of The Hulk, I wouldn't recommend it.)

11/2-2 tbsp milk

Mix the milk and the gelatin together in your bowl.

Throw it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds (15 was a smidge too hot for me)

Apply the goop directly onto your face, wherever you want to strip your pores.

Wait.

I'd say after 15 minutes you are set, but basically when it feels like your face is frozen like a pond in a cold snap and will crack if you move it, you're good to go.

Peel it off. (Yes it can pull a little, sort of like a band-aid.)

Admire the results.

That's it!

I will say that I don't know if it was quite as good as Biore's version, but it was quite effective and a lot cheaper. Let me know if you try it!

A Peanut by any other name...

Peanut asked me today "Mommy, why didn't you name me Rosalinda? It's SO beautiful."

I explained to her that her daddy and I spent a lot of time thinking about what her name should be and ultimately we chose what we thought was the most beautiful name for her.

To which she shook her head and said with a sigh, "You must not have thought about Rosalinda, then."

Sunshine

So this morning, after dropping the big two off at school, the little girls and I headed to the grocery store. It was very quiet in the store and the only folks we encountered was a lady shopping and several clerks stocking the shelves. We all nodded politely as we passed.

 But in the third aisle the man stocking the shelves said "Good morning." And so I answered. "Good morning. How are you?" He said he was fine, thank you and asked how I was. I was also fine. Pleasantries successfully exchanged, I was moving to pass him when I noticed that BabyGirl was taking him into careful consideration and I could see she was about to say something.

 I'll be honest, I held my breath. That kid is a loose cannon; I never know what she might say. And you see, this gentleman was African American, and she's commented on that before, not in a malicious way, but in the way of a small child who's close circle mostly looks just like she does.

"Good morning. I love you. Have a nice day." She smiled and skipped off. I think the man melted into a little puddle of goo. He declared his day made and I could hear his happy chuckle all the way over in the next aisle, even a few minutes later.

 #4 will likely not remember she did this. It's been 90 minutes and it's probably already out of her mind. But I am sure the recipient of her sunshine remembers. And so do I.

 My friends and I have been talking lately about how common decency seems to have taken a hit. That people no longer remember, not only how to be polite, but sometimes even how to be civil.

I think I know someone who could teach them a lesson.

"Good morning. I love you. Have a nice day."

For My Girls (and hello out there!)

Dear Daughters,

Photo by cambiodefractal/flickr

 This has been rolling around in my brain for a few days. I saw a little something a mom wrote to her son and it had gone viral. It was pretty good, I’ll admit. And I thought to myself, well, what would I say to my girls, then?

 So here it is. Some of it might be profound (if I’m lucky) and some of it might just sound odd. Some of it is borne of painful first-hand experience, and some of it is just based on things I’ve seen and people I have known. I’m also quite sure it is incomplete. I’m only 38…there is still a lot I don’t know. I’ll think the same when I am 48 and 108 and every year in between, I’m sure. But so far, this is what I’ve got, and I’m your mother, so you should listen:

 • Learn. School is important and you will learn there, but that isn’t the only place you will learn. Listen to people, watch things, observe as much as you speak. Go to museums, watch documentaries, be up on current events. Read, read, read. You’d be surprised what is fascinating when you expand your horizons.

 • Know that alone and lonely are not the same thing. Love and stay close to your family, make lots of good and fun and interesting friends. These things will keep you from loneliness, even when you are all by yourself.

 • Love your sisters and maintain a good relationship with them. They have the same memories as you, have known you your whole life and love you like crazy. They are the best support system you could ask for.

• Have at least one honorary sister. You need someone to listen when you complain about your blood sisters.

 • Love and stay close to your brother. Sometimes you need a guy hug and he will always be good for that. Plus, it’s always nice to think he could kick someone’s butt for you, even if it’s more likely he’d just spitefully let the air out of their tires.

 • Marry (or commit to, whatever you want) the person you makes your life better just by being in it. Yes, I said person. I don’t care if it’s a man or a woman. Love is gorgeous and you deserve someone who loves you the way you love him/her.

 • Don’t settle. Good enough never is, well, good enough. If you want something, go after it. There is nothing that feels as good as a true sense of accomplishment.

 • Learn how to say “No,” without feeling guilty. You don’t need to do everything everyone asks. But say yes, too, sometimes. Sometimes things you dread become the best things you do.

 • Be careful with your credit, both financially and reputation wise. Honor your agreements and contracts and promises. No one respects a flake and you won’t respect yourself if you aren't as good as your word.

 • Be true. To yourself. To family. To friends. To ideals. To causes. To beliefs. But be willing to see other sides. Life is very gray. Black and white is boring. Gray can be beautiful.

 • Don’t just hear; listen. Not everyone says what they want you to know. Listening will help you realize that. Hearing will not.

 • Call your parents. Because even if you aren't doing what I recommend here, we will still love you. We have from the moment we found out you were on the way, and we always, ALWAYS will.

 • Be happy, but know that living life well isn’t just doing what you want. Life is complicated and messy. Sometimes you have to look for the happy. But it’s there. And when you can’t find it, talk to your family. We’ll help you look.

 • Be who you are. Sometimes that’s the hardest one. Embrace your mind and your body and your soul and your quirks and your strengths and even your weaknesses. You are awesome. Not being perfect or not being the best doesn’t mean you aren’t amazing. You are. Trust me.

 • As amazing as you are, you are not better than anyone else. Eat your humble pie and digest it well.

. • Be good and remember your manners, but don’t be anyone’s doormat.

 • It’s okay to cry. Everyone feels like a good sob occasionally, and sometimes life just stinks. Let it out.

 • Keep going. You can do it, whatever it is.

 • And lastly, not all advice is good, not even mine, but I mean well. It’s like a supply of bandages: you won’t know when you’ll need it, but apply what you do need, and stash the rest for later.

I love you the morest,

Mommy

Guh

Last night was the preschool Christmas show for the two littlest girls. BabyGirl sang her heart out and rang her bells with gusto. Peanut recited her lines for "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" pretty well for a kid who refused to practice.

Then we got to the car and it was dead. So there was a scramble to stay warm and call Triple A while Husband tried to fix it and Grampy came to ferry kids home.

And I guess, in all that shuffle and scramble, perhaps their performances got lost a little, because this morning Peanut asked me this:

"Mommy, you know my show? My show with my friends? Was it....was it...was it...proud making?"

I told her it was the best show I'd ever seen. Very proud making.

Sometimes, even when they don't mean to, your kids can break your heart.

Blame

So today I found two acts of vandalism in my home.

There was drawing on a step stool and the interior of a book shelf had a tic tac toe game and some scribbling on it.

Underneath both were the words "Peanuts falt."

I'm not sure exactly how dense StinkyMan thinks we are.

But I still laughed.

Flowders

I just have to write it down, so that I never, ever, ever forget, that BabyGirl cannot say "flower" but calls them "flowders" instead.

It's just the cutest thing in the world and I want to hang on to it forever as her babydom washes away and is being replaced by little girl.

Not enough bling

Peanut was a little bit disappointed in her visit to the dentist today.

She has no cavities, got some yummy mouthwash and toothpaste, a cool tooth holder for lost teeth, a new tooth brush and some floss.

That was all well and good. Except for one thing:

"Mommy! How come I didn't get any bracelets on my teeth?!"

I guess she's been listening to her big sister worry about getting braces and simply can't understand why anyone wouldn't want some shiny bracelets.

Four is such a fun age.

Gold

This morning I caught Peanut with a sheen on her lips that can only come from one place.

"Peanut," I said sternly, "have you been in my lipstick?"

"No," she said, but she looked guilty. Plus there was a gold over gloss on her lips.

"I think you have." I responded.

"No, I haven't."

"You have very shiny lips. It looks like lipstick."

"NO! That's just from licking my lips!"

"I don't think so. It's lipstick. I can tell."

"NO! IT'S NOT! IT'S FROM LICKING MY LIPS!" Hysteria is winning, because she knows she is sunk.

"Well, unless your spit is gold, you are lying to me and that is lipstick."

"NO!" She crosses her arms defiantly and scowls. "My spit IS gold, Mama. You're wrong."

After I stopped laughing I put her in the corner.

Compound Words

StinkyMan is learning about compound words at school. He finds them fascinating and for days as been randomly asking me if certain words are compound words or just two separate words.

So at the dinner table he wanted to go around the table and everyone had to say a compound word. "Except BabyGirl" he said "because she is too little."

So he started: Gumball

Mommy: Cupcake

Curly: lunchbox

Peanut: peanut butter (she doesn't quite get it)

Husband: driveway

And then the order got lost and it was just a flurry of shouted out compound (and not so compound) words:

Schoolhouse!

Butterball!

iPhone!

butterfly!

ladybug!

chocolate milk!

rattlesnake!

earthquake!

grasshopper!

seashell!

babysit!

hamburger!

candy corn!

forklift!

Then there was a lull as we all stopped to think a bit.

And the tiniest little voice, from the tiniest little family member at the table, all of three years old, said oh-so-softly "Basketball."

Yeah. She might be smart.

It could have been a coincidence.

But we're going to go with genius instead.

Mr. P to the Rescue

Not so long ago I mentioned that my kids are gung ho to try chopsticks, but end up admitting defeat every time.

Well, a long time friend of my dad's , Mr. Palmer (and yes, I know I can call you Jim now and no, that is never going to happen) happens to know the secret to rigging up some kid friendly chopsticks and was kind enough to send us some.

The kids LOVE them and have used them twice now very successfully and with great glee.

Thanks Mr. P!

Easy Dinner

Today was a lazy Saturday. I slept in, did the bare minimum in housework, played with the kids and before I knew it, it was dinner time.

Husband had locked himself upstairs in our room to watch baseball (Go Rangers!) so dinner was just for the kids and myself. And I wasn't hungry.

Fact #1- I'm not cooking a full on meal for four short people who probably won't like or appreciate most if it anyway.

Fact #2- It was late and I'd totally lapsed in the dinner prep department.

Fact #3- I'll do anything to avoid cooking.

So I went with a standby that my kids adore. I heated up some soup, then threw this in the middle of the table:

Then I just let them pick at it like a buffet of finger foods. They think it's super cool and it adds up to almost no cooking (except the soup) and very few dishes. Super easy, super healthy, super fun. Everybody wins!

It's a boy!

My friend Heather is going to have a baby boy after having 3 girls. I needed a good way to tell her she is in for an entirely different ride than with her daughters. I stood at my computer, chatting with her online, trying to think of what to say.

Just then, like a messenger of boyhood, StinkyMan arrived at my side and said "Hey Mommy! Look at this! I can lick my armpit!" He then proceeded to do exactly that.

Congratulations, Heather. This is what you have to look forward to.

Life expectancy

Peanut: Mommy, when I marry Ryan will you buy me a wedding dress?

Mommy: Sure, Baby. I'll buy you a wedding dress.

Peanut: Oh thank you, Mommy. Try not to be dead then, okay?

Mommy: Uh, I'll work on it.

Huh?

BabyGirl: I want toilet paper and pretzels.

Make of that combination what you will. It took me a bit.

She meant "I want drawing paper and a pencil."

They are just so cute when they are still learning all the right words.

Date Day

Yesterday I took the two big kids on our annual "Summer is almost over and we will be done driving each other crazy" dates.

Up first was Curly. We indulged in some pampering, her yearly choice. We both got orange sherbet colored toes and she got a fancy flower and her nails painted too. When we were finished, she got a milkshake, I got a Diet Coke. It was great and we had a very nice time.

After I dropped Curly at her friend's house it was StinkyMan's turn (and yay for Grammy who babysat the littlest ones for me.) He, of course, opted to go to Chuck E Cheese, where he proceeded to blow through eighty coins in about an hour. He spent most of his time on one game in particular and got quite good, managing to earn well over two hundred tickets.

When we were finished, I needed to run an errand. He was less than thrilled and I felt guilty. After all, Mommy/Son date time was not supposed to be about me.

As we drove to the craft store StinkyMan spotted the mall. "Mommy?" he said in that super cute, 6 year old boy voice that melts my heart, "Can we ride the escalators at the mall?"

I debated. I really didn't want to go to the mall. But really, what a sweet, simple request. As moms, we say no to so much. Why say no to this?

"You want to go now to ride the escalators at the mall as part of your Mommy/Stinkyman time?"

"Yeah. I like riding them."

"Okay, sure. Yes. We can do that!"

He was so excited I felt bad for ever even considering saying no. So we ran the errand and headed to the mall.

Up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down. Five trips total, or ten "rides" as StinkyMan called it. We laughed, we raced, we even tried to go down the up escalator.

A few older ladies were watching us, as well as one grandpa-ish looking gentleman. We got several smiles of approval. One lady asked if we were done shopping and so I told her why we were there. She thought that was just about the sweetest thing she'd ever heard.

When we were finished, StinkyMan held my hand as we skipped back to the car. He was so happy and I was, too, because I felt like a good mommy.

But mostly I was happy because I said yes. Sometimes I think I should say yes more often. No is sometimes easier, but yes? Yes can definitely be better.

Chopsticks

The other night Husband was out of town as usual and the children and I decided to indulge in some Chinese takeout for dinner.

The kids are all into trying to use chopsticks with little to no success. It's messy and unproductive and they usually give up quickly and switch to forks.

But this time Curly was determined to give it a real go. After about twenty minutes of trying her very best and getting very little rice into her mouth she said "I don't know how Chinese people get anything done if it takes this long to eat every time. I'd be sitting at the table all day long!"

Practice makes perfect...but in our house Chinese food takes forks.

Summer training

A mom down the street and I have had a Facebook back to school countdown going all summer. At least once a week one or the other of us has posted a status update that has to to with how many days are left until school begins again.

Yesterday, Curly wanted to have other mom's daughter N come over and play. With six kids in the house and me still recovering from a semi unsuccessful weekend at the lake, I was not in the mood for any extra demands on me.

"Fine." I said "She can come over. BUT no sitting there with the TV on, no begging me for food or art projects, I don't want anything that causes me extra work. At all."

She nodded somberly. "OK" and ran off to fetch N from her house.

A few minutes later I received this hilarious Facebook message from N's mom:

Curly and N are getting ready to leave my house and Curly tells N "One thing. We can't ask my mom for anything. Nothing. She said we can't." And N goes "That's OK. My mom said I have to leave her alone. I'm not aloud to talk to her for a while."

I laughed. So glad to know I'm not the only one.

It only took us all summer to train them so well.

Preschooler

Tonight I put my baby in bed for the last time.

You see, tomorrow, she won't be a baby anymore.

She will be a preschooler.

I know, I know. At nearly three years old, she really hasn't been a baby for a while.

But she's MY baby.

And this mama is struggling a little bit.

She's the last one.

We're done with diapers. We're done with endless free days. Baby talk is over.

We're in the big time now.

Preschool.

I told myself it was no big deal. I was sure I would not cry. The last one in school is cause for celebration, right?

But when I tucked her in tonight, amongst her dollies and her Buzzy Bee Pillow Pet, I was already a little teary.

And I kissed a baby goodnight for the last time.

Because tomorrow she wakes up a preschooler.

And this mama isn't ready.

Singing in the Rain, er Sprinklers

Yesterday when the backyard sprinklers came on the two littlest girls came running.

"Mommy! Can we play in the sprinklers?!" shouted Peanut while BabyGirl just bounced up and down next to her.

"Sure. That's fine." I said and they ran off, presumably to get their swim suits.

So you can imagine my surprise when they turned up a few moments later in their slickers and rain boots, ready to get wet.

Super, super cute.