Custom Costumes

Oct 15th, 2010

If you do not have your kid’s costumes together by now, you need to get crackin’.  Last year, I waited until one week before Halloween to get the accessories for my little bumblebee.  Big mistake.  I strolled into Target and to my surprise all traces of Halloween were gone, replaced by a full-blown Christmas extravaganza.  I was left scrambling.  If you find yourself in a similar situation this year, Etsy and Martha Stewart have got you covered…


The Beehive

Don’t have long hair?  Fine.  Braid yarn and fasten in to shorter hair.


Enjoy your Tater Tot.

…without the added guilt of carbs.


Mad Men inspired and age appropriate glam girls.


baby sushi

I think I am going to have another baby just to put them in this costume.


Clingy baby anyone?

Baby Sock Spider & Mama


Double Trouble

Absolutely perfect for twins, best friends or sisters.


Masked Owl

What a hoot.

 

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

Rejected Children’s Books

Oct 14th, 2010

I am in a bit of a silly mood today and felt like passing it on.  Here are a few children’s book titles that didn’t quite make it to the shelves…

Sammi Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her

Garfield Gets Feline Leukemia

Strangers Have the Best Candy

Mommy Drinks Because You Cry

The Little Sissy Who Snitched

Some Kittens Can Fly

Making Grown-Up Friends On The Internet

Where the Wild Things Grow Weed

Mr. Rogers; Behind The Smiles

Pop! Goes the Hamster…and Other Great Microwave Games

The Surprise at the Bottom of the Pool

Bert and Ernie; The Drug Years

Mommy’s Got A New Baby To Love

Hope these brought a smile or at least a smirk to your face.

Images by bloggerdad.com

 

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

Hot Mama of the Week: Seleta Hayes Howard

Oct 11th, 2010

Name:  Seleta Hayes Howard

Kids: Two boys 11 & 4 and Two girls 8 & 6

Occupation: Wife, Mom + Lifestyle blogger- Simply Seleta

Hometown: Atlanta


H&H interview with Seleta:

1. What are the top 3 items in your grocery cart?

Frozen organic blueberries (morning smoothies), locally grown organic kale (kids love it sauteed) and free range eggs.

2. What are you reading (honestly)?

Mostly Dr. Suess at bedtime with our budding young readers, ha haaa.  But I just finished reading The Help and loved it!!!

3. What is your guilty pleasure when you get a break from the kids?

Champagne and starlit beach with my husband.

4. What would we be surprised to find in your purse?

Carrots in a ziploc bag for the horses my daughter and I ride every week.

5. What is your favorite reality TV show?

Wipeout.  A hilarious family show to watch together.  We cook big bowls of popcorn, pile up on the sofa and laugh and laugh…

6. What is your cocktail of choice?

Peach Bellini.

7. What is the funniest thing your kids have said or done lately?

Two doozies that reference how old my kids must think I am.  First one: “Mommy, were you born in the 1800′s?”  Second: “Did you know Jesus when he was alive?”  I laughed pretty hard on that one!

8. What is your favorite quotation?

“You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution”

9. What are you currently working out to on your iPod?

“Goodies” by Ciara

10. Who is your favorite celebrity mom and why?

Andie MacDowell.  From what I’ve read, she’s carefully guarded her kids from the media and raised them on a farm in her hometown to keep their life simple and real. Although her three children are now grown, I always had the impression that she was far more dedicated to her family versus her ego or career. I think that strong family connection is the basis for raising happy, healthy children. I was inspired by her answer in an interview where she was asked “what has been the highlight of your life so far?” She replied, “I definitely have to say my children.”

11. What is something most people don’t know about you?

I love catching frogs.  If we’re driving home at night and it’s raining, I usually ask my husband stop the car so I can grab a few hoppers in the street to bring home.  The kids will play with them, name them, and sometimes make them race each other.  Then we turn them loose the next morning.  A couple of weeks ago, one little frog happened to escape a jar in my son’s room during the night and greeted me in my bathroom early the next morning.  That was a laugh!

12. What is your secret to staying Hot & Healthy?

I’m a big believer that our inner thoughts and reactions are directly connected to our health. I try to end each night or start each day reading something positive for a good frame of mind. I surround myself with positive, non-judging people and try my best to experience daily gratitude.  Life obviously isn’t perfect so it’s challenging at times…but so important in experiencing genuine happiness. As far as exercise goes, our family is very active.  I tend to rebel from any type of mundane routine, so everyday I try to do something different than the day before.  Variety is so much more stimulating than doing the same thing over and over.  Whether it’s the elliptical machine at the gym, jumping rope to my favorite tunes, handstands, stretching, or English horseback riding with my eight year old. I also teach ballet twice a week – once for my six year old and her friends and another at our local charter middle school.


 

Written by Lea Barlow • 1 Comment

Creepy Cocktails

Oct 8th, 2010

The kids get candy on Halloween and we get cocktails. Sounds fair to me.  In keeping with my Friday Halloween theme, here are 5 spooktacular drinks to enjoy from now until the big day…

Black Widow

Cream de Cassis, Vodka, triple sec, fresh lemon juice, Pomegranate juice, licorice strings

For two cocktails (or one cocktail shaker): 2 parts cassis, 3 parts vodka, 1 part triple sec, 1 part lemon juice, 1 part pomegranate. Just think in fractions: for the Black Widow, your shaker is 8 parts. Go from there. Too much of this, too little of that: trust me, the spider really won’t care one way or another.

Really, the key here is using the black liquorish strings as a garnish. - savvyhousekeeping.com



Eyeball Highball

14 medium radishes, 7 pimiento-stuffed olives, halved crosswise, 16 ounces gin or vodka, 1 ounce vermouth

Trim stem and root ends of radish. Use a paring knife to scrape red skin from radish, leaving just enough to give a veiny appearance. With a small melon baller, cut a hole in radish, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Fit an olive half, cut-side facing out, into hole. Place radish in ice-cube tray. Repeat with remaining radishes. Fill tray with water; freeze.

  • Mix vodka or gin with vermouth; stir with ice. Divide eyeball ice cubes among four glasses. Strain martini; pour into glasses, and serve.  -Martha Stewart Recipes


    • Dark & Spooky

    Black decorating sugar, for the glass,  Juice of 1 lime, plus 1 lime wedge, 1/4 cup dark rum, 1/4 cup ginger beer or all-natural ginger ale,  1 black gummy spider

    Spread out the black sugar on a small plate. Rub the lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass; dip the glass in the black sugar, then fill with ice. Spread out the black sugar on a small plate. Rub the lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass; dip the glass in the black sugar, then fill with ice. Combine the rum and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake well. Carefully strain into the glass, minding the sugar on the rim. Top the drink with ginger beer and add the gummy spider. - foodnetwork.com


    Shrunken Head Cider

    2 cups lemon juice, 2 tablespoons coarse salt, 8 large Granny Smith apples, 32 whole cloves, 2 gallons apple cider, 2 (12-ounce) cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed, 2 cups spiced rum (optional)

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together lemon juice and salt; set aside.
  • Peel apples and cut each in half through the stem; remove seeds and core. Using a sharp paring knife, carve a face, as desired, on the rounded side of each apple half. Place apples in lemon mixture for one minute; transfer to paper towels to drain.
  • Place apples, face-side up on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven. Let bake until apples are dry and begin to brown around the edges, about 90 minutes. Remove apples from baking sheets and press cloves into the “eye” sockets.
  • Combine cider, lemonade, and rum (if using) in a large punchbowl; float shrunken heads on top.
  • Martha Stewart Recipes


    • Test Tube Shooters
    Instead of filling the test tubes with the pictured tomato soup, go with this bloody mary recipe for a hot and spicy shooter.


    *Happy Friday*

     

    Written by Lea Barlow • 3 Comments