eating elephant ears redux

Going to the fair has really become our annual thing. I mean if you're going to have an annual thing for your family it should probably involve petting baby goats and eating fried exotic things and strapping your babies to whiplash machines and fresh lemonade and THE FAIR HAS ALL OF IT! There's just something super magic about the fair coming to town. Also there are amazing quilts and a model train conductor showcase (which we were super disappointed to not be able to find this year because Loretta kind of lost her mind in the building that has all the hobbyist displays). It seems two year olds get pretty bored by quilt shows right around naptime. Who knew? She announced it was time to head for the hills, went limp in my arms, yowled, threw one shoe into a crowd in one direction, kicked the other shoe into a massage lady's booth, and tossed her new toy cow under a guy's wheelchair for good measure... all at the same time. Deep-fried gin where were you when I needed you? That was when we called it a day. But before that we had so much fun...

Loretta tried so hard to get her hands on baby goats. Otto carried the annual Muth Family Elephant Ear to our picnic table and then a few minutes later was completely dusted in sugar from the eyebrows down. Loretta won a prize cow and went on her very first ride.

Otto's favorite part was the fun house. Loretta's was the hand-dipped corndog. Rob's was the ferris wheel that he rode with Otto who is tall enough for the ferris wheel this year for the first time. Mine was seeing all the animals and having a good old-fashioned fun time out in the sunshine with my favorite people on the planet.

eating elephant ears

sure, i talk a good game about eating some fair eats at the fair, then Otto comes along and puts the smack down...

kid ate the bejeezus outta that "elephant ear" which i'd always known as fry bread and who cares what you call it, you eat it, you eat it all, fool! then you eat the corn!

then you corn dog photo bomb!

then you make a terrible mistake and decide against chasing this all down with some frozen NY cheesecake on a stick. which you shall regret for days and days and days.

food. happy food.

we also met up with Ot's sweet friend Hazel and hit the kiddie rides. Otto's fair face makes my heart go pitter patter.

so much fun. i could watch Otto at the fair all day. and can't wait til next year when we can maybe take Loretta on a tame ride or two. also hopefully next year she won't demand to eat just so she can be all distracted by fair things and expose the mom's boob to the fair air over and over as she looks all around but still insists she must eat and also, wait, distracted, boob exposure, and tearing away of the coverup blankie many many times, but no really, hungry, except wait, this person hasn't glimpsed your boob yet, must eat, cannot focus, eat, just kidding, eat eat, but no, but yes, hello here's my mom's boob guy dressed like a mattress, i am hungry, no i am not... and so on. because that part was less fun. also while she was doing that Otto totally bogarted ALL THE FOOD.

for reals though, i just love that we're making this an annual family tradition, and Eugene's county fair is just the right size. A+

weekend odds and ends

this weekend has been all about simple times with the kids. we are just starting to box things up for the move in 2 weeks. we are resting up for a weekend in Portland next weekend, moving the following, and my parents will be visiting the weekend after. so this weekend was intentionally boring (but in a really good way). some odds and ends...

i made blackberry cobbler and boy did it turn out amazing! instead of making the cobble (<-- o_O) i placed trader joes buttermilk biscuit halves on top of the blackberry filling (which was just blackberries, sugar, cornstarch per Joy of Cooking's directions). the glaze was agave & sugar. baking happened Saturday morning and by bedtime every last crumb was gone.

hubs does not like fruit-based desserts so he got the leftover biscuits. have at!

Otto woke up at 5:30 am both days because he is a lunatic. Saturday was my day to sleep in. this morning i got up with him and we played potato heads, legos, blocks, and pirates all morning.

and upset in the barn.

and paper animal crafts.

not to be left out of the yummy food eating, Et dined on sweet potato puree. she loves to eat!

now we are waiting for our homemade almond/cinnamon ice cream to set and are heading out to pick more blackberries for a topping. eat eat eat eat eat! and pack pack pack pack pack. hope your weekend is treating you to as much good food and sweet faces as we've got going over here ♥

where a kid can be a kid

there is a litmus test you can use to determine if your kid is officially a kid (and not an alien and definitely no longer a half baby/half toddler). the test --> take them to Chuck E. Cheese. if they run around like a chicken on 4 Loko for three hours, scarfing pizza, dancing, and throwing a pirate's bounty of tokens into blinky machines that spit out tickets you can use to buy plastic slinkies and temporary tattoos? you've got a kid. if they try to shoot you with a raygun? throw a cup of water on them! aliens hate that. so sayeth Mel Gibson.

my "kid". or should i say my "kids"...

can i just tell you how sad i was to not get to partake in this pizza? like drooling-out-my-tears level 10 (on a scale of 10) sadness. stupid gall bladder motha effa! and then like three lines worth of this %$+!@!!!!!!!. Chuck E Cheese's pizza is a new-and-improved recipe too... and the boys had no qualms about eating it in my face either, jerks. love em, but come onnnnn! cut mama a break. buy her some shoes. give her a backrub. something.

ok, the fact that Otto wanted to ride this carousel 5 (five!) times in a row? that kinda equals a backrub for my soul.

and whenever he legitimately won tickets -- this is kind of a funny thing, because on a lot of the games you just throw a token in, some contraptiony thing happens, and then random tickets spit out -- but whenever Ot legitimately won tickets, like above, he was so proud he would grab his tickets and run all the way across the restaurant to the stage and show Chuck E! omggggggg it was the cutest -->

unfortunately, Mr. Cheese was resting a lot of the time and wouldn't look. haha. Ot didn't seem to mind.

we had so much fun! and my kid got to be a kid (remember when that was the Showbiz Pizza motto?). i used to have a Showbiz album i got on my birthday and i would play it over and over and over again and sing along in this deep bear voice, "Happppy Happpppy Birthday Babeeeeeeee" to my little record player. the hot thing to collect back then was little plastic charms and i used my tickets to buy an Oreo charm with a bite taken out of it and another charm of a tube of lipstick. ack, remember charms!!!???

-lindsey
note: lucky ducks that we are, we were given a complimentary meal and tokens in exchange for my writing an honest post about our experience and the new pizza recipe at Chuck E. Cheese's. the opinions stated are mine all mine. 

♥ tomorrow is wednesday, and thursday comes afterwards ♥

today is tuesday! we so excited!

just a quick little drop-in to share a tuesday high-five with y'all. my favorite dayyyyy!

on the agenda today:
- Little Gym with the little dude
- smoothies? i think we'll definitely need smoothies
- drop off mega donations pile (feels so nice to clean house)
- Target for packing tape and other moving supplies (egad! we leave in less than 3 weeks!)
- muffin making
- naps all around

heck to the yeah :) i'm also going to try taking a few pictures with our oldish Kodak 6.1 mega pixels. crossing my fingers the pictures are great. otherwise i may be on here soon asking you guys recommendations on a great digital point-and-shoot in the $250 dollar range. but for now, crossing fingers this old cam does a good job!

xo,
Lindsey

dice dice dice... isn't that nice?

We invented a super easy little dice game that has been keeping Otto (and mama) pretty entertained lately and I thought I'd share. It's totally age-appropriate for Ot (who is almost 2 1/2) and is a way to work with numbers, patterns, sorting, etc. Plus it's fun!

Warning: This is sooo not one of those "oh my god the blogger did something really crafty and cute and it's an heirloom forever keepsake piece of crafty amazingness" posts (I'm not good for those very often). I guess if you crocheted the cards instead of making them out of paper? Ummm anyways... This is, in fact, a "throw it away do your part and recycle it when you're done" post --> as you'll see at the bottom of the post that's pretty much what we did. In short - It's just this fun, easy little game we made to engage with the kiddo.

dice dice dice!

1. After you make 6  playing cards as shown below (one for each side of the dice, I used 4x6 index cards) then you pick one card and roll the dice

2. Then together, look at what you rolled and find the ones that match the card.

3. Then either keep rolling the rest til it's all dice that match or what we do is... Otto really likes to manipulate the dice and find the right number. Then sit back and admire your work!

Easy peasy fun, right? Otto takes so much pride in the cards once we've "found" all the right dice. Here is a little graphic I did up so you can see how simple the cards are...

 Of course fun dice games can quickly turn into crafty sticker fun projects. ps. Check out Ot's milk-face, awww...

So sticker fun was fun too! And I can remake the cards again in two shakes whenever we want to play again.

What do you think? I love coming up with imaginative play and games like this. Do you guys have games like this that you play at home with your kids? If so, please share! We're always looking for new, easy fun learning games to play at home.

xo,
Lindsey

a little afternoon project

I meant to post this last night but we were out rocking & rolling with Elmo and Super Grover til way past Otto's bedtime. By the time we got home at 9pm my little child was a puddle of overwhelmed (yet happy) goo. So were his parents. We zonked.

Earlier in the day we did a little project to keep Ot occupied while he impatiently waited for 5pm when we could leave for dinner & muppets. Here is proof that $1 (or one awesome baby penpal who sends your kid cool stuff) can equal a seriously fun afternoon project. Here is also proof that hoarders who save their kiddo's baby food jars have reason to do so - projects! Husbands who call said hoarders "creepy hoarder weirdos", please take note.

Ok, he's obviously got Elmo-on-the-brain. Anticipation = distraction. But for reals, this was a super fun project. Ot would watch each capsule as we poured the water in one by one. Each time I'd say, "what do you think this one will be?" and he would say, "a really big duck!"

every. time. ha.

What fun! Have I mentioned that Tuesdays (my day with Otto each week) are my favorite days? They are my favorite favorite days. Now we just need a project to do with our spongey farm friends. Ideas?

xo,
Lindsey

AZ Peoples - Fun Family Event To Support JDRF on October 30 (Tempe Town Lake)

Mark your calendars for this fun & fundraising event coming up Saturday, October 30! We'll be there and if anyone would like to meet up with us to walk, playdate & do fun activities with the kiddos, dance party to live bands, and have a morning picnic just let me know. The more the merrier! ps. It's free.

Kids Interactive Activities   *   Local Bands   *   Face Painting   *   Rides

Tempe Town Lake

Registration Opens at 7:30 am

Walk begins at 9 am

A very close family friend, Jenna Smith, is the Development Coordinator for this event. Jenna was diagnosed with type 1 (aka juvenile diabetes) as an adult and became active with the JDRF as a volunteer. In fact, she became so empassioned about the cause that she eventually moved from volunteer to employee and now works full-time to further the JDRF's efforts to raise awareness and donations to fund research towards a cure.

This is a FREE EVENT. Additionally, there is an opportunity to raise money for the event by setting a fundraising goal and asking friends & family to donate. 

My family will be walking on Team Jenna on October 30. You are welcome to join us! And if you do please let me know so that we can figure out a place for us to meet up! But otherwise, please consider signing up individually.

If you have questions or would like additional information please feel free to contact me directly.

Also - Tucsonans! There is a Reid Park Walk scheduled for November 6. My family hasn't yet decided if we'll be doing that walk as well, but for more information on the Tucson event, here is a link.

-Lindsey

Thrift Score!

Few things make me happier than scoring something really really super unique and awesome for Otto and paying, like, nothing for it. Twice recently we've gotten some amazing "thrift scores" and I just wanted to share.

We found this Ryan's Room fire station set at the Tucson new/used children's boutique, Lil' Traders.  It's in near-perfect condition and came with a firehouse, firetruck, 8 firefighters, and loads of furniture and accessories. It's almost entirely made of wood!

I looked it up online and had we purchased this new it would have cost about $150! Lil' Traders was selling the whole caboodle for $33 and we used trade credit to buy it so our out of pocket cost was $0.

$0 = Score!

My friend Kate, who is also a contributer to this blog, found this Radio Flyer Retro Rocket at the thrift store. It needed a spit-shine but is now in perfect condition including all the buttons for sounds, nifty thrifty! I looked it up online and had we purchased this new it would have cost about $50-70! Kate thrift scored it for $5 - hot damn!

$5 = Score!

What are your all-time favorite thrift scores? I have so many but these are my most recent triumphs. My all-time fave, though, was a lime green Kurt Cobain-style cardigan I got in the 11th grade for $2!

-Lindsey

Confession: I Throw Away My Husband's Dirty Socks

Theresa from Rock On Mommies launched Pet Peeve Monday today and I'm in love with her idea! Getting out the negative rants early in the week so you can focus on the lovely stuff; it's a great concept. So I racked my brain thinking of all the things that annoy me in this world. There are thousands, not the least of which are teenagers (yup, just teenagers in general, that's how I know I'm getting old at 32), or people who don't smile or say hi back to Otto when we're at the store or park (effing jerks), but my biggest pet peeve, the one that takes the cake, is finding dirty socks strewn loosey-goosey around my home! The perp: my darling dearest husband of 13 years, who, for reasons I can't really explain right now, I'm going to refer to as "Pepper".

I could go on and on about the years of begging, pleading, writing sternly worded notes on paper, writing sternly worded notes in sharpie on the socks themselves, holding socks for ransom, freaking out, and even crying that I have sadly waded through trying to convince Pepper that it is rude, dirty, inconsiderate, and just disgusting (and actually makes him a bad person) to leave his dirty socks sprinkled around the house. Nothing got through. Until the day I started throwing his socks away...

At first I didn't tell him. It just felt so good. I'd see the socks lying there and instead of picking them up and throwing them in the hamper, as I'd always done in the past (basically just giving him fresh ammo for the next time), instead, I'd pick those stupid socks up and throw them away! My heart would race; it was thrilling! And not another word was said. 

This went on for weeks. Until one day he finally noticed that he really didn't have any socks left. There were no man socks in the house.

He confronted me. I fessed. He was shocked. I was electrified! We both laughed. He couldn't believe it. I felt awesome!

That was about four years ago. I think the last time I threw one of Pepper's socks away was last week. That's right, he didn't stop. Buuuuut, he's definitely toned it down. And I still get a thrill throwing his socks away. I love it! I know it's totally wasteful and stupid, but it's our balance and it makes me happy. I used to be sour and unhappy every time I saw one of those things in my home. Now I get a huge smile on my face! It means I get to be devilish! So I guess I turned my justifiable peeve into a creepy fetish but who cares, haha.

Peeve vented. Thanks Theresa! And shout out to @EricaZHR another Pet Peeve Monday supporter!

So what are your pet peeves? And how do you deal with them?

-Lindsey

CLOSED - This Ain't Your Mama's Review & It's Not Your Mother's Giveaway! Fonzie!

Not Your Mother's - Styling Products...

Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray - 2 Reviews:

We were sent 2 bottles of Not Your Mother's "Beach Babe" Texturizing Sea Salt Spray to review and this worked out perfectly because I was headed to the San Diego beaches to visit my mama friend Annie. I brought along a bottle to try out while there & then left it with Annie so she could try it out and write her own review. I kept the 2nd bottle at home and I'm not sharing! I love it!

Note that Annie and I have completely different kinds of hair so although we both have positive reviews, it's nice to note that this spray worked well for both of our hair types.

Annie's Beach Babe Summation:

Not Your Mother's "Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray" touts itself as giving your locks an I-spent-the-morning-at-the-beach allure. Which indeed it does, as I witnessed on the waving tresses of the lovely Lindsey when she and her family were visiting us here in San Diego. I, however, have no natural wave to speak of. Also, I always wear my hair up in a bun or chignon as I have a super-strong ten month old son who LOVES to pull it! I wouldn't normally pick this product for myself for the aforementioned reasons, but it turns out it is great for me! In addition to being super straight, my hair is also super fine and slippery, and it is constantly falling out of its 'do. When I use this spray, it adds a nice texture to my hair so that when it is in its perpetual up-do it stays put--amazing! Without the spray, it falls out all day long. A real pain. "Beach Babe" has a nice limey, coconut scent that floats around your head, not overbearing, just light and tasty. In conclusion: a keeper.

My Beach Babe Experience:

I thought it would be more fun to give my review in pics. So I documented my hair stylings the other day and plus I'm getting all crazy with the photo editor lately so it gave me an excuse to go nuts on these! So here's my review:

In other words, I really love it! It smells like summertime: coconut, salt, and flowery sweet.

How to Buy It:

You can purchase the whole Not Your Mother's line of products on the DeMert Brands website HERE. 

How to Win Your Choice of 2 Not Your Mother's Products:

The Giveaway - 1 winner will get their choice of 2 styling products from the Not Your Mother's line:

- She's a Tease - volumizing hairspray

- All Eyes On Me - shape & shine hairspray

- Beach Babe - texturizing sea salt spray

- Beat The Heat - thermal styling shield spray

- Smooth Moves - frizz control hair cream

- Kinky Moves - curl defining hair cream

How to Enter:

- Mandatory First Entry - leave a comment telling me which 2 Not Your Mother's products you would choose if you won. It's that easy!

Additional Entry Opportunities:

- Follow Not Your Mother's on Twitter (2 bonus entries) (if you already follow that counts too)

- Follow @OttosMomBlogs on Twitter (2 bonus entries) (if you already follow me that counts too)

- Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this page in your tweet. In your comment below make sure to put a link to your tweet (up to 3 bonus entries per day - 1 per tweet - 30 mins apart or more please)

- Like Not Your Mother's on Facebook (2 bonus entries) (if you already like them that counts too)

- Like TidbitsParenting on Facebook (2 bonus entries) (if you already like us that counts too)

- Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect (2 bonus entries) (if you already follow us that counts too!)

- Grab the TidbitsParenting badge (on the right) and in your comment leave a link to your badged up blog homepage (4 bonus entries) (if you've already got the badge that counts too)

Please Note:
Just remember to leave a comment for EACH entry. For example, if you follow us on Facebook since that's worth 2 bonus entries make sure you leave 2 comments for that.

Make sure that I can reach you if you win - via email or Twitter. We will contact the winner on September 1 and they will have 48 hours to claim the prize or we will choose a different winner.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on August 31st. We will use Random.org to choose a winner and will verify that the winning entrant has played by the rules so it only makes sense to be honest!

The opinions expressed here are 100% my own and the fabulous Annie's.

AND THE WINNER IS VHUBLER WITH COMMENT #41! CONGRATS! WE'LL CONTACT THE WINNER VIA EMAIL!

- Lindsey