Quick & Easy Crafts --- No Such Thing!

Every time I decide to try a new craft I naively think, "This is it! This will be the one that I am good at; the one that will turn out exactly like the picture in the online tutorial." I get suckered in by articles that state "special tools and materials make this project a cinch.." They never mention that these special tools and materials will cost you an arm and a leg - and take several months to learn to use properly.

For Danielle's upcoming party I think I'm 0 for 5. Let's see... first there was the frosting fiasco. I beat the cream cheese frosting at "medium high speed for 5 minutes" exactly like the bag of confectioner's sugar instructed. I even set a timer so I wouldn't turn the mixer off early.  Only- the instructions weren't for cream cheese frosting and I ended up with a delightful cream cheese soup. It really tasted great - it just ran right off the cake. I poured it into a Ziploc bag and tossed it in the freezer. I figure it will keep and maybe I can use it to ice cookies at some point in the future.


Next I tried the oh-so-easy ballet slipper craft. Seriously? Can anyone dip stuff in melted chocolate and make it look good?!? Most of the things I try look like hairballs my cat might have coughed up. And then the gleeful DIY fairy states that next you just, "pipe on the finishing details.." Ahh! And how do I do that, exactly? My attempt using a Ziploc bag as an icing bag was less than stellar. In fact, after several tries I gave up completely on the adorable ballet slippers and decided instead to serve simple pink sugar wafers (Goya $1.99/package) - no adornment required.

And this was the best I could do!

The third thing I tried to make were the awesome marshmallow aliens. I fell victim to bad blogger syndrome when I wrote" No matter how tempting it is - don't dip them in the food coloring! They will never dry... Trust me on this one." I should have come straight out and said that when I woke up the next morning my test aliens were still so sticky from being soaked in food coloring that they had slid down their little sticks, looking like they had all been lobotomized. I should have been truthful and written that I gave up on that plan and went searching for another, less sticky method of making alien marshmallow pops.

Now imagine these several hours later - looking like they'd been impaled through the head...

Next I thought it would be nice to use up the candy melts since I'd spent $3 on them and already had lollipop sticks.  I had a lollipop mold that I'd bought last year and never used. The pictures on it were lovely. "How hard could it be?" I wondered. I looked up the instructions on line and it was rated "easy". Sounds about right for me....

Wilton's flower lollipops --

The flowers actually were quick and easy even if mine didn't look quite as nice as those on the package.

Tip: Tap the mold to get out air bubbles
or your flowers will look like bugs have gotten to them

I got cocky. I pulled out the elaborate Halloween jack o lantern mold I had also bought last year. (I must have felt particularly ambitious last fall..) I figured that it couldn't be much harder than the flowers. Ha! My poor jack o lantern pops look like The Joker had a field day with them. Despite carefully applying melted chocolate with a tooth pick I had uneven eyes, large misshapen mouths, off kilter noses - and I was following a pattern in the mold! Imagine the mayhem if I had tried to free hand those bad boys.

I didn't even waste lollipop sticks on these monstrosities.

To add insult to injury, when I unmolded them, many of the painstakingly applied chocolate details fell off! In the end I have to ask myself, why did I spend almost $15 and more than an hour's time making 16 flawed lollipops. For about the same price and amount of time I could have driven to a local chocolate shop and picked up an equal number of lovely, aesthetically pleasing chocolate pops.

For a true crafter I suppose there is value in having learned a new skill, produced something with your own hands, and used your time to make something that will bring joy to others. In my case, I have to confess that it really is all fodder for my true hobby - blogging.

If you've been keeping track You'll remember that I said that I was 0 for 5 on this party but I've only listed 4 of my craft disasters... I'm saving one for another time!

Here's to more craft experiments - and more posts. I promise to be more honest with you in the future. ;)
 

Preparing Your Home for a Home Health Care Provider

Preparing Your Home for a  Home Health Care Provider

When you decide to employ a home health aide there are a number of changes that you need to consider - both in your home and in your lifestyle. What will it be like having another person in your home for hours or even days at a time? If you are a private person it may feel like an invasion. On the other hand, for some folks its welcome companionship - someone they can rely on to visit  daily.

You need to make your home as safe as possible for both your family member and their caregiver. Remove objects that may be easily broken. Prevent tripping by removing small rugs, runners, electrical and phone cords from pathways. Place non-skid adhesive strips to non-carpeted stairs. Make sure that your home is well lit - especially stairs and hallways.

You may need to purchase items that you don't already have. Things you should have include, but aren't limited to:

• smoke detectors
• carbon monoxide detector
• nonslip bath rugs
• nonslip stickers or mat in the bathtub or shower
• grab bars by the toilet and in the shower/tub
• flame resistant potholders
• fire extinguisher

Having help when you have a family member with a disability can be a blessing. Another set of hands to help with care giving and household tasks can seem like a dream come true at first.

However, anyone who has employed a home care worker knows that the honeymoon period wears off.  My initial reaction was to treat the person like a member of the family while they were in our home.  I did this in part because I saw my parents struggle with the aides who cared from my mother.

My parents were very private people. They were brought up in a different era. The combination of these factors meant that they didn't want their live in aide dining with them. There was one fundamental problem with this idea- they only had one table. There was no where to sit and eat in the kitchen. Those poor women had to stand in the kitchen to eat their meals.

My parents wanted their aide to be "on call" but essentially out of sight. That meant that they were relegated to spending large parts of the day in their room or on the back deck, waiting for my parents to page them. Being a home health aide is a difficult, physically demanding job. The pay is poor and there are often no benefits. Adding social isolation must have made the job so much harder.

My mother was a little confused toward the end and some of her aides took advantage of her. While I was visiting one afternoon I saw her "tip" the aide five dollars three times for filing her nails that day. After my mom passed way small pieces of jewelry and other items were missing. I think that if my parents had been even a little more tolerant these small abuses might never have occurred.

On the other hand, I've learned that without some boundaries people may also take advantage of your good-nature. My daughter's aide is generally included in everything we do. She eats with us, hangs out in the living room and watches TV with us, etc .

In the past I've been so casual that people forgot they worked for us. Some have wanted to watch graphic crimes dramas with my daughter in the room. I didn't realize that one woman was using my laptop for online shopping until I went to several websites and the "Your Store" zip was set to her town. We've had aides show up with their children and their dogs.  One showed up before a job interview so she could use our shower!

In addition to making sure your aide knows what you want done, be clear about what NOT to do as well. While I don't want to create a feeling of distrust I do want to maintain a semblance of privacy in my home.  Some of these suggestions may make you feel ridiculous, but consider the alternatives. Be specific about any areas that are for family-only. I would rather hang a sign on my door than find someone up to their elbows in my underwear drawer. Let the person know if they are welcome to watch your TV (and what shows you would prefer they not watch), use your computer, etc. Here are a few tips based on my experience:

• If you don't want your aide to pry into your bedroom, master bathroom or office, you need to clearly post a "PRIVATE" sign on the door.
• Password protect your computers and cell phones. Lock file cabinets. Consider blocking unwanted content on your TV.
• Label dresser drawers, kitchen cabinets, etc. to prevent "I was just looking for..." If everyone knows where to find necessary items there is no reason to look elsewhere. Most people will respect your privacy, but there is always one person that wants to go through your pantry or medicine cabinet.
• If you have cherished heirlooms or valuables, move them out of sight or store them safely somewhere else. A spilled drink can accidentally ruin an antique table that looks "second hand"to an aide.

Be sure to interview any person or agency carefully before you hire them!



For more information on home safety for the elderly or individuals with special needs please go to http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/pdfs/FCS-461.pdf

How to Write Instructions for your Home Health Aide

Home Health Aide Daily Care Plan & Instructions

When we first had a home health aide for my daughter the job seemed obvious to me. Not so to the various care workers who were assigned to her. Truthfully a home health care aide or companion typically has very little to do. A live-in aide can retire to his/her room and read or watch TV until you need their help. A part-time aide is in an awkward position because there isn't much to fill the time. I don't mind if the aides read, text or use their laptops - provided they meet my daughter's basic needs in a timely manner.

Do your homework when you hire an aide. It turns out that most people will only do exactly what is asked of them - no more, no less. For instance, with an elderly parent if you ask the caregiver to make a pot of coffee it is very possible that they will only make coffee on the day that you make that request. If your parent wants a pot of coffee made every morning with breakfast that needs to be specified. You need to prepare your home when you have someone working in it so they can find the things they need.

Review the instructions on equipment and procedures. Make sure that the aide has the written instructions available for any unique equipment like a lift. WATCH them perform complex tasks at least once to make sure that they are being thorough and safe. Don't trust that "showering" means the same thing to everyone. Some people may spray your family member down quickly, others may sit them in the shower and walk away for 10 minutes. Be specific about your expectations.

Review and provide instructions for all medications that the patient requires. Don't forget non-routine medications. For instance, if the person has an Epi Pen make sure the aide knows where it is and how to use it.

If you expect the person to prepare meals or snacks, make sure that they know where the ingredients are as well as what food preferences or allergies the person may have. When in doubt, provide a printed recipe including the location of all ingredients. Decide if the person will be eating with your family member and provide adequate quantities of food (obviously live-ins expect meals).

While it seemed ridiculous at first, I learned to provide a detailed list of each task that I wanted done every day.  Each task is described including the timing (after school, at dinner),  tools to be used (special cup, broom, etc.)  and the frequency (daily, weekly, etc.). I also include check boxes so the person can keep track of what has been completed each day.

The last section of my daily list includes safety instructions. Make sure that you have your address written down in the event of an emergency. You'd be amazed at how many people simply follow their GPS and have no idea where they are. If you are not going to be there at all times include your contact information on this page as well.

Here is an example of a daily care plan for a 4-hour after school shift for our daughter. Your plan may be more detailed depending on medical needs and the extent of home care tasks you expect.


Daily Home Care Plan for __________________      Date:  _____________

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

Personal Care

         Meet & get her off school bus using wheelchair

         Change clothing if wet or dirty immediately after school

         Toilet or/change Depends every 2 hours   

o   Completed  at     time _____________       time _____________   

o    Check  Depends immediately after school. Change after shower & before bed

o   Thrown wet/dirty Depend in kitchen trash can

         Provide afternoon snack (prepared in frig) Complete at time _____________   

         Assist with ambulation around house (maintain contact guard at all times)

         Assist with TV remote, computer, etc.

         Shower daily    Completed at time _____________   

         Brush hair daily after shower

         Wash hair on Wednesdays   Completed date _____________   

         Assist with feeding during meals & snacks

o   Cut food into bite sized pieces for finger feeding

o   Assist with use of spoon or fork (may need to feed her)

o   Place dirty dishes, cups and utensils in the sink

         Provide companionship & supervision at all times

     Maintain safe environment while parents are away or otherwise occupied.

Home Care

         Make bed daily    Completed at time _____________   

         Fold & put away laundry as needed (2-3 times a week)

         Dust & vacuum bedroom on Mondays (weekly)  Date _____________   

o   Use Swiffer dusters and Shark carpet sweeper

         Clean bathroom on Fridays (weekly)    Date _____________   

o   Use disinfecting wipes to wipe down toilet & bathtub

o   Lift no slip mat and place on shower chair to air dry

Safety    I can be reached at 555-555-1234

Never allow her to walk around the house alone – be with her at all times.

Watch for choking while eating and drinking.

In the event of a clonic/tonic seizure (grand mal):

1.    Ensure her safety - roll her to her side, if possible

2.    Call 911 The address here is 123 Main Street Anywhere,ST

3.    Administer medication per instructions on label (outer pocket of blue backpack)

For insights on the aide's perspective please go to http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/advice-from-a-home-health-aide/

The "DIS" in Disney isn't for discount

Let's face it - even a budget a trip to Walt Disney World is pricey. You can rent a house or stay in a hotel. Cook meals in, eat out off site or eat on Disney property. You can juggle your costs, but its still thousands of dollars by the time you're done.

No matter what you do tickes are almost impossible to find at a discount. For several years Disney offered a free day in exchange for a day of volunteerism or on an individual's birthday. What a great advertising campaign! Almost everyone would love a free day at Walt Disney World... at least on paper. In reality these were not great savings to the individual as Disney only discounted value of the lowest cost day - not the value of the most expensive day (the first day). So, on a 7 day ticket you saved about $8.00.

In all fairness, if Disney gave away 1,000,000 of these days then they lost $8,000,000 in potential revenue (or more if people only went for 1 day to maximize the value.) However, each of those people undoubtedly ate something at a park, picked up a souvenir or two... Disney made back their money, I'm sure.

Assuming I've done the math correctly, here are my findings regarding ticket prices on a 7 day ticket for 3 adults & 1 child without park hopper (as of April 29, 2012):

UNDERCOVER TOURIST $1,024.00+ tax & shipping included= TOTAL $1,024.00

Kissimmee Guest Services with promo code  $1,017.53  +7% tax $10.00 shipping =TOTAL  $1,098.76

DIS website  $1,049.00 +7% tax +Must pick up tickets at a Disney will call window= TOTAL $1,122.43

Disney Store in GA $1,049.00 +7% tax+take from store = TOTAL $1,122.43

Kissimmee Guest Services no code $1,049.00+ 7% tax+ $10.00 shipping = TOTAL $1,132.43

Walt Disney World online site $1,049.00 +7% tax+ $15.00 shipping= TOTAL  $1,137.43


The best deal was from Undercover Tourist - a total of $113.43 savings from the Walt Disney World site. That's a pretty nice meal somewhere while you're on vacation.

My Disney Essentials Kit

My friends all think I'm a little silly with my Disney preparations. I can't help myself! I love Disney and getting ready for the trip is all part of the fun as far as I'm concerned.

This year I'm lucky enough to have a friend who will be traveling to Disney World at the same time that we are. We're not traveling together or staying together - our trips just happened to overlap. So, naturally, I felt compelled to include her in my Disney planning. Consider it a little pixie dust...

I made us each a Disney Essentials kit. These kits contain small items that I've found helpful while visiting Walt Disney World parks. Everyone has a different idea of what is absolutely essential and what is overkill. There are a lot of things I could have included in these mini-kits, but didn't for cost or space reasons. I was able to pick up must of these items with a quick trip to WalMart and DollarTree. The small items fit easily into a purse or backpack. Each "kit" cost about $10 to put together.

Here's what I put into each:

• Sunscreen Stick
• Mickey Mouse Band Aids
• Crystal Essence deodorant wipes (let's face it, the most magical place on Earth is also one of the sweatiest places on Earth)
• SafetyTats & a Sharpie pen in case a child wanders off...
• Eco friendly labels for cups, etc.
• Personal battery operated fan
• Tiny bottle of bubbles for waiting in lines (combine with the personal fan for real magic!)
• Individual packets of powdered drink mix (to add to free cups of ice water available at any quick or counter service restaurant)
• Glow sticks, bracelets, etc. for nighttime parades
• Wet wipes
• Hand sanitizer 

Not your average party...the Divorce Party

Divorce Party

I'm in NO WAY celebrating divorce. Personally, I have been happily married for well over 2 decades. However, I acknowledge that in some relationships divorce is the best solution for everyone involved.

I recently decided to throw a divorce party for a friend; not to trash her ex or focus on the past, but to help her transition into her new life and to celebrate her independence. Her friends all wanted to show their love and support, knowing that this was a difficult period in her life.

We didn't give her wedding shower-type gifts. Having been separated for more than a year she had already replaced the items she'd left with her ex - wine glasses, toaster oven, etc.

No, we did not give her tacky or trashy gifts - although a few gag gifts were included in the fun. I gave her a copy of The Paperbag Princess, a children's book with a very strong female protagonist. In the story "a prince is kidnapped by a dangerous dragon, and the dragon's breath burns up all the clothes in the palace. The princess who loves the prince can only find a paper bag to wear when she goes to rescue her love. Cleverly tricking the dragon, she enters the cave where the prince, still beautifully dressed, is held captive. Is true love rewarded? No! He at once complains she's "a disaster" badly dressed, dirty and all messed up. She replies that he is a fine and handsome prince--but completely useless. "And, in the end, they didn't marry." I think that marriage is wonderful - but it isn't always the happy ending. The story always continues...

Decorations weren't black or maudlin. There were no voodoo dolls. This wasn't a party about burying the past, but about embracing the future. We used silly cocktail napkins with phrases like "let's party - the prince can wait" and I Dream of Jeannie themed "I don't do the master thing any more".

We served plenty of wine and a cake with the words "Just Divorced" (chocolate, naturally).  The point we wanted to make is that we all supported her as she moved forward.  She had fun and hopefully it helped during a rough time.

This may have prove that I will use any excuse to throw a party...

The Make Over Take Over

Redoing just one room of your house is apparently impossible. Once you finish that room the one next to it looks shabby, old, dated.... voila! you end up with the make over take over.

Having finished the dining room remodel in a week for under $200 I was on a mission. I explored designs for bathrooms, bedrooms, family rooms, kitchens...  Even keeping our old kitchen cabinets new granite counters and appliances would cost at least $10,000- ouch! I decided to tackle the another room first.

Our TV room is a sunny yellow that I actually like despite its not being trendy. My biggest dilemma in the TV room is a problem I also face in the kitchen and living room - laminate cabinets and counter tops. Yuck. Dated, old and ugly all rolled into one. I never understood why the original owners went to the effort and expense of having built-ins made and then cheaped out halfway through. However, I can't exactly rip out the built in bookcases without a sledge hammer and a big commitment to doing something else in the space.

Since painting over the wallpaper worked so well in the dining room I decide to be bold and paint the laminate countertops in the TV room. Rustoleum sells a countertop refinishing kit for about $250. A good deal if I was planning on repainting all of the kitchen countertops, but a bit expensive for the two small sections in the TV room.

My method was inexpensive and quick, but probably won't work in a heavy use area such as a kitchen or bathroom. I read a lot of other blogs on how to paint countertops and decided that I was much too lazy for most methods. Giani makes a countertop paint kit designed to simulate granite. The results on the website are spectacular. However, I didn't want a countertop look - I wanted the look of a built-in bookcase.

I ultimately purchased a less expensive Rustoleum product, Countertop Coating, which promised to be "washable, moisture and chemical resistant against common household items. No primer needed for laminate surfaces!"  I honestly think the nice man in the video who said,"Trust me, you can do this stuff" is what ultimately sold me on this product. I had less than 20 square feet to paint. Even with the recommended two coats, a single quart would be enough. And, better yet, the manufacturer does not recommend a finish coat of polyurethane. Two coats and in theory I'd be done! It costs less than $20 and is tintable. While the lightest shade it comes in is Ivory, Tom at Home Depot reduced the tint by 75% and I ended up with a close match to the white paint on the wood bookshelves.

First I cleaned the surfaces, wiped them down with rubbing alcohol and gave them a quick sanding, then wiped with alcohol again. Then I taped around the edges - it took 10 minutes all together.

"BEFORE"

I bravely applied the first coat. It took about 15 minutes to paint the two small sections. By then the house smelled like someone had spilled about a gallon of nail polish remover! Time to open the doors and the windows - in early March. Brr! Why didn't I think of this last week when the weather was an unseasonable 70 degrees?

First coat - not feelin' the love yet...

I waited two hours and then applied a second coat. The key to getting a good finish is to use a very good quality roller intended for smooth surfaces. While I was waiting I posted the "before" picture on Facebook. I got a mixed review of the project. Some friends cheered me on, some thought I was plain crazy - others warned me that the stuff was toxic. Oops! Too late to turn back if it is.

The Rustoleum web site estimated that the labor would take 2 hours. Without the drying time I did my small areas in about half of that.

Am I ever going to remember to wear gloves?!?

Next I replaced the boring black drawer pulls with inexpensive brushed nickel ones. I selected an oval pull for the drawers and simple round knobs for the cabinet doors - another big change for roughly $15. Having read many, many design blogs and researched a number of web sites over the past weeks one snippet of style advice stuck with me. It was simply,"when choosing metals, chose any color BUT brass!" I replaced the dated brass ceiling fixture with a new brushed nickel fixture (2 for $17.99 at Lowe's).

Original drawer pull and knobs

Finally, I decided to try reusing things from other parts of the house since it had worked well in the dining room. First, I swapped the dark area rug for a lighter one that had been stored in the basement. The darker rug will probably end up under the kitchen table. Next, I switched the table lamps with ones from our bedroom.

The total make over took two days (including shopping) and cost less than $50. The other piece of salient design advice that I read was, "Remember, that anything you chose today will look as dated in 30 years as your Grandmother's 1970 avocado green refrigerator does now." Funny - and too true!

My Dining Room Make Over

I am NOT a do it yourself-er by choice. I am a do it yourself-er out of financial necessity. I can't see paying $400 a wall to have a professional paint when I can buy a gallon of paint for less than $35 and have $1565 left over to do something else with.

Note to self: Wear gloves.

That said, I am seriously one of the world's WORST painters. I not only get paint on myself but on any adjacent surface whether its been taped, covered with a drop cloth or wrapped in paper. The paint can and will seep under or through any attempts to protect other items in the room. Still, since I apparently can't paint a straight line I cover and tape. Naturally, that means that when I remove the covers and tape I have missed large spots of the wall that needed paint.

Which leads me to go in and retouch. Which means that I get paint on the adjacent surfaces...which means touch up paint of another color...which means I get that color on the wall.... That $1600 quote looks so much more reasonable after I spend nearly a week painting and repainting and in the end, frankly, it looks like my 5 year old painted it. (Which, in truth, she probably did because I figured "why not?")

My dining room has a white chair rail. Above the chair rail is red wallpaper covered with (of all things) palm trees. Below the rail is an odd shade of Army green. Not my taste.  I do like the hardwood floors. It also has one feature that I love - a gold faux finished ceiling. Really cool and unusual. The room originally had a brass chandelier that we replaced years ago with more contemporary lighting, but I never dared tackle the ugly wallpaper and dark paint. 

Until last weekend when I saw this photo. I wanted that room!

Having never repaired or repainted Amanda's room after removing her wallpaper border 6 months ago I decided to commit the ultimate crime of home ownership and paint over the wallpaper. Go ahead, cringe. I know it was wrong, but it was quick  and it made me so happy.

A gallon of oil based Kilz - two coats to cover the wallpaper;  a gallon of Lowes' allen+roth Natural paint and about a week's work equals happiness! The hardest part was painting over the fake wainscotting. Brushes left streaks. Regular rollers created drips. Kevin finally discovered a set of small Whizz rollers designed for painting cabinets that painted all of the indentations and corners of the trim beautifully. Too bad I didn't have them for the first coat...

We removed the plantation shutters to bring more natural light into the dark room. The look is not identical to the first photo. The paint is a little lighter. The goal was to bring the space to a more neutral, contemporary palette.  I didn't substitute new ceiling lights or furniture, but worked with what we had. To finish it off I moved things from other rooms, bought a $70 lamp and some inexpensive artwork from Target. It is not a professional job. There are drips, smears and missing patches. However, the total cost of my makeover including accessories was less than $200.

Now - what can I do with the rest of the money that I saved by doing it myself?

Washing An American Girl Doll...

Washing An American Girl Doll...

I am not a doll lover. Frankly, they give me the creeps. Barbies and fashion dolls are okay if a little trashy, but large dolls bother me. I hate their eyes - always staring at me.  I was a little scared of dolls even before I saw Trilogy of Terror or any of the Chuckie movies.

I've avoided buying the girls any baby dolls or the very popular 18" dolls. It was easy with Amanda - she preferred other toys. It's more of a challenge with Danielle. She clearly prefers playing with her stuffed animals to the one baby doll that she has so I've never had to confront my irrational fear head on.

However two of her very best friends received American Girl dolls for Christmas this year. I'm not a huge fan of "keeping up" so under normal circumstances this wouldn't be a concern. So what if Danielle doesn't have one?

Then one of the moms mentioned that she was considering having her daughter's January birthday party at our local American Girl Bistro.  Being who I am, I looked it up online. The site said "for girls and their dolls to enjoy a special day together!" So I called the store and asked about whether or not the doll had to be an American Girl doll. While they didn't exactly say "yes" they didn't say no either. The response was that any girl who brought an American Girl doll would get the special treatment for her doll. Anyone who didn't bring an American Girl doll would be welcome to borrow a doll for the duration of the party. Okay, not ideal, but not so horrible. What's wrong with a loaner doll for the day?

Then I remembered meeting friends at a "fancy dress" restaurant. The man hadn't realized that a jacket and tie were required. He spent the evening uncomfortably wearing an over-sized yellow jacket that the restaurant kept for just such occasions. We all felt awkward and out of place. The yellow jacket was as glaring in a room full of dark coats as a Scarlet A. I didn't want Danielle to feel that way if I could prevent it.

Luckily, one of her cousins had saved her American Girl doll from the mid-1990s. Her mother generously boxed it up - along with several outfits!- and mailed it to Danielle. She was lovely and Danielle was thrilled to get the package.

Then I noticed that the doll smelled...off. Musty. I tried Lysol. I tried Febreeze. I looked up American Girl cleaning instructions online. Following them I tried a gentle sponge bath. Then I tried soaking it in the sink... It still smelled weird.

I looked up the American Girl "doll hospital". Basic cleaning costs $24 (plus shipping). I even checked into the cost of a replacement body -$39! More than the price of the knock off doll sold at Target.  Finally, I put it in the washing machine, cringing the entire time at the thought of putting a $100+ doll in the washing machine. Here is what I did:

Step 1: Remove the head. Turns out it's only tied on to the cloth body. Brush hair. Sprinkle baking soda inside head, place in a sealed plastic bag with a small cloth bag full of activated charcoal. Creepy decapitated doll head.. yuck! at least the eyes are closed.

Step 2: Soak the body in the sink using mild detergent (Woolite) and baking soda.

 Step 3: Wrap and tie her in 2 clean pillow cases then into the washer for another rinse and a spin. Somehow I feel a little like I'm drowning a bag of kittens...


Step 4: She survived the washing machine! Now to dry her.
I've moved from the morbid to the vaguely obscene...

I'm drying her upside down to get any water out of the hollow vinyl arms and legs. I figure 24 hours in front of the fan and then a week in a bag with activated charcoal. If that doesn't get rid of the smell... well, I guess that's what perfume is for.

The Way to Wash An American Girl Doll...

Washing An American Girl Doll...

I am not a doll lover. Frankly, they give me the creeps. Barbies and fashion dolls are okay if a little trashy, but large dolls bother me. I hate their eyes - always staring at me.  I was a little scared of dolls even before I saw Trilogy of Terror or any of the Chuckie movies.

I've avoided buying the girls any baby dolls or the very popular 18" dolls. It was easy with Amanda - she preferred other toys. It's more of a challenge with Danielle. She clearly prefers playing with her stuffed animals to the one baby doll that she has so I've never had to confront my irrational fear head on.

However two of her very best friends received American Girl dolls for Christmas this year. I'm not a huge fan of "keeping up" so under normal circumstances this wouldn't be a concern. So what if Danielle doesn't have one?

Then one of the moms mentioned that she was considering having her daughter's January birthday party at our local American Girl Bistro.  Being who I am, I looked it up online. The site said "for girls and their dolls to enjoy a special day together!" So I called the store and asked about whether or not the doll had to be an American Girl doll. While they didn't exactly say "yes" they didn't say no either. The response was that any girl who brought an American Girl doll would get the special treatment for her doll. Anyone who didn't bring an American Girl doll would be welcome to borrow a doll for the duration of the party. Okay, not ideal, but not so horrible. What's wrong with a loaner doll for the day?

Then I remembered meeting friends at a "fancy dress" restaurant. The man hadn't realized that a jacket and tie were required. He spent the evening uncomfortably wearing an over-sized yellow jacket that the restaurant kept for just such occasions. We all felt awkward and out of place. The yellow jacket was as glaring in a room full of dark coats as a Scarlet A. I didn't want Danielle to feel that way if I could prevent it.

Luckily, one of her cousins had saved her American Girl doll from the mid-1990s. Her mother generously boxed it up - along with several outfits!- and mailed it to Danielle. She was lovely and Danielle was thrilled to get the package.

Then I noticed that the doll smelled...off. Musty. I tried Lysol. I tried Febreeze. I looked up American Girl cleaning instructions online. Following them I tried a gentle sponge bath. Then I tried soaking it in the sink... It still smelled weird.

I looked up the American Girl "doll hospital". Basic cleaning costs $24 (plus shipping). I even checked into the cost of a replacement body -$39! More than the price of the knock off doll sold at Target.  Finally, I put it in the washing machine, cringing the entire time at the thought of putting a $100+ doll in the washing machine. Here is what I did:

Step 1: Remove the head. Turns out it's only tied on to the cloth body. Brush hair. Sprinkle baking soda inside head, place in a sealed plastic bag with a small cloth bag full of activated charcoal. Creepy decapitated doll head.. yuck! at least the eyes are closed.

Step 2: Soak the body in the sink using mild detergent (Woolite) and baking soda.

 Step 3: Wrap and tie her in 2 clean pillow cases then into the washer for another rinse and a spin. Somehow I feel a little like I'm drowning a bag of kittens...


Step 4: She survived the washing machine! Now to dry her.
I've moved from the morbid to the vaguely obscene...

I'm drying her upside down to get any water out of the hollow vinyl arms and legs. I figure 24 hours in front of the fan and then a week in a bag with activated charcoal. If that doesn't get rid of the smell... well, I guess that's what perfume is for.

DDIY - I Didn't Do It! I'm not handy either...

Last year I naively suggested to Kevin that we make each other gifts instead of buying them. We are fortunate to have most of the things we want or need, so this seemed like a good idea when I was surrounded by mounds of torn gift wrap on Christmas morning.

I forgot about our deal until Kevin started producing amazing handmade gifts for me. For Mother's Day and my birthday he gave me pictures that he had painted or drawn himself. I felt like such a slacker!

 

I began my quest for the perfect homemade gift. First, lets be honest, men are harder to shop for than women. You can give a girl jewelry almost any day and she'll be happy. Many men like outdoorsy activities or sports. Chances are good that they already have the equipment they need. What does that leave us poor female shoppers? Most men hate to get clothes and, frankly, even the most progressive man secretly considers it our duty to provide them with food so home cooked or baked items fall a bit short.

Guys require gadgets; preferably gifts that plug in or at least light up. Short of learning to weld or solder most gadgets were beyond my humble abilities. And then I had my aha! moment. Kevin said in passing that he'd like a dip station for his home workouts. I looked them up online. As far as I could tell them were $200 metal frames. I could make that. Well, maybe not out of metal, but PVC piping seemed like a logical substitute.

First I found a website that described what I'd need to make the machine. Making a pipe dip station like the one shown would cost as much or more than buying one. I did a lot of research to determine that the typical width is 21-24" apart and the typical height is 36".

Thank goodness for the folks at Lowe's! Their slogan is "lets build something together" and they mean it! They let me use their computer to look up the instructions, loaned me a pen and paper to make the calculations and then (best of all!) made the cuts in the PVC pipe for me - for free! All together, the staff spent more than an hour helping me out. The components cost less than $40 and the hard work was done. Bargain!

I came home and this is what I had. Then I had what we'll euphemistically call my WTF moment. Could I really build this thing?!? "Its just tinkertoys for grownups," I kept reminding myself.

What WAS I thinking?!

According to the directions I needed:

• 8- 90 degree elbows
• 2- “T”s
• 2- 12 inch long pieces of pipe
• 7- 24 inch long pieces of pipe
• 2- 36 inch long pieces of pipe  

This was my working diagram. Note how scientific I am in my approach.

I was able to get most of the pieces from 2 ten foot lengths of 1 1/4 inch PVC. Each length cost $4.68. I needed a third section of pipe for the 12" pieces. Here were the cuts we made:
 
Pipe #1: cut into two 36" lengths and two  24" lengths
Pipe #2: cut into the remaining five  24" lengths
Pipe #3: cut into two 12" pieces

My first set of elbows was wrong - I needed ones with two wide openings to connect the pieces. Another trip to see my friends at Lowe's. Turns out that I needed "slip" elbows - great! They actually cost about half of what the first set did.  Now the cost of the project was just over $30. Then, oops! I accidentally ended up with three 12" pieces and six 24" pieces. Thankfully, I had left over pipe. I bravely pulled out the circular saw, put on some safety glasses and made my first cut.

Finally, I had all the right pieces in all the correct lengths. Time to build! The first version was exactly to the plan. However, it was a really wobbly. Also the front end was lower than the back because the T's used to stabilize the back actually raised that end up. I disassembled it and hid the pieces back under Amanda's bed.

I thought I could correct this by creating a T intersection on the other side as well. Off to Lowe's for another set of T's. By now I was confident cutting the PVC piping on my own and cheerfully sawed away in the garage. I read all about solvent welding and bought the proper primer and glue. Danielle happily helped me paint on the "pretty purple" PVC primer and we glued the pieces in place.

Then I realized that I'd basically built a cage.  I should have stabilized the sides instead of the font and back. Kevin was going to bump his knees the way this was. To correct it I needed ANOTHER set of T's to connect the ends that were now the sides and the new back. Man! This was getting complicated. Time for another diagram....

Suddenly- VOILA! I realized I could turn the whole thing UPSIDE DOWN and it would be fine - no additional pieces needed. Since I used 24" sections the original handles became the 'feet" and the feet are now the handles. There are days when my own genius astounds me.

Tragically, when Kevin tried it out Christmas morning it was still wobbly and clearly wouldn't work for its intended purpose... It didn't help that Danielle and I had missed two of the joints when we were gluing it together. Poor Kevin almost wiped out. Not quite the present I had planned.

I can see from this product that an angled frame would have solved my problem, but I'm not sure how I could have built one using the available PVC joints. If I had found this ad I NEVER would have attempted this project... Save yourself time, frustration and aggravation and BUY ONLINE. It's the same price ($98 including shipping) through Amazon.com

In case you want to learn how to do dips check out this site. Like many things, I've mastered the theory but can't put it into practice!

Now what to do with the large plastic frame we have in the garage...????

Carnival Birthday Party - Part 3: The Food

Suddenly my little backyard birthday party has almost 40 guests!

It's time for a reality check. This is a 5 year old's party.

I don't know why I thought I could get away with a few homemade cupcakes and a game or two.  After all, its not the 1970s anymore. I guess even my budget was "retro". I love this YouTube 70s birthday party clip.  This was what I mentally had in mind - very Brady Bunch. For that era this was probably a lavish party: they had themed plates & cups and a bakery cake. My mom baked all of our cakes and we ate off of plain white paper plates as far as I remember.

We've been to several spectacular birthday parties this month - one with pony rides and a petting zoo!  Another hired a costumed character to entertain and rented an inflatable bounce house. I am having the kids play simple party games.  I'm not interested in "keeping up" with anybody but I do realize that with kids come adults and siblings, all of whom need to eat at least a little something. When one of us goes to a party with Danielle we want to have a snack, some cake, a cold drink... 

I've given up on my $100 budget and am just trying to figure out how to keep it from getting wildly out of hand. This site cracked me up - its sort of a Party Planners Anonymous for over-the top party planning parents (which I suppose I now am.) I also found this site enlightening for average costs. Now I'm hoping to keep the budget under $200 since I have so many guests.

I still want to keep the food simple. I have to deal with a number of food allergies- dairy, gluten, egg & soy as well as one diabetic child and one vegetarian! In a weird way the food allergies are a blessing. Instead of having to provide a full meal we'll serve snacks: Ian's turkey corn dog nuggets and regular corn dogs, potato chips, veggies and dip, as well as  individual bags of cotton candy and popcorn. The little bags work out great for the kids, but cotton candy was expensive at nearly $1/bag. I'll make large batches of popcorn on the stove so the house will be filled with the scent of fresh, hot popcorn. I had lollipops left over from my birthday party a few months ago. Since candy stays fresh for 6 months I'll be able to set them out again for Danielle's party -add two gumballs machines from Dollar Tree and I have a buffet.

Then there's the birthday cake controversy. Danielle asked for cupcakes and that is something I can easily do at home. A dear friend taught me that frosting makes excellent spackle when your cakes lean and kids love it.

I'll bake egg free vanilla cupcakes (recipe follows). I had several failed attempts before I realized that gluten free, sugar free and egg free cupcakes were an impossibility for someone with my culinary ability.  See the photo...this is NOT the final batch based on the recipe I've included, I promise! I bought a few gluten free cupcakes from Whole Foods after this disaster.

I purchased 4 frozen gluten free cupcakes for less than the cost of the ingredients to bake my own. I've got cute circus animal cupcake toppers (leftover from a previous party) to insert in these to differentiate them from the others. I figure that the kids will never know who is eating the allergy-free cupcakes once they all have one on their plates.

Being from New England, I associate carnivals with Dels' frozen lemonade. I wanted to serve homemade frozen lemonade.  After trying several recipes I gave up (again) and bought Minute Maid frozen lemonades. We'll also provide small bottles of water. Since I'm feeling particularly fancy I've printed out some super cute, free water bottle labels , thanks to Hostess with the Mostess.

While I am having fun making and baking things for the party I can see how this could easily get out of control. Somebody stop me!

Egg-Free (Vegan) Vanilla Cupcakes*

• 1/2 cup butter (or coconut oil)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk (or almond milk)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 cups cake flour

Preheat oven to 350. Sift dry ingredients together, set aside. In mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla to the measured out milk and add milk and flour in alternate batches beginning and ending with the flour. After ingredients are combined beat for about 1 minute on medium speed. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake for approx. 20 minutes until centers are set and toothpick comes out clean.

* make this recipe sugar-free by using Splenda for Baking instead of sugar.