PARTY TIME: 13 going on 30

Dear Olive,

I am contemplating whether to have a get-together for my upcoming milestone birthday.  Do you remember the 30th birthdays we threw each other?  Yours was a roaring 20s party (End of your 20s).  I had a baby during it.

The following year, you threw me the loveliest 13 going on 30 Birthday party.

You sent out Razzles with a tape deck invite.

And hosted with pink punch and a candy bar.

Remember... this was before candy bars were cool.

(And also before we had good cameras).

 

Each guest wore pajamas and received a pair of flip flops upon entry.

They had the chance to make their own hand scrub

And you hired a cosmetologist to do nails and give hand massages.

People waiting in line enjoyed lavender foot soaks.

We capped off the night with an outdoor movie (13 Going on 30).... of course

And then played old school "Mall Madness" and "Girl Talk Dateline" board games.  And drank.

Looking back, it seems so idyllic.  I almost forget that Jason was upstairs passing a kidney stone while baby Gabriel refused to sleep.

 

See, with all of your effort, I only remember the games and booze. 

What a friend I have in you, dear Olive.

PARCEL POST: Small play and number fishing busy bags

Dear Olive,

Busy Bag resurrection!  I highly recommend making a couple of these before you return to work:

Collect all of those fridge magnets that keep falling off the freezer door every time you get ice cream.

Get a magnet wand or magnet on a stick.  Boom.  Number fishing.

Collect all of the small figurines that are all over the house.  Put them together in a bag.

 

Boom. That's a busy bag.

Lazy mom's guide to busy bags.

EXPLODING CHALK

Dear Olive, 

Over the summer, we've been trying to give the kids some autonomy in choosing what we do with some family free time.  Adventures (nature walks), sensory (squishy things), and dance party are favorites.  But the most recurrent choice they have been making lately is "Experiment."  Yesterday we tried exploding chalk:

I can only handle four ingredient experiments.

Mix cornstarch and vinegar with some food coloring.

Shake it like a Polaroid picture.

Put baking soda into paper towel pouches.

Add the pouches to the bags.  Polaroid that action some more and run away like you are in the bomb squad.

Wait a long time for them to burst.  (You didn't have to run after all).

Watch the slow dribble explosion.

Poke at dribble with sticks

Perhaps the bathing suit preparation was overkill.

EAT PLAY PLAN: CALZONES AND CARS

Dear Olive,

I am resurrecting the Eat Play Plan.

Here is tonight's fare:

                          via                                                   via                                                via

PINK BATHROOM REMODEL PLANS

Dear Olive, 

I'm going to be real with you.  The state of our bathroom pre-demo is not pretty.  Here is where we are at present:

There is no door on the bathroom.  We have been using this black and white curtain and tension rod for many years.

The floor is 80s vinyl and the trim is cheap tile glued on top of the period tile.

The fiberglass shower is our greatest shame.  It too was added in the 80s and no amount of Magic Eraser can keep it maintained.  Note the rusty bottom edges.

I do love the 50s sink, but it is corroded beyond repair.  I'll be sad to see it go.

We are actually going to keep the space heater and clean it up.  The tag on the bottom says 1948.  It still works!  Though it is a total fire hazard, I turn it on everyday I shower in the winter.

When you walk in the room, there is a wall on the immediate left.  It is the backside of the shower and cuts the room in half, making the footprint seem very small.

The window treatments are inexcusable. 

So here is the plan:  We are going to blow through the master closet, (this bedroom has two closets).  The closet will become our walk-in shower, which will have an arched entry.

The closet is pretty large, which means that we will have space for a bench and two shower heads.

We will add hex penny tile to the floors of the bath and shower.  The Shower walls will be white subway tile striped with black penny hex.  We will keep the sink and toilet location and recess the antique cupboard I found.

I can't wait to begin!

THE ONE INGREDIENT SECRET TO THE BEST SMOOTHIE

Dear Olive,

I have perfected the morning smoothie recipe!  I have tried so many berry combinations.  But then I added one new ingredient in that made it all perfect.  Can you guess what is was?

A lemon!  I added one whole, peeled lemon and everything was the perfect mix of sour and sweet.  Here is the full golden recipe in case you are interested:

1 Ripe Banana

Handful Blueberries

Handful Strawberries

Orange Juice

I Peeled Lemon

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

Dear Olive,

Disclaimer:   If you want to see the terribleness that is "Independence Day 2," do not read this post.

I just wanted to reach out as a public service announcement to say that, if in all patriotism and allegiance to your spousal duties you dain to enter into a verbal contract with your husband to see this motion picture, prepare yourself for the following carnage:

• A landslide that destroys most of the western hemisphere stopping just short of the White House.
• A school bus that outruns a light speed alien
• A father telling his daughter before suicide bombing another species: "I'm not doing this to save the planet, I'm doing it to save you."
• Lots of epitaphs of "kicking alien ass."

Just engage in your hotdogs, and your parades, and picnic in peace.  Do not waste 2 hours of your life in an experience more painful than birth.

And if you do, get reparations.  I; myself, chose a shady Craigslist venture 2 hours away from our house to obtain an antique summer cover for our new fireplace.  We're almost even.