Graham Cracker House FAIL

Yes, you read the title right. Fail. The other title I was thinking about using was "How to NOT Make a Graham Cracker House."

Last week my friends from the Mom's group had a Christmas party. We had a great Christmas lunch, exchanged gifts, and did a craft with our little ones. We decided to do Ginger Bread houses, but we used Graham crackers instead.

The prep was pretty simple - Graham Crackers, cake frosting, and candy.  I put the frosting in snack ziplock baggies and then snipped a corner so we could squeeze out the frosting.

The thing we didn't anticipate was how difficult it would be for the little ones to put together the houses...well...actually, I did think about this, but I didn't have time to put together the houses ahead of time.

We envisioned the kids having a great time, decorating the graham crackers houses, but here's what actually happened:

• We (the moms) had trouble putting the houses together, which kept collapsing. 
• One of the kids ripped open the ziplock bag and shoved her hand into the frosting. I'm not sure what she was planning on doing with that handful of frosting...
• The kids only wanted to lick the frosting and eat the candy. And the moms did too. ;)

 A failed attempt at a graham cracker house

This was my son's house. I put the frosting on. Can you see how interested he was in putting the candy on? Not so much.

 Another abandoned attempt with a graham cracker house. Notice the bite mark in the cracker at the bottom of the photo, and the empty sucker wrapper?

 So after about 10 minutes of futile fidgeting, we gave in and let them eat the pieces. Oh well. In hindsight, we should have constructed the houses ahead of time (like maybe the night before). That would have eliminated some of the chaos, but over I think this would have been a better activity for ages 5+ (our little ones are ages 1-4).

Notice the enthusiasm on her face as she is holding the candy? If I were to title this photo, I would call it, "My precious!!" Ha ha.

Uhhh...Oops.

Do you want to know how awesome I am? Let me tell you.

Last week I went to the podiatrist (aka foot specialist) to check on my ankle. I got more x-rays, had my foot removed from the boot (finally), got a new smaller ankle brace (that I can finally wear with shoes), and was assigned to go to physical therapy.

So after I finish, I'm at the front desk, scheduling a follow-up appointment, and waiting for my papers. The receptionist was confused and gave me the address for a different physical therapy office than the one the doctor assigned to me. I knew it wasn't the correct office so after she checked with the doctor, we got it all straightened out and I got the info to the correct PT office.

Fast forward to yesterday. I have my first appointment with the physical therapist. I thought I knew where the physical therapist office was, but when I got to where I thought the office was, the address was different than the one I had on my paper from the doctor's office. So in the midst of my confusion, I look across the street to the other medical offices, and BAM! Right in front of my face is the sign for VC Physical Therapy. (Name abbreviated, because it's really not that important). "That must be it." I thought as I drove across the street and parked in their parking log.

So I go inside and sign in. And here is the conversation I have with the receptionist:
Receptionist:  Can I have your name?
Me: Michelle. Michelle Sexton.
Receptionist: What time were you scheduled for?
Me: 12:00
Receptionist: Hmmm....I don't see you on here....How do you spell your last name?
Me: S-E-X-T-O-N
Receptionist: Hmmm...I just can't find it. What did you schedule an appointment for? Was it just a consult? Or was it for physical therapy?
Me: I don't know. My doctor told me to come to physical therapy here. So I called and set up an appointment.
Receptionist: And what time was is for again?

At this point, I pulled out my paper from the doctor's office with the information about the physical therapy office. And I realize, that I am at the WRONG OFFICE!!!! Ha ha ha! I was supposed to go to an office called Select Physical Therapy not VC Physical Therapy.

So I hold up the paper and say, "I guess it would help if I went to the right office!!" And we both laugh and I walk out. What can I say? I'm just awesome like that. Ha ha ha. I amuse myself.

But I will say, in my defense, when I was at the podiatrist office and the receptionist initially gave me the information to the wrong PT office, it just so happened that that office was VC Physical Therapy. So when I saw the sign for VC Physical Therapy, my subconscious remembered that name, and I immediately assumed that was the office I was supposed to go to. I should have checked my papers first. Oops.

So after I left the wrong office, I went across the street (which is where I originally thought the office was) and found the right office - Select Physical Therapy. Just so you know. I didn't get lost permanently. ;)

And now to change the subject. I sorted through the photos on my camera this morning and wanted to share a few of my favorites from this fall.

A rare opportunity to catch The Toddler willing to take a picture.

This is The Toddler doing what he does best. Picking his nose.

Love these two guys. :)

See how my son loves to take pictures? He was more interested in the pumpkin. Of course.

Thoughts on People's Thoughts.

A totally random photo to share. Because you can't write a blog without putting pictures in. This is The Toddler watching the movie, Tron, in 3D while we were browsing an electronics store recently. This kid amuses me.

And now to be serious.

I rarely blog about spiritual issues, not because I'm opposed or shy about sharing. It's more that I preferr to meditate on these things in private or to speak about them face to face with someone rather than write about them.  But every once in a while, I feel compelled to share. Today is one of those days.

"Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety." Proverbs 29:25

I read this verse today. I've read this verse numerous times. But today this verse stood out to me. Here's why - I am a people pleaser to a fault. I want everyone to like me and I want everyone to approve of me. When I percieve that someone doesn't like me, it makes me feel insecure. My security is based on what people think of me. I am afraid that people won't like me. This is an awful way to live - a dangerous trap. Over the years, I've become more aware of this personal conflict. I've stopped obsessing about what others may think of me. But it has taken years, with lots of prayer and lots of time to allow God to change my thinking. I've had to give my insecurities to God and allow him to heal my heart as I have spent time with him. The closer I've drawn to God, the less time I have spent worrying about what other people think. I'm not going to lie, I still have days when I spend a little too much time worrying about other people's opinions concerning me. There are times when my insecurities creep up inside of my heart, but I've found the best way to deal with this conflict is to stop and remind myself that people's opinions of me don't matter.

I recently got yelled at by a CRAZY lady in the grocery store parking lot of over a misunderstanding. Long story short - she thought I stole her parking spot, but what she didn't realize or see was that I had been waiting for that spot long before she had arrived. She went totally balistic on me, nearly hit my car (and my mom who met me there), reported me to the store (gasp! oh no!), and repeatedly told me that I was a horrible person. Nobody enjoys being yelled at, but honestly, I really didn't care what she said or thought about me. Actually, I found the whole situation rather hysterical, considering that she managed to show everyone around us that she had a screw loose.

That conflict served as a watermark to me. It showed me how far I have come. If this had happened to me about 8 years ago, I probably would have curled up in a ball and started crying. Well...not really. But you get the idea.

Fearing people is a dangerous trap - worrying about people and what they think of you will only lead to heartache. You can't please everyone. It's impossible.

But trusting the Lord means safety - the only opinion that truly matters is God's. And only he can bring you the true peace and fulfillment that you are searching for in others. My relationship with God puts my heart at peace.

And I am blessed. :)

And on a not-so-serious note, I have an awesome story to share with you guys about what a ninja I am. But more on that later. Ha ha.

Another random picture of The Toddler. At the dog park. Wearing only his hood. Because his head was cold. I'm telling you, this kid is awesome. He will probably kill me when he gets older and realizes that I let him dress like this.

And one more thing. My toddler puked all over his bed and the carpet at 10:30 last night. It was awesome. I have no idea why he puked. He seems fine today. Just thought I would share. Oh the joys of parenting.

DIY Christmas Ornament Chandelier

Hi friends. My husband and I finally decided to decorate our house - 2 weeks before Christmas. We've been putting it off because neither one of us wanted to dig through the garage and pull out the boxes with Christmas decorations...plus there was also the issue of getting the toddler to leave the ornaments on the tree. So we weren't in a rush to put up the decorations, but since we are hosting Christmas at our house this year, we decided we probably should do it this weekend....since we are running out of time. Ha.

Here's a fun ornament chandelier I made to make our dining room a little more festive. My camera's battery was dead, so I had to use my cell phone to do photos. (sorry)

All you need is scissors, ribbon, ornaments, and a hair rubber band.

Cut approximately 7 strands of ribbon about 4 feet long. String 2 or 3 ornaments onto each ribbon and tie them at random places.

Gather the ribbon ends

And tie a knot securely onto the hair rubber band. And that's it!

Now find a fun place to hang your chandelier, and admire :)

Linking up here:

10 Favorite DIY Fashion Pins

It's snowing here today. My border collie is outside in the backyard, running in circles and barking his heart out. (My neighbors probably hate us...or at least our dog). My son is sick, but sitting at the kitchen table, playing with play-doh and hotwheels, and I am sitting on the couch with my sprained ankle elevated. It's been almost 6 weeks since I sprained my ankle at the pumpkin patch. I have an appointment with a podiatrist today to see how my ankle is doing. I'm a little nervous - hoping to hear good news.

Are you guys on Pinterest? I am. I have to admit, I LOVE Pinterest. Have you ever read something online, and thought, "Wow! That's a great idea. I need to remember this" and then promptly forgot about it? Yeah, I have. Enter Pinterest - a website where you can "pin" ideas that you like onto virtual boards. Now you can categorize and refer back to all those awesome ideas you've come across online.You can also network with others and see what they pin as well as repin their ideas too. Genius! I've received so much inspiration for projects from this website.

Here are my top 10 favorite pins from my DIY Fashion board - which are clothing and accessories that I want to make and wear!

Cluster safety pins on the collar of your shirt! What a fun idea! Why didn't I think of that??

How to make sweater boots - easier than you think!

Button Necklace. Fun.

A skirt made from a men's dress shirt. I think this is different, but I still love the idea. I have a shirt or two already set aside for this project.

Fish tail skirt - made from a thrifted skirt. I would chose a skirt with a different fabric, and not cut the skirt so short in the front.

 Skirt made from an old sweater. How cool is this?

*EDIT* I ended up making a couple of my own sweater skirts from some old sweaters. It was so much fun and two years later, I still love to wear them. Be sure to read about this project!

Upcycled sweater sleeves made into leg warmers. 

*EDIT* I also made three sets of these leg warmers from old sweaters as well. Read about them here.

Old sweater sleeves made into fingerless gloves!
*EDIT* See how I made my own pair with a little something special!

Easy no-sew poncho made from wool fabric. 

Upcycled oversized sweatshirt into an awesome fitted hoodie.

Don't you think these are great ideas? I am so excited to try these projects...as soon as I am no longer confined to the couch with an elevated foot. You can find all of these pins and more on my DIY Fashion Board.

Are you on Pinterst? What are your favorite pins from Pinterest?

Anna Banana

This is my sweet niece, Anna. I love this little girl. I had the opportunity to do photos of her when my sister and her family came to visit us.

You can see more photos of her on my photography blog.