It's Saturday and I'm Drained. KA-CHING!

I've hit my creative threshold.  This blessed no sew tablecloth (yes, the same one I've been working on all week) has sucked all the crafty juice out of me and I can't possibly write an entertaining or thoughtful blog today.  So here are some commercials featuring now famous (or semi-famous) actors.  The Seth Green one is my favorite- I fully intend to spend the rest of the day annoying Jim by yelling "Ka-Ching" at every opportunity:  And by "every opportunity" I mean the end of all my sentences. 
"I was thinking about ordering pizza tonight.  KA-CHING!"
"Adrienne exploded through her diaper and onto the couch.  KA-CHING!"
"I just discovered a bunch of mail and bills in my car.  Not sure how long they've been there.  KA-CHING!"

See how multi-purpose that is?  Here are the ads:


Here's a blast from the past:


Bruce Willis, pre-fame and pre-dignity:

Solitary Panic

Do you panic when you get free time?  Jim took Molly with him to run errands the other day and Adi was napping so... I had time alone!!!  Alone!  And I panicked.  "Ok, ok" I thought, "I have an hour, maybe two.  I could read my book!  Or take a nap, or fold laundry, or knit, or catch up on my blogs, or, or, or..." and that's when my brain exploded. 

I already had a bucket out to scrub the floors so I grabbed it frantically, knowing if I didn't start a project soon I'd still be wandering around running into walls and muttering to myself when J and M got home.  I'm confident this happens to all Moms, right?  What do you do when you have some time to yourself?  I'm going to put together a go-to list so if this ever happens again I can grab my list and do something that does not include wringing my hands and babbling to myself, wasting precious solitary moments!

And speaking of being indecisive, I've always been torn between Golden Grahams and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (in my head there is a necessity to prefer one or the other).  Based on their commercials I've always preferred GG, but CTC has recently started to make a stronger showing with their series of vlog commercials featuring this chick:

WWW Wednesday

It's that time again!  What are your Dubs this week Friends?

Whine: It rained all afternoon and my dog is spastic!!!  She makes herself (and me) cuh-cuh-cuh-RAZY!  She just runs from door to door to window to window barking her little head off.  I adore this little pooch every other weathery moment, but storms are difficult.  The silver lining to this (rain) cloud is that today's storm was during the day so she wasn't keeping us up all night. 

Wish: I wish I could sew.  Life would be sew much easier.  I'm trying to make a tablecloth but it seams this would be an easier project if I was handy with a sewing machine.  As it stands I'm trying to use iron on adhesive and I truly have no clue what I'm doing.  I need(le) help!

Woo-hoo:  So many Woo-hoos!  My dear dear friend is having a baby tomorrow and I'm giddy with excitement!  I'm hoping her baby will hold me over until (IF!!!) we decide to have another.  Also, another friend clued me in to her pregnancy today.  Babypalooza!  Aditionally, Molly had a playdate today- her first that I did not also attend so I had a few hours to clean, shop with aforementioned friend for a baby book, and play with little A for a while.  Plus, the miners in Chile are being rescued as I type!  Can you imagine being one of them?  Or related to one of them?  Talk about a giant "WOO-HOO!"

Here is a super appropriate WWW Wednesday commercial.  Why are genies always blue?  So weird.

Learnin' German

When I was in high school my family hosted a German exchange student, who was not just gut, but gu-reat!  We've kept in touch ever since: we supply her with Oreos, she supplies us with fabulous European things (not the least of which are Kinder Eggs).

It was a great experience (we had another student the year before that was less than great).  I learned important words* in German like "hickey" (pronounced kuh-newts-flick) and also that weiner schnitzel is not the household staple I had believed it to be in Germany. 

Every few years my German friend comes to visit- last year she was here for Thanksgiving and I witnessed the momentous event that is one's first piece of pumpkin pie.  As I expected, the heavens opened above her head and a choir of angels came down singing Hallelujahs.  Her visit before that, my friend and I took her out for a drunken exciting night on the town.  I insisted we all have German names for the evening and so we transformed into the lovely Bianca, Simone, and Sofie.  I learned that Germans hold their liquor much, much better than... well, me.

I got to talk to my sister from across the sea today, which is always a treat- she's coming in January for my brother's wedding and I'm... sehr** pumped!  Have you guys ever had an exchange student?  Do you keep in touch?  What did you teach them?  More importantly, what did you learn?  Let me get to the point... does anybody know how to say "hickey" in any other language? :)
Auf Wiedersehen Friends!


*She learned important English words too.  Like, all of them.  She speaks complete and perfect English now.
**That means "very".  Thank you Google Translate!

This Is Not A Review Blog...

...but if it were I would review the fuzz out of these things!  Bilibos!  Are you familiar with the entertainment sensation that is the Bilibo?  My mother-in-law strolled in the other day carrying one for each of the girls (along with fabulous birthday gifts for me!  As if free babysitting pretty much whenever I want weren't enough!) 

If there were an Awesome Toy zine, Bilibos would be the centerfold.  They have a unique, cute look and are functional in that they are FUN.  The idea is they're supposed to encourage imaginative play because there's no one, specific way to use them.  The little tag on it said it could be used in the water as a floating device or as a sled in the winter.  We haven't got that far yet, but here is what I'm talking about:

The girls, lounging.



Molly, pretending to be a turtle.

 So what else have we done with these things?

• Put them on our heads to be ghosts (I thought we looked like stingrays, but M insisted on the less imaginative ghost).
• We'll be passing out Halloween candy from the big orange Bilibo.
• Had a spinning contest to see who could get theirs to spin longest (I smoked M!)
• My girlfriend who is 9 months pregnant made a baby bump helmet type thing with one.
• I gave A rides around the living room until she went from gleeful giggles to a desperate, "I'm going to puke" look. (I was incorporating a lot of spinning)
• Was prepared to use as a barf bucket.

I don't think they sell Bilibos, but it look like something Ikea would carry, so here's a funny commercial for you from I (kea).

Universal University Fun

If you don't live in Michigan, you probably don't know what a COLOSSAL day it is.  The University of Michigan is playing Michigan State and the trash talk is flying fast and furious around our state.  Luckily, I live T minus 5 minutes away from the school I'm cheering for so I'm surrounded by my own kind.  Ooo... see what I did there?  I didn't reveal my team!  I'm scared I may lose loyal readers of the blue and gold /Ann Arbor variety. 

Oops.  I never was good at keeping my mouth shut.

Did you guys go to college?  Did you love it?  I went to a school much much smaller than either of the two playing today, but I adored college.  Here are a few things I miss:
1.  Class.  Poke fun at the big nerd if you must, but I loved class.  I never skipped and I stayed awake the whole time!  I complained every now when I had to take, say, Computer Science (and suddenly my lack of blog features makes more sense!) but overall, I loved it!
2.  Being surrounded by peers.  I took this for granted.  All day, every day I was surrounded by people around the same age, with at least one commonality, so it was easy to strike up conversation.  Unlike now, when I spot someone in the store who looks like they could be a good friend.  What to say?  Bump into her cart?  Creepily comment on the contents of her shopping basket?  Next thing I know, she's gone and the two of us will never be friends.
3.  Going out.  I loved getting ready to go out more than anything.  Scoping out your roommates' closets, blaring music, getting cutsied up, maybe playing a drinking game or two ("Ok, every time so and so changes her shoes we drink!" or "For every twist of the curling iron we have to take a drink!")  And then going out and dancing with no one to judge you or think you're too old to be out and about.  No worrying about getting home to the sitter.  Knowing you can sleep in as late as you want the next day without a baby crying for you at 6:30am.

Here's an alcoholy commercial for all the tailgaters today, and because I've also embarrassed myself making the very mistake this guy makes.  Except I wasn't talking to a hot girl.  Or guy.  Or agreeing to go home with him or her.  You get the point.

Knit One, Hurl Two

Happy Friday!  I don't know about you guys but I could use an end of the week drinky drink!  And some talking woodchucks.  Please enjoy your beverage of choice as I provide the latter:

I saw this commercial for the first time last night as I was knitting.  Knitting is a seasonal sport for me- I only knit in the Fall and Winter so I am pumped to be working on my first project of the season.  Or, I was pumped.  I purchased a kit with everything I need to make a darling little Hello Kitty scarf.  The box claims it is for 8 year olds and up.  The box can take a long walk off the end of a steep, deadly cliff. 

Admittedly, I'm a touch rusty, but the pattern is reeee-donk-u-lous (the more furious I am, the more stupid the words I use, FYI).  I worked on it for what seemed like 3 hours (was 20 minutes) and then chucked it across the room.  GoodBYE Kitty!  Now I'm working on some cute, simple, baby leg warmers and my blood pressure is much happier.  Will revisit scarf on a day I did not lock my keys in the car* and care for 2 sick, crabby kids while hacking up disgusting stuff myself.

Here's another commercial just for the Friday fun of it.  I love this guy's style (what a sMARTY pants!) He's brave, but I bet his flag isn't the only thing flying high!  Do you think she'll stick around or rum away?  I give him a capTEN for creativity.


*50 bucks they charge to get you back into your car!  Think of all the 8 year old appropriate projects I could purchase and slam into my living room wall for 50 bucks!