Baby beer pong?

Look what Maggie found in Target:
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Photo by Maggie from Mighty Girl

Beer pong for babies? Say huuuuuhhh?

Well, sorta. Cuponk is a game from Hasbro that comes with a ping pong ball (two, actually - guess they were feeling generous) and a decorated cup. When you sink the ball in the cup, the cup lights up and plays a "victory sound" to let you know you've got your shot in. That's kinda cool, actually.

Hmm, actually, I'm kinda into the El Campeon lucha libra version (above, far left).

But do you think it smacks a bit too much of the binge-drinking beer pong? Don't get me wrong - I do enjoy some pong - but for children ages nine and up?? Yiiiikes.

Is anyone else disturbed that Hasbro is now selling beer pong to kids? "Get 'em started young!" I guess, eh? Also hilarious: Bam Margera is the spokesman. Yeah, 'cuz this is age appropriate.

Half-baked Halloween?

Hello all and TGIF! Happy almost-Halloween weekend!

I lurv Halloween - always have - I mean, what's not to love about dressing up in a fun costume and getting free candy? Sounds pretty ideal to me. I am kind of sad we're too old to go trick-or-treating these days (well, I could probably still pass for a high schooler, but old man weird beard [ahem, that's you, love] might stand out), but we can still do some little stuff around the house. I hate to say it, but we actually haven't carved pumpkins this year (maybe sometime before Sunday??) and I haven't gone too overboard with decorating or the like.

Here is my one little Halloween vignette:

Spooky, eh? Yeah yeah, I know it's kind of a half-a$sed Halloween set-up, but what can you do? Gourd + plastic pumpkin (he makes an appearance every year) + spooky glitter skull (which was an awesome find, here) on an upside-down bowl = I tried. It is what it is. I kind of like it though... And don't our silhouettes look kind of creepy/dead relative-ish? :)


The one effort I have made was in the kitchen. Yesterday I got the baking bug and decided to whip up some homemade "boo pies" (I have no idea what to call them - they're sort of halfway between whoopie pies [but not as cake-y] and Oreos [but not as crunchy]) - whatever you call 'em, they are were gooood (just ask Sara).

Here's proof that I made these mammers from scratch:

Cooling.


Patiently waiting while I mixed up the cream cheese filling by hand.


Assembled. (A tad sloppy, but it was my first attempt at this!)


Halloween-ed up.

The only trouble is that I have this left over:

A decent portion of handmade cream cheese filling. There's about a million pounds of cream cheese, butter and confectioner's sugar just waiting to go straight to my a$s. It's all I can do not to dig in with a spoon. Oy.

Have you all gotten into the Halloween mood yet? Without kids, I feel slightly strange getting too amped up over it, but I am looking forward to this weekend... In the meantime, see you all back here in a bit!

A video about bacon & one about life

I know some of you can't check out videos during the day while you're at work, but these two are totally worth sneaking under your desk or checking out at lunch. One's hilarious and one's pretty interesting. I suggest you to watch both. (Or at least video #2 - and you scan it quickly if needed.)

First up, this little guy is verrrry upset about having his junk food cleaned out of the fridge (by his temporary mom on Wife Swap). His reaction is kinda priceless:


In case you can't see embedded YouTube videos (iPhoners!), here's the link.

Next, an interesting look at a controversial question. Don't be scared: it's not offensive or political; it's just fascinating to see what a huge change occurs in these peoples' thinking after just one follow-up question:


Here's the link if you can't see the embedded YouTube video above - go take a look, pretty please!

Thoughts?

Video 1 via I Suwanee; video 2 via Roblahblog.

Boo your neighbors

...Not for leaving their trash on the curb two days early - for Halloween!

I love this cute Halloween neighborhood tradition of "booing your neighbors" (from the ever-brilliant Kristin of Blonde Designs). This seems like a tradition that would be super simple and easy to do. And no pressure - you only have to do it for two neighbors - they in turn do it for two other neighbors. Fun!

Here's how quick this would be:

Step 1: print out the awesome printable labels from BD here.


Step 2: Fill two bags full of inexpensive Halloween treats.


Step 3: Include the fun "boo" poem explaining the deal (the poem is also included in the printables here).

Step 4: Put the "boo" ghost sign (below) on on your neighbor's door (see top photo) and leave one of the treat bags.

You've just booed your neighbor!

Further instructions and printable templates available here. All photos from Blonde Designs.

From The Nick to The Moth...(and Brooklyn too)

Last weekend as Sara and I drove home from our whirlwind NY trip, we queued up a podcast to keep us entertained. Sara chose a story from The Moth. (For those of you who haven't heard of The Moth, it's a non-profit storytelling org. in NY which brings in authors, celebrities, musicians, etc. to share stories live in front of an audience. Go check out the podcasts now - they're great.)

This podcast of The Moth featured Steve Burns from Blue's Clues, the old Nickelodeon kids' TV show. If your brain is as foggy as mine, let me help you out here - Steve Burns is this guy:

Nice shirt, Steve.

Anyway, Steve is no longer Steve of Blue's Clues (some dude named Joe took over); he's now a musician and off-Broadway actor. And bald. But anyhoo. Evidently he's doing pretty well for himself - or those Blue's Clues royalties still really pay off - because this is his gorgeous home in Williamsburg:

I love that his house is blue. Get it? Like Blue from Blue's Clues. Heh.

Yes, so right after I got home from said weekend trip, I came across these photos of his bachelor pad in New York magazine. Isn't the place great? Check out the interior courtyard:

I love that he has private garden space -- in Brooklyn. Who knew?

I'm glad to see that Steve o' the Big Red Chair is doing so well for himself and not, as was rumored for a while, dead from an overdose. Well done, you!

In case this post has piqued your interest, you can listen to Steve Burns' story from The Moth here. It was pretty hilarious.

POTUS and kiddo

"POTUS and kiddo" sort of sounds like the name of a children's book, doesn't it?

Anyhoo, as if this presidential ploy that I talked about earlier weren't cute enough, check out El Presidente playing peek-a-boo with a wee one in the White House:

Le sigh. Obama-rama in effect.

Photo via Pinterest.

Chic & easy: DIY Halloween costume

Seriously? Who knew a DIY Halloween costume could be so fashionable? Of course it helps that this woman looks like a model, but dare I say that this adorable is mushroom costume is...chic? It seriously couldn't get easier either - cover a wide-brimmed hat (grab one from Tar-jay - my favorite chic & cheap spot!) and adhere some felt spots to make it look like a mushroom top. Pair with an all-brown (or earth tone) outfit et voila! Mushroom.

If being a fun-guy (heh, fungi - get it? oy. sorry.) doesn't do it for you, here are a few other easy DIY options:


I'm loving this cute gnome costume. I highly doubt B would ever let me even suggest something like this for him/us, but maybe someday I'll be able to put a munchkin of my own in it. The whole thing could be accomplished with some basic clothes and felt pretty easily too.


Maybe B would rather be in a Polaroid. Paint box, adhere background, done. (Don't forget your "picture smile" to top it off!) Love it.


I've always toyed with donning a giant fruit-laden headdress and polka-dotted garb a la Carmen Miranda to be the Chiquita banana lady for Halloween, but this all-yellow banana costume seems much easier. Mind officially changed - peace out headdress (maybe one day when I'm a crazy old lady...), hellooo head-to-toe yellow! Now where to score yellow pants on the cheap?

All these brills ideas came directly from Kendra Smoot for Holidash - check out the link for even more DIY ideas. In the meantime, I'm off to shop for a floppy hat and some felt... can you guess what I'm going to be?

A gnome. Duh. (Kidding)

Photos by Seth Smoot. Mushroom costume originally spotted on {frolic!}.

Hip-hip-hippopotamus

Photo by George Ross, as featured in Hamptons Cottages and Gardens

I'm way into those gorgeous blue gourd lamps, and loving the striking koi print in this room by designer Tara Seawright.There are far too many pillows on that daybed/couch for everyday life (in my humble opinion - and B's), but there is one thing in that room that is by far my favorite element... That leather hippopotamus footstool is bananas!


They're made of leather over a steel frame so they're strong enough to be a footstool anytime or a seat occasionally. Can you imagine one of your friends perching on one of these guys at your next cocktail party?

My favorite part is the cheery smile on his face. Here's a better view (or click on the image below to enlarge it):

Isn't he such a cute little guy? I think the smaller size would be perfect in a kids room - too bad the small size is $395 and the big one is $875. Ouch. They must be shipped straight from the Serengeti for those prices...

Regardless, I'm still putting this happy hippo on my "future dream purchases" list. So cute!

Available at Scully & Scully or Jonathan Adler. Originally spotted on House of Turquoise.

I think I'm turning Japanese: bento box lunches

To all the moms out there (you know, my two friends who have babies), here's one for you: Have you heard of the website called another lunch? It's written by a mother of four who strives to make nutritious and visually appealing lunches for her kids, specifically focusing on using bento boxes to cut down on packaging and waste. The result is a slew of cheery eye candy that made me want to whip up some fun lunches - until I realized that B might not appreciate the colorful boxes and fruit cut-outs as much as a toddler might. Ah well...

If you actually have children (and not just large children in mens' bodies) in your life, here are a few of her delish preschool to elementary school appropriate lunches:



In case you're wondering, the contents of the above lunch include (from top left, clockwise): applesauce with some sprinkles on top and mini Saltines with a slice of cheddar cheese, grapes and cucumber, a PB&J sandwich (the beak is made from cheese), sliced hard-boiled egg, raspberries, organic yogurt-covered raisins. Sounds pretty good to me!


However, I'm pretty sure you're thinking "what effing mom has time for this?" (except since you're a mom you probably didn't insert the "eff" in there like I do. Oops!). Anyway, I don't even have kids and I'm already doubting whether I could muster up the energy/time to cut a duck out of cheese.

But, not all of the bentos shown on another lunch are complicated. In fact, most of them look pretty simple. This one is basically whatever was in the fridge, tossed into a container in a cute way:


Plus, these could work for grown-ups pretty easily too. Here are two workday lunches that made my stomach growl:



Looks pretty healthy to boot...

I'm not running out to buy these BPA-free bento boxes and mini-containers any time soon, but if I have kiddos in the near future, I'll certainly consider it. In the meantime, Cov, I'm looking at you - this is right up your (green, organic) alley and I'm pretty sure little Finn would be super psyched to find a mini shark made out of organic cheese or an Ezekiel bread sandwich cut into a fish shape in his lunchbox. ;) Perhaps I'll give making one of these for Finn a go when I come down to visit in November... Yay for loaner kids! (ha ha)

Whale print for good, by Children Inspire Design

The print above is not only adorable, but also charitable. Children Inspire Design has created this super-cute signed, limited addition print, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to the National Wildlife Federation's Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund. Bonus: along with your purchase of the print, you not only get to feel good about helping the sad situation in the Gulf, but you also get a $10 gift certificate to ChildrenInspireDesign.com. Score!

I love the friendly whale - I think he'd make the perfect gift for anyone with kids (too bad your birthday's not 'til Dec, Cov and Finn's not 'til March!).

I also happen to know that Children Inspire Design is a great company since I bought this little print as a kids gift for the holidays:

Though I'm not sure if the recipient liked it or hung it up... but I thought it was cute, so that's what matters, right? ;)

If you're in the mood for some fanciful art, or just to help out with the Gulf restoration while getting something fun, definitely go check out this adorbs whale print for 30 bucks well-spent.

Originally spotted here.

Clogged?

TGIF: Thank goodness for....fashion? Well this morning that's what I'm taking it to mean. But I may be pushing it with the "fashion" label, since what I want to talk about is not necessarily fashionable to some.

What I've got on the brain this morning is....clogs. That's right, clogs. You know, makes you think boy of a with his finger in the dam, tulips and the paint can. All that Dutch stuff you think of when you think of wooden clogs (or is that just me?). But these are actually Swedish. (Go figure.)

Swedish Hasbeens to be exact. And look who's rocking them:

Pay no attention to the ginger sitting next to SJP...don't want to scare you on a Friday morn, now do I?

And another view:


But SJP doesn't stop there. No! She's got multiple colors, of course! More:


Oh, and not just with capris. Here's a fall ensemble (complete with baby):

On a side note, her kids are pretty cute. Anyway, back to the clog at hand...

People have been suggesting I buy clogs for years - they're the only shoes that won't hurt your back, they say - but I've been resisting because I either picture little girls picking tulips and clog dancing or my mom disco dancing in the 70s. Woah.

But if they're good enough for SJP, American fashion royalty...I might be swayed...

Oh wait, I forgot to mention something about these clogs - made by Swedish Hasbeen and shown here in the Peeptoe Super High style (shown above in "Nature" or "Olive"), in case you were wondering. Here's the thing: I thought to myself, "Fine, fine. Clogs. They'll help with my backaches and at least they'll be reasonably priced." Wrong.

These mammers are $202! Well, they're $154 (converted from Euro) plus $48 shipping from across the pond. Them's some pricey wood-soled shoes man! But are they worth it?

What do you think? Are they too hein? Or kinda cool? Do tell on this Friday morn! (What do you have to lose? Tell me what you really think... As if you're hard at work...) ;)

Photo credits: 1&3- ShopRobertson, 2&4- CoolSpotters, 5- Swedish Hasbeens. Shoes originally spotted on A Diary of Lovely.

Chocolate pudding cups

Oh my goodness, what a good idea. Chocolate pudding (and scads of fun toppings), housed in a "cup" made from chocolate. Yummm.

This doesn't seem terribly difficult to do, and you could either fancy them up for a grown-up dinner party with friends, or make them fun, messy and purely delicious with kids.

All you do is dip balloons in warmed chocolate...


Let them dry on a baking sheet (you can stick them in the fridge to speed it up)...


...Then *pop!* the balloons and the cups are ready:


Fill with gooey goodness...


...And enjoy!


I want to make these, like, yesterday. I'd fill mine with chocolate pudding, whipped cream (CoolWhip, not the real stuff [what? I like it better!]), oreo or brownie crumbles, and sprinkles on top (rainbow, not brown, of course!). Mmm mmm mmm. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Thanks to Bakerella for the great photos and inspiration (check out the full blog post here for more pics and details). And let me know if you make these... (if so, I'll be over straight away!)

Matrix rug in a cozy clubhouse

The lovely Lauren Liess from Pure Style Home posted this photo today and I was instantly enamored with the cool graphic rug.

The best part? It's a twofer: The rug is not only indoor/outdoor, it's from Overstock.com (here) and pretty inexpensive. The indoor/outdoor function is key since the rug resides in what used to look like this:

Lauren took a pre-fab shed from fiberboard blah to gorgeous and inviting - the perfect playspace for her two young boys and even an occasional retreat for her husband and herself. Here's what the inside looks like after Lauren worked her magic:

Awesome, right? Click here for Lauren's description of the process and to see more pictures.

I want my very own backyard playspace! (I want a backyard, period.)

And in case you want some more outdoor living space inspiration, check out these amazing treehouse casas.

Monday morning music

Goooood morning! Did you have a good weekend? I wanted to share a quick song/video with you this hot Monday morning, so without further ado...

I came across PS22 chorus' rendition of Phoenix's Lisztomania on Mighty Girl the other day and totally fell in love with these talented elementary schoolers and their awesome teacher. How good is their version of Lisztomania? Take a look:


In case you can't see embedded YouTube videos, here's the link.

And in case you forgot what Lisztomania - when done by Phoenix - sounds like, here's the link to that too.

These kids are amazing - they even got to perform for Beyonce and Lady Gaga and have been on tv several times - not to mention that their videos have gotten over 10 million views on YouTube! Very impressive. Check out the PS22 Chorus blog here for more videos and songs.

And have a great Monday! (More posts to come throughout the day.)

123, you & me (vintage aluminum numbers & letters)

Three, two, one - it's almost Memorial Day weekend - woohoo! And yet these numbers aren't just a countdown to the holiday weekend (aka the official start of summer - yesss!), they're actually really cool stand-up vintage aluminum numbers.

There are letters too:

These are obviously being shown with a wedding in mind, but I think they could be cool for lots of things. How about on your desk, or one letter for each guest at a dinner party, or even on the wall above a coat hook to delineate your kids' belongings?

For some reason the font choice is so appealing to me. I especially love the ampersand:

Sets of these vintage numbers or letters are available to buy on Etsy (just use the links to the left). Can you think of some other cool uses for these? Or are you too busy counting down to Memorial Day? ;)

Originally spotted on d. Sharp Journal.