Quick hit for B - The Best of WhipUp 2008: Crafting Guides

I'm back in the office again today, and being here makes me identify with the Grinch:

For Tomorrow, he knew... All the Who girls and boys would wake bright and early. They'd rush for their toys! And then! Oh the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!

It just feels like a nice, quiet respite here. And to anyone out there even considering the possibility of having kids, I have one piece of advice: MAKE SURE ALL TOYS ARE SILENT. No jingles, no sound effects, no singing. Trust me. Anything that makes noise (a) usually requires batteries, and the battery compartment usually requires a screwdriver and the patience of Job to open it, and (b) will inevitably cause tears when you chuck the damned thing out the window to preserve your sanity.

I'm currently on my fourth cup of coffee.

And she's back!

A happy holiday to all. I hope everyone had a wonderful celebration (or distinct, purposeful lack thereof) earlier this week, and that family members weren't too awful. Or, if they were, that you had plenty of alcohol to muddle through. 

Lil' Puddin' Tater is well on her way to becoming spoiled rotten, as she received two dollhouses (the Barbie Dream House and the Glitter Suite Dollhouse)  from two of her three sets of grandparents. This year it was all about the dolls, and she also got a couple of Polly Pocket playsets, which are the SMALLEST TOYS IN THE WORLD. For Midget 2.0, he got several toys that light up, roll around, and shoot things into the air. Plus, he got wrapping paper, ribbon, and every little plastic bag or accessory that came with LPT's stuff. In order to properly ascertain the merit of these objects, he has diligently been attempting to eat them, one by one. 

Hubby really took the cake this year and purchased for me (after saving up for 2-3 months in secret) a new front-loading washer. It's awsome, and it's RED. He rocks. :)

And I tried, really I did, to do an entirely handmade Christmas this year. And I sort of succeeded. I made scarves out of fleece (an excellent alternative for those of us who cannot knit) and I made some homemade tea, and I printed calendars and cards (from Little Brown Pen on etsy) and put together (with lots of help from LPT, of course) a mouthwatering chocolate cobbler dry mix. I actually did sew some stuff, like a pair of pants for my brother-in-law, a twirly skirt for my neice, juggling bags for my father-in-law and an apron for my mom. But I had to buy a few things, mostly because (a) I couldn't think of a single thing that I could make for some members of my family and (b) I completely ran out of time. Literally. I caught my fingernail in the sewing machine on Christmas day while frantically trying to finish the juggling bags as my father-in-law sat in our living room. It was definitely cheaper doing everything hand/home made, but lordy, the stress level increases exponentially and I frequently has to re-asses what gifts people were going to get from me. Luckily, my dear group of friends decided that we would give time this year instead of gifts, and we have a wonderful dinner party planned for New Year's Eve. 

And my resolution for the new year is: keep this blog updated. I have lots of exciting stuff coming up and I want to share it with everyone!