Remember last week when I posted my favorite Christmas cookie recipes? Well, there was a reason for that. I was hoping to be featured on Tip Junkie’s Christmas in July Series.

And I’m going to be!

Can I get a woot! woot!

No? OK, it was worth a try.

Anyway, you should stop over because she has loads of giveaways going on right now, with two winners each day. She’s also featuring tons of great blogger’s Christmas in July ideas.

Don’t forget to check out my favorite Christmas cookie recipes too, in case you missed it last week.

Christmas in July is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I’m just kidding. Mostly.

In honor of the Father’s and Grandfather’s in the kiddo’s life, I thought I’d put together a tribute. Minus the cheesy music and photo montage.

Left to right: Dad-oo, Grandpa Bill, Grandpa Jim

Dad-OO

You have meet Dad-oo on a few occasions, and I’ve even written about him a time or two. But you haven’t met the real Dad-oo yet.

I remember that while I was pregnant, Dad-oo on occasion worried about the kind of father he’d be, as most soon-to-be dads are. During my labor and delivery (all 26 hours of it) he ate. And ate. And ate. I’m pretty sure that he ate my hospital breakfast and lunch. Plus all of the snacks we had packed away, and anything that was in the freezer in the guest kitchenette down the hall. He was nervous, to the say the least.

And then this magical, beautiful, perfect little boy entered the world. And if Dad-oo still has doubts about his abilities as a father, I haven’t heard a single word.

They say that a woman turns into a mother once she is pregnant. And that a man turns into a father when the child is born. It’s so true. I love the man that Dad-oo has turned into. Caring, strong, unflustered. He plays with the kiddo in ways that I never would have imagined (zombies anyone?). He’s my sounding board for parenting woes and frustrations. He’s level headed, witty and always, always, sarcastic.

In short, he’s the dad I always knew that he would be. Perfect in his own imperfect way.

Grandpa Bill

The kiddo has so many grandparents, and grandparent-type people in his life, that we sometimes have to include their first name, just so we can keep everyone straight. Grandpa Bill is my dad.

The last 10 years have been rocky, I can’t sugar-coat that. But I’m also not going to dwell on it. The event that finally turned everything around, and brought us closer together, was the birth of my son. It’s amazing how things change once you have a kid.

My dad had three beautiful (obviously) girls, me, and my two younger sisters. So he never had the opportunity to raise a son, but I know that he would have been a great parent to a son. He’s an amazing grandpa. He plays, and plays, and plays…never seeming to tire of it. Elmo sticker books, soccer, golf, going down the slide. The sandbox, cars, and just running around throwing balls. I love seeing them together. It reminds me of growing up, of happy times. Of being a family.

I’m so thankful for the relationship that I have with my dad now. It’s not perfect, but it’s perfect the way it is.

Grandpa Jim

Grandpa Jim is Dad-oo’s dad, so I asked him to step in to share a few thoughts:

My dad has always been my role model, even more so than Joe Montana whose posters I had plastered all over my wall as a kid.  I used to try an walk like him when I was a kid and I try to act like him as an adult.   He taught me about sports, how to enjoy quiet, many of my values and a great deal about life.  He also kept me in line when I needed it, which I don’t think was THAT often.

I’m eternally grateful that my dad, after overcoming a very rare sort of brain cancer, had the chance to be Grandpa Jim.  He was given a prognosis of months before Eli was ever even conceived.  Now Eli’s two and he loooves his Grandpa Jim.  They in general are a couple of goofballs together and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Do you have a special father or grandfather in your life? What makes him so special?

Father’s Day Tribute is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I’ve never known anyone like Stever before and I doubt I’ll meet anyone like him again.  He was one of my best friends and the most loyal person I’ve ever known.  My first vivid memory of our friendship is when Stever walked up to me in the hallway freshmen year of high school and casually jabbed a pencil into my arm.  The pencil entered on the outside of my right arm in the tricep area.  I remember that detail because the graphite is still quite embedded in that exact location and very visible.  How is that a friendship memory and not an “assault victim” memory?  Well the next thing Stever did after retracting the writing utensil out of my limb was to smile and yell out “Hey Mikey!” as if this was a very normal greeting and after the initial spike of  pain receded I remember treating it as such.  We resumed discussions as normal, I don’t even think we talked about the pencil attack at all.  I call it a badge of honor though thinking back I’m still not sure why he thought that was an appropriate greeting or why I agreed with him.   Probably the same reason I thought it was appropriate (and hilarious) to send him a basket of beef jerky and licorice after his jaw was wired shut following a surgery.

While most kids our age spent their time watching sitcoms and sports (or whatever we did to avoid being intellectually stimulated), Stever watched history and military documentaries, The West Wing and played hours of Command and Conquer.  I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me when he joined the Airforce and shipped off to Wyoming to become as he put it “a glorified 911 operator for nuclear missiles”.  It did surprise me though.  Stever joining the military wasn’t an idea I could grasp at that time.  I didn’t understand his motivation or how his mind worked, I guess I was just stuck in the “college is what you do after high school” mode.  The military was just that staff sergeant  (Irwin, Staff Sergeant Irwin was his name) that called every once in a while and attempted to goad us into joining the army so the commies wouldn’t take over.  I wish I could tell you that I learned anything at all from the time Stever joined the Airforce to the time he enlisted in the Army National Guard, but I can’t.  Especially considering the high probability of deployment to Iraq.

There’s no way I have the time or space to review all of my memories of Stever in this one post so I’m going to focus on the one thing that relates most to Memorial Day and what I learned (and continue to learn) from it.  Steve was killed in action 5 days after arriving in the Middle East on July 24, 2006,  as a result of injuries sustained from an IED detonating under his vehicle.  I got the call from a friend while I was at work and after the initial denial stage I was devastated.  I can’t even imagine the impact on his family, Steve was an only child.  Stever’s life was celebrated at a packed memorial service with great speeches from his family and friends.  The service was concluded by a full procession of bagpipes.  In case you didn’t think a group of bagpipes could sneak up on anyone, think again.  The several of us facing the back of the auditorium saw them walk in, the others (and there were many) never saw it coming.  The emotional resonance of 10 or more bagpipers belting out surprise Amazing Grace is indescribable.

So after all of this, after the pain and the grief and almost 4 years later thinking about Stever on a near daily basis, I think I may have also learned something.  I never said I was smart but I occasionally pick up on something if it’s right in front of me for years.  Stever was a defender.  There aren’t many of them, and maybe we need more but Stever was doing this to defend his country and the people in it.  The people who can’t or won’t do it for themselves.  The people who’s idea of a “warrior” is the guy who puts on pads and a helmet and tosses a ball around for a couple hours every week.  The people who celebrate being free and safe by taking it for granted.  The people who considered military service about as long as they considered building a raft and shoving off into the Atlantic ocean after high school.  Me.

It took me a long time but I better understand Stever’s “go hard or go home” attitude, his “shut the ____ up and do it” mantra, the feeling that he couldn’t relate to civilian life after coming home, and the anguish he felt (and displayed) at so many people’s lack of perspective, especially those who bashed military members because they were more interested in partisan bickering and shaky ideals.  I say “better understand” because another thing I learned is that no matter how much I tried to empathize with Stever, I could never understand what he went through or what he was going through.  Not without doing what he did or having his perspective on life.  So on Memorial Day the best I can do is remember and be mindful.  Remember my dear friend and what he did for his country and be mindful that I at least try to be a civilian who is aware.

I would say Rest in Peace Stever, but I think that’s the last thing you would want.  Cause some damage wherever you are.

Thanks for listening.  Happy Memorial Day.

A Memorial Day Memory is a post from: Alli 'n Son

While this probably should be a post about how wonderful my mom is (and she IS wonderful), I wanted to do a special twist on it. I asked my mom to tell me about her memories of Mother’s Day. Good and bad. So I asked her to share the story of her most memorable Mother’s Day. This is what she said.

All 5 of us (my mom, dad, me and my two sisters) decided to go out for dinner for Mother’s Day which was going to be a real treat with 3 little girls. I think Cassie (my youngest sister) may have been about 14 months. We went to a nice restaurant EARLY to beat some of the crowd. All the girls were dressed up for the occasion. I was excited to be having a meal out on Mother’s Day at a nice restaurant.

From there it went downhill.

We were seated right away, our order was taken and the girl’s food was brought out. Of course they were hungry so they ate. We waited and waited a LONG time for our food. By the time our food was brought out the girls were finished eating and didn’t want anything to do with being patient while Mom and Dad ate. So, we ended up getting our meals in “to go boxes” and took everyone home.

I was so disappointed.

After getting everyone out of the car and in the house I put on my shoes and went for a long walk and let Dad deal with the girls.  So much for an enjoyable meal together on Mother’s Day. But the walk was really nice all by myself.

I don’t think we attempted to go to a nice restaurant again for quite some time with the girls except for McDonald’s.

I vaguely remember this happening, I was about 4.5 years old I think. Ahhh, memories.

What was your most memorable Mother’s Day?

This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop. Stop by to read more Mother’s Day memories.

Memories of Mom is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Easter is a time to rejoice. To remember. To be thankful and grateful. To be amazed. And above all, to believe.

It’s also a time for family. To reconnect. To share a special day. To celebrate together.

My family lives pretty close together, by most people’s standards. I’m in the same city as my parents and grandparents. My sisters and their families live within 1.5 hours. My in-laws are within 2.5 hours. All easy-to-drive distances (even with a loud yapping pug). Yet weeks, even months go by without seeing each other. So when we do finally get together, kids have changed and grown. Milestones have been met. Yet when we’re together, we all fit perfectly back together. That’s what I like best about family.

This weekend we celebrated Eli’s second birthday and his cousin Evie’s first birthday (more on that later this week). But we also gathered to Celebrate Easter. Here are my top 10 memories.

Top 10 Easter Memories

1. Eli running up to hear the children’s sermon, hand-in-hand with Uncle Jason. Uncle Jason sat patiently at the front of the church, with all of the other kids, just so Eli would have the courage to stay there. It was heart-melting.
2. Eli giving great big bear hugs to everyone as we packed up to drive home. These were not your every day hugs. These were running-at-you-full-force, jumping-with-arms-out-stretched, squealing-with-delight hugs. Each and every person received one of these hugs.
3. Decorating Easter eggs for the first time with the kiddo. Watching his eyes light up, having him count to 10 so we would know when the eggs were done. Dumping red dye all over his jeans. Oh wait, that isn’t a favorite memory, but it is permanent. Anyone know how to get Easter egg dye out of clothing?!?!?!
4. A family picture, with everyone’s eyes open, smiling and generally looking in the right direction. It’s a miracle!
5. The sun breaking through the cloud-filled morning, celebrating, and turning the afternoon into a glorious, sun-filled day.
6. A 2 hour late nap that did not result in a massive meltdown, even after the sugar crash. And hunting for jelly-bean filled Easter eggs, you know, to boost the energy back up after the afternoon’s crash.
7. Ham, turkey, spinach and strawberry salad, slightly lumpy twice baked red potatoes (because they were homemade, ya know), yummy homemade bread, and creamy ice cream dessert.
8. Easter buckets (yes, buckets, not baskets) filled with candy, bubbles, books and treats (oh my achy stomach) from the Easter bunny.
9. Sisterly-bonding in the kitchen, eating bite-sized pieces of banana, from the outside in (did you know that the crust is the best part).
10. Shopping for clearance Easter candy. Why, or why did I do that exactly? Oh yea, because it’s delicious, jelly beans make good potty training treats, and I just can’t turn down a good deal on chocolate.

What were your favorite Easter memories. Did you spend it with family or friends? Do you have a special tradition?

This blog was inspired by Oh Amanda’s Top 10 Tuesday’s Blog Carnival. Head on over for more Top 10 Lists.

Easter Memories is a post from: Alli 'n Son

There I was minding my own business, getting dinner together early last week. The kiddo was running around like a mad man (what else is new), Dad-oo was off kicking some butt at martial arts. I turn around to find the kiddo sitting on the pug’s bed. He has something in his hand.You already know where this is going, don’t you?

“Gar-bage” he says to me. Which usually means it’s a piece of paper, string or pebble that he found on the floor. Wait, scratch that, if it was a pebble, it would be in his mouth. He’d be chewing on it. That sound always sends shiver’s down my back.

And then this happens. He hands me a small piece of dog poop. I had no idea where it came from, and try as we might, I could not find evidence of more poop in the house. But there’s always more, that’s something I’ve learned after 6 years of owning dogs. If there’s one piece, there’s more.

To this day, the remaining poop has eluded me. Although, Later Mom was nice enough to point out that it could always be worse, “At least you didn’t find it on their foot or other, grosser, places.”

How about you? Any romantic, special, poop-tastic Valentine’s Day stories to share?

A Sweet Valentine’s Day Story is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Heart hand stamps by Kahli from Little. Lovely.

I was inspired by this adorable project on BloesemKids (originally posted by Khali at Little. Lovely.) and I thought to myself, self what a great idea for a Valentine’s Day card. The kiddo can help create them, and they make a beautiful keepsake for the important people in our lives. In fact, I think that we may just do this every year (or as long as the kiddo will put up with it), to record how the little man grows from year to year.

My Version

Now I’m thinking that I need to get more embellishments for these cards. I surprised myself and really enjoyed making the cards by hand, with the little bit of fun paper I had in the house. Does anyone know where I can order some fun scrapbooking supplies, for cheap?

More Valentine’s Day Crafts

Check out some of my favorite craft sites. I only wish that I had enough time to create all of these little gems before the big day arrives.

Fortune Cookie Valentine from Kerry at kidgiddy

Valentine Pendants, by One Golden Apple, a great idea to turn your kiddo’s artwork into jewelry.

These heart-shaped glasses by Mom Tried It would be great for kids of all ages (especially the dad-aged kids)

I love these elegant yet fun 3-D hearts by The Mother Huddle

And of course The Crafty Crow for their endless supply of ideas.

Valentine’s Day Cards is a post from: Alli 'n Son

So, what do I do when I have zero ideas for a fun Valentine’s Day craft? I turn to my other passion, baking. I needed an excuse to make some cookies anyway. The last time I made any cookies was, let’s see, before Christmas. When the cookie binge of 2009 happened. Now I remember what I gave up sweets for 30 days.

I decided that cut out cookies would be our craft for this week. But not just your normal heart-shaped cookies. That is way too boring for me. I decided to mix it up a little and created some fun, arty, abstract Valentine’s Day cookies.

For this craft you can make it as easy or as difficult as you want. Me, I of course made it difficult. I made everything from scratch, including the frosting. I even cut each individual heart out of the dough with a knife. Yes, I’m just a tad bit crazy. As if you didn’t already know that. You could by all means use store bought sugar cookie dough and frosting. You might however have to make the egg-wash at home, but considering that it’s only 2 ingredients, I think that just about anyone can handle it. Or go ahead and use your favorite sugar cookie recipe. Or use mine (at the end of the post).

Abstract Valentine’s Day Cookies

1. Divide the dough in half. Half will be for the base of the cookies, the other half will be for the hearts.
2. Roll out the first half of the dough on a well floured surface until 1/4″ thick. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut out various sized squares and rectangles. These should not be perfect, their beauty is in their uneven, odd shapes and sizes. These are supposed to be abstract after all. Let the kids get a little crazy, who says the shapes even need to have 4 sides?
   
3. Using the egg-wash (see below) and a pastry brush, splatter each square and rectangle. This is a really fun part for kids. They can make a mess and not get in trouble. Use 2 or three different colors, pinks, reds and purples work best for Valentine’s Day.
   
4. Next, with the second half of the dough rolled out, using a knife cut out hearts. Big ones, small ones, lop-sided ones. You get the picture. I suppose that you could also use a cookie cutter, but where’s the fun in that? (Ignore the coloring in the photo, I accidentally photographed an extra heart that I had egg-washed)
   
5. Now, bake all of those funny shapes and lop-sided hearts according to the package/recipe’s direction. For me that was 8 minutes at 350º.
6. Once those cookies have baked and cooled, frost the hearts and let them dry. I used a very simple powdered sugar/milk glaze. I just dipped the cookies in and let them dry. Really easy.
7. With the left over frosting/glaze, put a small dot on the back of each heart and place it on top of the egg-wash splattered base. It doesn’t have to be perfectly centered. In fact, I think the cookies have a lot more character when they are a little off balance.
   

That’s it. You are now the proud owner of some sassy looking, oh so delicious Valentine’s Day cookies. Share them or gobble them all up yourself. I won’t tell. I swear.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla (or any other flavor)

Cream together the sugars and butter. Add egg and mix. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4″ thick. Cut out in desired shapes. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350º, or until the edges are a light golden brown.

Egg-Wash

1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon water

Mix the egg yolk and water together. Separate into 2-3 small dishes and color with food coloring. If the wash starts to thicken, add just a little water to thin it out.

Frosting/Glaze

Powdered Sugar
Milk
Vanilla or Almond

There really are exact measurements for this. You just make as much as you need. But it’s best to start out with a lot of sugar and a little milk. Add milk slowly until you reach the desired thickness.

Abstract Valentine’s Day Cookies is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Last week the kiddo, a few friends, and I went on an art adventure. The local art museum hosts a monthly art extravaganza for toddlers. It’s basically a free-for-all. Kids running, arts stations set up, volunteers doing their best not to burst into tears (there are a LOT of kids). But the kids have a blast, it’s something to do on a dreary winter morning. And, actually, I kind of had fun to.

Today’s Valentine’s Day craft, a water-color butterfly, was inspired by a craft we did at the art extravaganza. It’s simple enough that younger kiddos can do, yet fun enough for the older ones too. This little craft is great because, there is little clean up. The brush is an ice cube! An added bonus, you can do with this things that you already have lying around the house.

Supplies

• Powder Paint, Kool Aid Powder (unsweetened or sugar-free), or Jell-O Powder (unsweetened or sugar-free)
• Ice Cubes
• Popsicle Sticks (optional, if you want to add a “handle” to the ice cubes)
• Construction Paper
• Q-tips (optional, for the antenna, 2 for each butterfly)
• Glue Stic
• Scissors
• Scotch® Magic Tape

On each piece of paper, sprinkle one colors of paint/kool-aid/hello. We used kool-aid and had great results. Plus everything smelled fruity while we were working. Using the ice cube, that has been sitting at room temperature for 5 minutes, smear around the paint powder. As the ice cube melts, the powder turns into paint and makes a cool pattern on the paper.

And of course, you can always get as creative as you want. Add some glitter, stickers, candy hearts (if you don’t eat them all, that is).

Once the paper has dried, cut it in half, then cut each half into heart “wings”.  Next, create a body for the butterfly out of construction paper. It can be all one color, three different colored circles, or whatever else you come up with. Come on, I know you are creative! The assemble by glue-sticking the wings to the body, add antenna if you want (I dipped the ends of ours in some left over kool-aid mixed with a little water). Viola! You’re done. Cute little Valentine’s Day Butterflies to decorate your fridge with.

I’d to hear how this craft turned out at your house, even if it ended up being a disaster! Sometimes those make for the best stories.

Don’t forget to enter my latest giveaways. LoveHandles by FusionBrands ends 2/5.

Valentie’s Day Butterfly is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I just can’t help it, I love crafts. I didn’t always, but since the kiddo is starting to get into it, I’ve discovered that I love to color. I guess it’s the artist in me sneaking it’s way out. It had to happen sometime.

I just can’t get enough of Valentines Day this year. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’m really excited for it. Maybe because the 30 Day No Sweets Challenge will be over, so I can enjoy some good old chocolate. Or maybe I secretly have a thing for little babies with bows and arrows. Who knows.

This week the kiddo and I worked on decorating the house with hearts. Not just boring old hearts cut out of paper, mind you. Oh no, these babies have personality, flair and a little bit of pizazz. There may have been a belly laugh or two while making them. At least that’s the rumor.

So, how do you make these fabulous paint-splattered hearts, without spraying paint all over the living room, couch, rug and the pugs? Let me tell you.

Supplies

Hearts cut out of paper, as many or as few as you want, as large or as small as you want
2 Golf balls
A box with shallow sides (baking sheet with sides, a brownie pan, a cardboard box, etc.)
Paint
Glitter (optional)

Place the hearts in the bottom of the baking sheet, pan or box and drop some paint on each one. You can use one color, or if you want to get really creative, multiple colors. Put the golf balls in the sheet, pan or box, and roll them around. As the balls roll across the paper, they create a unique design on the heart. If you want, sprinkle some glitter on before the paint drys for an extra sparkly heart.

Once your masterpieces have dried, hang them up for a lovely reminder about, well, love. You could even make a special one with a note on the back for the Dad-oo in your life. It could be a note about how much you love him (who doesn’t like to hear that), a special “coupon”, or even a “free-day” to himself. Make it fun, make it a way to connect, or make it a way to get him out of your hair for a few hours.

Valentine’s Day Heart Painting (Thursday Crafts) is a post from: Alli 'n Son