I remember Jr High...

Welcome to our second Remember When Linky... Remember Jr High?
To see all the rules go here.
If you are ready with your Jr High post, add to the Linky below and get ready for the gawk fest!!
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Kara Noel remembers Jr High...
First off, any paparazzi better not copy these photos to sell for a million dollars to TMZ... (picture taken in 8th grade at Forest home Winter Camp... I was blow drying my favorite shoes because they had gotten soaking wet in the snow.)
Second... all these pix were scanned from my childhood scrapbook. Yes, an ACTUAL scrapbook with pictures from a film camera... just pictures and construction paper. Don't hate all you digi scrappers when you see my mad skills...
The picture above shows just how tall I was in Jr High. Yep, that's me, a head taller than the crowd. Funny... I never felt like a outcast. In fact, when I found this picture I was shocked at how much taller I was than the other gals.
I never felt "too tall" but I always felt plump. Oh the body image issues us ladies face! I remember in the picture below feeling super fat. Any ideas on how to prevent that feeling for our daughters??? Suggestions welcome...

My Jr High must have been incredibly cool because our yearbook was a play on In Living Color... Remember when SNL wasn't funny we all watched Fire Marshall Bill?
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My Jr. High class photos.
I remember sneaking Wet 'n Wild pink shimmery lipstick on for my 7th grade picture. 8th grade I wore my favorite outfit, a forest green body suit and flannel vest... oh how I LOVED vests. My mom made me a gazillion.

I was on Color Guard. I got kicked off the team right before our last competition (we were the reigning champs). Why you ask?? Well... There was a Saturday practice, but my whole family (aunt, uncles... the whole big bunch) had planned our annual trip to Disneyland. We went to Disneyland in the morning and then my mom dropped me off at practice. I was wearing Birkenstocks. Open toed shoes are a cardinal sin for colorguard. No cell phones, so I couldn't call my mom for a rescue. She picked me up at the end of practice to go back to Disneyland and I was off the team. I didn't mind though... I got to go back to Disneyland and the season was over anyway.
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I tease that I have looked 30 since I was 12... here is the proof. I swear that could be me now! Except I would never be caught dead in "mom" jeans.
Lets all pretend those were in style in 1993 and never speak of this again!!

I like to think I came into my own by the end of 8th grade. I was still the tallest. I still didn't realize it. In Jr High I got up every morning before school to do devotions. What a precious time as I became a woman of the Lord! My mom (Suzie Says) made me this dress for 8th grade graduation. I just felt lovely!

I heart Kettle Corn...

Updated 3/30:
I'm adding this post to Mom's The Word's awesome meme called Making your Home Sing Monday. This post highlights 4 things that make our home sing: Our weekly family date night, our love of sillyness, the joy of kettle corn, and of course a family favorite... It's a Small World!!
Every Monday night we take a trip on down to the Happiest Place on Earth...

UPDATE: If you have awesome blogging friends (like The Jungle Wife) then after reading this post they might leave a comment with a recipe for homemade Kettle Corn!!!
Just in case you are too lazy... I mean busy... to open up the comments here it is...

A recipe for making kettle corn on the stove top but of course its not quite the same:
1/4 cup oil (heat in a pan)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup popcorn
Cover and shake shake shake while it pops so the sugar doesn't burn!!! Add salt at the end and let it cool a little because the sugar is HOT! Yummy! Maybe I will have to make some tonight :-) Popcorn is our standard Sunday evening dinner. :-)

Thanks Sarah, I hope you enjoyed your Sunday night popcorn... I know we'll be trying this soon!!

Monkey Moon

Hi folks! You know I love to show off the amazing stuff I have found while paroozing the area (or the Internet). Today I'm going to feature Monkey Moon Photography. Gina, the photographer extrodonare (and mommy of 3), is an actual friend of mine... meaning I have actually hung out with her... in real life! She is just peachy :)

See...
Where did you get the awesome name of Monkey Moon?

Well, I thought about using my name at first but somehow Gina Carlin Photography just wasn't doing it for me. I wanted something catchy and kind of child-like. So I played around with words in my head for a few days (literally I walked around the house saying to myself things like, "Pink Elephant? No. Polka-dot Pineapple. No. Blue Bananas? Uh, definitely, no." And I somehow ended up with the combination of Monkey and Moon and it stuck.
How did you start Monkey Moon?

When our first son was born six years ago, my husband requested that I not subject our child to the likes of Sears or JC Penny's studios. Certainly no offense intended for those who do.I didn't have a problem with taking him there myself. It was just not his style.

Since we didn't have the funds for custom photography at the time, I realized that if I was going to have anything approaching professional photos of my kids, I'd have to learn how to take them myself. So I bought some photography books and joined some online forums and immersed myself in the basics. Then I practiced every single day (since then I've taken over 35,000 pictures). In the last few years, I've found that more and more of my friends, family and blog-followers were starting to comment on my images. And I was learning more about the field and found myself really beginning to enjoy the technical and artistic aspects of photography more than anything I'd done professionally. At my husband's gentle urging last year then, and with a lot of faith, I took the leap.

Where to you get your ideas for location shoots?

Coming up with new and interesting locations has probably been the biggest challenge I've faced so far as a photographer. One of the great things about southern California though is that there are so many different kind of settings to choose from. The gorgeous beaches have been the choice for many of my clients but there is also no shortage of urban backdrops for just about every personality. Personally, I tend to gravitate to the lush green spaces and have been known to pull over by the side of the road and go hiking to find them (my kids are safely at home on these occasions...usually). I will ask my awesome clients if they have a special spot where they would like to be photographed and, because of their creative ideas, I've found some cool places that way too.

What are your top 3 tips for us novice photographers to get great shots ofour kiddos... even if we have a less than great camera?

1. Get down on their level. This will not only make them feel more comfortable and relaxed but the eye-to-eye contact will make for a more natural looking photo than if you are standing above them.

2. Zoom in close. Those shots that mainly focus on the precious expressions can be some of your sweetest shots.

3. Don't make them say "cheese". There is nothing like capturing the image of your child's pure, natural and contagious joy. You can't get that with a manufactured smile. Be patient. Sometimes you have to wait for it. But it's worth it.

What inspired you?

There are so many things I could put here but certainly the most influential inspiration would have to be that of other photographers. I have also found some inspiration in catalogs like Anthropologie and Mini Boden. But the most surprising inspiration for shots comes from the personalities of my amazing clients. Sometimes that is all the inspiration needed!

Monkey Moon is in good old Orange County, CA.

Read more about Gina here.

Here blog is awesome! Check it out here. You will fall in love with Gina's photos and the way she captures her clients (and kiddos) is fresh, unique and NEVER boring!!

Go straight to her portfolio here.

P Diddy!

Is it wrong that I don't care when my son is potty trained?

Today we made a potty chart (using the crayons we made some time back). A sticker for every Pee-Diddy he does...

When Eli sits on the potty we all gather around to read Green Eggs and Ham. He took this picture of us while sitting on his Elmo potty...

In these parts you get 2 chocolate chips for going Pee (but we call it tinkle) and one big marshmallow for going Diddy (but we call it poo-poo). Sometimes if you try but can't go you just might get 1 chocolate chip...

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Check out this awesome post Anthropologie Style, Wal-Mart Price over at the AJW Design CO blog. Alycia was able to meld my love for Anthropologie style with my SAHM thriftiness!! That's right folks... I was the inspiration for this post. Well not the inspiration... but it was my idea... that has to count for something... I'm going to stop typing now...

The Breadwinner's Return...

Tag... Awards... Side Notes...

My blogging buddy Karen over at Lil' Momma's Haven (her Journey to Motherhood is a MUST READ!) tagged me and I'm actually doing it! I'm not going to tag anyone but if you want to do it consider yourself tagged!
Here are the Rules:Use the first letter of your name to answer the following questions. If the person before you has the same 1st letter pick a new one OR use different answers. You CAN NOT use anything twice, and you CAN NOT use your own name for name question. Tag 5 people.
I shall use the name of my blog, my business and my inspiration... Eli as in Eli's Lids!

1. What is your name: Eli’s Lids

2. A 4 letter word: Envy. As in don't envy other blogs... just have fun blogging and be yourself :)
3. A boy's name: Elias
4. A girl's name: Eve
5. An occupation: Economist. Are there any good ones left in the USA!? 3.5 Trillion!! Wanna know what a trillion looks like? Go here.
6. A color: Ecru… a color I like to say but don’t really like in general.
7. Something you wear: Evening Gown. LOL… remember my silver one!
8. A Food: Eggs… Eli has been able to eat 4 eggs in one sitting since he was 18 months old, folks.
9. Something found in the bathroom: Elmo Potty
10. A place: Ethiopia… Where we sponsor a beautiful 17 year old girl, Yergalem, through Compassion.
11. A reason for being late: Emailing… I sure do love getting emails so send me one!
12. Something you shout: “Excellent!” As in, Wayne's World!! Wayne's Word!! Party Time!! Excellent!!
13. A movie title: Edward Scissorhands. Why the hay did I love that movie... oh yeah Johnny...
14. Something you drink: Espresso. Just got a coffee maker and as soon as I get these I’ll be doing a whole post about how awesome it is!
15. An animal: Eagle
16. A song title: End of October by David Crowder Band... also my favorite band :)
17. A verb: Edify. Seriously folks.. is that a verb? I stink at grammar… but we should all be edifying each other everyday. Action word... right?
I'm just starting to understand blog awards! The first one I got was from Donna over at Blessed Nest Perch, then I got a great comment one from Karen at Lil Momma's Haven and today I got one from The Blond Duck over at Her Pond!
Of course I was gitty and flattered and down right proud. REALLY!! How cool to have real life invisible friends (as the Blond Duck would say!)... especially because I love their blogs so much.
Just some quickies about how great these gals are...
Blessed Nest Perch - Best organic nursing pillows EVER! If you don't want to take my word for it check out about a zillion testimonials here!
Lil Momma's Haven - Karen's Journey to Motherhood is a must read (it's worth saying twice).
A Duck in Her Pond - Check out her Neverending Stories. She is silly times 10... just the way I like them!
Not-so-Side Note: My Mom (Suzie Says) is in the hospital with double pneumonia. Pray for her right now... please!
Side note: Just got some awesome fabric I ordered from eQuilter. It's FANTASTIC! eQuilter has tons of fabric, great clearance and sale prices AND they donate 2% of your tab to the charity of your choice... how cool is that? Heather from Blessed Nest turned me on to them when I was searching for curtain material. I'm going to use this for pillows. I think it goes just dandy with my new rug :)Side Note: Discovered today that my down stairs bathroom has the perfect light for plucking!
Side Note: Went shopping today, put this stuff in baskets and thought it looked neat...

Suzie Says...

While I was doing St Patty's Day gifties I remembered this one...
Suzie says, Always save ALL your tiny pieces of ribbon!
Huh? (you're thinking)
Yes, invisible friends, save those bits of ribbon and of course all the bows and baubles from showers and birthday parties. I started saving ribbon, per my mom's suggestion, at my wedding and I totally recommend it. I keep mine very organized (ha!) in a tub and it comes in handy for making fun unique bows... you just keep tying bits together till it looks awesome :)
Lets face it folks... ribbon is the last thing we need to be spending our moo-la on when times are tight. Recycle your ribbon!!
Save your ribbon, save your money and save the earth!
Whod-a-thunk saving ribbon would be so noble!?!?!

Side note... I made corn beef on Irish People's Day and Cora Jane LOVED it... I think she ate the most at the table!

To all my new UBP friends... Don't let the Linky Love end with this Blog Party!! Join Eli's Lids Remember When Linky on March 30th!!! Details here.

Some other posts that tell a bit about me: Moving Saga Part 4: Sacred Space, Today was Valentines Day?, Crash = New Car & Back Aches, & Our Wedding. Oh and I can't leave out My Lids!!

There are about a gazillion prizes to be had!! I mean real prizes... $100 to Homegoods... $50 to Target and loads of awesome handmade gifties and jewelry... my top picks are 101, 89, 58, 68, 19, 21, 77, 78, 22, 52, 26, 30, 91, 41, 44, 62, 16, 12, 72, 81, 97, 104, 118, 123, 105, 121

Remember Jr High???

You don't think I forgot the Remember When Linky do you!?!?
Remember Jr High???
Again, I'm making you scan in photos... but it will be soooo worth it.
Grab those yearbooks and get to work so you have a post on Tuesday March 31th that is worthy of the word coolness!!
All the same rules apply...

• The post has to be about Jr High... don't be shy if you were less that perfect during that great stage of life... you came out of it... just look at you!!
• Post pictures
• When you add your link, do it for that specific post only. NOT your blog
• It doesn't have to be a new post... so if you posted about Jr High 3 years ago and you don't want to write a new one, just link to the one you already did!
• Link your post back to the my post on the 31th so your blog visitors can join the gawk fest too!
• Comment on the other blogs you visit... cuz we all LOVE comments!!

Just to give you a taste and get your creative juices flowing... I present to you my 7th grade class photo...

(I know the quality is awful... at least I have till the 31th to get things right!)

FYI - I didn't get cool till High School but don't you worry the next Remember When will cover that!! (OK, OK I gotta be real here... I didn't get cool till college! ...OK fine, I'm still not cool. Whatever!)

Eli's Lids Helps Siblings Share!

That's right folks when your kiddos wear Eli's Lids they will share with their siblings willingly!!

(NOTE: Cora kept pushing her Lid up on her forehead... it was funny!)

Even yummy ice cream from

the ice cream man on a spring walk!
Can you feel the love Eli's Lids

will bring to your family. More information at www.ElisLids.com
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The next Remember When... Linky will be March 30th...
details revealed tomorrow!

Moving Saga Part 6: Last Chapter?

We went back to the Old Place Sunday after church to do the final cleaning. I cried when we Magically Erased Eli's wall art -->>Then we had to clean the empty apartment. It was a great way to say goodbye to every inch...
Goodbye: Cheap white linoleum with scratches and spaces, kitchen faucet that squirts over 6 feet (had to keep a washcloth over it!), faux green/tan marble (in both bathrooms), eroding mirrors (in both bathrooms), hole it tub, tub that isn't sealed to the floor and leaks water (from hole in the tub), moldy 2.5 x 2.5' shower, moldy plastic carpet, thermostat that only sets to extremely hot and only 4 windows in the whole place (that includes the sliding glass door in the back!).
Hello: Beautiful new wood floors and lovely floor tile, nice fixtures that are just to die for, granite counters, travertine tiled tub and shower (no leaks in sight!), huge shower with corner seat, thick cozy carpet, thermostat with timer and air conditioning, 2 car garage, 15 HUGE double paned windows, three bedrooms, and open happy perfect uplifting feelings.

Hello down there...

Unpacking is just dandy...

The way I listed the contents of these boxes just cracked me up later. The first one has my beloved pumpkins in it and it says "Random Horizontal Stuff" (you can also see an Eli's Lids label peeking out from the slit).

The other box says "Junk Drawer and Important Papers."

One thing I'm really bummed to say goodbye to is our little backyard. The first thing we did after we moved in was put in the grass. We were surrounded by a busy street and my little back yard felt like our family's secret little oasis in the middle of the city. We had a lot of fun back there with buddies, bubbles, a tiny plastic pool, flowers, picnics...

After we cleaned Hot Hubby and I just sat in the empty living room and cried (I cried, he cuddled). It wasn't home anymore... but the new place wasn't yet either.

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"Mom, I'm so tired of the Moving Saga..."