| Thursday, August 28, 2008 |
| Happy Halloween, 67 Days Early |
So as I said, I'm all about family traditions. I love them. When I was growing up, we had a ton of them. Every Thanksgiving, we got the Christmas stuff out. Every Christmas Eve, we go to a light display by a church, light a candle for our deceased loved ones, then go home and watch "Christmas Vacation." Every Christmas, we watch "Christmas Story" on TBS until we're ready to bonk Ralphie on the head with his own BB gun. Every 4th of July, we set of fireworks and, consequently, chase the dog down the street as he runs away from the noise. Why? Well, it's tradition. We wouldn't have it any other way.
One of the traditions I've adopted over the years is that every year, on my birthday (August 25th), I get my Halloween decorations out and decorate the house.
Yes, you read that right, in late August, I get out my Halloween stuff.
I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday, second only to maybe Christmas, because Mr. Stepford proposed on Christmas. But I have to tell you, it's a close second, because I love everything about Halloween. I love the weather, I love the air, I love seeing the little ones all dressed up and going door-to-door, I love the decorations, the smells, the baking, and of course the candy isn't exactly a negative either. I love it all. And I want to celebrate it. As. Long. As. Possible.
Now, I have gotten better about things... For awhile there, it all came out on the 25th of August and stayed up until Thanksgiving, which is when my Christmas stuff goes up (except for the tree, which goes up the Saturday after Christkind... December 6th... Have I mentioned I'm a tad OCD?), but apparently not everybody likes celebrating Halloween for 67 days (*ahem* Mr. Stepford). So now, I start putting up Halloween stuff on my birthday, but it's not all out and up until maybe early-mid September. I opt for little changes at a time, to kind of ease him into it.
And my Halloween decorating isn't just like an orange candle here, a ghost statue there... I've got garland, I've got lights, I've got signs, I've even got Dept. 56-style houses, including a replica of Disney's "Haunted Mansion" in Disney world (my favorite ride at Disney). I go all out. On Halloween, my house is a sight to be seen, complete with glow-sticks and mood music, and I give out the best treats on the block. I rock the Halloween. :)
I think that's the thing I'm looking forward to the most with having a child... That is, if I ever get pregnant... Is that I'll have an excuse to get all crazy at Halloween. LOL!
So now that everybody has been adequately warned about my love of all things haunted and Halloweeny, I fully expect that the Halloween tips, treats, tricks, and fun stuff will start rolling in from you guys... Right? :)
Happy Halloween!!! Labels: About My Life, Holiday Happenings |
| posted by The Stepford Wife @ Thursday, August 28, 2008 |
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| Wednesday, August 27, 2008 |
| Exercising Hospitality by Telling People to Go Away |
One of the blessings of living in a small cluster of homes in the country is that we have relative peace and quiet. Our evenings are filled with the sounds of birds, wind in the trees, children playing in their yards, and a general calm and beauty that I think many neighborhoods would envy. One of the things I love about our tiny little neighborhood is that we enjoy our little neck of the woods, and we all take a great deal of pride in being warm and inviting, hospitable, and just generally nice to those around us. However, one of the curses of living not too far from a town in a cluster of houses is that we attract solicitors... And lots of them. Starting in the spring, we had an average of 3-6 solicitors a week. I answered the doorbell more than I answered the phone! Now, I strive to make my little plot of land beautiful, welcoming, and pleasant, and I want to show a measure of good hospitality to those who come to see us. So I was very conflicted in how to protect my home and my privacy, while still showing a measure of grace and hospitality. On one hand, I felt that it was my duty to welcome those who came to my door, no matter what cause they're coming to support, but on the other hand I just wanted to rip out my doorbell and throw it across the yard. There are, of course, the signs that say "no trespassing" and "no solicitation," but is that the message I wanted all of the people to see when they walked to my door? Everybody from the guy selling dictionaries to my mother would see that was the first impression of welcome people got from my house. That didn't please me in the slightest. Even worse, it would discourage solicitors I actually wanted, like local school children, youth organizations, and those wonderful little gals who bring me my stash of Girl Scout Cookies and 4-H candy bars. A sign that discourages cookies and chocolate? That's not happening. There had to be a sign out there that was both welcoming and pleasant, that very clearly expressed that we didn't want to have our doorbell pushed by every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a pamphlet. But how is such an attitude an exercise in hospitality? I had a lot of thinking to do... Hospitality means, to me, to be welcoming, warm, and gracious to all of those who come to my door, and to be a generous host to those I invite in to the home. I want my home to be a place of relaxation and comfort for everybody who comes across the threshold. But wait a minute... Is my home a place of relaxation and comfort to me and my husband if we're being disrupted by solicitors, some of whom are less-than-friendly, or who can be very pushy? I found a lot of times we'd answer the door and politely say "no thanks," only to have the salesperson get frustrated, or become overly insistent to the point of hostile. That left Mr. Stepford and me irritated, which is totally against what I want our home to be. Not to mention, it made us dread answering the door, because we could never tell who it was or how they'd behave... And isn't that dread and worry about who's at the door totally the opposite of the environment I was trying to cultivate? The other thing that I considered was, with the parade of people I saw who came to my door trying to sell things, I only bought items from the local children, or from local youth groups, or from people I knew or trusted. In this age of credit card fraud, identity theft, and stalkers, I just don't want to hand money and personal information or credit card numbers to random strangers who appear at my door. Yet, each person who came would enter into their speech about what they were selling and why I should buy it, all the while I knew I probably wouldn't. So for every moment they spoke, I was wasting their time. Time that could be better spent on the doorstep of a house where they could be making money. Is that hospitable treatment of those to come to my door when I take their time and effort in the knowledge that I wasn't going to do anything with it? Is it gracious? The biggest issue was that of safety. I'm home alone, a lot. I have no way of verifying that the person at my door is really who they say they are. If somebody who came to my door were to push his or her way in, I'd be in trouble. Did you know most burglaries and home invasions occur during the time of 10am to 3pm, while people are at work? Many people with less than honest intentions use the door-to-door salesperson routine as a means to profile a house and its occupants. I think we can all agree, a lack of safety in one's own house is a total opposite to the goal of hospitality. I came to the conclusion that sometimes gracious hospitality includes the fine art of discouraging people from intruding on your home time and space, prevent wasting their time and energy, and doing so in a manner that's not accusatory, insulting, in-your-face, or combative, or without leaving a negative first impression on welcomed guests. I ended typing and printing the following, dressing it up a bit, and laminating it as a sign on my front door: "We welcome family, neighbors, friends, stray animals, lost kids, wildlife, mail carriers, and neighborhood children fundraising for school events, sports teams, and youth organizations. Be warned, we have a soft spot for cookies, candy, popcorn, handmade jewelry, and candles, and we can always use more wrapping paper. We also enjoy our private time and a peaceful home. So please no adult salespersons or religious solicitation. If you would like to leave information on the porch, please do so without knocking or otherwise disturbing our household. Thank you!" It took me awhile to word it, and I found lots of suggestions online, but I finally pieced together something that not only clearly encouraged local children, clearly discouraged everybody else, but did so in a way that was polite and friendly, and even still gave them an opportunity to leave literature so I could look it over if I so chose. The sign has worked brilliantly. We've had no solicitors since we put it up. Sometimes our porch looks like Kinko's exploded on it with all the handouts on it, but that's OK. :D I didn't realize how effective the sign was until a few days ago, when a new neighbor came calling to get to know the neighborhood. She came to the door and read the sign, and one of the first things she told me when she came and sat down with me was that it was worded in such a way that made her feel welcome, removed the uneasiness of "gosh, do these people really want to meet the new neighbor or not?" that she felt before going around to visit, and it made her feel like if I was so openly diligent about protecting my family's time and interests and my home atmosphere, that by being my guest, she would feel comfortable in assuming she'd get the same treatment, and would enjoy a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. Ah, the benefits of a well-worded sign... :) For more WFMW tips, head to Rocks in my Dryer for a huge list of them. I've found some of the most amazing stuff there... Labels: Entertaining and Hospitality, House of Dreams, Outdoor Homekeeping |
| posted by The Stepford Wife @ Wednesday, August 27, 2008 |
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| Tuesday, August 26, 2008 |
| Do I Look a Year Older? |
Well, ladies and gentlemen, do I? Yesterday was my birthday, and I can no longer call myself a woman of my mid-20s, but now a woman of my mid-to-late 20's. Oh, how the time flies by... Makes me wonder what I've done with myself!
I have to say, I love my birthday. I love all birthdays, really. When I was growing up, we made birthdays a big deal around our house. My mother had (what do I mean had... She still has it and still puts it up on our birthdays!) this banner that said "Happy Birthday!" It was blue and kind of orchid purple, and it was very 1960's style... But every year, I remember coming down the stairs and seeing that banner stretched across the ceiling by the dining room, over our presents. Even now when I see it, I have that giddy, childish excitement that I had when I was little.
I'm a big fan of holiday/birthday/special event traditions... I'd love to hear from you guys... What are some of your favorite birthday traditions? Something that makes those special days really something to remember?Labels: About My Life, Holiday Happenings |
| posted by The Stepford Wife @ Tuesday, August 26, 2008 |
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| Monday, August 25, 2008 |
| The Simple Daybook of a Stepford Wife |
For August 21th, 2008
Outside my Window
We've decided to pack up our bags and head up to Northern Vermont to visit Mr. Stepford's family. His mother and her husband are right now living in a cottage on the shore of a lake that, I'm sure, nobody has ever heard of. The air is clear and clean, and the sky is blue and radiant. The lake itself is a beautiful aqua-green color (a tint this particular lake is famous for in late August), and the wildlife that calls it home is amazing. Even though it's not even noon, I've already seen a blue heron, several green herons, ducks, and an osprey.
I am Thinking
I'm thinking that I wish I was feeling better... An adverse reaction to a antibiotic that I was taking led to an ulcer/stomach infection. I'm on a clear liquid diet to keep from aggravating my stomach. Clear liquid diet means only broth, water, Jello... And it also means I'm hungry a lot. Very difficult while everybody around me is enjoying home cooking and BBQ. But, even after all of that, I'm quite glad to be here. A day of feeling bad at a cottage by a lake is better than a day feeling bad at home. :)
I am Thankful For
Having the good fortune to be able to come and visit such a place. Not everybody can enjoy such seclusion. I'm also thankful for family who've opened their doors to a couple of freeloaders with their dog to come visit!
From the Kitchen
I'm avoiding the kitchen... I don't want to see what delicious foods they're making that I can't eat!!
I am Wearing
A black fitted tee with v-line neck, black yoga pants, and my trusty black Crocs. Relaxing and comfortable clothing is the uniform for being by the lake!
I am Reading
"List Your Self" which is a blank, journal-style book that asks questions that you journal your response to. I love this book, and since I've been answering questions in it since 2003, I can really see how I've changed over the years. I just read my list for ingredients I use the most in cooking... Boy, have I changed since 2003 in that department!
I am Hoping
I'm hoping that I'll feel better soon, and I'm hoping that the food around me won't tempt me into eating, then regretting. I also hope that Zantac works as well as advertised!
I am Hearing
The glunking of the water hitting the rocky shore and splashing under the docked boat. Ducks quacking, and our dog running down the dock to bark at them. The wind in the trees, the birds chirping periodically. The odd seagull flying overhead. Mr. Stepford trying to coax our barking dog to jump off the dock into the water... Our dog can't swim, and is afraid of the water, and Mr. Stepford is hoping that the excitement of seeing the ducks will inspire him to get his courage up to jump in the water.
Around the House
My mother-in-law is reading in the chair next to me, and I'm laying on a lounger just outside of the sun, watching the lake, ducks, and Mr. Stepford with the dog. Our dog has not quite gotten the courage up to jump into the water, but the excitement did cause him to run off the deck to the shore, walk into the water up to his tummy, then give a shot at swimming. We're so proud that he's swimming, but he looks clumsy and a bit ridiculous. He's trying to stretch his back feet to touch the ground, and his front feet are madly splashing about. His face is pointed straight up towards the sky to keep from getting wet. He looks not so much like he's swimming, but walking in the water. What a loon! After some exhausted splashing, he's given up and gone back onto the dock to bark.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week
Next week starts work again, so I plan on just relaxing this week.
Picture of the Day
 Sunset over the lake. :) To read what others are saying in their daybooks, visit ~The Simple Woman~ and her Daybook series, posted every Monday. :) Labels: About My Life, Simple Daybook |
| posted by The Stepford Wife @ Monday, August 25, 2008 |
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| Friday, August 22, 2008 |
| Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Blue Glo-tini |
I'll admit it, here for everybody to see. My name is Mrs. Stepford, and I like to clone recipes.
It's not that I'm cheap, it's that I love to travel and eat and drink new and exciting things. I can't help it. It seems a large number of the memories I create seem to start over a plate of really great food. And while I'd like to drive to Maine whenever I crave a Lobster Pie and spend $36 for a single serving of it at a luxury hotel, or fly to Tortola whenever I want a Pimms Cup, or skip over to Disney World when I'm craving shrimp and sundried tomatoes in a wine cream sauce over linguini, it's just not realistic. The best a person like me of limited financial means can do is hope to re-create the experience with a knock-off that not only hits the spot in my stomach, but jogs the memory about vacations past.
For those who may not know or remember, Mr. Stepford and I took a trip to Disney waaay back in November, where we met up with my sister, her husband, and two kiddos. Needless to say, we had a blast, and also just as needless to say, the trip was over too soon, and it wasn't long before both Mr. Stepford and I were dealing with a full-blown case of what I call the Disney Depression... Depression that comes from being so spoiled by the Disney experience that you long to go back and do it all again. Of course, adult priorities and a shockingly empty wallet is something of a stumbling block to going back to Disney on a whim. The only cure was, of course, to spend hours watching home movies, looking through the pictures we took, re-reading the numerous books and maps we took home for scrapbooking, and trying to recreate the fabulous meals we had while we were there. The first thing I sought to recreate? Well, in true Stepford Wife fashion, it was this marvolous drink my sister and I had while we were down there, called "The Blue Glo-tini." I loved them, and I had more than a couple that week, and just the sight of those light up novelty ice cubes that came in the drink made me want to have a couple more. I scoured the Internet to see if I could find the at-home version of the drink. Thank goodness Disney is happy to share their recipes with people who call up and request them… ;) Blue Glo-tini
1.5 oz Citrus Vodka (I’m cheap, I use Smirnoff)
.5 oz Peach Schnapps (Again, the cheap stuff, Jenkins)
.5 oz Blue Curacao (I go all out on that stuff and use Bols)
1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Sour/Margarita Mix (Ok, I’ll admit it… I use TGIFriday’s Sour Mix)
Combine all in a martini shaker, shake, then strain into a sugar-rimmed
martini glass. Finish by floating a glowing “ice cube” in the glass. It goes without saying that only those of legal Mickey-ear age should drink. And don’t worry, if you don’t have a blue glowing “ice cube,” it will still be very tasty. Though just less glowy. Maybe a "Blue-tini?" Labels: The Stepford Wife's Cookbook |
| posted by The Stepford Wife @ Friday, August 22, 2008 |
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| Thursday, August 21, 2008 |
| Blooming on a Rainy Day |
 These pretty blooms belong to the pride and joy in my garden... My Bella Daylilies. When I bought them a few years back, they were Bela Lugosi Daylilies, but over the years cross-pollination and less-than-ideal soil conditions changed their coloration away from the typical Bela Lugosi Daylilies (which have dark purple petals with a milky lime-green throat), to the colors they are now. So now, I just call them my Bellas... But they're still my absolute favorite ladies in the garden.
They're amazing flowers... Each plant produces half a dozen to a dozen blooms, and my clump has about 8 plants in it. When those blooms open, their scent is so strong that if I were to leave the window open, their fragrance would drift through the whole house. They're so exotic and eye-catching, that I get compliments about them every year. I've been asked to divide my clump and swap some of my girls for other Daylilies... A tempting proposition since I love Daylilies, but I just can't part with my girls. The thing about my Bellas... Each flower blooms only once. In the morning, the flower will open and reveal the amazing scent and colors that brighten the whole front yard, and by the next morning, the sweet bloom's petals will lose color and turn almost clear, then drop to the ground. The whole blooming season for my Bellas is only a couple of weeks in late July-early August, so the show that my girls put on is relatively short lived, especially for Daylilies. Then, the grassy foliage turns an emerald green before going down for the winter. The first plants to succumb to frost, the last ones to wake up in the spring. It's a rather short life for my girls each year. I used to think that it was such a shame when my Bellas would decide to bloom on a cloudy, rainy day. Those stunning flowers seem wasted when the sun doesn't highlight them and when the wind is so wet it doesn't carry their scent around the yard. Their short life in bloom totally wasted on a dark, damp, cool day, where their beauty can't truly be appreciated. Since this summer has been incredibly dark, dreary, and rainy, there have been quite a few days where they have opened their sweet faces and not seen a ray of sun.  Then yesterday, as I was walking back from the garage after saying goodbye to Mr. Stepford, I saw two of my girls in full bloom. Even though it was drizzling and damp, there they were, wide open and glowing with color. They were bright, vibrant, and alive. If there was ever anything or anybody who made the most out of such a short period of life, it was those girls right there. It occured to me, maybe they were blooming on a rainy day, but you'd never know to look at their smiling faces. It didn't even matter that it was raining, or that it seemed the elements around them were all trying to mute their showy display. In fact, it seems like those two ladies took the elements and turned them to their favor. The dampness of the weather really brought out their color, like water does to an opal and their scent mixed with that earthy smell of wet grass and trees, and that freshness that comes after a cleansing rain. It dawned on me, even though the weather was bad, my girls were just as beautiful as if it was sunny, and that they were more than able to adapt to the conditions around them to further highlight their unique style. It was just that I was unable to see them making the most of their situation, and blooming in spite of adversity. Sometimes we forget that beauty can exist even when our environment isn't perfect, and that sometimes true beauty is brought out by the ability to turn what's around us (which may seem kind of blah or bleak) into something amazing. Just a thought. :) Labels: House of Dreams, Outdoor Homekeeping |
| posted by The Stepford Wife @ Thursday, August 21, 2008 |
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| Wednesday, August 20, 2008 |
| The Ocean in a Bottle |
Call it a hazard of trying to get pregnant, but lately I've been collecting all sorts of fun little crafty things to do with munchkins for my ever expanding "Mommy Idea" book. A few of my ideas actually come from my stint as a co-teacher at a preschool back before Mr. Stepford and I got married.
The "Ocean in a Bottle" craft was one we did for summer camp, which I thought was really, really cool. It's cheap, it's quick, it's only minimally messy, and bugs of all ages can do it. Not only is it fun to put together, fun to look at, but it's cheap and disposable... Which means that when they get tired of it in a week, you can empty it out and throw it away without regret. Added bonus is you can even sneak a little science in with the crafting.
Come on, how great is that?
Making an ocean bottle is actually so simple, you'll cry. The kids can even do most of it with only supervision. All you need is:
- A clear plastic soda bottle, with lid (any size will do, but I think the two-liter bottles are best)
- Mineral oil (found in the personal care section of your local box store)
- Water (found in the faucet of your local kitchen)
- Blue food coloring
- Shells, dollar store sea critters, sea glass, or other sea-related doo-dads that can fit in the bottle
- Craft glue
Optional: - A funnel, to minimize messiness
- A little glitter (or ocean critter shaped confetti)... half a teaspoon to a teaspoon or so, to maximize sparkliness
- Hot glue, to prevent embarrassing leaks
Construction Process: 1. If you haven't already, but we all know you have, wash your bottle and take off all identifying labels. Then, fill the bottle slightly over halfway with regular old tap water (this is where that funnel may come in handy). 2. Add a few drops of food coloring, until the water is that desired shade of oceany-blue (if you make it too dark, you might not sea your critters.. Get it? Sea? I kill me). Screw on the cap and shake (not stir), to incorporate the food coloring while simultaneously using some of that extra energy you know your kiddos have. 3. Add the sea critters, shells, and do-dads to your bottle. If you have glitter, now's the time to throw it in. 4. Now, fill the bottle to just about the top with the vegetable oil (bet you're wishing you had that funnel now, huh?). 5. Wipe down the cap and rim of the bottle, so that they're totally dry and oil-free. Put on some of that crafting glue around the threads of the screw top on the bottle, trying not to get any actually in the bottle. Screw the cap on tight. 6. If you've got your glue gun armed and ready, use extra glue around the edge of the cap for more protection against leaks and spills.
Voila! Instant ocean in a bottle. To use, simply turn the bottle on its side and rock it back and forth to create gentle waves. Or strong waves, what ever your child prefers. Talk about how the ocean affects the animals in it, talk about how waves work, heck, even share why the oil and water don't mix.
Some tips for extra fun in the ocean:
Mixing ocean critters and doo-dads that float with ocean critters and doo-dads that sink is actually kind of neat. Test to see which ones float and which ones don't by dropping them in bowl of water.
Like it or not, wetness will occur, both from spilled oil and spilled water. To minimize messiness, and slippery spots on your kitchen floor that don't seem to ever go away, do the craft outside... Or somewhere that you don't mind watching people fall down a lot. You know, whichever.
There's no law saying the ocean must be blue. And there's no law saying it has to be an ocean. Mix things up by dying the water different colors. Experiment with the food coloring, see what you can create. Use different oils, like vegetable, canola, maybe even olive oil, for different color combinations.
Substitute the sea critters for other things... Confetti, beads, glitter, small gemstones, whatever. Use it as a way to demonstrate things like viscosity and density. Make it a magic bottle instead of an ocean bottle, or a color bottle, or whatever. One lady called hers a "princess bottle" and had a bunch of girls make it as a favor for her daughter's birthday party, adding dollar store finds and other girly things to it, and she used some of that neon food dye for the water. Imagine red water, yellow vegetable oil, and bugs for a boy's party... EWWW!
When the bottle has outlived it's novelty, and trust me, it's going to happen, cut open the bottle, dump out the water, and keep the doo-dads for next time.
Have fun, happy splashing, and enjoy your "Works for Me Wednesday!" Labels: Craftiness, For the Kiddos, Funky Frugal, Works for me Wed |
| posted by The Stepford Wife @ Wednesday, August 20, 2008 |
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