Gun Metal Hoops, My Favorite Thing...Under $30

I'm linking up tonight with a super fun blog party ... a favorite things party!  The idea is to host a party, and instead of doing a white elephant gift and being sad your gift wasn't the "hot item" of the party, you bring a reasonably priced favorite thing for everyone at the party!  Then you introduce your item as you pass it around explaining why it is your favorite item.

Ummmm, yes!  I love this idea!  I could invite all my curly haired friends over and we could do a favorite curly hair product...how fun would that be?  I would pass around

It's under $5 and is fabulous!!...although I did love it better before the reformulated it...

But, if I was having a normal party, I would have to pass around

Gun Metal Hoops made in Ethiopia!  This piece is handmade in Ethiopia using recycled nickel, copper, and bronze melted down from previous war weapons. Most of the artisans who created the pieces are HIV positive and receive health care and literacy training in addition to job training.  I would love telling these women's story as I passed out these beautiful earrings!  It is the total story of taking something that is ugly and destructive (war weapons) and turning it into beautiful and job-creating jewelry!

So, who is up for a "Favorite Things" party??

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Helper in the kitchen

I have a little helper in the kitchen tonight! We're making brownies to enjoy as we decorate the tree and celebrate the last day before Sander starts his...

NEW JOB!

More about that when I'm not writing the post on my phone.

Happy Sunday!

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Happy Thanksgiving, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving from the Rays!
This year we are thankful for so many things. Here are just a few:

• Maxwell!!  He was born without complications and has been so healthy (no reflux!).  I have realized more this year that healthy babies are not just a "given" and that every day with healthy children is truly a blessing.
• Friends.  I could have said community, but didn't want to be too hipster. ; ) 
• Family.  We are so blessed to have extended family on both sides who love us and love our children.  Again, realizing more and more that in most of the world, this is not a "given".
• Dexter!  He is talking up a storm, sharing his thoughts and desires (ha!), and we are able to experience the joys of childhood all over again through his eyes.  [I just asked Dexter what makes him happy and he said: "Pssah!"  Remember his made up curse words?  Oh boy...]
• Whitney's opportunity to play a part in helping others out of poverty around the world through her role with Noonday Collection.
• The chance for Sander to work on some fun projects around the house (finishing out the shed in the back, working on the CJ Jeep, demo-ing the downstairs bathroom...)

And so many, many other things.  We feel like we have very full hearts, and stomachs, this Thanksgiving.

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Best Kid's Christmas Movie!

So, my friend told me about this sweet movie, The Very First Noel, so I paid a huge amount online (via amazon) thinking it wasn't for sale anymore.  My mother-in-law just called us today and she, however, found it for just $5 at Family Christian Bookstore on the clearance table. 

Seriously, it is worth the trip to go and get this movie!  It tells the story accurately, in rhyming verse, with beautiful music!  We've watched it twice today and I honestly can't wait to watch it again. 

Happy day-before-Thanksgiving!

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Forts and Toddler Tourettes

Today Dexter and I built our first "fort" from a sheet and baby blankets strung between two chairs.  It was lots of fun for both of us.  Dexter was just in awe when he got underneath and kept trying to re-arrange the blankets on the side.  We even put Maxwell inside too, until Dexter felt like it was time to destroy the fort by jumping on it...that's about how the whole day went.  Fun activity for 5-10min, then destruction of said activity.

Also, we have decided Dexter has created his own form of curse words.  Now, to be clear, Sander and I do not curse around him and neither do we use "ok" curse words around him.  Nope.  Nada.  But for awhile now he would yell "chaka!" or "rock on!" in a very curt, angry way, usually when I said something he didn't like.  It has only gotten worse, with a new addition of "tiku!" to the vocabulary.  I know it sounds crazy, but I have begun to punish him when he says these nonsense words.  He is responding ok...instead of yelling "chaka" he is just making up new ones and looking at me like, "ok, I know I can't say 'chaka', but can I say "X".  Oh gosh.  Guess this is why curse words aren't so much what you say as the heart behind it...

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Is That a Pirate, Mommy?

Well, perhaps we have watched too much Veggie Tales recently, or maybe Dexter is entering that age of, "Kids say the darnedest things," but yesterday was a doozy!  We went to HEB after dinner (not our usual time, but after being out of town, we really had nothing to eat), and boy was I glad Sander was there.  We were making our way down the aisles when all of a sudden Dexter starts yelling, with a look of pure glee on his face, "THAT'S A PIRATE IN HERE! THAT'S A PIRATE IN HERE!"  Thankfully, Sander picked him up quickly and took our son, who was still yelling in glee, to the next aisle.  The "pirate" in question, thankfully was far enough up the aisle he didn't realize what Dexter was saying.

Yes, the man mistakenly called a pirate did have a head scarf and facial hair, but he also had a whoooole lot of tattoos - not quite what you see on the Veggie Tale version of a pirate. 

Dexter kept talking about the "pirate" all night.  I think he was just so excited to finally see one in person. 

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Oil Face Wash -- the Update!

In June of 2010 I met a woman with the most radiant skin.  She said she always had trouble with acne (same here!) until she found the recipe for the oil cleansing method.

I know -- oil on your face?  Oil on an already oily face?  I was really hesitant, but since nothing else had ever worked (dermatologists, prescriptions, Proactive...all would work for a month or two, then I would have issues again), I thought I should give it a try.  Here is my first post on it with lots of links.

More people have asked me about the oil cleansing method as more and more is coming out about the harmful additives in commercial beauty products (Skin Deep resource page, news areticle on the call for recall on Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo!).  Plus, since I started using the oil cleansing method, I have seen articles in Elle, Real Simple, and even Martha Stewart Living.  It's the new thing people!

Here is the recipe I use and love:

•  Dropper bottle from health food store
• 1 part castor oil (if you have oilier skin, you would want to use more)
• 3 parts sunflower oil (high in vitamin E. I usually use a mix of grapeseed oil and sunflower oil)
• 1/2 part of neroli oil (neroli is fantastic for your skin as it helps regenerate skin cells, reduce scarring, etc)
• About 10 of drops of sweet orange essential oil (reduces redness and smells great!)

To use the wash, wet your face and then massage a small amount of oil (about the size of a nickel) into your face for about one minute.  Focus on trouble areas, like the t zone, and just think about massaging all the dirt away.  Then, wet a washcloth with as hot of water as you can stand and hold the washcloth to your face.  I focus on an area at a time and hold it there till the cloth cools.  You are blotting, not wiping.  Except I do wipe off my eye makeup.  (*Note: I use an old washcloth for this as the mascara never really comes out, but it is so nice to wash your face and get all the makeup off at the same time!)  When you are done, your face will be slightly oily (you'll want to do this at night before bed), but when you wake up you will be dewy fresh!  Just rinse your face quickly with water and you are ready for the day!  You may break out more the first week, but keep going!  Once all the impurities are rinsed out, you will be so happy with the results!

Check out the Oil Clensing Method website for lots more info and recipes to tweak to your specific face type.

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Rocket Ship and Owl

Here are my cutie patooties!

Dexter "holding" Maxwell

 The flame "cape" on the back was easier to see when he held it out and "rocketed" around.

We made it to the festival at church...barely.  Terrible Twos meltdowns and major traffic tried to keep us from it...

The Ray boys!

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The Making of the Rocket Costume

Well, as this week has been the week of crafts, here is my ultimate craft: A Rocket!  Inspired by Wallace and Gromit's orange rocket...

Now, JoAnns had two types of felt available: really thin and thin.  Since the orange was really thin (and I wasn't sure that many people would even get that he was the Wallace and Gromit rocket), I went with gray in just the thin felt.  Since it was slightly thicker, it held its shape better.

 The picture below shows the flame "cape" I made so Dexter can hold it out with his hands as he "rockets" around.  One of his favorite things to do around the house.

These pictures are not the best as they were taken on my phone in bad light (read: taken at 11pm since I waited till the night before to make it!), but I will get better ones tonight at the festival.

Now, I just hope he wears it!

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Random Craft Week

My blogging definitely fell off last week as I spent the majority of my free time crafting. I had a lot of projects backed up and it was time to finish!

I made color copies of an old alphabet book and then cut and laminated the pages to make flash cards.  These were a gift for a good friend's little girl, and I plan to make some for Dexter too.

I also decided to draft a pants pattern!  The shorts from last summer turned out so well, I have the courage to try some pants.  These are my inspiration, so I hope they turn out as cute.  I want to have some cropped pants to wear with the oversized shirts that are so in this fall.

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Energy Bites Snack Balls

My sister sent me this no-bake recipe for Energy Bites (Dexter renamed it "snack balls") which she found on Pinterest (my newest addiction!).  We whipped these up after nap one day last week.

He obviously had a good time!

Pirate smile!

Maxwell, just happy to be nearby!

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But What Can I Do?

This afternoon, both my sweet boys are napping at the same time. Yes, it is a beautiful, beautiful thing!

We spent the morning reading books, playing with legos, talking to relatives on the phone, and having a sweet lunch at the "little table".  Maxwell has a little fever from his vaccines yesterday and Dexter has protested leaving the house for a week straight, so I decided we needed a stay at home day.  Yes, I need things from the grocery store, but more than that, my kids need some time to rest and be with Mommy.

But as I hold my boys today, and especially as Maxwell asks for more and more attention (this boy will TALK until you make eye contact and then he just grins like crazy!), I think of all the sweet babies around the world with no family and no one-on-one attention. 

Noel Piper recently blogged about this.  She says, in part:

There are millions of orphans in the world–163 million, I heard yesterday at the Together for Adoption Conference.

What can I do? That is exactly the right question to ask–twice.

First time: What can I do–what can just one person do? That’s the normal feeling we have when we learn about such a widespread, huge pain that seems to need millions of people working to make a dent. The only problem with that question is if it expresses hopelessness–”I’m just one person, so I can’t do anything.” To that, I say, If God had meant for me to be a committee, he wouldn’t have made me just one person.

Second time: What can I do? God did make me just one person, so how does he want to work through me? What gifts did he give me that he can use to make a difference for orphans?

Seriously, as a mom to little ones, how can my heart not break as I think of the 163 million children out there without moms and dads; without someone making sure they are held, all on their own, on a lap and read to; without a home where things are comfortable and secure and loved??

It really does seem overwhelming though!  I, little Whitney, can't do much from her house in Houston.  But, there is something I can do. 

As Mother Teresa said: "We can do no great things,only small things with great love."

As I read Noel's blog this week and as I hear more and more stories behind the little ones my friends are adopting, I feel more and more excited about partnering with Noonday Collection.  Seriously friends a family, get ready for your Christmas and holiday gifts to be from Noonday!  I can't wait to give you a fantastic gift, but also let you know that the same gift is making it possible from some of the 163 million children around the world to find their forever homes.

It's a small thing, but, perhaps all of us doing small things will make a big, big difference!  What is your small step that you are making with great love this year?

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Maxwell's Dedication

Maxwell was dedicated this last Sunday. It was an honor to stand before the church and commit to raise Maxwell with open hands. That is something our pastor asks each parent who comes to dedicate their child, will Sander and I hold our expectations and plans for Maxwell and his very life with open hands? So, to Maxwell's life! May it be full of love, full of joy, and full of meaning!

Dexter is gleefully holding part of a mint here.  The nursery workers brought Maxwell and Dexter to church for the dedication that had to be at the end this Sunday due to scheduling.  Well, they came early and he had to wait through almost the entire service.  We were bribing with mints at the end as he was crying to "go home", poor guy.

Everyone is happy.  For about 2 more seconds.  When Tom our pastor picked up Maxwell to pray for him, Dexter started to fuss, then he looked at Tom and yelled, "MY BABY".  Oh yes.  The good thing is he is very protective of Maxwell, something that will be a wonderful quality in the years to come.  Wouldn't life be better if we all had an older brother looking our for us?

Everyone smiling, except for the funny face Maxwell is making.  Still a cutey to me!

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EC again

Well, Dexter fell and popped his thumb out of joint this morning.  He didn't seem to be in pain, but the pediatrician told us to go ahead and go to Texas Children's Emergency Center just to be sure.  Of course, as soon as we got into triage, his thumb popped back into place. 

Dexter did fairly well, especially considering it was right in the middle of nap time. 

The picture is of me telling Dexter a story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a new favorite.  He was listening so carefully.  Such a sweet guy!

The result of our 2 1/2 hour trip: no treatment needed, just follow up with a specialist on Friday if it is still popping in and out of socket.

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Pumpkin Patch 2011

It's that time of year again! Yes, it was in the 80's and my sweater got a tad warm by the end of our time at the patch, but it was worth it!

What is this?!  A picture of me AND the kids...and we're all fully dressed and showered?  Oh, this was a special day.

Dexter likes to rub Maxwell's head.  At least it isn't his belly...

Me and my sweet Maxwell baby.  He's 3 months old today!

Our fabulous neighbor Jane, the one who went with us to the patch last year (click here to see last year's pictures), came again this year.  She's the reason you see me in the pictures. :)

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Rice Festival

This past Saturday I read on facebook how some of my friends were going to various festivals around Houston and thought, "hey, Dexter is old enough now, we should go to a few this fall too. Hey, why not even go to one today?"

Since it was 4pm, we needed someplace close.  The closest festival was Katy's Rice Festival.  We packed up the boys, forgot to stop for cash (that's ok, I just stood for 20min outside the festival while Sander went in to find an ATM...), and away we went.  It was really fun to do something spontaneous and Dexter had a wonderful time.

 As you can tell from his smile, the bus/shuttle ride was the best part of the festival for Dexter.

 Dinner...on a stick

 First carnival ride!  I wasn't really a fan, but he watched the cars for so long and really, really wanted to go...

How could I say no?

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Maxwell Asher

My sister took some adorable pictures of Maxwell when he was just 2 weeks old.  I really, really love how these turned out!

 

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Maxwell - Phone Pictures

I took some sweet pictures of Maxwell's budding personality this week on my new phone.

His smile is so cute and so different than Dexter's.  It is amazing because they looked so similar at birth, but each month that goes by, Maxwell looks more and more like his own little self.  This smile is so different than Dexter's at the same period.

The new Maxwell developments this week include "talking" to us and becoming dissatisfied being left on his own.  When we sit near him but aren't talking to him directly he makes these loud "ah!" noises until we give him our full attention.  Then he grins like crazy and is happy as can be.  He also was not thrilled to be in the Moby wrap facing me.  He fussed until I turned him to face out and then he relaxed and enjoyed himself completely. 

My little baby is growing up and wants to see the world!

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Fixing the jeep

Helping daddy fix the jeep!

Dexter sat strapped into the back seat as happy as could be (squirt bottle in hand) while Sander tinkered with the jeep yesterday.  So cute!

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The Early Morning Jeep Arrival

We hadn't been up long when Sander and "Pop" arrived from their all night drive from Colorado.  Dexter was so excited and loved watching them tow the Jeep and get it set up in the driveway.

He refused to put on shorts because daddy was here, and by golly he was going to go out and help. And yes, his pj shirt says "Santa's little helper", and yes he did wear that when he was 6 months old (see this old post for proof)

The two Jeeps

The "new" Jeep is a 1980 CJ that my grandmother owned and used to explore the back country around Durango and Silverton.  It is now ours and Sander is very, very excited to have this project to work on.  He has been pouring over Jeep books for months preparing.  Currently he is dreaming up trips to the Hill Country this fall to see what all the Jeep can do.  And of course, looking forward to bringing it back to Colorado next summer. 



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Official 2 Month Picture

 Maxwell at 2 months with Dexter, 2 years and 4 months.

Um yea...we're working on that...

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