Queen for a Day

"Parents are not interested in justice; they are interested in quiet" -Bill Cosby



I'm going to tell you a secret. Every year as school winds down and summer amps up, I get a little sick to my stomach. As other Moms proclaim the love of having their little ones close to home all summer, I fight back the waves of nausea caused by the panic I feel for the approaching transition from one routine to another. Don't get me wrong. Of course I love my little darlings, but those little darlings become little devils all too often when adjusting to life together. I've taken some time to try to identify just what it is I dread so much, and it boils down to one simple, but prolific element to our daily lives every year at this time: squabbling.

It's the unending whining about who gets the arm rest in the car or who gets the coveted couch spot for the designated potato hour in front of the TV, etc. After a few days of this, I have had enough. The limits of tolerance I have very often results in saying to my older child, "Just deal with it." Justice is certainly not served, and, I'm sure my oldest will have years of therapy to fund into adulthood.... but what is a mother to do?



Luckily, thanks to a handy-dandy iPhone app, I stumbled upon an article in USA Today discussing sibling rivalry. I read it carefully, hoping that it might provide some insight and concrete ideas in helping me survive the turbulent transition weeks as we settle into summer. The article did not disappoint. In fact, it provided one of the most useful parenting tactics I've come across in a long time: Child of the Day.



Here is the lowdown: each day, one of my two daughters is "child of the day." Because I only have two, this privilege alternates every other day. When it's that child's on day, they are able to have that arm rest, or couch potato perch. If an argument ensues over where we stop for an afternoon snack, the solution is easy- the child of the day gets to choose. It's sheer magic! We have implemented this in my house hold for about three weeks, and the level of acceptance is amazing. We have yet to have anyone contest the benefits of being the child of the day, even if it's an off day for one of them. I can only hope that the acceptance rolls straight through the summer. Truth be told, my hopes are high. Maybe now I'll be able to gush on my face book status how happy I am to have my babies at my side uninterrupted for the next three months.... or not.



Here is a link to the article:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-05-04-favorites04_CV_N.htm

Center Yourself

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." -Proverb

This is the time of year when we all come out of hibernation and take a fresh look at our environment. All too often that Springtime glance shows a great need to update. Whether the update includes landscaping or home improvements, one thing will result: waste. Putting on a new deck? What do you do with the discarded lumber from the old deck? New siding? Most likely that will land in a rented dumpster. Where else are you going to put all those old building supplies? Did you know 30-40 % of all land fill waste comes from tossed building waste? But, what can we do to avoid that? The Green Instittue of Minneapolis has come up with an ingenious solution. They will gladly take that discarded material and resell it to the public to resue in their new projects. All of it is held in a dream of a warehouse, the Reuse Center.

I first learned about the Reuse Center a few years ago when a quaint little cottage across the street from me was bulldozed to make room for a brand spanking new house. Before the army of dump trucks arrived for the demolition, the Reuse center came in and took any usable material (i.e. kitchen cabinets, lighting fixtures, countertops, sinks, switch plates, etc. etc.) . The builder was also kind enough to let the neighborhood pillage the property before all remains of the house were taken out of sight and out of mind to the land fill. We scored a killer old-school deck table, benches and deck chairs that came back to life with a few coats of paint. My husband carted trip after trip of old clay bricks originating from a turn-of-the-century factory in St. Paul. Those bricks are now used in our yard making borders and pathways decorating our gardens. Also aiding our landscaping ventures are some old railroad ties we scored before the demolition. All these materials would have cost us hundreds of dollars new and could have ended up adding to the pile of garbage this culture is so proficient at creating.

A trip to the Reuse Center is worth just the fun of what you might unearth. I have found a few gems for my project bins. So, if you find that you or yours are ready for a spring time project, make a trip to the Reuse Center first.... "you just might find, you get what you need." Link is below.

http://www.thereusecenter.com/

Pillow Talk

"There is no pillow soft as a clear conscience." -French Proverb

Alas. It's raining. It's cold. The forecast is not much better tomorrow, so why not a project idea? A few months ago after one too many viewings of "Project Runway" I got the itch to buy myself a sewing machine. It was one of those meant-to-be moments as the model I had my eye on was very on sale at Target the very day I happened to get the sewing bug. I didn't need much in terms of a machine. In fact, I had no training in this particular economic of the home, but I knew that I could do something as long as I had the basic tools. My hunch was correct. Since my lucky day at Target, I have sewn snuggies, doll bed bedding, aprons and, yes, pillows. The pillows have been a particular hit... which brings me to our rainy day project.

I had seen similar calendar pillows at my favorite local shop (that would be "Hunt and Gather" for those of you in Minneapolis). Armed with my trusty sewing machine, I was ready to make some. I went hunting and gathering vintage calendar tea towels of my own and was pleasantly surprised to find a good selection. The best sources proved to be etsy and ebay, though I have since come across them at local thrift and antique stores as well as at an occasion estate sale. Once the towel was in hand, I added an extra special touch by embroidering a little heart around the birthday (if I was giving this as a birthday gift) of the recipient. I also ordered a batch of vintage zippers to add to the pillows- why buy new when you don't have to, right? Pillow forms are plentiful at your local craft store. I go for the bamboo variety because we don't need to encourage more polyester production, do we?

So, for your next birthday, anniversary or teacher gift make a vintage calendar pillow. Have a ball searching for just the right design with just the right year. If that sounds like too much trouble all together, call me. I'd be happy to whip one up for you on my little sewing machine.

While we are on the subject of pillows, I came across a little gem a few weeks ago. If you live now or have ever lived in Ogden, Utah, this might be something you can't live without.

Enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/46688728/vintage-ogden-utah-pillow

Eating an Elephant

"Try not. Do or do not. There is no try." -Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back

So, a number of you have asked what has happened to Minty? The wait is over... I'm back. Though some of my hiatus has included a free (almost) trip to a fabulous resort in Northern Minnesota... we'll discuss this Minty Find in a future installment... most of my blog break was devoted to something I've been giving lots of lip service to, but not much reality: writing a play.

As the facebook devotee I am, I came across a website (via a Playwright's Center facebook posting) called "ScriptFrenzy". It is put on by an organization called "The Office of Letters and Light", a Northern California non-profit working for the express purpose of motivation. The idea was simple: beginning April 1st and ending April 30th, you must complete a 100 page script. For years I'd been talking about writing a play. In fact, I have 75 pages of another play written that I've been stalled out on for two years as well as a handful of 10-minute plays that I've entered unsuccessfully into several contests.

As it turns out, the "ScriptFrenzy" was exactly the kick in the pants I needed to get the job done. I did not work on the old play. I began from scratch with a completely new story. With a 3.33-page-a-day approach, I joyfully skipped across the finish-line a winner on April 30th. Of course, the play is not submission ready. I'll be working on further drafts and re-writes, but to have a complete first draft of a full-length play is a goal I've been dreaming of for years.

Though self horn-blowing is not out of my realm of possibility, the real purpose of this blog is to nudge you, dear followers, to set some dead lines for yourself and get done what you've been meaning to do for a long time. Incidentally, The Office of Letters and Light also hosts "Nanowrimo" (or National Novel Writing Month) in November. The goal: a 50,000 word novel written in one month. I did the math- that is approximately 125 pages total or 4.25 pages a day. I'm in if you are. Links are below.


http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/
http://www.nanowrimo.org/