Out of the Box Saturday

It's all about me discovering something that is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.

I think the band Disclosure is snappy!

It's an English electronic music duo, consisting of brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence. Guy started playing the drums at the age of three. Howard started playing bass at the age of eight. They started by making music and uploading it MySpace when they young. They've hit big time, and have been on a world tour.

Source

It's not typically the type of band I listen to, but that doesn't make it bad. It's interesting. I like to listen to this type of music when I clean. I move much faster. :)

Omen ft. Sam Smith

They've played with Mary J. Blige F For You ft.

I really like this one. It skips - that's part of the music. Magnets ft. Lorde

Check out Disclosure's website.
Follow Disclosure on facebook.
Follow Disclosure on twitter.
Follow Disclosure on instagram.

Random Tid Bits

1. Ring Ring Ring Me: "Hello". Caller: "Is Isaak there?" Isaak has a friend that's been calling every night for 4 or 5 nights. It was cute the first time. Now it's annoying. Sometimes he calls close to bedtime. Our kids go to bed at 8 PM. They get up at 6:30 AM. I told Travis, "This is just preparing us for their teenage years. It's also giving him practice with using the phone."
   
   Like I said - it was cute the first time. The first time we had it on speaker phone. We did that just in case this kid and Isaak started making plans without us knowing. Isaak's Friend: "I'm so excited for Christmas Isaak are you?" Isaak: "Yes." Isaak's Friend: "What kind of ornaments do you have on your tree Isaak?" Isaak: "We have some that sing, talk, and others that light up." Isaak's Friend: "WOW Isaak that's tight!" He also went on and on to Isaak about how one kid isn't very nice to them at school. He seems compassionate.


2. Travis' boss has an infection throughout his body. Their work is a madhouse. Travis is stressed. The phone rings non-stop. Half the calls he doesn't know how to answer. :( 


3. Mica's a pretty good kid. Lately he has that 4th grade know it all attitude. Since he's in the Student Council he told his class the school couldn't sell candy this year. The class booed him. He told me that he wants to sew the school district when he's older. Ha Nope


4. Isaak and Mica have been going to Kid's Club - it's before school care. Mica can't wait to go. The girl he used to like is teaching him how to play Chess. He said, "I wish I would have put it on my Christmas list." I said, "I bet you do." I bought him a Chess set today. I was looking for something under $75 to buy him. Legos are expensive. 


5. Scooters were on one of those great sales. I bought one for Isaak, but it's being stashed away for Easter. That's how this Easter Bunny rolls. 

Happy Little Kids

Over Thanksgiving break we put up our tree. I decided that family time was more important than shopping. I pretty much have most things anyhow. The only things I haven't gotten is a Star Wars Lego set on Mica's list, and a Power Rangers Megabloks set on Isaak's list. I'm not going to get them those things. I got the boys Kindle Fires this year. That's their big gift! My Mom is getting them Lego sets. They have a ton of Legos already. They are getting lots of little things to. The boys talk about Minecraft non-stop. Travis uploaded the app to their Kindles already. I think we'll upload some more. If you have any, what are some of your favorite apps for kids? I'm all for learning ones to. Maybe they have an Oregon Trail app for Mica.

Isaak in particular was super excited for the Christmas tree to go up! He wanted everyone to wear a holiday hat. Travis is like, "I don't want one!" - grump. Travis puts up the tree, and the lights, while the boys and I get out the decorations. I gave Isaak the task of getting all the ornaments out of the box. He was in Christmas heaven. Then I put up the ribbon and beads on the tree. Then the boys put on the ornaments. I help them because otherwise we'll have a bunch of green ornaments clumped in one spot, and so on.

Mica was excited to. My Mom's cousin that passed away about a month ago had some Christmas DVDs. We went through to pick some out. She had all of The Santa Claus movies. Mica's all about watching them. 

I still rate The Christmas Story as my favorite Christmas flick. In fact one of my Christmas card ideas was to make Mica look like Ralphie and Isaak look like Ralphie's friend "Schwartz", and re-enact the tongue stuck to the pole. Only their tongues wouldn't be actually stuck. It would have been way easier than the card I did. A lot less Photoshop and Illustrator work. Maybe next year.

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

WW: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree {Linky}

I have the front of my Christmas card done. Now I have to figure out what to do for the back.

Here's where we started:

Their hands were right in this one, but I wanted at least one child smiling. Isaak got a new face, and body from another photo. Mica got a drum set I found online.

Next I traced the instruments.

I traced them in Illustrator, and broght them back into Photoshop.

Then of course there are many opinions. Mica wanted me to Photoshop his eyes looking forward. I said, "I can't do that to make it look natural." Travis wanted the notes to be white. I did do that. 

Do you send out holiday cards? Last year I was slightly late sending them out because I did New Years cards. I had people writing me in their cards asking where mine was.

 

The Case of the Grumps

I've always heard about people being grumpy this time of year, and never really got it. It's a happy time of giving.

This is the first year I have the case of the grumps. I'm not trying to get people down. I just haven't been feeling the cheer.

While I know I should be focusing on the positive, I'm grumpy.

I was trying to reflect why I'm grumpy. I'm trying to switch everything I feel around to being a positive, instead of a negative.

1. It's about time to switch health insurance. OMG I can't get this horror of an expense out of my mind.
   
   *I'm thankful that we have good health. 


2. Ever since Travis got his newest job his boss has been in and out of the hospital. He's been putting in more hours because of it.
   
   *I'm thankful that he's making more money by going in the extra hours. I'm extra thankful that they are finding out what's wrong with his boss. Most of all I'm thankful he has a job!


3. I went to get our photos taken for our Christmas cards. These are some of the photos I got:







When I asked Travis for help with the boys he said, "I don't think they want to do this. It's your thing." I'm sure the writing on the back will be the same way. Never mind the fact that the cards get sent to his family and friends to.

*I'm thankful that I did get a few photos to work with. There is a drum in front of Mica. This is almost done. I'll share tomorrow. I still have the writing on the back to do.


4. I made something I thought was good for breakfast: Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Quinoa. It tasted like oatmeal. I made mine with almond milk. Everyone else complained big time. So much for trying something new.





Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Quinoa can be found here.


*At least my family is fairly open minded about food most of the time.


5. I want to run errands so bad, but ice and snow happened.
   
   *At least we've had great weather up until now.