WW: Random Funnies {Linky}

We just got a Duluth Trading Company in Omaha, Nebraska. For some reason the kids are very excited about this. They've seen commercials at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They think the buck naked guy is hilarious.

Isaak dressed himself in a Thanksgiving shirt. I guess if Christmas can be in July, Thanksgiving can be as well.

That's not all...Mica read in the girl section, "Cover your tatas." He asked, "What are tay tas?" I said, "Where are you reading this from?" He pointed. A worker looked at me like, Hmmm...how is this mom going to answer this? I said, "Boobs Mica. Tatas are boobs." He said, "Oh."

Isaak was being a little very annoying in a checkout line. The clerk laughed when I made him count the beef jerky to help her out on her inventory count.

He just looks ornery.

I was waiting for photos at Picture People. You know how they tell you it will be a few minutes, and that turns into a half hour. Isaak sat down in this too little for him set of props, and said, "Take my picture even though this is too little for me."

What's even more funny is that he doesn't want me to take his picture most of the time.

At World Market the boys spotted these 2 big blow pops. Who would buy these?

I suck at Scrabble compared to my husband. I happened to land a word on 2 Double Word Scores. He didn't want to give me the word 4x it's amount. He said it was only a double. I tracked down the rule, and ended up getting 4x the amount, but I still lost.

I laid these peppers out, and thought it looks like some kind of weird writing. Sure enough one of my friends thought for sure it was some encrypted message. Nope just peppers.

My friend had a carnival party. I saw this stuff, and had to put it on.

The bow tie reminded me of Isaak's paper bow tie.

What's a crazy thing in your life right now?

 

Recent Camps

Back in May I went to a camp event that was sponsored by the boy's school district. A whole bunch of camps had tables to sign up for them.

It was really helpful. 

One form I filled out was for Banister's Leadership Academy. This was a camp not everyone could get into. They said it is difficult to get into actually. The cost is free. The camp is Saturday evenings. I was beginning to think that the boys didn't get in. It was well into June before we got a letter from them. When the letter came in the mail it wasn't clear what the camp was about. There was an orientation, so we went to check it out. 

They went over: 

Disciplinary Action: They send the kids to a timeout, and discuss both sides of what happened, and why they are in trouble. They always have a progress report for every kid at the end of the night. 

When it is: It's every Saturday from 6:30 to 10:30 PM. I was a bit thrown off with how late it is at first. Our kids go to bed about 8, and are asleep about 8:30 or 9 PM. I knew it wouldn't last for, forever. It lasts 4 weeks. It makes a great date night for us. 

Where it is: It's at Omaha Home for Boys. The kids are locked in to ensure their safety. 

What They do: They start off with games like UNO, Chess, and more. Then they have Pizza Hut. Later they do a leadership activity, which changes every night. Lastly they go to the Rec Room to play pool, air hockey, foosball, and in the gym they can play basketball. 

I admit I was nervous the first time I dropped them off. They didn't know anyone, and I knew they'd be getting done so very late. As soon as Chess was pulled out I knew they were good. 

Aftermath:

When we picked up the kids the first time they were all sweaty. They played hard! They were super talkative about everything they did. I guess Mica was the one that got the "I" word right after going to just one session = Integrity. 

The next day Isaak was upset that it wasn't camp day again. They are used to camp days that are in a row. Mica said, "Mom I think it's funny that they call each other homies instead of friends there." It is primarily African Americans that go there. The camp leaders talked about it being diverse. I think my kids make up that diversity. I'm really glad that they are there. They love it so far! 

I came to the realization how divided our wanna be big city really is with the color of skin. It's sad. I drove to the next camp mentioned below, and it was full of caucasians. Why? Because of the part of town it was in. That camp costs money to. We really teach our kids racism. 

I've been listening to the educator Jane Elliot, and I love how she teaches about racism. It's harsh, but needed in my opinion. If you've never watched any videos with her I really hope you do. Just type her name in YouTube, and she'll come up. She separates elementary kids, and college kids in the classroom by eye color. When kids are told they are stupid, or not pretty their test scores go down. As harsh as it is, I wish every classroom went through her study. 

The other camp the boys just went to was Camp Zorinsky. That ran all last week. It's an outdoor day camp. It's a ways away, so I felt like I was driving a lot that week! We got there early many days because I didn't know how long it would take to get there. Photo opportunities I guess.

They went over:

Canoeing: Mica quickly learned that, that is a group activity. This was the first for the boys.

Fishing: Isaak caught 3. He was so excited. Mica didn't catch anything. They practice Catch and Release. This was the first for the boys. 

Archery: They've both done that before and have loved it.

Swimming: There was a mishap. Isaak dived in a spot where it was too shallow. He says he was told he could dive. Boom he scraped his nose. I'm so glad it wasn't worse. It could have been bad. We had a few talks about pool safety. I'm putting that in a category of crap happens. I'm not playing the blame game.

Nature Hikes: Both boys got really sunburnt during this camp. There are less trees, and more lake at this place. Kids lack on reapplying sunscreen, and moved to applying aloe vera gel. Mica's ears blistered up, and I felt bad for Isaak's poor nose with the scrape and a sunburn. They had to wear hats. These are the only hats they have that cover their ears. They look like rice farmers.

Camp Songs: Are always at the end. I get to hear the boys sing them all week. Lucky me. 

I told you Isaak doesn't like his picture being taken. HA!

What have you been up to?

COTUPEP HIGHEST CURCUMIN Turmeric Anti Inflammatory

As I've talked about before I have horrible allergies, and sometimes they get so bad that it triggers my asthma to flair up.

My husband has back issues, and joint problems.

I try to eat anti inflammatory foods. Recently I got COTUPEP to review.

COTUPEP has:

• Pepper
• Turmeric
• Coconut Milk

All of which have anti inflammatory properties.

Pros:

It's versatile. You can have it in just about any drink. I like it best in smoothies so far. It can even be used in salads.

It's anti inflammatory. I'll eat or drink anything that helps with that.

I love that there's no sugar added.

It's made in America.

Cons:

In a really liquid drink you'll need to whisk it a lot. It gets thick and sinks to the bottom. That's why I like it in smoothies a lot. I'm thinking it should come with a small whisk. It also gets messy with their scoop.

In a really liquid drink

In a smoothie: Spinach Leaves, Frozen Mango, Banana, a scoop of COTUPEP and Orange Juice

Cost:

$27.50 on sale for $19.99.

Do you take anything that's anti inflammatory?

Disclaimer: I received this product for a discount in exchange for an honest review.

A "New" Used Bike

We noticed that the people across the street were having a garage sale. Those neighbors have a garage sale 2 or 3 times a year. It's crazy!

They must know someone that refurbishes bikes. There is always a ton of bikes out there.

I knew Isaak's bike was getting much too small for him. I yelled to Travis, "Hey can you take Isaak across the street to look at bikes. His is too small. He needs to go up a size." Travis was annoyed. He looked out the window and said, "I only see pink bikes." I said, "Whatever! It will take you 5 minutes tops." He ended up taking Isaak across the street to look. Travis knows much more about bikes than I do. I was in the process of making breakfast.

Travis came back with a gold and white $20 bike. Isaak's favorite color is gold, so it was perfect.

Travis went back over, and told them that they could sell Isaak's old bike. They gave Travis $10 back. It was a win, win situation especially since Isaak's old bike was refurbished as well.

I do wish our kids could ride bikes better. We don't have sidewalks, so whenever they ride we have to make an effort to go to a park, or school. It's not like when I was younger, and we rode bikes around the neighborhood. When my parents were little they rode bikes around the whole town. We watch our kids to make sure nothing happens to them. It's just a different world we live in today.

Isaak's still wobbly, and has to ride on a trail. Mica's refuses to try and ride standing up to get more power.

Do you like riding bikes?

Haircuts

It's been awhile, since I've blogged about us.

Both boys have gotten a haircut. Mica got a lot off. I thought it would feel much better before their outdoor camp. Isaak we didn't get his cut until after it though. Isaak wouldn't let me take pictures. He's in a non picture taking phase.

Travis cut Isaak's hair. It stayed the same length on the top, and shorter on the sides and back.

Of course Mica's hair looks much better styled, but it hasn't been styled, since the day he got it cut.

Both boys love their new hairdo's.

Mica in particular has a lot of cowlicks in the front of his hair. His bangs grow in at a major diagonal angle. When it's really short it looks like someone didn't know what they were doing when they cut it. I love that the hairdresser left his front a little longer.

I need a haircut as well, but I can't decide if I want to trim it, or chop it. I know it's just hair, it will got back, but my hair is slow to grow. I have to say that it looks better short, but I love being able to put it up. Decisions!

Nonstick 10.25 Inch Fry Pan Review

I just love new pans. Recently I got a Nonstick 10.25 Inch Fry Pan to review.

I made a Hamburger Casserole from scratch. The boys loved it!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 can cream of mushroom, or cream of celery soup
• 1 can of tomato soup, or for a more southwestern flavor you can use 1 can of red enchilada sauce
• 1 can of corn for a more southwestern flavor *optional
• 1 can of green chilies for a more southwestern flavor *optional
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
• Cheddar Cheese, grated enough to cover the casserole 
• Chopped green onions to garnish *optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions.

Cook the meat until it isn't pink, drain, stir in chili powder, salt and pepper, and set aside.

Cook the onions until they are soft.

Spray a 9X13 pan. Add hamburger, noodles, soups, and optional items if you choose to. Stir well.

Cook for 35 to 40 minutes.

Grate cheese over the mixture. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve. We added chopped green onions for a garnish.

Yummy-O!

About the Pan:

The pan is made for pros. It's a 10.25" fry pan with a flared rim for drip-free pouring.

I love this: It has a thick 4.5mm warp-resistant bottom that evenly distributes heat from all heat sources (induction, radiant, ceramic, halogen & gas). We had a fairly new pan before that warped really fast. This pan replaced that one!

The SecureSnap handle can be taken off to put the pan in the fridge, sink, cupboard, oven, dishwasher, or other tight spaces. I never wash mine in the dishwasher, but it says that you can. The handle detaches by pulling the release button and tilting up at 30 degree angle.

It's non-stick. Of course you want to use some oil, but so far I haven't had anything stick to it.

It can withstand high heat. It can go in the oven up to 400 degrees! The handle needs to come off if you put it in the oven.

It's easy to clean so far. Like I said it can go in the dishwasher. I don't know if I'll do this. I tend to have 1 sink full of dishes I like to hand wash just to keep them working well for longer.

Cost is $49.99 on sale for $29.99.

Do you have a favorite pan to use?

Disclaimer: I received this pan for a discount in exchange for an honest review.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust - Say What?

I'm friends with one of my first students on facebook. Once upon a time she made a Cauliflower Pizza Crust. I've been wanting to try it for the longest time. I thought for sure my boys would knock it down. Travis took liberties to make something new the other night. I figured...Now is my chance. If he gets on me about trying something odd, I can remind him about what he made. 

I had no idea where my student's recipe went, so I looked into cyberspace to find one.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

The Toppings:

The toppings can be whatever you want. I used 1 1/2 cans tomato sauce, caramelized onions and peppers from our garden, pepperoni because the boys love it, a few garlic cloves, mozzarella to cover the top, and basil from our garden.

I could see making this many ways though. It kind of takes on whatever flavor the toppings are.

Why a cauliflower crust? 

For me it's just a healthier way to eat. If someone is gluten free this would be great for them!

The only downfalls are that it's harder to scoop up. It's softer than normal pizza crust. It also has a lot of cheese in it. I could have had less cheese on top, but Travis loaded it on. I also like Greek Style Pizza, which has less cheese and uses feta cheese.

How was it? 

It was great!

FAVI Kids Projector - Black (Refurb) Review

I use a projector daily at work. It's a high end one. We watch class movies, and I show PowerPoints, and Keynote presentations through them.

I always wanted a projector for home use. I think playing video games, and watching movies and shows through one sounds like a lot of fun. I even thought it would be a blast to have kids over on different nights to watch Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Ghost Busters, and Back to the Future. Anything that's a classic, and is a series.

I got FAVI Kids Projector - Black (Refurb) to review. It's fun having a projector at home. I'm kind of wishing that I never used a high end one. Now I know what I'm missing.

Pros:

• You can watch movies, or play games from a computer, or TV. You can even hook up home movies from a recorder to watch. 

• It has both USB and HDMI hook up ports.

• You can hook it up to your stereo system. It comes with cables to assist with that.

• It comes in: Black, Teal, Pink, and White.

• It has a remote that assists in the modes.

• It comes with a manual. 

Other Colors:

Teal

Pink

White

Cons:

• The blower is noisy.

• The sound from device to the projector is quiet. 

• While it comes in fun colors, I could only find the black one being sold.

• I had to go buy a cable to get it to work from my computer, or camera to the projector. 

• The remote needed 2 AAA batteries. This is common, but I thought I'd bring it up because I have gotten products that had the batteries included. 

• It's a small projector, so the image quality is just ok.

Here's the projector with the lens cap. I like that it has a lens cap. It will help protect it when in storage.

The lens cap fit well, but comes off easily to.

These are the cords it comes with:

The remote that needs 2 AAA batteries. I did find it odd that the remote is white, when the projector I got is black and grey. The remote does have a lot of options on it.

The manual is pretty easy to understand.

This is what the projector looks like on.

Do you have a home projector?

Disclaimer: I received this projector for a discount in exchange for an honest review.

Blogging Break

Just so everyone knows I'm alive, and well.

It's been awhile, since I've skipped a WW.

I took the week off. I'm trying to get house things done, and appointments made. The kids are enjoying themselves at a camp that's across town. I have a friend's birthday party going on tonight. I know realistically I won't be able to comment back on anyone's blog. I'm skipping WW this week.

Come back next week. I swear I'll post one then.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Cheers!

Alissa