Nightmare before Chistmas or Nightmare before Valentine's Day?

We love the Nightmare Before Christmas in this house. Well, mostly I love it and My husband and son put up with my obsession.  I was beyond thrilled when my daughter as an infant also loved NMBC. She really made my proud while at not quite two years old she choose Jack Skellington stuffed dolls and toys over all the princesses and Minnie Mouses when we took our first family trip to Walt Disney World.  Of course we have love for those characters as well. 

We just like Jack a little bit more.  or a lot more.

For our second trip to WDW, I made a Jack Skellington inspired tutu for her.  We had so many comments on it that I started a etsy shop offering that design as well as a Mickey Mouse design I also made for that trip.  

Click here to see the listing in my Etsy Shop:Jack Skellington tutu

I also make matching Hairbows:Jack Hair Bows

 

I found these super cute Valentine's on the Disney Family website:Here

Twelve Months of 2013

I'm a reader. Nothing makes me happier than a great book.  I'd rather read than watch tv.  Some books are like sitcoms, some are epic dramas- doesn't matter, I'll pretty much read them all.  I try to read a little nonfiction along with my glut of fiction and paranormal crime novels.  I try for one nonfiction to every couple of YA that end up in my library bag.  I feel like it balances things out.

This year instead of just reading my usual physics or math theory for the masses nonfiction, I'm aiming for 12 different topics. One per month for 2013.

The problem is deciding which topics for which months.

I've decided to start January with Anthropology.  I've got some great Anthro books at the house from my aborted attempt to create a course for my son. I also have enough elementary resources that I can keep my 1st grader busy learning a little along with me. Or at least keep her busy with some somewhat educational things while I get my read on.

So now I just have 11 more months to plan out!

So internet explorers what books do you recommend for anthropology January?  What topics do you suggest for the remaining 11 months?

Minecraft Mania

Our house has recently succumbed to Minecraft Mania.  If you haven't been exposed, Minecraft is a game where you place blocks, fight monsters and discover things.  Perfect for my two Lego loving kids.  The graphics look like video games did back when we were playing on our Ataris.  After learning that our local library hosted a Minecraft Club for the middle school and high school kids, I downloaded the game on our laptop.  We homeschool and I love how many activities and opportunities our local library has for kids-its a great way for my kids to hang out with some public school kids that they may otherwise not get to meet. On the plus side, Minecraft encourages computer programming- you can customize your game with "texture packs" and mods and make it your own. So bonus- your kid may meet some smart computer programming type kids that may lead to him also wanting to learn more about computer programming!

Or you may just get roped into a bake sale fundraiser or two to support the club, while your kid plays the game with no desire to actually program anything on his own.
You can also play the game on XBOX LIVE, so you can meet up with your buddies in cyberspace and work together on goals and building things. Or you know, just wear the headset and yell into it periodically while you maniacally laugh and sabotage your big brother's efforts.  Or maybe that's just my daughter.

Minecraft Mania originated in our house after a visit to my sister's home, where her kids were well into the mania.

I love to make hairbows and Tutus and if you've been to my ETSY SHOP then you know I like to make my tutus and hairbows geektacular.  So Minecraft tutus and bows=perfect.

And now with extra awesomeness- the Creeper Tutu:

Available in my etsy shop-CLICK HERE

New

New Year, New goals, new stuff to post about.  I'm rusty and haven't committed words to paper or typing (other than grocery and to do lists) for quite some time.  So I'll start off with some posts of crafty stuff I've been up to.

I've been a Star Wars fan since 1977.  Yep, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth in the eye's of my kiddos.  My son has been introduced to the Force for quite some time.  My daughter has been exposed- she alternated between Princess Leia and Tinkerbell every Halloween- but this year has marked her obsession with Boba Fett.  Sometimes I feel this could be a sign of my failings as a parent. Both kids love Boba.  The older one thinks Anakin is pretty cool.  I have to say their combo of Boba and Jango Fett at Halloween was pretty awesome.

 

Their birthdays are 1 day apart-one day shy of six years apart- so we alternate between family dinners and a joint party.  This year the big guy turned 13 so I imagine this is the last time I'll be getting away with a joint party.  Since they are obsessed with Star Wars we had a Star Wars themed party.  And since I'm obsessed with making things- I'm sharing some of the printable goodies I made!

I made labels for all the food with Star Wars fonts

 Download the set here:3http://www.4shared.com/account/dir/2FeKlUnI/_online.html#dir=645924923
Some of the food we had: Sarlac pit dip- smoky tuna dip with gummy worm tentacles and carrot sliver teeth,
Mandalorian Meatballs- sweet and sour meatballs in the crockpot
Tatooine-ies- lil smokies with BBQ sauce
Dark side cookies: boba fett cookies made with cutters from Williams and Sonoma
Cloud city cake pops- cake pops
Hoth Cocoa- do it yourself style- Cocoa in a thermos dispenser with whipped cream, caramel sauce, marshmallows and peppermints to flavor
Yoda Soda- sprite with lime sherbet served with a wedge of lime
Dagoba swamp gel- lime jello with gummy worms and fish

Cupcake toppers made from 1"circles and toothpicks:

Printed on 4 by 6 photo paper and used a 1" circle punch- get the printable here:http://www.4shared.com/office/x8mk27un/star_wars_outlines_4_6.html

 Also Star Wars themed Bingo Cards available at my 4shared account.

Star Wars themed Tutu costumes (including my r2d2 tutu) and bows:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jettyspagetti?section_id=11644002