Happy Halloween Yall!

Tyler's 3rd Grade Teacher's Husband came in today to paint the kids faces for their holiday party. He did such an AWESOME job. My teachers were SO NOT that cool when I was a kid!

Kids say the oddest things!
Tyler introduced me to Achilles today at school during the Holiday Party (pictured above). The child has a noticeably bald head except for a few hairs growing out of the top. After school I ask Tyler if the child in his class has cancer. He said, "well he's got some kind of disease, he's from Greece and his name is Achilles, and he told us the first day of school, but I don't remember."

While we are out trick or treating Tyler saw Achilles and RUNS up to him screaming the kids name. Achilles stops and greets Tyler then Tyler asks him, very loudly. "Achilles, My Mom wants to know if you have Cancer or Leukemia or something." Achilles, very matter-of-factly turns to me (a little way down the street) and shouts. "I'm not sure what kind of disease it is, but it's NOT cancer. You can ask my MOM, she's right there, she'll tell you WHAT the thing is!"
I wanted to crawl in a hole! Luckily his Mother was deep in conversation with a friend and was oblivious to the whole scene. Achilles just went on trick or treating with Tyler like noting happened....What can I say? That's my Ty, Cancer, Blue, Purple, Orange...it's all the same in his world. Achilles is just his friend. Gotta love him!

Brandon went as Justin Timberlake for Halloween and attended his FIRST REAL party with girls and boys. He danced, trick or treated, laughed, and goofed with the guys around the fire pit. When I picked him up he was SUPER tired, hungry, giggly with all kinds of info on the party AND his FEET HURT from wearing his church shoes all night. I said 'Welcome to the BIG TIME kid!'
It was hilarious to hear him describe the party and most of all THIS explanation:

B... Mom
M...    Yeah
B...    I think I got popularity 'points' tonight.
M...    What are poplularity points?
B...    Ya know, if your the quarterback on the football team, you got like a million popularity points, if your only the kicker it goes WAY d-o-w-n.
M...    Oh, so how did you get popularity points tonight?
B...       Well, I was invited to a party by a guy from the football team.
That's like a point right?
Then there were girls there, that's gotta be worth at least a few points.
M...    Ok, I think I'm getting it.
B...    Then we had a dance off. I did ok, but not REALLY well.
M...    So what does that do to the score?
B...    NOTHING! I HOPE ....I didn't loose any!
M...    Laugh!

My son is now entering what's know as the 'tween' years. It's like the twilight zone of child hood where everything that goes on in their heads has to be put through the filter of reality to be understood.

I'm lovin' every mom-ent!!

Good BOOK!

Ever been enthralled with a good book? I’m smak dab in the middle of InkDeath, the third book in the Inkheart series. I started reading these books by Cornelia Funke because Brandon wanted to read them, and from the reviews I read, they were for older children. Well InkHeart was ok for him to read, so I read InkSpell and that was a bit graphic so we walked through some of the more physical parts together and talked about them. Oh, don’t get me wrong, they are not even as graphic as the Star Wars movies, but I still like to pre read things Brandon is interested in so that when he has questions about things we can talk about them parent to child. Call me overprotective! I fully embrace that title!

Well as I was saying, this was one of those pre-read books again and I’m finding myself really enjoying this one! I can’t seem to put it down! Who can think of reality when there is a bookbinder, his wife and his daughter that have all been pulled into their favorite story, forced to live out lives of poverty and mystery while they try and figure out how to be read back into their own story!

...The laundry is piling up, the dog smells, well, like a DOG, and the dry cleaners are probably wondering if I will EVER come back to claim Michael’s shirts!

Ahhh, the joys of a good book. When the weather gets cold, I grab a quilted throw, a hot cup of spiced tea, a pair of fuzzy slippers, and just curl up with a good book!


Happy Reading!

Brandy Slushies

Brandy Slush

INGREDIENTS
8 cups water
2 cups white sugar
4 tea bags
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen orange juice concentrate
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen lemonade concentrate
13 fluid ounces apricot brandy

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, boil the water. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add tea bags, and let sit overnight at room temperature.
In a large freezer proof container, combine mixture with orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate and apricot brandy. Cover tightly, and freeze, stirring every few hours, until frozen.


Fuzzy Navel Slush

INGREDIENTS
9 cups water
1 1/2 cups white sugar (optional)
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 pint peach schnapps
1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

DIRECTIONS
In a large freezer container, combine water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate and peach schnapps. Cover and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, fill glass 3/4 of the way full with slush, then top off with lemon-lime soda, and stir.

Beauty Secrets

Well ladies I finally did it. I succumbed to beauty treatments.

Ah, yes I have indulged in highlights and brow waxes, and pedicures this past year, but now, well, I'm getting older and noticing MORE!

Y'all know that last Friday I had a great jewelry show at the Optix Gallery, well, my Dear Hubby let me splurge with my earnings. I met a consultant for Catalyst Medical Center that night and she convinced me to come in for a consultation for aging skin.

I had my brows waxed and then my first ever facial. I'm in love. They exfoliated, masked, massaged, and oiled My skin glowed like a hollywood movie star and felt as smooth as a baby's bottom. It was just lovely!

I actually went out that day and for dinner that night with nothing on my face but some lip gloss AND I felt wonderful!

I also couldn't believe how inexpensive it was. It was only about the cost of a pedicure and it was a WHOLE HOUR! I'm IN!! Now, If I could only get the skin back of my 20's we'd all be good!

Speaking of which, I came across this article and couldn't believe it. I had been making several of these mistakes with my make up that made me look older.

Check it out!



Erase five years: Put away the shimmer shadow

Before
"As you notice lines around your eyes, avoid frosted or shimmery shadows," says New York makeup artist Troy Surratt. "The sparkle highlights wrinkles and crepey, crinkly skin instead of masking."

After
Silky, matte shadows blend into your skin and camouflage fine lines. Sweep "a light shade of champagne or peach -- universally flattering colors -- from lash to brow to brighten the whole eye area," Surratt says. This creates a full, youthful eye. But if puffiness, especially on your lids, is your problem, Surratt suggests you use a medium shade such as taupe on the entire eyelid to add depth and create a natural-looking crease.

Erase 10 years: Go glossy

Before
Lips get thinner and drier with age. Dark lip liner and matte lipstick draw attention to the fine lines around your lips.

After
"Lipstick usually has a longer wear than gloss," explains celebrity makeup artist Sonia Kashuk, but gloss makes lips look more full. She suggests applying lip color, then topping with gloss for a fresh, youthful shine. If your color strays into lines, use a clear wax lip liner, like DuWop Reverse Lipliner ($19, sephora.com), to keep color from traveling.

Erase 10 years: Balance color with neutrals on your face

Before
Too much of anything is never good -- especially with bright makeup like red lipstick, rosy blush and jewel-toned eyes, which tend to look old, says New York makeup pro Nick Barose.

After
Color is necessary, but keep it sheer and strategic -- don't wear it all over. Example? If you go with a translucent punchy red or petal pink on your cheeks and lips, keep your eyes neutral to balance it out, Kashuk says. The same rule applies if you want to wear a dramatic eye; keep lips and cheeks neutral. Barose advises avoiding pale nude tones on your lips because it can make your skin look grayish. Use pink neutrals and berries instead.

Erase 10 years: Lighten up on foundation and concealer

Before
It's tempting to spackle coverage on to even skin tone and hide dark circles or problem spots, but cakey makeup can seep into wrinkles and make them look deeper, Barose says. Yet too little coverage can make you look tired.

After
"Always prep with a moisturizer before applying foundation. The extra bit of moisture helps makeup slide on smoothly and evenly," says Barbie Laurino, a global makeup artist for Laura Mercier.

Ideally, your makeup should allow your natural skin to show through, not blanket it. "To get the lightest, most sheer layer of coverage, use a damp sponge or synthetic brush instead of using your fingers," Kashuk says. These tools control the product so it's not applied too thick. Then, dot concealer on the spots that need extra coverage: under your eyes, around your nose and on any pimples. If you have dark circles under your eyes, avoid yellow-based concealer, which makes skin look green and ashy, Laurino says.

Erase 10 years: Define your eyes with a little liner and fill in your brows

Before
Know how your eyes look when you wake up? Squinty and slightly lower at the corners? While we'd all like to think going natural on our eyes looks fresh and clean, aging eyes will look too tired. A thick streak of liquid liner can make eyes dark and droopy too, Barose explains.

After
If you must ditch a product, let it be foundation; eyeliner is low-maintenance and high impact.

Liner makes eyes look full and wide open, de-emphasizing any signs of aging. "But dark black liners and mascara make eyes look hard, so consider switching to a subtle brown or brown-black," Surratt says. Use powder eyeliner instead of liquid -- it's a challenge to get a fine line with the liquid and too much can look retro, Barose warns. "Using an angled brush, work the powder liner into your lash line, getting in between all the lashes," Laurino says. It should be visible when your eyes are open.

Next, fill in sparse brows to make them more defined -- it sets off your eyes, Surratt says. It also creates the illusion of lifting by drawing attention up instead of down. Choose a powder color similar to your brows and apply with a small angled brush. Don't make them too drawn on, Barose says -- follow their line, focusing on filling in any gaps, not crafting a new look.

Also, never skip curling your lashes. This allows more light to get to your eyes, making them look brighter and less droopy, Surratt says.

PISTACHIO PUDDING DESSERT

PISTACHIO PUDDING DESSERT


45 Ritz crackers
1 1/4 sticks butter
2 boxes pistachio pudding, instant
1 1/2 c. milk
1 qt. vanilla ice cream, softened
1 lg. Cool Whip
2-3 Heath candy bars

Melt butter and crush Ritz crackers. Mix together and spread in 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes at 300 degrees. Mix pistachio pudding with milk until thick. Add ice cream and spread over cooled crumbs. Freeze. When solid, spread Cool Whip on top. Crush candy bars in plastic bag and spread over Cool Whip. Freeze. Thaw 10 minutes before serving.
Chocolate pudding can be substituted for pistachio.

Lovely, just Lovely

All the fun’s over and now it’s just time to rest.

We had a busy week of friends, football, and partying, but we are paying the price today.

4am, “MOM!!!! HELP!!!”

“What, hugh, Tyler?”

“I didn’t make it”

“Didn’t make what?”

“I didn’t make it to the bathroom”

“Bathroom, OH NO, where is it?”

“One’s in the bedroom and one’s in the billiard room.”

Mom, “Lovely, I’ll be down in a minute.”

Low and behold the child’s previous nights dinner of pizza and pop was lovely splayed all over and smelled oh so delicious just before dawn.

Out came the paper towels, carpet cleaner, and rags.

Tyler went back to bed with a bowl neatly placed by his side. Mom cleaned up and went to bed just as the crack of dawn hit the horizon.

7am...Tyler

“I don’t feel so good.”

Mom, “do you need to stay home?”

“Yeah, I puked like 4 times since I went back to bed”

Mom, “Did you make it?”

“Yeah, I made it.”

Mom, (thank GOD), “Go back to bed honey, and I’ll call the school.”

Mom, feeling a little queazy herself, calls the school, leaves a message and goes back to bed.

8am,...Brandon
“Mom, I don’t feel so good.”

Mom, “Do you think you can make it at school?”

Brandon, “Yeah, it’s not THAT bad.” “Oh, and the dog’s licking the carpet down here.”

Mom, “NO WAY, C-O-L-E!”

Up the stairs comes the dog licking his chops.....YUCK!

“In the bathroom, Cole!”

I take Brandon to school, leave the dog quarantined, and go back to bed feeling sick to my stomach.

12pm, retching sounds coming from the bathroom. I open the door and rush the dog outside. A lovely sight beholds my eyes, but at least it was in the grass. I return the dog to the bathroom quarantine area and go back to bed with my stomach doing flip flops.

2pm, phone rings

“Mrs Noffze?”

“Yes”

“This is Mr Olsen from Cheney Middle School. Brandon wasn’t feeling very well and didn’t quite make it to the bathroom in time. The office is working on his sweatshirt which took the brunt of it, but his pants look pretty bad as well.”

Mom, “Is he in the nurses office?”

“Yes, but the nurse has gone home sick with the mornings wave of retching children.”

Mom, “I’ll be there as soon as I can get my stomach under control. This is Family member number 4, down for the count.”

“Ok, he’ll be waiting for you in the nurses office, and the office staff will keep an eye on him till then.”

Lovely way to start the week, right? For all you Mom’s out there who’ve had the wonderful pleasure of experiencing this in your own households, a shout out for your Resolve!

Now...back to the bathroom!

Triple-Corn Chowder

Triple-Corn Chowder


Ingredients
1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
2 tbsp corn nuts or coarsely broken corn chips (optional)
1/4 cup chopped green or sweet red pepper
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp pepper
1 cup milk
2 tbsp yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup chopped sliced dried beef or fully cooked ham
Preparation
In a medium saucepan stir together the frozen corn, green or sweet red pepper, water, onion, bouillon granules, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes or till the corn is tender. Do not drain.

In a small mixing bowl stir together the milk and cornmeal. Stir into saucepan. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in the dried beef or ham. Heat through.

To serve, ladle chowder into individual bowls. If desired, garnish with corn nuts or chips.

Yield
Serves 2
Cook Time
Cook Time: 20 mins.