Rent Charlie Brown Movie.

Rent Charlie Brown Movie.

I remember this movie being on TV Halloween night every year when I was kid.

I vividly remember this movie and David Copperfield magic shows. I checked the listings and neither are on TV tonight. The scariest thing on tonight is "Dancing with the Stars".

So I am going to try to squeeze in a trip to the movie store so my kids can carry on the tradition-- but what do you think my chances are of finding this available on Halloween day?

Buy Halloween Candy.

Buy Halloween Candy.

I can't buy Halloween candy until --at most-- the day before Halloween or else I will eat it all, gain 5 pounds, and have to buy more anyway. So tomorrow I will be off to get a stash and do all I can to refrain from opening it until Tuesday night.

I always wanted to be that legendary house in the neighborhood that we never found but were told by several sources that they gave away the big full-sized (or even king-sized) candy bars. Now I'm thinking Smartees should be fine, right? Our neighborhood is predominantly children under 5 and I just can't imagine handing a toddler some big Snickers bar. Seems ridiculous, really, now that I think about it.

If you, like me, are weighing your Halloween treat options, here are a couple of trinkets I remember from Halloweens past that I would recommend forgoing:



Don't be the lame neighbor that hands out tootsie rolls. No way around it, tootsie rolls are never cool.




This candy toy was in convenience and grocery stores around the nation in 2004 and the candy company that manufactured it denied it was meant as any sort of depiction of the 9/11 attacks, even though the fake item number on the front of all of them read 9011. Whether you believe the candy company or not, I'm thinking this candy toy probably won't go over well with the neighbors.




Snopes.com reported that the whole "poisoned candy" and most other Halloween-related candy horror stories were an urban legend. But last year a mom in a neighboring city of mine found this vile of cocaine in her child's candy bag. And the candy was from a daytime car-to-car trick or treat in a church parking lot. This treat caused quite a stir with the community so to avoid those pesky FBI investigations, I would have to recommend sticking to a more traditional approach to Halloween treats.

As a grown-up, I've assumed a different stance on this, my new favorite Halloween treat. People just don't hand out enough of this candy for me to steal from my kids' bags:

Investigate footprints.

Investigate footprints.

I came home last night to this beautiful Christmas scene.















Perfect Halloween weather. And sod-planting weather.
But more interestingly, I woke up and the kids pointed out these tracks all over the backyard:

I would think they were cool except a few weeks ago we were kept awake late at night by an eerie howling that sounded like it was in our backyard. It may really only have been echoing back and forth across the mountaintops, but the thought of that is still pretty eerie. Does anyone know what kind of tracks these are? Domestic housecat tracks, right? please? Some cats creep me out too but not nearly as much as the other possiblities . . .

Peel stickers off dining set.

Peel stickers off dining set.

Thanks, Mom, for sending the kids Halloween stickers. They really, really had a good time with them.

Go to dance class.

Go to dance class.

I went to Odyssey Dance Theatre's annual performance of "Thriller" Friday night with a friend and loved it. The best part though had to be recognizing Ben from "So You Think You Can Dance." And (especially in a Jane Fonda workout getup), he can.

It also made me feel really old and miss dancing though. I have filled my dance craving in the past with Playstation 2's Dance Dance Revolution but the much better solution was Nike Rock Star dance classes at my gym. It's now a 30-minute drive away so I haven't been since we moved but as soon as I get my Tahoe back, I'm committing to get back into them. That is, until my membership expires in January. Then I think I'll have to admit I'm old and convince my hubby to take Ballroom classes with me.

Also, I wondered, am I alone in thinking that Ben looks just like Jon Heder, post Napoleon Dynamite? (They can both dance too.)
Jon Heder Ben Susak

Spread Manure.

Spread Manure.

We received three truckloads of topsoil on our curb this morning to lay down over the rockbed they call our yard. We're gearing up to put the sod in next weekend and crossing our fingers there isn't another snowstorm between now and then because it's going down either way.

We paid an extra $80 per truckload to get the special topsoil with manure. I think there is a clever salesman somewhere laughing at us.

Luckily, this task is more my hubby's than my own. He convinced a handful of friends and family to come out and, as my brother so eloquently put it, "soil themselves". Should be a fun day.

Fake book club.

Fake book club.

I have a church book club tonight and the required reading was "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe", by Fannie Flagg.

Didn't come close to finishing the book. Didn't even have the courtesy to cheat by watching the movie. But I can still go, right? If I bring a yummy treat?

Download Curious George Soundtrack.

Download Curious George Soundtrack.

I love when the kids request to watch this movie because I really like the soundtrack. Am I a total mom or what? Or am I just completely in the dark having not heard Jack Johnson before?

Well I've been listening to his stuff all morning and plan to download some of his music today for both the kids and myself. I love it. His music video with Curious George is pretty cute too. I've crossed the line from actual cool to "mom cool", haven't I? I'm still some sort of cool, right?

Deliver cookies.

Deliver cookies.

Since I still don't have a car, I am overdue for a trip to the grocery store. I didn't have much food left in the house so for lunch today I made this chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are really good except I used butter instead of margarine and real vanilla from Mexico instead of vanilla extract so they pretty much taste like butter and vanilla. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Also, this recipe made about 120 or so cookies. I knew something was wrong when my KitchenAid couldn't hold any more and I hadn't even started adding the 8 cups of flour. Maybe the 3 cups of butter should have tipped me off before that. But it didn't.

So I am sending my daughter out to the new neighbors' homes with big big plates of cookies. I hope they like butter and vanilla as much as I do.

Oh, and I have had this cookie scoop for about 8 years and figured everyone had one but in case you don't, go getchya one because they are certainly a necessity. Or at least they look cool and are fun to use.

Mend Blanket.

Mend Blanket.

I was sick this weekend and nothing made me feel better except maybe this yellow flannel blanket my mom made before she was married, over 30 years ago.

It is the softest, warmest, most snuggly blanket you could ever wrap yourself in and it is the favorite among all who get the privilege of experiencing its charms, including a few sleep- deprived cheerleaders at high school cheer camp. I stole it when I left home for college and have since claimed it as my own.

In college it served as a slipcover for a thrift store couch in my first dorm room. Then it was used as a decorative rug in the bedroom of my first apartment. So of course when I got married, it made the journey with me as well.

Unfortunately, due to all of the above, and memories of my brothers making mention of sleeping naked in the blanket when we were growing up , it has been washed about a hundred times. And it shows. It is the definition of thread-bare. In fact, there are many places where there are no longer threads at all. I have taken it upon myself to patch it with the softest fabric I could find. And it's still not soft enough. There are plenty of holes left to mend so if you know of a super-soft fabric worthy of the honor, please do let me know where to find it. We can't give up on this one, it's a keeper.

Take kids to the farm.

Take kids to the farm.

There is a historic farm nearby the kids love to walk through. It's adorable and the best part, it's free.

The second best part is everywhere you look is a photo op. I needed some new model pics for the website so I made the kids wear my designs and stop every two minutes for a picture. I like weird pictures. These are my two favorite unedited candids from the day that probably won't make it to the website.

Buy more bath towels.

Buy more bath towels.

We don't need more bath towels. My husband got obsessed with buying bath towels when we moved in and we have six new grey towels for the two of us in the master bath. When we were at our second store picking up numbers 5 and 6, we also picked up this hand towel for the guest bath. When we looked at the receipt in the car, we planned take this ridiculously priced $15 hand towel back. But I ended up putting it in the guest bath anyway and turns out it's freakin' awesome. It's not only super-soft and a pretty color but it's made of a microcotton that dries your hands in one swipe. Totally worth it. If we didn't already have 6 new bath towels, I would have gone back for one this kind already. As it is, I still plan on picking one up next time I'm in there with 20% coupon. You can never have too many bath towels, I always say.

Find living room decor.

Find living room decor.

When I was at Costco yesterday, the lady at checkout looked at me and said loudly for everyone around to hear, "I want to go shopping with YOU!"

I had no idea what she was talking about. I looked in my cart to find the item of her envy. Toilet paper? It was only the Costco brand but I did splurge on the new "Ultra" kind-- yet still, unlikely. Diapers? Certainly not.

I realized she had scanned my Costco card and seen all my personal information when she proceeded to announce to everyone how much money I had spent there in the last month. Embarassed, I explained we had no furniture in our house, and that my hubby had made two TV purchases at Costco with those funds instead. Men.

Then I came home and noticed all the empty space again. This empty space above the fireplace is the most bothersome to me. It was meant to be rocked all the way to the ceiling but long story--it didn't get built that way. I can't do anything about it quite yet, but I am seeking suggestions for what to put up there for when I get my hands on some extra cash. To give you some spacial reference, the ceilings in this room are 18 feet high. I have a few vague ideas but nothing I can commit myself to yet. Help!

Make dinner for in-laws.

Make dinner for in-laws.

I have been out all day grocery shopping because my mother-in-law and her hubby are coming over to pick up the car they've been letting us borrow for over a month while our Tahoe is in the shop.

Grocery shopping was thus required both for the meal I am preparing for them tonight and because I will now be without a vehicle until the shop runs out of parts to replace on the Tahoe.

I feel like fish but am deciding between these two recipes. I haven't made either before. I like to try new recipes when company is over because there is a greater chance SOMEone will like it. (My hubby is a very, very . . . very picky eater.)


Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

OR

Grilled Salmon (I bake a lot of salmon but I bought these cedar planks that I am anxious to try out on the grill. The back has a flammability warning though so maybe I better try this one when there are less potential burn victims inside my home)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat grill for medium heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Buy birthday gift.

Buy birthday gift.

My niece turned 5 this weekend and my sister-in-law threw her birthday party at the University Union Center, which was brilliant. Her husband is a student and employee so they got hooked up with a free room for festivities down the hall from the bowling alley. My daughter thought college--decked out with pool tables, table hockey, and arcade games,--was the coolest place ever. I wonder what year she will be in school before she realizes college isn't all fun and games. (Just mostly.)

My daughter picked this out as the gift. It was a hit.
My two year-old son threw a fit in Target because he wanted it so badly too. Then he threw a fit in the car. Then he threw a fit at the bowling alley.

He's a doll.

To be fair he was much cuter Sunday when he was excited about going to church.

Wash sheets.

Wash sheets.

It is pretty cold, at least at night, more than half of the year here (though I try not to think about that too much). So instead of buying cool, satin sheets for our bed, I opted for luxury flannel. I was very serious about this purchase so I did my research and even took a poll with friends and family and everyone told me to go satin but I must say I love love love these flannel sheets.

Getting into bed used to be like jumping into a cold swimming pool--where you just hold your breath, cringe and wait for your body temperature to adjust. My husband even used to wait until I had been in bed a few minutes and warmed up his side, then he would make me scoot over and he'd get in on the warm side.

Now, not only is that no longer an issue, but I can also sometimes convince my kids to get in bed with me in the morning and buy me and extra 10 minutes of sleep. Now those are good sheets.

Decorate Halloween cookies.

Decorate Halloween cookies.

I love Halloween. There are so many fun family activities for the Halloween season. I am so happy my kids are finally old enough to enjoy them because my poor husband has had to endure the pumpkin carving, seed baking, cookie decorating, and costume parties with me the last eight of them.

Today the kids had friends over and we made and decorated sugar cookies. I couldn't find my Mom's delicious and classic recipe but I found a great substitute on another blog I read here. I was really excited to use my double convection ovens and bake all 60 of them all at one time until I realized I only have one cookie sheet. Kind of defeats the purpose so I will be ordering more of something similar to these this week.

It hit me again today how I'm becoming old in little ways. When did the picture above start looking like a good cookie to me instead of the ones my kids are so proud of pictured below?

Put up fence.

Put up fence.

President Bush signed today his brilliant immigration plan to spend $1.2 billion dollars to put up a big fence along the border. It reminded me that we need about $1200 to put up a fence around our new yard. I think I figured out the solution to illegal immigration. If he gave us $1200 to help pay legal workers to put up a fence in our yard, we wouldn't have to hire illegal immigrants (and therefore encourage illegal immigration) to do it cheaply for us. Sure it has some kinks but Bush likes to spend money we don't have anyway and I get a fence for free so it sounds like a solution to me.

Sell costumes on eBay.

Sell costumes on eBay.

I like to dress my kids in somewhat original clothing. I have nothing against popular clothing stores as long as their outfits create a look and as a whole, they appear put-together (which is funny because generally I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl).

This follows over into Halloween costumes. My favorite baby/toddler costumes are by designer Tom Arma. I bought these costumes for my kids for Halloween :



but I made the mistake of asking them what THEY wanted to be so instead they are going to be these:



I am always reluctant to buy my kids clothing with licensed characters on them and for the most part only give in on things like pajamas and diapers. But I have to admit, they tried these costumes on and they are really, really cute. And because the Arma costumes are Limited Edition and sell out, I listed them on eBay and already sold one for four times the price I paid. Time to look over those Pottery Barn/Restoration Hardware catalogs again . . .

Call soccer coach.

Call soccer coach.

This is a logo I designed and my friend Liz created for me (she rocks). It was for my daughter's U6 soccer team--they named themselves the Rockets. It was between Rockets and Pink Poodles and there are only two girls on the team so you can guess why Rockets won. Anyway, I thought this logo would be cool on a long-sleeved shirt to wear under the uniform during coooler weather or for practice and parent shirts--that kind of thing.
But that's not going to happen. When I took Taylor to her game this weekend (that she refused to play in), I noticed the field next to ours was marked U5. So I talked to the league today and turns out they put my barely 4-year old daugher in the wrong league. There is a younger age group (that for some reason they don't have listed on their website so I didn't know about earlier) that not only should she be in, but she will still be the youngest player in that age group. Good to know. They can't switch teams until Spring season so I need to call her coach and tell him we are taking a soccer break for the remainder of Fall and will try again with smaller-sized teammates in the spring. That is if she hasn't already been scarred for life.