Author: stefanie

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Necessity is the mother of the life hack

I’ve been saying for the last month that Stella’s Tamatoa costume is the biggest DIY costume venture I’ve taken, whether for myself or for her. I usually put costumes together with thrifted clothing, but this Tamatoa costume has sent me back to the craft store more than a few times.

It has been so fun seeing everything come together, especially when I’ve had to get really creative with how to make it all work without any sewing.

One of the final elements I had to figure out and create was Tamatoa’s big eyes. Originally, Stella said she didn’t care about having the eyes with her costume, but changed her mind as she tends to do. I have a purple hoodie sweatshirt for her to wear with the hood up, so it was a matter of creating something she could wear on top of her head.

I bought a bag of foam balls and a plain headband today, along with purple paint to make the eyelids. My plan is to paint the purple of the eyes, let them dry, and then paint on the irises and pupils on the other half. Then I’ll hot glue the eyes to the headband.

As I was getting ready to paint the foam balls, I wanted to be extra careful that they didn’t roll around and get purple on the white half. At first, I painted a layer of purple and then set them carefully back into these plastic bowls:

But as you can see, they did roll around a bit and caused the paint to rub off. As I tried to think of something that would keep them still as they dried, a light bulb went off.

Gladware lids! We have an average of 2,304,188 pieces of tupperware in our cabinets, so there were plenty of options for me to grab. I found two of the smaller lids, and voila! The foam balls rested snugly in the underside of the lids. When the purple dries, I’ll be able to paint the rest of the eyes and set them in the lids again without worrying about smudges or rolling around.

I’m not sure if there will ever be another moment in history where I’ll need this life hack, other than perhaps a model of the solar system that Stella will inevitably make for a science fair. But right now I’m feeling pretty geeked (or just geeky?) for cracking this code.

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Hello, mobility. Goodbye, sanity.

At nine and a half months old, Margot is mastering new skills each day. She loves to clap her hands, say “yeah yeah yeah” (thank you, “I’m Still Standing” from “Sing”), and eat Puffs one piece at a time in her high chair.

But there’s a milestone that fills me with pride and dread all at once: mobility. Although Margot isn’t interested in traditional crawling, she’s perfectly content to roll herself across a room, pivot on her tummy, and change directions. In the last month, mobility has completely changed the game. I’m ready to put a bell on her.

For a few glorious weeks, Margot could sit unassisted at her activity mat and play with her toys and would. Not. Move. Need to unload the dishwasher? Set Margot down with her toys. Grabbing the laundry to fold?Set Margot down with her toys. Quick Mama bathroom break? Set Margot down with her toys.

Those all-too-brief, sweet days are over. After getting bored, Margot now leans herself forward, gets her legs free from beneath her, and she’s on the move.

Continue reading “Hello, mobility. Goodbye, sanity.”

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Sneak peek: The making of Tamatoa


In the months after seeing “Moana,” my daughter Stella has been telling me that she wanted to dress up at Tamatoa for Halloween. Although he’s a pretty minor character in the scheme of things, he has one of the best songs in the movie. I also kind of loved the fact that Stella wanted to be a character like that instead of the traditional Disney princess.

Earlier this year, Stella began to waiver slightly, talking about dressing up as Elsa instead. But as we talked about all of the fun things we could do to make her into a big purple crab with a sparkly gold shell, she gave me the green light to start getting the components together for a Tamatoa costume.

Side note: Word Press/my computer keep wanting to change Tamatoa to Tomato, which could be an equally great costume.

Continue reading “Sneak peek: The making of Tamatoa”

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Nonfiction Essay: Captive Audience

Earlier this year, I read some information about a writing contest with the Lansing State Journal, called Lansing Writes for the Arts! The winning essay writer would receive tickets to the Broadway Series shows at the Wharton Center, and this year’s topic was about the impact of the performing arts. Learning about this contest felt like the kick in the pants I needed to flex my writing muscles.

Creative nonfiction was my favorite genre in undergrad and grad school. I was able to take the lessons I learned in my poetry classes and apply them to nonfiction essays, putting past experiences into perspective while playing with the language.

I wrote my essay in a matter of days, and I was way overconfident about my chances. The tickets to the shows would have been a great prize, but truly I loved the idea of having my creative writing published for others to read. Isn’t that the thing about writing or singing or doing something creative, that we equally don’t want anyone to read or hear or see us and yet want the attention and validation?

Ultimately my essay wasn’t chosen, and it has been collecting dust in my Google Docs the last several months. Then recently, as I was trying to think of blog post ideas, I realized that I have my own little slice of the internet to put my writing whenever I want! And maybe it’ll force me to write more essays, or go back through some of my essays from school and polish them up and see what could possibly shine.

So without further ado, here’s my essay. As it explains, my foray into the performing arts was limited, but not because I didn’t love doing it. Really, it’s because my talents in that area are mediocre. But I love being an audience member. That thought is what carries through in the essay.

Also I sort of leave out the fact that I was in “The Vagina Monologues” in college, so if you want to call me James Frey, that’s okay. The essay worked better with the omission. ** Insert shrug emoji or shrugging Elmo GIF. **

Continue reading “Nonfiction Essay: Captive Audience”

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My breakfast uniform

There’s something very comforting about a routine, particularly when it removes all need for making decisions. I’ve been experiencing nights of varied sleep interruption for the last 18-plus months, as an uncomfortable pregnant person and then of course as a nursing mom. Decisions are the last things I want in my face first thing in the morning.

Breakfast is my favorite meal, whether it’s a sweet stack of 49ers from the Original Pancake House or any combination of potatoes, meat, and runny eggs on a plate.

The problem is, I hardly have the patience or the pantry for a yummy chorizo breakfast skillet topped with poached eggs and sliced avocado day in and day out. For a typical day, I want my breakfast to be fairly quick, easy to assemble, warm and hearty.

For the last two years, I’ve fallen into a consistent routine with my breakfast of choice, and I’m still not sick of it. In fact, I crave it every morning. And as long as I’ve gone grocery shopping and stocked up on the key components, I’m in for a yummy breakfast each morning.

Continue reading “My breakfast uniform”

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My top five Tom Petty songs

This morning I was thinking about how it had been a few days since I wrote a blog post, but after the news out of Las Vegas, I couldn’t justify writing about anything.

But then I heard about Tom Petty being rushed to the hospital, and subsequently passing away, and immediately I wanted to listen to his music and cry. The numbness I felt this morning about Las Vegas is now coming out in utter sadness.

When I’m sad, or happy, or wanting to celebrate, or wanting to relax, or wanting to feel something, I listen to music. And to lose a musician adds this bittersweet layer to their songs.

Tom Petty’s music was for hanging out, for driving, for singing along. It reminds me of growing up watching his whacked out videos on MTV and makes me think of my aunt Mary. He’s a musical artist I always had hoped to see, but never had the chance.

Here are my top five favorite Tom Petty songs. Whether they made me laugh, sing at the top of my lungs, or cry, they made me feel something.

And an honorable mention for the holidays… one of our guilty pleasure Christmas favorites:

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Thankful for the art of the thank you note

It’s the day before my birthday, and already I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy some early birthday celebrations with friends and family. That means I’ve also been writing a lot of thank you notes lately.

Thank you notes are a form of correspondence that I hope continues on in some form or fashion, no matter what ends up happening to mail in the future.

Because mail is the BEST. Okay, fun mail is the best, junk mail is a pain and waste of paper, bills are a reminder of adulting, and Restoration Hardware catalogs are encyclopedias. But really, checking the mail is one of my most favorite daily rituals, which means Sundays and holidays are wah-wah for me in that department. Ever since I was little, I have loved running to the mailbox to see what’s inside.

In the same way giving presents has become even more fun than receiving presents as I’ve gotten older, I absolutely love sending mail. And while the art of letter writing has mostly gone by the wayside, there’s still something very special, and necessary, about the art of the thank you note.

Gratitude comes in many forms. While thank you notes can seem old-fashioned in a world where we can tag, tweet, and text, taking the extra step to write out a little note goes that extra mile.

My favorite stationery for thank you notes are the Green Inspired cards from Target, because of course. Their cards are whimsical and feel great, and I particularly love the corresponding envelopes.

Aren’t these pretty?! Why shouldn’t an envelope be as special as what’s inside?

Another thing that makes thank you notes even more special to me is a fun stamp. Even though it means braving the post office with at least one child in tow, I love picking out the decorative Forever stamps. These Disney Villains ones are my new favorites:

Someone else who also loves and appreciates the art of mail and cards is Jen, who created the fantastic amaze balls card seen at the top of this page. Her Etsy shop has a ton of hilarious and fun designs for cards. Jen gave me a set of her cards a few years ago, and I’m still holding onto some of them because I can’t bear to send them away yet.

I’m thankful that the art of the thank you note isn’t dead. I’m thankful for the things that make the art of thank you note writing fun.

And I’m so beyond thankful for the people on the receiving end of my thank you notes.

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Roasting root veggies and eating my colors

One of the easiest ways I’ve found for my family to enjoy eating vegetables is by roasting a pan full of root vegetables. I enjoy a variety of combinations, but my go-tos are sweet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, and baby carrots, sometimes mixing in cubed butternut squash and parsnips.

Roasted root vegetables are my favorite side dish to accompany chicken thighs, flank steak, meatloaf… basically anything! I could eat a plateful of roasted root veggies and nothing else and be completely happy.

For tonight’s dinner, I used sweet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, and rainbow baby carrots.

To prepare, I lined my large baking sheet with foil to make cleanup easier and also keep the veggies from sticking to the baking sheet. I also sprayed the foil with nonstick spray. I washed and cut the veggies up into similarly sized wedges, and then tossed them with olive oil and sea salt in a large bowl.

My favorite olive oil for this is Filippo Berio, which can handle the hotter temperature in the oven. For sea salt, there’s nothing better than Maldon sea salt flakes. Trust. Get some at Williams Sonoma.

I always make way more veggies than we need at dinner because they make great leftovers for breakfast or lunch the next day, and if I’m already going through the trouble of cutting and roasting the veggies, it’s so easy to make extra.

I roasted these veggies for around 40-45 minutes at 475 degrees, although the cook time always ends up depending upon the types of veggies I’m using and how big the pieces are.

Tonight’s veggies ended up cooking up perfectly with nice, crispy edges. YUMMMM.

I made chicken thighs tossed in Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend, which was one of those impulse buys the last time I was in a TJ’s. I’m still needing to experiment with the seasoning, but so far it has been delicious on chicken.

With all of the Blue Apron meals we’ve been making lately, I had gotten away from this simple go-to in my dinner rotation. It really hit the spot tonight, and gets me excited for some cooler fall nights and a plate of yummy, seasonal root veggies.

Give them a try!

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Celebrating fall with my favorite candle

It’s officially the first day of fall, and even though the dream of the 90s has been alive in Michigan the last couple days, I have been getting into the fall and Halloween spirit. It’s hard to think about cozying up to watch “Hocus Pocus” when it feels like we should be spending our days at the splash pad, but I couldn’t help myself this week.

I loved digging out the Halloween bins from our basement and rediscovering all of the fun decor I’ve collected over the years. Fall in Michigan is one of my most favorite times ever, so busting out the ceramic pumpkins and witch dolls and painted gourds in September has helped me soak up the season even more. However, the plastic skeletons will just have to wait until October.

One of the best parts of fall is the array of smells. Cinnamon, apple, wet leaves, fire, caramel, and of course pumpkin. There are plenty of options when it comes to finding fall-scented candles, but last year I discovered my most favorite pumpkin candle.

The Pumpkin Patch candle from the Kalamazoo Candle Company captures the sweet smell of the season so well for me without being overpowering. I can barely walk past the Yankee Candle Co. in the mall without getting a headache, so I love how this candle is subtle and yummy. I’m also very happy when I can find and support a local Michigan business!

The Kalamazoo Candle Company’s candles are in a simple and beautiful votive with a wooden lid, and come in a large range of scents. Pumpkin Patch is my jam.

Their candles can be found locally at October Moon in Old Town, where I’ve purchased mine in the past, and Kean’s in Mason, where my friend Stephanie just bought me one for my birthday. Yay! They’re also available online and other stores around Michigan.

I’m very excited to be stocked up and ready to go with a pumpkin-scented house over the next few months.

Happy first day of fall!

 

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I’m kind of obsessed with my letter board

It’s safe to say, my handwriting stinks. I admire anyone with beautiful penmanship in their thank you notes, especially because my handwriting is a strange hybrid of cursive and print. I connect a lot of my letters the way one might do with cursive, but it’s not true cursive.

Why do I connect the t to the e and then the e to the f in my first name? Why do any of these letters connect? Who knows who’s really to blame for this mutant handwriting of mine. But it means I am incapable of making cute things with my handwriting. Posters, signage, letters… all a lost cause. I will never be able to create beautiful works of chalk art for Starbucks menus.

And this also means that the newer trend of parents creating posters or custom chalkboards for their kids’ first days of school is enough to give me anxiety. In this social media age, the pressure to photograph the cutest things at all of the holidays and life milestone moments is at an all-time high. I’m doing all of this for my daughters and their memories, sure. But really I’m also doing it for selfish reasons. LOOK AT MY CUTE KIDS AND MY WITTY INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS AND THEIR OUTFITS ARE COORDINATING AND DID I MENTION #NOFILTER?

I digress.

When it came time for Stella to go back to preschool, I wanted to jump on this first day of school sign trend in a way that wouldn’t make me feel like an amateur in a world of printing Picassos.

Enter letter boards. These awesome signs are getting to be pretty trendy for home and office decor, and it makes sense considering how often I see quotes and song lyrics shared on Instagram and Facebook. Letter boards marry that love of text with something physical and interchangeable. I love that they can work as something informative, inspirational, or even just silly.

And I love how clean, simple, and perfect they look.

I found this one for Stella at Hobby Lobby, although there are many different sizes and colors that can be found online.

After Stella’s first day of school this week, I decided I needed to come up with a fun lyric or quote for the letter board next. My friend Ellen shared a photo on Instagram of a Drake quote on hers (“must be hard to be that fine”) and I thought it was amazing.

So, considering it’s September and my most favorite month ever, I decided an Earth, Wind & Fire lyric was necessary:

I can’t wait to keep swapping out what’s on my letter board, especially as the holidays start rolling in.

I need to start brainstorming ones for Halloween!

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