Oct 31, 2013

A Phineas and Ferb Halloween: Perry the Platypus


First, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Day three of our Phineas and Ferb Halloween.

I have showed you Little's Phineas costume and Middle's Ferb costume.

Now it is time to show their pet.

Phineas and Ferb's beloved pet appears to be a docile, boring, and really quite teal platypus.

When in reality he is anything but...well he is teal. Their pet Perry leads a double life as a secret agent.

Known as Agent P, he fights the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz (who you will meet later today).

A secret agent with the proper spy fedora and everything.


I know I probable shouldn't have a favorite costume...

...but I do.

This would be it.


My favorite parts of this costume...

FIRST, the felt fedora. This was the one part of Halloween Palooza that was sewn from a pattern. I was pretty sure if I tried to figure this out on my own I would fail miserably AND I would poke my eyes out, which would not help in the sewing of future costumes.

So pattern it was.



My next favorite, the little coral colored platypus tail. I added some texture to it by using a zig zag stitch in a slightly darker thread color to make the diamond pattern.

I know it is silly, but I think the tail is my favorite part. How can I help but love it especially when it is attached to that teeny tiny bum!


This whole costume was sewn in flannel, with small details in felt. I also made sure it was baggy enough to fit some jammies underneath. Have I mentioned it is colder than cold right now...I have...Oh like 20 times...my bad.

My Mister Bean is all ready to destroy the latest -inator of is arch-nemesis.


Dr. Doofenshmirtz doesn't stand a chance. If Agent P's, spy skills don't get him, Perry's cuteness is sure to get him.


Look for Dr. Doofenshmirtz later today!

Oct 30, 2013

A Phineas and Ferb Halloween: Ferb

Don't forget to Share the Thanks and Not the Germs
with Clorox. Enter to win a $100 gift card by going HERE.


Took a break from our Phineas and Ferb Halloween yesterday to talk about Sharing the Thanks and Not the Germs.

Today I am back, and I am bringing you the silent and equally brilliant other half to Phineas.

Ferb Fletcher.

Ferb is Phineas's British, mostly silent step brother. He is pretty much the best. He is always available to put into plan Phineas's schemes. He is pretty much the handy man.

He hardly smiles. He is oh-so-serious.


He is purple pants wearing and square headed.



Just like the Phineas costume, we had to make this Summer outfit warmer for the really chilly weather we are expected to have for Halloween. So I added sleeve and leg inserts to make the costume warmer. Everything is made from flannel or fleece, again for the warmth factor.


Moment of truth: this costume about did me in. Not so much in sewing, but in conception to actual costume. I didn't realize how quirky Ferb really looked. I made A LOT (seriously a lot) of adjustments. Another moment of truth (this one harder to share) my sweet Middle has really struggled with having to wear this costume.

When I first presented the ideas, he was pretty excited. However, as time came closer and closer and the costume was already pretty much done, with the exceptions of said adjustments, all he really wanted to be was the Green Ninjago.

Alas, it was too late.

He has been a good sport and worn it anyway (with only minor pep talks). I don't feel he is being ungrateful, because our Phineas and Ferb Halloween was this Momma's idea. I pretty much coerced the oldest two into joining along.

I do feel pretty bad. I have let them know that next year there doesn't have to be a theme. They can pick their costumes. I knew I was cutting it close with picking for them this year. Oldest is 9 and Middle is 7. They should get to go against the theme. Halloween is for them after all.

Thanks for letting me keep it real for a moment. I just felt I should share that not everything I do is rainbows and ponies and smiles and giggles. Life is real.

Okay, back to Ferb.

Even though he is unsure of this costume, Middle rocks Ferb.



He is the perfect companion to Phineas. They are ready to get down to business and build a rollar coaster, or a beach, or a giant paper airplane.

Tomorrow I am going to share Dr. Doofensmirtz and Perry the Platypus.
You won't want to miss it!

Oct 29, 2013

A Gobble Gram: Share the Thanks Not the Germs



We love Thanksgiving at our house.

Saying "thank you" is a pretty big deal. Which is probably why we love Thanksgiving so much. Thanksgiving is a time of year where we get to spend more time reflecting on what we have and who we have in our lives.

Everyone likes being thanked. Gratitude is one of those things that spreads and is fun to share.

Sharing gratitude is grand, sharing germs and sickness not so much.

In order to keep the germs and sickness down, especially during the cold and flu season...which just happens to coincide with the holiday season, our family uses Clorox Disinfectant Wipes in all of our clean up.

This year as a family we are starting a new tradition.

We call it Gobble Grams.  A little anonymous note of gratitude accompanied by a fun fall-themed treat.


Fun little acorn wanna be treats. Treats that are cute, yummy, and easy for little hands to help you make.


You need:

Hershey Kisses
milk chocolate chips
mini Nutter Butter cookies


Lay out the cookies on a piece of wax paper. Melt about 1/4 cup of the chips in a small bowl, 30 seconds as a time until completely smooth. Lightly dip the Hershey Kisses in the melted chocolate. Place the Kiss on the cookie pressing down lightly. Repeat until done. Let the chocolate set.




Take a break to snack on the supplies while you are waiting for the chocolate to set up.


Once the chocolate has set on the Kisses, remelt the chocolate and use it to set the milk chocolate chips on top of the cookie.





Let the chocolate set.

Then package up the goodies.



We added in our Gobble Gram (find PRINTABLES HERE)with an explanation of why they got this note of gratitude. We share our thanks. Then we ask then to share the thanks by sending a Gobble Gram to someone they are thankful for. 


Time to share the gratitude, to pass it on.

As the gratitude spreads, these little notes will hopefully be on doors all throughout the  neighborhood.


"You've been Gooble Grammed!"


Alas, all this sharing of gratitude made quite a mess. And quite a mess provides quite a lovely array of germs.




Like I said, we love Thanksgiving. We love serving and giving to those around us. So we don't want to spend this time of the year sick. AND we definitely do not want to pass on germs to those around us. The holiday season can definitely spread more than gratitude and cheer. With the potential to pass round icks and yucks, it is really important to practice flu prevention during the holidays.

So cleaning up the right way is a must. For our family the right way is using Clorox Disinfectant Wipes.

Spread the gratitude, by spreading the prevention. Wipe down that mess using Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.

That way we can spend our time enjoying the holidays, enjoying our blessings, and enjoying those around us.

Gobble, Gobble....

That is turkey for "thank you"...betcha didn't know that... now you do.

Watch for the Gobble Gram printables.
How do you stay healthy during the holidays?
Share with me do, not only because hey I want to know, but also because you leave me a little comment letting me know and you are entered in a sweepstakes to win $100 gift card.
Happy holidays! Happy giving!
Here is to being Happy and Healthy!
Good Luck!
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Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, however, my thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Oct 28, 2013

A Phineas and Ferb Halloween: Phineas



"There's 104 days of Summer vacation
And school comes along just to end it.
So the annual problem for our generation
is finding a good way to spend it.

Like maybe...
Building a rocket 
Or fighting a mummyOr climbing up the Eiffel Tower."

Did you find yourself singing along with this oh-so-catchy little cartoon theme song?
Our family can sing all the words in unison. My favorite song...Gitchy, Gitchy Goo (Means That I Love You).

We love ourselves some Phineas and Ferb. Seriously, the whole family loves it. There are very few shows that I will happily watch with my kids all while being genuinely entertained.

Phineas and Ferb is my most favorite kids' show. I laugh out loud and I sing along to all of their super funny and creative songs. 

I have wanted to have Phineas and Ferb themed Halloween for years. In fact, the first time I contemplated doing it was when Little was small enough to be Perry. I chickened out of doing the costumes due in large part to those pesky little odd shape noggins.

Fast forward a few years and some slightly improved sewing skills, and Little originally the size of Perry the Platypus, is now the size of the ingenious master mind of Summer fun who the show is named for.

Phineas Flynn

 

Goosh.

He is cute.

These costumes were fairly simple to make. The only glitch I had was in the making costumes of characters based in the Summer warm enough to be used in the crispness of a Halloween night.


In order to help Fallify the Summer clothes, I used warm and cozy materials. The shirt is made from orange and cream flannel. The shorts are made from blue fleece. Then to make them even warmer and cozier, I used cream colored fleece to act as "skin". I made leggings. I added in sleeve inserts.

The fleece was also used to make the quirky little triangle head.


So there ya have it, a warm version of a Phineas costume.

So guys the question is...

"What are we going to do today?"


He knows what we are going to do today...

We are gonna trick or treat and make a candy-riffic haul.

Come back tomorrow for another Phineas and Ferb Halloween
costume reveal!

Oct 24, 2013

Wedge Salad with Garlic Ranch Dressing


I remember the first time I had a wedge salad.

I was out with my girlies at a fancy little Italian restaurant for a GNO. They had all been to the restaurant before and were rapidly firing off their orders. I, however never having been there was just short of having an anxiety attack about what to order.

I get like that at new-to-me restaurants. I am totally that person that orders the same thing every single time I go to a restaurant...I like what I like, and if I am going to expend all those calories, I have to know it is going to be worth it.

Know what I am saying??

So at about this time, the waiter is getting closer and closer to taking my order. I am still pretty much undecided, however I have heard one thing repeated over and over again by all my friends...

"I would like the Wedge Salad with that."

To this day I don't remember the entree I ordered. What I do remember?

The Wedge Salad.

Who knew a half a head of lettuce smothered in dressing, brought to me on a teeny tiny wooden cutting board with a steak knife could rock my salad-eating world.

Sadly I moved away from that set of girlies.

Happily, I have made some lovely friends here. They even introduced me to a new restaurant and a new Wedge Salad.

If I thought the first wedge salad was awesome, well this new one was more awesomer.

Yeah, I said it, AWESOMER.

Pretty much because that is the best way to describe it.

Oh how this salad made my day. Love everything about it. Ever little lovely thing.

At my last visit to this particular restaurant, I found myself making mental notes about all the ways I could recreate the salad at home.

Recreate it I did.

I have kind of eaten it several times now.

This salad is eat every bite, scrape every morsel, lick the plate fantastic. I lightened up the dressing. I also used reduced-fat blue cheese. I however, did not scrimp on the bacon.

That would be blaspheme.

We can't have that.

What we can have...

Well, we can have this delightfully AWESOMER salad.


In the words of my Hubby, "Here's a salad. Eat it. It's good!" (This was his response when I told him he should write my post for me).

I totally agree with him. You should eat it because it is SO, SO good.

Wedge Salad with Garlic Ranch Dressing
serves 4

Print Recipe Here

salad:
2 heads of iceberg lettuce, cored and cut in half
4-5 strips of bacon, cut up and fried
1 cup pecan pieces, candied*
1 granny smith apple, cored and cut in slivers
2 Roma tomatoes, diced up
1 1/2 cups crumbled Blue Cheese

Garlic Ranch Dressing:
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

 First mix all the ingredients for the dressing and then store in the fridge while preparing the salad.

Place half of the head of lettuce on the plate. Pile on the bacon, pecan pieces, apple slivers, tomatoes, and cheese.

Drizzle dressing over the salad.

Serve with a fork and a steak knife.

*To candy the pecan pieces, heat the pecan pieces in a small frying pan with a 1/2 cup sugar. Continue to stir the pecans and the sugar over medium heat, while the sugar dissolves and coats the pecans. First the sugar will clump, then it will melt and coat the pecans. DO NOT over cook. When the pecans are covered, dump them onto a cutting board and spread out to cool.


Enjoy!!!

Oct 23, 2013

A Pinteresting Wednesday: Stripes and Gingham



My go-to-fall outfit is layering a sweater and a button up shirt. Sometimes I mix it up with some pattern on pattern love. Sometimes I opt for a cardigan instead of a sweater.

Ultimately, I am a big fan of a style that says classy, preppy, and a little bit librarian.

I bought this blue gingham button up shirt last year when I recreated a Favorite Fall Look I found on Pinterest. Best purchase ever. Seriously.

I practically wear it once a week. It pretty much goes with anything.

So when I found THIS PIN, showing me another possible way to where my favorite gingham shirt I pinned it to my For My Closet pin board.

I just had to keep my eye out for a striped sweater that would fit the look.

So when I found this black and white striped sweater at Old Navy I kind of squeaked and I almost pressed my face against the store window.


I immediately liked the sweater.

Then upon closer inspection, I found something really rather spectacular...


Elbow patches.

This sweater has elbow patches. Eek!!!

Not only are they elbow patches, but they are BLUE elbow patches. The exact blue of my favorite gingham shirt.

Guys...it was also on sale.

Say what?!?

Bought. Done and done.

I paired it up with some ankle skinny jeans, black flats, and touches of gold jewelry.

Oh, I know it might seem silly, but man this sweater makes me happy.


Thanks again Pinterest for all the PINspiration. How did we dress ourselves before you?

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Oct 22, 2013

Halloween Bat Garland {Tutorial}


Guys. Guess what?

I am done with Halloween costumes. 

Say what?! 

Shocking I know. 

Normally I am sewing at least one of my Little Men into their costume minutes before we hurry out the door.

It is kind of a Halloween miracle.

Since the costume hullahbaloo went ahead of schedule I was able to decorate a little for Halloween. I shared my Black and White Halloween Mantle and I said that I would share a bat template for my Halloween Bat Garland.

To make this garland, all you need is--

black felt
black thread
template (link below)

Download HERE

1. Print of the template.
2. Cut lots of bats from the black felt.



3. Sew them all together. Feed them through the sewing machine one right after another.


4. Cut two strips of black felt. Fold in a "V" and then sew one onto each end.



5. Hang up.


I am working on photos of the a fore mentioned Halloween Costumes. I am kind of geeking out about showing you. If you follow me on Instagram (@larissa_anotherday) then you probably know the theme for this year.

Thanks for stopping by!!

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