Homemade Halloween

The beloved homemade Halloween costume.

Wearing the same pair of cardboard wings year after year as a butterfly (and then later, a fairy). I remember covering a cardboard box in dots to magically morph into dice (or the singular "die"). Then later in my college years, inserting the term "sexy" in the ever-popular "Sexy Mechanic" (seriously).

These costumes took creativity, time, effort and at least some sort of thought. I remember looking down on - yet somehow envying those kids (and adults) who actually purchased their Halloween costumes from Target, or that weird pumpkin-thing that shoots up from the State Fair parking lot annually.

They had "real" plasticy costumes with appropriately scaled accessories and I had "fake" weird hodge-podge costumes with flimsy wings. They looked cool, but didn't even have to think about what they were going "to be" the model on the one-size-fits-most package did that for them!

I vowed at a young age to never purchase one of these insanely expensive costumes for myself or my child. I didn't rule out borrowing them (case in point, Jamie's St. Pauli Girl costume cira 2007 and 2008) - but now as I wrestle with the elements involved - I'm wondering what's best - to make, borrow or - gulp - purchase Ingrid's first Halloween costume.

Pros for Purchasing:

• Virtually the same cost - or cheaper - than making your own. 
• Ingrid will be bundled and super cute. 
• I won't have to craft anything - and then wrangle husband to finish crafting.

Cons for Purchasing:

• Spending unnecessary dollars on a costume. 
• Going to Target/Old Navy/bizarre pop-up Pumpkin Store to actually get one. 
• No nasty costume smell (you know what I'm talking about, it smells like you just hung out in Spencer's for hours) 
• Additional waste for Mrs. Mother Earth. 

This weekend I plan on putting on my crafting-hat and plan on devising a plan to morph Ingrid's little tutu into a little bumble bee (we already have a yellow tutu, courtesy of our friends who generously give us their daughter's hand-me-downs!).

Stay tuned for the sure-to-be epic results!

Five Months.

The months just keep flying by and Ingrid keeps getting bigger, cuter and more like a little person. This month's family highlights included:

• A sleepover for Ingrid at Grandma Kim and Grandpa Jim's house.
• An adult-only camping trip to New Glarus for Dan and I. 
• I started a new job. 
• Friends and family stepped up in a big way to help us with the gap between work and daycare - thank you! 
• I started blogging for MilwaukeeMoms.com - watch for a post soon! 
• Dan started tatooing in Fort Atkinson and a new semester at UWM.
• Ingrid started daycare - and I think she loves it.  
• We met our little niece/Ingrid's little cousin and attended Ingrid's aunt/ my sister-in-law's baby shower.
• Ingrid and I checked out Irish Fest, the South Shore Farmer's Market, 3rd Ward and the dog park.
• Started a new family tradition of Sunday Fundays with the family - we've made trips to the lake, cleaned out the attic, gone out to brunch and made massive amounts of freezeable meals at home.
  

Developmental highlights: 

• She can now turn over easily from tummy to back. Back to tummy? Not so much. But...
• She "pivots" around on her back to move around! 
• She giggles at hilarious games such as "Watch mom turn around, then turn around again." 
• She takes me - and talks, and babbles and squeals to anyone and any toy. 
• Ingrid loves food! She's had avocados, rice cereal, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes and peas, butternut squash and carrots.
• She can sit up (supported) and loves to "stand" in her exersaucer-thing. But gets pretty pissed that she can't put all of the toys in her mouth. 
• And, she's starting to understand her name as in "Hey. Hey you. Hey baby Ingrid."

To check out her last month in pictures, check out our Summer Highlights!

Root, Root, Root for the Brew-ers.

Earlier this summer, we participated in a Milwaukee-favorite-tradition - a trip to Miller Park for some good ol' fashioned tailgating and a Brewer game.

Our friends left their daughters at home, but we strapped Ingrid in the Baby Bjorn and she was a champ. Did you know there's a whole kid's area behind home-plate?

Anyways.

In front of us sat a random, sweet, bright-eyed girl named Jenna. She did a little show for all of us, twirling around with a wand, bopping around to the music in her head - doing normal things an outgoing eight-year-old girl does. At one point, Jenna spun around and announced to us that "When I grow up and be a mommy, I'm gonna have babies!" 


We get it Jenna, you're teetering on the fence between annoying and cute.

I didn't acknowledge this wonderful sentiment - but rather looked her straight in the eye and warned her that "Babies are a lot of work Jenna. You'll have to be with them all of the time, every day." 


What a buzz-kill.

Jenna was visibly stunned. I don't think I crushed her dreams, but I rocked her world. A few minutes later she twirled down the aisle and I happily enjoyed drinking my Lite Beer by Miller.

I'm thankful we can still bundle Ingrid in a Baby Bjorn and not have to respond to strangers' reactions to our daughter's endearing ideas.

Baby and Adult Bjorns. 

Over here Bernie!

Tiniest Tailgater. 

Ingrid took this one. I know, GIFTED!

Then, a few weeks later, my friends and I were out and about celebrating my best friend's birthday. We enjoyed dinner at Umami Moto and drinks around Cathedral Square. 




The obvious highlight of our night? Running into the Brewer's own - Ryan Braun!

Can you say giddy?

Now that "we've" clenched the division title - it's time to party like it's 1982! Go Brew Crew!

Summer Highlights.

Greyhounds and camping, pretty much the theme of our summer. 

Best wedding favor ever for one of the best weddings ever.

The happy couple - love em'!

Puppy-BFFs Harper and Charlie. 

Living it up in "up north" with the Fischers.

Dan outside of Dan's Minocqua fudge.

Mocs, candy and nostalgic books - great gifts from up north. Spoiler alert - they changed the plot of Poky Little Puppy. 

Adult-only camping in New Glarus. This calls for wine and cheese.

True that New Glarus. 

Grandma Zache's favorite - pansies!

We'll see you next summer!

Chill on the Hill

Cute.

Cuter. 

Little cousins Ingrid and Audri - meeting at their little cousin-to-be's baby shower. 

Ingrid's favorite thing - cups.

Harper and Ingrid - slowly becoming buds.

See you this fall!

Just Because.

Since this picture was taken, last November, two members of the group have had babies (I'm sporting the baby-bump), one lovely lady got hitched - and another is now pregnant with her second baby. Oh what a difference a year makes.

I love my Market girls!

On My Playlist - Adele

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, Adele

Best way to listen to Adele? Alone, in your car, belting it out at full volume. Hand gestures not required - but they do add a certain flair.

Happy Wednesday! And, happy first day of daycare for Ingrid.

In the Kitch: After School (or Work) Snacks.

We spent a few hours in the kitchen this weekend - sipping coffee, listening to old favorites on the iPod and cooking freezeable meals. It was great having Ingrid in her little Bumbo chair watching us cook, laugh and play. We made soups, pastas and ice-cube trays of baby food.

As I was searching for good lunch ideas, I came across this post from TheKitchn and started thinking of my favorite snacks growing up - apple slices, cheese slices and good ol' Ritz crackers - carefully arranged on a plate my my mom. As I was searching the site, I noticed that a lot of people listed some sort of "cheese" as their snack of choice. I whole-heartily agree with this snack.

Then, just as I started to think of some different items to try, Ingrid jumped on the fussy-train. What were your favorite childhood treats? Adult-figure-friendly snacks that aren't totally boring?