Style Lush

Math Keyboard

by Blythe

I love that my five-year-old son has recently gotten really into simple math.  He could spend an hour talking about numbers.  On the other hand, as much as I enjoy watching him absorb these new concepts, there are times when I am just tired of helping him add 7+2.  It's sort of how I felt about talking about Pachycephalaurus during the dinosaur phase.  Awesome!  But, also, Enough Already.

Enter this awesome and very low-tech toy:

Math Keyboard - The Pluses and Minuses from Small World Toys

Each button on this little beauty is printed with a simple addition problem.  When the button is pressed, the solution becomes visible through the translucent plastic.  This is accomplished by simple mechanics.  There are no batteries, no lights, and (mercifully) no beeps or music or any sounds at all.

My kid and I both love it, for the fun he's having with it and for the utter simplicity of it.  Yay for math!

{Photo credit: smallworldtoys.com}

Gee, Your Keens Smell Terrific

by Blythe

We love our Keen sandals at my house.  

 

Every spring my son gets a new pair, and by the time school starts they are faded and worn due to splashing in creeks and running through mud and biking in the dust, but still sturdy.  I see this as evidence of a summer well spent.

My only complain, as noted by Elizabeth and commenters a while back, is that they get REALLY stinky long before they wear out.  I have been researching different deodorizing methods, including burying them in a container of baking soda for a period of time between 24 hours and a month(!), and sticking them in the freezer over night.

Over to you, readers - any advice for a de-stinkifying my kid's favorite shoes?

{Photo credit: rei.com}

Crafty Bridal Shower Dish Towels

By Blythe

Earlier this summer, I threw a bridal shower for a friend.  It was such a delight to celebrate her, and I wanted to give her an afternoon of joy and fun.  She's not someone who enjoys the limelight, so those goofy games where we would talk about her sex life or dress her up in toilet paper weren't really her style.   I did want to include an activity that would keep the guests moving and mingling, and to create something that the bride could take away as a reminder of the day.

Inspired by crafty tutorials like Natalie's Freezer Paper Stencil DIY, I decided to invite the guests to create stenciled dishtowels for our friend.  At a craft store, I purchased a set of Martha Stewart adhesive stencils, plus paint, brush sponges, and fabric fixer to make the designs colorfast when washed.  I bought plain white flour sack towels at Target.

I set up a stenciling station in my kitchen where a few guests at a time could create towels while everyone else hung out and drank champagne.  I pre-mixed the paint with the fabric fixer following the directions on the paint bottles, but you could make the process even easier by purchasing fabric paint.

Stencil art is great for people who don't see themselves as artistic - the blank canvas is much less intimidating when the images and colors are pre-chosen, and everyone gets to create something homemade for the guest of honor.  This could be a nice baby shower activity using burp cloths or onesies as a canvas.

After the shower, the towels simply had to be ironed to activate the color fixer and Voila!  Useful, personal, and pretty gifts for our bride.

Perfume Nostalgia

By Blythe

My mom and I recently sorted through a bunch of boxes that had belonged to my late grandmother. Midway through our excavation, I opened a box of jewelry, expecting a bunch of Avon necklaces and stick pins, when out wafted a cloud of scent that brought happy tears to my eyes. Memories of my grandmother's soft skin and silky grey hair filled my head as her perfume, White Shoulders, filled my nose.

(image credit: amazon.com)

I have plenty of great memories of my grandmother (her fried chicken, her oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and her frightening driving skills), and I have been lucky enough to inherit many of her possessions, including furniture and jewelry. But it took her perfume to make me feel like she was right next to me. Sense memory is funny like that.

I've had similar experiences when I am in a room where someone is wearing my mom's signature scent (Estee Lauder's Youth Dew), or when I smell the perfume my best friend wore in high school (Exclamation by Coty, which I can't believe is still around). Ralph Lauren Polo takes me straight back to middle school summer camp dances.

What scents inspire your favorite memories?

Make Your Own Phone

By Blythe

Yes, you read that right.

Sure, it's a paper version, but that means it won't break or crack and you can just make another one if it gets wet.  These qualities make it perfect for kids.

The delightful and talented Secret Agent Josephine has created a free fake phone printable for those of us whose children require their own personal communication devices.  I love it as a summer project that combines the allure of electronics with old fashioned cutting, pasting and coloring.  The blank make-your-own-app screens might just inspire ideas for the next generation of app developers.  Or, at my house at least, an endless supply of imaginary dinosaur/Star Wars apps.

{image credit: Secret Agent Josephine}

Currently Coveting: Rock the Casbah Clutch

By Blythe

I try never to say never, but it is highly unlikely that I will ever pay $148 for a zipper clutch.

Rock the Casbah Georgie by kate spade ny

On the other hand, I am sorely tempted by anything that melds classic style with 1980's punk lyrics.

{photo credit: kate spade new york}

DIY Play Tent

By Blythe

This tent is one of the very first things I pinned on my Pinterest board. It seemed do-able and cute, and a nice project for those long summer days when my kid and I are looking for fun.

I quickly learned that everything on Pinterest is not as easily executed as it looks, which made me a little nervous about trying to build this tent. But I decided to give it a whirl.

DIY A-Frame Tent using tutorial by Cakies

I am so glad I tried it! It was pretty easy, especially since I had the molding and dowel cut to size at the home improvement store, and they were both pre-sanded. The only snafu I ran into was that the drill bit I needed is not a size that came with our drill (and it's pretty big; I imagine it doesn't come with most drills), so I had to buy that. It cost less than four dollars. I used a twin sheet I had lying around for the fabric.  

I like that the whole thing folds flat for storage without taking it apart. But for now, it has taken up residence in our house as my son's favorite place to entertain himself.

Portland, OR: The UnHip Guide

By Blythe

Portland, Oregon gets lots of press these days.  My city is known for its simultaneously amazing and annoying characteristics - fabulous restaurants/hyperfoodies, young and interesting people/slacking hipsters, environmental and political awareness/tree-hugging hippies, beautiful surroundings/soggy weather.

Like most stereotypes, these have a kernel of truth and coexist among a bunch of everyday, normal people who shop at Target and eat take-out broccoli beef and drive station wagons.  Sure, we might drive that wagon to an organic farm to pick up chicken feed for the hens we're raising in the back yard of our restored 1930's bungalow with Tibetan prayer flags on the porch, but we're only human.

Here are some favorite spots in my fair city that might not be the hippest, most indie places (although a couple of them are), but they're wonderful and worth visiting.  Especially when the line for Voodoo Doughnut is wrapped around the block.

-Portland has an amazing array of parks, particularly considering how much it rains here.  But we've learned to adjust.  Basketball courts and picnic areas are often covered, and we suit up with a hooded jacket and hike in the rain.  Some of my favorite spots include Forest Park (one of the largest urban wooded areas in the nation), Jamison Square (an urban square with a summertime splash fountain), and the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

{photo credit: portlandonline.com}

-Powell's Books is a must-stop for any bibliophile.  Their famous City of Books is the grandaddy of bookstores, but I am also partial to their airport locations, which are less overwhelming but much more fun than your run-of-the mill airport bookstore.

-You can't turn a corner around here without running into a food cart pod, and everyone has a favorite.  We've got grilled cheese sandwiches served out of a double decker bus; some of the best Thai street food anywhere, and solar-powered vegan food (of course).  My cart of choice is the fairly mundane sounding but incredible tasting Portland Soup Company.  Their pulled pork sandwich with apple slaw is mouth watering.

-My two favorite clothing stores are just a few blocks apart in downtown Portland.  Our Nordstrom store is in the center of the city, overlooking Pioneer Courthouse Square, which hosts concerts and flower shows and our city's Christmas tree.  And the customer service is so good that I would buy my toilet paper at Nordstrom if they sold it there (and I could afford it).  The other store, Radish Underground, is a locally owned boutique that carries clothing by Portland designers and other fun stuff like cards and Thunderpants.  

Portland is a great place to live and a wonderful place to visit.  Hip or not, I love it!

 

 

Sesame Street Water Bottles

by Blythe

Summer is all about staying hydrated and keeping my kid hydrated, and that means hauling a bottle of water everywhere.  While he is more likely to be receptive to the water I'm trying to get inside him if it comes from a bottle featuring one of his favorite characters, I like designs that are a bit more subtle than the robot warrior star fighter ninjas he woud choose.

These Sesame Street bottles caught both my eye and his at the mall today, which means they are a great solution for us.  They feature characters he recognizes, they aren't SO branded that I feel like we are walking advertisements, and hey, even if we are advertising, I'm OK with shilling for Big Bird.  

Naturally, Oscar is my favorite.

{Photo credit: store.sesamestreet.org}

The Tooth Fairy Cometh

by Blythe

My son is five years old, and I know we are approaching the loose-tooth era.  Based on our experience with splinter removal, I have the feeling he is going to be one of those kids who FREAKS OUT when the time comes to bid farewell to one of his teeth.  But only the first time, because he has also grasped the value of cash, and when he realizes money will appear under his pillow the morning after, I hope his fear will disappear.

Either way, I had better get my act together before that first tooth comes out.  Here are a few tooth fairy welcoming devices I am considering:

Wooden Tooth Boxes

Happy wood and rubber boxes to keep little teeth safe

 

Tooth Pillow

Sweet, classic handmade tooth pillow

 

Sweet Tooth Box

A tiny modern tin that comes in four different colors

 

Monster Pillow Tutorial

An adorable tutorial that even a novice like me might be able to follow.

{Photo credits: stubby pencil studio, romp.com, rikapanda crafts, the loose thread)