A Toddler Masterpiece: Radin's First Painting

Today I busted out the acrylic paints, a few brushes, a few sponges, painters tape, and a blank canvas. Oh, and lots of baby wipes. For today I introduced Radin to painting!  I asked him if he wanted to paint with Mommy and he shook his head in disapproval.  Then I realized he had no clue what "painting" meant, so I asked him if he wanted to color with Mommy.  His answer was then a joyous clapping of hands and nodding of head! So I hoisted him (it's like lifting a giant sack of potatoes at this point) up into his booster seat at the table for some fun painting time.

I forgot to mention that I had already covered the table in newspaper to prevent the inevitable painting of the table.  I taped the newspaper down as I knew Radin would attempt to rip it away.  He did attempt. Multiple times.

I also pre-taped a stretched canvas spelling out Radin's name. I am sure that if you have been on Pinterest at all, you have seen people do this.

I really had to press the tape down onto the canvas, because I just knew Radin would attempt to peal it away.  And he did attempt.  Multiple times.

I cut up a Mr. Clean Eraser sponge into four pieces to use as fat paint sponges.  The acrylic paint is BASICS and states on the bottle that it is resistant to water, but I know from experience that it is super easy to wash off of skin.  Clothes on the other hand, I wasn't sure.  So I made sure Radin and I were both dressed in old clothes that I didn't care about turning into a rainbow of stiff paint.

I squirted a few blobs of blue, green and red onto the canvas and was about to show Radin what to do, when he picked up the paint brush and started painting. It's amazing what they pick up from watching Thomas & Friends movies on Netflix.  One of the episodes features Mr. Perkins painting a picture of James.  I assume this is how Radin knew what to do with the paint brush.  That or he is a genius.  And since he still runs into walls occasionally, I'm leaning more towards Mr. Perkins.

 

Then it happened; Radin got paint on his hand!  I thought for sure he would begin painting his whole body.  But no, he requested that I wipe his hand off. He doesn't really enjoy his hands being dirty.  If you've ever seen him at the park, you know he constantly requests the sand be brushed from his hands and shoes.  I am teaching him to wipe the sand away on his pants.  Possible bad habit, but I'm tired of being summoned every minute to wipe away a grain of sand. He doesn't seem to mind dirt covering his entire face after he dumps a pail of it over his head though.  Go figure.

After about an hour of smearing paint all over the canvas with the sponges and then making swirls with the paint brush, Radin started to attempt to paint the table. Then paintbrushes began being tossed in little rage fits over being told that he could not paint the chair.  That is when I knew we were done with our masterpiece.  I sponged over the small corner that was still paint free, and let Radin have a mid-day fun bath.  He loves his baths.

Once we were all cleaned up and he was distracted by toys again, I peeled away the painter's tape and put the painting in the garage to dry.  I am very pleased with how it turned out and I cannot wait to hang it up in Radin's room to add a vibrant pop of color and personalization!

I would highly recommend this little art project for anyone with small children.  It was a fun way to share an artsy moment.

EDIT:  Here it is all dry and hanging in Radin's room/  We had to rearrange the Avengers wall clings a bit, but it works.

Homemade Baked Banana Chips

I have never really loved bananas.  They are okay. I like them in banana cream pie and chopped up and mixed in with my chocolate chip ice cream, but a banana by itself will never really appeal to me.  Plus, when they get really ripe, they make my throat itchy.  I know, I'm weird.
My son, on the other hand, loooves bananas.  But he only like them when they are still green.  Once they ripen and get a bit mushy, he is done with them.  And I'm not going to eat them then, because they make my throat itch.  So we usually have some bananas leftover that have to be creatively used either before they ripen or shortly after. Last week, I used a pair of overly ripe bananas to make Banana-Nut Bread.  This week, I am going to attempt Banana Chips.

This is a very simple recipe, and I see it pop up on Pinterest a lot, so I hope it actually works and tastes good.  I'm curious to see if Radin likes banana chips too.  If so, I can make batches of these for snack packs on the go.

You basically just need a few bananas, some lemon juice, and an oven.  Cut up your bananas into think slices, dip them into the lemon juice, and place them on a cookie sheet.

I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper, but I don't think it is necessary.  Now pop them into the oven at 200 degrees for 2 hours, flip them, and put back into the oven for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Currently, my bananas are in the oven for the first two hours.  I will update at the two hour flip mark and then again when they are done!  I really hope this turns out okay, as it sounds super yummy and like a good snack for Radin.

I checked the bananas after an hour because they smelled so good, yet also smelled like they were close to getting burnt.  The banana chips were already pretty crispy, so I decided to go ahead and flip them early.

Baked Banana Chips

Ingredients

2 bananas

lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Slice bananas into thin medallions.

Dip bananas into lemon juice and place onto baking sheet.

Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees.

Flip bananas and bake for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until crispy.

Let cool and enjoy!

Four New Stills From X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

Empire Magazine has released four exclusive stills from Bryan Singer's upcoming X-Men: Days Of Future Past.  Here they are, in all their mediocre glory!  Now let's pick them apart like only nerds can do!!!

Sunspot, Shadowcat, Iceman, and Colossus

 This temple looks Tibetan to me, though they might just be going for "ancient generic temple."  Does it snow in Tibet?  I honestly do not know. Maybe it does in the future. Please oh please let this be an Akkaba or even Askani temple.
Sunspot's hair! Teehee!  It is adorable! Kitty looks like a tiny bad ass. Why oh why is Colossus wearing gloves?! I wish Singer would branch out from the black leather outfits though.  I thought he promised "no more black leather."  That's all I have seen so far...black leather.  And we better get Iceman in full ice at some point during the movie!

Magneto...floating about.

 I kind of miss the days when Magneto had a giant magnetic bubble around him when he flew through the air. lol  I'm a kid of the 90's cartoons I guess.  Again, the temple looks like it has tiny statues...Buddhas? Tiny En Sabah Nurs?

Wolverine. 

 I am mentally preparing myself for this to basically be a Wolverine-centric movie.  I like Wolverine, and I understand that he is the fan favorite, but he also gets his own damn movies!  Stop focusing on him so much!  I just realized there is a man on the floor with a camera...so I am guessing this is less of a still and more of production photo.

Mystique.

Mystique holding a white gun.  Is it maybe a plastic gun?  Or just a very shiny gun?  SInce there is a flag behind her, I'm guessing this is when she attempts to assassinate the president.

New MALEFICENT Trailer (feat Vocals by Lana Del Rey)

YESSS! YESSSSSS! YUUUSSSSSS!  Maleficent looks evil as fuuuuuck!  I'm so happy they are not making her into a misunderstood villainess.  She's not.  She's a bitch.  She proclaims herself to be the "Mistress of All Evil" and curses a newborn after not being invited to a party!  She's evil and vindictive!  And she is my favorite Disney villain from my favorite Disney princess movie!  A big reason that Sleeping Beauty is my fave, is because of the song "Once Upon a Dream."  Lana Del Rey sings a cover of this song hauntingly and beautifully in the trailer!  Check it out!



Angelina's smile is fantastic!!! Ahhh!

Holy Hell, What Has Singer Done To The Past X-Men In General?!

I was all aflutter when Singer was brought in on X-Men: Days of Future past and ecstatic when he claimed he would be "fixing" discrepancies made by the awful X-Men 3 and other timeline problems. "BRING BACK CYCLOPS, YOU BASTARDS!" is a rallying cry I have heard from many of my geekier friends.  And I agree, wholeheartedly.

Singer loves leaking photos on his twitter, and the more that he did...the more nervous I became.  Most people complained over the look of the Sentinels (giant Dyson vacuums, anyone?) , but I actually liked the look.  I never warmed up to the boring look of the giant metal robots.  Plus, I think if the government is fully aware that Magneto is the master of magnetism...they aren't going to be throwing metal robots at him.

But now these Empire Magazine covers are slowly being released.  Some are just down right terrible, while the rest are just bleh.  I am so scared for this movie.  I feel it in my bones that I am going to hate it.  And that makes me so sad.  The X-men were my absolute favorite comic series growing up.  Now when I try and read them, I am bored out of my mind.  I am prefering the writing on the Avengers titles.  And that makes me feel like such a traitor.  And the Avengers movies?! Oh dear God, they are awesome!  WAAAY better than what Fox is churning out for the X-Men franchise.  Proclaim X-Men: First Class as great all you want, but I thought it was cheesy as all out (plus, the purist in me cannot accept this ragtag team as the "First Class."  BRING BACK CYCLOPS, YOU BASTARDS!). Fassbender saved that movie.  If not for him, I would not have liked it much.  Anyway, I digress.  Here are the Empire Magazines covers thus far (I will be adding more as they become available) and my thoughts and ramblings.

 

This sentinel looks awesome to me, though a wee bit small.  It would still strike fear into young mutants.  I get that it has similar designs to my Dyson vacuum (which is THE BEST vacuum), but I like the coloring better than the mash-up of pink and purple from the comics. Also, I find it hilarious that they describe the robot as "moderately powerful."

The Havoc cover just looks terribly Photoshopped.  Like someone on Tumblr made this.  Actually, I know a few people on Tumblr who could make this look a lot better.  Is Havoc in the army now?!  I haven't read up on the movie and what direction they are taking with the characters, because I want some element of surprise when I watch the movie...so I honestly do not understand the military garb.

 

I remember hearing on Twitter that Toad was going to be included in this film, but I honestly forgot all about it until now.  Again with the military apparel?!  And the goggles??? I had to look up who this actor is, because he comes across as old in this pic.  But nope, he is only 29.  How this toad ties into the Toad from the first X-Men movie...I am interested to see how Singer "fixes that."  Otherwise, he looks terrible.

 
Well, hellloooo Mr. Stryker!  WHy on earth did we go with casting an attractive William Stryker?! I don't want to think this douchebag is attractive!! Ugh.  I love his tagline though; Mutant Hater, Military Man, Nut Job.  I am so confused on the timelines of the Stryker family.  I need to look that up again.

 

Pimpin' is not easy, children.  It appears pretty easy for Trask though.  He looks pimpin' as all out!  I assume we are ignoring that he was a large black man in a previous movie? Right?  Ignoring it?  Got it.  I'm intrigued to see him in this movie as I love his acting in Game of Thrones.

 

J. Law is looking amazing as Mystique.  I still do not understand why Mystique had to be "naked" in these movies except as a fan-boy service. I get that she is "mutant and proud" and all, but what is the hatred of clothing?!  I guess because her real clothes wouldn't shift when she changes appearances, but for every day wear...put on some damn clothes!! And if she is truly naked, does she not have a vulva?!  Let's either be anatomically accurate, or put on some clothing!

 

Beast is all blue and furry, and HE WEARS CLOTHES!!! Takes notes, Mystique!  Beast looks terrible though.  He looks like a old-school Werewolf.

O.M.G.  What the balls is this?!?  It's like the costume designers sat down and were like "He's called quicksilver...so he's quick...and let's dress him in SILVER!!  Get it, quick...silver...Quicksilver!!"  FUCKING GENIUSES!  There aren't even costumes created yet for the Avenger's Quicksliver, and it's STILL better than this trash.

 

I'm digging the color scheme, though the chest armor gives the appearance of boob-plate.  And is it just me, or do his pants not seem to fit correctly?!  And why did my eyes divert to his pants so quickly?! (teehee) The helmet is cool, though it still bothers me that he would even wear the helmet of a man that murdered his mother and people. 

Well, at least the Professor's pants fit correctly!  I know everyone loves him, but I still cannot stand this casting.  And I am so don with the "groovy" Professor.  I hate the 60's/70's look sooooo bad.  You cannot make me believe that Patrick Stewart's younger Professor was ever like this!!!  And how is he standing?! 

"BONE CLAW IS REEAADDYYY!"  Sorry, inside joke.  Anyway, Wolvie is super freaking veiny in this cover!  I am nauseated by the amount of veinage popping out.  Especially that fat one running up his stomach!  No thanks.  And I am going to need a refresher on the timeline of his claws being bone and them being metal.  I am lost again.

Boooo...who cares!!  Get off the cover!  Who is seriously going to be this cover over the other covers?

 

Okay, now we get into the "future" X-Men...where apparently Wolverine somehow gets his metal claws back.  Now I am very confused.  They have so many time-line flaws to fix in this movie.  At least he covers his veins in the future, though.  But would it kill Singer to put these character's into real costumes?!  I want to see Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the actual Wolverine costume from the comics!  Just once.  Alter it a bit even.  Just do it!!!!

YESSSSS!! I am so very excited to see Blink on the screen!  She looks amazing!  But how is is that she is teleporting...or who is sitting in her "blink wave"?  Damn pink word bubble is over his face!
(EDIT:  Apparently it is Warpath based on his blades)

I am so happy to have Patrick Stewart back portraying Prof X.  It will totally make up for lame young Prof X.  Plus, now he has rocket booster chairs! Wooo!

I never liked Halle Berry as Storm.  She is a beautiful woman and a great actress...in other films.  Just not any of the X-Men movies.  I guess we can blame it on her script.  Her character is so lame in the movies.  She should be a bad ass goddess!

I have heard that Rogue is only in the movie for one scene.  And though I do not like Anna Paquin as an actress or the subdued Rogue in these movies, that makes me sad.  It also makes me think that other characters, such as Blink and Warpath, will also only be in one or two scenes.  There are just far too many mutants to fit into the story (much like X-Men 3).  Anyway, I am guessing from her full coverage outfit, that her powers have returned much like Magneto's returned at the end of X3.  Which makes me think that Mystique's powers probably returned after that movie too.  I bet she's piiissssseeeed at Magneto.

How do you make Sean Ashmore, a man who has not aged a day in his life, look older? Slap a beard on him!  Boom!  Older!  He looks good with that beard too!  I really hope he is used in this movie as more than a love interest.

I love this cover and how it ties to Blink's cover!  It also makes me think they are close in the movie. Plus, those blades are bad ass.  But...he can fly?!  Damn you, obscure powers that I forgot you had!

I really dislike the way they made Kitty come between Rogue and Iceman.  It made her look like a tart, and him look like an ass.  Besides that, this cover is pretty boring.  At least it is the least Photoshop-looking of the group!  And is that a spaceship of some sort in the background?  And where are the costumes?! Damnit Singer....I want some damn costumes!!

Hey, I forgot Sunspot is in this!  Wow, they pulled from the extended X-Men roster for this movie.  I love Robert DaCosta in the comics.  He's quippy and a flirt.  He is totally not needed for this movie though.  Why can't we bring in REAL X-Men? Gambit, Psylocke, Jubilee, Angel (the REAL one)?!  Any of the original gold or blue teams would be better than any of the New Mutant roster!

Ian is a bad ass in any role he takes on.  I like how this cover compliments the "Past Magneto" cover. Plus, he gets a cape.  Cuz nothing says practical tactile gear like a muthaflippen cape!  Magneot would SO demand a cape too.  So diva!

YESSSS!  Bishop will be on screen, ya'all!  Now I just need Cable to make his way up and I will be so freaking happy!  Bishop looks pretty awesome.  I like the "M" across his right eye looking more like a brand then a tattoo.  I love the color scheme and the tactile looking gear.  I just love it.

This looks awful.  It looks like a bad photomanip.  Which, I guess it is technically.  Please, oh please, make Colossus cooler in this movie.  And he belongs with Kitty!!!

Sweet Mother Mary...this is...this is...FABULOUS!  I know there is a lot of hate floating about the interwebs for this design, but I like it and I get it.  Here is what Singer had to say about his design:

"They’re bio-mechanical weapons. We had to come up with what would be the ultimate version that could actually, in principle, stop the X-Men. We started with this idea that they were almost made up of magnetic plates slapped over one another, imagining that the plates could contract or grow, so the Sentinel can be skinny to get through a small space or the plates can open up to become a bigger shape. So they have become virtually unstoppable."

Sounds like the future is terrible...but will look awesome on screen!!

Homemade Coconut Sugar Scrub

I hate soap.  Normal, sweet smelling soaps are super drying on my already dry skin  and the ones that I can use on my super dry skin are boring and blah!  I prefer scrubs by far.  A good sugar scrub is AH-MAZE-ING on my skin!  It buffs and then leaves a moisturized feel behind.  Plus they usually smell amazing.  Unfortunately, they can be a bit pricey for a tiny amount.  I just can't justify spending that amount of money on something that will last me two weeks.  So I decided to try and make my own from ingredients in my cupboard.  I once again turned to Pinterest for some ideas.  I couldn't find a recipe that used coconut oil in place of olive oil, so I altered a recipe found on Just Another Day In Paradise.

Ingredients

2 cups of white sugar

1 cup of solid coconut oil

juice from 4 lemons

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp vanilla

You will also need a container to store your finished scrub in.  Though a glass container is prettier, I opted for what I had on hand, which was a Snap-n-Lock plastic container.

I bought my coconut oil at SaveMart I think.  Nothing special.  It was the cheapest for the largest amount.

Directions

Add the solid coconut oil to a standing mixer bowl.  I have read that you can melt your coconut oil beforehand to get more of an oily scrub.  I prefer a whipped feeling scrub, so I went with the solid.

Mix on low for approximately 5 to 6 minutes, until you have a nice whipped feeling to the mixture.

Next, add the sugar and mix until blended.

Add the lemons juice (I used fresh squeezed, because that is what I had on hand, but you can use juice from the cute lil lemon shaped bottle) and honey and mix until blended.

Now scoop into your favorite container.

This recipe made more than I thought it would (the coconut oil really fluffs up nicely), so I put the majority of it in a shallow plastic container to use daily in the shower, and the rest in a recycled pizza sauce jar for later use.

I officially used the scrub this morning in the shower and it was perfect!  You can feel the sugar granules scrubbing, and then dissolving, on your skin.  I thought the oil might leave a greasy feeling, but it didn't.  It felt just like a scrub from the expensive stores.  Moisturizing and light.  I even used it on my face and it feels so good.  Plus, the lemon and honey are great scrubbing agents and have antibacterial properties that are great for your skin!  I was hoping for more of a scent with this scrub.  I really though I would smell of coconut all day.  But I couldn't smell anything at all.  Which is good for people who don't want to smell like the tropics.  I, however, do. lol  Next time I might add some vanilla for scent.

Overall, this was a huge success.  I am so happy I went with this option instead of the expensive store option filled with who knows what.

Sh*t My Husband Says, Part 2: Suspicious Side Dish

Husband: Why did you fill part of his plate with a bunch of mayo?
Me: That's yogurt.

I am just going to assume he was joking.