Easy Halloween Costume

If you've been following me for awhile, you know I've got your back when it comes to making that last minute Halloween costume.   I've shared a couple of costumes that I made in the past.  Click here to view them.

This blog post is for those of you who like to procrastinate  like to live on the edge  are last minute Halloween costume seekers.  Halloween is tomorrow and this costume is so easy to throw together.  You probably have all of the items laying around your house already!  If you don't, then, a quick trip to the store and you can make this easy Halloween costume.  And, tomorrow, you will be ready to go Trick or Treating!

Okay.  Let's get started!

Supplies needed:
Black T-shirt *
Hot glue gun
Candy
Google Eyes or white and black felt**

*honestly, any color t-shirt will do.  Just make sure it's an old tee that you don't want to use again.  I thrifted mine.

**If you are using felt, instead of google eyes, you will need to cut out circles from the felt to make eyes and glue them together (so they look like an eye).

Directions:

Pretty simple stuff here.   Hot glue candy and google eyes in random spots onto the t-shirt and, you are.....EYE Candy!

Eye Candy!  

See how easy this was to make?  Now you are ready to go Trick or Treating tomorrow!


By the way, it took about ten minutes to get this shot.  Bella had to take a picture of her feet, the dog and the ceiling along with about twenty photos of the shirt.  All twenty photos are all exactly the same.  (who needs a professional photographer, right?)

Happy Halloween!

National Hermit Day

I found another "odd" holiday that we can celebrate (separately).  Today is National Hermit Day!!

I know!  Who comes up with these weird holidays?

I, personally, found this holiday intriguing and had to do a little research and figured I would share it with you so we can both celebrate today.

A hermit is a person that keeps to him/herself and doesn't leave his/her home.  Most hermits do this out of a religious practice.

It is believed that National Hermit Day was created for St. Colman who died in Ireland in 632 A.D.  He lived a seven year hermitage in a cave in the forest.  This day was created to honor the day that he died.

So, we are basically celebrating the death of some guy who lived like a hermit.

How do we celebrate National Hermit Day, you ask?

Today is a great day for introspection and reflection.  Use this day to spend some time alone.  Take a step away from all of the craziness and find a quiet place to hang out.  Maybe it's a hike in the woods, hanging at the park, the library, your couch or maybe a closet.

Don't feel like going out?  You could take a nap.  Netflix and chill.   Catch up on your reading?  Write (start a blog or a journal).  Exercise (yoga would be perfect way to meditate today).   Do a puzzle.  Start making your halloween costume or do a craft project that you have been putting off.  Turn off your phone.  Maybe you just need to get some alone time, away from social media, phones and email.  

Of course, I have to work today, but, when I get home, I'm not sure what I will do first.  Maybe I will make some tea and hide out in the closet?  

Dad Jeans

Dad jeans made a big splash in the media when President Barack Obama was photographed wearing a pair back in 2008.  He kept "Dad jeans" in the public eye for the next eight years.  He did, however, see the light (or Michelle threw out all of his Dad jeans) by the end of his presidency, and modified his wardrobe and added regular, normal jeans to his wardrobe.

Recently, at work, my coworker showed me a pair of jeans and said, "Wow!  Look at these Dad jeans!  They're almost an acid wash denim.  Something you would see back in the '90's.  I would never, ever allow my husband to wear these jeans!"

I took one look at those jeans and realized, my husband has jeans just like that pair.  In fact, he has quite a few pairs in his closet.  He  lives in "Dad jeans."  His entire wardrobe is based around his Dad jeans.  Of course, I couldn't make a comment.  What would I say?

"Oh, my husband wears Dad jeans."

"My husband only owns Dad jeans."

"My husband has a closet full of Dad jeans."

"Hi.  I'm Fontaine and my husband wears Dad jeans.  He has been wearing them ever since he became a Dad.  So, um..yea...almost 23 years now."

Yea.  It's my first week working there.  I really don't need to have RT's Dad jeans embarrass me at my new job.

"Hey!  That's the new employee whose husband wears Dad jeans."

I think I will just keep all that Dad jean stuff to myself for ever  now, thank you very much.

I thought I would ask RT about his problem  Dad jean addiction  problem  collection.    This is what he had to say for himself.

"I'm a Dad.  So, I can wear Dad jeans and get away with it."

So, there you have it.

I will be hosting a support group for families with loved ones wearing Dad jeans.  Our first meeting will be next Tuesday.  Let me know if you're interested.

National Make A Difference Day

It's National Make a Difference Day!

This day was created in 1992 and is the largest national day of community service.  A celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.  USA Weekend Magazine started this day.  They stressed how society has evolved by people's actions over the years.  They challenged readers to go out and help others in their community.  You might think that you aren't making a difference, but, just your one action creates a domino effect of others doing the same (helping others) and over time it will have an effect on society in the years to come.  The magazine is no longer around, but, their idea to help the community and make a difference lives on.

Community service is when someone or a group of people do an activity or service that benefits their community or other people or a charity.  It's a great way for a person to give back to their community.

Maybe there is an area in your neighborhood that need some work.  Maybe it's an elderly neighbor who could use help fixing up their home (painting, yard work, etc.).  Maybe it's your local animal shelter or a senior center.  You can even help by donating to a charity.

Today is a great day to give back.  Doing something for others always makes you feel good about yourself.  Helping others is a great way to help yourself.  Helping others, or doing a good deed for another person creates a ripple effect.  Others see you help someone and decide to do the same.  Maybe the person that you are helping feels blessed and they go on to help another person.  You might not witness this ripple like effect personally, but, do know that your kind act will lead to many other good deeds performed by others.

How will you celebrate Make a Difference Day?

Kids Bop

For those of you who don't know, Kids Bop is children singing contemporary songs.  They sing popular songs that get heavy radio play and/or the songs that have made the Billboard Hot 100 list of songs.  The lyrics are modified so they are much more "kid friendly," taking out profanity and sexual references.  Although, some times with these modifications, the songs lose their meaning (and they don't make sense).

I've listened to more than my share  a lot of Kids Bop music during my time at the toy store.  It isn't bad when you like the song.  Unfortunately, some of the Kids Bop songs are played over and over (and over and over) to the point where you end up hating that song.  That's bad, especially if the song is still popular on the radio.  It's also bad, because I know I am going to have to hear it a million  hundred times during my next shift.  If I work on the weekend, it's long shifts and log hours of listening to Kids Bop.

The shifts I have been scheduled to work for the last couple of months have all been nights, so, unfortunately, got to hear the same songs on the overhead store speaker every time I came in to work.  It finally reached the point of me, turning off the overhead music when it got to certain annoying songs.  My coworkers laughed, but, I know deep down, they were grateful that I turned off the music.  Well, honestly, they didn't want me to ask them to sing or to hear me sing along with those songs.

My last shift is another evening shift.  So, tonight I will be listening to the same Kids Bop songs I've heard for the last two months (pray for me).  I will do my best to try and enjoy them one last time.  At my new job, they play real  normal  music.

Awkward Moment

I knew I would have some more crazy posts with this whole job change.

As most of you know (I write like I have more than my loyal two followers), I gave my notice at the toy store.  You can read all about that here.  Last week was pretty hairy.  I worked all seven days.  Some days, I worked at both jobs.  This week is a little better.  Only five days of work and 3 of those are at both places.

I'm enjoying my time at my new job.  There's always something to do.  I'm never bored.  I especially enjoy working on the floor.  I get quite a bit of exercise walking around the store.  And, that (walking and exercise) is always a good thing for me.   I'm surprised by that because I really like being at the register, ringing customers out.  That's when I get to talk to people.

On one of my register days, it was a little crazy (we had a long line).  I finished up with my customer and asked the next customer to step over.  I don't think she heard me, and as I was staring, I realized that I knew this customer from the toy store.  One of the customers that I liked to talk to during the check out process.  I didn't know if she would recognize me or not.  I wasn't totally out of the toy store (still had over a week to go) and no one there knows where I'm off to when I leave there.

The customer finally walked over and it didn't take long for it to dawn on her to recognize me.  I told her I still had a week left at the toy store and that I would miss being there.  She said that shopping at this store is much more fun.

I think things went well.  It was rather awkward at first, but, I think she understood the reason for the change.  I should probably just get used to it.  I'm sure I will have many more experiences like that in the future.

My Weird Dog

I think I am finally convinced that my dog is weird.

Yes, I have a lot of stories about him on my blog.  They all describe little oddities about him.  I find them amusing.  My family says he's just weird.  Now, I think I'm going to have to finally agree with them.  My dog is weird.

Many posts back, I wrote about Pippen getting skunked.  Not one of the great, happy times of having a dog.  In fact, it was one of the things I had hoped to avoid.  It happened and we got through it.  I think the skunk odor is totally out of his fur now.  I'm hoping it never happens again.

Ever since the skunk "incident," when I let Pippen out at night before bed, he won't go out into the yard by himself.  So, to make sure he does what he needs to do, I started walking with him out to the yard.  That's across and down the deck, onto the patio, then chasing him onto the grass.  While outside, he acts rather skittish in the yard.  Any sound or movement makes him jump.

Walking out back started to get old, so, I started letting Pippen out the front door.  As I'm walking down the driveway (yes, I have to go out, too),  he walks right behind me.  Once again, I have to tell him to get on the grass and do his business.

It took me awhile, but, I finally realized why he acts so weird when I let him outside at night.  He's afraid of getting skunked again.  He's so scared that he would rather not venture out into the darkness and just hold it in all night.

RT says Pippen is getting soft in his old age.  I think he's just being a big baby.

And now, I'm sure everyone else is thinking that he's just plain weird.