10 things that shock me (but probably shouldn't), 2014 edition

As I read various entries on the internet—Facebook posts, blog posts, news articles—I am shocked at so many things I see. As I leave my home, my bubble where I can control grammar and behavior, I am shocked at so many things I see out in the world. Frankly, it gets on my nerves and it makes me sad. It makes me feel like society as we know it is in decline. Some say “change is inevitable; change is good”, and while I agree in the inevitability of change, these changes I see are not good.

I bring you 10 Things That Shock Me (But Probably Shouldn't), 2014 Edition (because you can bet I'll have more to add to the list next year).

1. Adults using sentence fragments as sentences. For example, “That moment when you realize the state of linguistics in America is in rapid decline” is not a sentence. Try adding a few words at the beginning to make it a sentence. “Have you experienced. . . ”, “Do you know. . . ”, “I dislike. . . ” would all work at the beginning to make that an actual sentence that sounds like it was spoken by an adult.

2. High school graduates (and beyond) that make more spelling errors than my first grader. How did these people graduate? (This is not an auto-correct problem; that's another issue completely.)*

3. Auto-correct. I think that's all I need to say. Pay attention to what you're typing before you hit “send”. Don't blame auto-correct. Revise and edit before submission, please.

4. Adults using made-up words and phrases like “welp” and “prolly” and “all the sudden”. It makes you sound dumb.*

*I'm a firm believer that the simple act of reading books can help erase so many common grammar and spelling errors. There are millions of books out there on every imaginable subject. Pick up a book and read it! Preferably one with dialogue so you can get an example of how adults should speak.

5. Texting shortcuts. LOL, OMG, thx (or worse: thx u), and so on. It's bad enough when people text these things, but some people are using them verbally. And kids are using them, too, thinking they are real words. Help!

6. Using phones in inappropriate places and/or at inappropriate times. At the playground with your kid? Watch them, not your app. Waiting in line? Strike up a conversation with a fellow human, you know, in real life. At a party? Spend time with the people at the party, not the people in your news feed.** At the dinner table?? Put down the damn phone!!

**As I looked through photos of a holiday celebration at my house on Christmas Eve, I was shocked to see so many family members on their phones instead of interacting with people at the party. When I got onto Facebook later that night (after everyone left, thank you very much), I was even more shocked to see party guests interacting with each other on Facebook during the party instead of actually speaking to each other! I'm hosting phone-free parties from now on.

6a. If your phone rings or a notification beeps when you are eating with a group/having a real life conversation/going to the bathroom/driving, it's really, truly ok to ignore it for a few minutes. It will still be there when you check your phone next, and 99% of the time, it's not anything life threatening. Once upon a time, we didn't have cell phones. We left messages for people and they called us back when they were available. And the world did not end.

7. People that smoke cigarettes. Really? It's 2014. I thought everyone stopped smoking in the 90s.

8. Wearing pants that sag below your bum or shirts that rise above your navel. Seriously, just stop.

9. People that complain about how broke they are and then go get a manicure. Or ice cream. Or Starbucks. Really? Do you not see a connection there?

10. People that use other people's photos/words/creations and fail to see it as stealing. Some people even claim them as their own and take credit for them. It makes my jaw drop every time. Do people not think theft and plagiarism apply to such things? If you like someone's photo/words/creation, just ask if you can use them. It's that easy. And no, things posted on the internet are not free to use in other places on the internet.



Ahh. It feels better just to send that out to the internet and not having it clutter up my head. I know some of you will disagree with me, and that's ok. This is not fact, and it is not directed at anyone personally. It is simply my opinion of the decline of American society, on my blog, where no one is required to read anything. Please pass on by if you find anything offensive.

What shocks YOU in 2014?

Which would you choose?

Hi friends!

Planning is underway for our elementary school's annual silent auction. I'm going to donate a large framed print, but I need your help to choose one. Please look through these twelve photos and leave a comment with the number (or a description, if you prefer) of the photograph you would hypothetically buy for your home. I'll total up the votes and the most popular image will be donated to the auction.

If you prefer to click instead of comment, click here and “like” your favorite in the album I created on the MakeHappy Facebook page.

Thank you so much for your time. I really value your opinion!

Thank you for looking! Leave a comment below with your favorite or head over to MakeHappy on Facebook to click your vote. Thank you so much!

renovations

I think the blog makeover is complete! A new look, larger images, some new links and pages at the top (that's the “home—about—photography—food—crafts—house&home—q&a”), and links to my most popular posts on the right side (scroll down a little and you'll see them). Hopefully these new additions will help people popping over from Pinterest and other new visitors to look around and make themselves at home. :)

Thank you to all of you for reading MakeHappy over the years. And thank you for all your wonderful comments—they really keep me motivated!

Have a great week!
Marisa

homemade grapevine wreath and a memo

As I've told you before, we have grapes in the backyard. The green seedless vines come from our neighbors to the north, and the Concorde (I think) vines come from our neighbors to the west. We use these free grapes to our full advantage every year. Lots of snacking and juicing going on in our house during late summer and fall.

I've been wanting to try to make my own grapevine wreath for a while now. Last year, I got to the vines too late—they had already hardened. This time, I clipped them when the grapes had just finished ripening, and the vines were still plenty flexible.

I used this tutorial on ehow, but it's pretty straightforward. You just make a circle, then weave the vines continuously around and around and around. I tucked in the ends as needed, and it held itself together very well.

I decided to keep the leaves on initially, for a lovely full summer wreath. Well, they quickly wilted within a few days and I've been slowly removing them as I have time. Next time I'll strip the leaves before making the wreath.

I'll add some more photos when it dries and the leaves have all fallen off. 

Stay tuned.

On a different note,

blogging will be a bit light for a while.

Forever?

Perhaps.

I have a super busy fall

followed by a busy winter

and an even busier spring.

It just never ends around here.

And I'm feeling lately that I spend entirely too much time on the computer.

So I'll still be around,

just not blogging as much.

I'm off to read the kids a story now. :)

blog update

Good afternoon everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know of a little change. The makeYOUhappy Flickr group that I created a while back was never used, so I got rid of it. I replaced the Flickr button with a button that links to my Pinterest page. It's very similar to the MakeHappy Facebook page, because I use it to post ideas/recipes/crafts I find around the web. The only difference is that on the Facebook page, I post links I think you will like. On Pinterest, I post only the things that I like. But. . . if you like my blog, then you probably like a lot of the same things I like.

So feel free to check out Pinterest. Follow me if you like, and say hi so I can check out your pins, too. Just beware. It's addictive!

blog (mis)direction

If you've been following MakeHappy for the last few months, you know I recently acquired my first dslr. You may also know that I've committed to shooting in manual mode, so I can really learn to use my powerful camera and have ultimate control to get the images I want. My old point-and-shoot, a Canon S5iS, was fantastic. I loved it. But each time I took a photo with it, I knew that photo would be just a bit better with a dslr. I was completely right, and I have not looked back.

So I'm learning this fantastic new tool, new for me art form, and I really want to be able to share my journey and receive constructive feedback. My first thought was to start a new (another) blog, but the thought of maintaining three blogs is a little overwhelming. Plus–and this is the real problem–I can't figure out what to call it!

I thought about sharing on Flickr, but I'd be a too-tiny fish in the huge flickr pool. 

My current idea is to designate a day on this blog for my photos, like a “Photo Friday” or MaggieMakes' “weekend in pictures.” So that's what I'm trying here. 

Now, I need you to tell me:

• If you like the idea of having photos (not related to food+crafts) on MakeHappy
• If you would rather come here just for food+craft inspiration
• If you have any name suggestions for a photo-only blog (cuz it's driving me crazy)
• If you have any other photo/blog/sharing related suggestions
• If you have any constructive criticism for my lilac photos (I'm not fishing for compliments here. I obviously like them, or I wouldn't post them. I need to learn, so if you know something I don't, teach me. Make suggestions.)

Thanks friends. I really like our little community here, and I want to make sure you're on board for any changes I make. Hope you're having a great weekend!

i'm still here.

 Thank you for your concern.

I'm still here, and everything is fine and dandy.

I've been extremely busy in the last week or so preparing for a silent auction at Sweetpea's school and for Sweetpea's upcoming birthday parties. Add that to a decrease in blog and Facebook comments over the last few weeks, and you get a girl who just doesn't feel like squeezing in time to post.

Comments are my lifeline, my connection to you. I don't know you're reading if you don't leave comments. Really. Lately all I'm hearing is crickets.

Shhh. . . do ya hear 'em?

But I will have some things to share with you soon, assuming I survive this week. 

It's gonna be a doozy.

a small change

A while back, I started a formspring page so you guys could ask me questions, anonymously if desired. It occurred to me that it's easy to ask questions (in that cute little box over there <---), but it might not be so obvious where to find the answers. Before, you had to go over to my formspring page to find the answers.

But I've decided to incorporate those questions into the blog. Answers to questions from the "ask here" box will now be published in the "q&a" page above, along with my former "faq" questions. Hopefully having everything in the same place will make the question-and-answer process easier.

Please remember that you can always leave comments on individual posts for post-specific questions, and email me with questions (especially if you don't want them published): makehappymama at gmail dot com.

Have a great weekend!

(Update: I'm having a little trouble with the formspring page, so only the most recent question & answer have been published on the blog. But I'll have them all up soon.)

eleven.

I don't actually make "resolutions." I think the word has negative connotations. If I call something a "resolution," I'm basically setting myself up for failure.

I make goals. The process really isn't any different, but the word "goal" just sounds better to me. 

Goal #1: Schedule a day each week to make something with the kids. Probably Monday. "Monday Make Day" has a nice ring to it. We'll do a craft or bake muffins or make dinner together. We've been lacking in the quality time department lately, and the only way to make sure we do it is to schedule it in.

Goal #2: Consumable gifts for everyone on my list this year! Well, maybe not every gift, but most gifts. Especially for adults. I like gifts to be cheery, without the burden of more stuff to find places for. What do I mean by consumable gifts? Stamps. Food. Experiences. 

Goal #3: Spend less time editing and composing (on the computer) and more time experiencing. Yes, this means you'll be seeing less of me. Not that I've been all that present here lately anyway. I've been thinking about this for a long time. I really enjoy this blog, especially interacting with all of you. But it's a lot of work. It's a big time-sucker. The camera has turned from a tool for recording moments to an invader making every moment about the blog. And pressure to post (put upon myself) adds a level of stress to my life that I just don't need. It also makes me feel uncomfortably self-centered at times. I don't like that feeling. 

I'm also temporarily breaking up with my blog reader. Sorting through hundreds of blog posts every day is hard. I do it to keep up with the fads and fashions of Craftblogland and to be a good commenter, but I need a break. Google Reader, it's not you. It's me.

(I've tried this already, and it's not going well. I have to break the addiction. And I will be keeping up with my friends' blogs, so I guess I'll modify my goal to "Using Google Reader selectively.")

How about you? Are you making goals for the new year?

Any favorite consumable gift suggestions for my shopping list?

Happy new year. May you be immersed in tender real life moments this year.

I'm in the mood for a little nutrition discussion this morning. 

While making some oat bran banana muffins (recipe coming soon!), I came across this recipe for "oat-free grain-free trail bars" on Daisy Janie. I said, "Grain free? Why?" She explained a little in the blog post, and linked to this website: 10 Reasons to Go Grain-Free. I was intrigued, because the nutrition people tell me every day that whole grains are good for me, and my kids, and I strive to incorporate a variety of whole grains in our diets. (Such as the aforementioned muffins.)

Most of the 10 reasons seemed pretty valid. 

#1 states that we can find the nutrients and fiber in other sources, which is true. More difficult, but true.

#3 claims we're all a little gluten-intolerant, some more than others. This is probably also true. Just like we're probably all a little lactose-intolerant.

#5 really caught my attention. Must be due to all those Anthropology classes I took in college.

#7 "Poorly prepared grains prevent mineral absorption." Thank goodness I soak my oats. And seriously? Since I started soaking my oats (after reading this article), I've had dramatically fewer breakouts and my hemoglobin (iron level in blood) levels have increased. Last month I was able to donate blood and pass my hemoglobin test for the first time in 3 years without the aid of iron supplements.  

That was a glorious day. 

The other reasons go into inflammation, joint problems, dental decay...all of which I have no experience.

What do you think? I have no desire to give up grains. I love my grains. But perhaps they're not as important as we seem to think. Honestly, I like the fullness in my tummy that follows a nice hearty muffin or bowl of oats. Stir fry isn't stir fry without rice or noodles. This is why I could never do a low-carb diet, and I won't do a grain-free diet, either. I can't imagine replacing my morning bowl of oats with a morning bowl of peas. Just not the same.

But I'm a creature of habit, and I can get used to anything if I do it regularly. So maybe I could do a grain-free diet. But I don't think it would be any fun. How do you make a grain-free doughnut? Is that even possible?

weekend cleaning

More like tidying up than cleaning. I just made a few adjustments to the blog layout--in my "connect" section (top left) and my tags (categories; on the right sidebar). If you're viewing this in a reader, click over and check it out! Let me know what you think.

Have a great weekend!

weeding the blog

No, those aren't weeds. They're garlic scapes. Tasty tendrils produced by garlic plants that provide a mild garlic taste. I used some a while back in guacamole. Delicious. Hubs made a stir fry with the rest of them. While it was tasty, the stir fry was not very photogenic, so my idea for a second garlic scape post went out the window. I've been hanging on to this pretty picture for a few months now, waiting for the right time to use it. But summer is nearing an end and it will soon be irrelevant, so I'm using it today.

What I mean by "weeding the blog" is that I've got a few things to share with you, but none are so big to require their own post--so I'm tending to the blog, doing some maintenance, "weeding" it. (It's a stretch, I know.)

1) I'm quite displeased with the way Blogger is handling my extra large photos lately. I'm currently trying the Flickr method for posting photos. I have a feeling it will be more work than I want. We'll see.

2) I've grown tired of referring to my children as "H" and "J." There are lots of bloggers out there that use real names; full names, even. I sometimes envy their confidence. But Hubs and I are just a little too cautious of the Internet world to do that. So I'm going to try out nicknames, which I hope will be cute, but not annoyingly so.

So J, my almost 3yr old son, will now be referred to as The Little Mister.
H, my 6-going-on-16yr old daughter, will now be known as Sweetpea.

I reserve the right to vary the nicknames at times. But they will most likely be gender specific, so I hope it's not too confusing.

3) I spent all last week trying out new recipes. I would find something on a blog in the morning and be cooking it by 5pm. I love weeks like that! It's my kind of spontaneity.

I looked at my photo records of these new recipes, and most of them were breakfast-related. So next week I'm going to share my new breakfast ideas with you. I hope you're a breakfast-lover like I am. I would be thrilled to eat breakfast foods for every meal, every day.  

OK, so I'd have to throw a burger in every now and then. But a steady diet of scrambled eggs and crispy hash browns would make me a happy girl.

What's your favorite breakfast food? 

quality over quantity? or can i have both?

Last night, Rae (of Made By Rae) posted some very interesting thoughts about craft blogging. She discussed how much work it is to create something and blog about it, as opposed to non-craft bloggers that write about a certain topic, or post lists of other people's blog posts.

I was right there with her. You got it, sister! We work hard for our blogs! And we love it!

But then she started talking about blogging frequency, and thanked her readers for sticking with her even though she doesn't post every day.

And then, and then, I started reading some of the comments. A lot of them were saying that they don't like blogs with daily posts, because it's just too much. According to some commenters, the blogs sacrifice quality for quantity. Now, I totally understand this when you're talking about the big blog machines, like the Apartment Therapy blog collection (including Ohdeedoh, Kitchn, ReNest, etc.), that crank out 10 posts a day. I'm about ready to unsubscribe from those on my reader. But what about the hard working, individual, small bloggers (like, oh, me) that put out one daily post. Is that also too much? Am I sacrificing quality for quantity?

Let me back up a minute. When I started blogging, I had every intention to sell ad space and make this baby work for me. In order to make that work, I did my research and knew I needed to start by bringing in lots of people. Traffic. More traffic = more clicks = more money. Yeah, baby. So I researched how to bring in said traffic, and rule #1 on everything I found was Daily. Quality. Posts. Daily quality posts became my goal.

I took pictures of everything. I took pictures of the crafts I made. I took pictures of the muffins I made. I took pictures of that awesome dinner that I totally freestyled. I took pictures of my garden growing and games I play with my kids. But I tried my hardest to make sure these things were quality, of interest to others, and not just fluff. And you know what? Along the way, I decided it was fun. I found I absolutely loved sharing ideas with you guys. Once in a while, someone would comment in response and I would be giddy with excitement that someone other than my parents was reading. And soon, I began to see ads on blogs as cheesy, greedy, and put my concentration into creating more things to share with you. But all these crafts, recipes, ideas you see on my blog are things I would be doing anyway. Nothing is fabricated solely for the purpose of blogging.

Are you still there? This is getting long. Sorry.

I've been thinking for a while that I should slow down. Daily blog posts really cut into my day, eating more and more minutes away from time I should be spending with my kids or my husband. And even though I enjoy this blog immensely, I want to make sure I keep my priorities in check.

So for now, I'm going to try not to post every day. It's going to be hard, believe me. It's part of my daily routine. Tomorrow, instead of blogging, I'm going to play a game with my kids. Make brownies. Blow bubbles. I'm going to try really hard not to worry that you'll all leave, annoyed with my lack of posting. (I've been significantly less annoyed with infrequent bloggers now that I use Google Reader. Now their posts are like pleasant surprises, instead of visiting their blog each day to find no new posts.)

I'll still be around, trust me. I have too many things lined up that I'm excited to share with you. But maybe it'll be 3 or 4 posts a week instead of five. We'll see.

If you're still reading way down here, thank you. I love that you listen to me ramble.

I'm done now. Carry on.

traveling again

Once again, I'm packing my suitcase. But this time, I don't have to pack any Pull-Ups, toys, booster seats or Disney movies. Hubs and I are taking a grown-ups only trip to visit my brother in Cheyenne, WY.

I've never left the kids for longer than one night. I know they'll be in good hands, but it still feels very strange.

My brother says there's almost nothing to do in Cheyenne, so we should plan to spend most of our time in Colorado--Denver, Fort Collins, Boulder, etc. But I challenge you, dear readers, to prove him wrong! 

I'm looking for suggestions of things to do in June anywhere between Cheyenne and Denver. We only have a few days, but I would love to hear your favorite restaurants and other must-see spots. 

• We will be taking a day hike, arranged by my outdoorsy brother.
• We will be partaking in the Wyoming Brewer's Festival.
• We may be touring New Belgium Brewery. (Hubs is a Fat Tire nut.)
• We will most likely have a full day and a half in Denver.

What else should we be doing?

tip junkie feature

My warm fuzzy jar is being featured today on Tip Junkie. I submitted it months ago and forgot about it, so it was a nice surprise to see it there today!

If you're visiting from Tip Junkie, welcome! We love new friends here...the more, the merrier. Can't wait to share ideas with you. :)

sprucing up the place

If you read make happy through a reader, click over for a visit today. I spent a large portion of the day playing around on Photoshop, trying to make the logo in my head a digital reality.

You'll be happy to know that all that time spent in front of the computer, giving my kids the "uh huhs" but not really listening, was not spent in vain. The logo, and the new header you see above, turned out exactly as I'd imagined. I am over-the-moon thrilled.

I'm also dropping the *, so "make*happy" will now just be "make happy." I always regretted the star, but was reluctant to let it go. I'm removing it from every place I can, but if I've forgotten some, please let me know. The one place I know I can't change it is the make happy Facebook page, because Facebook is ruthless and controlling like that. I'll just have to live with it.

And I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you, readers. I wasn't sure if I'd stick with this blog for this long, but interacting with you makes it a pleasure. I love sharing ideas and "meeting" new friends. Keep those comments coming...I sure do love 'em. :)

announcement: makeYOUhappy flickr pool!

Happy Friday crafters! Brittney's mat from Wednesday gave me a fabulous idea. I'm starting a Flickr photo group for the things you create that are inspired by make*happy. If you have made something you've seen here (crafts, food, anything), we would love for you to add a photo to the Flickr pool!

Just click on the link below to visit the group. Then click on "Add Something?" to upload your photos.

Visit http://www.flickr.com/groups/makeyouhappy/ for more info. 

(And please bear with me...I just started this today and I'm planning some logo renovations, so it may not look very pretty just yet.)

inspiration. [blog it forward]

make

My job is to make things. I make dinner, I make cards, I make babies. I find inspiration for making things all around me. These days, with so much of my time devoted to internet browsing research, I get a lot of my inspiration from other blogs. I have several in my Google Reader that I peruse daily, but also many other newbies I find along the way. When I need some last minute dinner inspiration, I run to the computer and search out my favorite recipe blogs. And honestly, I get my best recipes from other bloggers because I know that they've tried the recipes and will be honest in their reviews.

Often, I see things in stores/on blogs/in nature and think, "I can make that." It's a challenge to see if I can find materials and put them together in a way that brings me a result similar to the original. Some examples:

This wall sign from Land of Nod (and several other similar items from various sources) inspired this coat rack, made from an old wooden score board I found for free by my house.

 

This felt garland from Crate and Barrel inspired one I made from bags of pom poms found on an after-Christmas clearance rack. Mine is much louder and more sparkley, but the kids love it.

do

Bursts of natural light flooding the house can inspire me to do just about anything. Yardwork, clean the windows, organize, de-clutter, go for a walk, blow bubbles. Make memories. Or sometimes just an impromptu photo shoot with my little ballerina.

 be

As I experience being a mother, I realize how important it is to leave my mark. Not necessarily on the whole world, but on my community, or at the very least, on my two little ones. I want them to look back at their childhoods and say, "Wow. We had a great mom. Remember the time...?" So I scour blogs for ideas of fun things to do with them. And then I share those ideas with all of you, so you can make some memories with your kids, too. Or your dogs, your sisters, your husbands. And your responses inspire me to keep doing it, day after day. Thank you.

As I've previously mentioned, I signed up to participate in [blog it forward], a collaboration of blogging inspiration. This is my contribution. I'm following this sweet post by mackin ink, and tomorrow we'll hear from make something. (Which, oddly enough, was on my list of possible blog titles way back when.) Here's the full list of participants, if you're looking for buckets of inspiration or just want to check out a few new blogs.

formspring

I haven't started Twitter yet, because of all the hype and attention. I don't usually like to jump on the bandwagon for every new, hip thing that comes along. But I learned about formspring.me today, and it piqued my interest. I first saw it on marta writes, and from there I checked it out, and decided to give it a try for a while. Not that I need another time-sucker...

Maybe it will be an answer to my "FAQ" question I posed on Facebook . Or maybe I won't get any response. We'll see. But the idea seems fun. Anyone can ask anyone else a question, or several questions, anonymously if desired. So go ahead, check me out. Ask me a question. I'd love to hear what you have to ask!

warm fuzzies.

A few years ago, my friend Jillaire shared with me a wonderful parenting idea. I implemented the system soon after with H, and we've just started it with J as well. I thought I would share it with all of you, because it can be very effective.

Pictured above is H's "Warm Fuzzy Jar." Whenever H does something nice of her own free will, we give her a "warm fuzzy," which is just a colorful pom-pom. She then puts the warm fuzzy in a jar in her room. When this jar is filled, she can redeem it for a prize. We usually make the prize something we can all enjoy together--bowling, a trip to the zoo, lunch at a restaurant, etc.

The pom-pom is simply a tangible "thank you" to acknowledge a child's kindness. She cannot receive one for doing something she has been asked to do, nor can she ask for a warm fuzzy. "Mom, if I put your plate on the counter can I have a warm fuzzy?" Nope. No deal. It has to be something she does just to be nice, like reading a story to her little brother, or setting out forks and napkins when I'm hurriedly preparing dinner...something that makes us feel "warm and fuzzy" inside. Oh, and once a warm fuzzy is given, it cannot be taken away. (Except after a full jar is redeemed for a prize. Then the jar is emptied back into the pom pom bag.)

It has definitely helped H see that helping others can make her feel good. It also helps remind Hubs and me to recognize her good deeds. Such a great idea. Thanks again, Jillaire!

For the record, here's what Jillaire had to say about her original method: 

For some of your readers--we actually use it for our TWO kids. They share a jar, so the warm fuzzies are primarily in recognition of them getting along with each other, but they can also be rewarded individually for nice things they do.

Now that J has his own jar, I can see how one jar for two kids would work. H and J often get warm fuzzies at the same time for playing well together. I just love this idea.