Oh Metallic paper how I love thee; let me count the ways...What can one say? You are versatile and thin enough to use as a gift wrap and craft liner for baskets and tabletop accents and pretty much you rock any party world whenever and wherever you are employed.
And you bring class to any display.
And you're also fairly affordable and classy so that even at a somewhat low-end shindig, you raise it all up a notch.
And... and... and you steal the show if used in a centerpiece/table arrangement.
And so I guess I should probably stock up on you. Like today. I guess there are no more excuses. Oh sure I could sit here and make some excuses about buying I suppose but then where would that get me when I have an impromptu surprise party for one of my daughter's friends(and believe me, with three teenagers this has actually happened).
And so I will stock up on metallic paper. As soon as I'm finished rolling these toilet paper centers into Halloween party favors. Yeah. Call me resourceful.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Metallic-a Sounds Right.
Nothing livens up a party like metallic paper. This is the serious festive goods. Metallic paper has umpteen uses both for crafts and decor and I don't think there's any season that couldn't use a bit more metallic . Silver and gold are both so neutral that they can go with almost anything you already have on hand.
Metallic paper can be used as an accent layer for tablescapes, as a beautiful bold gift wrap. It can be turned into floral pieces and taped on the wall or it can also be used in baskets as liners for centerpieces and gifts. There's no end in sight for metallic paper; it's multi-purpose and makes a statement no matter where you need it.
I'm a big fan of silver and not so much gold and so for me, Christmas is typically silver and green and sometimes with red. I really like that silver can go with anything and I try to incorporate it into all of my holiday decorating and birthday party arranging. It's fun. It livens up the set. It makes everyone feel festive.
Metallic paper can be used as an accent layer for tablescapes, as a beautiful bold gift wrap. It can be turned into floral pieces and taped on the wall or it can also be used in baskets as liners for centerpieces and gifts. There's no end in sight for metallic paper; it's multi-purpose and makes a statement no matter where you need it.
I'm a big fan of silver and not so much gold and so for me, Christmas is typically silver and green and sometimes with red. I really like that silver can go with anything and I try to incorporate it into all of my holiday decorating and birthday party arranging. It's fun. It livens up the set. It makes everyone feel festive.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Babysitting Now Serious Part Time Employment
Reflective of the zeitgeist of our era, babysitting fees have increased way ahead of inflation since I was doing it so many years ago. Not that it's a bad thing. I used to feel so ripped off, having given up my weekend night for a child care job only to be paid a pitiful dollar per hour or one-fifty--if I was lucky--on a good night.
It seriously stunk.
Now that my kids are of babysitting age, and frequently do it, I always ask them what they made after a job is complete. The amount of money they get usually astounds me. And it could or could not be due to the fact that we live in a fairly upper middle class neighborhood with a lot of our distant friends hiring our girls. They do very well. Once my daughter babysat for an attorney one neighborhood over. At the end of her 6 hour run with his kids, he arrived home and stated that he only had a $20 bill or a $100 dollar bill and so he pulled out the Franklin and handed it to her. That's better than minimum wage flipping burgers at a greasy spoon.
It wasn't always like this.
But I was excited for her and that isn't the first time she was paid over ten bucks per hour; she certainly is reliable and kind and probably entertained her watch beyond duty. It's a different era today and I'm glad to see it. I'm happy that people acknowledge the real value in having someone conscientious and honest taking care of their most precious possession (if a child can be called such a thing).
It seriously stunk.
Now that my kids are of babysitting age, and frequently do it, I always ask them what they made after a job is complete. The amount of money they get usually astounds me. And it could or could not be due to the fact that we live in a fairly upper middle class neighborhood with a lot of our distant friends hiring our girls. They do very well. Once my daughter babysat for an attorney one neighborhood over. At the end of her 6 hour run with his kids, he arrived home and stated that he only had a $20 bill or a $100 dollar bill and so he pulled out the Franklin and handed it to her. That's better than minimum wage flipping burgers at a greasy spoon.
It wasn't always like this.
But I was excited for her and that isn't the first time she was paid over ten bucks per hour; she certainly is reliable and kind and probably entertained her watch beyond duty. It's a different era today and I'm glad to see it. I'm happy that people acknowledge the real value in having someone conscientious and honest taking care of their most precious possession (if a child can be called such a thing).
In House Child Care a Terrific Idea
One of the main concerns of new and young mother's returning to work, is always that of child care. Where can they enroll their child that will provide a safe environment? What is the most economically affordable care of decent quality? How does one best combat infectious illness and bullying by other children in these places? There are a lot of things to consider.
I think a great solution lies in the most recent wave of child care providers in the corporate world. That is, an entire area within the actual employers building is sectioned off and used as a day care facility. This resolves a lot of issues. First, the parent/employee can be at ease that their child is safely being cared for just a couple of floors away. If something happens, they are nearby and if there is inclement weather or they are required to stay late, they can still access their child for a quick visit throughout the day (maybe over lunch time) and know that their child is happy and well looked after.
Proximity is comforting in situations like this. And having the freedom to pop in anytime also gives great peace of mind to a young parent with young children.
I think a great solution lies in the most recent wave of child care providers in the corporate world. That is, an entire area within the actual employers building is sectioned off and used as a day care facility. This resolves a lot of issues. First, the parent/employee can be at ease that their child is safely being cared for just a couple of floors away. If something happens, they are nearby and if there is inclement weather or they are required to stay late, they can still access their child for a quick visit throughout the day (maybe over lunch time) and know that their child is happy and well looked after.
Proximity is comforting in situations like this. And having the freedom to pop in anytime also gives great peace of mind to a young parent with young children.
Get Out Your Lead Detectors
I love to look at foreign pots and dishes not made in America. Because you can find some really cool stuff out there. In fact, there are all sorts of things you can buy that are amazingly original that you could place on your tabletop over the holidays and which will both astound and reverence your dinner guests.
The problem is this: many of the things that you find at local markets in exotic locations, contain lead. And lead toxicity is a definite problem that can lead to irreversible health issues. Even in minuscule amounts. And usually over a period of time with exposure.
But there's a product out there which I once saw on a cooking show. And that thing is quite brilliant and is called a lead detector. And you can take it with you when you shop--if you're shopping overseas or somewhere with lax regulations. It's called a lead detection kit. And it works and it's cheap and you can buy pottery and cookware without any great concern for adverse effects down the road.
The problem is this: many of the things that you find at local markets in exotic locations, contain lead. And lead toxicity is a definite problem that can lead to irreversible health issues. Even in minuscule amounts. And usually over a period of time with exposure.
But there's a product out there which I once saw on a cooking show. And that thing is quite brilliant and is called a lead detector. And you can take it with you when you shop--if you're shopping overseas or somewhere with lax regulations. It's called a lead detection kit. And it works and it's cheap and you can buy pottery and cookware without any great concern for adverse effects down the road.
Blinded by Toxicity
When I lived at Fort Meade post housing about 15 years ago, we had an officer duplex and it wasn't too bad. At least the housing wasn't nearly as bad as I had predicted it'd be. It certainly wasn't as bad as some that I'd seen. I'd seen the enlisted quarters and those were fairly rough...kinda like the projects.
But officer housing has it's few and far between charms. One in particular was the parquet flooring. Y'know it could've been worse. Carpeted floors are the worst of all kinds and so I was grateful that we didn't have that. And then, the windows weren't bad--at least there was a lot of natural light. The greenery of the backyard was framed by a dense thicket of forest, which was pretty cool particularly when there were bunnies gracing the grass.
One day a contractor knocked on my front door and informed me that there might be lead toxicity in the blinds on my windows- they were the aluminum kind. Apparently some children had sucked on the bedroom mini blinds and became ill. So they had to come in and replace them. There were a lot of things like that.
But officer housing has it's few and far between charms. One in particular was the parquet flooring. Y'know it could've been worse. Carpeted floors are the worst of all kinds and so I was grateful that we didn't have that. And then, the windows weren't bad--at least there was a lot of natural light. The greenery of the backyard was framed by a dense thicket of forest, which was pretty cool particularly when there were bunnies gracing the grass.
One day a contractor knocked on my front door and informed me that there might be lead toxicity in the blinds on my windows- they were the aluminum kind. Apparently some children had sucked on the bedroom mini blinds and became ill. So they had to come in and replace them. There were a lot of things like that.
Documentary Bedtime Stories
I have a pretty good system, the way that I manage my leisure time--which is time spent not at work or on school studies but rather my alone time or also known as 'down time'.
What I really love to do is to watch documentaries in bed at night...until I get too tired to keep my eyes open. I think it really feeds my imagination and it provides me with plenty of food for thought until at least I fade into unconsciousness.
And I bet it has a vivid effect on my dreams as well although I'm not especially great at recording those but I probably should start.
There are all kinds of great documentaries out there in case you don't know this. There are documentaries online for free and they're about crazy things like lead toxicity, oil spills and North Korea and anorexia and Charles Kettering and all kinds of enigmatic and interesting people.
There are so many things that are documented on film and so many more things worthy of documentation and the documentary list grows each year and I feel like the lucky recipient of these film ventures. Simply because I have a laptop with a good battery.
What I really love to do is to watch documentaries in bed at night...until I get too tired to keep my eyes open. I think it really feeds my imagination and it provides me with plenty of food for thought until at least I fade into unconsciousness.
And I bet it has a vivid effect on my dreams as well although I'm not especially great at recording those but I probably should start.
There are all kinds of great documentaries out there in case you don't know this. There are documentaries online for free and they're about crazy things like lead toxicity, oil spills and North Korea and anorexia and Charles Kettering and all kinds of enigmatic and interesting people.
There are so many things that are documented on film and so many more things worthy of documentation and the documentary list grows each year and I feel like the lucky recipient of these film ventures. Simply because I have a laptop with a good battery.
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