Gearhead Mom

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Are You In Gneed of a Gnome Portal?

Posted by Missy W. @ 07:29 PM

Sy is into ALL things fairy around here. She can’t get enough of the blasted Rainbow Fairies. For her birthday, one of her best buddies got her a gnome and fairy door. Holy cow! Is there anything NOT on Etsy??

Our fairy haven (otherwise known as the backyard) is now complete. We love this little door. It’s very sturdy, varnished within an inch of its life (which is good because Sy opted to put it right near a sprinkler in the tomato plants), and even has a knocker that works. The door sticks a little, so we left it ajar so the fairies have no trouble popping through their very own portal at their whimsy.

Gotta go sprinkle some fairy dust. AGAIN.

Monday, July 19, 2010

blankyclip: A Lovie’s Best Friend

Posted by Missy W. @ 12:49 PM

Ed. Note: Adrienne from blankyclip asked GHM to review her new product, and I have to say I was a little bit sad when I realized my kids were too old to review it. How did they get so big already? So thanks to my friend Anne for reviewing it for us! Take it away, Anne.

I was given the opportunity as the mother of a fresh baby boy to review blankyclip, the “only plush toy that doubles as a loose tension clip, specifically designed to hold blankets onto strollers, bouncy seats, swings, etc.” I figured why not, as I had only recently realized that I misplaced my favorite Little Giraffe blanket and figured that it most likely fell off of my stroller or carseat. Before the clips came in the mail I checked out the website and while I thought they were cute and smart and seemed to be useful, honestly my first thought was, can I picture myself using these? Like, am I too “cool” to have a duckie or lamb or a teddy bear clip hanging off of my gear?

Because I am sooo cool.

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Fairy Funhouse

Posted by Jenny M. @ 03:42 AM

A pair of fairies have adopted our family and garden.  They’re Tuesday Fairies, which means they visit regularly on Monday nights, with tiny treats or notes left behind for their human chums to discover on Tuesday mornings.  We need only leave pixie dust (fine-grain glitter available at craft stores) and feathers (for our Feather Fairy) and petals (for our Petal Fairy) to attract them to stay the night.  FYI:  We’ve heard there are Pebble Fairies and Foliage Fairies and Seed Fairies, etc., out there, too….
Last week we went to Michael’s on a quest for some basic building materials to construct our very own Fairy Condominium.  I happened to stumble upon a section of balsa wood kits and found a bag of plain pieces of various sizes—light wood perfect for fairy homes and for assembly with a hot glue gun.  We picked up a Bag o’ Moss and some silk flowers and were ready for business.

The simplest construction design, it seemed, was A-Frame, so that became the model for what is becoming a tract of Fairy Manses in our ‘hood.  We added side porches and ladders in different combinations.  Balsa wood is easily cut with kitchen shears and/or an exacto-blade, so poking out windows and doors was relatively simple, as was slicing small pieces to construct ladders and beds.  The biggest challenge was assembling parts before the hot glue dried

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Sunday, June 20, 2010

HFD

Posted by Missy W. @ 05:03 PM

Happy Father’s Day to all you great dads out there!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Cute Present Topper Idea

Posted by Missy W. @ 03:36 AM

Micky got a set of these natty little Disney princess hair ribbons from ADivasBowtique. They are actually well-made and not too syrupy for those of us who still throw up a little bit in our mouths when our kid says she wants more Ariel gear.

Gotta love etsy.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Costume Swaddles

Posted by Missy W. @ 05:02 PM

Loving these costume swaddles mentioned over at Coquette Maman. Hilarious!

Uplifting Article on Flame Retardants (Just Kidding About the Uplifting Part)

Posted by Missy W. @ 01:10 AM

Jenny just sent me this Salon article about just how nasty flame retardants are.

Yuck.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Liquid Water Color Paint

Posted by Missy W. @ 12:12 PM

Have you ever used liquid water color paint? I know that liquid water sounds like an oxymoron, but this stuff is more like water than paint. A little goes a long way, and you can even dilute it to make it last even longer. Sy’s art teacher busted this stuff out the other day and the kids geeked out. She diluted the (very bright) paint, and then gave them those little bingo marker bottles as well as eye droppers. We got to play with it on a color diffusing paper (it has a higher cotton count so it diffuses the liquid beautifully) and the paintings turn out more like tie-dyed shirts than water color. They are so nifty! We have ours hanging in the window and they look like little stained glass masterpieces.

I highly recommend this for your budding artist. P.S., most of the links above are to Discount School Supply, the online purveyor of pretty much every art item you could ever think of for your little one. Sy’s art teacher gets her supplies there; I have never purchased from them but I do trust her opinion! She said that she has a harder time finding the color diffusing paper in regular sheets, as a lot of places only sell them in pre-cut shapes these days.

Monday, June 07, 2010

Lesley Evers Warehouse Sale

Posted by Missy W. @ 05:12 PM

If you are lucky enough to live in the Bay Area in California, stop by my favorite designer Lesley Evers’ warehouse sale this week.
Shop the warehouse for samples and never seen before dresses * tunics and skirts * Past Seasons * Accessories * Slight Seconds * Plus, 20% off current season

DATES AND TIMES
Tuesday, June 8th, 10:00am-2:00pm
Wednesday, June 9th, 4:00pm-8:00pm
Thursday, June 10th, 10:00am-2:00pm

LOCATION
The Lesley Evers Warehouse (next to Peachpit Press).
1250 9th St., Berkeley CA 94710
510.526.3851

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Recyled Bicycle Clocks

Posted by Missy W. @ 02:59 AM

Who doesn’t love Etsy? Check out these amazing upcycled-bicycle-parts-clocks! Clock creator Liz Dickey says, “In many ways, my work with recycled bicycle parts relates to my work with children. Children see possibility in all materials and the more time we spend with them, the more we too begin to see the extraordinary that exists in the ordinary. The French artist Jean Dubuffet sums it up when he says, “True art is always there where you least expect it, where no one thinks about it or utters its name.” You can say that again, sister.

And how cute would that little pig clock look in a nursery? I’m in love with a clock!