Venetian Masks

Back in high school when I saw Romeo and Juliet was the first time I'd ever seen Venetian Masks. They were mesmerizing. Absolutely gorgeous. Each one is so uniquely made and one of a kind.

1001 Venetian Masks have exquisite masks of all types from Columbina, Galletto, to Jolly and Zanni- Nazo. Most of us don't know what any of that means other than they are truly one of a kind. Can you imagine the details that go into each one? The artists are so talented and painstakingly created each mask.

I love the vibrant colors, and the rich details. They used to be used to hide the identity of the wearer but now are used to accentuate the room where it is displayed. And it doesn't matter what style of room it is. You can always find one that is perfect.

1001 Venetian Masks personally select all theyʼre Masquerade Masks themselves and each one is made by Master Artisans and is 100% authentic – no imitations. They have also perfected packaging that ensures that the mask arrives safely.

I have always admired Venetian Masks and always will. They are so beautiful and eye catching. I have seen other companies that sell them but honestly they are not as elegant as these for the price. Check them out!

The Road Taken

 For the last month, this is what we have been dealing with. We  are privileged to live on a corner where the DOT has decided to widen the road. 

On both sides of the corner. 

BOTH SIDES!!!

Our trash has not been picked up in weeks. 

The Smell.

Gross is all I have to say. 

Recycling ignored.

The only service we have gotten is mail. 

Everyday at 6:30am they come to work. 

Except Sundays

Am I surprised to find out that Inmates are working in my front yard, in my driveway and in my backyard? 

YES!

Am I a tad paranoid?

YES!

Somehow they have managed to cut every utility line except our electricity. 

It's coming soon. 

I can feel it. 

The road is closed here and has been for the last month. Only about six houses on this street are confined. 

Makes for a great place to play in the street without worrying about the cars coming. 

But it's a mess.

Red clay, Piles of gravel, 6ft. holes in the ground, bulldozer's everywhere. 

Workmen. 

EVERYWHERE!

They are supposed to be done before school starts. 

DOUBT IT!!!!

I'm such a proud mom.

Tiger and Daddy visited the bulldozers.

Tiger is in his winter shirt , skivvies, and one red Croc and one blueCroc

It was 102 outside. 

Will I ever figure that kid out?

Probably Not.

Pop On Pals is a Whole New World of "Popabilities"

My sons both love anything that spins, cars that go down hills. and interchangeable people. Which is why they loved the Pop On Pals Amusement Park when we received it in the mail. Those boys have played with it for hours. (I'd take pictures but my autistic son is against picture taking *sigh*). LM's favorite part is the Ferris Wheel and Tiger's favorite is the roller coaster. He loves to place the play set at the end of the couch and let the people go down the coaster so he can catch them in his homemade net (aka a blanket).

 Pop On Pals encourages imaginative play and helps little ones develop fine motor skills. Pals are perfectly sized for small hands to play with and the signature "pop" sound adds to the fun. The Amusement Park Play Set comes to life with lights, sounds, music and more! Pop your pal in five different activation points for lots of action/reaction play. You can find Pop On Pals at Toys "R" Us, Target, Kmart, Sears, and more. And retails for $34.99.

Visit Pop on Pals and check out the different pals and vehicles to go with the play set. And there's even a coloring section  where you can download and print the picture or let your little color it online!

I received this play set to review from TeamMom, but all of the opinions are my own!

Have you Lost Your "Muchness"?

There are times that I find myself wondering what my passion is. What tugs hard at my heartstrings and what seems impossible without God? And where did it go? Have you ever felt that way?  This past Sunday I heard a phenomenal sermon based on the Movie , "Alice in Wonderland".  I just had to share with my readers. Feel free to go here and download file and listen at your leisure.  On the top right corner of the page is a pull down menu. Choose the one that says "Alice in Wonderland".

Pear Tree Greetings - Personlized Note Cards Giveaway

Have you ever received a hand-written note from someone that you saved, because it meant so much to you? That you pull out every now and again, because it brings a smile to your face. Or, is there someone you feel that could really use a note from you right now? A friend that’s going through a rough time in a relationship, letting her know you’re there for her. Your mom, just an out of the blue card telling her how much she means to you. Your husband, thanking him for supporting you, loving you, and being the husband that he is. A blogger friend that you’ve maybe never met in person but just want to tell them how much their friendship means to you. There is a special power of a hand-written, personalized note card. Not only does it mean so much to the recipient, it’s an amazing feeling when you drop that card in the mail.

In honor of these special moments, Pear Tree Greetings is giving one of you a free set of personalized note cards (up to 16 cards) from their new collection.

Who is Pear Tree Greetings? Pear Tree Greetings is a fun, fresh and affordable personalized stationery company that offers Birth Announcements, Moving Announcements, Photo Cards,
Baby Shower Thank You Cards and more, all on 100 lb matte card stock and truly affordable prices!

I love the Note cards. It's so hard to choose a favorite. So I thought I'd show you several that I have fallen in love with.

To enter go to Pear Tree Greetings and take a look around. Tell me what your favorite design of the Personalized Note Cards is. For more entries you can do the following:

• Like Three Peas in a Pod on Facebook
• Send a handwritten note to a friend today
• Follow me on Twitter
• Like Pear Tree Greetings on Facebook
• Smile!!
• Tweet this giveaway. You can use the following: 

Enter to win a set of @PearTreeGrtngs personalized note cards! #GIVEAWAY from @3PsPod http://bit.ly/9Wy9BA

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on July 24 at 11:59pm.

Share the Table with Barilla

This family loves their pasta!! If we could eat it everyday and not gain any weight we would. Love the stuff. My husband and I love trying out new recipes for dressing up our noodles. And I wanted to share one that is a big hit at our house.

Ziti alla Pastora

Ingredients

1 Box            BARILLA Ziti

1/2 pound     fresh pork sausage (crumbled)

1/4 cup         water

1/2 pound     fresh Ricotta Cheese

1tbs              Red Chili flakes

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated

Cooking Instructions PLACE the crumbled sausage in a skillet, add the water, cover and cook over medium-high heat for 6 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the water evaporates and the sausage is browned. BRING 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. COOK the Ziti according to the package directions until tender yet al dente. Meanwhile, PLACE the ricotta in a large warmed bowl and mix in the chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste. DRAIN the pasta, reserving the 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. ADD the pasta to the skillet with the cooked sausage mixture and place over medium heat. Toss to mix well and then transfer the whole mixture into the bowl with the ricotta. Add some of the pasta cooking water if necessary to thin the mixture. ADD the parsley and season again with salt and pepper if necessary. TOP with grated Pecorino cheese.  Barilla Pasta is awesome. I try to get the whole wheat  ones but there are days where I just want the regular ones. I tried the Barilla tomato sauce the other day. YUMMM!!! I love that it tasted awesome and I didn't have to to tweak it to make it taste better. It perfect the way it was. And when you have kids , it makes cooking dinner a lot faster .  Barilla knows how important family meal time can be. Visit www.barillaus.com and get tips on how to help you and your family enjoy your time at the table together. Check out the awesome recipes enter in contests and is even a fun project for your little ones! Hope you enjoy the recipe! “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Barilla and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review.”

Tutorial: Reusable Swiffer WetJet Pads

I love my Swiffer Wet Jet. But I hate having to buy all those pads that you throw away. I think there are only 7 in a box. And it doesn't go far. Not to mention they cost a lot. So I got busy thinking of ways to improvise. First, I used an old washcloth and rubber bands to hold it on. Didn't work too well and the rubber bands kept breaking.

Then I tried just using the stick on hook and loop tape on an old washcloth but that didn't work well either. Not to mention it was very floppy. The minute the Velcro got wet it fell off. And with only one layer of terry it wasn't proving to be as absorbent as I liked.  So I set about trying to figure out  how to make it better. Granted there are many ways to do this and many tutorials out there. But I figured I'd share what I learned.

What you need:  

2 pieces of terry cloth which are approximately 12 " x 6"

                           2 strips of the soft side of the hook and loop (the kind you sew in) that are about

                          10"in length

                           Sewing machine, thread, scissors, and if you anything like me a seam

                           ripper will come in handy too.

I'm just say'n

By the way . . . . 

Please excuse the nasty cutting mat. I need a new one really bad. 

If you don't have any terry cloth on hand just do what I did. I used an old towel and cut it up. 

Don't worry I saved this little guy. I think I'm going to use him on a pocket on another project. He's cute isn't he?

 Now make sure that you don't use towels that are uber thick and fluffy. They might be pretty and extra absorbent. But once you add both layers it will be too thick to sew through. I tried it once. It didn't work. I tried sewing Velcro to it and it was so thick it wouldn't go through my machine so I chucked it and used hot glue to fasten the fuzzy Velcro to it. 

Don't do that. 

One wash and the tape is off. Not a good idea!

Now take  your two pieces of terry cloth and line them up together. There is no right side or wrong side with terry.  Pin the pieces together like so. 

     Because I'm using white terry cloth, I like to use a bright thread so I can see the stitches and make sure I'm not going off on a tangent . I tend to get lost in thought and forget I'm supposed to be sewing a straight line sometimes. Hence the seam ripper. My friend Kelly can attest to that.

Of course if you are one of those perfect sewers, by all means use a white thread. We imperfect seamstresses will hate you but life goes on, right?

Back to the tutorial.

Start on a long side near the bottom and sew a 1/2" seam around your terry cloth. Leave a 4" opening for turning. 

Forgive me, the picture really was right side up when I saved it after editing. For some reason blogger is playing games with my photos. 

Not funny. 

If anyone knows how to fix it in CSS let me know.

Wow I'm all over the page today. 

Focus Tiff Focus

Now it's time to trim your corners and sides to reduce the bulk. I trimmed mine so that there was a 1/4 seam. 

Like so.

 Now is the time to turn that sucker right side out. Make sure you poke those corners out. You can use your fingers or you can be fancy like me and use a metal skewer to poke those corners out. But be very careful not to poke through your corners.

Nextly, (See Lolly, your rubbing off on me) fold in the ends of your 4" opening. You can use an iron and steam it shut but I haven't had good luck with that. I'd rather pin it shut.  Top stitch all the way around. Now I did a smaller top stitch on mine but I think that doing it 1/4 - 1/2" is better.

Take those fuzzy sew on hook and loop pieces and space them evenly on your pad. Pin them to your top layer of terry. Trying to pin them through both layers resulted in lots of bent pins. 

Now set your sewdin misheen (as Little Monkey calls it) to the zig zag stitch.  I tried using just a straight stitch but it didn't keep the Velcro as secure as I'd like. Sew down the middle of each piece of hook and loop tape. I back tacked both ends to make sure those suckers wouldn't come off. Whether or not it's the correct thing to do using a zig zag stitch is something I'd like to know but it works.

And Voila!!!!

And there ya go! You are ready to make an arsenal for recycled reusable swiffer wet jet pads.  Make a few and place it in a bucket with some cleaning supplies and give it to a new home owner as a gift or that student who's moving to their first apartment.

Jumpstart is Getting Kids Moving!!

I am a HUGE fan of JumpStart games. Ever since my oldest (who is now 14)  was a girl and began using the computer games for her grade and age group.  JumpStart has gone from computer games to a whole website dedicated to the JumpStart world to the Wii.

We have been privileged to own some of the games for the Wii and the kids have loved playing each game and learning knew skills. Just recently they have come out with an awesome new Wii game called JumpStart Get Moving Family Fitness!

For years, JumpStart has been creating the best learning games for kids. Now, with Get Moving Family Fitness, JumpStart is making fitness fun too! Discover the ultimate family sports game with fitness expert and mom of 4, Brooke Burke. With more than 15 sports challenges in 11 exotic arenas, Get Moving is the fun, new way to keep your family active!

Key Features

• Design your own character to race and play.
• Build customized routines for extra challenge.
• Compete head to head or play solo.
• Play underwater, on a farm, in Egypt or 8 other exotic locations.

 We all tried out each of the games and each child had a favorite. Little Monkey was the balancing, Tiger was the racing, Baby Girl was Volleyball, and Baseball. Personally, mine was the Basketball. It was fun to watch the younger ones get the hang of each game and their progress. Each of them is getting better and better with practice.

What made it a favorite in our family was the time we spent encouraging each other and playing together. It truly will get your family together and get them moving!

I have one copy of JumpStart's Get Moving Family Fitness to giveaway, thanks to the folks at Jumpstart. All you need to do is tell me what do you as a family do to get moving?

Want extra entries? Here's How:

• "Like" JumpStart on Facebook
• "Like" Three Peas in a Pod on Facebook
• Dance with your kids this afternoon
• Follow me on Google Friend Connect
• Do one "chore" for your significant other so they don't have to today

Leave me a comment for each item accomplished. This is open to the US and a winner will be picked on July 19th.

I received a free copy of JumpStart Get Moving Family Fitness from JumpStart in order to facilitate my review

The Eyes Have It

A few days ago I got my yearly reminder from my eye doctor saying it was time to check my peepers. I don't mind going to the eye doctor. In fact, he's awesome. Always making sure that I take care of my eyes as I have a degenerative issue going on. But one thing that I hate about the whole thing is picking out my eyeglasses. 

Sure I can keep the frames I have, but most of the time by the end of that year they have taken about as much abuse as they can stand. That's what happens when you have three kids and two dogs. My prescription glasses get bent, sat on, chewed on, dropped in the toilet,  and sometimes used to play doctor or "mommy". It's usually time to get new ones.

Every time I check out the frames I'm not necessarily overwhelmed by the choices of frames but the price and the lack of style. Last year when I picked out my glasses at the Ophthalmologist's office, the only style were the rectangle ones in different colors. I really didn't have much choice other than color and weight.

This year I'm going to find my glasses online. I'm sure I can find high quality glasses at a price that is more reasonable.  And since my prescription requires them to be sent away to be fitted with the lenses anyways it's going to take just as long to get them back. So why not?

Now that I have made that decision all I have to decide is whether or not to get transition lenses. Decisions Decisions.

Get 10% off your next purchase! Use the code mommy10 when prompted during your next purchase of prescription glasses.

Despicable Me

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden deep beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow minions, we discover Gru (Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!) in Universal’s new 3-D CGI feature, Despicable Me.

Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad.

One of the world’s greatest super-villains has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.

My family and I got to see it a few weeks ago and loved it! It just so happened this was my boy's first trip to the movie theater. They are both too light (they are small for their age) to actually keep the seats from coming back up. But they insisted on sitting in the seats with their legs in the air. If I had been allowed I would have taken a picture. 

The movie is in 3D but of course you can watch it without the glasses, which is what my boys did. They were mesmerized by the Minions which were the biggest hit in our family. We still talk about them and the boys imitate them all the time. The movie stars Steve Carrell who did a fabulous job.  I won't tell you my favorite parts since it will give away the movie. But trust me it was a must see!!!




I was surprised to find out that Julie Andrews and Miranda Cosgrove  were in this movie as well. As a whole this movie was light hearted and funny. It's a movie the whole family would enjoy.

I have a Movie Prize Pack to give away to two lucky readers.  Which includes: 

Hat
Moo-Can (it really moos!)
Pencil with Minion Topper
Balloon
Minion Ink Stamp

All you need to do is tell me what your favorite family movie is. For more entries you can do the following: 

• Read to your kids tonight
• "Like" me on Facebook
• "Like" Despicable Me on Facebook
• Watch the trailer and tell me what your favorite scene is. 

I will choose two winners on July 14th via a random number generator.

Autisticly Speaking: In Case of an Emergency

When you have a child with autism you usually have certain caregivers that you know and trust to care for them. People that either have these type of children of there own or know their coping mechanisms and idiosyncrasies.

Having those types of caregivers makes leaving your child much easier. You know their routine will not be changed save for who is taking care of them. You know that if your child were to feel overwhelmed and begin to have issues that your caregiver knows how to calm them down. It's a peace of mind and these people are your ticket to sanity if you need some time away from home or to go to an appointment or just get some errands done.

But there are times where those people may not be available. It could be a family emergency or an emergency meeting.  The one person who is available is not familiar with autism or how your child's mind works. As parent of a child with Autism, I know too well what happens when routines change,  and different people care for my child what happens to them emotionally when there world is disrupted. Even if it's for an hour.

To ease the stress on you, the caregiver, and your child leave a list of "what to do when this happens". Print it  out and have it laminated. Include things such as clothing preference, food preference, are they verbal, partially verbal, or non verbal, routines, and instructions on what works to calm them down when they feel overwhelmed. Is your child a sensory seeker or a sensory avoider? Do they feel pain when touched or are they hyper ticklish?  All of this information is a lot but in the end you will feel confident that your child is in good hands even when your usually sitters are not available.

Keep one list at home, one in your car, and a smaller version in your purse. The smaller version, could be made with card stock and a book binding ring so that it's small and is not cumbersome in your purse.  Make some copies for new doctors to place in the front of their chart. So the first they see is how to handle their patient. Each child is different and handle new situations in there own unique way. It's an easy way to ease the stress of a new situation for your child and your new medical provider will be informed up front how he can handle his new patient.

Use a list in your child's hospital room if , God forbid they need hospitalization.  Most rooms have a dry erase board with the nurses name on it. Tape up your list so they can have the information.There's a new nurse and tech ever shift and this will make them aware of how to help your child stay calm and their stay as pleasant as possible.

I'm hoping this tip was helpful to you. In the next coming weeks I'm going to work on making the small version of this list for your purse. I might even do a tutorial and a free download If you'd like. Let me know! I'd be glad to share.