Laundering Money... literally

So, I'm sure you have heard this phrase right? Well typically it is NOT a good thing. Well, it's not really good in this case either, ha ha, but it's not illegal. Have you ever wondered "what if you were to really launder money? what would happen?" Well, I'm not sure if many people think silly thoughts like that or not, but I know I have wondered. I have had the occasional coin or bill slip pass inspection and make it to the wash. Have you? Coins were relatively fine, but paper money can virtually be destroyed. Can coins? Turns out, yes. They can. I had the answer answered for me this weekend. When cleaning the lint trap in the dryers hubby discovered some sad coins that had been trapped for who knows how long under the dryer's hot drum. I was quite amused (and saddened by the waste of the coins). I thought you lovely readers might find this interesting if nothing else.
So without further ado, THIS is what happens if you launder your money!
        

All the change he found

The "best looking" dime, haha

WIUW: Pretzels

Today I am going to share our WIUW project from last week. We had a lazy day and didn't do this today.

We made Auntie Anne's Pretzels. Do you have this shop in your mall? There is one at our mall and we just adore it! I saw this kit at our grocery store and had to try it. It isn't really hard, but it is tedious and time consuming, just FYI! (btw the kit was $6.99/made 10 pretzels)

This is what all was in the kit

Adding the ingredients

Smooshing into a dough ball

After you make you ball, you cover it w/plastic and it has to rise for 30minutes. I had no place to put it since it said in about 90degrees!! One of their suggestions was on top of fridge, so I did that. This is what the ball looked like after it "rose"

Finished Pretzel! (we did 3 salt and 7 cinnamon sugar)
Maybe I should have taken a pic of a "pretty one" haha. Sebastian chose the one for the pic though.

These turned out very yummy! I also warmed some cream cheese frosting up and drizzled it over the cinnamon/sugar ones as a glaze. SO GOOD. I hope y'all make these and let me know how it went!!

 

Sensory Project: Water Beads

Sorry I haven't been keeping this very current!! October always gets away from me. Sebastian's party (and the entire weekend went great. I'll post pics soon!) Next up comes Pumpkin Patch and Halloween activities. YAY!!
So today I will bless you with a fun little sensory project we did. Basic flower water beads. Who knew kids would adore squishing these in their hands? I think even Skylar got a kick out of them! (btw, these come in multiple colors and are sold in the floral aisle at Wal*Mart. The pack I bought was $2. I got clear because I was afraid of the dyes rubbing off on them, but I think I will buy colored ones next time! Color is just fun, and it'll come off eventually, right? :) )

Little packet of Beads

Put into large bowl and cover with water

An hour later, as they swell up absorbing the water

In 2 hours I considered them done, (package says could take up to 4 hrs)
Then drain off the excess water

Closeup of the beads

Now it is time to squish!!

Potter

 This is beautiful Egyptian Mau. Her name is Potter and she is fabulous. I seriously have had pets (mostly cats) my entire life and never met a cat quite as cool as her. She can play fetch, doesn't annoy you with a meow, and knows when you are feeling like you need a cuddle.
Potter, I don't believe, has ever been on this blog, so it's about time she shined. I highly recommend this breed if you are thinking about it. We came across her by happenstance. I believe she found us.
We take an annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch, and one year there was a lady there holding a large storage container sans lid. I peaked in as we walked past and saw the teeniest puff ball.
"You like cats?" The lady called after me. Skylar, being the world's largest animal fan instantly tugged my arm. I smiled and walked back to the lady.
"Vet guesses about 4 weeks old. Someone left the poor dear on my steps last night. I just cant have another cat to look after. So I figured I would bring her here and see if anyone wanted her." The stranger rattles on before I had the chance to even say Hi. We chatted for a bit, and of course I took the puff ball home. We didn't know the gender, so Skylar said Potter would work either way. (we are huge Harry Potter nerds) so Potter it was.
As Potter got older we discovered she was female, but it didn't change anything. Potter was still her name. We took her into the vet when she was about 6 months old for a series of VAXes and to be fixed. Vet was so confused by her. "I think this could be a Bengal" he told me. I didn't really care, but her breed seem to be such a big deal at the office. We went by Bengal after that.
About a year later, another vet confirmed she was Egyptian Mau. Apparently this was his favorite breed and they were extremely rare. (by the way, they have an extra flap of skin on the hind quarters allowing them to run very fast and jump extreme distances. That's a great way to tell) Again, we didn't care, but found it interesting.
Potter is now 4 years old and our relative. She's not just a pet, she's a member of the family. I adore that cat, as does my whole household. She is great with children and adults alike. Even when Skylar brings in various creatures, Potter is simply curious. Checks them out and then is on her way. A mouser, however, she is not. Skylar had a hamster that got loose once and Potter simply caught it, cupped her arms around it and watched it run around in the circle she created. Potter called for me (A quick meow from Potter is beyond rare, so she knows I'll come running if she meows) and I put the hamster back up. Guess eating it didn't sound good, ha ha.
Ok, clearly I could go on forever about her, but I won't bore you anymore. I just think EVERYONE needs a Potter in their life!

Making a sign/Bday update

Just a quick birthday update on how Sebastian's party planning is going.

So far I have both orders placed (one has been received) with the online stuff I wanted to get. Most of the items are purchased with just the menu items and a few odds and ends left to pick up.
I called and booked the location today.
Also I made a sign to put behind the food. It's very simple, mainly because the food would hide most of it, but I ended up loving the simplicity of it when it was finished.
I basically took a basic tri-fold foam board (that was already blue, so no painting needed. yay) and painted the title on it. Next I cut out stickers that match his theme and added them to a few letters. Hope you like it.
Can't believe he is almost 2! Wow, that was fast!!