the pumpkin patch

every year, we go to the pumpkin patch by our house. it is a very large patch that lots of people travel far to get to. the main attraction for the kids is the corn maze and the rides. of course, they cost an arm and a leg, but we don't buy our pumpkins there. we get them cheaper at stater brothers. that way, i don't feel like i just lost my life savings when i leave there. this year, the maze was much easier than last. maybe because the kids are older and have a better idea of where their location was inside the maze. it was still kind of hot here when we went. it normally doesn't get colder here until right at halloween. we had a good time and can't wait until next year!!!

gaga's birthday!!

this year, my mom turned 55. yes, she is officially a senior citizen. whenever they go out to eat, my dad insists she order off the senior menu, or pay for a senior movie ticket. i would!! i would take advantage of every discount i could get my hands on.

she requested that we do an amusement park extravaganza for her birthday this year. we would go to disneyland for mickey's halloween party from 4pm to 12am and then get up and go to knotts berry farm all day. sounds like a great idea to me!! i was really excited since we had never done the mickey's party before. it was really nice. everyone was in costume, not too crowded and you got to go trick or treating at the park. you have the opportunity to get some serious candy!! disneyland doesn't skimp on candy. they've got the good stuff. snickers, m&m's, skittles, kit kats, etc. good chocolate candy. yummm. the kids wore their halloween costumes and they actually lasted all night long. my brother met us there and it was nice to see him. it had been a while since i had seen him. the kids love their uncle trevor. we saw fireworks too and got our pictures with mickey and minnie. ellie even went on splash mountain!! granted, she had no idea what the ride entailed, but she did it and says she won't do it again.

the next day, we went to knotts and had a great time too. the park wasn't too crowded, but a lot of rides were down. we stayed mostly in camp snoopy and the kids got to trick or treat there too. they didn't get as much candy as disneyland, but it was fun!! jj and i went on pony express and we had a good time. we were a little tired from the long night before, but overall, it was a super fun weekend!! happy birthday gaga!!!

ooooooo!!! halloween!!!!

this year for halloween, the kids were jango fett from star wars and a witch. we went on a hayride around our friends' neighborhood. they have really big houses where they live, so walking is completely out of the question. it was a lot of fun, and these huge houses also gave out huge candy!! needless to say, we are still nibbling on halloween candy.

recycling your husband's old t-shirts

i got this great idea from pinterest.

here is the LINK to the original post on how to do this, but i will give you my take on it.

my husband is the absolute, pickiest person to buy t-shirts for. i can't just walk by a nice shirt and go "oh that would look good on him". absolutely not. the collar has to be just right and the length has to be just right and the width has to be just right. he is a certain size in some styles and another in a different one. super annoying.

anyway, he ends up giving lots of t-shirts away to people or goodwill because of shrinkage. it is such a shame and a waste of a shirt. well, i shouldn't say a waste, because i'm sure other people are getting good wear out of them, just not people in our household. so this is where this idea comes into play.

take your husband's old t-shirt and alter it to make it fitted for your body style. NOTE: this is a no-sew project, but it would probably be easier to just sew it. just saying.

1. try on the shirt to see how much to cut off.

2. turn the shirt inside out and starting cutting. i cut along the bottom hem and cut the sleeve hems off too. you can always end up cutting more off later if it's too long or if the sleeves are too long.

3. now, cut a curve out of each side, starting on the bottom part of the sleeve. keep cutting until you have reached the very bottom of the shirt. yes, cut through the armpit seam.

4. now cut little slits/fringes on the cut edges. NOTE: if you have ever made those non-sew blankets. you know the ones where you tie them together. you are going to do the same exact thing. once the slits are made, tie the top and bottom slits into a knot and proceed to the next. i did about 1/4 inch slits. that might take you awhile, if you decide to go that small, but you can really do as big or small as you like.

5. once you've finished turn it back inside out. now for the moment of truth, try it on...now here is where you can alter it a bit. i ended up cutting more sleeve off. you might want the length shorter, so just cut a strip off the bottom.

i give a huge thumbs up to this craft. granted, you might find it way easier to just go and buy a woman's t-shirt in your size than rather alter it this way, but i loved my final product and i plan on doing it to a few more. it's way cheaper to make my own than to buy them. :)

sorry, for the lack of pictures. if you want a step by step, go to the original site HERE.