Hillary Heidelberg's Blog

Is it better to have loved and lost.....

So, the housecleaner quit. After 2 days. She says it's because another family in the other building she works in wants her, and it's just easier. But really, I think it was the poopy diaper in the bathroom that did her in. Sigh.

In good news, however, check THIS puppy out:

Yep, 8 lbs lost since 1/9/08....5 more pounds til goal weight! GO ME!!! I have cheekbones!

And the winner is....

Linda Peterson!! come on down.......you've won a copy of Scrap Simple!!! Please email me your address and I will get it out to you asap!!!! Thanks everyone for commenting, and keep stopping by, as I will be giving away a few more copies over the coming weeks!

Okay, so I finally relented and hired a housecleaner. In NYC at least, they're de rigeur. Most moms have them, even if they have to scrape and scrimp to pay for them, because due to the tight confines of most apartments, they get dirty REALLY fast and REALLY easily. I know people who forgo date nights, dinners out and more just to pay for their housecleaner (I've heard it decreases the dirty-looks-from-hubby percentage as well). So anyway, we had our apartment "professionally" cleaned today for the first time, in ohhhhh a year? and let me tell you, it feels GOOD!!!! I don't have to clean tonight! i don't have to scrub the tub, do the laundry, or wash leftover dishes!!!! I am FREE, FREE I tell you!!!

Can you tell I'm psyched?  She did a good job, so I foresee her coming back again...soon....like tomorrow. I kid, I kid.

Can you believe Heath Ledger died? Unbelievable. He only lived a short way from our apartment, and I kind of felt like he was "our" celebrity....lived in Brooklyn with Michelle and his 2 year old (well, until recently)..didn't put on airs...hung out in the hood. I actually saw him just a couple of weeks ago in front of Fez (well, where the old Fez was, and is now some weird Pan-Asian restaurant) on Lafayette. Ugh. I feel so sad for Michelle and his daughter. I think it's because I have a son about the same age as her, so it hits home. 

In other vaguely Hollywood news, have you guys seen "Juno"? If you haven't, go. It's totally wonderful. That's my movie plug for the night. G'night.

Winner of Scrap Simple will be picked today!

No more comments on that thread please! :) I'll be posting today so check back!

Another layout...and some knitty goodies

Made another layout for scrapbooks.com: check it out here-->Zig Zag Fun  and also (finally) wanted to share some knitted goodies I've been making. I'm totally obsessed with socks right now. I joined a sock club and have already bought 4 sock books. I am impatiently awaiting my on-sale-so-they're-taking-their-sweet-time-shipping-them Clover DPNs in size 0, 1,2, and 3 from joann.com (ordered them 8 days ago and they STILL haven't shipped grrr) and also some wonderful sock yarn and I will be in heaven.

The first item up for view are Fetching Gloves (found in the pattern section of knitty.com):

I used some inexpensive Paton's Classic Merino wool so the entire pair only cost me $5. I really like them, even if they're slightly too big.  It's also a bit hard to see the cables around the wrist because of the striping.

Luca liked mine so much that I've started a pair for him. I've only finished one glove, but he's happy..For his I used Shepherd Colour4me 8-ply which is great for kids' stuff because of the bright colors.

And finally, my piece de resistance are my (somewhat) felted slippers. Originally, I had intended for them to be wooly socks but they were too big, so I felted them (carefully!!!) and now they're perfect and snug. I used the same yarn as I did for my gloves (Patons Classic Merino) and am going to make DH a pair too. I used the "basic" pattern from Ann Budd's book "Getting Started Knitting Socks" and I highly recommend the book--lots of good photos and step by step instructions for your first simple sock.

Anyway, I am off to spend the afternoon trying to stay warm!

Free copy of Scrap Simple, baby!!

So, for those of you wishing you had your hands on a copy of Scrap Simple (which just started shipping from Amazon!) I am giving away a copy! Post in the comments section and answer this question for me: how much is your scrapbook stash worth... :D

Don't worry, i don't think your husband visits my blog. But if you'd rather not even BEGIN to think about the answer to that question, you can instead tell me what you absolute favorite embellishment is...your "go to" embellishment...

I will give away a copy on Monday to someone special!

Homeschooling

I've gotten a few emails over the last couple of months asking about my homeschooling, my approach and how we structure our day, so I decided to write a little post about it....Luca and I follow the k12.com curriculum, which we both like a lot. It's a pretty classical curriculum, and rigorous as well. Right now Luca is in the Kindergarten curriculum for Phonics, Science, History and Language Arts, and Grade 1 for Math. His favorite subject is definitely Math, followed closely by History and Science. A typical day for us:

7:00 am Luca and Julian wake up. Michael (very nice of him) gets up with them and makes us coffee, and I crawl out of bed around 7:45 or so. If it's a school day for Julian (he goes to preschool 3 days) then we hussle him out the door by 8:30 or so.

8:30-9:00 am: I check my email while Luca either looks through a book or watches SuperWhy.

9:00-11:30: Do our Math curriculum (using k12 material which includes a great math text called Progress in Mathematics), Phonics, and I read to him for Language Arts. I am not loving the k12.com LA curriculum; it focuses on fairy tales, which is fine, but the exercises and activities are just not Luca's speed, so we usually focus on another story. We read The Odyssey (a fantastic version by Mary Pope Osbourne) and created a whole "travels of Odysseus' board for the wall, and we're moving on to The Knights of the Round Table shortly. For Math, Luca is working on chain subtraction, related subtraction and addition facts, and subtracting from 12. For phonics, he's reading short books now, and we have a Word Board on the wall with words he gets stuck on. Most days, we'll also do some spelling and read from The Story of the World. We're making a wonderful notebook of his drawings, narrations and musings on what we read, and that's probably my favorite part of the day. We're up to Hieroglyphics and we're going to make our own secret language and write someone a letter in it :)

11:30-12:30 break and lunch, relax.

12:30 until 2: we play games together, or Luca does his Headsprout for the day (that's an online reading site). If it's sunny (not now, unfortunately, we'll be at the park from 12 on). At around 2:30, if Julian is at school, we head out to the East Village to pick him up. We then all go to the library on 2nd, or go to the park.

4:00 head to Luca's TKD class in Tribeca untili 5:30

5:30 head home for bath and dinner and reading.

Bed by 7:30 to 8.

Now, this varies of course. If Luca isn't interested in doing something on a given day, no worries. We'll just skip it and do it another day. And many days we have activities with other homeschoolers, whether it's soccer or classes uptown (he's starting a robotics class in a couple of weeks, and currently is taking a Cartooning class). And sometimes, we have to just take a day off because the home needs some attention (hello mountain of laundry!!) or I am burnt out. If Julian is home, Luca and him have a blast making pirate maps and playing in their room together for hours, and it gives me a much-needed break.

I still haven't mastered the "keep the house clean and my business running and the fridge stocked and the clothes folded" part of homeschooling. But that will come with time. Right??

Hello again

whew what a week! Luca got the stomach flu so that wasn't pleasant. So, I spent a couple days (and nights!) tending to the inevitable cleanup after a messy illness....what else...I am now the official newsletter editor for NYC's homeschooling group called NYCHEA, and am also helping to clean up their website. So that's been keeping me busy. In non-scrappy hobby news, I have been knitting up a storm, and made my very first sock yesterday. Yes, sock singular. I am too busy fondling it to get started on sock #2.  I really love knitting! Who would have thought! finally, I am awaiting my ravelry.com membership invite....oh, the anticipation.

On the scrappy front, I  made a couple of layouts for scrapbooks.com (just joined their DT) and it's so nice to get back on the scrap wagon!! Go check them out right here

Debbie's class is beginning in two days over at nycscraps.com, and it looks (is this even possible??) even more amazing than her last one...There is still a couple more days to sign up for it, so be sure to download her sample class (on the Classes page, right under the class description) and check out just how amazing her class handouts will be.

On another note, I am trying again to lose the baby weight from Julian. II know, it's not really baby weight 2 years after the fact. But still, it's 10 lbs that must take its leave of my waist (and thighs). So i joined weightwatchers.com and I am eating pretty well! Last night I had Thai Carrot Soup for dinner (2 points!!) and loved it so much. There's a deal going on at weightwatchers.com so if you have some poundage to lose, it seems to be a pretty effective way that others have lost weight.

OKay, Luca and I are going to get started on our homeschooling today..k12.com beckons!!!

Now THIS would make a good reality show

NEW REALITY TV SHOW:
Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.

Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.

In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.
Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time.

Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.

He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn themselves with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.

They will need to read a book with the children each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right to be called Mother!

If you're on the fence about taking Debbie's next class

.....GET OFF!!! I just posted her free sample class over on the Classes page at nycscraps.com. Scroll to the bottom of her class description and you'll see a link for Sample Class. It's AMAZING. I really mean it. Not just good, not just well-done, not just clear, but AMAZING.

Go there. Right now.

Class is just $25 and it starts on Jan 18 (Green Room opens on the 15th).....You can paypal your moola to nycscraps@yahoo.com with your forum username and that's it--you'll be all set for one of your best scrappy months EVER.

The best laid plans.....

So...we're just finishing up our trip here in the happiest place on earth...and let me tell you, the boys had a blast. My commando operation went off without a hitch...well, almost.

Day 1
Up at 7 am (even me...amazing)..out the door by 8 and at Magic Kingdom by 8:40. Hit all the kiddie rides like Dumbo, Philharmagic and more by 11. Maximum wait time? 15 minutes. Had lunch at the Crystal Palace and met Winnie, Tigger and Piglet too, and Julian couldn't stop hugging them. Go planning guru mom!

Day 2
Epcot by 8:30....we all rode Soarin' and it was beautiful...met Mickey and were home in time for nap by 2:30.

Day 3
Back to Magic Kingdom, where everyone except Julian rode Space Mountain numerous times. Joy joy, no wait time due to mom's superior planning skills. Oh yea.

Day 4
Relaxing morning, then off to Animal Kingdom. Very beautiful, and Luca enjoyed himself on the Kali River Rapids ride despite having a cold.

but then.
the morning of Day 5 arrives.
And the four words every mom dreads hearing are uttered by Luca.

"Mom, my ear hurts."

Yes, you know what happens next. Luca is in awful pain all day, plans for the day are kaput (although Michael and Julian do manage to go to the Magic Kingdom for some fun on Tom Sawyer's Island.) And then, the next morning, the other four words every mother dreads hearing are uttered by Luca.

"My other ear hurts."

Uh-oh.

Luckily, as the afternoon progresses, multiple doses of Tylenol tag-teamed with Motrin seem to improve the situation. Our pediatrician was understandably reluctant to prescribe antibiotics over the phone, so it's a good thing he doesn't seem to need them.

So! It seems we're back on track for our Monday morning itinerary at MGM Studios! Yay!

But then.

Last night.

We hear a cry from Julian's bed and I dart over to find he's vomited all over his pillow (I know, TMI). And this continues throughout the night. Poor little man is now propped up in our bed watching Disney cartoons. This is the way it goes with young children, right? In any case, Luca is now feeling great so Michael will take him to MGM and we'll meet up with them a bit later if Julian feels better. Hopefully it was just a minor bug and he'll feel better soon. Right now though, I'd say he's looking a bit green around the gills.

Overall, and despites the sicknesses, the Disney trip was a success. We return home tomorrow night, and I am looking forward to getting back into the routine of life in New York City. I miss homeschooling, I miss seeing our friends, and I miss my cat Sunday. But I do want to extend the offer to anyone going to Disney to consult me about avoiding waits on the rides. I feel sorta like an expert now, know what I mean??

And I also have some scrappy news to share: I was asked to join the design team at scrapbooks.com!! I am thrilled to have been asked. I really admire the job that Drex Davis and his wife have done at this site --it's truly a professional site with fantastic inventory and fast delivery, yet it still retains a friendliness and closeness that other sites have lost.  So thank you to Drex and Ginger (the DT head) for the invitation. I can't wait to get my first package of goodies and start creating some layouts for you when I get home!!!