Make Your Own Poké Cards!

I stumbled across this website: My Poké Card dot com where anyone can design their own Pokémon card.

Upload your own image into the Pokémon card and fill in the info and boom, done. Like, how cool is that for the little Pokémon fanatic in your life? Way cool, just in case you were unsure.  

When trying to encourage the kiddo with designing his own Pokémon instead of just a picture of himself we set out on a collaborative approach. The three of us each imagined and drew a third of the new "Pokémon."

After that research ensued comparing all the cards of his- ahem, our favorite Pokémon cards to help decide on all the card specifications.

Finally, this was the finished product.

You can browse the public gallery for more homemade Pokémon card ideas here.

Minion Madness

In true kid fashion, we have a love for the Minions from Despicable Me in our household. As such, what else besides Minions could make 7 and a 1/2 Birthday Pool Party any better? Nothing.

So, here it begins. Look out! Minion Crossing ahead!

We took a create-your-own approach under my guide for many ideas sprung across brainwaves and interwebs galore. Here were some of those creations!

Cake is for those who actually like cake and, well, this kid doesn't like cake. Next best sugary thing? Cookies...Chocolate Chip Cookies...Chocolate Chip Minion Cookies to me more precise.

With cookies comes the responsibility of determining how to display them! Too many kids and your cookie amount rises far and wide compared to the space a cake stretches on a table. Instead, we built up! Cupcake stands of this variety (from Michael's) build easy and allowed for embellishment! Hello Minions!

Before cookies:

With cookies:

The "cookie" stand was crawling with minions (printed and cut out via google) with a special birthday minion I got from a friend after the first movie came out. To show his true birthday spirit, a homemade party hat (paper bag and a pom pom) and noise maker (paper bag and a straw) were a must have. The noise maker though fake blew open quite easily and without the usual annoying sound. Added bonus!

Just before kiddos and singing!

A special arrangement of 7 and a true half candle made their appearance for the birthday song...well placed as rainbow hair, don't ya think?

A Box of Shame and a few other creations (that were well loved before they could be photographed) supplemented the festivities quite perfectly.

Pool noodles repurposed for a fun poolside target game. Inspired from this post: http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2013/04/play-dates-pool-noodles.html?m=1

But, according to the kiddo, this next poster was the best deciration of them all! Any mom or seasoned camp counselor knows that a few ground rules or direction set in place help tame the inevitable chaos followed by large group of youg ones. So, to make things fun we copied a line from a sign our friends have up at their pool to include on our sign. The "hilarious joke from the sign" is a big hit even to this day!

Such a hit the birthday boy and his minions made the cover of a "magazine!"

Successful party? Check.

Other sources of creative inspiration:

http://lovelypartythings.com/

http://lesliedegner.hubpages.com/hub/Host-the-Best-Kids-Beach-Party

http://www.livinglocurto.com/2013/03/despicable-me-candy/

https://m.facebook.com/LaBKRY?refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fpinterest.com%2Fpin%2F218706125629284540%2F&_rdr

http://www.makeandtakes.com/last-minute-despicable-me-minion-costume

Rolley Chair Blues

In case you were unaware, I have an affinity for rolley chairs (really, my mom can vouch for me on this one). Although, "affinity" might actually be underplaying it a bit... Long story short: I like rolley chairs and now you all have caught up to speed.

This story starts in the Philosophy Student Lounge.... This room in Derrick Hall houses the best rolley chairs around campus. These chairs roll with ease, spin, have sturdy arm rests, and even adjust up high or way down low. I tell you all this to preface a semi-recent encounter I had with a rolley chair (and table) from this room... "It was a dark and stormy night..."-- I'm just kidding. Quite a few days ago, nevermind how long precisely, I was eating my lunch in the lounge while doing some school work, as I often do. I was in a uppity mood and could just hardly sit still. That should have been a red flag for me. But, no...

An accident prone person, such as myself, has had many an occasion when this exact lack of assigning the red flag has come back to bite me. I lost count of my rolley chair injuries sometime in...the early 90's. I've drawn blood on numerous occasions and this time it was no different...

Turning around just a little too quickly to engage in some friendly banter put me in a fix. I was just hoping to get a good one-liner in the conversation but I pinched the dickens out of my arm and could barely muster anything. The chair was just tall enough where my arm got pinched under the table. It caught the back of my arm real snug. Oh, the table was sharp. It took me quite by surprise so I didn't actually look at it right away. I just held pressure on it with my opposite hand. I drew back  just briefly from conversation, enough to calm my nerve and pipe back in. After that friend left, I was recanting the incident to another friend noticing I was still holding my hurt arm. It was only then did look to "see the damage" of the unpleasant pinching attack...

We can just end there with you using your imagination to picture my immediate bruise that was almost gushing blood. Lesson learned in the end but not until after the next day where I literally did the same thing with a different chair and table...

Make a good day!

Scrolling though old posts on the blog Mark and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living today. I came across this post about ways to make today a good day. It inspired me to write out one of my own ways to have a good day by incorporating the thoughts and ideas impressed upon me by some of those meaningful people who stir me on to do great things! 

One of my friends has always said "Make a great day!" instead of "Have a great day!" This plays of another idea floating around in my brain from school. As we like to say in the COMM world, "reframe" it - which basically means (as it best relates to the aforementioned idea) to change your perspective; or look at your life, circumstance, challenge, etc. in a different way. When a researcher is engaging in reframing that person is figuratively (or even literally) taking a step back and then looking at the same with a different way. In reframing, we call these different viewpoints lens. In reframing, we call these different viewpoints lens. One example could be by using different theories or types of criticisms to investigate the same communication interaction. 

So my point here is that another way make today a good day is to step back and look at the contents of your day with a different light (or lens, tehe). 

All credit for this post idea goes back to Mark and Angel Chernoff

Texas State University, Theater Building

This building has always been one of my favorites around campus for its beauty and my nostalgia from the many "good times" I had there. It is just gorgeous during the sunset in the spring. Although, I'm sure one could argue most things are quite captivating at sunset. My adopted motto states, "adventure is out there" and this building acquired many a stop along those adventures.

Forget Apathy, Do Something Worth Your While

Everything big that's happened in the world started small- one person, in one place, doing one thing. Actions create contagious effects; once one person sees it and decides to change, then like dominos it will affect everyone else over time. I love the thought that no matter how small one person is, their ripple can surpass all edges of space.

My Eggvocado Experimentation

I tried two versions of the Pinterest inspired Eggvocado to see what I liked best. They both turned out well but I prefer the second one due to more evenly being able to mixed in the spices. Other variation ideas are to put pico or queso on top. I didn't have the supplies on hand to test these but I'm sure they could go well with this dish. Make your own and let me know! Happy Eating! 


Version 1: "Sunny Side Up" Eggvocado (classic version I found on Pinterest)

Version 2: "Scrambled" Eggvocado (my preferred version) You can get more flavor throughout by mixing spices in when you break the yolk.