6 rolls of gauze + 1 t-shirt + 1 pair grey pants = Superman??

Everyone knows someone who waits to do or finish their Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve.  Friends, I am not one of those people.  I started Christmas shopping a couple of weeks ago, and although I'll likely be shopping well into December, the head start makes for a more relaxed, enjoyable holiday season.  Halloween, it would appear, is a different matter.  We decided to dress C as a mummy, in a costume I'd make.  No problem, right?  It's just a little gauze and thread.  I started on Saturday night.  Last night at 11p I had yet to start the pants, and I gave up.  As luck would have it, my work load was light today, so I took some time off, hit NINE stores (2 Targets, Babies R Us, 2 party supply stores, Baby Gap, Pottery Barn Kids, 2 Walmarts) and finally settled on a Superman t-shirt at Gap with a velcro on cape.  C doesn't even eat candy or understand Halloween, so maybe it shouldn't have mattered so much, but somehow it does.  The kid needs every chance to celebrate all of the silly, crazy, fun aspects of childhood.  I'd go to a hundred more stores to make sure he does just that.  Now I'm just crossing my fingers that he enjoys seeing all of the other kids dressed up (we're going to a safe event at a mall) and doesn't get scared.

the abandoned mummy top

the Gap Superman shirt

Happy Halloween.

Bite of Las Vegas 2011 Schedule

Main Stage

10:30 a - 100 Monkeys
12:00 p - Colbie Caillat
1:30 p - Imagine Dragons
3:00 p - The Cab
4:30 p - Michelle Branch
6:15 p - Mat Kearney
8:00 p - OAR

Restaurant List
Develop your plan of attack people!!

Bite 2011 Excitement

Are you ready??

Bite of Las Vegas 2011

The Mix 94.1 Bite of Las Vegas line-up is complete!  Band Battle for Bite resulted in a pretty great day of music.  In no particular order, you will see O.A.R., Michelle Branch, Mat Kearney, Colbie Caillat, Imagine Dragons, The Cab, 100 Monkeys, and local bands The English Channel, Avalon Landing, Play For Keeps, and Offset Season.

Of course, don't forget the fantastic offerings of more than 40 Las Vegas restaurants.  All items will be under $5.  Awesome, right? 

See it all on October 15 from 10a to about 10p at Desert Breeze Park.  Tickets are $9 (those under age 5 are free), but if you bring a canned food item for City Mission of Las Vegas you'll get $1 off the ticket price!

Chairs and coolers are NOT permitted, but you are allowed bring a blanket and ONE unopened bottle of water.  One more thing to note - there is NO re-entry.  If you leave, you must pay again to come back in, but there's no reason to leave anyway.  Port-a-potties are all over (including those big, nice ones with running water), there's food and drinks a-plenty, there are designated smoking areas (just make sure you use one of them - the event is smoke-free), the entertainment will thrill, and you'll have plenty of company.

More information here, from KMXB.

Band Battle for Bite 2011

Mix 94.1's Band Battle for Bite will be held September 15, 2011 at the House of Blues.  Bands making the top 8 of all entries will compete to be among the top 4 who get to play for thousands at Bite of Las Vegas in October 15!  Local bands, it's not too late.  You have until August 31, 2011 to enter.  Go here for details.  Everybody else, go see the Battle and root on your favorite local band.  Who knows, in a couple of years you might have to pay $150 to see any one of these bands in concert.  Why not see them as they get their big chance?

Stay tuned, the line-up for Bite, with the exception of the local bands, will be announced on Monday morning (08/29/11)!  I hear it's a good one.   

DIY car seat cooler

When we switched from a backward to a forward facing car seat that would stay in the car, I started looking for solutions to the inevitable bun burn that occurs upon returning to the car after even just a few minutes on a 100+ degree day.  Here in the desert we have months of 100+ degree days and a few 110+ degree days just for fun every year, and it's easy to get actual burns from seat belts, etc. when you get in the car.  Enter the ladies at eighteen25.  Also desert-dwellers, they posted a tutorial to make an adorable car seat cooler...here, which I promptly pinned. 

** Important note:  I'm no seamstress.  I can sew a straight line.  Sometimes.  I don't know proper sewing terminology and I don't like to measure.  If there's a sewing shortcut, I'll take it, however ill-advised.

I used laminated cotton so I could just wipe it down.  The fabric is Nicey Jane Laminated Cotton Lindy Leaf Blue from fabric.com (currently $15.98/yd). 

Using the car seat as my guide, I cut the fabric to roughly 39" x 56".  I cut it 56" wide so I could just fold it over and save myself one seam. 

the layout

Next I cut six slits through one side (which will be the "back").  These will eventually be the slots for freezer packs.  In order to prevent the slits from fraying or ripping, I made bias tape from some scrap white cotton and sewed it on (I think it could be classified as bias tape.  Am I wrong??). 

Slits to insert ice packs

My car has head rests in the back seat, so next I sewed ribbons to the top inside edge of the cover so I can tie it to the head rest bars so it won't just slump down into the seat. 

ribbons to tie to head rest

 Next step, I basically sewed the whole thing into a pillowcase, leaving a gap at the top (between the ribbons) so I could turn it right side out.  Then I sewed closed the gap.

the back after sewing sort of a pillowcase

 At this point I thought I was some sort of genius.  I'd had no problems despite winging the whole thing.  Ahem.  I'm no genius.  The next step was to sew vertical and horizontal lines to hold the ice packs in place.  All I needed was three vertical lines (one down the middle and one on each side - the ice packs would go between the lines, three on each side) and three horizontal lines.  It turns out the laminated cotton wouldn't feed through my sewing machine.  Apparently a walking foot would've worked, but I don't have one.  I attempted to get some traction by laying down a strip of blue painters tape and sewing over it, but it still didn't feed properly and the tape didn't come off well.  It really loosened my stitches when I removed the tape.    Foiled by straight lines.  In the end I pulled my fabric through, which resulted in ugly, uneven stitches, but stitches that held.  I also sewed the bare minimum required to hold the ice packs (rather than sewing all the way across).

Done, folded, and tied.  Ready for the freezer.

In the car

 Listen, I'm first to admit that this wasn't well thought out, but it didn't turn out to be a total disaster.  It'll work, and it is cute unless you take a close look at the stitches and puckering.  In retrospect, I should've read up on laminated cotton before I bought it.  It wasn't a total bust, though.  C's bottom, back, and arms are oh-so-comfortable while I steer with a kleenex barrier between my hand and the steering wheel. 

Read more tales of pins coming to life here:

bower power
style by Emily Henderson
making a house a home
young house love (which links to a lot of other completed, Pinterest inspired projects)

*Follow-up, August 16, 2011.
We've been using this awhile now, and it's actually pretty great.  I made it wide enough and long enough to cover the entire seat and sides, and that, my friends, was a wise decision.
 

Coming Soon! Bite of Las Vegas 2011

It's approaching!  Save the date - Saturday, October 15, 2011.

**Update here**

Topshop Las Vegas

At last!  Topshop is coming to Las Vegas.  Set to open in March 2012 at the Fashion Show Mall.  See you there.

Las Vegas Zoo

You've heard of The Happiest Place on Earth, but perhaps you haven't heard of its antithesis, The Most Miserable Place in Town.  Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but the Southern Nevada Zoo is no place to go when you need the warm fuzzies.  C had never been to a zoo, so a few weeks ago we took him to the LV zoo, knowing it was small and probably well-suited to a first-timer, age 15 months.  Not so.  Not so.  This is one instance where you can accurately judge the book by the cover. 

On display, many birds you might otherwise see in a pet store, such as a cockatoo, etc., two ostriches, an emu, one sad and lonely lion, one sad and lonely chimpanzee in a tiny room, one seemingly depressed lynx, fossas, one alligator, a pair of otters, some goats, peacocks and peahens, a family of Barbary apes (the last in America per the sign), wallabies, etc.  The enclosures were for the most part extremely minimal and devoid of interest, entertainment, or natural-like surroundings for the animals.  Some birds were basically in a wire cage with a few bare branches. 

We exited through the building, which smelled of cigarette smoke.  That's no way to entice me to buy my kid a stuffed toy.  If I want a smokey stuffed toy, I can always get one from the crane machine at a bar or from a carnie. 

I've long felt that zoos can be horrible places for the animals, but can be done well and thoughtfully, too.  They can bring awareness to the plight of animals on the verge of extinction, be used as a platform for animal rights, and can be used for research and breeding.  This zoo did none of the above, and I was left wondering about their mission.  Perhaps in this situation, the humane choice would be to close the zoo and gift the animals to better equipped zoos.  It's not that we expected a world-class zoo here in the desert, but the facilities were inadequate, the enclosures were at times scrapped together (in one instance rocks were piled on the bottom of a fence to keep the turtles from escaping), and even desert-dwelling animals were underrepresented. 



the entrance, in all its glory





the poster monkey for depression



I'm torn between feeling the need to donate to the zoo to try to help them out and feeling that I shouldn't support a zoo in that condition, thus helping it hobble along longer than it should.  We shook off the experience the best we could and look forward to going to the San Diego Zoo or the Henry Doorly Zoo.

**UPDATE 07/09/2011**

I found out some additional information on the zoo from the Las Vegas Sun that fills in the gaps.... 

"Informally known as the Las Vegas Zoo, the 3-acre park and garden features more than 150 animals, including a variety of endangered cats as well as the last family of Barbary apes in the United States. Privately owned, the zoo started as a pet store more than 20 years ago by a retired North Las Vegas homicide detective, who has since turned it into a nonprofit corporation. Animals are lent from other zoos.
The park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets cost $9 for adults, $7 for children and seniors."

Peter Lik, Tomas Mangelsen, Bobby Wheat

Yesterday we went to the new Tivoli Village shopping center in LV, which has a limited number of businesses open right now.  It's such a promising sign for Las Vegas to have something new opening for a change (as one of my favorite stores, EQ3 prepares to close).  I didn't have my camera, but they have some cool artificial flowering trees there and a nice little playground that C enjoyed.  I'm looking forward to the opening of Kidville (does anyone know how much the classes cost?).  Hopefully it'll be a better alternative for us than Gymboree. 

Tivoli Village is also home to Bobby Wheat Photography, which is reminiscent of Peter Lik and Thomas Mangelsen (a Nebraskan, by the way).   LOVE.

Bobby Wheat

Peter Lik

Thomas Mangelsen

Pet-a-Palooza!

Okay, so there shouldn't be an exclamation point in the title.  C was sick, so we couldn't go to Pet this year.  Ho-hum.  Anyway, I have it on good authority that there's some pretty awesome pictures, interviews, and performances here, on the Mix 94.1 site.  More to come, I suspect, so keep checking back.  I was so sad to miss it, and especially Andy Grammer.  I think we'll be hearing a lot from him in the future.  What say you?  Here's a cover....



Oh, and C is much better now, thank you. 

Heartlessness.

The other day my sister, my son, and I were driving down the Strip - something I rarely do since it takes so long and the pedestrians can be annoying.  We locals often get annoyed by the tourists in our city . . . not all of them, just some of their behaviors.  My suspicion is that these are largely good people but something changes in them when they come to Las Vegas.  They seem to think this is a place where the rules don't apply to them, the rules of law, as well as the rules of a polite society.  Anyway, one of the most common complaints about tourists is their brazen attitude about crossing streets.  They often ignore traffic lights or dart across the wide streets and often obstructed medians in areas outside of the crosswalks.  Anyway, we came upon a very recent accident where a pedestrian was hit by a car.  It didn't look good for the pedestrian.  Now, that person may or may not have been acting carelessly at the time of the accident, and the same goes for the driver.  Those aren't my focus right now.  What really bothered me was that a huge crowd had gathered to watch the firemen assist the victim, and they were taking pictures and video of it all.  That person may have been dead or dying and people were gawking and videoing the whole thing.  We drove by as the firemen arrived, so I can't say whether or not passers-by attempted to assist the victim or if they merely walked around him or whipped out their phones to take pictures and video, but in the aftermath, what possesses a person to video someone in a moment like that?  How could one be so callous?  More and more I feel I'm witnessing a breakdown in morality in this country, and in the world.  People seem so willing to blame others for their misdeeds rather than taking responsibility, and others seem to feel that nothing matters outside of themselves.  If I see either in my little C when he grows up, I'll be beyond disappointed. 

Pet-a-palooza 2011: Train, David Cook, Fefe Dobson, Andy Grammer

Mix 94.1 fm Pet-a-Palooza!
April 9, 2011
Star Nursery Fields, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
$8 for adults, free for children under age 3 (-$2 with donation of canned pet food item)
Music, pet adoption, pet-themed entertainment, shopping, etc, etc.

A portion of the ticket price benefits the 40 non-profit Animal Rescue groups that will be at the event. 

If you've been considering adopting a pet, that option is available at the event.  OR, you can bring your leashed pet.  In the past I've seen tons of dogs, a few (brave) cats, birds, snakes, ferrets, an iguana, and a pig.  However, I encourage you to think about how your pet will react to a large crowd, other animals, and the weather before bringing them. 

The rules:
-no outside food/drinks
-no coolers
-no chairs
-no re-entry

There are plenty of good options for food and drink at the event, and the stage is fairly high, so you'll be able to see if you're sitting on a blanket or wandering the booths.

More info, including a David Cook interview and an interview with Jimmy from Train:
http://mix941fm.radio.com/

Personally, I'm excited to see Andy Grammer, and Train is always good.

Pet-a-Palooza 2011

So the 2011 Mix 94.1 Pet-a-Paloooza is fast approaching, and I have a solid source that tells me that this year's line-up will be Awesome.  Capital "A" awesome.  I believe it'll be announced on Monday, so in the meantime, reminisce with me on past Pet-a-Paloozas via the KMXB web site, and catch an hour of the best performances from them on Sunday at 9am.  My faves have been Mat Kearney, Gavin DeGraw, & The Script.

Update:  See the lineup here.

Free Dollar

No, really.  Yesterday at Target my sister spied a dollar bill wadded up in a bush near the parking lot.  I think our reactions said a lot about each of us as we determined whether it was worth it to dig into the bush to retrieve it (after I told her that there was probably a whole family of scorpions living in there):

She - "Do you think it's real or one of those fake bills?" (like the ones that say something religious on them)
Me - "What if it has drug residue on it?"

Such cynics. 

A House Full of Crazy

So I've hesitated to write about our neighbors because I don't want to judge them too harshly, but seriously, that is one house full of crazy.  The sum of our encounters with the neighbors boils down to this:

- Something is off about the mother and three kids.  They're beyond strange.  They speak in very high, shrill voices and seem to be slow in a way that points to mental health issues.
- The 12 year old son scares me.  He stands too close, tries to touch us, and says creepy things that remind me of certain episodes of Dateline or Oprah. 
- The kids are home schooled by the mother, which is particularly alarming since in the past she's asked us what we mean by words like "sushi," "extension," and "pruning"
- BB caught the mother looking in our window. 
- On trash pick-up days, the whole family waits in the driveway for the garbage collectors.  If they're running behind, the family waits it out, and take turns walking to the middle of the road to watch for the truck.  I can hear the alarm in their voices from my office. 
- I've never seen the mother wear pants.  I don't mean that she's wearing skirts or dresses.  I mean that she's wearing enormous t-shirts.  Enormous, but still not quite big enough.
- One of the first things they said to us was "We're not prejudiced."  Good, but sort of a strange way to introduce oneself.
- Their hygiene is in question.

We avoid them when possible.  A little longer than two weeks ago I had the windows open and could hear someone's smoke detectors sounding.  I noticed again the next day, and the next.  It's been constant since then.  We have no vacant houses nearby.  Last night I was pulling some weeds between our houses . . . the alarms are coming from their house.  They've been living in a house with constantly sounding alarms for weeks!  How can that do anything other than drive them even further down the path to craziness??

Let There Be Light

I know, I know.  It's too early to begin celebrating Christmas.  The shops have their decorations up and music on, and it's too soon.  Yes.  Yes?  Maybe not.  What's so wrong about taking a few extra weeks to celebrate a miracle?  To think about what's really important in life?  To take some time to let the beauty seep into your bones and sustain you for the rest of the year?  To really enjoy it between mad shopping sprees and baking sessions?  Nothing.At.All.  So, to that end, do consider joining us for the 17th annual cactus lighting at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory in LV.  Stop in for a factory tour, some free (!) chocolate samples, grab a hot chocolate from the shop, and head out for the unofficial start of the Christmas season with Louie Anderson, Zowie Bowie, and On With the Show. 

Here are the details...straight from the source:

Tickets are limited and required for the Nov 16 event, so you'll need to get them asap.  To get tickets you'll donate one new, unwrapped toy at the Ethel M factory in exchange for a family four-pack to the Nov. 16 event (limit eight tickets per family). Toy drop-off will run from Nov. 1 – Nov. 15 at the factory location only and tickets will be provided on a first come-first served basis.

The action is Tuesday, Nov. 16 from 5 - 8 p.m. at Botanical Cactus Garden adjacent to Ethel M Chocolates’ factory in Henderson. The countdown to the lighting of more than half a million colorful lights will take place at approximately 6 p.m. 3-D glasses are available for purchase at the Ethel M store, though they're certainly not necessary.

The added bonus - Santa.  Yes, Santa is venturing out to Henderson.  

If you can't make it, don't fret.  The lighted garden, factory, and store will be open all season, closing January 1.  After the initial night, tickets are unnecessary and it's free (unless you get the hot chocolate, as I do).

Las Vegas Halloween

Need something fun to do in Las Vegas with the kids on Halloween?  We'll be here:



Sunday from 4:00-7:00. 

Bite of Las Vegas 2010, the Recap

Last Saturday I packed up C and we headed off to Bite, timing it so that we missed the initial crush of Miranda Cosgrove fans. Parking was a breeze, thankfully. I opted to take the stroller since I was bringing in jackets, the Baby Bjorn, diaper bag, and a blanket. In the past I've had to park on this huge rock parking lot, and our stroller isn't made for that kind of off-roading. Anyway, no problem.


The Food:
Kalua Pig from Island Girl Catering. Delicious!! Island Girl doesn't have a brick and mortar location, but you'll find them at all the Hawaiian festivals and events around town and, obviously, can hire them for your catering needs. I didn't have the nerve to try the Spam dish they were serving, but everyone said that was fabulous, too. Unfortunately I can't find anything about them online.

Vegetable empanadas from Whole Foods. Have I gone on and on about my love of Whole Foods before?

Watermelon lemonade from Hash House. Yum!

Really wanted to try the treats at Atomic #7, but I was stuffed. Just look at their full menu here. Oh, and the frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity.

The Entertainment, in no particular order:

Frank Caliendo - Okay. An impersonator. Boring, usually. They used him well, though, to announce winners of food contests.  Those were entertaining 10 minutes.

Ryan Star - Awesome!  Cute!  Very sweet.  He cooed over my sweet C, and offered to get me a drink.  Talented and kind!  A winning combo!

Plain White T's - I'm always impressed when I hear a band live and they sound like, well, themselves.  Themselves on the radio or CD, that is.  That's not to say it wasn't a dynamic performance - it was.  They just proved that their sound isn't totally a product of crafty production in the studio. 

K'naan - Very entertaining.  I had to leave towards the end of his set, but he really got the crowd going.  Just as we reached the car I heard him talking to the crowd for awhile.  I like it when an entertainer engages the crowd musically and intellectually and really seems present in his performance. 

Sara Bareilles - We'd left by the time she went on, but I was able to meet her backstage, and she was very sweet (and had great shoes).  She offered to babysit C.  Don't think I wouldn't take her up on that!  That would be the best lullabye C would ever hear!  B says Sara sounded great.

Switchfoot - Again, we missed it.  Anyone have a review?

Christina Perri - Just heard the end, and wished I'd gotten there sooner.  I'm excited to see where her career takes her.

Miranda Cosgrove - Didn't meet her, but Lordy did she have a long line of people waiting for pics and autographs!  I understand that she and her people delayed her flight in order to stay longer and meet more people.  How nice!

Local Bands - Okay.  I didn't pay enough attention to which band was which, but I heard some solid talent over there, and they seemed to have decent crowds listening.  Bravo!

Cooking Stage - This year I vowed to make it to the cooking stage at the appropriate times, but instead I must've been eating or something at those times.  Next year...

Children's Area - Looked fun!  I'm excited for C to grow big enough for that fun.

All-in-all, a grand day.  The weather was beautiful, the entertainment was - um - entertaining, and the food was delicious.  What more could I ask for?

For more, including pictures and video, check here, the Mix 94.1 site.

Bite of Las Vegas 2010!

It's almost here - the 2010 Mix 94.1 Bite of Las Vegas!  If you haven't been to past Bites, it's an all day food an music festival featuring national and local bands and a plethora of delicious restaurants.  There are also carnival rides and games for kids and a stage for cooking demonstrations.  So here are the details...

Saturday, October 23rd

10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m
Desert Breeze Park (at Spring Mountain and Durango)

Admission: $9 for adults, free to children 5 and under

Food:  Menu selections range from Mexican, Asian, French, Mediterranean, Italian, pizza, gourmet sandwiches, barbecue, kids’ selections and desserts all offered in $1-$5 portions.

Entertainment:  Switchfoot, Sara Bareilles, K'naan, Plain White T's, Ryan Star, Christina Perri, along with an autograph session with Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) and four local Las Vegas bands (Play for Keeps, Redwine Rewind, Spadoni, and Parade of Lights)

Switchfoot:


Sara Bareilles:


K'naan:


Plain White T's:


Ryan Star

Christina Perri

Miranda Cosgrove

Local Bands

**Update**
Discounts are available:
•Purchase a family 4-pack of tickets for half price at lasvegashalfoff.com

(must be picked up at KMXB office starting Monday, October 18th, at 6655 W. Sahara Ave, Suite D-110. Tickets must be picked up before 5pm on Friday, October 22nd – tickets will not be mailed)

•Buy a bag of non-perishable food items at any Whole Foods Market location for City Mission and receive 2 free Bite tickets.

•Attendees can receive $1 off the admission price with a donation of canned food at the gate for the City Mission of Las Vegas. Additionally, $1 of every ticket sold will be donated to the City Mission to help feed Las Vegas’ hungry.