So "Mom hair" is now a thing.....What is wrong with it? And, why do we ALWAYS have negative connotations associated with MOM?

Recently I was listening to talk radio while the personalities were talking about the article written about "Mom hair".  I became a bit outraged while driving in my car.  With out reading the article it was implied that because someone became a mom they instantly became frumpy, drab, and became even more so when they cut their long hair into a reverse bob.

Seriously??????

Here is the public link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/fashion/mom-hair-tips.html?_r=0

As I read it, it talked about Mom's feeling bad about their appearance and so the instantly cutting their hair to make them feel better but it often does the opposite because it makes them look chubbier.  Say what?

I am a Mom of grown children and yes, I and several of my friends have this hair cut.  Guess what, some of our grown girl children say that we are with it, we are vogue, we don't appear our age.  So what about the Mom hair is an indication of your old and out of touch?  Someone, please, explain to me why having your hair manicured and styled is frumpy and bad.

Over the years we have attacked Mom's about their clothes, their body shapes, their personal appearance, now their hair and along with many other things.  How about we salute Mom's and be grateful for the things that they do and have done for their children.  How about we praise them for the items they give up so that their children can have more.

How about we give Mom's a break for not being slim, trim and having a tummy from birthing children and maybe drinking one too many cocktails during their relaxation time.  What Mom, with children, has time to take an hour out of their day to run to the gym and exercise for an hour several days a week?  What Mom hasn't given up the "new" jean silhouette so that she could provide more for her children?

Mom's are super heroes!

The average mom sacrifices so much for her children and her family.

She gives up her personal time, clothing budget, personal space, social time with her spouse, often while working too and keeping up the home.

Is their a way to help Mom's with out criticizing what they do?  Is their a way to make a mom feel like she doesn't need plastic surgery and lypo suction to be attractive?  Is their a way we can help society make Mom feel like she is a wonderful, kind, giving beautiful person just the way she is?

Let's celebrate Mom because she is Mom.  Let's not judge each other but celebrate each other.  Let's be at peace with who we are in the moment.  Let's just be.

Because with out Mom, her love, her giving, her kindness, her understanding; we wouldn't be the people that we are.

With love from your retired FACS teacher and yes a lady with "Mom hair".

Jane

P.S. Mom is spelled with a capital M with intention!

My reuse and recycle continues: Buffet from the 1940's moves on to the contemporary present. MY HOW TO.......

We moved from a home that had a great deal of space.  That home had a very traditional dining room and living room.  Our new home has just enough living space for us but it has a much more casual environment.

In the first year of our marriage we purchased a dining table, chair and a buffet at an auction for $280. We really thought we were going over the top on spending that much money at the time. We used the table and chairs for 15 years.  We have never stopped using the buffet.  After our move I wanted to make it feel casual like our home.

It seems like most everything is painted these days to make it "current".  This actually makes me chuckle, because there was a time during the 70's that my mom put paint and antiquing on everything. I see that phase again and I hope it lasts for a while because I do not want to strip these items because someone says I ruined them with paint.

This buffet is a replica Ducan Phiffe from the late 1940's.  In this picture the top two are pictures of the buffet before the remake and the lower two are the NEW version of my buffet.

Advice and steps for a project like this.

Things you need:  Sand paper, disposable paint brush(es), paint ( this project took the small can of paint), handles, some sort of drop cloth, drill and drill bit, screw driver, wet towel or attachment for drill. (Note for beginners:  your drill has a reverse on it so that you can remove screws with your drill very quickly.  Do not forget to change it back when you are putting handles on or drilling.)

1. Carefully decide what you want to do before you act.  Occasionally we think we have bright ideas and we act before we think and the cartoon bubble in your head does not resemble your finished product.  

2.  I removed the handles on the buffet.  

3.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to paint the entire buffet so I started with the top, doors and drawers.  I used Rustoleum furniture paint which I love!  

a.  Sand surface that you want to paint with fine sand paper.  This helps the paint adhere.  

b.  Make sure you place cardboard or newspaper on the area that you are painting because no matter how careful you think you are you will spill.  

c.  Always have a damp towel or rag at your side for slip ups and spills.  

4.  After the buffet dried I decided I love the partial painted look.  

I purchased handles that had two holes to attach to the buffet (the previous had one).  If you do this make sure the hole is going to be covered.  If not you will need putty that matches your surface and fill the hole.  I then measured the distance that the holes needed to be drilled and made a template so that the handles would be placed evenly on the project.

Note that I chose a handle color that matched the hinges on the doors.  You would not want nickle plated handles with brown hinges.  The type of handles that I used are traditionally known as CUP handles.

You want to make sure that you have a drill bit that is the correct size.  If it is too big your handles will slide around.  Also make sure that your bit is sharp so that you can drill through the wood quickly.

5.  After your markings and holes are done you can then attach the handles with the screws provided.

I love how my buffet turned out.  My husband came home and though that I had purchased new furniture.  This goes so well with the more casual look that we have in our home now and feels like it is NEW.  

I spent about $25 on this remake, well worth time and money that it saved me, versus purchasing new furniture.

What ever your project might be, I hope that you might have fun with it!

With love from your retired FACS teacher, Jane

Reuse and recycle still works.....Lawn furniture getting a perk!

As my husband and I are getting our new home organized (which might be totally organized in several years) and trying to fit old things into different spaces I have been modifying several items.  I will talk about one today but oh, there are several more to come in the future.  We never expected to move and had built our dream house.  When my husband lost his job 6 years ago we purchased a business as we realized he was at a difficult age to get a job.  In the last 5 years his commute of 30 minutes kept getting longer and longer.  We decided we would move only if we found a house that we both loved.  We found that home.  It was difficult to leave our friends and the community as we have been in our previous community since 1989.  

Our previous home had a patio and a deck.  We had metal furniture in the front of our home that was purchased during the early 90's.  The deck had furniture with cushions that we purchased in 2006. Both were in pretty tough shape but I didn't want to spend money on new things right now.  As most of you know a move is never inexpensive, always has one or two surprises that you don't expect, and often requires $.  Always things that you don't care about but have to take care of when trying to make your new home yours.  (For us, everything is smaller....including the dishwasher.....seriously, our square everyday plates do not fit in the dishwasher.....what?)

Our new place has a 38 foot deck that overlooks the Mississippi River (yes, we are very lucky and we love this little spot).  We are using all of our furniture combined and we know that it doesn't really all go together but we will make it work.

I made a trip to the local hardware store and purchased some spray paint that prevents rust.  I brushed off the chairs with a whisk broom and sprayed away.  These chairs look brand new and we love them. We hope that they last another 10 years and if the rust peeks out again I sure know where to get more spray paint.  They will NOT be available in our future garage sales. Ha!

a close up

I like to spray in the grass.  You can cut off the spray and destroy the evidence.  

With love from your retired FACS teacher, Jane