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Monday, June 17, 2013

306.8742 (Father-child relationship)

While I didn't get to spend Father's Day with my Popsi-Cola yesterday, I did make some cupcakes for the party at my Aunt Jan's and Uncle Gary's in honor of my Pop's Pop (my Grandpa) and got to test my homemade lighting rig for the first time.


Check out that photo! Not even edited! Following the "How to Make an Inexpensive Light Tent - DIY" tutorial written by Darren Rowse on the Digital Photography School blog, I made my own lighting rig using an old U-Haul box, white tissue paper, packing tape, and some leftover scrapbook paper. It looks something like this:

Lighting rig all set up.
The lamps are  from the local Wal-Mart (about $5 a piece) and I'm using daylight florescent bulbs/lamps in both. The rig is small enough that the box stores in a closet and the lamps just hang out in my kitchen until I need them again.

Lamps chillin' out of the way on the counter.
The cupcakes are simple white cake (with yolks in... I was lazy) with fresh raspberry butter cream frosting (we had leftover raspberries in the fridge). The design is just a simple rosette on top. So to conclude this post, a few more cupcake photos and some pictures of me and my Pops. What can I say, I'm a daddy's girl at heart.

Mmmm... raspberry butter cream!

Yes, two liners. It stops any oily marks from the cake and make it more delicate.

It takes quite a man to be a good father. I'm pretty sure that I've got one of the best!

Saturday, June 1, 2013

613 (Personal health and safety) - An "Oh Shit! Kit"

What is an "Oh Shit! Kit" you may ask? Basically, it's just a small package of all those things that you might need at an event that you are going to, namely weddings, but just everyday preparedness, too!

I have a small "Oh Shit! Kit" that goes in my purse along side my wallet and beauty products. This kit looks like this:

And it holds the following products:

  • Hand sanitizer
  • Tide-to-go mini stick
  • Mini floss (free from dentist appt.)
  • Band Aides (finger, knuckle, and regular fabric ones)
  • Hand wipes (these happen to be from a "wash your sins away" gag gift)
  • Pain pills, allergy pills, and Tums in a small Altoids container
  • Mint breath spray
  • Alcohol wipes
  • Jolly ranchers
  • Throat lozenges (cough drops)
  • Mini sewing kit (with two needles, thread, two buttons, two safety pins, and a small scissors)
  • Mini nail kit (nail clippers, file, cuticle scissors)
All of these things fit in the small American Red Cross pouch. I also have a mouth-to-mouth shield attached to my key ring (it folds up into a little pouch) and my regular cosmetics (chapstick, lipstick, etc.) in my purse pockets alongside my cell phone.


Small "Oh Shit!" Kit Contents

My large "Oh Shit! Kit" that I take to weddings and on long weekends/camping/etc. fits inside a medium sized cosmetic bag (with the internal, clear zippered pockets) and looks more like this:

Large "Oh Shit!" Kit Contents

It has a longer list of things included by far and is still being added to on a regular basis as I find new items that I think should be added. The larger kit includes:

  • Instant ice pack
  • Throat lozenges
  • Wet wipes (good for more than just babies' bottoms)
  • Static guard
  • A mini lint roller
  • Sewing kit
  • Tide-to-go stick
  • Alcohol wipes
  • Gauze
  • A larger assortment of pills (pain, Tums, cold and sinus, allergy)
  • Neo-to-Go spray (well, the cheap target version that works just as well)
  • Double sided fashion tape
  • Safety Pins
  • Larger scissors
  • Q-Tips
  • Tampons
  • Blister Band Aids
  • Assorted fabric Band Aids
  • Clear medical tape
  • Pens
  • Floss
  • Whips (4 little throw away tooth brushes that have picks on the end)
  • Carmex stick
  • Tape measure
  • Paper clips
  • Mini manicure set
  • Lavender scented hand lotion
  • Mint breath spray
  • Jolly ranchers
Why carry all of this stuff, you might ask? Because I've needed it before and not had it! Some of the most common problems I run into at weddings or large group events? A bride who wants hand lotion or a breath mint, groomsmen who rip their hems, a bridesmaid who forgot their chapstick or breaks a nail (or whose shoes are killing her feet and causing blisters... I've had that one happen myself), or a various number of small cuts and scrapes happen throughout the day. I always feel like an assortment of over-the-counter drugs are a good way to go, too - you never know when someone in the crowd will get a headache or be sneezing uncontrollably from seasonal allergies. The jolly ranchers? I know an awful lot of people who are diabetic and a piece of hard candy can fix a lot of sugar/insulin issues. 

Does this make me "mom" among my friends? Yes, yes it does. While that can be annoying, it's also good to know that everyone in the crowd is taken care of. Anything else you think should go in my "Oh Shit! Kits"? Leave a comment below!