Gotta Make a Chocolate Bar Halloween Costume - OH HENRY!!!!

This year my daughter has her mind set on being a chocolate bar for Halloween, at first I thought OK easy enough - cardboard, paint, and some tin foil.  Well, she never takes the easy route, she wants to be an Oh Henry bar. 

When it comes to sewing I have no skills - none!  Rounded cardboard box, not so easy to come by.  Perhaps some yellow poster board.  I know if it doesn't look exactly like the chocolate bar she's going to pout and then all that work will have been for nothing.  So, I did some Internet surfing and here's what I've found when it comes to making a chocolate bar costume:

Homemade costumes.
How to make a Chocolate Bar Costume
Hershy Bar from Garbage Bag
 A S'more anyone?
Buy A Snickers Bar Costume
Buy a Three Muskateers Costume

Today I went out to Wal Mart - found a box for free and bought 2 yellow poster boards to glue on it. Now to get out the paint and start making it look like an oh henry bar!  It will be a rectangular oh Henry bar but at least people will get what she's suppose to be.

In the end my daughter made the costume herself.  She used my cricut to cut out the letters using black contact paper and red construction paper.  She used markers to write the smaller details on the bar.  We attached it to a cardboard box and painted her face brown to cover it in chocolate.  Everyone loved her costume and she ended up with a lot of oh henry bars in her trick or treat bag.

My son's costume is a whole other issue - Artillery Zobie Soldier.......  What ever happened to pirates, princesses, and superheros?

What to do? What to do? It's a PD day..... again.

PD days, there is a lot of them and my on a rainy day with no money are..... not much.  Right now they are playing video games after sleeping in.  I've been checking the Internet for things to do in Vancouver for next to nothing.  There are lots of parks, beaches, and pools but its raining. 

There may not be anything free to do but there is a lot to do for cheap and thankfully a local family has listed them all with valuable information for people like me.  Check out their Find Family Fun website.

Today I think we'll go to Steveston for fish n chips and to check out the local fisherman's catch. 

We might get a little wet but the fish and chips will be worth it.

You Can't buy an Animal on Craigslist but You can buy a Child or Woman.

Ontario and Manitoba have asked Craigslist CEO, Jim Buckmaster, to stop enabling sex traffickers to make money by not allowing sex trade ads to be run.  According to the Calgary Herald Craigslist has stopped the ads south of the border but not in Canada and does not plan to. 

In my search for a family pet I discovered that there are no ads allowed to sell an animal as a pet.  Craigslist has put the rights of animals ahead of profits to help stop puppy mills and puppy brokers from making quick cash.  Why don't women and children who find themselves forces into the sex trade not given the same consideration? 

Are women and children not as valuable to the world as animals are?  Does the CEO value animals stuck in puppy mills more that those who are forced into a life of servitude?  Most children and women do not choose a life in a brothel.  Until the CEO of Craigslist starts to value human life as not something to buy and sell then I am boycotting the site, I encourage others to as well.

If you agree and want to boycott Craigslist until they remove sex trade ads please leave a comment and pass this post along to friends.  Together we can make a difference.

Vancouver Sun Article
Vancouver Sun Article re Sex Trafficing in Canada
Sex Trafficking - Modern Day Slavery in Canada - lots of information on how women and children are forced into the sex trade and how immigrants are used as slave labour. 
Canada an International Embarassment -

Buying a Dog - I have to be Approved!?!

Buying a dog isn't something to do on a whim, especially if you are looking for a certain breed or personality.  When we finally decided to get a puppy as a family pet I thought it would be a simple trip to the pet store with cash in hand.  I was definetly in la la land, day dreaming, when I came up with that idea because buying a family dog is about the same as trying to find a job.  Since my husband and kids are determined to avoid the puppy mills and buy from a quality breeder the process of finding the "right" dog has become very difficult.

I was flabbergasted when I first learned that we'd have to interview for a dog.  I'm interviewed out, I've been on job interview after job interview, the last thing I wanted to do was interview for a dog.  I'm not even a dog lover, in fact I don't have much use for animals.  If my life depended on me coming up with an animal person type to discribe myself, I'd have to say I'm more of a cat person... no make that a fish person.  Not that I want an aquarium to clean out but I like to swim and they don't need much attention. 

By now you are probably wondering why I'm even thinking about buying a dog, let alone interviewing to be approved to purchase a dog.  One word - Kids.  My kids have bent over backwards for the last 2 years proving that they are responsible enough for a dog.  They've begged, pleaded and all but sold their soul to get a dog.  My son has babysat, fed, dressed and walked his little sister without grumbling or fussing and my daughter has cleaned, organized, and help out around the house.  They have been patient and waited until we finally caved after over 2 years of asking. 

I am realistic and I know that once the dog has been in the house for a while the kids will revert to lazy excuses and need to have a fire started under their butts to walk the dog.  I have an ace up my sleeve though, my knight in shining armour, my husband, is an animal lover and will pick up the slack.  He'll whine and have hissy fits but he'll take care of everything.  That's the kind of guy he is - responsible.  As an animal lover he'll have no choice but to take care of it as wonderfully as he cares for us. 

If I really think about it though, I wasn't much for kids before I ended up with 2 of them.  So maybe a dog will melt the ice and I will end up a dog person yet.  Of course that's if we ever do find the "right" dog.... afterall, I do have to go through the  interview process first.

Kids Home Sick!

As if I didn't have enough to do, the kids are home sick.  They aren't very sick, just getting sick and with all the germs running around , I thought quarantine would be best.  I have to admit I am guilty of using a little throat tickle to spend more time with them.  Mommy's prescription for a soar throat - extra cuddles in the morning and after lunch while watching cartoons and playing video games.  There are some real benefits to being unemployed and stuck at home with no money.  I'll take whatever 'joy' I can get from being cooped up in the house by myself. 

Watch Parenthood Online in Canada

I was disappointed when I couldn't watch Parenthood on Zshare anymore because all the other links on Casttv.com were American only viewing.  Then I checked out local stations online to see what they had and I found Parenthood finally on Global TV. 

So if you want to catch up on the latest episodes of Parenthood check out Global TV.

What is Going On? Is There Something Wrong with Me?

I gotta tell you I'm beginning to wonder what in the world is wrong with me?  I'm beginning to take the rejection personally. I have never in all my years, and that is quite a few, had such a hard time finding a job.  I usually am choosing which one I want to take and if something goes array with one, there is another in the wings ready to scoop me up.  Then again I've never looked for work in Vancouver before, maybe I just don't have that whatever it is Vancouver employers look for.  -- Which is what exactly? 

I wouldn't be in such a rush except I have no cash flow and the credit card company calls me everyday asking for money I just don't have - I have to buy my gas with spare change.   Really it is embarrassing to drop $4.00 in change on the counter just to get a few more kilometers down the road.  My husband, God love him, is stressed out because we doubled the mortgage when we moved out here and its all on him.  I get it, but standing over me and blaming me for not giving it my all doesn't help. 

Thing is, even if life was perfect, I had a job, could buy whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, I'd still find things to bitch about.  To the bulk of the world I've got it good - I have a roof over my head and I'm not starving, all thanks to my hubby by the way.  I've got two great kids and parents who love me.  I couldn't ask for more. 

Really what am I complaining for?  How many mothers would love the chance to stay home with their kids?  I should see my lack of employment as a blessing in disguise.  I should be thrilled to be able to focus on my family and home.  Thing is though, the job situation is consuming me and I can't think of anything else.  At some point things will all work out and I'll wish I was unemployed and home with my kids.