So, I’m thinking this year’s Christmas gifts for teachers will consist of a 16 oz. coffee cup filled with a gift card and surrounded with an owl cozy.
Either that or mittens. It’s a tough decision. Cozies are quicker. Mittens are more useful. Both are equally warm and woolly.
My segues lack novelty: Speaking of tough decisions, about a week ago I threw a crazy fit that had something to do with me being tired of fixing a different dinner for everyone in the house. I’m not eating meat. The girls don’t want to eat what I make for Jeff, and they tend to want only chicken noodle soup or chicken nuggets for dinner, and argh! End of my rope! Jeff, being my hero and all, quickly found a service that puts together meal plans with recipes and shopping lists based on your family’s needs.
And, guess what? We “sold” it to the kids by talking about how fun it’s going to be to eat the same thing for dinner and how it will free up more time for reading and playing games and New Chapter for the Puddings and whatever, and Friday found both of my kids eating meatloaf filled with zucchini and carrots. AND, I’m able to eat the healthy side dishes and keep the vegetarian thing going. $1.25 each week, and everyone is winning. (I apologize if I seem a bit too excited about this. When you’ve gone nearly five years fixing at least three different meals for everyone’s dinner and suddenly everyone has the same stuff on their plate and they’re actually eating it? It makes me dance. And I’m no dancer. I’ll keep their link in my sidebar until I fall out of love with them.)
Finally, do you remember how my parents gave me a lovely rose bush for my birthday and I got all horticultural and replanted it next to our house and it suddenly died? Last week, as everyone in my family was eating pork chops and gravy over egg noodles (!!!), this was happening on the rose bush.
It’s tiny and sort of damaged, but I’ll take it. Also, I distributed over 100 fliers with my neighbor last week, and she thanked me by giving us a hummingbird feeder, which is the most perfect gift because Fliers and Fliers! Anyway, at this moment in time, I’m 100% into the hummingbirds. I’ve already made two batches of food for them, and they’ve promised to not migrate until early November. (I know they’re lying to me, but at least we’re communicating.)
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Please read about my extraordinary family, and follow the links to win all sorts of prizes!
31 responses so far ↓
1 Rhiannon // Sep 15, 2010 at 5:41 pm
My grandma gave me two bird feeders for my bridal shower and then wrote out her recipe for humming bird food on an index card for me. SO CUTE. Guess I should mix some of that up.
2 Sherry // Sep 15, 2010 at 5:43 pm
And your Etsy shop where I could possibly buy a couple of owl cozies would beeeeeeee…..????
3 Julie // Sep 15, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Mittens might be more useful – BUT – the owls are very cute. And, people probably already have mittens or gloves… they probably don’t have an owl cozy. I’m sure either will be greatly appreciated!
4 Meg // Sep 15, 2010 at 6:20 pm
This. Cozy. Is. Amazing.
The meals? Amazing. Vegetarianism? Amazing.
Do you see what I’m trying to get across here?
5 Karenth // Sep 15, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Angela, don’t let anyone talk you out of the “one family=one meal” deal. Imagine how much time you’ll save over the next fifteen years. Better yet, imagine what you are accomplishing for the nutritional and social culinary futures of the Pudding Daughters! Think of it! If you waver, remind me to introduce you to Ruth, who was still cooking multi-menus daily at AGE 60.
6 Kathy G // Sep 15, 2010 at 7:11 pm
The cozies. Absolutely.
7 CrazyMomTats! // Sep 15, 2010 at 7:26 pm
I need a owl cozy. Do you need tatted earrings? We can trade.
You need to read Badger’s blog on her kids and food. She used to fix all kinds of different meals too, and doesn’t any more. Start from the beginning.
http://make-your-own-damn-dinner.blogspot.com/
8 liz // Sep 15, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Several years ago I started the “two out of three” rule. I try to plan dinner where two out of three foods served are the same on all plates. My Jeff and I fortunately eat the same things (so, if I cook veggie, he eats it without complaint because otherwise I put him in charge of grocery shopping and dinner ;>). Bean is finally hitting a stage where she is really expanding her tastes, but that’s recent.
Love the Owl Cozies. I want to knit an Owl sweater but it’s never cold enough for me to wear it. Or maybe it’s just that I’m never cold enough to wear it. Stupid hot flashes.
9 Elizabeth // Sep 15, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Ack! Teacher gifts already?! I’m slightly hyperventilating over here now.
Love the owl cozie better than the mittens, neither of which I can do since I don’t knit.
I refused to cook separate meals from day one. Hubby is the picky one; not our son. We have a 5 big bite minimum of what you don’t like/is new and all you can eat of whatever else I made. Or go hungry. And both have gone to bed hungry before. It only took 1-2 times.
10 beyond // Sep 15, 2010 at 10:47 pm
oh my. i want two of those owl cozies as wrist warmers. do teachers like wrist warmers?
you used to make three dinners? every night for several years? that’s insane. glad it’s over.
11 Lori // Sep 16, 2010 at 12:15 am
As soon as the page loaded I squealed a little. I love the owl cozy! (pattern?) I like the mitten idea too, but the cozy is super cute. OOH, owl cuffs on mittens? too labor intensive?
I live alone so I really only ever have to make one meal for one person (and if SHE doesn’t like it she can just shut it) so I really can’t relate, but I’m glad for you that you’ve found something that is working for you.
The rose is pretty! I have no logical end to my comment!
12 Lisa // Sep 16, 2010 at 2:53 am
I vote owl cozy! I’d think I was totally hot if I had one of those. Plus gift card? No contest.
13 The Coffee Lady // Sep 16, 2010 at 3:31 am
I want to be your children’s teachers. I will have to retrain, and emigrate, and… oh god.
14 elandsimom // Sep 16, 2010 at 8:53 am
Totally the cozies! Like x 5 (also – pattern link? this looks like something I could handle and maybe a good first “cabling” project?)
Rose bush pulled a Monty Python on you! “I’m not dead yet!” – hurray!
15 Nic // Sep 16, 2010 at 9:12 am
I made these mittens and they took no time at all
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bellas-mittens
And you could always short them to take up even less time.
16 Beth // Sep 16, 2010 at 10:21 am
That owl is so adorable! Pattern, please?
17 diana // Sep 16, 2010 at 11:34 am
good timing, since i am about to sign up for a meal planning service too! except i think we are going to do relishrelish.com, but i looked at that one too and they seem pretty similar (i have a friend who does relish). i did dream dinners (meal assembly place) for the past 2! years, but they just moved and i barely had time to get down there anyway. i think its going to be great!
and owls for sure, they are adorable! with sequins!
18 Amy in StL // Sep 16, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Ooo, I love the owl cozy idea; but I might be biased because I love the owl sweater pattern which I’m guessing is maybe a first cousin to the cozy? I’ve been doing relishrelish.com which I love. It’s been over two months now of me actually cooking meals that don’t involve frozen boxes of food… and I’m loving it.
19 Mary // Sep 16, 2010 at 1:31 pm
me too on the pattern… where please? super cute & such a great idea for teacher gifts. (as a teacher I say this!)
20 Jane // Sep 16, 2010 at 6:25 pm
I left a message over at Flickr.
21 CrazyMomTats! // Sep 16, 2010 at 7:27 pm
this blogger is doing owl knitting too
http://digital–alchemy.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-technique-cables.html
22 sarah // Sep 17, 2010 at 11:34 am
The owl cozies are adorable, I would etsy them definitely.
23 Average Jane // Sep 17, 2010 at 1:47 pm
That owl cozy is too adorable! I’d want one, if I were a teacher.
24 No Minimom // Sep 17, 2010 at 9:54 pm
I heart the owl cozies!!
25 Alex N // Sep 18, 2010 at 12:27 am
Former teacher here. I hate most teacher gift crap. LOVE the owl cozies. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
26 Jenny // Sep 18, 2010 at 6:11 pm
I’ve never done cabling but it’s my next project. Can a novice knitter who’s basically only done squares do that? Can I have the pattern, please? It’s gorgeous! Also: one meal and vegetarianism ftw!
27 Amy // Sep 19, 2010 at 1:45 pm
I’m a teacher and I don’t even drink coffee and I would LOVE that gift.
I made myself an owl cardigan last year and I love it. I also love that it’s cool enough to wear it again.
I’m just full of love.
<3
28 mommymae // Sep 20, 2010 at 10:54 am
i need a hummingbird feeder. and that owl coffee cozy makes me want to knit. if’n you email me the recipe for that, i might try. and yes, i know it’s a pattern, silly goose!
29 Laura512 // Sep 22, 2010 at 11:12 am
I’d love the owl cozy pattern, please! Please, please.
30 Tracy // Sep 22, 2010 at 4:19 pm
I too, am totally into the hummingbirds right now, which is odd b/c I’m a little ornithophobic…
Be warned…they are agressive little buggers, and they seem especially attracted to OPI’s “I’m Not Really a Waitress” red nail polish. I know this b/c they tried to feed on (attack) my freshly painted toes!
31 brit // Oct 1, 2010 at 8:38 am
OH man! I saw this on your ravelry site I just finished this owl cozy for my mom’s birthday and I had the same starbucks card coffee cup idea. Wait are you in my brain? This is unfair I finally finish a cool knitting project and there you are already ahead of me. I’m taking comfort in my knittiness that you ( a far more advanced knitter) and I have such similar taste. Obviously I”m just that much closer to awesome!