Daily Craft - A birthday swap!

In the October birth group on Ravelry, we elected to do a swap in honor of the pending birthdays of our little ones.  It was a secret swap and, as my partner has no clue who their package is coming from, I'm going to share the contents here.  A little pampering for both mom and baby for making it this far!

Here it is in it's entirety.  (Not a fancy background, but this is what happens when you forget to take pics at home and end up doing so at work in the commissary on top of the pool table with your cell phone...)

Top row (left to right)
- some British themed loose leaf tea.  I love the little tins too and would definitely need to repurpose
- vintage photo notecards
- our favorite Sandra Boynton book "Moo, Baa, La La La!"

Middle row
- a tea pouch that I sewed with some of my favorite teas in it, along with dried chamomile flowers to add
- crochet stitch markers that I made
- Sesame Street toddler socks (they were too cute!)

Bottom row
- Josh Groban's last studio album, and the "Whip It" soundtrack
- a couple of soft acrylic yarns from my stash
- puffy bath books (which are also a favorite for Owen)

I certainly didn't get to craft as much for this swap as I have for swap packages in the past, but I still had a blast putting it all together and was happy to add a couple of handmade touches at least.  I have a package coming my way from somebody and can't wait to see what's in it! 

Daily Chuckles - My completely random gift guide

I feel like I've been completely lacking inspiration for gifts this year - I was even having a hard time deciding what I wanted for myself (seeing as I wasn't going to make husband buy me a $500 camera lens).  I also go through the annual problem of having our wedding anniversary, Christmakuh and husband's birthday all within 3 weeks.  Yeah, I know, first world problems.

Anyway, I took to the internet for ideas and, in doing so, found a lovely assortment of completely random gifts that I just had to share with you all.  Here it is - my completely random gift guide (a/k/a stuff that I find hilarious).

	Moo, I'm A Goat T-shirt (courtesy of Snorg Tees) - $19.95 This shirt needs absolutely no explanation...or does it? Perfect if you enjoy seeing how long it takes for your friends to try and figure it out.
	Magic Wand - Programmable TV Remote (courtesy of Think Geek) - $89.99 Apparently it learns from your existing remotes, which inspires Harry Potter geeks and Muggles alike to be running around the house yelling "expelliarmus" and "accio" while waving the wand at TVs or ceiling fans. I'd actually be sorely tempted to teach it how to work the remotes in the office too, to really get everybody thinking that I have magical powers. Oh, the possibilities are endless!
	Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels (courtesy of Brookstone) - $39.95 Don't go to the gym, just chase your alarm clock around the house! Apparently, Clocky will give you one chance to wake up and then will jump off your nightstand and take off. It doesn't say if Clocky is any good at hiding, seeing as an alarm clock you can't find could be a bit of a problem. Also doubles as a pet toy.
	Kilt Beach Towel (courtesy of Catalog Favorites) - $29.95 This will have folks wondering what your man's got under his kilt. I think this one is best used in public places and perfect for covering up those Speedos.
	Monkey Tea Infuser (courtesy of Waste Some Cash) - $9.75 If you've ever wanted to hear the phrase "there's a monkey in your tea", this is the time. You can then correct them by saying, "actually, there's tea in my monkey".
	Slingshot Flying Monkey (courtesy of Amazon) - $2.09 (sale) While we're on the topic of monkeys, want an awesome gift for any white elephant gift exchanges coming up? This is guaranteed to be a big hit at meetings, given that it is a toy complete with screaming sounds.
	Air Swimmer Remote Control Shark (courtesy of Toys R Us) - $49.99 Another great item to have in the office, parties, or just following you around in general...especially if you've already purchased the wand remote.
	Star Wars Chop Sabers (courtesy of Think Geek) - $12.99 Technically, if you were really a Jedi, you could use mind tricks to get the food in your mouth. If that fails though, might as well use these chop sabers, which you could also use in battle should somebody try to steal your sushi.
	ABC (Already Been Chewed) Cookie Cutters (courtesy of Waste Some Cash) - $7.99 This may be the most brilliant method of keeping the cookies all to yourself!  An alternative for those of you who are used to licking your food to stake your claim.
	Cock Blocker Wine Stopper (courtesy of Amazon) - $7.95 (sale) You always need something to prevent unwarranted advances...on your wine!  Helpful if you don't have your light-saber chopsticks on hand.

Daily Ramblings - Beginning to look a lot like...

The tree has now been up for a few days and so far no ornament disasters.  Last year, baby cat Deuce was a little too small for the ornaments to be of concern.  This year though, I know he can reach 3ft up the tree if he wants to.  I made the decision to go all plastic on the ornaments, just in case he decides to attempt to steal any, which would have resulted in shattered glass and probably a trip to the vet.  He took it upon himself to sniff the tree when I first put it up, checked if it was edible (because that plastic taste is yummy) but has since left it alone. 

I'm also excited to say that I finally finished all my holiday shopping.  In my attempt to bring in all the bags from the car yesterday afternoon, I successfully dropped a heavy-ish gift on the top of my foot.  The only good thing about that is knowing that if I hadn't dropped it on my foot, I probably would have broken it.  Broken gift or broken foot - not sure which is preferable to be honest!

I'm an hour of sewing away from finishing up my one large handmade Christmakah gift too.  Deuce loves to help me by holding the end of whatever fabric I'm cutting.  He then watches me (for quality control purposes I'm sure).  I'm not 100% happy with how the quilt is shaping up but I'm such a quilting novice that I guess I'm just grateful it's a rectangle really!  Actually, I've been having a lot of trouble with the fabric being somewhat slippery.  Note to self - buy stiffer fabric until I get the hang of this quilting business. 

I think I shall name him "inspector #1" while he's in my craft room.