This week I failed at not one, but two homemade things that all moms should make: Jello jigglers and homemade playdough. I have actually failed at jigglers TWICE now. I cannot get those darn things out of the pan without ruining them!! What is the trick here, people??

The homemade playdough was another debacle altogether. My son’s Mother’s Day Out requires each mom to make playdough one month of the school year, and you have to make the color and scent they specify for that month. My month is November, the color: brown, the scent: spice.

My first attempt at 9pm on Tuesday night yielded playdough that was light beige, not brown, and smelled nothing like spice despite all the spices I put into it. Here’s a tip: do not substitute wheat flour if you do not own any white flour. And despite what the internet says, equal parts red and green food coloring do NOT yield brown.

I completely ran out of ingredients so I couldn’t try again until the next night. I asked Facebook how to make the brown color and the spice, and Jill and Michelle totally hooked me up. If you are interested you can find a Gingerbread Playdough recipe here. And for future reference, brown food coloring is made by mixing: 3 parts yellow, 2 parts red, and 1 part blue! This is straight from a hairstylist, per what they use to make brown in hair dye. Magical!!

I still hate Google +

I finally bought Einstein’s Brothers Bagels’ Vanilla Hazelnut coffee beans so I no longer have to pay them all my money when I crave their coffee. I was disappointed to find that you need about twice the amount of their coffee grounds to make the same amount of coffee I usually make. However, I am still excited about making it at home!

Related: last weekend Little Sir told one of our friends: “Mommy coffee, Daddy tea, Asher juice”
That boy has us pegged!

 Did you see my post about my new bag from The Keeta Collection by Vicki Ray? I love it so much, it really cheers me up when I’m having a rough day or the weather is cold and grey!

Finally, I just learned last night that Gina at The Feminist Breeder is going to the L.A. premiere of the followup to The Business of Being Born by Ricki Lake – More Business of Being Born on November 9. If you are anywhere near L.A., you can enter Gina’s giveaway of extra tickets to the premiere. I would absolutely love to go, myself, but I know the odds are pretty slim. Still, I can’t wait for the movie to come out so I can see it!

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Well that’s all for this week, be sure to visit Conversion Diary for links to more 7 Quick Takes Fridays.