Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy
@scarymommy
Latest posts by Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy (see all)
- The Disney Reveal - May 14, 2013
- Met My Match At Disney… - May 13, 2013
- Sunday’s Baltimore Sun - May 11, 2013
Since the awful events last Friday, I’ve been making an effort to give into my kids a little bit more. Dessert without finishing your vegetables? Eh, could be worse. Another bedtime story? Sure. A family movie before bed? Sounds good to me.
Today, I stumbled upon an experiment for homemade lava lamps on Pinterest, bookmarking it for later use. I made the mistake of leaving the window open, and when Ben was looking over my shoulder this afternoon, he spotted it. Ohhhh, cool. Can we make those today? Ben asked. Sure, my love. We can.
I took out the measuring cups and the vegetable oil and a glass jar before realizing that we were out of food coloring. Ben’s face fell. When Daddy gets home, I’ll get you food coloring, I promised. Don’t worry.
When Jeff got home, I held up my end of the bargain. We have a Whole Foods five minutes away and I called to make sure they had food coloring before heading over. They did. Phew.
I arrived at the store to discover that Whole Food indeed carries food coloring, and that it is priced at TWENTY DOLLARS. I lost five minutes of my life standing in the aisle debating whether it was worth the extra fifteen bucks to save the time and energy it would take to drive to the Giant 15 minutes away or if I should just suck it up and return home with the damn bottles. My little boy’s face appeared in my head and the next thing I knew, I was waiting in line.
The clerk asked how I was this evening. I smiled and grumbled that I was fine other than the fact that I was about to spend twenty dollars on freaking food coloring. She laughed and asked why didn’t just go to Giant where they sell it for a few dollars. You’re right, I responded. I thanked her and left empty handed.
Drove 15 minutes to Giant. Found the food coloring. Waited in line. Read about Drew Barrymore’s new baby. Grabbed some gum. Discovered once I went to pay that I’d left Whole Foods a little more empty handed than I realized and had no way to actually pay for the four dollar food coloring I was so thrilled to see.
Left Giant to drive back to Whole Foods to retrieve my wallet, which I prayed was where I left it. Fortunately, it was. Along with the twenty dollar food coloring which I promptly purchased, rolling my eyes at myself the whole time and vowing to never again pin science experiments for the kids.
Arrived home to eager Ben waiting to conduct the great lava lamp experiment of 2012. Added the oil, the salt, the water and the food coloring to the glass jar and, together, we waited for the magic to happen. And we waited. And we waited some more. “Isn’t it supposed to do something?” Yeah, Ben, it was. Sorry, my love.
I blame the all natural, no preservative, plant based food coloring.
(Once again.)
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh NO! I thought the food coloring for $20 was bad enough. Glad you found your wallet, though. I “lost” my debit card two weeks ago, and I was sweating from every pore in my body until I found it. Good choice. No more science experiments.
Stephanie recently posted..Momma’s 12 Days of Christmas Presents Out of My Tree by Bridgette Gallagher
Wish I were your neighbor…I have buttloads of food coloring at my house. I would have sent it over!
I have to admit that I have yet to really get into Pinterest because I don’t need yet another reason to feel like an incompetent mother :) I did refer one of my patients to Pinterest the other night. I am a labor and delivery nurse. She wanted to know if our hospital provided the service of turning her placenta into capsules after her delivery. I told her “Nope, but I bet you can find something on Pinterest. I hear they have all kinds of do it yourself projects.”
Heidi Bryan recently posted..Yep…that just happened
Mix mineral oil and colored water in a 20 oz bottle with a little hot glue in the lid. It’s physics, move it around and the shit wiggles, you can’t fuck it up (or I would have, I promise.) If you get all froggy throw some glitter in that bad boy and you can wear the crafty crown. I like to consider myself crafty and I home school one of my minions so I have to do science but, whenever possible, I like to do it as half ass as possible and still come out looking cool. BOOM! Thanks for but another giggle, Jill! XO
I’ve tried to do a couple of experiments from Pinterest with my boys, but they just roll their eyes and tell me they did that particular experiment years earlier at school. They’re seven years old and in second grade. I’m not quite sure what high school is going to bring.
Amanda recently posted..I’m Feeling Nostalgic Tonight
I’m convinced that “Natural” is a euphemism for “add $15 to the price.”
Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) recently posted..How My Son Views Me (Cheers!)
RETURN THE FOOD COLORING TO WHOLE FOODS!
If you came across my child in a dark alley after he’s eaten something with artificial food dyes, you’d punch me in the face and throw $20 at me and tell me to buy the damn natural food dyes. You do know that Europe requires food manufacturers to label any food with artificial food dyes as hazardous to children? As a result, Europe gets natural food coloring and in the US we get crude oil based food dyes in our food. It’s all very interesting how our food is treated in the US. Anyway, your natural plant based food dyes aren’t going to react the same as crude oil based dyes in your lava lamp. Sorry.
whoa $20 food colouring!!! ack!
Jennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday~ Growing Up {linky}
Oh! The wallet! Argh! That’s when you just cry. Or buy cocktail mixers with your $20 food coloring.
Sarah at Julia’s Child recently posted..The Most Inspiring Thing
That was awful! Stupid $20 food coloring!!!
Lol ahh frustrating but you were such a good mommy through it all.
Never realized that people really MAKE the things on Pinterest. You know you can buy lava lamps at Five Below for $5 (or below), right?
Ah Pinterest. The only thing I have actually made off of Pinterest are the things I shared this week on my blog, which is about two things. The rest is all Pinterest Envy-stuff I would love to do and wish I would do but don’t. ;-) More power to the people that actually use it!
The Sadder But Wiser Girl recently posted..Delicious Evil Lurks In the Downstairs Freezer
I’ve made those before. We used alka seltzer tabs and it worked great.
my son made one over the summer…oil, water, food coloring & an anti-acid tablet (alka-seltzer). it works/ed perfectly. we still have it.
jen_schoeph recently posted..bits & pieces: christmas edition
Given the disappointing results of the lava experiment, perhaps I shouldn’t attempt the brownie recipe I found on Pinterest… :)
Lynn Kellan recently posted..3rd Annual Santa Beauty Contest – Your votes needed!
This actually makes me feel better about my own well of guilt-sadness which has resulted in almost non-stop christmas cookies and “special videos” (are they really that special if they’re happening EVERY day?) since Friday.
Our local organic store is called Healthy Living which goes by the sur name “Wealthy Living.” They sell artisan cheese packages the size of my thumb for $15. Although damn that is some good cheese…
Alexis recently posted..Great Holiday Books for Kids
Note to self : avoid pinterest like the plague.
Tinne from Tantrums and Tomatoes recently posted..The contents of my handbag
We haven’t tried homemade lava lamps but we did make monster jackets that have been a huge hit… Easy to make and no expensive food colouring required.
http://theparttimewife.com/2012/12/18/591/
natalie recently posted..Monster Jackets
That was a seriously awesome crafty effort. You’re a good mama!
Guerrilla Mom recently posted..We Have A Problem
$20?! the dollar tree sells it for $1. And since you weren’t going to eat it, I don’t think it mattered if it was natural or not.
I quit Pinterest just weeks after joining. I can’t.
Arnebya recently posted..I Blame Us All
I did this experiment years ago when I was homeschooling my kids. It worked fine, but it takes a lot of salt. They had their “lava lamps” for about a year, I got rid of them when they started looking disgusting.
But it’s Nature’s Colors (italics) food coloring! Only the most natural will do for a failed Pinterest extravaganza!
Lady Jennie recently posted..Bereft
I’ve had the same argument with myself over that same food coloring!! My daughter liked to “turn the blue water in the toilets at school green…” I thought blue food coloring in the toilets at home would help with potty training. Needless to say, no blue water at home!
It’s a fun experiment….the parent willingness to do anything for her child, not the lava lamp, that’s expensive and the kids get bored with it pretty fast.
It’s all fodder for the blog at least!
okay, that actually made me laugh out loud…
I know how you feel. I would give my kids anything right now. Thank goodness they don’t know that!
I’m so with you. I probably would have done the exact same thing. There is NO reason to waste $20 on fancy food coloring. Thank you for making me smile, Jill. I so needed this right now! XO
Jackie recently posted..No Words
My girls have their own board and when they can figure out how to read and follow directions (as well as clean up their mess), they can try the stuff they have me pin for them.
Heather @ Kraus House Mom recently posted..Wordless Wednesday
Sorry I’m laughing at your misfortune, but rest assured its because I’ve been there. The paying too much because its clost by AND the leaving my wallet somewhere..not so sure on the same night I don’t think…lol
Kelly recently posted..Newtown: When Pain is Left Untreated
Oh Jill…..I’m so sorry :( I am so grateful that no one took your wallet though…maybe you could share THAT with your kids, and put this disappointment in perspective? Of course allow the disappointment–what kid wouldn’t be bummed?? Or I dont’ know…I like to use moments like that as learning opportunities too.
That and I’ve had my kids whining about trivial things and needed to remind them that there are others who only wish that was all they were bothered by. Lots of lesson teaching this week *sigh*
TheHeadacheslayer recently posted..A Birthday Post for my Husband
they have a pinboard devoted to pins gone wrong, you should pin it there
So, things like this don’t just happen to me, huh.
Myndee recently posted..Until next year…
Fucking pinterest. Seriously, I’ve tried four things ALL BOMBS. Now we just color pre-made coloring pages and call it good. OHMYHELL – also $20 food coloring. That’s robbery! xo
tracy@sellabitmum recently posted..The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer Is Singing Loud For All To Hear
Sounds like a real gong show! I hate Pinterest.
Hey I like your story about the food colouring. Did you know 9/11 was an inside job? Osama bin Laden likes food coloring as well. Be careful!
I think you forgot the alkaseltzer. Add 1/4 tablet with cap open. Watch the lava lamp come to life. (Mess free!)
Hehe, I wanted to see a photo of a completed failed lava lamp attempt ^^
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