The Best Stuffed Animal EVER

Wendy Tsao, the woman behind Child's Own Studio, makes stuffed animals from children's pictures. I would have been ecstatic if I would have gotten one of these when I was little! Even if you don't have any need for one of these, it's funny to look at the stuffed animals she has made.
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Personalized M&M's

The idea of personalized M&M's isn't new, but I have not tried it until recently. If you haven't tried to make your own, you should, it's fun!

make your own M&M's

There are three steps. The first, you pick the colors you want. I was surprised at the amount of colors they had. Next, you ad the text or picture you would like. The picture can be clip art or a photo. Last, you pick the packaging. You will be surprised at the amount of options there are for packaging. They even have a kit for business cards that comes with tins with a slot for a business card. I picture someone putting their face on the M&M's or "hire me!". The only thing I was disappointed about is that there is only Arial and Comic Sans fonts to choose from. Despite this, the amount of options makes for an endless amount of possibilities for a party, event, or unique gift. 

Hidden Rooms

One of my goals in life is to be able to build my own house one day. I have always thought it would be cool to have a hidden room. Not like a creepy hidden dungeon, but a room with windows that has a door that blends in. I felt a little crazy for wanting this until I googled "hidden rooms" and found that people actually have these! I also found some on  Pinterest! Here are a few I liked...

Savannah Cats

I love animals. I have always thought it would be cool to have an exotic pet but don't think it is ethical. I was so excited when I was introduced to Savannahs while watching Cats 101. A Savannah  is a cross between a Serval and a domesticated cat. They are sweet, intelligent, act similar to dogs, and... are twenty thousand dollars. One day when I am rich and famous I am getting one!

Animals in Translation

I came across a book called Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior today. The author, Temple Grandin, is autistic and has spent her life with/studying animals. I found a list of some of of her ideas online...

• argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness--and that animals do have consciousness
• applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the trees"--a talent as well as a "deficit"
• explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain that filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them--a reality animals and autistic people see, sometimes all too clearly
• explains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have animal genius
• compares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes cannot even see
• examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to decide, and even to predict the future 
• reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals 
• maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an animal is to make it feel afraid

I have a nephew with autism and a golden retriever mix. In a weird way, I understand what she is talking about. I have not read much of it yet, but I am excited to.