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When Your Daughter Gets Bullied

It’s an ugly world that we’re raising kids in these days. But what do you do when your daughter gets bullied in the 5th grade? Not a little picking, we’re talking full-blown threats to her livelihood. Our experience with bullies in today’s middle school.

I always thought…not my Bug. Who would bully her? I mean, she’s a bad ass so everyone should be scared of her, right? Totally wrong because she’s not a bully…just a bad ass (I say that with love). There’s a difference.

Bad Ass vs Bully: There’s a Difference

A bad ass kid, like my Bug, just does her own thing. She’s not overly nice to others most times, does and says what she wants, and she doesn’t always fit in. She doesn’t usually care. The kid talks back often, refuses to listen (even if it’s for her own good), but she hurts no one really, at least not in a threatening way.

A bully, on the other hand, is a whole different (disgusting) breed. They thrive on drama, chaos, and instilling fear in others. We all know, as adults, that a bully is just a weak person who enjoys intimidating others, but let’s get back to bullying in the 5th grade. A 5th grader (or 6th, 7th, 8th…oh, really through adulthood) bully cares only about himself. The adrenaline rush they get (I suppose) from preying on the fears and vulnerability of others is what fuels their disgraceful fire and they’ll stop at nothing short of a scared fellow human, a brawl, or unfortunately in our case, a small-scale riot. Bullies are assholes.

Bad ass kids are confused and hormonal. Again, there’s a difference! Neither is OK if you’re a parent, but one is understandable; the other is NOT.

Let’s Talk about Bug’s Bully…

Well, let’s back up first. The bully thing all started when she entered the 5th grade, middle school in our parts. I mean, there were issues in elementary school, of course, but nothing that brought blood-curdling fear into my body and mind. That started here, this year, in the 5th grade. I may be saying in the 5th grade a lot, because that’s important. We all hear of crime every day and as sad as it is, that’s the world we live in. But that crime comes out of poverty, ignorance, adulthood…right? WRONG! Apparently it happens in 5th grade now, and I’ve had enough!

Where it all began…

There was a girl in gym class who didn’t like my Bug. I mean, I get it, we don’t all have to like everyone. Dodgeball was a target session against my daughter. Basketball games were a game of dodgeball for my daughter. It just didn’t stop. We went to the office and reported it. It stopped. Not sure if that girl got in trouble or not, don’t care, but it stopped. Whew!

Fast forward two weeks…Bug had an issue with a kid in gym class. He’d been unkind to her all through elementary school (which I knew) and it escalated one day at gym class (notice a theme yet?). He picked, he prodded, she SLAPPED him. OMG…my kid was the bully. But no, she fought back, the school recognized it, she got ISS. She did the crime, she did the time. I supported their decision. The end, or so I thought.

Fast forward yet another week…Bug was now labeled as a “fighter”. It spiraled. The girl that had SPENT THE NIGHT at my house that Saturday, the one that had been friends with Bug since the 2nd grade…yea, that one…got mad at Bug in the hallway over a hug. A HUG by both of their admission. In gym class that day (come on now…you see where the issue is here, right?), this girl…bully…approached Bug. She threw up a hand, a fist, and swung. Bug ducked. The bully provoked her with “hit me, just hit me first so I can hit you and get this over with”. Bug refused (good Bug!) and the kids, the bully’s thugs, started chanting to provoke a fight! The gym teacher gave both girls in-class ISS, the vice principal talked to them. That was it. So we thought.

The next morning, Bug sat far away from the girl she formerly called friend. Didn’t work. Her big sister (yes, 7th graders can seem very intimidating and a lot bigger to 5th graders) approached her and said,

Leave my fucking sister alone. Just wait until I catch you in the bathroom alone because I’m gonna FUCK YOU UP!

Let that sink in.

She said it low, but it was in a room full of students and administrators. She wasn’t scared of getting in trouble. She was bullying my daughter. In the adult world, that’s a terroristic threat punishable by law. In the world of the middle school bullies, it’s nothin’ but a thang.

I seriously need for you to let that sink in!

I got a text from my daughter within five seconds of the incident. My bad ass kid was scared, as was I. Have you seen the Lifetime movies where one high school girl (they haven’t made one about middle school YET) gets mad at another so she gets a group of friends together and they take the other girl in the bathroom and start to beat her just to scare her, but things go too far and that girl hits her head on the sink and dies then everyone’s sorry? Yea, I’ve seen them too and that’s all I saw in my head that very second I got the message from my daughter.

Might sound a little dramatic, but is it really? Not in my head. Not on the news!

What to Do When Your Daughter Gets Bullied?

My reaction was to immediately call the school and insist (NO I DO NOT CARE THAT THEY ARE IN A MORNING MEETING) that I speak with someone immediately. I got the counselor. Very kind, very understanding, very empathetic, but her daughter hadn’t just been threatened. She would do something RIGHT AWAY and call me right back. Seconds turned into minutes, turned into hours, turned into a return call. She’d “handled” it. The bully and her bully sister have a rough life (I know this!) and they’re sorry. Of course they’re sorry they got caught! You know, getting caught for telling someone you’ll FUCK THEM UP is a big deal.

The girls can never speak to Bug again. Did I want to push ISS? No, what good does that do? Oh nothing you say…yea, me too, but my daughter “served her time”. Whatever. Stop the bullying!

That wasn’t the last instance. New girl, different day, same gym class, fat lip from a slap. The thing is, bullying, threatening (KILLING) in schools, even middle schools, these days is a thing. How did we get to this place? How did we let this world break like this? When, where did it happen and how in the hell do we just make it stop?

My daughter doesn’t deserve to be bullied, neither does anyone else’s daughter or son. What are we going to do? What do you do when your daughter or son gets bullied? Bug’s a very different person now than she was when she entered 5th grade. It’s heartbreaking and I need to do more; we all need to do more!

Mardi Gras Deco Mesh Ribbon Wreath Tutorial

By Christy Leave a Comment

Make your door the envy of the neighborhood for Mardi Gras when you put this DIY Mardi Gras Deco Mesh Ribbon Wreath together in just 11 super-simple steps. Very forgiving, this DIY wreath tutorial is your new best friend for all of the seasons! Just so you know, I did receive fun decor from Oriental Trading® to facilitate this post, but all opinions are entirely my own.

For once in my life, I’m not going to talk too much (I probably will). I’m going to let this bad a$$ Mardi Gras Ribbon Wreath speak for itself and just tell you how to make it. It’s easy, it’s affordable, and it’s so much better than anything you can find at your local big box store. Plus, you can use this ribbon wreath tutorial to make wreaths for all of the special occasions you want to celebrate. Are y’all ready for this? Seriously, if I can make this, YOU can make this. I’m just not that crafty, so here goes.

Supples to make a Mardi Gras Deco Mesh Wreath:

18″ Wire Wreath Frame
Purple Mesh Tube Ribbon
Green Chenille Stems
Gold Mesh Deco Roll (I used 20″ by 10 yards, but have a lot of length left over for other projects)
Mask of Choice (I used smaller masquerade masks for one wreath and a large jester mask for the other – both shown here.)
Large string of Mardi Gras Beads
Various embellishments like peacock feathers or clip ons

Making your Mardi Gras Deco Mesh Wreath

Cut your mesh tubing to the size of your chenille stems and thread the stem through the tubing. I used eight on the inside ring and eight on the outside ring, but you can adjust that for the fluff factor you’d like.

Simply tie the ribbon-covered stems around the inside wire where you want them, then repeat for the outside wire. It’ll look something like this, but I did remove some of the outside stems before weaving in the deco mesh because I felt like there were too many. Use your creative judgement as you move along. You’ll see!

Once you’re satisfied with the number and placement of your stems, get ready to start adding your deco mesh. Start by gathering the end of the mesh in your hand as shown.

Using the attached stems, tie the end of the mesh to the first one, bunch the mesh as fluffy or flat as you’d like, and tie it down into the next stem. Continue that until the entire inner ring is covered, fluffing as you go.

Once you’re done with the inner ring, repeat those steps for the outer ring. When you’re done with both, your base deco mesh ribbon wreath is done. Time to decorate for the occasion…in this case, Mardi Gras!

Here’s where you gather your masks, beads, peacock feathers, whatever you’ve decided will make this wreath uniquely yours.

First, start with your string of beads (or tinsel if you prefer) and, using the same stems, tie them down in the pattern you prefer. If you’re using beads, make sure the heavy ones are on the bottom, of course!

Now, take the ends of the stems and twirl them around the end of a pencil, remove them from the pencil, and fan them how you’d like. Those stems are a super integral part of this wreath. Not only did they hold everything together, but they’re decorative items all on their own.

Last, but certainly not least, decide how you want your masks and other embellishments to fit into the pretty picture. For one, I chose smaller masks to give a simple and festive look. You can use a little hot glue to tack the masks on, or you can tie them down with the ribbons. Either way works great.

Since we live in Galveston, Mardi Gras decor is pretty much abundant and I found the coolest jester mask at a local drug store and eatery. I knew this had to be my centerpiece for my main wreath. It’s pretty bad a$$, dontchathink?

There’s a little piece of ribbon attached to the back of this mask so we simply attached it to the wire wreath frame with a small piece of wire. I clipped on a couple of sparkly peacock feathers…and done. I love the outcome and how shiny and festive the whole thing is!

Pin this Mardi Gras Deco Mesh Ribbon Wreath for later!

This whole project is really forgiving and simple to make. Once it’s all put together, all of those little imperfections mean nothing. NOT A THING…do you hear me? The outcome is nothing short of breathtaking and you can make this for a fraction of the price (literally, about $50 bucks as opposed to HUNDREDS at specialty stores, Etsy, or even the big box stores) and you have bragging rights this way, so there’s that.

For this Mardi Gras Deco Mesh Ribbon Wreath, I got 90% of my supplies through Oriental Trading® like I always do and you can too! Think it’s too late for a Mardi Gras Wreath (not really, we still have a FULL WEEK)? That’s OK too because this same, simple tutorial can help you build your Easter wreath, welcome spring wreath (seriously, hurry up spring!), or whatever other wreath you can image! What are you waiting for? Let’s get to crafting! Happy Mardi Gras, Y’all!

Mardi Gras Tree + Paper Lanterns…Oh My!

By Christy 1 Comment

Deck the halls for Mardi Gras with purple, green, and gold! It’s easy to get the celebration started early, even before the parades begin, with this Mardi Gras Tree tutorial. Festive, lighted paper lanterns add all of the extra ambiance you need! Just so you know, I did receive fun decor from Oriental Trading® to facilitate this post, but all opinions are entirely my own.

There’s no need to take down the Christmas tree! The Christmas season (my FAVE) is over at the end of December, right? You loved the lights and magic of the season, right? Yea, me too. Keep that magic going because Mardi Gras is right around the corner and you can leave your (fake) tree up (sans the Christmas decorations, of course) and repurpose it into a Mardi Gras Tree! I’m about to tell you how to do that beautifully, affordably, and how to add some extra ambiance to the PAR-TAY. Y’all ready for this?

First, let’s set the mood! There’s no better way to set the mood for any party or celebration than festive colors and lighting. For Mardi Gras, as I’ve done with many other holidays, I chose to adorn my living spaces with paper lanterns! But for Mardi Gras, I stepped it up a notch and my paper lanterns are lit up like Mardi Gras Trees (see what I did right there?).

How to decorate a Mardi Gras Tree

Let’s get back to the star of the show…the Mardi Gras Tree, shall we? It’s fun, it’s festive, and it’s so easy to create with affordable Mardi Gras decor! All you need are a few simple things and you can set it up however you’d like!

The tree, of course, which you still have left up from Christmas…score!
Mardi Gras Feather Masks
Purple Glitter Tulle
Random Party Favors and Peacock Feathers (to poke out from the tree for added flair and dimension)
Christmas Tree Ornaments in Purple, Green, and Gold
Tree Topper (Since I live in Galveston, I was able to find this crown table topper at my local big box store, but you can get creative here with whatever you can find or make!)

Simply drape the tulle around the tree – or down it as I did in this case – then add your ornaments, masks, feathers, and random party favors, then top it off with your star, crown, or whatever else you can imagine. The result is fun, festive, and a party atmosphere that everyone will love!

Mardi Gras Paper Lanterns for Ambiance

Now, let’s talk about those paper lanterns again, shall we? You can get these in a variety of sizes, textures, patterns, and colors from Oriental Trading®. For Mardi Gras, I obviously went with purple, green, and gold. I chose the 12″ lanterns, got a set of six each, and hung them all around the house for a night time parade experience. These would look fantastic outside on a deck for a party, but it’s so windy in Galveston ALL. THE. TIME that I just can’t take that route!

To get the lighted lantern effect, I got some submersible (yup, they work under water too!) white LED lights and just tucked them into each lantern for that night time glow and ambiance I was going for. It worked out beautifully, dontchathink?

After that, just toss a few beads around, put up some themed tinsel and boas, and you’ve got yourself a full-blown parade right in your own home…just like that!

It’s your turn! Mardi Gras festivities are starting soon – February 2 through 13th, 2018 in fact – and you need to get ready for the party. Here at my house, every day’s a parade thanks to a little imagination, a lot of fun, and affordable decor from Oriental Trading®. I still have a Mardi Gras door wreath to make, so wish me luck (my first ribbon wreath ever) and stay tuned for that post in the very near future! Happy Mardi Gras, y’all! If you’re in the area, I sure hope to see you at all of the parades!